ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE SEALING ELEMENT

Abstract: an assembly configuration prevents eddy or other electrical currents from flowing through the bearings that support relative motion of two components by incorporation of a sealing element that includes an electrically conductive additive material, thereby providing a conductive pathway to shunt the electrical currents externally from the bearings or around the bearings. the sealing element is therefore a two-function sealing element that seals the system components and additionally shunts the electrical currents externally from or around the bearings to prevent current flow through the bearings. a material of the contacting sealing element is electrically conductive, and in this manner, the sealing element is sufficiently electrically conductive to provide an electrically conductive path between the two components to shunt the eddy currents around the bearings. the sealing element includes an electrically non-conductive matrix material, and an electrically conductive additive material incorporated into the electrically non-conductive matrix material.

Inventor(s): Ronald J. THOMAS, Thomas R. SMITH, Aydin AYKANAT

CPC Classification: F16J15/3284 (Manufacturing methods specially adapted for elastic sealings (moulding ))

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