Holding sealing material, exhaust gas purifying apparatus, and method for manufacturing exhaust gas purifying apparatus

Abstract

A holding sealing material includes a laminate of a plurality of mats and a film. The plurality of mats each include inorganic fibers and have a rectangular shape in a plan view. The plurality of mats are arranged in an order of longitudinal length from a shortest longitudinal length to a longest longitudinal length. The film is provided around a longest mat having the longest longitudinal length among the plurality of mats. The longest mat has a first main surface and a second main surface which is on a side opposite to the first main surface and which is in contact with a second longest mat. The film is adhered to the first main surface and longitudinal side surfaces of the longest mat and is adhered to the second main surface to allow the second main surface to be partly exposed.

1 . A holding sealing material comprising:
 a laminate of a plurality of mats each comprising inorganic fibers and having a rectangular shape in a plan view, the plurality of mats arranged in an order of longitudinal length from a shortest longitudinal length to a longest longitudinal length; and   a film provided around a longest mat having the longest longitudinal length among the plurality of mats, the longest mat having a first main surface and a second main surface which is on a side opposite to the first main surface and which is in contact with a second longest mat, the film being adhered to the first main surface and longitudinal side surfaces of the longest mat and being adhered to the second main surface to allow the second main surface to be partly exposed.   
     
     
         2 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the film adhered to surfaces of the longest mat is continuously wound once around the longest mat in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the longest mat,   the longest mat comprises a winding start position and a winding end position on the second main surface, and   the winding start position and the winding end position are spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         3 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the laminate of the plurality of mats comprises two mats.   
     
     
         4 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein a full length of the longest mat is from about 1.05 times to about 1.10 times a full length of the second longest mat in contact with the longest mat.   
     
     
         5 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein an area where a first main surface of the second longest mat is in direct contact with the second main surface of the longest mat is from about 40% to about 90% of an entire area of the first main surface of the second longest mat.   
     
     
         6 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the film comprises at least one of polyester, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene.   
     
     
         7 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the film has a thickness of from about 30 μm to about 60 μm.   
     
     
         8 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the film is fixed on the laminate of the plurality of mats with an adhesive or by thermocompression bonding.   
     
     
         9 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of mats are bound by at least one band with no fixing strength.   
     
     
         10 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the band comprises paper or resin.   
     
     
         11 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of mats are fixed to each other at at least one fixed part.   
     
     
         12 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the fixed part extends along a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the laminate of the plurality of mats.   
     
     
         13 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the plurality of mats are fixed to each other at two fixed parts.   
     
     
         14 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein a distance between the two fixed parts is from about 1/20 to about ¾ of a full length of a mat with a shortest full length.   
     
     
         15 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the fixed part comprises thread, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, or an adhesive.   
     
     
         16 . The holding sealing material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of mats is from about 1.5 mm to about 15 mm.   
     
     
         17 . An exhaust gas purifying apparatus comprising:
 an exhaust gas treating body;   a metal casing accommodating the exhaust gas treating body;   a holding sealing material placed between the exhaust gas treating body and the metal casing; and   the holding sealing material comprising:
 a laminate of a plurality of mats each comprising inorganic fibers and having a rectangular shape in a plan view, the plurality of mats arranged in an order of longitudinal length from a shortest longitudinal length to a longest longitudinal length, a longest mat having the longest longitudinal length among the plurality of mats facing the metal casing, a shortest mat having the shortest longitudinal length among the plurality of mats facing the exhaust gas treating body; and 
 a film provided around the longest mat, the longest mat having a first main surface and a second main surface which is on a side opposite to the first main surface and which is in contact with a second longest mat, the film being adhered to the first main surface and longitudinal side surfaces of the longest mat and being adhered to the second main surface to allow the second main surface to be partly exposed. 
   
     
     
         18 . The exhaust gas purifying apparatus according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the film adhered to surfaces of the longest mat is continuously wound once around the longest mat in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the longest mat,   the longest mat comprises a winding start position and a winding end position on the second main surface, and   the winding start position and the winding end position are spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         19 . A method for manufacturing an exhaust gas purifying apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of mats each comprising inorganic fibers and having a rectangular shape in a plan view;   arranging the plurality of mats in an order of longitudinal length from a shortest longitudinal length to a longest longitudinal length to form a laminate;   adhering a film around a longest mat having the longest longitudinal length among the plurality of mats, the film being adhered to both main surfaces and longitudinal side surfaces of the longest mat, part of one of the main surfaces being exposed, said one of the main surfaces being in contact with a second longest mat;   winding the laminate of the plurality of mats around an exhaust gas treating body so that a shortest mat having the shortest longitudinal length faces the exhaust gas treating body; and   press-fitting the exhaust gas treating body with the laminate of the plurality of mats into a metal casing so that the longest mat faces the metal casing.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the film is adhered to surfaces of the longest mat by continuously winding the film once around the longest mat in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the longest mat,   the longest mat is made to have a winding start position and a winding end position on a partly exposed main surface, and   the winding start position and the winding end position are spaced apart from each other.