EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

• US 20080256927A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hidehiko, Soeda, Akira, Kikuchi, Hiroyuki, Mori, Tetsuya, Momosaki, Makoto, Takeshita, Tomoyuki, Yasuchika, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,087,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/276
• 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 13/08 Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/025 for measuring or detecting O2, e.g. lambda sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/04 for motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/10 by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust by using other chemical processes, chemical aspects of catalytic conversion, e.g. using specified catalysts, B01D53/34
• 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 system for discharging exhaust gases through an exhaust passageway, emitted from a multi-cylinder combustion engine mounted on a motor vehicle includes a partition plate formed therein for dividing the exhaust passageway into a plurality of juxtaposed exhaust passages and having a communicating hole defined therein, and an exhaust gas sensor positioned at a location in proximity of the communicating hole for detecting a composition of the exhaust gases.

Claims

1. An exhaust system for discharging exhaust gases through an exhaust passageway, emitted from a multi-cylinder combustion engine mounted on a motor vehicle, which system comprises:

a partition plate dividing the exhaust passageway into a plurality of juxtaposed exhaust passages and having a communicating hole defined therein; and

an exhaust gas sensor, positioned at a location close to the communicating hole, for detecting a composition of the exhaust gases.

2. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a catalytic converter disposed in a portion of the exhaust passageway downstream of the communicating hole with respect to the direction of flow of the exhaust gases.

3. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of header pipes fluid connected with a plurality of engine cylinders of the combustion engine and forming a part of the exhaust passageway;

and an exhaust collector pipe fluid connected with the plural header pipes which are merged together; and

wherein the catalytic converter is disposed within the exhaust collector pipe, and wherein the exhaust gas sensor is positioned in the vicinity of and on an upstream side of the catalytic converter.

4. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 3, wherein an exhaust passage in the exhaust collector pipe upstream of the catalytic converter is divided into upper and lower introducing passages through which the exhaust gases are introduced into the catalytic converter, and the exhaust sensor is fitted to the exhaust collector pipe so as to confront the upper introducing passage.

5. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a distance L1 from a geometric center of the communicating hole to an upstream end face of the catalytic converter is chosen to be within the range of 0.3 to 0.6 D, where D represents an inner diameter of the exhaust collector pipe.

6. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the distance L1 is chosen to be within the range of 0.4 to 0.5 D.

7. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a sensor boss, mounted on the exhaust collector pipe, for supporting the exhaust gas sensor and a vibration suppressing weight disposed in the vicinity of the sensor boss.

8. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the exhaust collector pipe has a circumference, and ¾

or more of the circumference represents a round shape in cross-section.

9. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas sensor has a leading end oriented towards a geometric center of the communicating hole.

10. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a distance L2 between the leading end of the exhaust gas sensor and the geometric center of the communicating hole is chosen to be within the range of 0.15 to 0.40 D, where D represents an inner diameter of the exhaust collector pipe.

11. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the distance L2 is chosen to be within the range of 0.20 to 0.35 D.

12. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating hole has a diameter d which is chosen to be within the range of 0.10 to 0.25 D, where D represents an inner diameter of the exhaust collector pipe.

13. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diameter d is chosen to be within the range of 0.15 to 0.20 D.

14. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas sensor is operable to detect an amount of oxygen.

15. The exhaust system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the combustion engine has four engine cylinders.

16. A motorcycle comprising the exhaust system described in claim 1.