Self-Contained Impact-Type Damper for Bellows-Type Face Seals

A self-contained impact-type damper for a bellows-type face seals suppresses dynamic instability or chatter. In current practice, damping in a typical seal is accomplished through rubbing contact between a ground (a stationary member) and a bellows or carrier as the seal translates. Usually, the rubbing contact occurs through a third member. This contact results in the potential for the carrier to seize, with consequent limitation of axial travel. It also makes for a complicated assembly, susceptible to assembly error.