Metal plate gasket

摘要

A metal gasket assembly has a gasket plate and an annular grommet. The gasket plate is formed with an opening having opposing surfaces adjacent the opening to define a predetermined fixed thickness of a plate. The annular grommet has an elastically deformable U-shaped body. The U-shaped body has legs presenting outer sealing surfaces defining an initial undeformed thickness that is greater than the thickness of the gasket plate. The opening formed in the gasket plate receives the grommet. A compressive force applied in a generally perpendicular direction to the opposing surfaces of the gasket plate deform the legs of the body to a reduced thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of the gasket plate. When the compressive force is reduced with changes in operating conditions, the legs of the grommet return toward their original undeformed thickness to maintain a seal.