Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between relatively movable parts – Relatively rotatable radially extending sealing face member
Patent
1996-11-21
1998-04-07
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between relatively movable parts
Relatively rotatable radially extending sealing face member
277207R, 277235B, F16J 1512
Patent
active
057355290
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with beads for use in gaskets to create seals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaskets for use in, for example, automotive applications often comprise a supporting sheet, eg of steel, on one or both surfaces of which elongated beads are adhered. Such beads are made, eg by extrusion, from resilient material, eg elastomeric material, and are arranged to be compressed to create a seal between the supporting sheet and a surface of an adjacent member. One possible application for such gaskets is between the head and the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, where beads may extend around the periphery of the gasket or around the engine cylinders.
The elongated resilient beads used in gaskets have a constant cross-sectional shape along the bead, when the bead is in an uncompressed state. This cross-sectional shape is designed to ensure a good seal. For example, one known bead has its cross-sectional shape defined by a substantially planar bottom surface which is adhered to the supporting sheet, two inclined side surfaces which meet the bottom surface at 45.degree. and extend upwardly and inwardly, and a substantially planar top surface which extends between the side surfaces parallel to the bottom surface. This prior art bead is illustrated in an uncompressed state in FIG. 1 and in a compressed state in FIG. 2. It can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 that the bead is greatly deformed during compression. This great deformation can cause the bottom surface to be torn off the supporting sheet with the result that the bead may be moved from its intended position.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bead which when compressed has a reduced tendency to be torn off its supporting sheet.
The invention provides an elongated bead made of resilient material and suitable to be compressed between two members to create a seal, the bead having a cross-sectional shape which, in an uncompressed state of the bead, is substantially constant along the length of the bead, characterised in that said cross-sectional shape is defined by a substantially planar bottom surface, two inclined side surfaces which extend upwardly at inwards inclinations from junctions with the bottom surface, and a convexly-curved top surface which is joined to the side surfaces by transitional curved joining surfaces.
In a bead in accordance with the invention, the inwards inclination of the side surfaces, which are preferably substantially planar, can be decreased without reducing the effectiveness of the bead as a seal. A decrease in the inclination, ie a decrease in the angles between the side surfaces and the bottom surface, is found to be beneficial from the point of view of preventing the bottom surface from being torn off the supporting sheet, although the inclination cannot be decreased beyond a certain point without causing the material of the bead to buckle under compression with the likelihood of the material cracking. The provision of the convexly-curved top surface enables the bead to make a good seal even when the inclination is decreased since the additional material required to make the convex curve compensates for the decrease in the height of the upper edges of the side surfaces above the bottom surface.
For some conditions, it is preferred that the side surfaces are inclined at between 35.degree. and 25.degree. to the bottom surface. In one particular case, the optimum angle of inclination, ie the lowest tendency to be torn off without buckling, was found to be 29.degree..
The top surface may have the shape of a portion of a cylinder but other curved surfaces, such as paraboloid and ellipsoidal surfaces, may be possible.
The invention also provides a gasket comprising at least one supporting sheet and at least one length of bead according to the invention adhered to one surface of said supporting sheet.
There now follow detailed descriptions, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a prior art
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Beres John L.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
T&N Technology Limited
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