US2007113547A1PendingUtilityA1

Exhaust treatment device with condensate gate

37
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Nov 21, 2005Filed: Nov 21, 2005Published: May 24, 2007
Est. expiryNov 21, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:David Thaler
Y02T10/12F01N 3/005
37
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating fluid are provided. The fluid treatment device may include a housing having a fluid treatment element therein. The device may further include at least one of (i) an inlet channel coupled to the housing and configured to direct fluid toward the fluid treatment element and (ii) an outlet channel coupled to the housing and configured to direct fluid away from the fluid treatment element. The at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel may include a shell member having an inner diameter and defining a fluid passage. The at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel may further include a gate member coupled to and arranged at least partially within the shell member and extending longitudinally from a first gate member portion having a diameter less than the inner diameter of the shell member to a second gate member portion having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the shell member.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus for treating fluid, comprising: 
 a housing having a fluid treatment element therein;    at least one of (i) an inlet channel coupled to the housing and configured to direct fluid toward the fluid treatment element and (ii) an outlet channel coupled to the housing and configured to direct fluid away from the fluid treatment element;    wherein at least one of the inlet channel and the outlet channel includes: 
 a shell member having an inner diameter and defining a fluid passage;  
 a gate member coupled to and arranged at least partially within the shell member and extending longitudinally from a first gate member portion having a diameter less than the inner diameter of the shell member to a second gate member portion having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the shell member.  
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the gate member has a frustoconical form.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the frustoconical form of the gate member extends from the first gate member portion to the second gate member portion.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the gate member extends from the first gate member portion toward and into engagement with the shell member; and    a fluid volume is defined within the shell member between the gate member and an internal wall of the shell member.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the gate member extends from the first gate member portion toward and into sealing engagement with shell member.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the gate member is welded to the shell member.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the gate member is welded to the shell member about an entire circumference of the gate member.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the shell member is a first shell member; and    the apparatus includes a second shell member arranged at least partially about the first shell member.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , including insulating material arranged between the first and second shell members.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the gate member is coupled to the second shell member.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the gate member is coupled to the first shell member and the second shell member.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the first gate member portion is arranged at least partially within the first shell member; and    the second gate member portion is arranged outside of the first shell member.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the second gate member portion is arranged inside the second shell member.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a frustoconical portion of the gate member extends from the first gate member portion to the second gate member portion.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a frustoconical portion of the gate member engages the first shell member and the second shell member.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a frustoconical portion of the gate member extends from within the first shell member into engagement with the second shell member.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the gate member extends from outside of the shell member into an opening in the shell member and extends into the shell member a first distance from the opening; and    the shell member has an aperture therein configured for permitting fluid egress from the shell member, the aperture being arranged within the shell member within a second distance from the opening, the second distance being less than or equal to the first distance.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid treatment element is an exhaust treatment element for treating exhaust gas from an engine.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the exhaust treatment element is a particulate filter.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the gate member is configured for at least inhibiting a flow of condensed fluid within the apparatus toward the fluid treatment device.  
   
   
       21 . A method of assembling a fluid treatment apparatus, the method comprising: 
 inserting a gate member at least partially into a fluid passage of a shell member having an inner diameter so that (i) a first portion of the gate member having a diameter less than the inner diameter of the shell member is arranged within the shell member and (ii) a second portion of the gate member having a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the shell member is arranged outside the shell member; and    coupling the shell member to a housing having a fluid treatment element therein so that the shell member is configured to direct a flow of fluid toward or away from the fluid treatment element.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , including coupling the gate member to the shell member.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the shell member is a first shell member; and    the method includes arranging a second shell member at least partially around the first shell member and at least partially around the gate member.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , including coupling the second portion of the gate member to the second shell member.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , including welding the gate member to at least one of the first shell member and the second shell member.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of welding the gate member to at least one of the first shell member and the second shell member includes welding the gate member about an entire circumference of the gate member.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the step of arranging a second shell member at least partially around the gate member includes arranging the second shell member so that a frustoconical portion of the gate member extending from within the first shell member to a position outside of the first shell member extends within the second shell member.  
   
   
       28 . A method of assembling a fluid treatment apparatus, the method comprising: 
 arranging an annular gate member, having a generally frustoconical portion, at least partially within a fluid passage of a shell member;    then coupling the shell member to a housing having a fluid treatment element therein so that the shell member is configured to direct a flow of fluid toward or away from the fluid treatment element.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of arranging an annular gate member at least partially within a fluid passage of a shell member includes coupling the gate member to the shell member.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein: 
 the shell member is a first shell member; and    the method includes arranging a second shell member at least partially around the first shell member and at least partially around the gate member.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , including coupling the gate member to the second shell member.

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