US 11,703,127 B2
Seal assembly and method for monitoring a seal assembly
Olaf Nahrwold, Ludwigshafen (DE); Stefan Sindlinger, Weinheim (DE); Boris Traber, Hirschberg (DE); Tanja Claus, Mannheim (DE); Thomas Kramer, Zotzenbach (DE); Frank Lauer, Rauenberg (DE); Rainer Kreiselmaier, Ludwigshafen (DE); Guido Hohmann, Weinheim (DE); and Christoph Naumann, Viernheim (DE)
Assigned to CARL FREUDENBERG KG, Weinheim (DE)
Appl. No. 17/309,971
Filed by CARL FREUDENBERG KG, Weinheim (DE)
PCT Filed Jan. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/050387
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 7, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/148151, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 101 173.6 (DE), filed on Jan. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0056999 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. F16J 15/3296 (2016.01); F16J 15/34 (2006.01)
CPC F16J 15/3296 (2013.01) [F16J 15/3492 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for monitoring a seal assembly, comprising:
providing the seal assembly, the seal assembly comprising:
a seal element;
a part to be sealed; and
a measuring arrangement configured to monitor an aging of the seal element,
wherein the seal element is held on the part so as to provide a contact stress between the seal element and the part,
wherein the seal element has a contact face with which the seal element bears against the part,
wherein the measuring arrangement comprises a measuring component of the part and a measuring component of the seal element, the measuring component of the part being integrated into the part, and the measuring component of the seal element being integrated into the seal element, and
wherein the contact face of the seal element has a surface geometry with depressions; and
determining a distance between the measuring component of the seal element and the measuring component of the part,
wherein the distance is detected at different load states, and a difference between distances is calculated, and
wherein a time required for the seal element to relax between different load states is detected.