Title of Invention

EXHAUST MUFFLER FOR VEHICLE

Abstract

1. An exhaust muffler for a vehicle having flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) facing an inner surface of a cylindrical casing (23) provided on the outside of separation plates (27, 28, 29) plurally dividing up the inside of the cylindrical casing (23), with a plurality of places spaced in a peripheral direction of the flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) being welded to the casing (23), wherein the flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) comprise a plurality of weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1) for welding to the inner surface of the casing (23), and non-weld. sites (27b2, 28b2, 29b2) connecting between each of the weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1) having a width along an axis of the casing (23) smaller than each of the weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1,).

Full Text

207034 FORM 2 THE PATENTS ACT 1970 [39 OF 1970] COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [See Section 10] "EXHAUST MUFFLER FOR VEHICLE" GRANTED 8-6-2005 HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, a corporation of Japan, having a place of business at 1-1, Minamiaoyama 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:- [Detailed Description Of The Invention] [0001] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to improvement to an exhaust muffler for a vehicle having flange sections facing an inner surface of a cylindrical casing provided on the outside of separation plates pluraily dividing up the inside of the cylindrical casing, with a plurality of places spaced in a peripheral direction of the flange sections being welded to the casing. [0002] [Related Art] Conventionally, an exhaust muffler is already known, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 56-50095. [0003] [Problems To Be Solved By The Invention] However, with the above described exhaust muffler of the related art, flange sections are provided on the outside of spacing plates, have a uniform width on all areas thereof and come into contact with the whole inner surface of the casing. Because of this, the flange sections come into contact with the inner surface of the casing at a comparatively large contact area even at sections other than weld sites, it is difficult to get paint to slick when performing inner surface coating, and it easy for pre-processing fluid at the time of plating processing and water entering into the casing when washing the vehicle to stick to the flange sections and between the flange sections at sections other than the weld sites, which causes rust to arise in the casing. [0004] The present invention has been conceived in view of the above described situation, and has as its object to provide an exhaust muffler for a vehicle with a casing having good sticking of paint to the casing at sections corresponding to flange sections of spacing plates, and that significantly reduces the build up of water to significantly prevent rust arising in the casing. [0005] [Means of Solving The problems] In order to achieve the above mentioned object, the present invention provides an exhaust muffler for a vehicle having flange sections facing an inner surface of a cylindrical casing provided on the outside of separation plates pluraliy dividing up the inside of the cylindrical casing, with a plurality of places spaced in a peripheral direction of the flange sections being welded to the casing, wherein the flange sections comprise a plurality of weld sites for welding to the inner surface of the casing, and connecting non-weld sites between each of the weld sites having a width along an axis of the casing smaller than each of the weld sites. [0006] With this type of structure, it is possible to set a surface area opposite the non-weld sites in the flange sections of the spacing plates extremelysmall, and accordingly it is made easy for paint to stick to the casing at sections corresponding to flange sections of the spacing plates at the time of inner surface coating, and it is difficult for water that has entered into the casing to accumulate between the flange sections and the casing making it possible to significantly prevent the occurrence of rust in the casing. [Brief Description Of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motorcycle. Fig. 2 is a plan view in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of a front section of an exhaust mufler. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of a rear section of the exhaust muffler. Fig. 5 is a cross section along line 5 - 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 3. Fig.7 is an enlarged cross section along line 7 - 7 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section along line 8 - in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section along line 9 - 9 in Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a cross section along line 10 - 10 in Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a cross section, corresponding to Fig 8, of a second embodiment. [0007] [Embodiments of the Invention] Aspects of the present invention will now be described below based on embodiments of the invention shown in the attached drawings. [0008] Fig. I - Fig. 10 show a first embodiment when the present invention is applied to a motorcycle. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motorcycle, Fig. 2 is a plan view in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of a front section of an exhaust muffler, Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of a rear section of the exhaust muffler, Fig. 5 is a cross section along line 5 - 5 in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section along line 6 - 6 in Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section along line 7 - 7 in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section along line 8 - in Fig. 6, Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section along line 9 - 9 in Fig. 4, and Fig. 10 is a cross section along line 10 - 10 in Fig. 4. [0009] First of all, in Fig. 1 and Fig, 2, a front fork 13 is steerably supported on a head pipe 12 provided on a front end if a vehicle frame of this motorcycle, a front wheel WF is axially supported on a lower end of this front fork 13 and a steering handle 14 is connected to an upper end of the front fork 13. [0010] The vehicle frame 11 has a pair of left and right seat rails 15... extending rearwards and upwards provided at a rear end, and a seat 16 is provided on the two seat rails 15.... A fuel tank 17 is supported on the vehicle frame 11 at a front side of the seat 16. [0011] An engine E is mounted in the vehicle frame 11 below the fuel tank 17. A front end of a rear fork 18 extending rearwards is swingably supported in a rear section of the vehicle frame 11, a rear wheel WR driven to rotate by output of the engine E is axially supported at a rear end of the rear fork 18, and cushion units 19, 19 are provided between the seat rails 15... and the rear fork 18. [0012] An exhaust pipe 21 leading exhaust gas from the engine E passes below the engine E and extends to the right side of the rear wheel WR, and an exhaust muffler 22 arranged on the right side of the rear wheel WR is connected to a downstream end of the exhaust pipe 21. [0013] In Fig. 3 - Fig. 5, a casing 23 of the exhaust muffler 22 is formed in a tapered shape with the diameter gradually increasing towards a downstream end. A cylindrical support tube 24 is coaxially welded to an upstream end of this casing 23, and an introduction pipe 25 is welded to a lower end section the exhaust pipe 21 inserted into the introduction pipe 25 welded to the support tube 24. Also, a terminal wall is fixed to the downstream end of the casing 23. [0014] At a plurality of places (at three places in this embodiment) spaced apart along the axial direction of the casing 23, spacing plates 27, 28 and 29 are fixedly arranged sequentially from an upstream side of the casing 23, and the inside of the casing 23 is divided up by the spacing plates 27 - 29. [00151 An upstream end of a first inner pipe 30 is welded to a downstream end of the introduction pipe 25 inside the casing, an upstream end of a first connecting pipe 30 passing through a central part of the spacing plate 27 coaxially with the casing 23 is welded to a downstream end of the first inner pipe 30, and a middle part of the first connecting pipe is welded to the spacing plate 27. [00161 A middle part of the first inner pipe. 30 is surrounded by a first outer pipe 32 constricted at both ends, and both ends of the first outer pipe 32 are welded to the first inner pipe 30. Also, a sound absorbing material such as glass wool is filled between the first inner pipe 30 and the first outer pipe 32, and a plurality of clearance holes 34,34... are provided in parts of the first inner pipe corresponding to the sound absorbing material. [0017] A first expansion chamber 25 is formed inside the casing 23 further upstream than the spacing plate 27, so as to encircle upstream halves of the first outer pipe 32 and the first connecting pipe 31. A heat guard pipe 36 having a smaller diameter than the casing 23 is also provided between the spacing plates 27 and 28, and a punching plate 40 having a plurality of clearance holes 39, 39... is fixed to the inner periphery of the heat guard pipe 36 so as to section the inside of the heat guard pipe 36 into an upstream side second expansion chamber 37 and a downstream side third expansion chamber 38. Further, a plurality of through holes 41, 41... communicating between the first and second expansion chambers 35 and 38 are provided in the separation plate 27. [0018] A cylindrical terminal pipe 50 having one end blocked off by an end wall at a downstream end is coaxially welded to a downstream end of the first connecting pipe inside the second expansion chamber 35, and a plurality of clearance holes 51, 51...allowing communication from the first cormecting pipe 31 to the second expansion chamber 35 are provided in this terminal pipe 50. [0019] A fourth expansion chamber 42 is formed inside the casing 23 between the spacing plate 29 and the terminal wall 26, a fifth expansion chamber 43 is formed inside the casing 23 between the spacing plates 28 and 29, a pair of second connecting pipes 44, 44 joining between the third and fourth expansion chambers 38 and 42 are provided between the spacing plates 28 and 29 and through the fifth expansion chamber 43, and a pair of third connecting pipes 45, 45 joining between the fourth and fifth expansion chambers 42 and 43 are welded to the spacing plate 29 so as to penetrate the spacing plate 29. [0020] An upstream end of a second inner pipe 46 passing through the fourth expansion chamber 48 is welded to a central part of the spacing plate 29, and a downstream end of this second inner pipe 46 passes through a central part of the terminal wall 26 and projects to the outside. A middle part of the second inner pipe 46 is surrounded by a second outer pipe 47 having both ends constricted, both ends of the second outer pipe are welded to the second inner pipe 46, and a rear section of the second outer pipe 47 is welded to a central part of the terminal wall 26. Also, a sound absorbing material 48 such as glass wool is filled between the second inner pipe 46 and the second outer pipe 47, and clearance holes 49, 49... are provided in the second inner pipe at parts corresponding to the sound absorbing material 48. [0021] In Fig. 6 - Fig. 8, the separation plate 27 separating between the first and second expansion chambers 35 and 37 is integrally provided with a circular plate section 27a having a plurality of through holes 41, 41..., and having the first connecting pipe passing through and fixed to a center part, and a flange section 27b provided on the outside of the circular plate 27a so as to face the inner surface of the casing 23. [0022] The flange section 27b comprises weld sites 27b,... fixed by plug welding or spot welding, for example, to the inner surface of the casing 23 at a plurality of places, for example three places, spaced apart in the peripheral direction of the circular plate 27a, and non-weld sites 27b2... mutually connecting between these weld sites 27b,. A width Wl of each of the non-weld section 27b,... along the axial direction of the casing 23 is set to be smaller than a width W2 of each weld sections 27b,... (Wl In Fig. 9, the spacing plate 28 separating between the third and fifth expansion chambers 38 and 43 is integrally provided with a circular plate 28a through which upstream ends of the pair of second connecting pipes 44, 44 pass and are fixed, and a flange section 28b provided on the outside of the circular plate 28a so as to face the inner surface of the casing 23. The flange section 28b comprises weld sites 28b,... fixed by plug welding or spot welding, for example, to the inner surface of the casing 23 at a plurality of places, for example three places, spaced apart in the peripheral direction of the circular plate 28a, and non-weld sites 28b2... mutually connecting between these weld sites 28b,, and similarly to the spacing plate 27 described above, a width of each of the non-weld sections 28b2... is set to be smaller than a width of each weld sections 28b,.... A connection is made between each of the non-weld sections 28b,... and the circular plate 28a through sloping surfaces 28c... sloping so as to approach the circular plate 28a and move away from the casing 23. [0024] In Fig. 10, the spacing plate 29 separating between the fifth and fourth expansion chambers 43 and 42 is integrally provided with a circular plate 29a through which downstream ends of the pair of second connecting pipes 44 and middle sections of a pair of third connecting pipes 45, 45 pass and are fixed, and a flange section 29b provided on the outside of the circular plate 29a so as to face the inner surface of the casing 23. The flange section 29b comprises weld sites 29b|... fixed by plug welding or spot welding, for example, to the inner surface of the casing 23 at a plurality of places, for example three places, spaced apart in the peripheral direction of the circular plate 29a, and non-weld sites 29b2... mutually cormecting between these weld sites 29b|, and similarly to the above described spacing plates 27 and 28, a width of each of the non-weld section 29b2... is set to be smaller than a width of each of the weld sections 29b|. A connection is made between each of the non-weld sections 29b2... and the circular plate 29a through sloping surfaces 29c... sloping so as to approach the circular plate 29a and move away from the casing 23. [0025] Also, indented portions are formed in the lowest non welding sites 27b2, 28b2 and 29b2 of the flange sections 27b, 28b and 29b each of the spacing plates 27, 28 and 29 so as to form drainage holes 52, 53, 5,4 between the inner surface of the casing 23. [0026] Next, operation of the first embodiment will be described. The flange sections 27b, 28b and 29b provided with spacing plates 27, 28 and 29, for dividing the inside of the casing 23, on an outer periphery, comprise weld sites 27b,...., 28b,..., and 29b|... welded to the inside of the casing 23, and non-weld sites 27b2..., 28b2..., and 29b2... connecting between each of the weld sites 27b1|...., 28b1..., and 29b1,..., and widths W1 of the non-weld sites 27b2..., 28b2.., and 29b2,... along the axis of the casing 23 is set to be smaller than the width W2 of the weld sites 27b1...., 28b1..., and 29b1,.... [0027] Accordingly, with respect to the flange sections 27b, 28b and 29b it is possible to set a contact surface area of the non-weld sites 23 27b2..., 28b2.., and 29b2...facing the casing extremely small. As a result, it is possible to make paint stick well to the casing 23 at sections corresponding to each of the flange sections 27b, 28b and 29b when coating the inner surface, and to make it difficult to enter into the casing 23 to accumulate between the flange sections 27b, 28b and 29b and the casing 23, thus making it possible to significantly prevent rust arising in the casing 23. [0028] Fig. 11 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. Non-weld sites 27b2... within the flange sections 27b on the outside of the spacing plate 27 are formed so that they do not contact the inner surface of the casing 23, maintaining a slight gap between the spacing plate 27 and the casing 23, and the other spacing plates 28 and 29 (refer to the first embodiment) have a similar structure to that of the spacing plate 27. [0029] According to the second embodiment, a surface area of the non-weld sites 27b2 facing the casing 23 is made small, and the non-weld sites 27b2 do not touch the casing 23. This means that it is possible to make paint stick more effectively to the casing 23 at sections corresponding to the flange section 27b when coating the inner surface, and it possible to more effectively avoid water entering into the casing 23 accumulating between the flange section 27b and the casing 23, thus making it possible to more effectively prevent rust arising in the casing 23. [0030] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various design changes are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. [0031] [Effects of the Invention] According to the above described invention, it is possible to set a surface area of the non-weld sites, within the flange sections of the spacing plates, facing the casing small, it is made easy for paint to stick to the casing at sections corresponding to the flange sections when coaling the inner surface, and it is made difficult for water entering into the casing to accumulate between the flange sections and the casing, thus significantly preventing rust arising in the casing 23. [Description of the numerals] 22 exhaust muffler 23 casing 27, 28, 29 spacing plate 27b, 28b, 29b flange section 27b1,28b1,29b1 weld sites 27b2, 28b2,29b2 non-weld sites WE CLAIM: 1. An exhaust muffler for a vehicle having flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) facing an inner surface of a cylindrical casing (23) provided on the outside of separation plates (27, 28, 29) plurally dividing up the inside of the cylindrical casing (23), with a plurality of places spaced in a peripheral direction of the flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) being welded to the casing (23), wherein the flange sections (27b, 28b, 29b) comprise a plurality of weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1) for welding to the inner surface of the casing (23), and non-weld. sites (27b2, 28b2, 29b2) connecting between each of the weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1) having a width along an axis of the casing (23) smaller than each of the weld sites (27b1, 28b1, 29b1,). Dated this the 15th day of November, (RANJNA MEHTA-DUTT) Of Remfry & Sagar Attorney for the Applicants

Documents:

1022-mum-2000-claim(granted)-(15-11-2000).doc

1022-mum-2000-claim(granted)-(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-correspondence(7-07-2005).pdf

1022-mum-2000-correspondence(ipo)-(13-02-2007).pdf

1022-mum-2000-drawing(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 1(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 1(7-07-2005).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 19(15-04-2004).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(15-11-2000).doc

1022-mum-2000-form 2(granted)-(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 3(08-06-2005).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 3(12-03-2001).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 3(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-form 5(15-11-2000).pdf

1022-mum-2000-petition under rule 138(08-06-2005).pdf

1022-mum-2000-power of autyority(08-06-2005).pdf

1022-mum-2000-power of autyority(22-05-2001).pdf

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