Muffler

Abstract

A muffler is disposed in an exhaust pipe extending from an internal combustion engine along a bottom side of a vehicle. The muffler includes a cylindrical outer shell having a pair of openings defined at opposing axial ends of the outer shell and a pair of outer plates each secured to the corresponding one of the opposing ends of the outer shell. The muffler has an interior defined by the outer plates and the outer shell. The muffler further includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe each supported by the corresponding one of the outer plates and extending in the interior of the muffler. Each of the inlet and outlet pipes has a curved portion. The curved portion is accommodated in the interior of the muffler. Accordingly, the muffler is configured relatively simple and has improved durability.

1 . A muffler for suppressing a noise caused by exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the muffler being disposed in an exhaust pipe extending from the engine along a bottom side of the vehicle, the muffler comprising: 
 a cylindrical outer shell having a pair of openings defined at opposing axial ends of the outer shell; and    a pair of outer plates each secured to the corresponding one of the opposing ends of the outer shell, the exhaust pipe being connected to the outer plates and having a curved portion in the vicinity of at least one of the connecting portions of the exhaust pipe with the outer plates, the curved portion being accommodated in the interior of the muffler defined by the outer plates and the outer shell.    
   
   
       2 . The muffler according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outer plates is expanded outward in the axial direction of the outer shell, and wherein the curved portion is accommodated in a section of the interior of the muffler defined by the expanded portion of the outer plate.  
   
   
       3 . The muffler according to  claim 2 , wherein the outer plate is expanded like a substantially spherical surface.  
   
   
       4 . The muffler according to  claim 2 , wherein the expanded outer plate includes a burring for supporting the exhaust pipe.  
   
   
       5 . The muffler according to  claim 2 , wherein a reinforcing rib is formed on a surface of the expanded outer plate.  
   
   
       6 . The muffler according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the outer plates is bonded with the outer shell through laser welding.  
   
   
       7 . The muffler according to  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust pipe includes an inner pipe section extending in the interior of the muffler and having the curved portion and an outer pipe section extending in the exterior of the muffler and connected to the inner pipe section, the inner pipe section being incorporated in the muffler for forming a portion of the muffler.  
   
   
       8 . The muffler according to  claim 7 , wherein a separator is provided in the muffler for defining a plurality of resonance chambers in the interior of the muffler, and wherein the inner pipe section is supported by one of the outer plates and the separator such that the curved portion is arranged between the outer plate and the separator.  
   
   
       9 . The muffler according to  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust pipe includes a first pipe section extending between the engine and one of the outer plates and a second pipe section extending from the other one of the outer plates to the exterior of the muffler, and wherein the curved portion is one of curved portions each formed in the corresponding one of the first and second pipe sections, the curved portions of the first and second pipe sections being accommodated in the interior of the muffler.  
   
   
       10 . A muffler for suppressing a noise caused by exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the muffler being disposed in an exhaust pipe extending from the engine along a bottom side of the vehicle, the exhaust pipe including a first pipe section extending between the engine and the muffler and a second pipe section extending from the muffler to the exterior, the muffler comprising: 
 a cylindrical outer shell having a pair of openings defined at opposing axial ends of the outer shell;    first and second outer plates each secured to the corresponding one of the opposing ends of the outer shell, the muffler having an interior defined by the outer plates and the outer shell;    a first inner pipe supported by the first outer plate and extending in the interior of the muffler, the first inner pipe having an end connected to the first pipe section in the exterior of the muffler; and    a second inner pipe supported by the second outer plate and extending in the interior of the muffler, the second inner pipe having an end connected to the second pipe section in the exterior of the muffler,    wherein at least one of the first and second inner pipes includes a curved portion in the vicinity of the portion of the inner pipe supported by the corresponding outer plate, the curved portion being accommodated in the interior of the muffler.    
   
   
       11 . The muffler according to  claim 10 , wherein the outer plate that supports the inner pipe having the curved portion is expanded outward in the axial direction of the outer shell, the curved portion being accommodated in a section of the interior of the muffler defined by the expanded portion of the outer plate.  
   
   
       12 . The muffler according to  claim 11 , wherein the outer plate is expanded like a substantially spherical surface.  
   
   
       13 . The muffler according to  claim 11 , wherein the expanded outer plate includes a burring for supporting the corresponding inner pipe.  
   
   
       14 . The muffler according to  claim 11 , wherein a reinforcing rib is formed on a surface of the expanded outer plate.  
   
   
       15 . The muffler according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second outer plates is bonded with the outer shell through laser welding.  
   
   
       16 . The muffler according to  claim 10 , wherein a separator is provided in the muffler for defining a plurality of resonance chambers in the interior of the muffler, and wherein the inner pipe having the curved portion is supported by the corresponding outer plate and the separator such that the curved portion is arranged between the outer plate and the separator.