Sealing solution for reduced diameter intake manifold post

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695787-B2
Application number	US-201313903030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2013
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A sealing arrangement for a post for an intake manifold having a first portion and a second portion held together is set forth. Each of the portions extends from a shell half that, when the two shells are attached to one another, form the intake manifold. Each of the portions includes a face. A groove is formed on at least one of the portions. A seal is fitted in the groove. A fastener hole is formed in the portions. In one portion, the fastener hole passes through the portion and in the other a thread is formed by a thread forming fastener. The seal may be positioned in a groove formed on a post face, in a groove formed adjacent the opening of the fastener-receiving hole in the post, or in a groove formed on an interior wall of the post adjacent a cap fitted over the head of the thread forming fastener.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intake manifold for an internal combustion engine comprising: a first shell; a second shell; a first post portion extending from said first shell and including a first fastener-passing hole, wherein the first fastener passing hole has a first diameter; a second post portion extending from said second shell and including a second fastener-thread-receiving hole, wherein the second fastener passing hole has a second diameter and having a groove formed therein; a fastener positioned through the first fastener-passing hole and threadedly coupled in the second fastener-thread-receiving hole; a cap fitted over at least a portion of said fastener, said cap having a skirt; a seal fitted in said groove, said cap being in direct contact with said fastener and said seal, and wherein the fastener is a thread-forming fastener.

2. The intake manifold for an internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein said first post includes a face and said second post includes a face, said faces being opposed to one another.

3. The intake manifold for an internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the thread forming fastener includes a third diameter, and wherein the second diameter is less than the third diameter, such that the thread forming fastener forms internal threads in the fastener-thread-receiving hole when the thread forming fastener is threadedly coupled in the fastener-thread-receiving hole.

4. The intake manifold for an internal combustion engine of claim 2 , wherein said groove is substantially circular, is positioned in the face of the first post, and substantially circumscribes the fastener-passing hole.

5. The intake manifold for an internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the fastener-passing hole includes a fastener-head end oriented towards a head of the fastener, wherein the fastener-passing hole includes an opening at the fastener-head end, wherein the groove substantially circumscribes the opening, and wherein the seal is positioned between the head of the fastener and the first post.

6. A post arrangement for an intake manifold having a first shell and a second shell, said arrangement comprising: a first post portion extending from the first shell and including a first bore having a first diameter; a second post portion extending from the second shell and including a second bore having a second diameter; a fastener passing through said portions, said fastener having a first end and a second end; a groove formed in one of said posts, the groove having a generally circular shape and substantially circumscribing at least one of the first bore and the second bore; a seal fitted in said groove; a cap fitted over part of said first end said fastener, said cap having a skirt, said cap being in direct contact with said first end of said fastener and said seal, and wherein the fastener is a thread-forming fastener.

7. The post arrangement for an intake manifold of claim 6 wherein said first post portion includes a face and said second post portion includes a face, said faces being opposed to one another and wherein said groove is formed in one of said faces.

8. The post arrangement for an intake manifold of claim 6 wherein the thread forming fastener passing through the first bores, which includes a diameter larger than a thread forming diameter of the thread forming fastener, and the thread forming fastener tapping the second bores, having a second bore diameter less than the thread forming fastener.

9. The post arrangement for an intake manifold of claim 8 wherein the first bore includes a fastener-head end oriented toward a head of the thread forming fastener, wherein the first bore includes an opening at the fastener-head end, wherein the groove substantially circumscribes the opening, and wherein the seal is positioned between the head of the thread forming fastener and the first post.

10. The post arrangement for an intake manifold of claim 8 wherein one of said post portions includes an interior surface and wherein said groove is formed on said interior surface whereby a seal is formed between said cap and said interior surface when said cap is fitted to said fastener head.

11. The post arrangement for an intake manifold of claim 10 wherein said cap defines a U shape in cross section.

12. A sealing arrangement an intake manifold comprising: a first shell of the intake manifold having a first post, which includes a fastener passing hole; a second shell of the intake manifold having a second post, which includes a fastener-attachment hole, said post including an interior surface having a base wall; a circular groove substantially circumscribing the fastener-passing hole or the untapped hole, said groove being spaced apart from said base wail; a seal fitted in said groove; a fastener for coupling the first shell to the second shell by passing through the fastener-passing hole and into said fastener-attachment hole, said fastener including a head; a cap having a skirt, said skirt being positioned between said seal and said head, said cap being in direct contact with said head and said seal, and wherein the fastener is a thread-forming fastener.

13. The sealing arrangement of claim 12 further including a face formed on the first post and a face formed on the second post, said faces being opposed to one another and wherein said groove is formed in one of said faces.

14. The sealing arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the fastener the fastener-passing hole includes a fastener-head end oriented toward a head of the thread forming fastener, wherein the fastener-passing hole includes an opening at the fastener-head end, wherein the groove substantially circumscribes the opening, and wherein the seal is positioned between the head of the thread forming fastener and the first post.

15. The sealing arrangement of claim 12 wherein the fastener includes a fastener head and wherein a fastener head cap is fitted over said fastener head.

16. The sealing arrangement of claim 15 wherein the first post includes an interior surface spaced apart from said fastener-passing hole and wherein said groove is formed on said interior surface whereby a seal is formed between said cap and said interior surface when said cap is fitted to said fastener head.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Newman Chris William
• Randall Katherine Jane
• Born David

Classifications

• F02M35/104

  Intake manifolds · CPC title

• F02M35/10354

  Joining multiple sections together (joining plastic materials together in general B29C65/00) · CPC title

• F02M35/10144 Primary

  Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device · CPC title

• F02F11/00 Primary

  Arrangements of sealings in combustion engines {(piston rings or ring sealings of similar construction F16J9/00)} · CPC title