Flexible exhaust coupling

• US 4,583,768 A
• Filed: 01/09/1984
• Issued: 04/22/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshitaka, Aoki, Shigehiko, Shimotaka, Toshinobu, Onotani, Shizuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Scanlan, Jr., Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/569,491
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 285/41, 285/261, 285/268, 285/267, 285/263, 285/DIG. 10
• US Class Current: 285/41
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1811 with means permitting relative movement, e.g. compensation of thermal expansion or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/053 held in place by bolts passing through flanges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/909 Fluorocarbons and memory plastics

Abstract

A flexible exhaust coupling comprising first and second passage elements, the first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged from an automobile engine through the second passage element, and a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface and carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface. The first and second passage elements are resiliently urged by springs in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements, and at least one air channel is defined exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member. The inlet and an outlet of the channel are located and opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when an automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween.

Claims

1. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine for the discharge of exhaust gases from the engine to the atmosphere, a flexible exhaust coupling comprising:

first and second tubular passage elements each having first and second ends opposite to each other, the first ends of the respective first and second passage elements resiliently yieldably connected together whereas the second end of the first passage is fluid-connected with the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged;

a synthetic-resin coated ring seal member mounted exteriorly on the first end of one of the first and second passage elements and having a spherical sealing surface defined therein so as to confront the other of the first and second passage elements, the first end of said other of the first and second passage elements being radially outwardly flared to provide a mating spherical surface for the receipt of, and sliding engagement with, the spherical sealing surface of the ring seal member;

a first flange providing rigidly on said one of the first and second passage elements so as to extend radially outwardly therefrom and positioned on one side of the ring seal member remote from said other of the first and second passage elements, said first flange having a first air passage defined therein adjacent to and radially outwardly of the ring seal member;

a second flange provided rigidly on said other of the first and second elements so as to extend radially outwardly therefrom and positioned on one side of the mating spherical surface remote from said one of the first and second passage elements, said second flange having a second air passage defined therein adjacent to, and radially outwardly of, the radially outwardly flared first end of said other of the first and second passage elements; and

means for resiliently connecting the first and second flanges together while urging the first and second flanges in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contacting the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements.

2. A coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin is fluoroplastics.

3. A coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of the first and second passage elements is the first passage elements, and said other of the first and second passage elements is the second passage element, and wherein the first end of the first passage element with the ring seal member rigidly mounted thereon protrudes a predetermined distance axially outwardly from the ring seal member.

4. A coupling as claimed in claim 3, wherein said connecting means comprises at least two elongated anchor members and coiled springs equal in number to the anchor members.

5. A coupling as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said anchor members has one end connected to the second flange and the other end situated on one side of the first flange remote from the second flange, a substantially intermediate portion of said respective anchor member being loosely passed through the first flange, and wherein the coiled springs are mounted exteriorly on the respective anchor members and positioned between the first flange and the other ends of the respective anchor members.

6. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine for the discharge of exhaust gases from the engine to the atmosphere, a flexible exhaust coupling comprising:

first and second passage elements each having a tubular opening defined therein, said first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged through the second passage element;

a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface defined therein and carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface defined therein around the tubular opening thereof;

means for loosely connecting the first and second passage elements together with the spherical sealing surface being permitted to confront the mating spherical surface;

means for resiliently urging the first and second passage elements in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements;

means defining at least one air channel between the first and second passage elements and exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member, said air channel having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being located and opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when an automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween;

said first and second passage elements are constituted by first and second pipe segments, respectively, and said connecting means comprises first and second flanges rigidly mounted on and radially outwardly extending from the respective first and second pipe segments with the ring seal member located therebetween;

said one of the first and second passage elements is the first passage element and, hence, the first pipe segment, wherein said first and second flanges together constituting said channel defining means with the channel defined therebetween, and wherein said inlet of the channel is constituted by a plurality of air intake perforations defined in the first flange in a circle concentrical with and adjacent the ring seal member and said outlet of the channel is constituted by a plurality of discharge perforations defined in the second flange in a circle concentrical with and adjacent the ring seal member; and

wherein the channel defining means include a guide barrel having one end secured to the first flange while surrounding the intake perforations, protruding therefrom towards the second flange and terminating at a location spaced a distance inwardly from the second flange, said guide barrel being operable to guide the cooling air entering the channel through the intake perforations towards the discharge perforations.

7. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine for the discharge of exhaust gases from the engine to the atmosphere, a flexible exhaust coupling comprising:

first and second passage elements each having a tubular opening defined therein, said first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged through the second passage element;

a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface defined therein and carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface defined therein around the tubular opening thereof;

means for loosely connecting the first and second passage elements together with the spherical sealing surface being permitted to confront the mating spherical surface;

means for resiliently urging the first and second passage elements in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby consituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements;

means defining at least one air channel between the first and second passage elements and exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member, said air channel having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being located an opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when an automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween;

said first and second passage elements are constituted by first and second pipe segments, respectively, and said connecting means comprises first and second flanges rigidly mounted on and radially outwardly extending from the respective first and second pipe segments with the ring seal member located therebetween;

wherein said one of the first and second passage elements is the first passage element and, hence, the first pipe segment, wherein said first and second flanges together constituting said channel defining means with the channel defined therebetween, and wherein said inlet of the channel is constituted by an annular intake opening defined by and between the outer peripheral portions of the respective first and second flanges so as to face in a direction conforming to the direction of forward run of the vehicle and said outlet of the channel is consistuted by a plurality of discharge perforations defined in the second flange in a circle concentric with and adjacent the ring seal member.

8. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine for the discharge of exhaust gases from the engine to the atmosphere, a flexible exhaust coupling comprising:

first and second passage elements each having a tubular opening defined therein, said first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged through the second passage element;

a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface defined therein and carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface defined therein around the tubular opening thereof;

means for loosely connecting the first and second passage elements together with the spherical sealing surface being permitted to confront the mating spherical surface;

means for resiliently urging the first and second passage elements in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldably joint between the first and second passage elements;

means defining at least one air channel between the first and second passage elements and exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member, said air channel having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being located and opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when an automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween;

said first and second passage elements are constituted by first and second pipe segments, respectively, and said connecting means comprises first and second flanges rigidly mounted on and radially outwardly extending from the respective first and second pipe segments with the ring seal member located therebetween;

wherein said one of the first and second passage elements is the first passage element, and, hence, the first pipe segment, wherein said first and second flanges together constituting said channel defining means with the channel defined therebetween, and wherein said inlet of the channel is constituted by a plurality of air intake perforations defined in one of the first and second flanges in a circle concentrical with and adjacent the ring seal member and said outlet of the channel is constituted by an annular discharge opening defined by and between the outer peripheral portions of the respective first and second flanges so as to face in a direction counter to the direction of forward run of the vehicle.

9. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine for the discharge of exhaust gases from the engine to the atmosphere, a flexible exhaust coupling comprising:

first and second passage elements each having a tubular opening defined therein, said first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged through the second passage element;

a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface defined therein and a carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface defined therein around the tubular opening thereof;

means for loosely connecting the first and second passage elements together with the spherical sealing surface being permitted to confront the mating spherical surface;

means for resiliently urging the first and second passage elements in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements;

means defining an air channel located exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member, said air channel having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being located and opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween;

wherein said first passage element is constituted by a pipe segment and said second passage element is constituted by an end wall of a catalytic converter, wherein said connecting means comprises a flange rigidly mounted on and radially outwardly extending from the pipe segment and at least one pair of elongated connecting members secured at one end to the end wall, and wherein said channel is defined in the end wall with the inlet opening in one end face of the end wall adjacent the pipe segment and the outlet opening in the outer peripheral face thereof.