Trelleborg wins grant
24/12/2024
Trelleborg has patented a sealing device featuring a sensor system for condition monitoring. The device includes a sealing ring and a pretensioning ring with sections that can deflect, allowing a measuring element to detect movements, enhancing the monitoring of sealing performance in machine parts. GlobalData’s report on Trelleborg provides a 360° view of the company, including its patenting strategy.
According to GlobalData’s company profile on Trelleborg, marine fenders was a key innovation area identified from patents. Trelleborg’s grant share, as of July 2024, was 62%. The grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
The patent US12044315B2 describes a sealing device equipped with a sensor system designed for condition monitoring. The device features a sealing ring that includes a first sealing section intended for contact with a machine part’s sealing surface. A pretensioning ring, which consists of two sections that create an intermediate space, applies pressure to the sealing section. One of these sections can flex in a spring-elastic manner, allowing for radial or axial deflection. The sensor system incorporates at least one measuring element located within the intermediate space, which responds to the deflection of the pretensioning ring. This measuring element can detect axial movement or circumferential deformation and it is designed as a spring element that spans the two sections of the pretensioning ring.
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| The Trelleborg sealing device is equipped with a sensor system designed for condition monitoring Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Image courtesy of Trelleborg AB |
Further claims detail the sensor’s characteristics, including the option for a measuring mark made from a different material and the types of sensor that can be used, such as resistive or capacitive sensors. The patent also allows for multiple measuring elements or sensors to be arranged circumferentially, potentially mounted on a support element that could be a sleeve or a 3D printed part. The pretensioning ring can be constructed as a single piece and may have a V-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, made from materials such as plastic, metal or composites. Additionally, the sealing device is designed to function within a sealing arrangement that includes two machine parts separated by a sealing gap, with the sealing ring making contact with one of the parts to ensure effective sealing.
