Seal rings, such as those which may be formed of metal or other durable material, may be utilized in conjunction with a resilient sealing member such as an elastomeric O-ring or toric seal, to form a seal assembly. Such seal assemblies may provide sealing functionalities and capabilities in a variety of different applications, including but not limited to machines, machine systems, mechanical systems and/or components thereof having relatively rotating components. The subject seal assemblies may be installed and/or positioned between machine or mechanical system components which are rotatable relative to one another to retain lubricant and exclude foreign matter from the vicinity of internal bearing surfaces. In particular, a seal ring, in conjunction with an O-ring or toric seal, may be maintained in an elastomerically supported position within the inner surfaces of particular housing or component as well as in resilient, abutting contact with surfaces of a confronting, relatively rotatable housing or component, or seal assembly positioned and supported therein. However, each seal assembly's ability to maintain a seal and thereby retain lubricant and exclude foreign matter from the vicinity of internal bearing surfaces between relatively rotatable machine or mechanical system components can be compromised if foreign matter and/or lubricant are introduced to compromise the integrity of the abutting, sealing contact between surfaces of each seal assembly and those of the rotatable machine or mechanical system components and, in some applications, an additional associated seal assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,226,088 (the '088 patent) to Kometani, discloses a floating seal including a pair of housings which are relatively rotatable on a common axis. Each housing supports a floating ring with an elastic ring in between. The floating rings are slidably sealed together by the elasticity of the elastic rings. A rough surface is formed on an outer circumferential contact surface of each one of the floating rings facing an associated elastic ring, and a rough surface is additionally formed on an inner circumferential contact surface of each one of the housings opposing each associated elastic ring. In one embodiment, a thin film-like elastic layer is secured to a contact surface of a portion of the contact surface between each floating ring and associated elastic ring located near a sealing side of each floating ring. Additionally, a thin film-like elastic layer is secured to a contact surface of a portion of the contact surface between each housing and associated elastic ring located near a sealing side of each corresponding floating ring. In a second embodiment, elastic layers are coated on and secured to the entire contact surfaces of each floating ring and each housing with respect to the elastic rings, without forming the rough surfaces on the housings and the floating rings. In a third embodiment, machined smooth portions are formed on portions of both of the floating rings and the housings located near a sealing side and rough surfaces thereof. Finally, in a fourth embodiment, each of the floating rings include a coating layer formed of a rubber material with reduced softness covering an entire circumferential surface thereof.
The present disclosure is directed to mitigating or eliminating one or more of the drawbacks discussed above.