A novel end face seal assembly composed of a rubber load ring, a metal stiffening ring, and a rubber seal ring serially connected together is presented. The design procedures adopted to achieve good operational effectiveness and long wear life are discussed in detail. Particular attention is focused on obtaining a load ring exhibiting a linear load-deflection relationship, and a seal ring capable of producing a semi-elliptical pressure profile at the sealing lip. These requirements are met by acting on the cross sectional shape of the rings. A comparison between well-correlating theoretical, numerical, and experimental results is given for both the elastomeric components.
