Metal flat gasket

A metal flat gasket is provided that includes at least one sealing plate on which a bead and a deformation limiter for the bead are arranged around at least one through opening. The deformation limiter comprises a thickened part produced by upsetting the edge of the sealing plate in the region of the through opening. The thickness of the deformation limiter is substantially uniform over its entire length.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 - 5 , differently designed deformation limiters 4 were produced by upsetting and deforming a carrier plate 2 . FIG. 1 shows part of a three-layer metal flat gasket that consists of two sealing plates 1 which respectively contain a bead 3 and a carrier plate 2 arranged between the sealing plates. The arrow pointing to the left indicates that the edge of the carrier plate 2 which points in the direction of the through-opening in the gasket was upset and subsequently or simultaneously deformed. A thickened part is formed on the carrier plate 2 due to the displacement of material. During the upsetting process, the carrier plate 2 is also rigidly clamped in position outside the section to be upset, wherein a thickening of the plate material is achieved during the upsetting process. The upsetting process and the deformation process result in the ability to deform the deformation limiter 4 elastically as well as plastically, as described above in the general portion of the description. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, a groove-shaped annular recess is arranged around the through-opening on the upper side of the carrier plate 2 , with a corresponding projection, also annular, simultaneously formed on the underside due to the deformation of the carrier plate material. This figure, as well as the others, clearly shows that the thickness of the deformation limiter 4 is greater than in the region of the plate 2 which was not subjected to an upsetting process. However, sufficient free space remains for a certain elastic deformation of the beads 3 . In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 , only the shape of the deformation limiter 4 is chosen differently. Here, thickened projections are produced in an offset arrangement on the carrier plate 2 , i.e., on both sides of the carrier plate 2 or a sealing plate, e.g., in a single-layer metal flat gasket. The deformation limiter 4 shown in FIG. 3 has a groove-shaped recess of convex form on its upper side and a concave projection on its underside. Such a deformation limiter 4 may also be concave on both sides. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 , the deformation limiter 4 is formed by meandering, beveled recesses and projections, wherein the recesses and projections alternate on one side of the carrier plate 2 : In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 , the deformation limiter 4 is realized in the form of two recesses in the form of grooves or rings arranged adjacent to one another on its upper side, with the underside being realized with correspondingly rounded projections in the form of a concave and convex fluting. The concave and convex fluting can also be provided on both sides. The illustration of at least one additional sealing plate 1 was omitted in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 - 5 . However, a metal flat gasket may contain at least one additional sealing plate 1 . In this case, bead shapes other than those illustrated in FIG. 1 may also be used. Specifically, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the height and the depth of the projections and recesses, respectively, on the deformation limiter 4 may also vary radially outward from the through-opening. Thus, the respective height and the depth of the projections and grooves arranged in the direction of the through-opening could be greater than the height and the depth further toward the outside. However, it would also be possible to choose different height and depth ratios.