The invention relates to a spherical plain bearing, having an inner ring with a spherically curved outer surface and an outer ring having a spherically curved inner surface, a seal being arranged in a continuous groove in the outer ring. The seal has an annular support and rubs against the outer surface of the inner ring. The seal has two mutually spaced resilient sealing lips facing in opposite directions. The first sealing lip being oriented outwards and the second sealing lip being oriented inwards.
1. A spherical plain bearing, comprising:
an inner ring having a spherically curved outer surface;
an outer ring receiving the inner ring and having a spherically curved inner surface and a continuous groove, the continuous groove having an outwards sloping wall connected to a flat base by a first rounded corner and a linearly inwards sloping wall, opposite the outwards sloping region, connected to the flat region by a second rounded corner; and
a seal having a projection arranged in the continuous groove in the outer ring, the projection having a predominately rounded contour with a linearly outwards sloping region making complete contact with the linearly outwards sloping wall and the first rounded corner of the continuous groove and making only partial contact with the flat base and inwardly sloping wall of the continuous groove, and the seal having an L-shaped annular support with a substantially angular cross-section and a sealing body connected to the support, which rests rubbingly against the spherically curved outer surface of the inner ring, the annular support having a first leg and a second leg with both the first leg and the second leg having an inner face and an outer face, the first leg, which is longer than the second leg, extending inwards, in a direction of the sealing body, parallel to a bearing axis and the second leg extending radially inwards, parallel to a plane extending perpendicularly to the bearing axis, pointing in a direction of the inner ring, the sealing body completely surrounding the inner face of both the first leg and the second leg and partially surrounding the outer face of both the first leg and the second leg,
wherein, in the direction of the inner ring, the sealing body comprises two mutually spaced resilient sealing lips facing in opposite directions, a first sealing lip and a second sealing lip, the first sealing lip being oriented outwards and the second sealing lip being oriented inwards relative to the plane extending perpendicularly to the bearing axis, and both sealing lips having at least one first rubbing sealing edge, the first sealing lip having a second sealing edge adjoining the first rubbing sealing edge in an inwardly spaced manner, which when fitted, is spaced from the spherically curved outer surface of the inner ring by a gap when wear has not yet occurred.
2. The spherical plain bearing of claim 1 , wherein when fitted, the first rubbing sealing edge of the first sealing lip rests with prestress against the spherically curved outer surface of the inner ring.
3. The spherical plain bearing of claim 1 , wherein when fitted, the first rubbing sealing edge of the second sealing lip rests against the spherically curved outer surface of the inner ring with a degree of prestress which is substantially less than the prestress of the first rubbing sealing edge of the first sealing lip.
4. The spherical plain bearing of claim 1 , wherein the annular support consists of a metal and the sealing body of an elastomer.
5. The spherical plain bearing of claim 1 , wherein an overlay is arranged between the spherically curved inner surface of the outer ring and the spherically curved outer surface of the inner ring.
6. The spherical plain bearing of claim 1 , wherein the first sealing lip is angled outwards relative to the plane and the second sealing lip is angled inwards relative to the plane.