Horizontal muffler mounting assembly for an off-road vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869229-B2
Application number	US-201514826034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A system includes a mounting assembly for a muffler of an off-road vehicle including a first mounting pad rotatably coupled to a first support. The first mounting pad is configured to rotate in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, about a first rotation axis. The mounting assembly also includes a second mounting pad rotatably coupled to a second support. The second mounting pad is configured to rotate in the first direction and in the second direction about a second rotation axis. Moreover, the first and second mounting pads are laterally offset from one another relative to a longitudinal axis of the muffler, the first and second mounting pads are configured to support the muffler, and the first and second mounting pads are configured to independently rotate relative to the respective supports about the respective rotation axes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mounting assembly for a muffler of an off-road vehicle, comprising:
a first mounting pad rotatably coupled to a first support, wherein the first mounting pad is configured to rotate in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, about a first rotation axis; and
a second mounting pad rotatably coupled to a second support, wherein the second mounting pad is configured to rotate in the first direction and in the second direction about a second rotation axis;
wherein the first and second mounting pads are laterally offset from one another relative to a longitudinal axis of the muffler, the first and second mounting pads are configured to support the muffler, and the first and second mounting pads are configured to independently rotate relative to the respective supports about the respective rotation axes,
wherein the first and second supports are coupled to a cradle and the cradle is configured to support the first and second supports, and
wherein the first mounting pad comprises a first blocking member, the second mounting pad comprises a second blocking member, or a combination thereof, wherein each blocking member is configured to block rotation of the respective mounting pad about the respective rotation axis via contact with the cradle.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , comprising at least one strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the cradle on a first lateral side of the muffler and the second end is coupled to the cradle on a second lateral side of the muffler, opposite the first side, and the at least one strap extends along a vertical side of the muffler, opposite the first and second mounting pads, to secure the muffler to the cradle.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first mounting pad is configured to contact a surface of the muffler at at least one point, and the second mounting pad is configured to contact the surface of the muffler at at least two points, while the muffler is mounted to the cradle.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , where the first and second mounting pads extend along more than 50 percent of a length of the muffler along the longitudinal axis.

5. A mounting assembly for a muffler of an off-road vehicle, comprising:
a cradle configured to receive the muffler, and to couple to a frame of the off-road vehicle;
a first mounting pad assembly coupled to the cradle, wherein the first mounting pad assembly comprises:
a first support mounted on a support surface of the cradle;
a first body rotatably coupled to the first support, wherein the first body is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis; and
a first mounting pad coupled to the first body, wherein the first mounting pad is configured to contact an outer surface of the muffler to support the muffler within the mounting assembly; and

a second mounting pad assembly coupled to the cradle and laterally offset from the first mounting pad assembly relative to a longitudinal axis of the muffler, wherein the second mounting pad assembly comprises:
a second support mounted on the support surface of the cradle;
a second body rotatably coupled to the second support, wherein the second body is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis; and
a second mounting pad coupled to the second body, wherein the second mounting pad is bent to contact the outer surface of the muffler at two points to support the muffler within the mounting assembly,

wherein each of the first mounting pad assembly and the second mounting pad assembly includes a rotation fastener configured to facilitate rotation of the respective body while in a free state to block rotation of the respective body while in a locked state.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , comprising at least one strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the cradle on a first lateral side of the muffler and the second end is coupled to the cradle on a second lateral side of the muffler, opposite the first side, and the at least one strap extends along a vertical side of the muffler, opposite the first and second mounting pad assemblies, to secure the muffler to the cradle.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , where the first and second mounting pads extend along more than 50 percent of a length of the muffler along the longitudinal axis.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , comprising a plurality of first and second mounting pad assemblies disposed along the longitudinal axis of the muffler, wherein the first mounting pad assembly of the plurality of first mounting pad assemblies are longitudinally offset from one another such that each first mounting pad of the plurality of first mounting pad assemblies is configured to contact the outer surface of the muffler, and wherein the second mounting pad assembly of the plurality of second mounting pad assemblies are longitudinally offset from one another such that each second mounting pad of the plurality of second mounting pad assemblies is configured to contact the outer surface of the muffler.

9. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first mounting pad is configured to contact the outer surface of the muffler at at least one point, and the second mounting pad is configured to contact the outer surface of the muffler at at least two points, while the muffler is mounted to the mounting assembly.

10. A mounting assembly for a muffler of an off-road vehicle, comprising:
a cradle configured to receive the muffler, and to couple to a frame of the off-road vehicle;
a first mounting pad assembly coupled to the cradle, wherein the first mounting pad assembly comprises:
a first support mounted on a support surface of the cradle;
a first body rotatably coupled to the first support, wherein the first body is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis; and
a first mounting pad coupled to the first body, wherein the first mounting pad is configured to contact an outer surface of the muffler to support the muffler within the mounting assembly; and

a second mounting pad assembly coupled to the cradle and laterally offset from the first mounting pad assembly relative to a longitudinal axis of the muffler, wherein the second mounting pad assembly comprises:
a second support mounted on the support surface of the cradle;
a second body rotatably coupled to the second support, wherein the second body is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis; and
a second mounting pad coupled to the second body, wherein the second mounting pad is bent to contact the outer surface of the muffler at two points to support the muffler within the mounting assembly,

wherein the first mounting pad comprises a first blocking member, the second mounting pad comprises a second blocking member, or a combination thereof, wherein each blocking member is configured to block rotation of the respective body about the respective rotation axis.

11. The mounting assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second blocking members is configured to block rotation of the respective body about the respective rotation axis via contact with the cradle.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Novacek Jason Keith
• Rasset John Thomas
• Hintz Christopher
• Weigel Jonathan
• Keller Nathaniel James
• Boeshans James Patrick
• Weyer Jason
• Carlson Nathan
• Tveito David Larry
• Snow Parker Dan
• Bautz Chad
• Fink Jacob Eugene

Classifications

• B60Y2200/22

  Agricultural vehicles · CPC title

• B60K13/04 Primary

  concerning exhaust · CPC title

• B60Y2306/09

  Reducing noise · CPC title

• F01N13/1805 Primary

  Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body (pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K) · CPC title

• B60Y2200/20

  Off-Road Vehicles · CPC title