1. A shaft seal for forming a dynamic seal along an axially extending annular running surface, comprising:
a mounting portion configured to be connected to a stationary housing;
a seal lip having an annular sealing surface extending between an oil side end and a free air side end, said sealing surface being configured to extend axially along the running surface, said oil side end having a greater diameter than said free air side end in an uninstalled state;
an annular bridge portion connecting the seal lip to the mounting portion;
a plurality of webs extending generally radially between said bridge portion and said mounting portion;
wherein said bridge portion includes a hinge region extending radially outwardly from said oil side of said seal lip at an angle less than 90 degrees from said seal lip and in reverse folded orientation over said seal lip toward said free air side end of said seal lip;
wherein an annular pocket is formed between said hinge region and said seal lip and an annular recess is formed between said hinge region and said mounting portion, said webs being equidistantly spaced circumferentially about said hinge region and extending from said hinge region to said mounting portion within said annular recess; and
wherein said annular pocket is free from support.
2. The shaft seal of claim l wherein said webs extend linearly between said hinge region and said mounting portion, adjacent ones of said webs extending in non-parallel relation to one another.
3. The shaft seal of claim 2 wherein ever other web extends generally parallel to one another.
4. A shaft seal for forming a dynamic seal along an axially extending annular running surface, comprising:
a mounting portion configured to be connected to a stationary housing;
a seal lip having an annular sealing surface extending between an oil side end and an air side end, said sealing surface being configured to extend axially along the running surface;
an annular bridge portion connecting the seal lip to the mounting portion;
a plurality of webs extending generally radially between said bridge portion and said mounting portion;
wherein said bridge portion includes a hinge region extending radially outwardly from said oil side of said seal lip in reverse folded orientation over said seal lip;
wherein an annular pocket is formed between said hinge region and said seal lip and an annular recess is formed between said hinge region and said mounting portion, said webs extending between said hinge region and to said mounting portion; and
wherein each of said webs have a pair of radially extending legs interconnected by an intermediate laterally extending leg.
5. A shaft seal, comprising:
a mounting portion configured to be connected to a stationary housing;
a seal lip having a backing surface and an opposite annular sealing surface extending between an oil side end and a free air side end, said sealing surface being configured to extend axially along a running surface of a rotating shaft, said oil side end having a greater diameter than said free air side end in an uninstalled state;
an annular hinge region extending radially outwardly from said oil side of said seal lip in reverse folded orientation over said seal lip toward said free air side end with an annular pocket being formed between one side of said hinge region facing said seal lip and said backing surface of said seal lip and an annular recess being formed between another side of said hinge region facing said mounting portion and said mounting portion,. said annular recess facing said oil side end; and
a plurality of reinforcing webs extending only through said recess between said hinge region and said mounting portion, said webs facing said oil side end and being equidistantly spaced circumferentially about said hinge region.
6. The shaft seal of claim 5 wherein said mounting portion has an outer diameter sized for an interference fit in a bore of the stationary housing.
7. The shaft seal of claim 6 wherein said outer diameter has a plurality of circumferentially extending ribs spaced from one another by an annular channel, said ribs being sized for partial compression and said annular channel remaining between said ribs upon being press fit into the bore.
8. The shaft seal of claim 5 wherein said webs extend linearly between said hinge region and said mounting portion, adjacent ones of said webs extending in non-parallel relation to one another.
9. The shaft seal of claim 8 wherein ever other web extends generally parallel to one another.
10. A shaft seal, comprising:
a mounting portion configured to be connected to a stationary housing;
a seal lip having a backing surface and an opposite annular sealing surface extending between an oil side end and an air side end, said sealing surface being configured to extend axially along a running surface of a rotating shaft;
an annular hinge region extending radially outwardly from said oil side of said seal lip in reverse folded orientation over said seal lip with an annular pocket being formed between one side of said hinge region facing said seal lip and said backing surface of said seal lip and an annular recess being formed between another side of said hinge region facing said mounting portion and said mounting portion;
a plurality of reinforcing webs extending through said recess between said hinge region and said mounting portion; and
wherein each of said webs have a pair of radially extending legs interconnected to one another by a laterally extending intermediate leg, said intermediate leg being spaced from said backing surface of said seal lip and said mounting portion.
11. The shaft seal of claim 10 wherein adjacent ones of said webs are mirror images of one another.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A catheter comprising:
an outer tubular member having a length, an outer surface, an inner surface and a lumen therein;
an inner tubular member having an outer surface, an inner surface and a lumen therein, at least a length of the inner lumen is disposed in the lumen of the outer tubular member; and
a support member disposed in the lumen of the outer tubular member adjacent the inner tubular member, the support member biasing a portion of the outer surface of the inner tubular member against a portion of the inner surface of the outer tubular member;
wherein at least one of the inner tubular member and the support member is not attached to the outer tubular member.
2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the support member is not attached to at least one of the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member.
3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the support member is not attached to either the inner tubular member or the outer tubular member.
4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the support member is a tubular structure having a length and a lumen therein.
5. The catheter of claim 4, wherein the tubular structure is at least partially compressed to bias the inner tubular member against the outer tubular member.
6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the support member extends longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the inner tubular member disposed within the outer tubular member.
7. The tubular member of claim 1, wherein the support member extends along the entire length of the inner tubular member disposed within the outer tubular member.
8. The catheter of claim 1, wherein a plurality of support members are disposed along the length between the outer surface of the inner tubular member and the inner surface of the outer tubular member.
9. The catheter of claim 8, wherein the plurality of support members are interconnected.
10. The catheter of claim 8, wherein each support member has a length, the lengths of the support members being varied.
11. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the lumen of the inner tubular member defines a guidewire lumen.
12. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the lumen of the outer tubular member defines an inflation lumen.
13. The catheter of claim 11, wherein the support member has a lumen defined therein for passage of inflation fluid.
14. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the support member is a tubular member having a length and a lumen, the tubular member formed from a metallic material.
15. The catheter of claim 14, wherein the tubular member includes a plurality of cuts spirally disposed about the tubular member and along a length thereof.
16. The catheter of claim 14, wherein the plurality of cuts transition from a first pitch to a second pitch along the length of the tubular member, the first pitch and the second pitch being different.
17. A catheter comprising:
an elongate main body including at least a proximal shaft section and a distal shaft section, and a lumen therein;
a guidewire tube disposed along a length of the lumen of the elongate main body, and having a proximal guidewire port, a distal guidewire port, and a guidewire lumen therebetween;
a support member disposed in the lumen of the elongate main body adjacent the guidewire tube, the support member biasing a portion of an outer surface of the guidewire tube against a portion of an inner surface of the elongate main body;
wherein the support member applies a continuous biasing force against the outer surface of the guidewire tube.
18. The catheter of claim 17, wherein the support member is a tubular structure having a length and a lumen therein.
19. The catheter of claim 18, wherein the tubular structure is at least partially compressed to bias the guidewire tube against the elongate main body.
20. The catheter of claim 17, wherein the support member extends longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the guidewire tube disposed within the elongate main body.
21. The catheter of claim 17, wherein the lumen of the elongate main body defines an inflation lumen.
22. The catheter of claim 21, wherein the support member has a lumen defined therein for passage of inflation fluid.
23. The catheter of claim 21, wherein at least one of the elongate main body and guidewire tube is a tubular member including a plurality of cuts spirally disposed about the tubular member, the plurality of cuts defining a pitch between adjacent cuts.
24. The catheter of claim 23, wherein the a plurality of cuts is configured to define a varied flexibility or stiffness along the length of the at least one elongate main body or the guidewire tube.
25. The catheter of claim 24, wherein the plurality of spiral cuts transition from a first pitch to a second pitch, the first pitch being greater than the second pitch.
26. The catheter of claim 23, wherein the tubular member is a metallic member.
27. The catheter of claim 23, wherein the tubular member includes a polymeric coating applied to an outer surface of the tubular member.