The present invention relates to adhesively bonded engine component assemblies and more particularly to adhesively bonded intake manifold assemblies. The invention also relates to an intake manifold assembly employing a cure-on-demand adhesive.
Historically, fabrication techniques have involved the fabrication of separate metal components and joining the components using fasteners, with an intermediate disposed gasket. This tends to require many parts and therefore is labor intensive.
Plastic engine intake manifold assemblies (such as for automotive vehicle engines) have been fabricated by near net shape manufacturing processes, such as lost core processes. While these tend to result in desirable near net shape products, the shapes of which may be complex, they typically are expensive.
In another popular process, two or more plastic intake manifold components are made, each with a planar mating surface. The components are joined at each of their respective mating surfaces by vibration welding. This process also tends to be time, energy and labor intensive. Further, there is a potential that any warpage of respective components or other surface irregularities will result in undesirable gaps at the mating surface upon welding. Thus, it is imperative that opposing mating surfaces are planar, which constrains design flexibility.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method of manufacture and resulting assembly, pursuant to which multiple components of an engine intake manifold assembly are joined together with an adhesive bond. There is a further need for respective components to be attached to each other in the optional absence of fasteners, a gasket or both. There is still a further need for a high integrity joint be achieved opposing mating surfaces that are non-planar, thereby enabling intricate plastic component shapes (with or without additional integrated components) to be molded by conventional molding processes.
The present invention meets the above needs and others by providing an engine intake manifold assembly including a first component having a first mating surface, and a second component having a second mating surface. A layer of adhesive is provided between the first and second components in contact with the respective mating surfaces for joining the first and second components to define an engine intake manifold assembly.