Abstract:
A system may include a first member, a second member, a gasket and a pressurized fluid. The first member may include a first recess. The second member may include a second recess adjacently opposing the first recess. The second member may matingly engage the first member and may define a volume therebetween. The gasket may include a cross section having opposing first and second legs and a central portion disposed therebetween. The first leg may be received in the first recess. The second leg may be received in the second recess. The pressurized fluid may be disposed between the first and second legs and may urge the first and second legs into sealing engagement with the first and second recesses, respectively.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 61/551,111, filed Oct. 25, 2011. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a gasket, and more particularly to a self-sealing gasket. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Gaskets may be used in a variety of applications to seal a joint between mating components to fluidly isolate a first volume from a second volume. For example, a gasket may be used to seal a variety of mating and adjacent components of an internal combustion engine. Robust seals between mating parts may facilitate efficient, reliable and clean operation of the internal combustion engine and a vehicle in which the engine is installed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one form, the present disclosure provides a system that may include a first member, a second member, a gasket and a pressurized fluid. The first member may include a first recess. The second member may include a second recess adjacently opposing the first recess. The second member may matingly engage the first member and may define a volume therebetween. The gasket may include a cross section having opposing first and second legs and a central portion disposed therebetween. The first leg may be received in the first recess. The second leg may be received in the second recess. The pressurized fluid may be disposed between the first and second legs and may urge the first and second legs into sealing engagement with the first and second recesses, respectively. 
         [0005]    In another form, the present disclosure may include an apparatus that may include a first member, a second member, and an annular gasket. The first member may include a first recess. The second member may cooperate with the first member to define a cavity therebetween and may include a second recess disposed adjacent the first recess. The annular gasket may include a substantially U-shaped cross section having first and second legs and a central portion disposed therebetween. The first and second legs may engage the first and second recesses, respectively. A fluid-pressure differential between a first fluid inside of the cavity and a second fluid outside of the cavity may urge the first and second legs into sealed engagement with the first and second recesses, respectively. 
         [0006]    Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, drawings and claims provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description, including disclosed embodiments and drawings, are merely exemplary in nature, intended for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, its application, or use. Thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a partial cross-sectional view of an internal combustion engine including a gasket according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional view of the gasket engaging mating components according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partial exploded perspective view of the internal combustion engine of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of another gasket according to the principles of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , an engine  10  is provided that may include a cylinder block  12 , one or more cylinder heads  14 , one or more intake manifolds  16 , one or more exhaust manifolds  18 , and one or more gaskets  20 . Each of the gaskets  20  may seal a joint between the cylinder block  12  and one of the heads  14 , or between one of the cylinder heads  14  and one of the intake or exhaust manifolds  16 ,  18 , for example. It will be appreciated, however, that the gasket  20  could be used to seal a joint between any mating components, including, for example, a joint fluidly coupling adjacent engine coolant passages. It will be appreciated that the principles of the present disclosure are not limited in application to engines or to components or subsystems associated with an engine. As will be subsequently described, the gaskets  20  may be self-sealing gaskets, as each of the gaskets  20  may utilize pressure of a fluid within a space to be sealed by the gasket  20  to increase a biasing force sealing the gasket  20  against a mating component. 
         [0012]    The cylinder block  12  may define one or more cylindrical bores  22  that each receive a piston  24  for reciprocating motion therein. A plurality of first annular recesses  26  may be formed in a distal surface  28  of the cylinder block  12  and may surround each of the cylindrical bores  22 . Each of the first annular recesses  26  may include a generally L-shaped cross section and may partially engage a corresponding one of the gaskets  20 . 
         [0013]    Each of the cylinder heads  14  may include one or more cavities  30 , one or more intake ports  32  corresponding to each of the cavities  30 , and one or more exhaust ports  34  corresponding to each of the cavities  30 . Each cylinder head  14  may be secured via fasteners  35  to corresponding distal surfaces  28  of the cylinder block  12  such that the cavities  30  are aligned with the corresponding cylindrical bores  22 . In this manner, each of the cavities  30  may cooperate with the corresponding cylindrical bore  22  and piston  24  to define a combustion chamber  42 . 
         [0014]    Each cylinder head  14  may include one or more second annular recesses  36 , one or more third annular recesses  38  and one or more fourth annular recesses  40 . Each of the second annular recesses  36  may be disposed around a corresponding cavity  30  and may include a generally L-shaped cross section that is substantially aligned with the first annular recess  26  in the cylinder block  12 . The second annular recesses  36  may cooperate with the first annular recesses  26  to engage corresponding gaskets  20 . The third and fourth annular recesses  38 ,  40  may be formed in distal ends of the intake and exhaust ports  32 ,  34 , respectively, and may include substantially L-shaped cross sections. 
         [0015]    The intake manifolds  16  and exhaust manifolds  18  may include intake and exhaust passages  44 ,  46 , respectively, that are in selective communication with the combustion chamber  42 . Air and/or fuel may be delivered to the combustion chamber  42  through the intake passages  44  during an intake stroke of the engine  10 . Combustion gases may exit the combustion chamber  42  through the exhaust passages  46  during an exhaust stroke of the engine  10 . The intake manifolds  16  may include fifth annular recesses  48  that surround the intake passages  44  and include L-shaped cross-sections. The exhaust manifolds  18  may include sixth annular recesses  50  that surround the exhaust passages  46  and include L-shaped cross-sections. The third and fourth annular recesses  38 ,  40  may cooperate with the fifth and sixth annular recesses  48 ,  50 , respectively, to engage corresponding gaskets  20 . 
         [0016]    The gaskets  20  may be formed from nylon, for example, or any other suitable resilient polymeric or elastomeric material. Each of the gaskets  20  may include a generally U-shaped cross section and may include a central portion  60  and first and second legs  62 ,  64  extending radially inward from opposing ends of the central portion  60 . The first and second legs  62 ,  64  may include first and second end surfaces  66 ,  68 , respectively, that are spaced apart from the central portion  60 . The first and second legs  62 ,  64  may be tapered such that the first and second end surfaces  66 ,  68  may face radially inward and axially inward. 
         [0017]    The central portion  60  may include a radially outward surface  70  and a radially inward surface  72 . Each of the first and second legs  62 ,  64  may include axially outward surfaces  74  and axially inward surfaces  76 . The radially outward surface  70  and axially outward surfaces  74  may cooperate to define an outer surface area SA 1  of the gasket  20 . The first and second end surfaces  66 ,  68 , the radially inward surface  72  and the axially inward surfaces  76  may cooperate to define an inner surface area SA 2  of the gasket  20 . In some embodiments, the relative shapes, sizes, and thicknesses of the central portion  60  and the first and second legs  62 ,  64  may be configured such that the inner surface area SA 2  is greater than the outer surface area SA 1 . In some embodiments, the inner surface area SA 2  may include dimples  77  ( FIG. 4 ) and/or other surface contours or features to increase the inner surface area SA 2  relative to the outer surface area SA 1 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, a plurality of gaskets  20  may be interconnected with each other. As shown in  FIG. 3 , each of a plurality of connectors  78  may disposed between and interconnect adjacent gaskets  20 . The plurality of gaskets  20  and the connectors  78  may be integrally formed with each other. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, the gasket  20  may include a spring member  80  embedded therein. The spring member  80  may be an annular member having a generally U-shaped cross section and may be formed from a resiliently flexible metallic material such as steel, for example. The spring member  80  may include a central portion  82  and first and second legs  84 ,  86  extending radially inward and axially outward from opposing ends of the central portion  82 . The central portion  82  of the spring member  80  may be disposed between the radially outward and inward surfaces  70 ,  72  of the central portion  60  of the gasket  20  and may extend at least partially through the central portion  60  between the first and second legs  62 ,  64  of the gasket  20 . The first and second legs  84 ,  86  of the spring member  80  may extend at least partially through the first and second legs  62 ,  64 , respectively. The generally radially inward and axially outward direction in which the first and second legs  84 ,  86  extend through the first and second legs  62 ,  64  of the gasket  20  may bias the first and second legs  62 ,  64  axially outward into sealing engagement with corresponding ones of the recesses  26 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  48 ,  50 . 
         [0020]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , operation of the gaskets  20  will be described in detail. As described above, each of the gaskets  20  may seal a joint between the cylinder block  12  and one of the cylinder heads  14 , or a joint between one of the cylinder heads  14  and one of the intake or exhaust manifolds  16 ,  18 , for example. The gaskets  20  may utilize a fluid-pressure differential to bias the central portion  60  and the first and second legs  62 ,  64  radially and axially outward, respectively, against the corresponding recesses  26 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  48 ,  50  to enhance the sealing engagement therebetween, thereby enhancing a capacity of the gaskets  20  to seal the corresponding joints. Further details of the operation of the gaskets  20  will be described with reference to operation of the particular gasket  20  that seals one of the combustion chambers  42  defined by the cylinder block  12  and cylinder head  14 . It will be appreciated that the principles of operation of the gaskets  20  that seal the joints between the cylinder head  14  and the intake and exhaust manifolds  16 ,  18  (i.e., the gaskets  20  engaging third, fourth, fifth and sixth annular recesses  38 ,  40 ,  48 ,  50 ) may be substantially similar as the principles of operation of the gasket  20  that seals the combustion chamber  42 . 
         [0021]    During assembly of the engine  10 , the gasket  20  may be installed into the first annular recess  26  surrounding the cylindrical bore  22  such that the first leg  62  and a portion of the central portion  60  are engaging the first annular recess  26 . Then, the cylinder head  14  may be installed onto the cylinder block  12  such that the second annular recess  36  engages another portion of the central portion  60  and the second leg  64  of the gasket  20 . The cylinder head  14  may be bolted in place with the fasteners  35 . The fasteners  35  may exert a compression force urging the cylinder head  14  and the cylinder block  12  toward each other. The compression force also urges the first and second recesses  26 ,  36  toward each other and compresses the gasket  20  therebetween. This compression of the gasket  20  and/or the axially outward biasing force of the spring member  80  urging the first and second legs  62 ,  64  into engagement with the first and second recesses  26 ,  36 , respectively, provides an initial sealing engagement therebetween. In this manner, the combustion chamber  42  may be substantially sealed from the ambient atmosphere surrounding the engine  10 . 
         [0022]    During operation of the engine  10 , a fluid pressure within the combustion chamber  42  may rise, thereby increasing a fluid-pressure differential between the combustion chamber  42  and the ambient atmosphere. This fluid-pressure differential may exert net radially and axially outward forces on the inner surface area SA 2  of the gasket  20 , thereby increasing the biasing force sealing the central portion  60  and the first and second legs  62 ,  64  against the first and second annular recesses  26 ,  36 . Therefore, the greater the pressure differential between the combustion chamber  42  and the ambient environment, the greater the biasing force urging the gasket  20  into sealing engagement with the first and second annular recesses  26 ,  36 . In this manner, the capacity of the gasket  20  to seal the combustion chamber  42  increases as the fluid pressure within the combustion chamber  42  increases, thereby reducing or preventing leakage of fluid out of the combustion chamber  42  between the cylinder block  12  and the cylinder head  14 . This self-sealing operation of the gasket  20  may allow the gasket  20  to seal spaces containing fluid at extremely high pressures.