Modular muffler assembly and method

Abstract

A modular system for muffler production and assembly allows various muffler designs to be produced from a common set of components. In particular, modular stamped muffler housing components, including two endcap designs and an intermediate body component design, can be assembled in various ways to produce muffler shells of varying length and configuration, while also ensuring high performance of the finished product. Additional components, such as crossover tubes, baffles and manifold pipes, may be integrated into a particular muffler design upon final assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A muffler comprising:
 a first endcap having a first annular body with a first closed end and a first open end opposite the first closed end, the first open end defining an outer periphery;   a second endcap having a second annular body with a second closed end and a second open end opposite the second closed end having a lip defining an inner periphery commensurate with the outer periphery such that the lip is sealingly receivable over the first open end;   a baffle configured to control a flow of gases through at least one of the first endcap and the second endcap; and   a crossover tube extending through the baffle and configured to transmit at least a portion of the flow of gases from an intake port to an exhaust port of the muffler.   
     
     
         2 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle abuts an interior wall of one of the first annular body and the second annular body. 
     
     
         3 . The muffler of  claim 1 , further comprising an annular intermediate component interposed between the first endcap and the second endcap,
 the lip of the second endcap sealingly received over a first mating surface of the intermediate component, and   the first endcap including a second lip adjacent the first open end, the second lip sealingly received over a second mating surface of the intermediate component endcap, the first and second mating surfaces at opposing axial end portions of the intermediate component.   
     
     
         4 . The muffler of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the baffle is a first baffle formed as a separate component from the first endcap and the second endcap, and   the annular intermediate component includes an integrally formed second baffle formed at one of the axial end portions thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first endcap and the second endcap includes a radial aperture formed through the annular body thereof, the muffler further comprising a manifold pipe connected to the annular body at the radial aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The muffler of  claim 5 , further comprising a reinforcement plate disposed about the radial aperture, the reinforcement plate configured to effectively thicken a cross-sectional wall thickness of the annular body having the radial aperture, about a connection between the manifold pipe and the annular body. 
     
     
         7 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first endcap and the second endcap includes an axial aperture formed through the closed end thereof, the crossover tube extending through the axial aperture. 
     
     
         8 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first endcap and the second endcap includes a radial aperture formed through the annular body thereof, the crossover tube extending through the radial aperture. 
     
     
         9 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough. 
     
     
         10 . The muffler of  claim 9 , wherein the crossover tube includes a plurality of apertures formed through a cylindrical wall thereof, and includes at least one closed axial end. 
     
     
         11 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the first endcap and the second endcap are stamped components. 
     
     
         12 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the first annular body of the first endcap is a first cylindrical body, and the second annular body of the second endcap is a second cylindrical body. 
     
     
         13 . The muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the first endcap defines a ratio of an axial depth of the first endcap to an outer diameter defined by the outer periphery, the ratio being between 0.5 and 1.5. 
     
     
         14 . The muffler of  claim 1 , in combination with a riding lawn tractor, the muffler assembled to the riding lawn tractor. 
     
     
         15 . The muffler of  claim 1 , in combination with a zero-turn mower, the muffler assembled to the zero-turn mower. 
     
     
         16 . A kit for building a muffler from a set of modular components, the kit comprising:
 a set of endcaps each having an annular body with a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end, at least a pair of the set of endcaps sealingly receivable upon one another; and   at least one annular intermediate component sealingly receivable to the set of endcaps.   
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one annular intermediate component defines an outer diameter at its axial ends, the set of endcaps comprising:
 a first endcap having a first annular body with a first closed end and a first open end opposite the first closed end, the first open end defining a common outer periphery with the annular intermediate component; and   a second endcap having a second annular body with a second closed end and a second open end opposite the second closed end, the second open end having a lip defining an inner periphery commensurate with the common outer periphery such that the lip is sealingly receivable over the first open end of the first endcap or over the axial ends of the annular intermediate component.   
     
     
         18 . The kit of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a set of baffles configured to control a flow of gases between the set of endcaps; and   a set of crossover tubes configured to extend through at least one of the set of baffles and each configured to transmit at least a portion of the flow of gases.   
     
     
         19 . The kit of  claim 16 , wherein the annular body of the set of endcaps and the at least one annular intermediate component are cylindrical. 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a muffler, the method comprising:
 stamping a first muffler component from a first blank such that the first muffler component includes a first annular body with an open end and a closed end; and   stamping a second muffler component from a second blank such that the second muffler component includes a second annular body with an open end and a closed end, the open end of the second muffler component sized to be sealingly received over the open end of the first muffler component.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first muffler component is a first endcap and the second muffler component is a second endcap, the first and second endcaps cooperating to define an internal volume of the muffler when the open end of the second endcap is sealingly received over the open end of the first endcap. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising forming a lip in the open end of the second endcap, the lip defining an inner periphery commensurate with an outer diameter of the open end of the first endcap. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first muffler component is an endcap and the second muffler component is an intermediate body component, the method further comprising:
 stamping an additional endcap from a third blank such that the additional endcap includes a third annular body with an open end and a closed end, the open end of the additional endcap sized to be sealingly received over the closed end of the intermediate body component, such that the endcap, the intermediate body component and the additional endcap cooperate to define an internal volume of the muffler.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising forming a lip in the open end of the endcap and in the open end of the additional endcap, each lip defining an inner periphery commensurate with a respective outer periphery at respective axial ends of the intermediate body component. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising, after the steps of stamping, forming an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture in at least one of:
 the first annular body of the first muffler component,   the closed end of the first muffler component,   the second annular body of the second muffler component, and   the closed end of the second muffler component.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising effectively thickening at least one of the first annular body and the second annular body by installing a reinforcement plate disposed about radial aperture formed therein.