Vehicles typically include an internal combustion engine, which employs a crankshaft that operates to convert the reciprocal motion of piston or pistons to rotary motion of the crankshaft thereby providing driving force to the wheels. A rotatable drive portion of the crankshaft may extend to the exterior of the engine through a front cover member to provide an attachment point for a harmonic balancer, which may include a pulley member. The harmonic balancer operates to attenuate the torsional vibrations of the crankshaft under certain engine operation conditions. Additionally, the pulley member provides a driving force to an accessory drive system to operate engine accessories such as, for example, a power steering pump, alternator, water pump, air conditioning compressor, etc.
A front seal, such as an annular lip seal, is typically provided between the rotatable drive portion and the front cover member through which it extends. The front seal operates to disallow leakage of engine oil to the exterior of the engine as well as to restrict debris from entering the engine. The front seal is exposed to heat, vibration, and high relative velocities that operate to limit the durability of the front seal. Additionally, improper installation may have deleterious consequences on the sealing effectiveness of the front seal.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds