Gasket with formable tabs and method

Details Gasket with formable tabs and method Gasket with formable tabs and method

1999-05-28

2001-05-15

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

C123S1950HC, C029S081110

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231050

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gasket with integral tab retainers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gasket including a plurality of tabs formed on outer and inner peripheral edges of a layer of the gasket to locate and retain the gasket on a mating surface of a mating component.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaskets are often used as a seal between mating metal surfaces. Common applications involve the placement of a gasket between a cylinder block and a fluid pan or a valve cover of an internal combustion engine. Such a gasket provides a seal that retains engine fluids vital for engine operation and prevents them from either escaping into the engine compartment of a vehicle or contaminating other vehicle components.
In an engine, gaskets are typically installed by placing a gasket between a cylinder block and a mating component and aligning bolt apertures formed in the gasket with corresponding apertures formed in the cylinder block and the mating component. Generally, a threaded fastener passes through the mating component and gasket and engages a corresponding threaded aperture formed in the cylinder block. Some maneuvering of the mating component and gasket relative to the cylinder block may be required to align the apertures therein with the corresponding threaded apertures of the cylinder block before fasteners can be inserted. However, during the assembly process, the gasket may slip from its desired position or drop off the end of the inserted fastener before it can be fixed in place.
Attempts have been made to retain a gasket against a mating component prior to and during assembly by providing separate clips for attaching the gasket to a mating component. Using such clips, a gasket is placed adjacent to the mating component, and the separate clip is attached to the mating component such that the gasket is secured in place between the clip and the mating component. The separate clips typically include one end for contacting the gasket about an outer periphery thereof while a second end is attached to an outer periphery of a mating component or to an outer periphery of a connecting portion between mating components. Use of such separate clips does not eliminate the problems involved in the assembly process whereby a gasket may slip from its desired position. The clip attached to an outer periphery of the mating component may be jostled or become otherwise dislodged by contacting adjacent parts and potentially falling into the fluid pan or engine bore causing later interference with engine operation. Further, separate clips may become dislodged during sub-assembly, handling, and shipping of mating components, allowing the gasket to slip or drop. As a result, the gasket may become offset or mis-aligned from the holes to be sealed before assembly, again requiring some realignment of the mating component and gasket to achieve a tight seal. Assembly of a gasket to the mating component using separate clips is also a complex operation, requiring multiple parts and means to hold the gasket adjacent the mating flange while the clips are attached.
Another attempt to retain a gasket against a mating component prior to and during assembly involves the use of an adhesive. The adhesive is applied to the gasket prior to its alignment with the apertures of a mating component. The use of adhesives has a number of disadvantages. For example, the gasket could become accidentally misaligned or displaced before the adhesive has set, making it difficult to return the gasket to its proper alignment. Moreover, adhesives may detrimentally impact the material load bearing properties of the gasket while in operation, thereby adversely effecting the seal integrity. Adhesives lower the ability of the gasket to carry high loads because the adhesive reduces surface friction between the gasket and the mating component generally cause the gasket to slip from its sealing position under the application of high loads placed on the gasket.
Another commonly used way to retain a gasket against its mating component prior to and during assembly employs fasteners installed through the bolt apertures of the mating component and the corresponding bolt apertures of the gasket. These fasteners must match the size and thread of the bolt apertures, requiring an array of fastener sizes to accommodate differently sized apertures. Installation of the fasteners also complicates manufacturing by first requiring installation of the fasteners as a prerequisite assembly step followed by fastener removal prior to insertion of the actual bolts. More importantly, the fasteners increase the assembly process complexity. The fasteners, although retaining the position of the gasket on the mating component, often interfere with the maneuverability of the mating component and gasket when brought into alignment for installation to a component such as a cylinder block.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a gasket formed with integral formable inner and outer tabs used to locate and retain the gasket on a mating surface of a first mating component such as a fluid pan or a valve cover of an engine.
The gasket of the present invention includes layer that forms a sealing body. An inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge define the main sealing body of the gasket. A plurality of inner formable tabs extend radially from the inner peripheral edge and a plurality of outer formable tabs extend radially from the outer peripheral edge. The inner and outer tabs are integrally formed with the sealing body to simplify manufacture, thereby permitting the tabs and sealing body to be formed or stamped from the same piece of material and eliminating the need for additional clips or fasteners to retain the gasket in position during assembly.
The tabs are deformable into an engaged position through frictional contact with the first mating component and easily manipulatable by hand or through the use of simple shaping tools. The inner and outer tabs are uniformly spaced around the inner and outer peripheral edges of the sealing body to secure all sides of the sealing body to the first mating component to avoid shift or slippage of the gasket from its proper alignment. At least one inner tab and outer tab is placed on each distinguishable side of the sealing body to avoid slippage or shift of the gasket from all directions and to simplify relocating the gasket into proper alignment on the mating surface should dislodgment occur by providing multiple reference points to accurately relocate the gasket back onto the mating surface. Preferably, each inner tab extending radially from the inner peripheral edge of the sealing body corresponds with an outer tab extending radially from the outer peripheral edge of the sealing body in an orientation in which the inner and outer tabs are opposite each other to more evenly distribute retention forces applied by the deformed tabs across the sealing body when engaged with the first mating component.
During installation, the sealing body is placed on a mating surface of a first mating component, such as a flange, to align bolt apertures in the sealing body with the bolt aperture in the mating surface. After the apertures are properly aligned to permit a bolt to extend through both apertures without interference, the inner tabs extending radially from the inner peripheral edge are bent downwardly from the sealing body inwardly towards an interior wall of the first mating component. When bent, the inner tabs are deformed into an engaged position to be generally perpendicular relative to the sealing body and adjacent to the interior wall of the first mating component. The bent inner tabs engage the interior wall of the first mating component to avoid slippage of the gasket from proper alignment with the first mating component. Moreover, should the gasket separate from the mating surface during the assembly process, the bent inner tabs increase the ease of re-locating the gasket on the mating surface by providing an outline of orientation of th

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