PATENTS

14Sealing Technology March 2005

Applicant: NOK Corporation,Japan

This patent covers a gasket forsealing between a throttle bodyand an intake manifold, which are assembled obliquely to eachother. It is designed to prevent the gasket from falling out of the groove, or being caught onassembly. The gasket (1) has apentagonal cross-section. It is fit-

ted to a groove (21) in a throttlebody (20). When the throttlebody is assembled against theintake manifold (30), the gasket is able to slide on the manifoldsurface (31).Patent number: WO 2004/111505Inventors: T. Nakao et al.Publication date: 23 December

2004

Gasket assembling method and gasket

Applicant: Koninklijke PhilipsElectronics NV, The Netherlands

One of the critical issues fororganic light-emitting devices(OLEDS) is their life expectancy,which is largely limited by thedegradation of the organic light-emitting material caused by waterand oxygen inside the display.Therefore, the packaging of thedisplay element is critical. In orderto provide for a gas-tight encapsu-lation of the display element, thesubstrates are joined together by aseal that is impermeable to waterand/or oxygen. The displays areusually assembled under inert gasconditions, to eliminate contami-nation from being included in thedisplay. However, there is always arisk for some trace amounts ofoxygen or water to remain in thedisplay cell, and the seals are not100% impermeable to moistureand gas. Therefore, the packagingof polymer LED devices deposited

on glass currently involves gluing arigid lid with getter on the glasssubstrate, which absorbs excesswater and/or gaseous substances inthe display. However, even whenusing a getter, the impermeabilityrequirements for the seals are high.This invention provides a flexibleorganic light-emitting display ele-ment, comprising a flexible backplate substrate, a flexible coversubstrate, a seal, and an active dis-play element which is depositedon the flexible back plate sub-strate. The seal has an inner andouter seal portion. The outer sec-tion is more flexible than the inner seal, but the inner seal sec-tion has much lower permeability.This combination provides boththe required sealing and perme-ation resistance.Patent number: WO 2004/112160Inventors: E.A.W.G. Janssen et al.Publication date: 23 December2004

The pentagonal section seal described in WO 2004/111505, for use onthrottle body/manifold assemblies that will permit some sliding of the gasket to allow for oblique assembly.

Cross-section showing metal portions of a cylinder head gasket connect-ed by an elastomer sealing bead, from WO 2004/111506.

Applicant: Shin-Etsu ChemicalCo Ltd, Japan

An apparatus used for drawing anoptical fiber from a furnace has agas seal positioned around thepreform as it is drawn from the

furnace. This limits the loss of hotgas from the furnace.Patent number: WO 2004/

113243Inventor: Y. ShimizuPublication date: 29 December 2004

Optical fiber drawing apparatus with gas seal

Applicant: Federal-Mogul SealingSystems GmbH, Germany

This patent discloses a method ofsealing the coolant and lubricantports in an engine cylinder headgasket. There are separate metalportions of the gasket (2, 3). Thegap between the metal compo-

nents of the gasket is filled withan elastomer (4) that also acts as asealing contact.Patent number: WO 2004/

111506Inventor: M. KlinnerPublication date: 23 December

2004

Cylinder head gasket manufacture

Double seal with getter in flexible organic displays

This compilation of patentsummaries completes thoseitems drawn from 2004.

The April issue will incl-ude an overview of patentsfrom 2004, looking at the

topics they covered and theindustries they represent-ed, to see where the ‘hot’areas of sealing researchand development are in thiswide-ranging industry.

Summary of 2004 patents in next issue