Flex stack

• US 7,506,667 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeremy, Gopalakrishnan, Chengappalli P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brinson; Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US12/038,709
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 138/114, 138/118, 138/121, 138/120, 285/49, 285/226, 285/227, 285/229, 285/299, 285/300, 285/301, 603/22, 603/23
• US Class Current: 138/118
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1816 the pipe sections being joined together by flexible tubular elements only, e.g. using bellows or strip-wound pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/1004 introduced in exhaust pipes for hot gases
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/11 the sleeve having the form of a bellows with multiple corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 51/025 with several corrugations

Abstract

A flexible exhaust stack is suitable for use with a vehicle for which relative motion occurs between the cab of the vehicle and exhaust system components mounted to the vehicle frame. The exhaust stack includes a pipe mounted to the cab and having inlet and discharge ends. A collar is secured to an interior portion of the pipe between the inlet end and the discharge end. A flexible hose is at least partially disposed within the pipe, with a discharge end secured to the collar and an inlet end in fluid communication with the frame-mounted exhaust system components. The exhaust stack receives exhaust gases from the frame-mounted exhaust system components and discharges the exhaust gases from the discharge end of the pipe, while the flexible hose allows for relative motion between the cab and the exhaust system.

Claims

1. A flexible exhaust stack for a vehicle having a cab movably mounted to a frame and exhaust system components fixedly mounted to the frame so that relative motion occurs between the cab and the frame-mounted exhaust system components, the flexible exhaust stack comprising:

(a) a pipe having an inlet end and a discharge end, the pipe being mountable to the cab;

(b) a collar secured to an interior portion of the pipe between the inlet end and the discharge end;

(c) a flexible hose at least partially disposed within the pipe, a discharge end of the flexible hose being secured to the collar and disposed in fluid communication with the discharge end of the pipe, an inlet end of the flexible hose being capable of receiving exhaust gases discharged from the exhaust system, wherein the flexible hose allows for relative motion between the cab and the exhaust system; and

(d) a heat shield at least partially surrounding the pipe.

2. A flexible exhaust stack for a vehicle having a cab movably mounted to a frame and exhaust system components fixedly mounted to the frame so that relative motion occurs between the cab and the frame-mounted exhaust system components, the flexible exhaust stack comprising:

(a) a pipe having an inlet end and a discharge end, the pipe being mountable to the cab;

(b) a collar secured to an interior portion of the pipe between the inlet end and the discharge end;

(c) a flexible hose at least partially disposed within the pipe, a discharge end of the flexible hose being secured to the collar and disposed in fluid communication with the discharge end of the pipe, an inlet end of the flexible hose being capable of receiving exhaust gases discharged from the exhaust system, the flexible hose allowing for relative motion between the cab and the exhaust system, wherein the pipe is mounted to the cab, and the inlet end of the hose is disposed in fluid communication with the frame-mounted exhaust system components so that the exhaust stack receives exhaust gases from the frame-mounted exhaust system components and discharges the exhaust gases from the discharge end of the pipe.

3. The flexible exhaust stack of claim 2, wherein the flexible hose is entirely disposed within the pipe.

4. The flexible exhaust stack of claim 2, further comprising a heat shield surrounding the pipe.

5. A flexible exhaust stack for a vehicle having a cab movably mounted to a frame and an exhaust system components fixedly mounted to the frame so that relative motion occurs between the cab and the frame-mounted exhaust system components, the flexible exhaust stack comprising:

(a) an inlet pipe having an inlet end and a discharge end;

(b) a discharge pipe having an inlet end and a discharge end, the inlet end of the discharge pipe being attached to the discharge end of the inlet pipe to define a joint therebetween so that the inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the discharge pipe;

(c) a collar disposed within at least one of the inlet pipe and the discharge pipe, the collar being secured to the at least one of the inlet pipe and the discharge pipe at the joint; and

(d) a flexible hose at least partially disposed within the inlet pipe, a discharge end of the hose being secured to the collar so that the discharge end of the hose is in fluid communication with the discharge end of the discharge pipe, an inlet end of the hose being in fluid communication with the exhaust system so that the exhaust stack receives exhaust gases from the exhaust system and discharges the exhaust gases from the discharge end of the discharge pipe, wherein the flexible hose allows for relative motion between the cab and the exhaust system.

6. The flexible exhaust stack of claim 5, wherein the flexible hose is entirely disposed within the inlet pipe.

7. The flexible exhaust stack of claim 5, further comprising a heat shield at least partially surrounding at least one of the inlet pipe and the discharge pipe.