Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal between parts of internal combustion engine
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2001-04-10
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal between parts of internal combustion engine
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213477
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a metal cylinder head gasket with a portion for holding an intermediate area between cylinder bores.
Metal laminate gaskets have been widely used in internal combustion engines due to strength against high temperature and pressure generated in the cylinder bores. Since high temperature and pressure are generated in the cylinder bores when the engine is actuated, the cylinder head gasket is provided with sealing means around the cylinder bore. There are many kinds of the sealing means, one of which has a flange around the cylinder bore. The flange may be integrally formed with one of plates for constituting the gasket, or a part of a grommet installed in the cylinder bore. The surface pressure around the cylinder bore is made high by the flange when the gasket is installed in the engine.
In the gasket with the flange, the flange may be located on an upper plate of the gasket to hold the upper plate. In this case, the upper plate is properly retained by the flange without any trouble.
However, there may be a gasket such that the flange is exposed outwardly of the gasket without being located above the upper plate. Namely, the upper plate is not held by the flange of the gasket around the cylinder bore. This structure is taken when the thickness of the gasket and the length between the cylinder bores are limited.
Especially, in a gasket formed of three metal plates or more, an upper plate which is not held by a flange extending from a lower plate or grommet may be slightly raised upwardly away from a middle plate between the cylinder bores. Under the high pressure and high temperature condition, if the middle portion between the cylinder bores is vibrated or subjected to high load repeatedly, the middle portion is weakened, so that the middle portion may be damaged or broken by fatigue destruction or fretting.
In view of the above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,699 was made. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the gasket is formed of two metal plates
110
,
111
.
The metal plate
110
has flanges
112
around cylinder bores Hc, and a pair of holes
116
at both sides of a middle portion
117
between the flanges
112
. In the metal plate
111
, one hole with projections
118
is formed without forming individual holes for the cylinder bores Hc. The projections
118
are inserted into the holes
116
to fix the projections
118
to the plate
110
, so that the projections
118
do not deform nor vibrate.
However, in the above gasket, when the gasket is assembled,
20
the projections
118
must be inserted into the holes
116
. Since the projections
118
face each other, the procedure for inserting the projections
118
into the holes
116
is relatively complicated.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head
25
gasket, wherein an upper plate between the cylinder bores can be securely held without raising upwardly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head gasket as stated above, wherein the upper plate between the cylinder bores is not damaged by vibration or load repeatedly applied thereto.
A further object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head gasket as stated above, wherein the gasket can be easily formed and assembled together.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A metal laminate gasket of the invention is used for an internal combustion engine having cylinder bores. The gasket is basically formed of first, second and third metal plates laminated together, and includes sealing means.
In particular, the first metal plate extends substantially throughout an entire area of the gasket, and the sealing means is attached to the first metal plate. The sealing means includes curved portions for defining first holes for the respective cylinder bores, and flanges extending from the curved portions in the directions away from the first holes.
The second metal plate is situated above the first metal plate, and includes second holes for the cylinder bores and at least one notch between the second holes. The third metal plate is situated above the second metal plate, and includes third holes for the cylinder bores and an engaging portion between the third holes.
In the gasket of the invention, at least one holding portion is formed in the sealing means. The holding portion is located above the engaging portion to thereby allow the engaging portion to be located in the at least one notch when the gasket is assembled.
Thus, the engaging portion between the third holes is retained by the holding portion.
In the invention, when the gasket is assembled, the holding portion is disposed above the engaging portion of the third metal plate. Therefore, the engaging portion or intermediate area between the cylinder bores of the third plate is securely held by the holding portion. The intermediate area does not project upwardly nor damaged when the gasket is used. In this respect, the flange is located above the second metal plate around the second hole, and does not overlap the third metal plate around the third hole.
In the invention, the notch is located under the engaging portion. When the gasket is compressed at the time of final assembly step or installation, the engaging portion is pushed to be located in the notch of the second metal plate. Therefore, the intermediate area does not project outwardly, and the sealing means projects slightly above the surface of the gasket to provide high surface pressure thereat.
The holding portion may be a flap extending from the flange and located above the engaging portion. In this case, the flap in one sealing means faces a flap of another sealing means situated adjacent thereto. The two flaps are located above the engaging portion.
The sealing means may be integrally formed with the first meal plate so that the curved portion extends from the first metal plate. On the other hand, the sealing means may be a grommet situated in the first to third holes communicating each other. In this case, the grommet in one sealing means is integrally formed with a grommet in another sealing means adjacent thereto through a connecting portion forming the at least one holding portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5083801 (1992-01-01), Okano et al.
patent: 5131668 (1992-07-01), Uchida
patent: 5295699 (1994-03-01), Inoue
patent: 5348311 (1994-09-01), Miyaoh et al.
patent: 5375851 (1994-12-01), Mockenhaupt
patent: 5408963 (1995-04-01), Miyaoh et al.
patent: 5449181 (1995-09-01), Miyoh
patent: 5806857 (1998-09-01), Mockenhaupt et al.
patent: 6027124 (2000-02-01), Ishida et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 007, No. 041(M-194), Feb. 18, 1983 & JP57-190736A (Riyouta Kamakari), Nov. 24, 1982.
Beres John L.
Ishikawa Gasket Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Knight Anthony
LandOfFree
Metal cylinder head gasket with portion for holding... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Metal cylinder head gasket with portion for holding..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Metal cylinder head gasket with portion for holding... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2528853