Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
208 words
In a seal for the gap between a rotatable shaft and the bore of a housing, which housing encloses a medium to be retained in said housing, said medium comprising a finely divided liquid entrained in a gas, wherein an inner ring is secured to the shaft and an outer ring is secured to the bore of the housing in a liquid- and gas-tight manner, and having a radially-movable, ring-shaped sealing lip secured to said inner ring and biased into contact with a surface of said outer ring, the improvement which comprises a flange means secured to said inner ring at a point between the medium to be retained and the sealing lip; said flange means having an inner end face, an outer end face, and an outer circumferential surface, said outer end face of said flange means being biased into contact with a ring-shaped surface of said outer ring, said flange means also having openings distributed over the inner end face of said flange, which openings are connected by passages extending generally axially through said flange means, said flange means further having a multiplicity of openings on said outer circumferential surface which openings are connected to said axial passages by passages extending in a generally radial direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
208 words
In a seal for the gap between a rotatable shaft and the bore of a housing, which housing encloses a medium to be retained in said housing, said medium comprising a finely divided liquid entrained in a gas, wherein an inner ring is secured to the shaft and an outer ring is secured to the bore of the housing in a liquid- and gas-tight manner, and having a radially-movable, ring-shaped sealing lip secured to said inner ring and biased into contact with a surface of said outer ring, the improvement which comprises a flange means secured to said inner ring at a point between the medium to be retained and the sealing lip; said flange means having an inner end face, an outer end face, and an outer circumferential surface, said outer end face of said flange means being biased into contact with a ring-shaped surface of said outer ring, said flange means also having openings distributed over the inner end face of said flange, which openings are connected by passages extending generally axially through said flange means, said flange means further having a multiplicity of openings on said outer circumferential surface which openings are connected to said axial passages by passages extending in a generally radial direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said outer ring means includes a ring-shaped surface and said outer end face of said flange means is biased into contact with said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring means; said inner ring means includes a ring-shaped surface having needle means which extend axially from said ring-shaped surface into said flange means, said ring-shaped surface of said inner ring means also having a plurality of openings which communicate with said openings in the outer end face of said flange means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
116 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said outer end face of said flange means contacts said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring means, and said inner end face of said flange means opposes a ring-shaped surface of said inner ring means; said ring-shaped surface of said inner ring means having openings which communicate with openings in said inner end face of said flange means, and also having a recess which opposes a recess in said inner end face of said flange means, wherein means are mounted in the space defined by said opposing recesses for biasing the outer end face of said flange means into contact with said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said outer end face of said flange means contacts said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring, and said inner end face of said flange means is engaged by cup spring means secured to said inner ring means, wherein said cup spring means bias the outer end face of said flange means into contact with said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said inner end face of said flange means opposes a ring-shaped surface on said inner ring means, said ring-shaped surface having a plurality of openings, and also having pin means which extend axially from said ring-shaped surface into said flange means and bias said outer end face of said flange means into contact with said ring-shaped surface of said outer ring means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The seal according to claims 3 or 4, wherein guide surface means are secured to said ring-shaped surface of said inner ring, and extend axially from said ring-shaped surface and engage said outer circumferential surface of said flange means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said flange is comprised of a plurality of members bonded together to form a network of voids within said flange, said flange forming members being incapable of absorbing said liquids.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The seal according to claim 7 wherein said flange is comprised of bonded together shaped plastic or metallic particles wherein the smallest diameter of said particles corresponds to a value of at least about 0.5 times the largest diameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seal according to claim 8 wherein the largest of said particles has a diameter of from about 0.3 to about 1 mm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
The seal according to claim 8 wherein the diameter of the particles about the surface of said flange through which said liquid and gas enters the void network of said flange, is smaller than the diameter of the particles which form said inner void network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The seal according to claim 9 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of particles of brass, tin, bronze or polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The seal according to claim 7 wherein said flange is formed from a plurality of fibers, said fibers having a diameter of at least about 0.03 mm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The seal according to claim 12 wherein the diameter of the fibers about the surface of said flange through which said liquid and gas enters said void network is smaller than the diameter of the fibers which form said void network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The seal according to claim 12 wherein said fibers are selected from the group consisting of the fibers of brass, steel, polyester, or polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The seal according to claim 7 wherein said flange is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart perforated washer means wherein said washer means are mounted on said inner ring.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The seal according to claim 15 wherein said washer means are formed from bronze, brass, steel, polyamide or polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The seal according to claim 1 wherein said flange is formed from a synthetic open pore foam material.