Seal and method of making the same
A method of manufacturing a seal, including, in a first method step, making a spiralized profile string of at least one thermoplastic elastomeric material, the spiralized profile string including a retaining portion and at least one sealing lip which are arranged opposite each other in a radial direction, winding turns axially adjacent to each other in an axial direction and contiguous with each other, and open ends. The method further includes, in a second method step, cutting the spiralized profile string to length in accordance with an installation length of an installation space in a seal assembly.
1 . A method of manufacturing a seal, comprising:
in a first method step, making a spiralized profile string of at least one thermoplastic elastomeric material, the spiralized profile string including:
a spiralized retaining portion forming a plurality of winding turns axially adjacent to each other in an axial direction and contiguous with each other,
wherein each respective winding turn of the winding turns interlocks with at least one axially adjacent winding turn, and
a spiralized sealing lip extending radially inwardly from the retaining portion; and
in a second method step, cutting the spiralized profile string to length in accordance with an installation length of an installation space in a seal assembly.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising, in a third method step, compressing the spiralized profile string in the axial direction to form a winding-turn packing that is rectangular.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the third method step includes engaging a snap engagement between the winding turns simultaneously with the compressing of the spiralized profile string to form the winding-turn packing.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the snap engagement includes a protrusion of the retaining portion extending in the axial and radial directions, and wherein the protrusion is configured to engage with a corresponding recess of the retaining portion.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the protrusion comprises a u-shaped hook that extends radially outward, then axially, then radially inward to form an end of the hook, and wherein the end of the hook is configured to engaged with the corresponding recess of the retaining portion.
6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein engaging the snap engagement between the winding turns comprises applying a force sufficient to cause the protrusion of the retaining portion to extend into and engage with the corresponding recess of the retaining portion.
7 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the winding-turn packing is rectangular in that an outermost periphery of the winding-turn packing, when viewed in the radial direction, fits within a rectangle such that:
an axially outermost periphery of the winding-turn packing at a first open end of the open ends is coincident with a radial plane, and
an axially outermost periphery of the winding-turn packing at a position radially opposite the first open end is coincident with the radial plane.
8 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein, when viewed such that the open ends face the radial direction, the open ends face one another and form a radial gap therebetween, and wherein each respective winding turn of the winding turns extends entirely within a respective radial plane except in the radial gap, the winding turns extending in both the axial and radial directions in the radial gap to form a transition between adjacent winding turns.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming the winding turns to be congruent.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the winding turns include the retaining portion on one side in the radial direction and include the sealing lip on another side in the radial direction, and
wherein the retaining portion and the sealing lip each have a constant diameter along the axial direction between the open ends.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising fixing the winding turns, on their sides axially facing each other, to each other in an interlocking manner in the radial and axial directions by a snap engagement.
12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the winding turns form a winding-turn packing having a rectangular cross-section, and wherein each of the open ends is arranged in a radial plane with each respective axially adjacent winding turns.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the profile string consists of a thermoplastic material, and
wherein the retaining portion and the sealing lip are integrally contiguous with each other and consist of the same material throughout.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the profile string comprises two mutually different materials for the retaining portion and the sealing lip.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the materials is a polyurethane.
16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing lip extends inward in the radial direction from a face of the retaining portion, the face of the retaining portion extending in the axial direction.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the face of the retaining portion that extends in the axial direction is longer in the axial direction than a thickness of the sealing lip in the axial direction.
18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing lip at a respective winding turn of the winding turns is spaced apart relative to the sealing lip at a further winding turn of the winding turns, the respective winding turn being axially adjacent to and abutting the further winding turn.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the sealing lip, at at least one winding turn of the winding turns, abuts against the retaining portion of an axially adjacent winding turn of the winding turns.