Exhaust apparatus

Abstract

In the vicinity of the floor of a vehicle and downstream of the muffler, a pair of cross members are provided to sandwich the first portion (i.e. the intermediate portion) of the exhaust pipe from the top and bottom. The minimum distance in the vertical direction of the cross members is smaller than the maximum height of the muffler. By doing this, when the muffler is displaced toward the rear of the vehicle, the muffler comes into contact with and is caught by the pair of cross members. The distance in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the part of the cross members which the muffler catches on and the part of the muffler which the cross members make contact with is set to be a smaller value than the minimum distance between the second portion of the exhaust pipe and the fuel tank.

1 . An exhaust apparatus comprising:
 a fuel system apparatus, provided at the rear of a vehicle;   an exhaust pipe, connected to an internal combustion engine mounted aboard the vehicle; and   a muffler, provided midway in the exhaust pipe,   wherein   the exhaust pipe has a first portion and a second portion which are disposed downstream from the muffler;   the first portion of the exhaust pipe connects with the muffler and extends from the muffler to the second portion of the exhaust pipe; and   the second portions of the exhaust pipe is bent with respect to the first portion of the exhaust pipe and extends toward the rear of the vehicle, wherein the second portion of the exhaust pipe maintains a prescribed clearance around the fuel system apparatus along at least a part of the fuel system apparatus,   the exhaust apparatus further comprises a restricting member, provided behind the muffler, which makes contact with the muffler to restrict the displacement of the muffler when the muffler is displaced toward the rear of the vehicle,   wherein a distance in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the restricting member and the mufflers is smaller than the minimum distance in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the second portion of the exhaust pipe and the fuel system apparatus.   
   
   
       2 . The exhaust apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the restricting member is a cross member that reinforces the vehicle. 
   
   
       3 . The exhaust apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a pair of cross members are provided to sandwich, from above and below, a rear portion of the mufflers, and the minimum distance between the pair of cross members is smaller than the maximum height of the muffler. 
   
   
       4 . The exhaust apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein a joint that absorbs vertical displacement of the first portion of the exhaust pipe associated with the vertical displacement of the muffler is provided in the first portion of the exhaust pipe. 
   
   
       5 . The exhaust apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein a part that bends more easily when the muffler is displaced vertically than other part of the exhaust pipe is provided in the first portion of the exhaust pipe. 
   
   
       6 . The exhaust apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel system apparatus is a fuel tank.