Exhaust manifold assembly

• US 7,975,473 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Beck, Robert H., Marotta, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Binh Q
• Application Number:
  US11/869,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 602/72, 603/05, 603/22, 603/23, 603/24
• US Class Current: 60/324
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/10 of exhaust manifolds with cooling jacket F01N3/046
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/22 by welding or brazing

Abstract

An exhaust manifold may include a manifold body and a flange. The manifold body may include a first tube that forms an exhaust gas inlet. The flange may be coupled to the manifold body and may fix the manifold body to an engine. The flange may include a first aperture having first and second portions located along an axial extent of the first aperture. The first portion may extend to a first end surface of the flange and the second portion may extend to a second end surface of the flange. The first portion may have a first radial width that is less than a second radial width of the second portion. The second portion may receive an end of the first tube therein. The first tube may be fixed to the flange at a location within the first aperture between the first portion and the second end surface.

Claims

1. An exhaust manifold comprising:

a manifold body including a first tube that forms an exhaust gas inlet; and

a flange coupled to said manifold body that fixes said manifold body to an engine and places said manifold body in communication with an exhaust gas from said engine, said flange including a first aperture having first and second portions located along an axial extent of said first aperture, said first portion extending to a first end surface of said flange and said second portion extending to a second end surface of said flange, said first portion having a first radial width that is less than a second radial width of said second portion, said second portion receiving an end of said first tube therein, said first tube being fixed to said flange at a location within said first aperture between said first portion and said second end surface and defining a recess between said end of said first tube and said first portion of said first aperture.

2. The exhaust manifold of claim 1, further comprising a weld bead located on an inner surface of said first aperture and fixing said end of said first tube to said flange.

3. The exhaust manifold of claim 2, wherein said weld bead is disposed in said recess.

4. The exhaust manifold of claim 3, wherein said weld bead extends radially inwardly beyond an inner surface of said first portion less than 1 millimeter.

5. The exhaust manifold of claim 2, wherein said weld bead is located at approximately an axial midpoint of said first aperture.

6. The exhaust manifold of claim 1, wherein said end of said first tube includes a third radial width that is greater than said first radial width.

7. The exhaust manifold of claim 1, wherein said flange includes a stepped region between said first and second portions.

8. The exhaust manifold of claim 7, wherein said stepped region extends at an angle of between 10 and 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of said first aperture.

9. The exhaust manifold of claim 7, wherein said stepped region extends radially over said end of said first tube.

10. The exhaust manifold of claim 7, wherein said manifold body includes a second tube and said flange includes a second aperture having first and second portions along an axial extent thereof with an additional stepped region therebetween, said second tube forming an additional exhaust gas inlet and having an axial extent within said second aperture that is greater than an axial extent of said first tube within said first aperture.

11. The exhaust manifold of claim 1, wherein said first tube and said flange are formed from different materials.

12. The exhaust manifold of claim 11, wherein said flange is formed from a powdered metal.

13. A method comprising:

inserting an end of a first tube that forms an exhaust gas inlet to an exhaust manifold into a first aperture of a flange that mounts said exhaust manifold to an engine, said first aperture including first and second portions located along an axial extent thereof, said first portion extending to a first end surface of said flange and said second portion extending to a second end surface of said flange, said first portion having a first radial width that is less than a second radial width of said second portion;

aligning said end axially within said first aperture at a location between said first portion and said second end surface, said aligning providing a recess between said first portion and said end of said first tube; and

fixing said end of said first tube to an inner surface of said first aperture.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said fixing includes welding.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said welding includes forming a weld bead on said inner surface of said first aperture at approximately an axial midpoint of said first aperture.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said first aperture includes a stepped region located between said first and second portions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said fixing includes forming a weld bead within said recess.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said fixing includes inserting a weld tip into said recess to form said weld bead.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming said flange from a powdered metal.