Exhaust structure of industrial vehicle

Abstract

An exhaust structure for a forklift having an engine mounted in a rear section is disclosed. The exhaust structure includes a conducting pipe, a sub-muffler, and a sub-exhaust pipe. The conducting pipe conducts exhaust gas discharged from the engine to a front section of the forklift. The sub-muffler is arranged in a front section of the forklift and connected to the conducting pipe. The sub-exhaust pipe conducts exhaust gas that has passed through the sub-muffler to the rear section of the forklift. The conducting pipe, the sub-muffler, and the sub-exhaust pipe are attached to a lower portion of the forklift.

1 . An exhaust structure for an industrial vehicle having an engine mounted in a rear section of the vehicle, the exhaust structure comprising: 
 a first pipe for conducting exhaust gas discharged from the engine to a front section of the vehicle;    a muffler that is located in the front section of the vehicle and connected to the first pipe; and    a second pipe for conducting the exhaust gas that has passed through the muffler to the rear section of the vehicle,    wherein the first pipe, the muffler, and the second pipe are attached to a lower portion of the vehicle.    
   
   
       2 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pipe and the second pipe each have a cross section that is long sideways in a direction of the width of the vehicle.  
   
   
       3 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the muffler is located between front wheels of the vehicle.  
   
   
       4 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a heat insulator is located between a vehicle body frame and the first and second pipes.  
   
   
       5 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pipe, the muffler, and the second pipe form a single assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pipe has an outlet section connected to the muffler, wherein the second pipe has an inlet section connected to the muffler, wherein the muffler has a cylindrical outer surface, and a bottom surface of the outlet section and a bottom surface of the inlet section are connected to the outer surface of the muffler so as to be tangential to the outer surface.  
   
   
       7 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pipe has an outlet section connected to the muffler, wherein the second pipe has an inlet section connected to the muffler, and wherein the cross-sectional area of each of the outlet section and the inlet section is increased toward the muffler.  
   
   
       8 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a base plate fixed to a vehicle body frame of the vehicle, 
 wherein each of the first pipe and the second pipe has a channel-like cross-section and is attached to the base plate so as to form a passage through which exhaust gas flows.    
   
   
       9 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pipe and the second pipe each have an elliptical cross section.  
   
   
       10 . The exhaust structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the muffler is a sub-muffler, the exhaust structure further comprising: 
 an exhaust path extending between the engine and the first pipe; and    a main muffler located in the exhaust path, the main muffler being located rearward of the sub-muffler in the vehicle.