TILTABLE FLOATING LIP SEAL

A tiltable floating lip seal accommodates both radial displacements and axial misalignments between a shaft and a housing bore hole. Flexible axial arms at opposing ends of a seal ring assembly form seals with the housing to accommodate tipping and radial displacement of the shaft. The axial arms can be axial lips that slide against radial housing walls. The axial lips can extend from the seal ring assembly or from separate end rings that form lip seals to both the housing and the seal ring assembly. The axial lips can be energized by springs, such as canted coil springs or petalized U-shaped springs. In other embodiments, the distal ends of the flexible axial arms are fixed to the housing, for example compressed between elements of the housing. Buffer fluid can be introduced through ports to press the axial lips against the shaft or lift them slightly to reduce wear.