Head gasket with a check valve

Details Head gasket with a check valve Head gasket with a check valve

1999-11-29

2001-10-23

Rivell, John (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

Line condition change responsive valves

Direct response valves

C137S533000, C137S533110, C123S1960CP, C123S1960CP, C184S018000, C277S591000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06305420

ABSTRACT:

This invention is concerned with gaskets, in particular head gaskets of internal combustion engines.
Head gaskets act, when clamped between the head and the block of an engine, to form seals around the cylinders of the engine and also around lubricant and coolant passages which extend between the head and the block. Conventionally, head gaskets perform no more than a sealing function but it has been proposed (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,662) that such a gasket should incorporate a thermostatically-operated valve mounted in one of the coolant passages to control flow of coolant in dependence on local temperature conditions.
Internal combustion engines often suffer from poor lubrication in the period immediately after the engine has been started. This is due to the lubricant draining to the sump while the engine is stopped and the time delay before lubricant is pumped by the operation of the engine into the upper parts of the engine. The lack of lubricant on starting of the engine can lead to metal-to-metal contact with consequential damage. A related problem can arise in engines which utilize hydraulic tappets in that the oil drains out of the line which feeds the tappet during a period when the engine is stopped. This leads to the tappets being deficient in oil on start-up so that, for a few seconds, the tappets are unable to maintain a small enough clearance with the cam etc. This results in a short period of unacceptable noise, known as “tappet rattle”.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gasket which enables the lubrication of an internal combustion engine to be improved in the period immediately after the engine has been started, and/or, where hydraulic tappets are used, enables the problem of tappet rattle to be prevented or reduced.
The invention provides a head gasket which acts, when clamped between a head and a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, to form a seal around at least one lubricant or hydraulic fluid passage which extends between the head and the block, characterized in that the gasket also comprises a non-return valve which extends across said passage and allows flow of liquid in said passage towards the head but prevents flow of liquid in said passage towards the block.
In a gasket according to the invention, the non-return valve can act to prevent lubricant from draining out of the head through said passage or can act to prevent hydraulic fluid from draining away from a hydraulic tappet. Accordingly, liquid lubricant or hydraulic fluid is retained on top of the valve while the engine is stopped so that it is available in the head as soon as the engine is started. Clearly, a gasket according to the invention may have a plurality of non-return valves in a plurality of passages to thereby make more liquid available on starting of the engine.
In a gasket according to the invention, the non-return valve make take any suitable form. For example, in one form which is preferred for its simplicity, the valve comprises a nozzle formed from resilient material, the nozzle being designed to be closed by fluid pressure acting towards the block but to be opened by fluid pressure acting towards the head. Conveniently, the nozzle is formed integrally with sealing means of the gasket, ie either with a sheet of resilient material, eg silicone rubber, extending across the area of the gasket, or with a gasket bead, eg of silicone rubber, adhered to a core sheet of the gasket and extending around a closed path around the passage.
In another preferred form of a gasket according to the invention, the non-return valve is a ball or a movable disc valve. Such a valve, conveniently, comprises a cage which is formed integrally with sealing means of the gasket, ie with a resilient sheet or bead as referred to in the last preceding paragraph. The cage retains the ball or disc but allows it to move between sealing and open positions.
It is also possible for the non-return valve to comprise a resilient disc mounted on top of a sheet of the gasket and covering a hole therethrough, the disc being deformable by fluid pressure to allow passage of liquid.
There now follow detailed descriptions, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of three gaskets which are illustrative of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3118468 (1964-01-01), Bochan
patent: 3509907 (1970-05-01), Gannaway
patent: 3648729 (1972-03-01), Balkany
patent: 4776776 (1988-10-01), Jones
patent: 4944265 (1990-07-01), Davey
patent: 5022662 (1991-06-01), Yasui
patent: 0 503 635 (1992-09-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 017, No. 144 (M-1386), Mar. 23, 1993 & JP 04 318212A (Honda Motor Co. Ltd), Nov. 9, 1992 (see abstract; figure).

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