Flexible bearing seal

Abstract

A bearing seal to protect bearings is formed from polyurethane and includes a raised free edge which contacts the inner race to thereby constantly keep the seal with minimal wear to the race or the seal.

1 . A seal for bearings that include a bearing housing, an inner race, an outer race and rotating bodies interspersed therebetween, said seal being constructed and arranged of polyurethane in a generally disc shape with an outer circumference to be secured to said bearing housing, said seal constructed and arranged to present an inner raised edge at a central aperture, said raised edge being raised off of a plane the disc shaped seal describes such that when loaded into said bearing housing the raised edge will be pre-loaded onto said inner race of the bearing.  
     
     
         2 . The seal of  claim 1  wherein said raised edge is raised at least about 0.015 inches from the remainder of said seal.  
     
     
         3 . A seal for use with bearings having an inner and an outer race, the seal comprising a main generally disc shaped body having an outer circumferential rim, said rim including a raised edge which is raised from the remainder of the seal at least about 0.015 inches, said seal being formed from a polyurethane material.  
     
     
         4 . The seal assembly of  claim 3  wherein said seal is formed from polyurethane having flexibility characteristics that provides a memory such that the raised edge rebounds against pressure.  
     
     
         5 . The seal assembly of  claim 4  wherein said raised edge presents a tapered edge.  
     
     
         6 . A seal for bearings that include a bearing housing, an inner race, an outer race and rotating bodies interspersed therebetween, said seal being constructed and arranged of polyurethane in a generally disc shape with an outer circumference to be secured to said bearing housing, said seal being constructed and arranged to present an outer raised edge at said bearing housing, said raised edge being raised off of a plane the disc shaped seal describes such that when loaded into said bearing housing the raised edge will be preloaded onto an outer race of the bearing.  
     
     
         7 . In a bearing assembly that include a housing, an inner race defining an outer plane, an outer race and rotating bodies interspersed therebetween, the improvement comprising a seal member that seals the outside plane of the inner race of the bearing assembly.  
     
     
         8 . An auxiliary seal for bearings that include a housing, an inner race, an outer race and rotating bodies interspersed therebetween, said auxiliary seal being tensioned to the outer race of the bearing.  
     
     
         9 . An auxiliary seal that provides additional or primary sealing for bearings that include a housing, an inner race, an outer race and rotating bodies interspersed therebetween, said auxiliary seal being constructed and arranged to provide a tensioned seal to the inner race of the bearing without providing a seal to a shaft.