Muffler system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215105-B2
Application number	US-201816232200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A muffler system with a muffler in one aspect of the present disclosure includes an outer wall, and a first separator and a second separator that partition a muffling space. An attachment member is arranged on an outer surface of the outer wall, and a muffler pipe to communicate with the muffling space is arranged to pass through an attachment member hole in the attachment member. The outer surface of the outer wall includes a first area and a second area. The first area is located between a first end of the muffling space and the first separator, and the second area is located between a second end of the muffling space and the second separator. The attachment member is welded to the first and second areas of the outer surface of the outer wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A muffler system provided in an exhaust flow path from an engine of a vehicle and having a muffler, the muffler system comprising:
an outer wall covering a muffling space inside the muffler, the outer wall comprising:
a tubular shell extending between a first and a second end of the muffling space;
a first end plate comprising a plate-like member covering the first end; and
a second end plate comprising a plate-like member covering the second end;

a first separator that comprises a plate-like member arranged to face the first end plate and partition the muffling space,
the first separator comprising a first separator coupling portion that is provided at an edge of the first separator and joined to an inner side of the tubular shell;

a second separator that comprises a plate-like member arranged, between the second end plate and the first separator, to face the second end plate and partition the muffling space,
the second separator comprising a second separator coupling portion that is provided at an edge of the second separator and joined to the inner side of the tubular shell;

a muffler pipe arranged to pass through an outer wall hole provided in a part of the tubular shell covering an intermediate space of the muffling space, the intermediate space being defined between the first separator and the second separator, such that the muffler pipe communicates the intermediate space with an exterior space of the muffler; and
an attachment member that comprises a plate-like member having an attachment member hole and an attachment member coupling portion surrounding the attachment member hole,
the attachment member being arranged along an outer surface of the tubular shell, and
the muffler pipe being arranged to pass through the attachment member hole and secured to the attachment member coupling portion,

wherein the outer surface of the tubular shell comprises a first area and a second area, the first area being located between the first end and an area facing the first separator coupling portion, and the second area being located between the second end and an area facing the second separator coupling portion,
wherein the attachment member is welded to at least the first area and the second area of the outer surface of the tubular shell,
wherein the attachment member includes a first portion extending to the first area, the first portion extends along the first separator, and both ends of the first portion along an extending direction are joined to the tubular shell, and
wherein the attachment member includes a second portion extending to the second area, the second portion extends along the second separator, and both ends of the second portion along an extending direction are joined to the tubular shell.

2. The muffler system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer wall extends between the first end and the second end, and has a columnar configuration having a substantially oval cross section orthogonal to an extending direction of the outer wall.

3. The muffler system according to claim 2 ,
wherein an outer surface of the outer wall comprises a short diameter area extending along a short diameter direction of the cross section, and
wherein the outer wall hole is provided to be located at least partially in the short diameter area.

4. The muffler system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support member that comprises a plate-like member having a support member hole and a support member coupling portion surrounding the support member hole, and is arranged in the intermediate space with the muffler pipe passing through the support member hole,
wherein the support member is joined to the inner side of the outer wall, and
wherein the support member coupling portion supports a lateral surface of the muffler pipe.

5. The muffler system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the outer wall extends between the first end and the second end, and has a columnar configuration having a substantially oval cross section orthogonal to an extending direction of the outer wall,
wherein an outer surface of the outer wall comprises a first long diameter area and a second long diameter area each extending along a long diameter direction of the cross section, and
wherein the support member is joined to an inner side of the first long diameter area and to an inner side of the second long diameter area.

6. The muffler system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attachment member comprises a substantially quadrangular member, and
wherein at least two of four corner portions of the attachment member are welded to the first area, and the remaining two of the four corner portions are welded to the second area.

7. The muffler system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attachment member comprises a substantially rectangular portion extending along a longitudinal direction, and
wherein one end of the substantially rectangular portion along the longitudinal direction comprises at least one welding portion welded to the first area, and the other end of the substantially rectangular portion along the longitudinal direction comprises at least one welding portion welded to the second area.

8. The muffler system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer wall comprises an outer wall coupling portion that is a wall-like portion surrounding the outer wall hole and projecting from an edge of the outer wall hole outward of the muffler,
wherein the attachment member coupling portion is a wall-like portion surrounding the attachment member hole and projecting from an edge of the attachment member hole outward of the muffler, and the attachment member coupling portion is arranged outward of the outer wall coupling portion, and
wherein the outer wall coupling portion, the attachment member coupling portion, and the muffler pipe are welded together.

9. The muffler system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the muffler pipe comprises an inlet pipe and an inner pipe extending from an end of the inlet pipe,
wherein the muffler pipe comprises an overlapping portion where the end of the inlet pipe and an end of the inner pipe overlap each other, and
wherein the outer wall coupling portion, the attachment member coupling portion, and the overlapping portion of the muffler pipe are welded together.

10. The muffler system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the attachment member comprises a substantially rectangular portion extending along a longitudinal direction, and
wherein a portion located at one end of the attachment member along the longitudinal direction is the first portion extending to the first area, and a portion located at an other end of the attachment member along the longitudinal direction is the second portion extending to the second area.

11. The muffler system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the attachment member comprises a substantially quadrangular member that includes a first to a fourth edge portions, the first edge portion and the third edge portion facing each other, and the second edge portion and the fourth edge portion facing each other,
wherein the first edge portion is included in the first portion,
wherein the third edge portion is included in the second portion,
wherein both ends of the first portion are provided with first protrusions protruding from respective edges of the second edge portion and the fourth edge portion, and
wherein both ends of the second portion are provided with second protrusions protruding from respective edges of the second edge portion and the fourth edge portion.

12. A muffler system provided in an exhaust flow path from an engine of a vehicle and having a muffler, the muffler system comprising:
an

Assignees

• Futaba Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayakawa Toru
• Matsumoto Naoki
• Takeuchi Masaya

Classifications

• G10K11/161 Primary

  in systems with fluid flow (G10K11/162 takes precedence; gas flow silencers or exhaust apparatus for machines or engines in general or for internal combustion engine F01N, noise absorbers in pipes or pipe systems F16L55/02; noise absorption in air conditioning and ventilation F24F13/24; silencing exhaust or propulsion jets in aircraft B64D33/06) · CPC title

• G10K11/172

  using resonance effects · CPC title

• F01N13/1838 Primary

  characterised by the type of connection between parts of exhaust or silencing apparatus, e.g. between housing and tubes, between tubes and baffles · CPC title

• F01N1/003

  by using dead chambers communicating with exhaust gas flow passages · CPC title

• F01N2530/04

  Steel alloys, e.g. stainless steel · CPC title