Appeal No. 2000-0203
Application No. 08/924,099
DISCUSSION
Udagawa, the examiner’s primary reference, discloses a
metal laminate gasket for an internal combustion engine. As
described by Udagawa, the gasket embodiment 30 shown in Figure
3
comprises a main plate 31 extending throughout an
entire area of the gasket, and a pressure regulation
plate 32 situated above the main plate 31. The main
plate 31 includes a flat base portion 33, a curved
portion 34 extending upwardly from the base portion
33, and a flange 35 extending from the curved
portion 34 to be situated above the base portion 33.
The curved portion 34 has resiliency and forms an
opening 36, through which a piston (not shown) of an
engine reciprocates.
Situated between the base portion 33 and the
flange 35 adjacent to the curved portion 34 is a
space 37. Since the space 37 is formed between the
flange 35 and the base portion 33, when the gasket
30 is tightened, the flange 35 can be pushed toward
the base portion 33. The flange 35, therefore,
receives sealing action by resiliency of the curved
portion 34 retained by the space 37. The sealing
pressure is basically obtained by the curved portion
34 and the space 37.
As shown in FIG. 3, an outer periphery 38 of the
flange 35 is located above the base portion 33.
Consequently, when the gasket 30 is tightened, the
flange 35 is supported by the curved portion 34 and
the outer periphery 38 situated above the base
portion 33. The resiliency of the curved portion 34
is slightly increased by this structure.
The pressure regulation plate 32 includes a hole
39 larger than the outer periphery 38 of the flange
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007