Exhaust muffler for vehicle

• US 8,985,271 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshida, Atsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): LUKS, JEREMY AUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US14/062,179
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 181/249, 181/258, 181/269, 602/99
• US Class Current: 181/269
• 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 1/089 using two or more expansion chambers in series F01N1/083, F01N1/084, F01N1/086 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/10 in combination with sound-absorbing materials F01N1/125 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0097 the purifying devices are arranged in a single housing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2230/06 Spark arresters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2340/02 characterised by the distance of the apparatus to the engine, or the distance between two exhaust treating apparatuses
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/22 by welding or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/20 Dimensional characteristics of tubes, e.g. length, diameter
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2885 with exhaust silencers in a single housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

An exhaust muffler for a vehicle includes a muffler body that is connected to an exhaust pipe and that includes therein a plurality of expansion chambers. The muffler body has an upstream side cover that has an exhaust entrance connected to the exhaust pipe and that closes an upstream side opening of the muffler body, and a communication pipe that couples one of the plurality of expansion chambers positioned in a most upstream side part of an exhaust flow path and the exhaust entrance to each other. The exhaust pipe and the communication pipe are integrally joined to a peripheral portion of the exhaust entrance by a common welding bead.

Claims

1. An exhaust muffler for a vehicle comprising

a muffler body connected to an exhaust pipe and including therein a plurality of expansion chambers, the muffler body shaving:

an upstream side cover having an exhaust entrance connected to the exhaust pip, and the upstream side cover closing an upstream side opening of the muffler body; and

a communication pipe coupling one of the plurality of expansion chambers positioned in a most upstream side part of an exhaust flow path and the exhaust entrance to each other;

wherein the exhaust entrance is protrusion-shaped and projects in an upstream direction, an upstream portion of the protrusion-shaped exhaust entrance being externally fitted to an outer circumferential surface of the communication pipe;

wherein an upstream end of the protrusion-shaped exhaust entrance is located downstream of an upstream end of the communication pipe, and the upstream end of the protrusion-shaped exhaust entrance and the upstream end of the communication pipe being arranged in a stepwise manner on the outer circumferential surface of the exhaust pipe; and

the exhaust pipe and the communication pipe are integrally joined to a peripheral portion of the protrusion-shaped exhaust entrance by a common welding bead located outside of the muffler body.

2. The exhaust muffler for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

a catalyst is arranged inside the communication pipe; and

the exhaust pipe has an entrance cone portion with a diameter increasing in a downstream direction of the entrance cone portion toward a connecting portion connected to the protrusion-shaped exhaust entrance.

3. The exhaust muffler for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

an inner diameter of the communication pipe is substantially identical to an outer diameter of the catalyst, and a length of the communication pipe in an exhaust flow path direction is at least approximately twice as great as a length of the catalyst, and

the catalyst is arranged near a downstream end part of the exhaust flow path in the communication pipe.