Annular metal seal, attachment structure for annular metal seal, and attachment method for annular metal seal

A method of sealing a first member and a second member by an annular metal seal,

• the first member having an annular seal groove recessed in a first planar surface thereof, the seal groove having:
• a rounded inner corner portion, and
• a side surface connecting continuously with the rounded inner corner portion;
• the second member having a second planar surface;
• and
• the annular metal seal including
• an annular seal body having:
• a side surface, and
• an outer corner portion that is at an end of the side surface of the seal body and that forms a ridge,
• the method comprising:
• preparing a positioning ring having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the seal body or than an outer diameter of the seal body, the positioning ring being separatable from the annular metal seal;
• fitting the annular metal seal in the seal groove with the positioning ring such that the side surfaces of the annular metal seal and the seal groove face each other and that the positioning ring abuts on at least a portion of the side surface of the seal groove, whereby the ridge of the seal body is positioned away from the side surface of the seal groove, so as to be fee of contact with the inner corner portion of the seal groove;
• and
• fastening the first member and the second member to each other with the first and second planar surfaces facing each other to deform the annular metal seal, whereby the first and second member are sealed at the annular metal seal.

An annular metal seal for an attachment structure that includes

• a first member having an annular seal groove recessed from a first planar surface of the first member, the seal groove having
• a rounded inner corner portion, and
• a side surface connecting continuously with the inner corner portion, and
• a second member having a second planar surface,
• the annular metal seal comprising:
• an annular seal body having:
• a side surface facing the side surface of the annular seal groove, and
• an outer corner portion that is at an end of the side surface of the seal body and that forms a ridge;
• and
• a positioning protrusion protruding from the side surface of the seal body, for positioning the seal body, the positioning protrusion having a height, in a height direction orthogonal to the first planar surface, that is greater than a protrusion amount of the positioning protrusion from the side surface of the seal body in a radius direction of the annular metal seal, wherein
• the annular metal seal is configured to be fitted in the annular seal groove and is deformable by the first and second members fastened to each other, whereby the first and second member are sealed at the seal body,
• the positioning protrusion is configured such that an uppermost end thereof is lower than the first planar surface when the first and second members are fastened to each other, and
• the positioning protrusion abuts on at least a portion of the side surface of the seal groove, whereby the ridge of the seal body is positioned away from the side surface of the seal groove so as to be free of contact with the inner corner portion of the seal groove, when the first and second members are fastened to each other.

An attachment structure, comprising:

• an annular metal seal;
• a first member having a first planar surface;
• a second member having a second planar surface;
• and
• an annular seal groove recessed in the first planar surface, the seal groove having
• a rounded inner corner portion, and
• a side surface connecting continuously with the inner corner portion, wherein
• the annular metal seal is configured to be fitted in the annular seal groove of the first member, and deformable by the first and second members fastened to each other, whereby the first and second member are sealed at the seal body,
• the annular metal seal includes
• an annular seal body having
• a side surface facing the side surface of the annular seal groove, and
• an outer corner portion that is at an end of the side surface of the seal body and that forms a ridge, and
• a positioning protrusion protruding from the side surface of the seal body, for positioning the seal body, the positioning protrusion having a height, in a height direction orthogonal to the first planar surface, that is greater than a protrusion amount of the positioning protrusion from the side surface of the seal body in a radius direction of the annular metal seal,
• the positioning protrusion is configured such that an uppermost end thereof is lower than the first planar surface when the first and second members are fastened to each other, and
• the positioning protrusion abuts on at least a portion of the side surface of the seal groove, whereby the ridge of the seal body is positioned away from the side surface of the seal groove so as to be free of contact with the inner corner portion of the seal groove when the first member and the second member are fastened with each other whereby the first and second members are sealed at the seal body.

A method of sealing a first member and a second member by an annular metal seal,

• the first member having an annular seal groove recessed in a first planar surface thereof, the seal groove having
• a rounded inner corner portion, and
• a side surface connecting continuously with the inner corner portion;
• the second member having a second planar surface;
• and
• the annular metal seal including
• an annular seal body having
• a side surface, and
• an outer corner portion that is at an end of the side surface of the seal body and that forms a ridge, and
• a positioning protrusion protruding from at the side surface of the seal body, and for positioning the seal body, the positioning protrusion having a height, in a height direction orthogonal to the first planar surface, that is greater than a protrusion amount of the positioning protrusion from the side surface of the seal body in a radius direction of the annular metal seal,
• the method comprising:
• fitting the annular metal seal in the seal groove such that the side surfaces of the seal body and the seal groove face each other and that the positioning protrusion abuts on at least a portion of the side surface of the seal groove, whereby the ridge of the seal body is positioned away from the side surface of the seal groove so as to be free of contact with the inner corner portion of the seal groove;
• and
• fastening the first member and the second member to each other with the first and second planar surfaces facing each other to deform the annular metal seal, whereby the first and second member are sealed at the seal body.