FR2641352A1 - INTERNAL INSERT FORMING CHICANE AND ONE-PART DOSING DEVICE FOR SEAL, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

An interior seal for at least partially restricting the flow of a fluid through an opening formed in a seal. According to the invention, it comprises a one-piece metal element 14 having an outer peripheral portion which generally corresponds to the shape of the opening of the seal, and flanges 26a, 26b extending outwardly from the peripheral portion for sealingly engaging a surface of the gasket material and other flanges 28a, 28b extending outwardly from the peripheral portion and capable of sealingly engaging an opposing surface of the gasket material. The invention applies in particular to seals for the automotive industry.

Description

The present invention generally relates to joint joints

  and more particularly to an interior liner to be mounted in an opening of a standard size seal. The liner can either serve as a baffle to completely block the opening of the seal or as a metering device that forms an opening of a predetermined size to control accurately

  the flow of fluid through it.

  To date, seal manufacturers have produced standard gasket shapes and modified these seals using auxiliary members or interior trim so that only one form of gasket can be used in many different applications. Auxiliary members are typically used to block either totally or partially the openings in a standard size seal or to create additional sealing surfaces that extend therethrough. Using auxiliary organograms, the associated prices of

  manufacture can be significantly reduced.

  Examples of interior liners that can be used to partially reduce the passage through a seal opening are disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,126,318 and 4,405,138. Examples of interior liners that can be use to completely block a passage in an opening of a joint are disclosed in US Patent

Nos. 4,405,486 and 4,534,572.

  3c) The present invention relates to a baffle piece inner liner and metering device that is used to partially block or restrict the flow of fluid through an opening formed in a joint. The present invention also relates to a unique method for maintaining the liner in the associated opening of a seal. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the liner has been proposed for use as a metering seal in exhaust gas recirculation or as a baffle in an intake manifold seal. In particular, the liner is constructed of a piece of stainless steel sheet material and includes a peripheral portion which generally corresponds to the shape of the seal opening and is adapted to engage tightly with a surface of the edge of the seal opening. On the other hand, the liner includes a first pair of flanges for engagement with a seal surface and a second pair of flanges that are against the opposite surface of the seal to maintain the liner on the seal. The central portion of the liner may either be adapted to function as a baffle and completely block the opening of the seal or may be provided with a predetermined opening for accurately metering

  a flow of fluid through the seal opening.

  In both cases, the central portion of the seal is provided with an internal portion formed to increase the

  total resistance of the interior trim.

  It has been found that an interior liner for a one-piece seal having the present invention provides an effective means for securing the liner within the seal opening while ensuring that the entire peripheral portion of the liner will be in sealing engagement with the inner edge of

the opening of the joint.

  The invention will be better understood, and other purposes, features, details and advantages thereof will become more apparent in the course of

  explanatory description which will follow made in

  reference to the accompanying schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating several embodiments of the invention and in which: - Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating an assembly of a seal comprising an inner liner according to the present invention; to be used as a metering device in an engine exhaust gas recirculation system; - Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view generally illustrating how the liner of Figure 1 is assembled with its associated seal; FIG. 5 is a plan view of an assembly of a joint comprising another embodiment of an inner lining of a joint according to the principles of the present invention for use as a baffle in a joint of a collector intake; Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5; - Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 5; and Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view generally illustrating how the inner cover of Fig. 5 is assembled with

its associated joint.

  Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, they show an assembly of a gasket 10 which employs an interior liner according to the present invention which is designed to function as a metering device. The particular assembly shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is more particularly designed for use as a metering device in an exhaust gas recirculation system of an automobile. The joint assembly 10 comprises a main body 12 and an interior liner 14 generally of circular shape. The liner 14 is provided with a central opening 16 of a predetermined size. Typically, the seal 12 is constructed of a graphite composite main portion 18, which is reinforced with 2C stainless steel members. The interior liner 14 is typically

  in one-piece stainless steel construction.

  The body 12 of the seal is provided with a central circular opening 22 to receive the interior liner, and two openings 24a and 24b of smaller diameters which are adapted to receive mounting bolts conventicnnelles. As shown in FIG. 4, before it is attached to the body 12 of the seal, the inner liner 14 is formed to have two radially extending flanges 26a and 26b (parallel to the body 12 of the seal) and two circular flanges erected or extending axially 28a and 28b (perpendicular to the flanges 26a and 26b). The central opening 22 of the body 12 has a diameter D which corresponds

  at the diameter of the circular flanges 28a and 28b.

  In the assembly of the assembly 10, the flanges 28a and 28b of the inner lining 14 are inserted through the opening 22 and are then crimped down against the surface 30 of the seal 12 to engage sealingly with this surface 3C. partially compressing it as shown in FIG. 2 at the zones 31. The flanges 28a and 28b are crimped so that the other flanges 26a and 26b partially compress and seal the opposite surface 32 of the gasket 12, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 at the zeens 33. As together; the flanges 26a and 26b and 28a and 28b surrounds the entire periphery of the liner, which is truve in inner lining engagement, the latter is in sealing engagement with the joint member 12 all over its for heart. Thus, a flow of fluid through the opening 22 of the seal will be allowed only through the opening 16. The inner liner may be provided with a prefcrmed central portion 36 for

increase its resistance.

  Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 8, they show another embodiment of an interior liner according to the present invention. FIG. 8 illustrates an interior liner 42 of generally rectangular shape adapted to be placed and fixed in a manner that is sealed in a rectangular opening 44 which is formed in a jcint 46. The particular structure of FIGS. 5 to 8 is more particularly adapted to block a passage in an intake manifold seal. This opening is typically provided for the flow of coolant between the cylinder heads and the intake manifold in a carburettor engine. When such yokes are used with a fuel injection engine through orifices, it may not be necessary to circulate coolant through the inlet passages at the rear and thus it is necessary to block these passages. individuals from

  fluid if standard cylinder heads are used.

  The liner of Figures 5-8 is held in the seal opening 46 in a manner similar to the liner 14 of Figures 1-4 in its associated seal. More particularly, as shown in FIG. E, the interior lining 42 is provided with two flanges 48a and 48b that extend outward and

  two flanges 50a and 50b extending downwards.

  Together, the flanges 48a, 48b, 50a and SCb surround the zotality of the periphery of the liner 42. The liner 42 is also provided with recessed and preformed areas 52a and 52b to increase its overall strength. When assembling the liner 42, it is placed in the opening 44 so that the flanges 5Ca and 50b protrude through the opening. The flanges 50a and 5Cb are then crimped against the surface 54 of the seal 46 to come into sealing engagement and partially compress the surface 54, as shown in Figure 6. When the flanges 50a and 50b are crimped, the opposite edges 48a and 48b come in sealing engagement and partially compress the opposite surface 56 of the seal as shown in Figure 7. As can be seen in Figure 6, the side walls 56a and 56b formed by the flanges 50a and 50b come in sealed engagement with the wall 57 of the edge of the opening 44. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7, the side walls 60a and 6Cb of the flanges 48a and 48b come into sealing engagement with coextensive portions of the edge wall 57 of the opening 44. Thus, when it is assembled, the inner lining 42 is sealingly secured inside the opening 44 of the seal over its entire peripheral portion to completely block

  the flow of fluid through it.

  The one-piece interior trim according to the present invention could of course be constructed of materials other than stainless steel. In the same way, as illustrated in the two different embodiments, the interior liner may take different configuration depending

  the particular opening of the joint where it must be mounted.

264135E

Claims (7)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S CLAIMS   An interior liner for at least partially restricting the flow of fluid through an opening formed in a sheet of a gasket material, characterized in that it comprises: a one-piece metallic member (14) having a outer peripheral portion generally corresponding to the shape of the opening in the joint; said inner liner having a first pair of flanges (26a, 26b) extending outwardly from said peripheral portion and engageable with a surface of said sheet; and said inner liner having a second pair of flanges (28a, 28b) extending outwardly from said peripheral portion and engageable with a capped surface of said sheet. 2. Interior liner according to claim 1, characterized in that together the first and second pair of flanges surround the entire peripheral porticn of said liner (14). 3. Interior liner according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (22) in the seal defines an inner edge surface and in that the peripheral portion of the liner comprises a wall of o extend the first and a pair of flanges, said wall sealingly engaging the edge surface internal of the opening of the joint.   4. Interior liner according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a non-planar preformed central portion to increase its resistance.   5. Interior liner according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a central portion (16) defining a dosing opening of a reduced size relative to the opening of the seal.   6. Interior liner according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a central portion (42) to block ccmplètement the opening of the joint.   7. A method of producing an assembly of a joint, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) providing a sheet of a material of a joint or is formed an opening; b) providing a one-piece metallic interior liner having an outer peripheral portion generally corresponding to the shape of the seal opening, said liner having a first pair of flanges that are generally parallel to said sheet and extending toward the outside in opposite directions of said peripheral portion and ur.e second pair of flanges perpendicular to said first pair and extending from said peripheral portion; c) placing said liner on said gasket sheet so that said first pair of flanges engages a surface of the gasket sheet while said second pair of flanges extend through said gasket opening; d) crimping the second pair of flanges against an opposite surface of said seal sheet to force said first and second pairs of flanges to engage in sealing engagement with said surface and the opposite surface respectively.