Self-forming gasket assembly and methods of construction and assembly thereof

A method of constructing a gasket assembly, comprising:

• providing an elastically deformable, resilient carrier layer having an upper surface and a lower surface extending in planar, generally parallel relation with one another between an inner periphery and an outer periphery when in a disassembled state;
• fixing a pair of top layers that are made of metal to said upper surface proximate at least one of said inner periphery and said outer periphery;
• and
• fixing at least one bottom layer that is made of metal inseparably to said lower surface in radially spaced relation from said top layers such that said top layers are spaced radially from said bottom layer by a pair of radial gaps that are devoid of any material that extends above the level of the top and bottom layers,
• wherein said upper surface and said lower surface take on a non-planar, spring-biased shape in said radial gaps upon compressing the gasket assembly between a pair of surfaces to an assembled state.

A method of assembling a gasket assembly into an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• providing the gasket assembly including an elastically deformable, resilient carrier layer having an upper surface and a lower surface extending in planar, generally parallel relation with one another between an inner periphery and an outer periphery when in a disassembled state;
• a pair of top layers made of metal and fixed to said upper surface proximate at least one of said inner periphery and said outer periphery;
• and at least one bottom layer made of metal and fixed inseparably to said lower surface in spaced relation from said at least one top layer such that the top layers are spaced radially from the bottom layer by radial gaps that are devoid of any material that extends above the level of the top and bottom layers;
• sandwiching the gasket assembly between opposite surfaces to be fixed together in sealed relation with one another;
• and
• fixing the opposite surfaces to one another and compressing the pair of top layers and the at least one bottom layer in opposite axial directions and causing the upper surface and the lower surface of the carrier layer to take on a non-planar, spring-biased shape, in the radial gaps thereby causing the at least one top layer to exert a sealing force against one of the opposite surfaces in a first axial direction to form a seal there against and the at least one bottom layer to exert a sealing force against the other of the opposite surfaces in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction to form a seal there against.

A gasket assembly, comprising:

• an elastically deformable, resilient carrier layer having an upper surface and a lower surface extending in planar generally spaced relation with one another between an inner periphery and an outer periphery when in a disassembled state;
• at least one top layer made of metal fixed to said upper surface proximate at least one of said inner periphery and said outer periphery;
• at least one bottom layer fixed inseparably to said lower surface in radially spaced relation from said at least one top layer;
• said upper surface and said lower surface take on a non-planar, spring-biased shape upon compressing the gasket assembly between a pair of surfaces to an assembled state;
• and
• said inner periphery and said outer periphery of said carrier layer being concentric with one another and with said at least one top layer and said at least one bottom layer.