Thermoplastic gasket with edge bonded rubber apertures and integral alignment grommets

A gasket comprising a plastic carrier body having a pair of substantially planar surfaces that define the top and bottom of the gasket, wherein the gasket includes a plurality of service openings that extend between said pair of surfaces, said gasket further comprising a plurality of elastomeric beads bonded to edges said service openings, wherein said service openings include a series of small holes that aid in mechanical attachment of the elastomeric bead to the plastic carrier body, and wherein said carrier body further comprises bolt holes for attachment of said gasket between an engine cylinder head deck and a manifold, and wherein said carrier body also comprises primary and secondary compression limiters formed of powdered metal molded into said body, and wherein said primary limiters are located adjacent to said bolt holes, the gasket further comprising flexible alignment grommets that provide positive alignment between the cylinder head deck and the intake manifold, each grommet comprising a frustum-shaped body and a cylindrical post that extends outwardly of said planar top and bottom surfaces of the gasket, respectively, and wherein the frustum-shaped body and post are sized and configured to mate with conical and cylindrical alignment openings in the intake manifold and the cylinder head deck, and wherein the frustum-shaped body defines a plurality of converging walls defined by trapezoidal-like petals to permit flexing of said grommet, and wherein said post is mounted to said carrier body with flexible spokes to permit lateral flexing of said post, said plastic carrier body comprising a glass-filled (30 wt. %) polymide (nylon 4/6).

A gasket comprising:

• a carrier body having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one service aperture defining edges that extend from the first surface of the carrier layer to the second surface of the carrier layer;
• elastomeric beads circumscribing said service aperture, the elastomeric beads being bonded to said edges of said carrier body and overlapping said edges to extend partially over the first and second surfaces of the carrier layer;
• at least one crush limiter molded onto said carrier body;
• a plurality of bolt holes, each bolt hole positioned adjacent one of said service apertures at least one of said bolt holes having said at least one crush limiter at least partially surrounding said at least one;
• and
• at least one flexible alignment element, each element defined by a frustum shaped body comprising a plurality of converging trapezoidal-shaped petals that form converging walls adapted to flexibly collapse together, wherein each of said alignment elements is integrally connected to said carrier body of said gasket, wherein each of said alignment elements defines an axis orthogonal to said planar carrier body, wherein each of said alignment element comprises a cylindrical post that extends through a locator aperture within said carrier body, and wherein radially extending spokes connect said carrier body to said post, and wherein at least one alignment element laterally flexes when said gasket is assembled.