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US 4,817,969 AGranted
Gasket and method of making same
AssigneeFel-Pro Incorporated
InventorsDonald J. McDowell, Michael J. Maloney, Jerri L. Cooper, Lawrence Pyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gasket such as a cylinder head gasket molded of an amorphous fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin composite having at least 3% by weight of reinforcing fibers, and having an integral non-elastomeric sealing bead extending above the gasket body and surrounding at least one service opening, and a method of making such a gasket.
Claims38
A cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine having a head, a block, at least one combustion chamber and at least one passage for fluid communication between the head and the block, the cylinder head gasket comprising:
- an integrally molded thin main gasket body having expansive main surfaces and defining a plurality of openings including at least one combustion opening and at least one aperture for fluid communication between the head and the block of an internal combustion engine,
- said main gasket body being molded of a reinforced thermoplastic resin composite,
- said thermoplastic resin, in an unfilled state, having a high heat distortion temperature of at least 347.degree. F. at 264 psi (according to ASTM Test D648), and being essentially inert to water, and to automotive fuels, coolants and oils,
- said resin being substantially amorphous and having an aromatic backbone, having a flexural modulus of at least about 250,000 psi and a relatively high elongation to promote sealing,
- said resin being filled and reinforced with fibers in an amount of at least 3% by weight of the unfilled resin, said fibers having a higher stiffness and strength than said unfilled resin and being deformable in tension, compression and bending under transverse loading without fracturing, said fibers having a tensile modulus of not less than 10.times.10.sup.6 psi at 500.degree. F.,
- said fibers serving to distribute loads to which the gasket is subjected in use between the fibers and the resin,
- said fibers having good bonding to the resin and having a higher modulus and strength than said unfilled resin to sustain a larger proportion of load, and thereby to provide high sealing stress retention and to prevent torque loss in use by reducing the stress relaxation of the unreinforced resin,
- said fibers being random in orientation and short in length and having an aspect ratio of at least 20,
- and said main gasket body as molded having an integrally formed non-elastomeric sealing bead extending above the main gasket body and surrounding at least one of said plurality of openings.
6 more elements
A gasket comprising:
- an integrally molded thin main gasket body having expansive main surfaces defining a plurality of openings including at least one service opening,
- said gasket body being molded of a reinforced thermoplastic resin composite,
- said thermoplastic resin, in an unfilled state, having a high heat distortion temperature of at least 347.degree. F. at 264 psi (according to ASTM Test D648), and being essentially inert to water, and to fueld, coolants and oils,
- said resin being substantially amorphous and having an aromatic backbone, having a flexural modulus of at least about 250,000 psi and a relatively high elongation to promote sealing,
- said resin being filled and reinforced with fibers in an amount of at least 3% by weight of the unfilled resin, said fibers having a higher stiffness and strength than said unfilled resin and being deformable in tension, compression and bending under transverse loading without fracturing, said fibers having a tensile modulus of not less than 10.times.10.sup.6 psi at 500.degree. F.,
- said fibers serving to distribute loads to which the gasket is subjected in use between the fibers and the resin,
- said fibers having good bonding to the resin and having a higher modulus and strength than said unfilled resin to sustain a larger proportion of load, and thereby to provide high sealing stress retention in use by reducing the stress relaxation of the unreinforced resin,
- said fibers being random in orientation and short in length and having an aspect ratio of at least 20,
- and said gasket body as molded having an integrally formed non-elastomeric sealing bead extending above the gasket body and surrounding at least one service opening.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.