CN101120165A - Cylinder head gasket with one-way coolant flow valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A head gasket ( 48 ) which acts, when clamped between a cylinder head ( 28 ) and a block ( 22 ) in a liquid cooled internal combustion engine ( 20 ), to form a seal around the combustion chambers ( 24 ). A coolant flow path ( 32 ) routes through the engine ( 20 ) and its directed, in part, through the cylinder head ( 28 ) and the block ( 22 ), with a corresponding flow opening ( 54 ) formed in the head gasket ( 48 ) to accommodate flow of liquid coolant in a normal direction. The head gasket ( 48 ) includes a one-way valve ( 58 ) positioned in the flow opening ( 54 ) to allow the flow of coolant in a normal direction but to prevent the flow of liquid coolant through the flow opening ( 54 ) in an abnormal, reverse direction. The one-way valve ( 58 ) includes movable gate ( 66 ) which may be biased against a valve seat ( 64 ) in a normally closed condition. The one-way valve ( 58 ) can be made as a loose piece article of manufacture which is held in flow opening ( 54 ) by self-locking retention clips.

Description

Cylinder head gasket with one-way coolant flow valve

Cross References to Applications

This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/581,898, filed June 22, 2004.

technical field

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing abnormal coolant flow in an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to an improved cylinder head gasket with an integrated one-way flow control valve.

Background technique

The cylinder head gasket, when clamped between the cylinder head and block of an internal combustion engine, forms a seal around the cylinder bore. The cylinder head gasket also provides openings for coolant flow passages and lubricating oil passages between the cylinder head and cylinder block. The prior art includes cylinder head gaskets of various configurations which include mechanically or thermostatically operated valves mounted on the gasket body to control fluid flow between the cylinder head and the cylinder block. This existing cylinder head gasket also includes a check valve mounted on the gasket body to allow oil to flow to the cylinder head preventing oil from flowing to the cylinder block to achieve oil blocking in the cylinder head to aid in cold start lubrication .

The prior art also includes cylinder head gaskets with reed breather valves to vent the crankcase. These breather valves usually connect a crankcase to a rocker chamber and help vent the crankcase to the intake valves.

Most vehicular internal combustion engines include a liquid cooling system which is characterized by a circulation path through the entire engine and some significant passages between the cylinder head and the cylinder block. The cooling system also includes an external heat exchanger to better control the engine's operating temperature and provide heat to the passenger compartment. Modern engines often have multiple fluid control valves in various places in the cooling system, for example, thermal valves or thermostats can be placed in the fluid flow path so that coolant is not circulated when starting in cold weather The radiator however can circulate through the engine block. In other cases, it may be desirable to close some valves and circulate the coolant through the heater core but not the cylinder block until the specified temperature is reached. Other advanced coolant flow control applications may also employ multiple fluid control valves in the cooling system. Due to the actuation of the combined fluid control valve, an abnormal direction of coolant flow through the cooling system may be inadvertently caused. This abnormal flow direction is sometimes referred to as reverse flow, and may occur in the area between the cylinder head and block due to the design of the engine. This undesired reversed coolant flow can lead to damage to engine components under certain circumstances.

Contents of the invention

The present invention relates to a cylinder head gasket clamped between the cylinder head and the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine. The cylinder head gasket includes a gasket body and at least one cylinder bore opening in the gasket body. At least one coolant flow opening in the gasket body allows coolant to flow between the cylinder head and the block when the coolant flows in the normal flow direction of the bypass. This improved cylinder head gasket includes a check valve on the gasket body that automatically closes the coolant flow opening to prevent coolant flow in an abnormal direction.

The present invention avoids unwanted reverse flow of coolant by providing a one-way valve mounted directly on the liner body, allowing coolant to flow in the normal direction and preventing coolant from flowing in the abnormal direction.

According to another feature of the invention, a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block having at least one combustion chamber. a cylinder head secured to the cylinder block and covering the combustion chamber. A cooling system is connected to the cylinder block and the cylinder head, the cooling system including a bypass fluid flow passage for passing coolant through the cylinder head and the cylinder block. A pump in communication with the fluid flow path controls the circulation of coolant in the normal direction in the cooling system. At least one fluid control valve located in the fluid flow path selectively prevents circulation of cooling fluid in the portion of the cooling system. A gasket body that is compressed between the cylinder head and cylinder block. The liner body includes at least one cylinder bore opening aligned with the combustion chamber and at least one coolant flow opening in communication with the flow passage. The improved cylinder head gasket includes a check valve on the gasket body that automatically closes the coolant flow opening to prevent coolant flow in an abnormal direction and allow coolant flow in a normal direction.

According to yet another feature of the invention, a method of preventing abnormal flow of coolant in an internal combustion engine is provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing an engine having a fluid flow passage bypassing the cylinder head and cylinder block, through which coolant is circulated in a normal direction to compress a cylinder head gasket against the cylinder Between the head and the cylinder block to accommodate the combustion gas, a coolant flow opening aligned with the flow path is formed in the cylinder head gasket so that the coolant therethrough flows in the normal direction and passes through a A check valve on the gasket automatically closes the coolant flow opening to prevent abnormal flow of coolant through the engine.

Description of drawings

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood in conjunction with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of an internal combustion engine with a cooling system;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cylinder head gasket according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of a cylinder head gasket with a check valve in a closed state;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of a check valve in an open state;

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view showing the door on the one-way valve in the open state of the dotted line;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the bottom of the check valve;

Figure 7 shows an enlarged perspective view of the hinge and torsion spring structure on the check valve;

Figure 8A and Figure 8B show a simplified cross-sectional view of the one-way valve in an open and closed state, respectively;

Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B respectively show the simple cross-sectional view of the one-way valve of another embodiment in the open and closed states;

10A and 10B show simplified cross-sectional views of the check valve of the third embodiment in open and closed states, respectively.

Detailed ways

When referring to the drawings, like numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. A liquid cooled internal combustion engine 20 is shown in FIG. 1 including a cylinder block 22 having a plurality of combustion chambers 24 located therein. A piston 26 reciprocates in each combustion chamber 24 in two or four strokes, generating power through the combustion process while generating large amounts of heat as a by-product. A cylinder head 28 is secured to the cylinder block 22 and covers each combustion chamber 24 to seal combustion gases.

To handle the substantial amount of heat generated during combustion, a cooling system 30 is, in part, integrated with block 22 and cylinder head 28 . The cooling system 30 includes a bypass flow passage 32 for allowing coolant to flow from the cylinder head 28 to the cylinder block 22 under the action of a pump 34 . Excess heat in the coolant is transferred via a heat exchange radiator 36 . A fluid control valve in the form of a thermostat 38 selectively prevents circulation of coolant to the radiator 36 when the temperature of the engine 20 is low, such as during start-up or during extreme cold weather. In this way, thermostat 38 helps control the operating temperature of the coolant in cooling system 30 .

The cooling system 30 may also include a heater core circuit, wherein the outlet pipe 40 directs the cooling fluid to a heater core 42 . A heater fan 44 uses convection to transfer heat from the heater core 42 to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. A heater valve 46 may be installed in the outlet tube 40 or other more favorable location to control the flow of coolant to the heater core 42 . For example, it can be used to prevent any liquid coolant from flowing to the heater core 42 when operating in hot weather.

Although not shown in the figure, other fluid control valves can also be installed at different positions of the fluid passage 32, so as to better control the temperature of the engine and the thermal energy in the cooling system. For example, the fluid flow passage 32 may be designed with one or more fluid control valves to circulate coolant through the heater core 42 without circulating through the cylinder head 28 or surrounding the combustion chamber 24 of the cylinder block 22. around. This design may be motivated by one's preference for sending all available thermal energy into the heater core 42 to heat the passenger compartment. Additionally, other more complex fluid control techniques may also be used.

However, when such a complicated method is used to control the flow of coolant through passage 32, undesired reversal of coolant flow may occur. This reversed or abnormal direction of coolant flow can impair normal control of engine temperature and, in extreme cases, can even cause damage to engine components.

A cylinder head gasket 48 is compressed between the cylinder head 28 and the cylinder block 22 to contain the combustion gases in the combustion chamber 24 . The cylinder head gasket 48 includes a gasket body 50, shown in FIGS. 2-4. Pad body 50 is generally flat in construction and is constructed of well-known materials such as multi-layer steel (MLS), graphite, fiber, steel-elastomer, and the like. The gasket body 50 is generally shaped to match the shape of the cylinder block 22 and cylinder head 28 as is known in the art. Gasket body 50 includes a cylinder bore opening 52 associated with each combustion chamber 24 for receiving air/fuel and combustion gases during engine operation. At least one coolant flow opening 54 is located in the gasket body 50 and is aligned with the portion of the flow passage 32 passing between the cylinder head 28 and the cylinder block 22 . Accordingly, the coolant flow openings 54 in the pad body 50 regulate free circulation as the coolant flows through the flow passages 32 . Gasket body 50 also further includes other openings 56 for other purposes, such as for lubricating oil flow between cylinder head 28 and cylinder block 22 , push rods, fastening bolts, and the like.

In most modern engines, coolant circulates in the normal direction, from cylinder head 28 to block 22 through coolant flow opening 54 . This normal flow takes advantage of gravity and brings the coldest coolant closer to the hotter parts of the engine. Of course, the engine 20 can also be similarly designed so that the normal flow direction of the coolant through the coolant flow opening 54 is from the cylinder block 22 to the cylinder head 28 . In order to prevent coolant from flowing in an abnormal direction through the flow passage 32 , such as from the cylinder block 22 to the cylinder head 28 in this example, a check valve 58 is provided in the gasket body 50 . The check valve 58 automatically closes the coolant flow opening 54 to prevent coolant flow in an abnormal direction and allow coolant flow in a normal direction. Thus, if multiple fluid control valves in the cooling system 30 are housed in a configuration that could allow or inadvertently cause the coolant to circulate in a reverse loop, the check valve 58 will automatically close through the gasket body 50 The coolant flow opening 54 prevents this unwanted abnormal flow.

2-7 illustrate an exemplary one-way valve 58 comprising a loose-piece assembly frame 60 that generally fits into the coolant flow opening 54 formed in the gasket body 50 . The frame 60 is fixedly connected to the cushion body 50 through a set of self-locking fixing clips 62 . The clip 62 has a barbed end responsive to the insertion of the frame 60 into the coolant flow opening 54, the barbed end snapping into a secure clamping position once the frame 60 has been brought into service. The frame 60 can be made of a strong injection molded material or a compressible and resilient elastic material. Alternatively, the frame 60 may be integrated into the cushion body 50 as a whole without requiring a separate subassembly operation.

A valve seat 64 is located in the frame 60 and establishes a joint surface for a movable door 66 hinged on the frame 60 . After the door 66 is pivotally connected by the hinge 68 , it swings toward or away from the valve seat 64 . The door hinge 68 supports a biasing member 70 in the form of a torsion spring which acts against the frame 60 to urge the door 66 normally closer to the valve seat 64 . In this case, when the coolant flows in the normal direction, the static pressure and velocity pressure in the coolant will overcome the bias of the torsion spring, thereby opening the check valve 58 to allow the coolant to flow through the opening 54 . However, when the static pressure and/or flow rate pressure in the normal flow of coolant is insufficient to overcome the pressure of the torsion spring, the check valve 58 will be forced closed to prevent any abnormal flow of coolant.

Figures 8A and 8B show an alternate embodiment of the one-way valve 158 in which, for convenience, the reference numerals of the preceding examples are prefixed with a "1" to indicate corresponding features. In this first embodiment, no biasing member is used, and the hinged door 166 is fully responsive to the pressure in the coolant and moves between open and closed positions. The normal flow direction is shown in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8B.

Figures 9A and 9B show a second alternative embodiment of a one-way valve according to the present invention, distinguishing the previous reference numerals prefixed with "2" from the second alternative design herein. Here door 266 adopts a spherical shape, while biasing member 270 consists of a simple compression spring. In this check valve type arrangement, pressure in the coolant flowing in the normal flow direction ( FIG. 9B ) urges the gate 266 against the biasing member 270 and off the valve seat 264 . However, when the coolant is not flowing, or is flowing in an abnormal direction, the biasing member 270 moves the door 266 toward the closed position (FIG. 9A), thereby avoiding undesired flow conditions within the engine block.

Figures 10A and 10B show a check valve according to a third alternative embodiment of the present invention, the preceding reference numbers being prefixed with "3" to indicate the same or corresponding parts. Here, the door 366 comprises a plate supported on a biasing member 370 in the form of a compression spring. To accommodate coolant flow in the normal direction (FIG. 10B), the door 366 is moved away from the valve seat 364 to provide an open flow condition. However, during no flow or reverse flow, the biasing member 370 closes the one-way valve 358, thereby automatically closing the cooling liquid flow opening 354, and preventing abnormal flow of the cooling liquid.

The method of the present invention prevents abnormal coolant flow in an internal combustion engine 20 by providing an engine 20 with a fluid flow passage 32 bypassing the cylinder head 28 and cylinder block 22, under the action of a pump 34 the coolant flow Circulate through the flow path 32 in the normal flow direction. A cylinder head gasket 48 is compressed between the cylinder head 28 and the cylinder block 22 to contain the combustion gases, and a coolant flow opening 54 is located in the cylinder head gasket 48 and is aligned with the flow passage 32 to ensure that the coolant flow flow in the normal direction. The method advantageously includes the step of automatically closing the coolant flow opening 54 by a check valve 58 disposed on the cylinder head gasket 48, thereby preventing coolant flow through the engine 20 in an abnormal direction. Since coolant normally circulates through flow passage 32 in a direction from cylinder head 28 to block 22, check valve 58 automatically blocks coolant flow in an abnormal direction. Alternatively, the step of utilizing the check valve 58 to automatically close the coolant flow opening may also include biasing the check valve 58 to a closed state and overcoming this bias in accordance with the normal direction of coolant flow in the flow path 32. .

There are also other modifications and variations of the present invention, for example, different types and numbers of one-way valves can also provide the new function of controlling the flow of cooling fluid described here. While the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it must be admitted that it is by no means limited except by the words used herein to expressly describe the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (23)

1. one kind is clamped in the cylinder head of explosive motor and the cylinder head gasket between the cylinder body, and described cylinder head gasket comprises:

A cushion body;

At least one is arranged in the cylinder thorax opening of described cushion body;

The cooling liquid stream opening that at least one is arranged in described cushion body when flowing on the normal flow direction of cooling liquid in bypass, flows cooling liquid between cylinder head gasket and cylinder body; With

An one-way valve that is positioned on the described cushion body, described one-way valve are closed described cooling liquid stream opening automatically and are flowed on abnormal direction to prevent cooling liquid.

2. cylinder head gasket according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described one-way valve has a framework that is fixed on the described cushion body.

3. cylinder head gasket according to claim 2 is characterized in that, described framework comprises a self-locking fixing clamp.

4. cylinder head gasket according to claim 2 is characterized in that, described framework comprises a valve seat.

5. cylinder head gasket according to claim 4 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises a door hinged with described framework, to shift to and to move apart described valve seat.

6. cylinder head gasket according to claim 5 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises that one makes described door shift to the bias piece of described valve seat.

7. will remove 1 described cylinder head gasket according to right, it is characterized in that, comprise that also one is positioned at described cooling liquid and flows parameatal valve seat, described one-way valve comprises a door of shifting to and move apart described valve seat.

8. cylinder head gasket according to claim 7 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises that one makes described door shift to the bias piece of described valve seat.

9. cylinder head gasket according to claim 8 is characterized in that, described door comprises a plate.

10. cylinder head gasket according to claim 8 is characterized in that, described door comprises a ball.

11. a liquid-cooling type explosive motor, described motor comprises:

At least a cylinder body that has a combustion chamber;

A cylinder head that is fixed in described cylinder body and covers described combustion chamber;

A cooling system, described cooling system comprises the flow channel of a bypass, makes cooling liquid flow through described cylinder head and described cylinder body;

A pump that is communicated with described flow channel circulates by normal direction in described cooling system with the control cooling liquid;

At least one is arranged in the control valve for fluids of described flow channel, optionally stops cooling liquid to circulate in the described cooling system of part;

A cushion body that is pressed between described cylinder head and the described cylinder body, described cushion body comprise cylinder thorax opening and at least one cooling liquid that is communicated with the described flow channel stream opening that at least one and described combustion chamber align;

An one-way valve that is positioned on the described cushion body and closes automatically cooling liquid stream opening flows and allows cooling liquid to flow by normal direction in abnormal direction to prevent cooling liquid.

12. motor according to claim 11 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises a framework that is fixed in described cushion body.

13. motor according to claim 12 is characterized in that, described framework comprises a self-locking fixing clamp that clamps described cushion body.

14. motor according to claim 11 is characterized in that, described one-way valve allows cooling liquid circulation supercooling liquid stream opening to flow to described cylinder body from described cylinder head, and stops cooling liquid from the abnormal flow of described cylinder body to described cylinder head.

15. motor according to claim 14 is characterized in that, comprises that also one is positioned at described cooling liquid and flows parameatal valve seat, described one-way valve comprises a door that is hinged on the described framework, to shift to and to move apart described valve seat.

16. motor according to claim 15 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises that one makes described door shift to the bias piece of described valve seat.

17. motor according to claim 14 is characterized in that, comprise that also one is positioned at described cooling liquid and flows parameatal valve seat, and described one-way valve comprises a door of shifting to and move apart described valve seat.

18. motor according to claim 17 is characterized in that, described one-way valve comprises that one makes described door shift to the bias piece of described valve seat.

19. motor according to claim 18 is characterized in that, described door comprises a plate.

20. motor according to claim 18 is characterized in that, described door comprises a ball.

21. a method that prevents abnormal coolant flow in the explosive motor said method comprising the steps of:

A kind of motor with through the flow channel of the bypass of cylinder head and cylinder body is provided;

Cooling liquid stream is crossed flow channel by the normal direction circular flow;

A cylinder head gasket is pressed between cylinder head and the cylinder body, to hold combustion gas;

In cylinder head gasket, form a cooling liquid stream opening that aligns with flow channel so that the cooling liquid of passing herein flows on normal direction;

And close cooling liquid automatically by an one-way valve that is positioned on the cylinder head gasket and flow opening to prevent that cooling liquid is along flowing through motor unusually.

22. method according to claim 21 is characterized in that, described cooling liquid stream is crossed by the normal direction circular flow in the step of flow channel and is comprised that cooling liquid flows to cylinder body from cylinder head.

23. method according to claim 21, it is characterized in that, described step of closing described cooling liquid stream opening automatically by an one-way valve that is arranged on the cylinder head gasket comprises the bias voltage one-way valve to closed condition, and adapts to the mobile phase that normal flow direction flows through flow channel with cooling liquid.

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