Cylinder head gasket

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention is directed to cylinder head gaskets for establishing a fluid-tight seal between an engine block and a cylinder head of a piston driven internal combustion engine.

#2. Related Art

#These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a cylinder head gasket;

#FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional and fragmentary view of the first exemplary embodiment of the cylinder head gasket;

#Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a first exemplary embodiment of a cylinder head gasket 20 is generally shown in FIGS. 1-4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cylinder head gasket 20 is configured for providing a fluid tight seal between a cylinder head 22 and an engine block 24 of an internal combustion engine to seal combustion and exhaust gasses in one or more cylinder bores during operation of the engine. For the purposes of simplicity, the term “engine block” as used herein also includes one or more cylinder liners (also known as sleeves) for engines that include cylinder liners. The cylinder head gasket 20 may find uses in a range of different types of piston driven internal combustion engines including, for example, two or four stroke engines and gasoline or diesel fueled engines.

#Referring to FIG. 1, the exemplary cylinder head gasket 20 includes a single gasket layer 26 with a plurality of inner peripheries 28 (only one being shown) that surround a plurality of openings that correspond with the cylinder bores of the engine. The gasket layer 26 may be a functional layer or a distance layer and is preferably formed of metal. In this exemplary embodiment, the gasket layer 26 has a stopper 30 which is located adjacent the inner periphery 28. As shown, the gasket layer 26 has a first thickness T at or adjacent the inner periphery 28. If a stopper 30 is employed, as is the case with the first exemplary embodiment, then the first thickness T is the combination of the thicknesses of both the gasket layer 26 adjacent the inner periphery 28 and the stopper 30.

#The cylinder head gasket 20 further includes a plurality of combustion seals 32 (only one of which is shown) which are positioned in the openings and are joined with the inner peripheries 28 of the gasket layer 26. The combustion seal 32 extends circumferentially around an axis A between opposite ends which are joined together at a weld seam 34. The combustion seal 32 has a seal body 36 which has a generally C-shaped cross-section which extends through an are from a top portion 38, through a middle portion 40 and to a bottom portion 42. The C-shaped seal body 36 has a height which extends in an axial direction from a top of the top portion 38 to a bottom of the bottom portion 42. As shown in FIG. 1, the height of the C-shaped seal body 36 is greater than the first thickness T of the gasket layer 26 and stopper 30 for sealing against the cylinder head 22 and the engine block 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) when installed in the engine.