Motor ground seal

A shaft seal assembly is disclosed having a stator including a main body and axial and radial projections therefrom. The rotor is radially extended and encompasses the axial and radial projections from said stator. A passageway formed between the radial projection of stator and rotor results in an axial passageway having its opening facing rearwardly from the rotor and away from the source of impinging coolant and/or contaminant. A concentric circumferential receptor groove in the stator facing the housing allows insertion of conductive means for transmission of electrostatic charge away from the shaft through the shaft seal assembly to the housing and ground. The receptor groove is opposite the axial passageway and provides for both a substantially lower contaminant environment and improved engagement with conductive means. The dimension of interface gap between the rotor and the radial projection from the stator, which the access to the shaft of any impinging material is fixed at a predetermined value and does not vary with the relative movement between the rotor and the stator. The shaft seal assembly provides improved rejection or warding off of contaminants from ingress into the labyrinths and ultimately restrains attack of the bearing environment as well as substantial elimination of bearing current and attendant bearing fluting or frosting.