Patent ID: 7198303

Claim:
A seal construction for an automotive exhaust system joint defining an interface, the joint including first and second exhaust pipes each having an outer cylindrical surface, the joint further including first and second flanges attached to the respective pipes for interconnecting the pipes at the joint in a final assembly, at least the first flange having an outer cylindrical surface, one of the first flange outer cylindrical surface or first or second pipe outer cylindrical surface having a first interface connection, the seal construction comprising: an annular seal with a cylindrical bore defining an axis and formed of at least one heat resistant filament for location in the interface for sealing the joint at the interface so that fluid flows between the pipes with negligible exhaust leakage; the seal having a second interface connection in the bore dimensioned to be movably and releasably connected to and disconnected from the first interface connection in a direction generally defined by said axis without modification of either interface connection, the first and second interface connections being arranged to preclude relative rotation of the seal to the flanges and pipes and to minimize vibratory disengagement of the seal from the one pipe or flange in an intermediate assembly prior to final assembly of the pipes and flanges.