Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01N13/00—Exhaust or silencing apparatus characterised by constructional features ; Exhaust or silencing apparatus, or parts thereof, having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01N1/00 - F01N5/00, F01N9/00, F01N11/00
  • F01N13/18—Construction facilitating manufacture, assembly, or disassembly
  • F01N13/1805—Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body
  • F01N13/1811—Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body with means permitting relative movement, e.g. compensation of thermal expansion or vibration
  • F01N13/1816—Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body with means permitting relative movement, e.g. compensation of thermal expansion or vibration the pipe sections being joined together by flexible tubular elements only, e.g. using bellows or strip-wound pipes
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16L51/00—Expansion-compensation arrangements for pipe-lines
  • F16L51/02—Expansion-compensation arrangements for pipe-lines making use of bellows or an expansible folded or corrugated tube
  • F16L51/025—Expansion-compensation arrangements for pipe-lines making use of bellows or an expansible folded or corrugated tube with several corrugations

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a flexible connector and relates more especially to a flexible connector for connection in a motor vehicle exhaust system.
• Flexible connectors for motor vehicle exhaust systems consist of a helically corrugated or ring corrugated metallic bellows member which is provided with an outer braided tubular hose disposed coaxially around it, and also with an inner braided tubular liner, the common ends of the inner tubular liner, the bellows member and the outer braided hose being radially expanded outwards within a surrounding cylindrical support ring to provide a pipe coupling end.
• each end of the inner braided liner with an inner support ring which is spot welded to the braided liner and the support ring is radially expanded outwards together with the inner braided liner, the bellows member, and the outer braided hose, within the surrounding cylindrical support ring. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible connector of the kind described but which obviates the need to provide the inner support rings spot welded to the inner braided liner.
• a flexible connector comprising a metallic corrugated bellows member and a braided tubular liner disposed in said bellows member, said braided liner having a circumferential continuously welded end which is disposed within an end part of said bellows member and which is expanded radially outwards into contact with the inner surface of said bellows member.
• said flexible connector comprises an outer braided tubular hose member which is disposed coaxially around said bellows member, the common ends of said braided liner, said bellows member and said outer hose member being radially expanded outwards within a cylindrical support ring surrounding said ends.
• the or each end of said braided tubular liner is resistance welded around the circumference thereof, and conveniently, the resistance weld may be effected by a pair of electrically energized opposed roller between which the braided wall of said tubular liner is passed.
• Fig. 1 is a fragmentary and partially cut- away view of a flexible connector in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 2 is a photographic perspective view of the left hand end of the flexible connector of Fig. 1.
• a flexible connector for connection in a motor vehicle exhaust system.
• the flexible connector of Fig. 1 comprises a helically corrugated or ring corrugated bellows member 1 which is provided with plain cylindrical end portions 2, only the left hand portion of which is shown.
• the bellows member 1 is provided with an outer braided tubular hose 3 disposed coaxially around it and also with an inner braided tubular liner 4.
• the ends of the outer braided hose 3 and the inner braided liner 4 extend adjacent the plain cylindrical ends 2 of the bellows member 1 and are contained within an outer cylindrical support ring 5 disposed on each end of the assembly.
• the common ends of the braided tubular liner 4, the bellows member 1 and the outer braided hose 3 are radially expanded within the outer support ring 5 in order to secure the parts together and in order to provide a correctly sized aperture for receiving an exhaust pipe to which the flexible connector may subsequently be connected.
• each of the inner braided liners with an inner support ring which is spot welded to the braided liner in a prior subassembly procedure.
• the need for an inner support ring for each end of the inner braided liner 4 is obviated by arranging that each end of the inner braided liner 4 is continuously welded around its circumference so as to cause the individual wires of the braid to be welded together as shown at 6 in Fig. 1.
• the ends of the inner braided liner 4 may be welded using any convenient welding technique, although electric resistance welding has been found to be very suitable. Typically the electric resistance welding may be effected by using a pair of electrically energized opposed roller between which the braided wall of the inner braided liner is passed.
• the flexible connector which has been described has been given by way of example only and may be adapted to suit any particular application.
• the flexible connector described is for use in motor vehicle exhaust systems, other applications may be possible.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Exhaust Silencers (AREA)
• Joints Allowing Movement (AREA)
• Rigid Pipes And Flexible Pipes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10825975

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1998
  • 1998-01-27 GB GB9801727A patent/GB2333566B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-01-26 EP EP99901721A patent/EP1051565A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-01-26 AU AU21727/99A patent/AU2172799A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-01-26 JP JP2000528785A patent/JP2002501141A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-01-26 WO PCT/GB1999/000094 patent/WO1999037898A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-01-27 ZA ZA9900605A patent/ZA99605B/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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