Flexibly-jointed, fluid-tight cover for internal combustion engine
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsWilliam Riley, Mark Zagata, Michael Schrader, Chris Wicks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexibly-jointed, fluid-tight cover for enclosing a portion of an internal combustion engine includes generally rigid structural cover panels which are joined by fluid-tight flexible joints formed from elastomeric material which is either inserted into the rigid structural cover panels after the joint has been molded, or molded in place by inserting the cover parts within a mold and injecting material into the mold to form the flexible fluid-tight joints.
Claims15
A flexibly-jointed fluid-tight cover for enclosing a portion of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a plurality of generally rigid structural cover panels;
- at least one fluid-tight, flexible joint extending between adjacent ones of said structural cover panels;
- and
- a gasket extending about an outer periphery of said structural cover panels, with said gasket and said fluid-tight flexible joint being unitary.
A method for fabricating a flexibly jointed, fluid-tight cover for enclosing a portion of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- forming a plurality of generally rigid structural cover panels;
- placing said plurality of generally rigid structural cover panels in adjoining cavities of a mold device;
- and
- injecting an elastomeric material into said mold device, so as to form a flexible, fluid-tight joint between adjoining ones of said plurality of generally rigid structural cover panels.
A fluid-tight cylinder head cover for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a generally planar central panel having a plurality of spark plug apertures;
- a plurality of generally channel-shaped panels for enclosing portions of a cylinder head, with said generally channel-shaped panels adjoining said planar central panel;
- and
- a plurality of elastomeric, fluid-tight, flexible members mechanically incorporated within said cylinder head cover, with one of said flexible members being interposed between said planar central panel and each of said generally channel-shaped panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.