Vehicle engine exhaust system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196959-B2
Application number	US-201514979671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle engine exhaust system includes an exhaust component and a non-conductive support member. The exhaust component is supported by a vehicle body via the non-conductive support member. The vehicle body and the exhaust component are positively charged. The vehicle engine exhaust system further includes a self discharge type static electricity eliminator that reduces, in a state where the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed on a non-conductive wall surface, an amount of electrification charge on the non-conductive wall surface within a limited area around a location where the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed. The self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed on the non-conductive support member such that static electricity elimination is performed for the exhaust component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle engine exhaust system comprising:
an exhaust component;
a non-conductive support member, the exhaust component being supported by a vehicle body via the non-conductive support member, the vehicle body and the exhaust component being positively charged; and
a self discharge type static electricity eliminator that reduces, in a state where the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed on a non-conductive wall surface, an amount of electrification charge on the non-conductive wall surface within a limited area around a location where the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed, the self discharge type static electricity eliminator being installed on the non-conductive support member such that static electricity elimination is performed for the exhaust component,
wherein the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is laid on the non-conductive wall surface in a form of a conductive metallic foil so that a length of the foil or the film in a direction parallel to the non-conductive wall surface is substantially larger than a thickness of the foil or the film in a direction perpendicular to the non-conductive wall surface,
wherein the self discharge type state electricity eliminator includes a corner part and a plurality of sharp end parts formed adjacent the corner part in a peripheral portion of the self discharge type state electricity eliminator by cutting the conductive metallic foil, and
wherein a longitudinal length of the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is between 50 mm and 100 mm, and a thickness of the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is between 0.05 mm and 0.2 mm.

2. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive support member is formed from a rubber material.

3. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the non-conductive support member is a rubber piece;
an upper part of the rubber piece is supported by the vehicle body, and a lower part of the rubber piece supports the exhaust component; and
the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is installed on a wall surface of the non-conductive support member.

4. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 3 , wherein:
the rubber piece includes a pair of through holes extending in parallel to each other at an interval; and
a first supporting rod supported by the vehicle body is inserted in one of the pair of the through holes, and a second supporting rod fixed to the exhaust component is inserted in the other of the pair of the through holes.

5. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust component includes at least one of a silencer, a catalytic converter, and an exhaust pipe.

6. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 1 , wherein the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is metallic foil that is adhered onto a wall surface of the non-conductive support member by a conductive adhesive.

7. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 6 , wherein the self discharge type static electricity eliminator has a comer part for causing self discharge.

8. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 6 , wherein the self discharge type static electricity eliminator has a long and narrow rectangular flat shape.

9. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 1 , wherein the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is a conductive thin film that is formed integrally on a wall surface of the non-conductive support member.

10. The vehicle engine exhaust system according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the self discharge type static electricity eliminator is 250-2000 times greater than a thickness of the foil or the film in a direction perpendicular to the non-conductive wall surface.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanahashi Toshio
• Kanehara Yoji
• Yamada Koshi

Classifications

• F01N13/16 Primary

  Selection of particular materials · CPC title

• F01N2530/20

  reinforced with mineral or metallic fibres · CPC title

• F01N2530/22

  Flexible elastomeric material · CPC title

• F01N13/1822

  for fixing exhaust pipes or devices to vehicle body · CPC title

• B60K13/04

  concerning exhaust · CPC title