Connection pipe for connecting an active muffler to an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938871-B2
Application number	US-201615260683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A connection pipe ( 7 ), for the fluidic connection of a muffler housing ( 5 ) of an active muffler ( 4 ) with an exhaust gas-carrying pipe ( 3 ) of an exhaust line ( 2 ) of an exhaust system ( 1 ) for an internal combustion engine, of a motor vehicle, has a pipe wall ( 8 ), which envelopes a connection space ( 9 ) leading from the muffler housing to the exhaust pipe. A cooling pipe ( 14 ), through which a coolant can flow, has an inlet section ( 15 ) and an outlet section ( 16 ) and is arranged in the connection space. The inlet section ( 15 ) passes through the pipe wall ( 8 ), whereby a coolant inlet ( 17 ), through which coolant can enter the cooling air pipe, is arranged outside the connection pipe ( 7 ). The outlet section passes through the pipe wall, whereby a coolant outlet ( 19 ), through which coolant can escape from the cooling pipe, is arranged outside the connection pipe ( 7 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection pipe for the fluidic connection of a muffler housing of an active muffler with an exhaust gas-carrying exhaust pipe of an exhaust line of an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, the connection pipe comprising:
a connection pipe wall, which envelops a connection space leading from the muffler housing to the exhaust pipe; and
a cooling pipe, through which a coolant can flow and which has an inlet section and an outlet section, arranged in the connection space, wherein:
the inlet section passes through the connection pipe wall, with a coolant inlet, through which coolant can enter the cooling air pipe, arranged outside the connection pipe, the inlet section of the cooling pipe includes a bend arranged outside of the connection pipe wall such that the coolant inlet faces an ambient air flow; and
the outlet section passes through connection pipe wall, with a coolant outlet, through which coolant can escape from the cooling pipe, arranged outside the connection pipe wherein: the bend in the inlet section arranges an axial direction of the inlet section between the bend and the coolant inlet to face the ambient air flow, and further comprising: a plurality of cooling pipes similar to the cooling pipe, the bend of each of the plurality of cooling pipes being arranged at a different radial distance from the connection pipe wall.

2. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inlet section and the outlet section of the cooling pipe pass through the connection pipe wall on opposite sides of the connection pipe.

3. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are open toward a surrounding area enveloping the connection pipe, whereby ambient air can flow as a coolant through the cooling pipe.

4. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the cooling pipe is arranged relative to the connection pipe such that a development of a convective flow through the cooling pipe is facilitated in an installed state of the connection pipe and of the exhaust system and during the operation of the internal combustion engine.

5. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 3 , wherein:
the coolant outlet is located on a top side of the connection pipe;
the coolant inlet is located on an underside of the cooling pipe; and
the top side of the cooling pipe is located above the underside of the cooling pipe in relation to the direction of gravity.

6. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the cooling pipe is arranged or shaped or both arranged or shaped in relation to the connection pipe to position the coolant inlet so as to face the ambient air flow, which becomes established in the area of the connection pipe during use in a motor vehicle and with the vehicle moving due to the motion of the vehicle.

7. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the coolant inlet is beveled in relation to a central longitudinal axis of the cooling pipe such that an inlet cross section of the coolant inlet facing the ambient air flow is larger than a pipe cross section of the cooling pipe.

8. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the cooling pipe is straight at least in the connection space and is arranged obliquely relative to the connection pipe, whereby the coolant inlet faces the ambient air flow.

9. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a cooling air blower wherein the coolant inlet of the cooling pipe is connected to the cooling air blower, which draws in ambient air and delivers same through the respective cooling pipe, wherein the ambient air escapes again into the surrounding area through the coolant outlet of the respective cooling pipe.

10. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the cooling pipe is configured as a straight pipe at least in the connection space; or
the cooling pipe has a circular cross section at least in the connection space; and
the cooling pipe has an oblong cross section at least in the connection space.

11. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 3 , further comprising a blower wherein the cooling pipe is arranged or shaped or both arranged or shaped in relation to the connection pipe to position the coolant inlet so as to face an air flow which becomes established by the blower arranged in the surrounding area.

12. A connection pipe in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cooling pipes similar to the cooling pipe, each of the plurality of cooling pipes extending diametrically across the connection space with substantially no extension in an axial direction of the connection pipe wall;
the outlet section of the cooling pipes extend radially outward from the connection pipe wall.

13. An active muffler for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the active muffler comprising:
a muffler housing;
an electroacoustic converter arranged in the muffler housing; and
at least one connection pipe comprising:
a connection pipe wall fluidically connected to the muffler housing and fluidically connected to an exhaust pipe of an exhaust line of the exhaust system; and
a plurality of cooling pipes, through which a coolant can flow and which each has an inlet section and an outlet section, arranged in the connection space, wherein in each of the cooling pipes:
the inlet section passes through the connection pipe wall, with a coolant inlet, through which coolant can enter the cooling air pipe, arranged outside the connection pipe, the inlet section of the cooling pipe having a bend outside the connection pipe such that the coolant inlet faces an ambient air flow, each bend being arranged at a different radial distance from the connection pipe wall, the different radial distances increasing in a downstream direction of the ambient air flow; and
the outlet section passes through connection pipe wall, with a coolant outlet, through which coolant can escape from the cooling pipe, arranged outside the connection pipe.

14. An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, the exhaust system comprising:
an exhaust line;
a connection pipe wall defining a connection space fluidically connected to said exhaust line;
a muffler housing fluidically connected to said connection space;
an electroacoustic converter arranged in said muffler housing;
a cooling pipe passing diametrically though said connection space and through opposite sides of said connection pipe wall, said cooling pipe having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, both said cooling inlet and outlet being arranged radially outside said connection pipe wall, said cooling pipe defining a passage for coolant from said coolant inlet to said coolant outlet, said coolant inlet and said coolant outlet having openings open to a surrounding environment enveloping said connection pipe wall to flow ambient air as the coolant through said cooling pipe, said cooling pipe including an inlet section extending radially outward from said connection pipe wall, said inlet section having a bend arranging said opening of said coolant inlet to face an ambient air flow wherein: said bend in said inlet section arranges an axial direction of said inlet section between said bend and said opening to face the ambient air flow, and further comprising: a plurality of cooling pipes similar to said cooling pipe, said bend of each of said plurality of cooling pipes being arranged at a different radial distance from said connection pipe wall.

15. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
a plurality of cooling pipes

Assignees

• Eberspaecher Exhaust Tech Gmbh

Inventors

• Koch Viktor

Classifications

• F01N2260/20

  for heat or sound protection, e.g. using a shield or specially shaped outer surface of exhaust device · CPC title

• F01N2260/02

  for cooling the device · CPC title

• F01N1/065 Primary

  by using an active noise source, e.g. speakers · CPC title

• F01N2260/022

  using air · CPC title

• F01N2240/02

  a heat exchanger · CPC title