Crossover Muffler

• US 20140166393A1
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Butler, Boyd L., Trent V. Bray
• Original Assignee: Butler, Boyd L., Trent V. Bray
• Inventors: Butler, Boyd L., Bray, Trent V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/228
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/023 Helmholtz resonators
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/10 in combination with sound-absorbing materials F01N1/125 takes precedence
• 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 13/1805 Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/14 Plurality of outlet tubes, e.g. in parallel or with different length
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/16 Plurality of inlet tubes, e.g. discharging into different chambers
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/20 Dimensional characteristics of tubes, e.g. length, diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49398 Muffler, manifold or exhaust pipe making

Abstract

A performance-enhancing crossover muffler for internal combustion engines includes an enclosed case having an inside, and two inlet pipes located inside the case having respective inlet ends extending through a frontside of the case for connection with two outside engine exhaust manifolds, and respective interior ends which merge together to define a merge entry. The muffler also includes one or more outlet pipes located inside the case with outlet end extending through a backside of the case for connection with an outside tailpipe, an interior end defining a merge exit, and one or more apertures in the outlet pipe communicating with the inside of the case. The muffler further includes a piping merge zone between the merge entry and the merge exit for commingling exhaust flows from the two engine exhaust manifolds. The two inlet pipes and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case.

Claims

1. A muffler for increasing engine performance while attenuating acoustic noise in a vehicular exhaust flow, comprising:

an enclosed case having an inside;

two inlet pipes located inside the case comprising;

respective inlet ends extending through a frontside of the case and adapted for connection with two outside engine manifold exhaust pipes; and

respective interior ends opposite the inlet ends merging together to define a merge entry;

at least one outlet pipe located inside the case comprising;

an outlet end extending through a backside of the case and adapted for connection with an outside tailpipe;

an interior end opposite the outlet end defining a merge exit; and

at least one aperture in the outlet pipe communicating with the inside of the case; and

a piping merge zone between the merge entry and the merge exit for commingling exhaust flows from the two engine manifold exhaust pipes,

wherein the two inlet pipes and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case.

2. The muffler of claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet pipe further comprises a single outlet pipe having an outlet end adapted for connection with a single outside tailpipe.

3. The muffler of claim 2, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet further comprises a plurality of radial openings through a sidewall of the outlet pipe.

4. The muffler of claim 3, wherein the plurality of radial openings further comprise a plurality of shaped apertures selected from the group consisting of triangular-, NACA duct-, rectangular-, obround-, elliptical- and round-shaped apertures, and combinations thereof.

5. The muffler of claim 2, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet pipe further comprises an annular opening between a plurality of substantially coaxial intermediate sections of the outlet pipe having different diameters.

6. The muffler of claim 5, wherein one of the intermediate sections has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the inlet pipes.

7. The muffler of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture in the at least one outlet pipe further comprises an opening formed by a break in the outlet pipe operable to separate the outlet pipe into the outlet end and the interior end.

8. The muffler of claim 7, wherein the interior end of the at least one outlet pipe is supported by an interior baffle plate.

9. The muffler of claim 8, wherein the at least one outlet pipe further comprises a single interior end and two outlet ends adapted for connection with two outside tailpipes.

10. The muffler of claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet pipe further comprises two outlet pipes merged together at the merge exit and having two outlet ends adapted for connection to two outside tailpipes, respectively.

11. The muffler of claim 10, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet pipes further comprise a plurality of radial openings through sidewalls of both outlet pipes.

12. The muffler of claim 10, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet pipes further comprises an annular opening between a plurality of substantially coaxial intermediate sections of each outlet pipe having different diameters.

13. The muffler of claim 12, wherein one of the intermediate sections has a diameter small than a diameter of the inlet pipes.

14. The muffler of claim 10, wherein a diameter of each of the two outlet pipes is substantially equally to a diameter of each of the two inlet pipes.

15. The muffler of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet pipe is separated from the merge exit by a distance at least equal to or greater than one half the diameter of the inlet end of the outlet pipe.

16. A performance-enhancing muffler for internal combustion engines, comprising:

an enclosed case having an inside;

two inlet pipes located inside the case comprising;

respective inlet ends extending through a frontside of the case and adapted for connection with two outside engine manifold exhaust pipes; and

respective interior ends opposite the inlet ends merging together to define a merge entry;

an outlet pipe located inside the case comprising;

an outlet end extending through a backside of the case and adapted for connection with an outside tailpipe;

an interior end opposite the outlet end defining a merge zone exit; and

a plurality of apertures in the outlet pipe communicating with the inside of the case; and

a piping merge zone between the merge entry and the merge exit for combining exhaust flows from the engine manifold exhaust pipes,

wherein the two inlet pipes and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case.

17. The performance-enhancing muffler of claim 16, wherein the outlet pipe has an internal diameter at least equal to or greater than about 1.2 times the internal diameter of an inlet pipe.

18. A performance-enhancing muffler for internal combustion engines, comprising:

an enclosed case having an inside; and

two pipes located inside the case comprising;

respective inlet sections extending through a frontside of the case and adapted for connection with two outside engine manifold exhaust pipes;

respective outlet sections extending through a backside of the case and adapted for connection with two outside tailpipes;

respective mid-span sections coupled together to form a piping merge zone for commingling exhaust flows from the engine manifold exhaust pipes; and

a plurality of apertures in both outlet sections communicating with the inside of the case,

wherein each inlet section and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case.

19. The performance-enhancing muffler of claim 18, wherein the piping merge zone further comprises at least one elongate longitudinal aperture through the side-by-side coupled sidewalls of the two mid-span sections.

20. A method of attenuating acoustic noise in an exhaust flow, comprising:

directing a pair of exhaust flows through an exhaust piping assembly inside an enclosed muffler case, the exhaust piping assembly having dual inlet pipes with inlet ends extending through a frontside of the case and adapted for connection with two outside engine manifold exhaust pipes, and interior ends merging together to define a merge entry;

commingling the exhaust flows during passage through a merge zone between the merge entry and a merge exit;

isolating the exhaust flows from the inside of the case during passage through the inlet pipes and the merge zone; and

communicating the exhaust flows with the inside of the case during passage through at least one outlet pipe having an interior end defining the merge exit and an outlet end extending through a backside of the case and adapted for connection with an outside tailpipe.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating the exhaust flows with the inside of the case through at least one aperture in the outlet pipe between the merge exit and the backside of the case.

22. A method of making a performance-enhancing muffler for internal combustion engines, comprising:

assembling an exhaust piping assembly comprising;

dual inlet pipes having inlet ends adapted for connection with two outside engine manifold exhaust pipes and interior ends opposite the inlet ends merging together to define a merge entry;

an outlet pipe having an outlet end adapted for connection with an outside tailpipe, an interior end opposite the outlet end defining a merge exit, and at least one aperture communicating with an outside of the outlet pipe;

a piping merge zone between the merge entry and the merge exit for commingling exhaust flows from the two engine manifold exhaust pipes; and

installing the exhaust piping assembly into an enclosed case with the inlet pipes extending through a frontside of the case and the outlet pipe extending through a backside of the case,

wherein the two inlet pipes and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case and the outlet pipe is in communication with the inside of the case through the at least one aperture.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet further comprises a plurality of radial openings through a sidewall of the outlet pipe.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet further comprises an annular opening between a plurality of substantially coaxial intermediate sections of the outlet pipe having different diameters.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one aperture in the outlet pipe further comprises an opening formed by a break in the outlet pipe operable to separate the outlet pipe into the outlet end and the interior end.

26. A method of making a performance-enhancing muffler for internal combustion engines, comprising:

assembling two pipes into an exhaust piping assembly comprising;

dual inlet sections having inlet ends adapted for connection with two engine manifold exhaust pipes;

dual outlet sections having outlet ends adapted for connection with two tailpipes;

dual mid-span sections coupled together to form a piping merge zone for commingling the exhaust flows from the engine manifold exhaust pipes; and

a plurality of apertures through the sidewalls of both outlet sections communicating with an outside of the pipes; and

installing the exhaust piping assembly into an enclosed case with the inlet pipes extending through a frontside of the case and the outlet pipe extending through a backside of the case,

wherein both inlet sections and the piping merge zone are without communication with the inside of the case, and

wherein both outlet sections communicate with the inside of the case through the plurality of apertures.