Retainer device for circumferential shaft seals

1. A mechanical assembly comprising:

a housing having a central bore;

an inner member disposed within the bore and rotatable about a central axis;

at least one generally annular seal disposed within the housing bore and about the inner member;

at least one spring configured to bias the at least one seal generally along the axis; and

a retainer device including a generally annular plate having a centerline, an inner radial end, an outer radial end and a planar surface extending between the inner radial end and the outer radial end and being disposed within the housing bore so as to be spaced entirely axially apart from the at least one seal such that a gap is defined between the at least one seal and the planar surface of the plate, the plate being coupled with the housing such that the plate is generally nonrotatable about the central axis and including at least one retainer lug extending at least generally axially from the planar surface of the plate, the lug being engaged with the seal to prevent angular displacement of the seal about the axis, the planar surface providing at least one generally radially-extending spring contact surface contacted by an end of the at least one spring such that the spring biases the seal axially away from the retainer plate in a first direction along the axis.

2. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one spring includes a plurality of springs spaced circumferentially about the central axis, each one of the springs extending between the retainer plate spring contact surface and the at least one seal.

3. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the retainer annular plate has at least one spring retainer lip extending axially outwardly from the spring contact surface and located generally adjacent to the body inner radial end.

4. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular plate has a plurality of retainer lugs spaced circumferentially about the centerline.

5. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the housing has an inner surface defining the bore and at least one opening extending radially-outwardly from the bore inner surface; and

the at least one retainer lug has an outer radial end disposeable within the housing opening to couple the plate with the housing.

6. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer lug has at least one generally radially extending retention surface contactable by the at least one seal to prevent angular displacement of the seal about the central axis.

7. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein:

the at least one seal has opposing axial ends, at least one coupler opening extending generally axially from one of the seal axial ends, the coupler opening being defined at least partially by a radial surface; and

the at least one retainer lug is disposed within the seal coupler opening such that the lug radial surface contacts the seal opening radial surface.

8. The mechanical assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein:

at least one seal includes a plurality of generally arcuate seal segments, each seal segment having two opposing ends each coupled with a separate end of each adjacent segment, each segment having at least one coupler opening; and

the retainer includes a plurality of the lugs each extending form the annular plate and spaced circumferentially about the plate centerline, each retainer lug being disposeable within a separate one of the coupler openings of the seal segments.