Internal combustion engine and metallic gasket for use therein

Claim 2

A metallic gasket for location between the cylinder head and cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, the gasket comprising a base place formed of resilient metal and provided with an array of beads adapted for sealing at least around the peripheral edge of an opening in the gasket corresponding to a combustion chamber of the cylinder block; characterised in that said base plate comprises two generally similar plates mounted back to back, the beads on one said plate differing in width from the corresponding beads on the other plate and the height of any said bead being 10% or less of the width of the said bead, and in that said base plate comprises two generally similar plates mounted back to back, the beads on one said plate differing in width from the corresponding beads on the other plate and the height of any said bead being 10% or less of the width of the said bead, and in that the plates are fixed together at flat segments thereof located at positions closer to the edge of said opening than to the centre of the width of a bead extending circumferentially of said opening.

Claim 3

A metallic gasket according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, further characterised in that the width of each of the beads on one plate lies in the range of 75% or less of the width of each of the beads on the other plate.

Claim 4

A metallic gasket according to any preceding claim, further characterised in that said plates are fixed together not only at said flat segments but also at at least one region of the base plate subject to relatively low pressure in use of the gasket..

Claim 5

A metallic gasket according to any preceding claim, further characterised in that said plates have different thickness.

Claim 6

A metallic gasket according to any of Claims 1 to 3, further characterised in that said plates are fixed together only at peripheral edges of the said flat segments and in that the beads on portions of said plates subject to receive relatively lower pressure in use of the gasket have a different width from that of beads located on other portions of said plates, thereby tending to equalize pressures.

Claim 7

A metallic gasket according to any preceding claim, further characterised in that corresponding beads on the two plates are arched in the same direction.

Claim 8

A metallic gasket according to any of Claims 1 to 6, further characterised in that corresponding beads on the two plates are arched in opposite directions.

Claim 9

An internal combustion engine, comprising: a cylinder block defining at least one combustion chamber, a corresponding cylinder head, and a metallic gasket according to any preceding claim located in sealing relation between the cylinder block and cylinder head and providing a seal between the cylinder block and cylinder head at least around the peripheral edge of the opening of the gasket corresponding to the said combustion chamber.