Muffler for internal combustion engine

• US 8,844,673 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaba Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Futaba Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Kainuma, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): LUKS, JEREMY AUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US13/576,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20120305330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 181/227, 181/228, 181/253, 181/265, 181/268, 181/275
• US Class Current: 181/265
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/081 by passing the gases through a mass of particles
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/083 using transversal baffles defining a tortuous path for the gases or successively throttling gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/084 the gases flowing through the silencer two or more times longitudinally in opposite directions, e.g. using parallel or concentric tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/085 using a central core throttling gas passage
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/086 having means to impart whirling motion to the gases with helically or spirally shaped channels F01N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/02 Tubes being perforated
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/30 Tubes with restrictions, i.e. venturi or the like, e.g. for sucking air or measuring mass flow

Abstract

A muffler for an internal combustion engine includes an outer shell, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and at least one constricted part. The at least one constricted part is provided in at least one of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe on an open side thereof opening toward an inside of the outer shell. The at least one constricted part has a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the at least one of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, which is provided with the at least one constricted part.

Claims

1. A muffler for an internal combustion engine comprising:

an outer shell including a first and a second generally opposite end and at least one partition wall that divides an inner space of the outer shell into at least a first and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is located at the first end of the outer shell;

an inlet pipe which is enclosed in the outer shell and into which exhaust gases discharged from the internal combustion engine are introduced, the inlet pipe extending from the first chamber towards the second end of the outer shell;

an outlet pipe which is enclosed in the outer shell and which discharges the exhaust gases;

a constricted part provided on an open side of the outlet pipe opening toward an inside of the outer shell, the constricted part having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe; and

a tapered part which is provided in the outlet pipe and has a diameter increasing within the outer shell from the constricted part toward a downstream side of a flow path of the exhaust gases in the outlet pipe over the at least first and second chambers inside the outer shell;

wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are disposed such that an end part, from which the diameter starts increasing, of the tapered part is displaced from an extended line from a downstream end of the inlet pipe along an exhaust gas flow path inside the inlet pipe, and that the end part of the tapered part is located at an upstream side from the downstream end of the inlet pipe;

and wherein the end part of the tapered part is located in the first chamber.

2. The muffler according to claim 1,

wherein a straight part is provided to connect with the tapered part on a downstream side of the flow path of the exhaust gases in the outlet pipe, and

wherein the straight part is provided with at least one small bore which opens inside the outer shell.

3. The muffler according to claim 2,

wherein an opening area of the at least one small bore is equal to or less than one-fifth of a cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe.

4. The muffler according to claim 2,

wherein the at least one small bore is provided one of at a position corresponding to an anti-node of a standing wave and in a vicinity of the position corresponding to the anti-node of the standing wave.

5. The muffler according to claim 1,

wherein the constricted part is provided on an open side of the outlet pipe opening toward an inside of the outer shell, and

wherein a flared part is provided at an opening end, which is located inside the outer shell, of the outlet pipe, the flared part having a diameter increasing from the constricted part toward the inside of the outer shell.

6. The muffler according to claim 2,

wherein the constricted part is provided on an open side of the outlet pipe opening toward an inside of the outer shell, and

wherein a flared part is provided at an opening end, which is located inside the outer shell, of the outlet pipe, the flared part having a diameter increasing from the constricted part toward the inside of the outer shell.

7. The muffler according to claim 3,

wherein the constricted part is provided on an open side of the outlet pipe opening toward an inside of the outer shell, and

wherein a flared part is provided at an opening end, which is located inside the outer shell, of the outlet pipe, the flared part having a diameter increasing from the constricted part toward the inside of the outer shell.

8. The muffler according to claim 4,

wherein the constricted part is provided on an open side of the outlet pipe opening toward an inside of the outer shell, and

wherein a flared part is provided at an opening end, which is located inside the outer shell, of the outlet pipe, the flared part having a diameter increasing from the constricted part toward the inside of the outer shell.