WO2001069055A1

WO2001069055A1 - Flexible catalytic converter for exhaust pipe of automobiles

Info

Publication number: WO2001069055A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/000293
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yeoun-Ho Shin
Original assignee: Dnv Inc.
Priority date: 2000-03-17
Filing date: 2000-03-31
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Also published as: KR20010091754A

Abstract

A flexible catalytic converter for automobile, comprising: a catalyst cover (10) having a predetermined width and dimensions on the lower part of the vehicle, including an inlet end (12) and an outlet end (13) at opposing ends, and a space portion (11) internally located in the converter; a guide (30) located in the inlet end (12) of the catalyst cover (10), for performing the bending motion by being selectively slid in bending displacement from the engine and road vibrations; a plate-supporting bracket (40) with a predetermined interval at the rear of the guide (30) in the space portion (11) of the catalyst cover (10), for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight, with a fixing surface (41) on the end; bellows (50) located under the guide member (30) and the plate-supporting bracket (40), for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight and absorbing the bending and expansion; and a buffer (60) attached to the guide (30) in the inlet end (12) of the catalyst cover (10).

Description

FLEXIBLE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FOR EXHAUST PIPE OF AUTOMOBILES

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a flexible catalytic converter for exhaust pipe of automobiles, and more particularly, to the flexible catalytic converter for installing the flexible coupling of an automobile into the catalytic converter of ternary catalysis, to improve the element disposition in the exhaust pipe.

BACKGROUND ART

Recent vehicles preferably adopt the larger engines, which increase the engine roll vibration in startup, sudden acceleration or gearshift. Further, the vibrations of the exhaust pipe may occur depending on the road conditions .

Conventional engines of the vehicle are connected to the exhaust pipe employing a muffler for exhausting the exhaust gas from the vehicle. For connection, a coupling element is installed to absorb and buffer the vibration displacement, impact load or heat deformation. The coupling element on this location should be strong and compact for self-supporting the exhaust pipe with minimum number of lightweight hanger mount.

The flexible coupling of the exhaust pipe absorbs the displacement from the vibration from engine or road in travelling, to improve the passengers' comfort and prolong the fatigue life of exhaust system and durability. The catalytic converter of ternary catalysis installed in the exhaust pipe of automobile acts as an exhaust gas purifier and functions to minimize the undesirable emission of hazardous gas into the air. The hazardous element such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon or nitrogenous compound, which is included in the exhaust gas from the engine, are removed from the gas by way of oxidation or deoxidization. Materials such as platinum, palladium and rhodium are used as a catalyst in the catalytic converter.

Conventional catalytic converter with a predetermined size includes an inlet end 1 and an outlet end 2 at opposite ends. The converter also includes a catalyst cover 3 of which inside is empty, catalyst 4 internally arranged at the catalyst cover 3 and for purifying the damp gas emission into the air by way of oxidation or deoxidization, and a mat 5 externally arranged on the catalyst 4 and for buffering and adiabatic operation and preventing the catalyst 4 from being floated.

Since the conventional flexible coupling and catalytic converter have been independently installed on the exhaust pipe of the automobile, it is disadvantageous of the exhaust pipe with little available space. If a long-type flexible coupler is to be installed, the exhaust pipe should be entirely re-designed in order to find the desired space.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible catalytic converter of ternary catalysis with the automobile flexible coupler in an automobile exhaust pipe, to improve the element disposition availability in the exhaust pipe and working efficiency.

It is the other object of the present invention to provide a flexible catalytic converter in an automobile exhaust pipe to improve the product reliability and to guarantee the superior quality.

To achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a flexible catalytic converter comprising a catalyst cover 10 having a predetermined width and dimensions on the lower part of the vehicle, including an inlet end 12 and an outlet end 13 at opposing ends, and space portion 11 internally located in the converter; catalyst 20 in the space portion 11 of the catalyst cover 10, for purifying the exhaust gas from the engine by way of oxidation or deoxidization; a guide 30 located in the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10, for performing the bending motion by being selectively slid in bending displacement from the engine and road vibrations; a plate-supporting bracket 40 with a predetermined interval at the rear of the guide 30 in the space portion 11 of the catalyst cover 10, for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight, with a fixing surface 41 on the end; bellows 50 located under the guide 30 and the plate-supporting bracket 40, for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight and absorbing the bending and expansion; and a buffer 60 attached to the guide 30 inside the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10, for leading the buffering and bending of the guide 30.

According to the present invention, the flexible catalytic converter for automobile exhaust pipe employs the bellows 50 and the buffer 60 beneath the catalyst cover 10 of the catalytic converter for purifying the exhaust gas from the engine by way of oxidation or deoxidization, for absorbing the displacement from the engine and road vibrations in travelling. This configuration secures the desired space for the necessary elements and improves the product reliability.

Accordingly, the present invention prevents the conventional disadvantages from the narrow space in the exhaust pipe and guarantees the superior product reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawing which is given by way of illustration only, and thus is not a limitation of the present invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plane sectional view showing an interior the flexible catalytic converter for an automobile exhaust pipe according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an interior the flexible catalytic converter for an automobile exhaust pipe according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plane sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a partially perspective view of the conventional catalytic converter.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figs. 1 to 4 show a catalyst cover 10 of the flexible catalytic converter for an automobile exhaust pipe, a space portion 11 in the body, and catalyst 20 to be filled in the space portion 11.

The catalyst 20 aims to purify the exhaust gas emission from the engine in the direction of the muffler by way of oxidation or deoxidization and at least one catalyst is used as known to the art. At the opposing ends of the space portion 11, the inlet end 12 and the outlet end 13 are opened, so as to keep the outlet end 13 to be connected to the exhaust pipe, and enable the buffer 60 and the bellows 50 having the flexible buffering function to be arranged in the inlet end 12.

A cover 90 has a supporting jaw 91 at the edge along an extended catalyst cover 10, in order to arrange the bellows 50 and the buffer 60 in the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10.

The cover 90 may be an extended type from the catalyst cover 10 in a body or an additional cover 90 may be attached to easily arrange the bellows 50 and buffer 60 within the space portion 11. Butt welding with a plate-supporting brackets 40 makes in this configuration airtight.

The cover 90 adjacent to the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10 secures the space for the buffer 60 between the guide 30, for absorbing the displacement by compressing and sliding the buffer 60 when the expansion and bending displacements are incurred in the longitudinal direction between the supporting jaw 91 and the contact surface 31 of the guide 30.

For the buffer 60, a mesh ring 61 is used, which has resilience and easy formation characteristics, made of thin wires upon compression and a ring-shape formation. On the bottom of the buffer 60, a guide surface 62 having a curvature radius with regard to the contact surface 31 of the guide 30, to selectively slide the guide 30 in contact with the surface being attached to the contact surface 31 of the guide 30.

The mesh ring 61 used for the buffer 60, which is fixed to attach the inner supporting jaw 91 of the cover 90 contacts with the guide 30, so that the guide 30 is slid to buffer and absorb the bending displacement. Due to the repetitive frictions applied to the surface contact 31 of the guide 30, it is desirable to apply the carbon or insulation coating on the surface. Other method by appropriate surface treatment materials is also applicable. The catalyst 20 within the space portion 11 of the catalyst cover 10, for purifying the exhaust gas, functions to remove the carbon monoxide (CO) , hydrocarbon (HC) or nitrogenous compound included in the exhaust gas by way of oxidation or deoxidization. A mat 21 is located between the catalyst cover 10 and the catalyst 20, for preventing the catalyst 20 from floating. The catalyst 20 in the middle of the space portion 11 under the catalyst cover 10 is fixed by the mat 21, so as to prevent the catalyst 20 from being damaged by floating. The mat 21 is preferably made of a wire mesh type or a mixture of wire mesh and asbestos for durability.

Inner of the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10, a guide 30 for carrying out the bending motion is installed by selectively sliding in bending displacement from the engine and road vibrations .

A contact surface 31 having a predetermined curvature radius is located on center of the guide 30, for leading the bending motion upon sliding in the bending displacement in contact with the buffer 60. The guide 30 in contact with the buffer 60, as shown in Fig. 1, is slid with respect to the motion center C of a bellows 50 within the range of a predetermined angle, while the guide surface 62 of the buffer 60 is in contact with the contact surface 31 of the guide 30, thereby absorbing and buffering the bending displacement. The sliding angle of the guide 30 in bending displacement may be varied with respect to the motion center C and the curvature radius R, depending on the elements to be applied. The bending center point is set to a motion center C of the bellows 50, so that the bellows 50 leads to have a genuine angular motion and lowers the stress in order to improve the durability.

A plate-supporting bracket 40 is made to have a fixing surface 41 with a predetermined interval in the direction of the rear end of the guide 30. The plate- supporting bracket 40 isolates and protects the bellows 50 and a coil spring 80 from the exhaust gas at high temperature, while the bracket 40 locates at the other side of the guide 30 to support the coil spring 80 and the bellows 50. The plate-supporting bracket 40 is formed with a predetermined interval to secure the moving range in bending displacement of the guide 30, coil spring 80 and bellows 50.

The coil spring 80 between the guide 30 and the plate-supporting bracket 40 pushes the guide 30 in the direction of the buffer 60, so that the guide 30 contacts with the buffer 60. By the coil spring 80, the guide 30 is continuously contacts with the buffer 60 and leads the bending motion by sliding the guide 30 in contact with the buffer 60, thereby absorbing and buffering the bending displacement.

The bellows 50 is installed beneath the guide 30 and located at the lower part of the plate-supporting bracket 40, for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight and for absorbing the bending and expansion. Inside the bellows 50, a front sleeve 71 and a rear sleeve 72 are oppositely installed for guiding the exhaust gas with respect to the center of the bellows 50 and for protecting the bellows 50 from the exhaust gas at high temperature. The front sleeve 71 and the rear sleeve 72 are separately arranged with respect to the body center, so that the front sleeve 71 leads to absorb the bending displacement as the bellows 50 and the guide 30 perform the same function.

At the rear end of the rear sleeve 72 is an elongated portion 73 for easing the flow of the exhaust gas. Due to the elongated portion 73, which is outwardly open at the rear end of the rear sleeve 72, the exhaust gas may flow in the direction of the catalyst 20.

Referring to Fig. 3, in order to absorb and buffer the bending displacement, a flexible coupling is arranged in the inlet end 12 of the catalyst cover 10. The flexible coupling enables the coil spring 80 and bellows

50 to locate between the plate-supporting bracket 40 and the guide 30 and absorb the bending displacement. It is preferable to arrange the buffer 60 between a supporting jaw 91 and the guide 30, the supporting jaw 91 bent in the middle of the cover 90.

While the front sleeve 71 and the rear sleeve 72 are installed for protecting the bellows 50 from the exhaust gas at high temperature, the elongated portion 73 is shown at the rear end of the rear sleeve 72 to accommodate the flow of the exhaust gas.

The same constitution is also applied to the portions in the direction of the outlet end 13 of the catalyst cover 10, for improving the buffering and absorbing effects of the displacement from the vibrations by engine and road in travelling the vehicle.

As aforementioned above, the flexible catalytic converter for automobile exhaust pipe according to the present invention utilizes the catalytic converter for the exhaust gas from the engine by way of oxidation or deoxidization, in which the flexible coupling function is applied to one end or both ends inside the catalyst cover 10 of the catalytic converter for absorbing the displacement from the engine and road vibrations in travelling, thereby securing the necessary space in automobile exhaust configuration and improving the workability with the exhaust pipe elements as well.

The present invention has an advantage of removing the problem due to the narrow space for the exhaust pipe elements.

The present invention serves to reduce the mounting space for the catalytic converter and flexible coupling while maintaining the same function thereof.

The present invention has an advantage to provide an efficient device and improve the reliability of the device.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that these and various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without strictly following the exemplary application illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile, comprising : a catalyst cover (10) having a predetermined width and dimensions on the lower part of the vehicle, including an inlet end (12) and an outlet end (13) at opposing ends, and a space portion (11) internally located in the converter; catalyst (20) located in the space portion (11) of the catalyst cover (10), for purifying the exhaust gas from the engine by way of oxidation or deoxidization; a guide (30) located in the inlet end (12) of the catalyst cover (10), for performing the bending motion by being selectively slid in bending displacement from the engine and road vibrations; a plate-supporting bracket (40) with a predetermined interval at the rear of the guide (30) in the space portion (11) of the catalyst cover (10), for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight, with a fixing surface (41) on the end; bellows (50) located under the guide member (30) and the plate-supporting bracket (40) , for maintaining the exhaust gas to be airtight and absorbing the bending and expansion; and a buffer (60) attached to the guide (30) in the inlet end (12) of the catalyst cover (10), for leading the buffering and bending of the guide (30) .

2. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 1, wherein the guide (30) and plate- supporting bracket (40), and the bellows (50) and the buffer (60) are oppositely installed in the direction of the front inlet end (12) and the rear outlet end (13) of the catalyst cover (10), respectively.

3. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a contact surface (31) at the center of the guide (30) slides to lead the bending motion, being in contact with a guide surface (62) of the buffer (60) in bending displacement, the contact surface (31) having a predetermined curvature radius (R) .

4. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a coil spring (80) is installed between the guide (30) and the plate- supporting bracket (40), to enable the guide (30) support the buffer (60) .

5. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a cover (90) having a supporting jaw (91) is attached to the inlet end (12) of the catalyst cover (10) .

6. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a front sleeve (70) and a rear sleeve (72) are separately arranged with respect to the center, in order to enable the guide (30) to be in contact with the buffer (60) at the inner bellows (50) by sliding and leading the bending motion.

7. A flexible catalytic converter for automobile according to claim 6, wherein an elongated portion (73) is formed at the rear end of the rear sleeve (72) for easing the flow of the exhaust gas, the elongated portion (72) outwardly open at the rear end of the rear sleeve (72) .