Bearing with combined slinger-seal

Claim 2

In a bearing, inner and outer relatively rotatable race elements having radially spaced and opposed raceways and antifriction elements spacing said race elements and riding said raceways, and seal structure carried by the radially inner one of said race elements on one axial side of said antifriction elements, said seal structure comprising a flexible annular seal disc and first and second annular plate elements retained in axially abutting support relation with corresponding radial regions of said seal disc, said regions being radially intermediate said race elements, said plate elements being separate parts of formed sheet metal secured to said inner race element at a predetermined axial offset from said antifriction elements, said axially inner part including an integral axial sleeve portion riding said inner race element, and said axially outer part including an integral axial sleeve portion riding the sleeve portion of said axially inner part, the outer race element including an outwardly flaring surface partly overlapped by said seal disc in resilient axially inwardly loaded peripheral contact therewith, the respective radially outer limits of said plate elements being in clearance relation with said outer race element, and the radially outer portion of the axially outer plate element radially overlapping and axially clearing said seal disc.

Claim 3

The bearing of claim 1, in which said inner race element includes shoulder means in axially positioning abutment with said axially inner part.

Claim 4

The bearing of claim 1, in which the sleeve portion of said axially outer part includes an axially inwardly directed offset, said seal disc being radially supported on said offset.

Claim 5

The bearing of claim 3, in which said offset has axially limiting abutment with said axially inner part.

Claim 6

The bearing of claim 1, in which said plate elements axially diverge from contact with said seal member in the region of seal-disc flexure and contact with the outwardly flaring surface of said outer race element.

Claim 7

The bearing of claim 1, in which the axially inner plate element extends into relatively close radial clearance with said outer race element and at an axial location that is at least no further axially outward than the axial location of the inner end of said flaring surface.

Claim 8

The bearing of claim 6, in which said clearance is at least no greater than substantially the thickness of said seal disc.

Claim 9

The bearing of claim 1, in which the axial clearance between said seal disc and the radially outer portion of the axially outer plate element is less than the effective thickness of said disc.

Claim 10

The bearing of claim 1, in which said flexible annular seal disc is bonded to at least one of said first and second annular plate elements.

Claim 11

In a bearing, inner and outer relatively rotatable race elements having radially spaced and opposed raceways and antifriction elements spacing said race elements and riding said raceways, first seal structure carried by the radially inner one of said race elements on one axial side of said antifriction elements, and second seal structure carried by said outer race element within the axial space between said antifriction elements and said first seal structure; said first seal structure comprising a flexible annular seal disc and first and second annular plate elements retained in axially abutting support relation with corresponding radial regions of said seal disc, said regions being radially intermediate said race elements, said plate elements being secured to said inner race element at a predetermined axial offset from said antifriction elements, the outer race element including an outwardly flaring surface partly overlapped by said seal disc in resilient axially inwardly loaded peripheral contact therewith, the respective radially outer limits of said plate elements being in clearance relation with said outer race element, and the radially outer portion of the axially outer plate element radially overlapping and axially clearing said seal disc; and said second seal structure including a flexible seal disc in resiliently loaded circumferentially continuous wiping contact with said inner race element.

Claim 12

In a bearing, inner and outer relatively rotatable race elements having radially spaced and opposed raceways and antifriction elements spacing said race elements and riding said raceways, first seal structure carried by the radially inner one of said race elements on one axial side of said antifriction elements, and second seal structure carried by said outer race element within the axial space between said antifriction elements and said first seal structure; said first seal structure comprising a flexible annular seal disc and first and second annular plate elements retained in axially abutting support relation with corresponding radial regions of said seal disc, said regions being radially intermediate said race elements, said plate elements being secured to said inner race element at a predetermined axial offset from said antifriction elements, the outer race element including an outwardly flaring surface partly overlapped by said seal disc in resilient axially inwardly loaded peripheral contact therewith, the respective radially outer limits of said plate elements being in clearance relation with said outer race element, and the radially outer portion of the axially outer plate element radially overlapping and axially clearing said seal disc; and said second seal structure including a flexible seal disc in resiliently loaded circumferentially continuous wiping contact with said inner race element.

Claim 13

The bearing of claim 10, in which the flexible annular seal disc of said first seal structure is bonded to at least one of said first and second annular plate elements.

Claim 14

The bearing of claim 10, in which the peripheral surface of said inner race element is flared at wiping contact with said second flexible seal disc, the direction of resiliently loaded contact being axially inward.

Claim 15

A sealed antifriction bearing comprising inner and outer rings with radially opposed raceways and antifriction elements riding said raceways and spacing said rings, the bore of said outer ring having a circumferentially continuous outwardly flared seal surface near one axial end, the outer surface of the inner ring including a radial shoulder near said one end, and seal structure secured to said inner ring and located by said shoulder, said structure including an anti-purge plate carried by said inner ring and located by said shoulder and extending into relatively close clearance with said outer ring at a location at least no further axially outward than the axially inner limit of said flared seal surface, a flexible annular seal disc supported on its axially inner side by said plate, and a slinger plate fixed with respect to said anti-purge plate and in axially compressed supporting relation with the axially outer side of said seal disc, the portion of said disc thus supported being radially inward of any part of the bore of said outer ring, and the axial location of such support being axially inwardly offset from the region of seal contact with said flared surface, whereby the seal contact is characterized by axially inwardly directed loading, and the radially outer part of said slinger radially overlapping said seal disc and extending into relatively close clearance relation with said outer ring, said anti-purge plate including an integral mounting sleeve portion riding a circumferentially continuous part of said inner ring, and said slinger plate including an integral mounting sleeve portion riding the sleeve portion of said anti-purge plate.

Claim 16

A sealed antifriction bearing comprising inner and outer rings with radially opposed raceways and antifriction elements riding said raceways and spacing said rings, the bore of said outer ring having a circumferentially continuous outwardly flared seal surface near one axial end, the outer surface of the inner ring including a radial shoulder near said one end, and seal structure secured to said inner ring and located by said shoulder, said structure including an anti-purge plate carried by said inner ring and located by said shoulder and extending into relatively close clearance with said outer ring at a location at least no further axially outward than the axially inner limit of said flared seal surface, a flexible annular seal disc supported on its axially inner side by said plate, and a slinger plate fixed with respect to said anti-purge plate and in axially compressed supporting relation with the axially outer side of said seal disc, the portion of said disc thus supported being radially inward of any part of the bore of said outer ring, and the axial location of such support being axially inwardly offset from the region of seal contact with said flared surface, whereby the seal contact is characterized by axially inwardly directed loading, and the radially outer part of said slinger radially overlapping said seal disc and extending into relatively close clearance relation with said outer ring, said anti-purge plate including an integral mounting sleeve portion riding a circumferentially continuous part of said inner ring, and said slinger plate including an integral mounting sleeve portion riding the sleeve portion of said anti-purge plate.

Claim 17

The bearing of claim 13, in which the sleeve portion of said slinger plate is axially inwardly directed and is in axially limited abutment with said anti-purge plate.