Exhaust arrangement for internal combustion engine

• US 20030131594A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. RENAULT SA
• Inventors: Kawamizu, Kiyomi
• Granted Patent: US 6,722,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/299
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/008 Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/10 of exhaust manifolds with cooling jacket F01N3/046
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1827 Sealings specially adapted for exhaust systems sealings in general F16J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1855 the connection being realised by using bolts, screws, rivets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2340/04 characterised by the arrangement of an exhaust pipe, manifold or apparatus in relation to vehicle frame or particular vehicle parts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2892 Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

An exhaust arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle which has a row of cylinders. The arrangement includes an exhaust manifold including a branch portion having a plurality of branch pipes corresponding to the cylinders, a catalyst disposed downstream of the exhaust manifold, and an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust manifold to the catalyst. The exhaust pipe defines an exhaust path having a bend. The bend includes a plane dividing an interior of the bend into equal halves. A partition divides the exhaust path into first and second exhaust passages coextending in a longitudinal direction of the exhaust pipe. The partition extends in the bend in alignment with the plane. An oxygen sensor is disposed at the bend of the exhaust pipe in alignment with the partition and projects into both of the first and second exhaust passages through a periphery of the partition.

Claims

1. An exhaust arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine including a row of cylinders, the exhaust arrangement comprising:

an exhaust manifold including a branch portion including a plurality of branch pipes corresponding to the cylinders;

a catalyst disposed downstream of the exhaust manifold;

an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust manifold to the catalyst, the exhaust pipe defining an exhaust path;

a bend formed in the exhaust pipe, the bend including a plane which divides an interior of the bend into equal halves;

a partition dividing the exhaust path into first and second exhaust passages coextending in a longitudinal direction of the exhaust pipe, the partition extending in the bend in alignment with the plane; and

an oxygen sensor disposed at the bend of the exhaust pipe in alignment with the partition, the oxygen sensor projecting into both of the first and second exhaust passages through a periphery of the partition.

2. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bend comprises an inner curving periphery and an outer curving periphery extending longer than the inner curving periphery, the inner and outer curving peripheries being spaced from and opposed to each other, the oxygen sensor being disposed at the outer curving periphery.

3. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition is in the form of a plate, the partition including a sensor mount to which the oxygen sensor is mounted, the sensor mount being a notch formed in the periphery of the partition.

4. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition extends over substantially an entire length of the exhaust pipe.

5. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine is an in-line engine including an exhaust path extending rearward from the engine, the in-line engine being arranged such that a direction of the row of engine cylinders extends along a lateral direction of the vehicle which extends perpendicular to a fore-and-aft direction thereof.

6. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe comprises an exhaust collector connected to a downstream end portion of the branch portion of the exhaust manifold, and an exhaust tube connecting the exhaust collector to the catalyst, the exhaust collector and the exhaust tube being connected with each other via a spherical joint.

7. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the partition comprises upstream and downstream partitions separated from each other with a space at the connection between the exhaust collector and the exhaust tube, the upstream and downstream partitions being substantially parallel to a rolling axis of the engine about which the engine is rollable, the upstream and downstream partitions being disposed within the exhaust collector and the exhaust tube, respectively.

8. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a in-line four-cylinder engine including first, second, third and fourth cylinders, the first exhaust passage being communicated with the first and fourth cylinders, the second exhaust passage being communicated with the second and third cylinders, the branch pipes being merged at the downstream end portion of the branch portion of the exhaust manifold, the downstream end portion of the branch portion being located at a position rearward offset from substantially a central portion of a width of the engine which extends in a direction of the row of the cylinders.

9. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the partition comprises an upstream partition and a downstream partition which are disposed within the exhaust collector and the exhaust tube, respectively, the upstream and downstream partitions dividing the respective exhaust paths within the exhaust collector and the exhaust tube into equal halves, the upstream and downstream partitions being substantially parallel to a rolling axis of the engine about which the engine is rollable.

10. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catalyst is located at substantially a central portion of the vehicle in a lateral direction of the vehicle which extends perpendicular to a fore-and-aft direction thereof.

11. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catalyst is arranged such that a longitudinal direction thereof extends along a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the catalyst including an upstream end connected with the exhaust tube and a downstream end on an opposite side of the upstream end, the catalyst being placed at an inclined state in which the upstream end is located at a height higher than the downstream end in a vertical direction of the vehicle.

12. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bend comprises a plurality of bends, the oxygen sensor being disposed at one of the plurality of bends.

13. An exhaust arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine including a row of cylinders, the exhaust arrangement comprising:

an exhaust manifold including a branch portion including a plurality of branch pipes corresponding to the cylinders;

a catalyst disposed downstream of the exhaust manifold;

passage means for defining an exhaust path having a length extending from the exhaust manifold to the catalyst;

bending means for bending the exhaust path to provide the exhaust path with a curve;

partition means for dividing the exhaust path into first and second exhaust passages coextending along the length of the exhaust path, the partition means equalizing the first and second exhaust passages at the curve; and

a sensor projecting into both of the first and second exhaust passages at the curve through the partition means.

14. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the curve comprises an inner curve portion and an outer curve portion extending longer than the inner curve portion, the sensor being disposed at the outer curve portion.

15. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the partition means is substantially parallel to a rolling axis of the engine about which the engine is rollable.

16. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the curve comprises a plurality of curves, the sensor being disposed at the outer curve portion of one of the plurality of curves.

17. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein the partition means comprises upstream and downstream partitions separated from each other with a space, and a spherical joint disposed between the upstream and downstream partitions.

18. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein the passage means defines an upstream end of the exhaust path, the upstream end being located at a position rearward offset from substantially a central portion of a width of the engine which extends in a direction of the row of the cylinders.

19. An exhaust arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine including a row of cylinders, the exhaust arrangement comprising:

an exhaust manifold including a branch portion including a plurality of branch pipes corresponding to the cylinders;

a catalyst disposed downstream of the exhaust manifold;

an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust manifold to the catalyst, the exhaust pipe defining an exhaust path, the exhaust pipe having a longitudinal axis;

a bend formed in the exhaust pipe, the bend including a plane in which the longitudinal axis of the exhaust pipe lies, the bend including an inner curving periphery and an outer curving periphery extending longer than the inner curving periphery;

a partition dividing the exhaust path into first and second exhaust passages, the partition extending in the bend in alignment with the plane; and

an oxygen sensor disposed at the outer curving periphery of the bend in alignment with the partition, the oxygen sensor projecting into both of the first and second exhaust passages through a periphery of the partition.

20. The exhaust arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein the bend comprises a plurality of bends, the oxygen sensor being disposed at the outer curving periphery of one of the plurality of bends.