Exhaust muffler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759105-B2
Application number	US-201615192112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

An exhaust gas stream for an internal combustion engine includes a muffler housing ( 12 ) with a first chamber ( 14 ) and a second chamber ( 16 ). An exhaust gas inlet ( 24 ) has a first chamber opening area ( 30 ) and a second chamber opening area ( 32 ). An exhaust gas outlet ( 36 ) is open in an outlet opening area ( 42 ) towards the first chamber. A connection opening ( 50 ) is provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and has an exhaust valve arrangement associated therewith, including a valve element ( 56 ) including a closing area ( 58 ) closing the connection opening in a closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement ( 52 ). The exhaust valve arrangement includes an actuating area ( 64 ) associated with the inlet second opening area for generating an actuating force acting on the exhaust valve arrangement, moving from the closed position in the direction of an open position by exhaust gas bypass flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exhaust muffler for an exhaust gas stream of a vehicle internal combustion engine, the muffler comprising:
a housing with a first chamber and a second chamber;
an exhaust gas inlet open towards the first chamber in a first inlet opening area and open towards the second chamber in a second inlet opening area;
an exhaust gas outlet open towards the first chamber in an outlet opening area;
at least one connection opening between the first chamber and the second chamber; and
an exhaust valve arrangement arranged in the second chamber and associated with the at least one connection opening, the valve arrangement comprising a valve element with a closing area closing the at least one connection opening in a closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement, the exhaust valve arrangement comprising an actuating area associated with the second inlet opening area, the actuating area generating an actuating force due to an exhaust gas bypass flow acting on the actuating area, said actuating force moving the exhaust valve arrangement from the closed position in a direction of an open position for thereby releasing the connection opening.

2. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the closing area comprises a valve flap area, which covers the at least one connection opening at least partly, on a side facing the second chamber, in the closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement.

3. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement further comprises an impact damping device associated with the valve element for damping an impact during motion of the valve element in a direction of the closed position of the valve arrangement.

4. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the impact damping device comprises impact damping material provided on a portion of the exhaust gas inlet providing the second inlet opening area or on the connection opening or on the valve element in a valve element area interacting with the portion providing the second inlet opening area or on a valve element area interacting with the connection opening or any combination of on the portion of the exhaust gas inlet providing the second inlet opening area and on the connection opening and on the valve element in a valve element area interacting with the portion providing the second inlet opening area and on a valve element area interacting with the connection opening.

5. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a first chamber leak flow arrangement is provided for providing an exhaust gas leak flow from the second chamber to the first chamber with the exhaust valve arrangement positioned in the closed position.

6. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the first chamber leak flow arrangement comprises at least one flowthrough opening in the closing area or in the connection opening or between the closing area and the connection opening.

7. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 3 , wherein:
a first leak opening device is provided for providing an exhaust gas leak flow from the second chamber to the first chamber with the exhaust valve arrangement positioned in the closed position; and
the impact damping device provides at least one part of the first leak opening device.

8. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the impact damping device comprises flexible, porous impact-absorbing material comprising a wire mesh material.

9. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein with the exhaust valve arrangement positioned in the closed position, the closing area is biased in a direction of the closed position because of a pressure difference existing between the second chamber and the first chamber.

10. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the exhaust valve arrangement is biased by the action of a supporting force in a direction of the closed position.

11. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the supporting force action is provided by spring force of a spring or by gravity force or by both spring force and gravity force.

12. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the supporting force action increases degressively during the motion of the exhaust valve arrangement from the closed position to the open position.

13. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the supporting force is provided by a supporting force arrangement comprising a supporting force spring acting on the valve element for pivoting the valve element in a direction of the closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement and a lever arm that decreases in at least some areas during the pivoting of the valve element from the closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement in a direction of the open position of the exhaust valve arrangement.

14. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the actuating area comprises an actuating flap area at the valve element, said flap area covering the second inlet opening area in the closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement at least partly on a side facing the second chamber.

15. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 14 , wherein a second chamber leak opening device is provided for providing an exhaust gas leak flow from the exhaust gas inlet into the second chamber when the exhaust valve arrangement is positioned in the closed position.

16. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the second chamber leak opening device comprises at least one flowthrough opening in the actuating area or in the second inlet opening area or between the actuating area and the second inlet opening area.

17. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the actuating area comprises at least one flow guide element, through which exhaust gas flows.

18. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the housing has a third chamber and further comprising muffling material in the third chamber wherein the third chamber is between the first chamber and the second chamber.

19. An exhaust muffler in accordance with claim 18 , wherein:
the exhaust gas inlet comprises at least one inlet pipe passing through the first chamber and the third chamber and open towards the first chamber in the first inlet opening area and is open in the second inlet opening area towards the second chamber; or
the exhaust gas outlet comprises at least one outlet pipe passing through the second chamber and the third chamber and open in the outlet opening area towards the first chamber; or
the connection opening comprises at least one connection pipe passing through the third chamber and open towards the first chamber and towards the second chamber; or
and combination of the exhaust gas inlet comprises at least one inlet pipe passing through the first chamber and the third chamber and open towards the first chamber in the first inlet opening area and is open in the second inlet opening area towards the second chamber, and the exhaust gas outlet comprises at least one outlet pipe passing through the second chamber and the third chamber and open in the outlet opening area towards the first chamber, and the connection opening comprises at least one connection pipe passing through the third chamber and open towards the first chamber and towards the second chamber.

20. An exhaust valve arrangement comprising:
a valve element with a closing area positioned in a closed position of the exhaust valve arrangement such that the valve element at least partially pr

Assignees

• Eberspächer Exhaust Tech Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Krüger Jan
• Wirth Georg

Classifications

• F01N2290/00

  Movable parts or members in exhaust systems for other than for control purposes · CPC title

• F01N2240/36

  an exhaust flap · CPC title

• F01N1/166

  for changing the flow path through the silencer or for adjusting the dimensions of a chamber or a pipe (F01N1/165 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01N1/163 Primary

  by means of valves · CPC title

• F01N1/003 Primary

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