U.S. patent application number 12/894632 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-02 for muffler for vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hyundai Motor Company. Invention is credited to Byungsoo Kim, Chasub Lim.
Application Number | 20110127105 12/894632 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43972544 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110127105 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lim; Chasub ; et
al. |
June 2, 2011 |
MUFFLER FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
A muffler apparatus for a vehicle may include a speaker chamber
that produces sound while vibrating by pressure of an exhaust gas
flowing into a muffler housing, wherein the speaker chamber is
formed in the muffler housing, the pressure of the exhaust gas
being greater than a predetermined value.
Inventors: |
Lim; Chasub; (Hwaseong-si,
KR) ; Kim; Byungsoo; (Hwaseong-si, KR) |
Assignee: |
Hyundai Motor Company
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
43972544 |
Appl. No.: |
12/894632 |
Filed: |
September 30, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
181/212 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01N 1/023 20130101;
F01N 1/065 20130101; F01N 1/168 20130101; F01N 1/084 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
181/212 |
International
Class: |
F01N 5/00 20060101
F01N005/00; F01N 1/00 20060101 F01N001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 2, 2009 |
KR |
10-2009-0118580 |
Claims
1. A muffler apparatus for a vehicle, wherein a speaker chamber
that produces sound while vibrating by pressure of an exhaust gas
flowing into a muffler housing is formed in the muffler housing,
the pressure of the exhaust gas being greater than a predetermined
value.
2. The muffler apparatus for the vehicle as defined in claim 1,
wherein the speaker chamber is defined by a partition disposed in
the muffler housing.
3. The muffler apparatus for the vehicle as defined in claim 2,
wherein the partition is provided with a valve that selectively
opens a flow channel to the speaker chamber by the pressure of the
exhaust gas.
4. The muffler apparatus for the vehicle as defined in claim 3,
wherein the valve is mounted to the partition and elastically
supported by an elastic member at one side thereof.
5. The muffler apparatus for the vehicle as defined in claim 1,
wherein the speaker chamber is provided with a thin plate speaker
that is vibrated by the pressure of the exhaust gas.
6. The muffler for the vehicle as defined in claim 5, wherein the
thin plate speaker is elastically supported by elastic members at
both sides.
7. The muffler for the vehicle as defined in claim 6, wherein the
thin plate speaker and the elastic members are mounted on the
muffler housing.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application Number 10-2009-0118580 filed Dec. 2, 2009, the entire
contents of which application is incorporated herein for all
purposes by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a muffler for a vehicle
that can implement sporty and dynamic sound in accelerating a
vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Mufflers for vehicles in the related art have a plurality of
chambers that are formed by one or more baffles in a closed muffler
housing having a predetermined volume, an exhaust inflow pipe
through which an exhaust gas flows inside the muffler housing, and
an exhaust outflow pipe through which an exhaust gas flows outside
the muffler housing, in which the exhaust gas that has flowed
inside the muffler housing through the exhaust inflow pipe, flows
through an exhaust channel formed in the muffler housing, and
consequently flows outside the muffler through the exhaust outflow
pipe, with the pressure and sound reduced.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows an example of variable exhaust channel type
mufflers according to the related art, in which two baffles 2 are
disposed at a predetermined distance from each other longitudinally
inside a muffler housing 1 which has a substantially rectangular
box shape, an exhaust inflow pipe 3 through which an exhaust gas
flows inside from the engine is disposed through the front of
housing 1 and the two baffles, an exhaust outflow pipe 4 through
which the exhaust gas having flowed inside muffler housing 1 flows
outside the muffler housing extends outside through two baffles 2
and the rear of muffler housing 1, and a valve 5 that shifts the
channel for the exhaust gas in the muffler housing is provided for
one of baffles 2.
[0007] Accordingly, when the engine operates at a low speed, since
the exhaust gas flowing into housing 1 through exhaust inflow pipe
3 is low in pressure, the valve 5 is kept closed by an elastic
member supporting it, such that the back pressure increases and the
exhaust sound of the exhaust gas that has passed through the
resonant chamber reduces.
[0008] When the engine operates at a high speed, as shown in FIG.
2, since the exhaust gas flowing into housing 1 through exhaust
inflow pipe 3 is high in pressure, valve 5 is opened by the
pressure of the exhaust gas, such that the back pressure increases
and the output of the vehicle increases.
[0009] Another example of mufflers, a variable channel type muffler
that shifts the exhaust channel for an exhaust gas flowing into the
muffler in accordance with the operation speed of the engine, has
been proposed.
[0010] However, the mufflers having the configuration described
above in the related art can only reduce noise or increase the
engine power by changing the back pressure while expanding or
contracting the exhaust gas channel, but they cannot implement
sporty and dynamic sound by tuning at a desired frequency band.
[0011] The information disclosed in this Background of the
Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the
general background of the invention and should not be taken as an
acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information
forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
provide a muffler for a vehicle that is effective in acceleration
sound tuning of the vehicle and can improve commercial value of the
vehicle by implementing sporty and dynamic sound.
[0013] In an aspect of the present invention, the muffler apparatus
for a vehicle, wherein a speaker chamber that produces sound while
vibrating by pressure of an exhaust gas flowing into a muffler
housing may be formed in the muffler housing, the pressure of the
exhaust gas being greater than a predetermined value.
[0014] The speaker chamber may be defined by a partition disposed
in the muffler housing.
[0015] The partition may be provided with a valve that selectively
opens a flow channel to the speaker chamber by the pressure of the
exhaust gas, wherein the valve is mounted to the partition and
elastically supported by an elastic member at one side thereof
[0016] The speaker chamber may be provided with a thin plate
speaker that is vibrated by the pressure of the exhaust gas,
wherein the thin plate speaker is mounted on the muffler housing
and is elastically supported by elastic members at both sides on
the muffler housing.
[0017] According to a muffler for a vehicle of the present
invention, a valve that is opened/closed by pressure of an exhaust
gas is disposed in a front chamber defined by a muffler housing and
a baffle inside the muffler housing and a portion of the wall of
the front chamber is formed of a thin plate supported by an elastic
member to function as a speaker. Therefore, when a vehicle is
accelerated, the valve is opened and the thin plate is vibrated by
pressure of an exhaust gas and produces sporty and dynamic sound to
increase acceleration impression, and noise generated by the
exhaust gas can be effectively controlled at the maximum engine
power without increasing the back pressure of the exhaust gas.
Further, it is possible to implement sound that makes it possible
to feel power within a range above a predetermined operation speed
of the engine, and to make the inside quiet when the vehicle
travels at a constant speed and slowly accelerates.
[0018] The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have
other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are
set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description of the
Invention, which together serve to explain certain principles of
the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is an internal cross-sectional view of a muffler
according to the related art.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation
of the muffler according to the related art when an engine operates
at a high speed.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation
of a muffler for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the
present invention, when an engine operates at a constant speed or
slowly accelerates.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation
of the muffler for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the
present invention, when an engine is rapidly accelerated.
[0023] It should be understood that the appended drawings are not
necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified
representation of various features illustrative of the basic
principles of the invention. The specific design features of the
present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example,
specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be
determined in part by the particular intended application and use
environment.
[0024] In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or
equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several
figures of the drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments
of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and described below. While the
invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary
embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not
intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments.
On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only
the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives,
modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims.
[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of
muffler according to an embodiment of the present invention, in
which two baffles 2a and 2b are disposed at a predetermined
distance from each other longitudinally in a muffler housing 1
having a substantially rectangular box shape, and an exhaust inflow
pipe 3 through which an exhaust gas is discharged outside from the
engine is disposed through the front of housing 1 and the two
baffles.
[0028] An exhaust outflow pipe 4 through which an exhaust gas
having flowed in muffler housing 1 is discharged outside the
muffler housing extends outside through two baffles 2a and 2b and
the rear of muffler housing 1.
[0029] A plurality of holes 3a is formed at the portion between two
baffles 2a and 2b of the exhaust inflow pipe and an exhaust gas
guide pipe 7 is disposed through first baffle 2a such that a front
chamber communicates with a middle chamber in order to guide that
exhaust gas, which has been discharged through holes 3a and flowed
in the middle chamber 6a defined by the two baffles, into the front
chamber 6b defined by front baffle 2a and muffler housing 1.
[0030] Further, a partition 8 is disposed in front of front chamber
6b to define a speaker chamber 9 between partition 8 and the
muffler housing, a through-hole is formed through partition 8, a
valve 8a that opens/closes speaker chamber 9 by opening/closing the
through-hole is disposed to be elastically supported by a spring
and an elastic member 8b at one side, and a thin plate speaker 9a
is supported by elastic members 9b at both sides, on the front of
speaker chamber 9.
[0031] Therefore, when a vehicle slowly accelerates or travels at a
constant speed, some of the exhaust gas that has flowed inside
muffler housing 1 through exhaust inflow pipe 3, as shown in FIG.
3, flows into middle chamber 6a through holes 3a, flows into front
chamber 6b through exhaust gas guide pipe 7, and is then discharged
outside the muffler housing through exhaust outflow pipe 4.
[0032] In this process, although pressure of the exhaust gas in
front chamber 6b is applied to valve 8a, the pressure is smaller
than the elastic force of spring 8b supporting valve 8a, such that
valve 8a keeps closing speaker chamber 9.
[0033] In the process of the exhaust gas flowing as described
above, the exhaust gas smoothly flows through the exhaust pipes and
the chambers, such that the back pressure does not increase and the
engine power is improved.
[0034] When the vehicle is rapidly accelerated, as shown in FIG. 4,
the exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas in front chamber 6b
increases, such that valve 8a is opened by the pressure of the
exhaust gas and the exhaust gas flows into speaker chamber 9
through the channel formed by the opening, in which the exhaust gas
has pressure pulsation, which vibrates thin plate speaker 9a, such
that thin plate speaker 9a produces sporty and dynamic sound while
dynamically vibrating.
[0035] Since the exhaust gas can smoothly flow through the exhaust
pipes and the chambers even if a vehicle is rapidly accelerated, as
described above, the engine power increases.
[0036] Further, it is easy to tune the frequency band by adjusting
the material, thickness, and size etc. of thin plate speaker 9a,
which enables a user to simply produce desired sound.
[0037] Further, since the valve is kept closed, when a vehicle
travels at a constant speed or slowly accelerates, noise generated
by exhaust gas is reduced, thereby implementing quiet driving.
[0038] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments
of the present invention have been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. They are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments
were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of
the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable
others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, as well as various
alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the
scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and
their equivalents.
* * * * *