Seal assembly and method of manufacturing the same

1. A seal assembly for providing a dynamic fluid seal between a housing and a rotating shaft, said assembly comprising:

a rigid carrier;

a flexible member of elastomeric material mounted to said rigid carrier; and

a sealing element fabricated of non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material having a hardness relatively greater than a hardness of said elastomeric material, and supported by said flexible member for dynamic sealing relation about the shaft in operation, and

wherein said sealing element includes a plurality of helically wound convolutions extending between first and second ends and said sealing element includes tapered closed rings at each of said ends.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material comprises a thermoplastic material having a tensile strength greater than 5000 lbs/in 2 and a compressive strength greater than 5000 lbs/in 2 .

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic material has a wear factor of less than 200×10 −10 in. 3 -min/ft.lbs.hr.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic material includes any one of nylon, acetal, polyethylene terepthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyamideimide.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible member includes an annular hinge acting between said carrier and said sealing element.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said annular hinge includes first and second annular lips projecting radially outwardly therefrom with said annular lips defining a notch therebetween for receiving an annular flange of said rigid carrier to sealably secure said annular hinge to said annular flange.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said annular hinge includes a third lip projecting radially inwardly and abutting a first end of said sealing element.

8. A seal assembly for providing a dynamic fluid seal between a housing and a rotating shaft, said assembly comprising:

a rigid carrier;

a flexible member of elastomeric material mounted to said rigid carrier; and

a sealing element fabricated of non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material having a hardness relatively greater than a hardness of said elastomeric material, and supported by said flexible member for dynamic sealing relation about the shaft in operation; and

said sealing element includes a plurality of helically wound convolutions and a radially inner annular sealing surface having a first interior groove extending in a helical path wherein said radially inner annular sealing surface further includes a second interior groove extending in a helical path transverse to said helical path of said first interior groove.

9. A seal assembly, comprising:

a carrier;

a sealing element extending in a plurality of helically wound convolutions supported by said carrier for sealing about an outer running surface of a rotating shaft to provide a dynamic fluid seal therewith;

a flexible member of elastomeric material mounted to said carrier for flexibly retaining said sealing element in sealing relation with the outer running surface, and

wherein said carrier includes an annular flange and said flexible member includes an annular hinge suspended from said annular flange and acting between said annular flange and said sealing element.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sealing element includes first and second ends and said plurality of convolutions comprise a continuous strand of coiled material.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sealing element includes tapered rings at each of said first and second ends.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sealing element includes a radially inner annular sealing surface and said radially inner annular sealing surface includes a first interior groove therein extending in a helical path between said ends.

13. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said radially inner annular sealing surface further includes a second interior groove therein extending in a helical path between said ends and transverse to said first interior groove.

14. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said annular hinge includes first and second annular lips projecting radially outwardly therefrom with said annular lips providing a notch therebetween for receiving said annular flange of said carrier.

15. The assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said annular hinge includes a third lip projecting radially inwardly and abutting a first end of said sealing element.

16. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sealing element is formed from a non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material.

17. The assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material is further defined as thermoplastic material having a tensile strength greater than five thousand pounds per square inch and a compressive strength greater than five thousand pounds per square inch.

18. The assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said thermoplastic material has a wear factor of less than 200×10 −10 in. 3 −min/ft.lbs.hr.

19. The assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said thermoplastic material includes any one of nylon, acetal, polyethylene terepthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyamideimide.

20. A shaft seal system, comprising:

a housing formed with a bore having a generally cylindrical wall and an annular shoulder disposed transverse to said wall;

a shaft having an outer running surface disposed about an operational axis within said bore; and

a seal assembly disposed about said shaft and having a rigid carrier, a flexible member of elastomeric material mounted to said rigid carrier, and a radially acting sealing element flexibly retained by said flexible member in sealing relation with said outer running surface of said shaft, said sealing element being formed from a non-polytetrafluoroethylene bearing grade plastic material having a hardness relatively greater than said elastomeric material with said sealing element extending in a plurality of helically wound convolutions about said outer running surface.

21. The assembly as set forth in claim 20 wherein said sealing element includes a radially inner annular sealing surface facing said outer running surface and said radially inner annular sealing surface includes a first interior groove therein extending in a helical path about said outer running surface.

22. The assembly as set forth in claim 21 wherein said radially inner annular sealing surface further includes a second interior groove therein extending in a helical path about said outer running surface and transverse to said first interior groove.

23. The assembly as set forth in claim 20 wherein said rigid carrier includes an annular flange and said flexible member includes an annular hinge suspended from said annular flange and acting between said annular flange and said sealing element to bias each of said plurality of convolutions in sealing relation with said outer running surface.

24. The assembly as set forth in claim 23 wherein said annular hinge includes first and second annular lips projecting radially outwardly therefrom with said annular lips providing a notch therebetween for receiving said annular flange of said rigid carrier.

25. The assembly as set forth in claim 24 wherein said annular hinge includes a third lip projecting radially inwardly and abutting a first end of said sealing element.