U.S. patent application number 12/380229 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for cylinder head gasket.
This patent application is currently assigned to ElringKlinger AG. Invention is credited to Armin Diez, Wolfgang Fritz, Thomas Tiefenbach.
Application Number | 20090224486 12/380229 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34926764 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090224486 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tiefenbach; Thomas ; et
al. |
September 10, 2009 |
Cylinder head gasket
Abstract
Cylinder head gasket having a single-layered or multilayered
metallic gasket plate with sealing beads in at least one metal
layer, which are elastically deformable in height and surround the
combustion chamber through-openings, and deformation delimiting
devices which delimit the flattening of the sealing beads; in order
to achieve as good a sealing function as possible in the long term
and as good a protection as possible of the sealing beads against
inadmissibly high deformations during operation of the engine,
deformation delimiting devices, one of which is formed by a
meandering bead stamped into a metal layer, and the other by a
plurality of elevations stamped out of a metal layer, are provided
radially inside and radially outside the sealing beads.
Inventors: |
Tiefenbach; Thomas;
(Dettingen, DE) ; Diez; Armin; (Lenningen, DE)
; Fritz; Wolfgang; (Metzingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Edward J. Timmer
P.O. Box 770
Richland
MI
49083
US
|
Assignee: |
ElringKlinger AG
|
Family ID: |
34926764 |
Appl. No.: |
12/380229 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11033247 |
Jan 11, 2005 |
7527269 |
|
|
12380229 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
277/592 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16J 2015/085 20130101;
F16J 2015/0868 20130101; F16J 15/0818 20130101; F16J 15/0825
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
277/592 |
International
Class: |
F02F 11/00 20060101
F02F011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 10, 2004 |
DE |
10 2004 044 851.5 |
Claims
1. Cylinder head gasket with an at least substantially metallic
gasket plate comprising at least one sheet metal layer, at least
one combustion chamber through-opening, a sealing bead elastically
deformable in its height, which is formed in a metal layer and
surrounds the combustion chamber through-opening in a manner closed
within itself, and--in relation to the sealing bead--both radially
inside and radially outside the sealing bead a deformation
delimiting device delimiting the bead deformation and surrounding
the combustion chamber through-opening at least partially, said
deformation delimiting device being--in a plan view of the gasket
plate--close to the sealing bead and formed in a metal layer by
such a deformation of the metal layer that the metal layer has at
least one elevation in at least one of its main surfaces in the
area of the deformation delimiting device, and the total thickness
of the metal layer in the area of the deformation delimiting device
is greater than the original thickness of the metal layer, wherein
the one deformation delimiting device comprises a bead which, in a
plan view of the gasket plate, forms over at least part of its
length an at least almost complete meander extending in
circumferential direction of the combustion chamber
through-opening, and the other deformation delimiting device
comprises in a plan view of the gasket plate and in circumferential
direction of the combustion chamber through-opening a plurality of
discrete elevations.
2.-14. (canceled)
15. Cylinder head gasket with an at least substantially metallic
gasket plate comprising one or more sheet metal layers each having
a sheet thickness, at least one combustion chamber through-opening,
an endless sealing bead surrounding the combustion chamber
through-opening and being elastically deformable in height, said
sealing bead being formed in said one or more sheet metal layers,
and in relation to the sealing bead, both radially inside and
radially outside the sealing bead, a deformation delimiting device
delimiting a deformation of said sealing bead and surrounding the
combustion chamber through-opening at least partially, each said
deformation delimiting device being, in a plan view of the gasket
plate, close to the sealing bead and formed at least one elevation
having an elevation height is formed in at least one sheet metal
layer main surface in the area of each deformation delimiting
device, and the total of the sheet thickness plus the elevation
height in the area of each deformation delimiting device is greater
than the original undeformed sheet thickness, wherein one
deformation delimiting device comprises a bead which, in a plan
view of the gasket plate, forms over at least part of its length an
at least almost complete meandering bead shape extending in a
circumferential direction of the combustion chamber
through-opening, and the other deformation delimiting device
comprises in a plan view of the gasket plate and in said
circumferential direction of the combustion chamber through-opening
a plurality of discrete elevations wherein said one deformation
delimiting device and said other deformation delimiting device are
disposed on the same one of said one or more sheet metal
layers.
16. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15, wherein said
sealing bead is disposed on said same one of said one or more sheet
metal layers.
17. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15, wherein said
sealing bead is disposed on a different one of said one or more
sheet metal layers.
18. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15, wherein in a
plan view of the gasket plate, said plurality of discrete
elevations form a two-dimensional pattern of discrete, knob-like
elevations.
19. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 18, wherein the
two-dimensional pattern includes rows of the discrete elevations
with the elevations of each of said rows being offset relative to
the elevations of adjacent rows.
20. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 18, wherein the
discrete elevations are all of the same shape in a plan view of the
gasket plate.
21. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 18, wherein the
knob-like elevations are arranged in groups which are arranged at
spacings from one another in the circumferential direction of the
combustion chamber through-opening.
22. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15, wherein in a
plan view of the gasket plate the elevations of the other
deformation delimiting device are formed by short beads extending
approximately in radial direction or at an incline thereto in
relation to the combustion chamber through-opening.
23. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 22, wherein the
elevations form a crown of short beads enclosing the combustion
chamber through-opening entirely or partially.
24. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 23, wherein the
short beads are arranged in groups which are arranged at spacings
from one another in the circumferential direction of the combustion
chamber through-opening.
25. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 22, wherein the
short beads are all of the same design.
26. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15, wherein said
one deformation delimiting device comprising said bead is arranged
radially inside the sealing bead and said other deformation
delimiting device comprising said plurality of discrete elevations
is arranged radially outside the sealing bead.
27. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 15 for an engine
with a cylinder liner, wherein the sealing bead and said one
deformation delimiting device comprising said bead and said other
deformation delimiting device comprising said plurality of discrete
elevations are arranged such that said one deformation delimiting
device lies over the cylinder liner and the other deformation
delimiting device lies radially outside the cylinder liner when the
gasket is installed.
28. Cylinder head gasket in accordance with claim 27, wherein the
sealing bead also lies over the cylinder liner.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No.
11/033,247 filed Jan. 11, 2005, which is claims priority of German
application No. 10 2004 044 851.5 filed Sep. 10, 2004.
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the subject matter
disclosed in German application No. 10 2004 044 851.5 of Sep. 10,
2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and
for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention relates to a cylinder head gasket with a
single-layered or multilayered, at least substantially metallic
gasket plate comprising for a sealing bead which is elastically
deformable in height and surrounds a combustion chamber
through-opening of the gasket a so-called double stopper for
delimiting the bead deformation with a deformation delimiting
device arranged radially inside the sealing bead and radially
outside the sealing bead.
[0004] Such a cylinder head gasket is disclosed in EP-1 298 364-A
of ElringKlinger AG (see lines 1-3 of page 6). In a gasket with a
multilayered gasket plate, the deformation delimiting devices
(stoppers) can all be provided on the sheet metal layer (so-called
functional layer) provided with the sealing bead or on one or
several of the other layers. It is, however, also possible to
provide one stopper on the functional layer and another stopper on
another layer. In a first embodiment of the cylinder head gasket
according to EP-1 298 364-A, a single stopper is arranged between
the combustion chamber through-opening and the associated sealing
bead. The stopper is formed by a honeycomb pattern, surrounding the
combustion chamber through-opening as a ring closed within itself,
of knob-like elevations stamped out of the functional layer. In two
further embodiments, the knob pattern is replaced either by a bead
stamped into the functional layer, which, in a plan view of the
gasket plate or the functional layer, forms a meander extending in
circumferential direction of the combustion chamber
through-opening, or by a crown, surrounding the combustion chamber
through-opening, of short beads stamped into the functional layer
and extending radially in relation to the combustion chamber
through-opening.
[0005] EP-1 298 365-A of ElringKlinger AG discloses a multilayered
metallic cylinder head gasket having two functional layers each
with an elastic sealing bead surrounding a combustion chamber
through-opening and with a further metal layer arranged between the
functional layers, which is provided with a stopper lying between
the sealing beads and the combustion chamber through-opening, which
is formed by a two-dimensional pattern, produced by flow pressing,
of discrete, cup-like depressions and elevations formed by material
displaced during the stamping of the depressions and associated
with the depressions. The stopper has elevations and depressions on
both sides of this metal layer and, consequently, can delimit the
deformation of both sealing beads.
[0006] The object underlying the invention was to create a cylinder
head gasket of the kind mentioned at the outset, which with respect
to the sealing around a combustion chamber through-opening and the
stopper function has better characteristics in the long term than
the above-described known gaskets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] To achieve this object, one departs from a cylinder head
gasket such as disclosed in EP-1 298 364-A, namely from a cylinder
head gasket with an at least substantially metallic gasket plate
comprising at least one sheet metal layer, at least one combustion
chamber through-opening, a sealing bead elastically deformable in
height, formed in a metal layer and surrounding the combustion
chamber through-opening in a manner closed within itself, and--in
relation to the sealing bead--both radially inside and radially
outside the sealing bead a deformation delimiting device delimiting
the bead deformation and at least partially surrounding the
combustion chamber through-opening, the deformation delimiting
device--in a plan view of the gasket plate--being formed close to
the sealing bead and in a metal layer by such a deformation of the
metal layer that the metal layer has at least one elevation in at
least one of its main surfaces in the area of the deformation
delimiting device, and the total thickness of the metal layer in
the area of the deformation delimiting device is greater than the
original thickness of the metal layer. To accomplish the set
object, it is proposed, in accordance with the invention, that such
a cylinder head gasket be designed such that the one deformation
delimiting device comprises a bead which, in a plan view of the
gasket plate, forms over at least part of its length an at least
almost complete meander extending in circumferential direction of
the combustion chamber through-opening, and that in a plan view of
the gasket plate and in circumferential direction of the combustion
chamber through-opening, the other deformation delimiting device
comprises a plurality of discrete elevations.
[0008] When hereinabove mention is made of the fact that a
deformation delimiting device--for reasons of simplicity referred
to as stopper hereinbelow--is provided both radially inside and
radially outside the sealing bead, the word "a" is not to be
interpreted as "a single". Accordingly, both stoppers can be
provided on the metal layer provided with the sealing bead, but one
stopper or both stoppers can also be formed on another metal layer
or on two other metal layers. The stopper comprising the
meander-shaped bead could also comprise a further stopper element
or further stopper elements. Finally, one stopper can be provided
on a functional layer provided with a sealing bead, and another
stopper on another functional layer similarly provided with a
sealing bead.
[0009] The basic concept underlying the present invention is thus
to combine two stoppers of fundamentally different design with each
other, namely one stopper having a bead with an at least partially
meander-shaped form, with a stopper made of, in particular, stamped
(in a type of deep-drawing or flow-pressing process) discrete, i.
e., individual, elevations. Such a combination results in quite a
number of advantages:
[0010] With a meandering bead closed in the shape of a ring within
itself as stopper there can be created around the combustion
chamber through-opening, in addition to the sealing zone formed by
the sealing bead to be protected, a second sealing zone (at least
when the stopper is bearing, i. e. is pressed). On the other hand,
a stopper formed by discrete elevations can be subjected to higher
load without the stopper height being reduced, as the number of
meander loops per length unit in a meandering bead--measured in
circumferential direction of the combustion chamber
through-opening--is limited for deformation reasons (space is
required for the arc-shaped "reversal areas" of a meandering bead),
whereas the "packing density" of stamped, discrete, i. e.,
individual, elevations can be increased almost optionally, which
involves an increase in the deformation strength of the stopper. A
so-called double stopper is generally used in cylinder head gaskets
intended for engines with cylinder liners. In such engines, a
certain lowering of a cylinder liner inserted into an engine block
is to be anticipated during engine operation, which reduces the
effect of the stopper lying radially inside the sealing bead and
over the liner. For this reason, a further stopper lying radially
outside the sealing bead and radially outside the liner over the
actual engine block is used to reliably protect the sealing bead in
the long term against excessive deformation. Since the cylinder
liner, the engine block and the cylinder head (between which the
cylinder head gasket is clamped) usually consist of different
materials, with stoppers of different design one can take the
different material characteristics into consideration. Finally, a
tool for stamping discrete elevations is simpler and less expensive
than a tool for stamping a meandering bead.
[0011] In an inventive cylinder head gasket, the meandering bead is
preferably arranged radially inside the actual sealing bead to be
protected by the stopper, i. e. between the sealing bead and the
combustion chamber through-opening for sealing-off against
combustion gases in front of the sealing bead by means of the
above-mentioned second sealing zone and for shielding the actual
sealing bead to be protected by the stopper from the hot combustion
gases, whereby the risk of impairing the spring-elastic behavior of
the sealing bead is reduced or totally eliminated. The other
deformation delimiting device of different design then lies--seen
from the combustion chamber through-opening--behind the sealing
bead to be protected by the double stopper.
[0012] When the stopper lying radially inside the sealing bead to
be protected is to be configured as a meandering bead, combustion
chambers lying very close together can result in the web areas of
the cylinder head gasket lying between neighboring through-openings
becoming very small, so that in the web area the ring zone
remaining between a sealing bead close to the combustion chamber
and the rim of a neighboring combustion chamber through-opening no
longer offers enough space to also construct the radially inner
stopper as a meandering bead there. In this case, in the web area
or over part of the web area the bead forming the radially inner
stopper can be formed differently from the meander shape, for
example, in the shape of a circular arc, and if one wishes to or
can dispense with the radially inner stopper forming a second
sealing zone, the reverse arcs of the bead joining meander loops
could also be punched away when after the reshaping of the
pertinent metal layer, the combustion chamber through-opening is
punched out of it. Reference is made to these embodiments because
in the definition of the basic concept underlying the present
invention mention is made of the fact that the one deformation
delimiting device comprises a bead which over at least part of its
length forms an at least almost complete meander.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the inventive cylinder head
gasket, in a plan view of the gasket plate, the other deformation
delimiting device comprises a two-dimensional pattern of discrete,
knob-like elevations, which are preferably arranged in the manner
of a honeycomb pattern, so as to achieve as high a packing density
as possible. In an alternative embodiment, the elevations of the
other deformation delimiting device (in a plan view of the gasket
plate) are formed by short beads extending approximately in radial
direction or at an incline thereto in relation to the combustion
chamber through-opening, which preferably form a crown of such
short beads enclosing the combustion chamber through-opening
entirely or partially. The elevations can also be arranged in
groups, between which (seen in circumferential direction of the
combustion chamber through-opening) stopper-less areas lie, so as
to accommodate, for example, other through-openings of the gasket
plate, such as screw holes, there, or because there is insufficient
space for a continuous stopper between neighboring through-openings
of the gasket plate. For reasons of completion, mention is made of
the fact that a stopper can also be a mixed form of the two
above-described other deformation delimiting devices and comprise a
mixture of groups of knob-like elevations and groups of short
beads.
[0014] In addition, a stopper or each stopper of an inventive
cylinder head gasket can have a height profile and/or a width
profile (in a plan view of the pertinent metal layer) around a
combustion chamber through-opening, as disclosed, for example, in
EP-1 298 364-A, EP-1 298 365-A or U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,195.
[0015] As mentioned hereinabove, in a multilayered cylinder head
gasket the radial inner and the radial outer stoppers can each be
provided on one of the metal layers. It is then advisable to
provide the meandering bead on a layer facing the engine block or a
cylinder liner, and the stopper formed by discrete elevations on a
layer facing the cylinder head.
[0016] Further features, advantages and details of the invention
will be apparent from the appended claims and/or the following
description and the appended drawings of two particularly
advantageous embodiments of the inventive cylinder head gasket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective and sectional representation of
part of the first embodiment and part of an engine block provided
with a cylinder liner; and
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 with
the second embodiment of the inventive cylinder head gasket.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a perspective and sectional view representation
of part of an another embodiment and a part of an engine block
provided with a cylinder liner.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a perspective and sectional view representation
of part of a further embodiment and a part of an engine block
provided with a cylinder liner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] FIG. 1 shows part of a crankcase or engine block 10 in which
there is inserted a cylinder liner 12 whose bore forms part of a
combustion chamber 14 of the engine. The liner 12 has at the top a
liner collar 12a, whose upper end face forms a sealing surface 12b,
which is intended to be flush with, i. e., at the same level as, a
sealing surface 10b formed by an upper end face of the engine block
10.
[0022] There is clamped between the sealing surfaces 10b, 12b and a
sealing surface, facing these, of a cylinder head, not illustrated,
a cylinder head gasket which in the illustrated embodiment has a
gasket plate comprised of an upper functional layer 16 and a lower
functional layer 18 made of sheet spring steel. These could be the
only metal layers of the gasket plate of the inventive cylinder
head gasket, but the latter could also comprise further metal
layers, for example, a smooth, i. e., flat layer lying between the
two functional layers 16, 18 and/or an upper and/or a lower cover
layer over the functional layer 16 or under the functional layer
18. Congruent openings lying one above the other are stamped out of
all layers of the cylinder head gasket. Openings lying one above
the other form a combustion chamber through-opening 20 and 22,
respectively, which is associated with the combustion chamber 14 or
a further combustion chamber, not shown in FIG. 1, of the engine.
Also indicated in FIG. 1 is a screw through-opening 24 produced in
like manner for a cylinder head screw. Between neighboring
combustion chamber through-openings, the gasket plate of the
cylinder head gasket comprises a web 26, only an end area of which
is shown in FIG. 1. The web 26 passes into a gusset-shaped area of
the gasket plate between the two combustion chamber
through-openings 20 and 22, in which the screw through-opening 24
lies.
[0023] Around each combustion chamber through-opening, each of the
functional layers 16 and 18 is provided with a spring-elastic
sealing bead 30 and 32, respectively, deformable in height, which
surrounds the associated combustion chamber through-opening in the
form of a circular ring closed within itself. The two sealing beads
30, 32 face each other with their convex sides and lie sealingly
against each other when the gasket is installed. Radially inside
the sealing bead 32, the lower functional layer 18 is provided with
an inner stopper in the form of a meandering bead 34, i. e. a
meander-shaped bead in plan view, which, in particular, forms a
ring closed within itself and enclosing the combustion chamber
through-opening 20. The meandering bead 34 was produced in the
lower functional layer 18 by stamping the lower functional layer 18
in such a way that the meandering bead 34 in accordance with FIG. 1
projects upwards above the functional layer 18, i. e., in the same
direction as the sealing bead 32. However, the height of the
projection formed by the meandering bead 34 is less than the height
of the projection formed by the sealing bead 32, so that when the
cylinder head gasket is pressed, the sealing bead 32 is first
flattened somewhat in a spring-elastic manner before the meandering
bead 34 has an effect (namely at the flat ring area of the upper
functional layer 16 radially inside its sealing bead 30).
[0024] Seen radially outwardly from the respective combustion
chamber through-opening 20 and 22 there is located in the upper
functional layer 16 behind the sealing bead 30 a radially outer or
rear stopper 50, formed by discrete, knob-shaped elevations 52a,
which were produced by cup-like depressions 52b being stamped into
the upper functional layer 16. The elevations 52a rise above the
functional layer 16 in the same direction as the sealing bead 30,
however, the height of the elevations is less than that of the
sealing bead 30, so that they allow--like the meandering bead 34--a
certain spring-elastic flattening of the sealing bead 30 when the
cylinder head gasket is pressed.
[0025] In the illustrated embodiment, the elevations 52a or the
depressions 52b are arranged in the manner of a honeycomb pattern,
in order to achieve as large a "packing density" of the elevations
as possible. The pattern formed by the elevations 52a preferably
forms a ring which is concentric with the associated combustion
chamber through-opening 20 and 22, respectively, but which has
interruptions where screw through-openings 24 and webs 26 are
located. Alternatively, the width of the pattern formed by the
elevations 52a could vary such that elevations 52a are also present
around the screw through-openings 24 and/or in the area of the webs
26.
[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, when the cylinder head gasket
is pressed, the elevations 52a are supported on a flat area of the
lower functional layer 18, but they could, in the same way as the
meandering bead 34, be supported on a metal layer arranged between
the functional layers 16 and 18.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the rear stoppers 50 lie above the
sealing surface 10b of the engine block 10, whereas the sealing
beads 30 and 32 and the meandering bead 34 forming the front or
radially inner stopper lie above the sealing surface 12b of the
cylinder liner 12. The sealing beads 30, 32 could, however, also
lie radially outside the liner 12.
[0028] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the elevations 52a or the
depressions 52b have approximately the shape of spherical segments
and all have the same shape. They could, however, also have other
shapes and/or different shapes, for example, the shapes of the
depressions 52b could correspond to segments of ellipsoids or the
frustum of a pyramid.
[0029] The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment
according to FIG. 1 only in the configuration of the radially outer
or rear stoppers, so that only these stoppers will be described
hereinbelow and for all the remaining elements in FIG. 2 the same
reference numerals are used as in FIG. 1.
[0030] In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the rear stoppers 50'
are each formed by a crown of short stamped beads 52a', which
extend in radial direction in relation to the associated combustion
chamber through-opening 20 and 22, respectively. These beads could,
however, also include a preferably small acute angle with the
radial direction. In comparison with a meandering bead, the beads
52a'--measured in circumferential direction of the associated
combustion chamber through-opening--can be arranged very close to
one another, as, differently from a meandering bead, no space is
required for U-shaped connecting arcs.
[0031] The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 provides both the radially
inner and radially outer stoppers 34 and 50, respectively, as well
as the sealing bead 30 disposed on the same sheet metal layer, for
example, as described on specification page 3, penultimate
sentence, wherein for all the remaining elements in FIG. 3, the
same reference numerals are used as in FIG. 1.
[0032] The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 provides both the radially
inner and radially outer stoppers 34 and 50, respectively, on the
same sheet metal layer and the sealing bead 30 on a different sheet
metal layer, for example, as described on specification page 3,
penultimate sentence, wherein for all the remaining elements in
FIG. 4, the same reference numerals are used as in FIG. 1.
[0033] What was said hereinabove regarding interruptions or a width
profile of the stoppers 50 applies accordingly to the stoppers 50'
(in the case of a width profile of a stopper 50', the beads 52a'
then have different lengths).
* * * * *