Patent ID: 7401790

Claim:
A seal joint, comprising: a first member having a first sealing surface and a first opening therein; a second member having a second sealing surface and a second opening therein, the first opening and the second opening comprising mating openings; a metal gasket sheet located between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture through said sheet which corresponds to the mating openings, the aperture having a perimeter; a rigid seal which surrounds the perimeter of the aperture and which is attached to at least one of the upper surface and lower surface, said rigid seal having a thickness and a width which vary as a function of position along a length of said rigid seal; and said metal gasket sheet being free of elastic bead formations surrounding said aperture, and at least one of said first and second sealing surfaces being deformed about said rigid seal so as to sealing contact both said rigid seal and said metal gasket sheet laterally adjacent said rigid seal along a nonlinear deformed region of said at least one of said first and second sealing surfaces.