Retaining clip

[Tofflemire]

Hello All,

I think I may be entering the o-ring Pioneering design. Have any of you ever tried to use an o-ring as retaining device (like a c-clip)?
I have a requirement to seal ambient pressure with some ocean spray wash over. I have an antenna with mast that I have to mount, with the electrical RF connection inside of the mast. I would like to use an o-ring as the mechanical retainer for the mast/antenna assembly. My thoughts were to under cut the o-ring groove and have the difference in the under cut in the mating part, so that the o-ring is seat is shared between both parts.
Has anyone ever used this method, what type of force would be required to install/remove the mast/antenna assembly?

Tofflemire

 

[DPeddle]

Assembly is going to be extremely tough unless one of the grooves has an open side that you close up after assembly. Otherwise, the o-ring has to be compressed way beyond its design intent to slide down to the second groove. The chances of the seal being damaged during this process are high.

 

[JJPellin]

What you are describing sounds like the design of the internal o-ring seal in an Inpro Bearing Isolator (VBXX). They have an internal o-ring that connects the rotor to the stator. The problem is not with assembly, but with disassembly. They cut an OD o-ring groove that is only about half the depth that is would ordinarily be used for the size of o-ring installed. The mating part has a full depth o-ring groove in the bore. A lead in chamfer allows the parts to be slipped together with the o-ring installed in the bore of the stator. When the o-ring reaches the shallow groove in the rotor, it drops into the groove and locks the two parts together. I think they use a special tool that applies enough force to shear the o-ring or order to get them back apart.

 

[Tofflemire]

Hello,

Thanks for you ideas. I have been directed not to proceed with this design, mostly for the unknown of what force would be required to pull these apart.

Tofflemire