Mazda Motor Corporation

Yoshitaka Nakamura

Keiji Araki

Keishi Kitabatake

Kazumi Okamura

Toshiaki Kamo

Kenji Ushijima

Hirokazu Hasegawa

Daisuke Watanabe

Koji Mizuno

Hiroki Shimoji

Yasushi Nakatani

Yasushi Kusunoki

Masami Negami

Toshinobu Shimotaka

Shizuo Onotani

Shigehiko Aoki

An exhaust upstream section () of an exhaust apparatus (E) comprises a plurality of branch pipe portions (), a plurality of intermediate collector pipe portions (), a final collector pipe portion (), and an exhaust gas-purifying unit (). The exhaust gas-purifying unit () is disposed on a vehicle-rear side of an engine () to allow a gas passage thereinside to extend approximately in vehicle-widthwise direction, in top plan view. Each of the plurality of intermediate collector pipe portions () curves to allow an exhaust downstream region of the intermediate collector pipe portion () to be oriented toward one side or the other side of the vehicle-widthwise direction, in top plan view, and the final collector pipe portion () curves to allow an exhaust downstream region of the final collector pipe portion () to be oriented toward a vehicle-front side, in top plan view.

Exhaust apparatus for transverse engine

An automotive engine is generally provided with an exhaust gas pipe assembly extending generally rearwardly from the engine for discharging exhaust gases. The exhaust gas pipe assembly includes a plurality of exhaust gas pipes, at least one chamber formed intermediately of the exhaust gas pipe assembly, a first support member disposed in the proximity of the engine, and at least one second support member disposed in the proximity of the chamber. The first support member can effectively absorb relative displacement between the exhaust gas pipe assembly and the vehicle body in a direction transversely of the vehicle body whereas the second support member can effectively absorb relative displacement between the exhaust gas pipe assembly and the vehicle body in a direction longitudinally of the vehicle body. The exhaust gas pipe assembly further includes a dynamic damper disposed in the proximity of the second support member for reducing vibration of the exhaust gas pipe assembly in directions generally perpendicular to the direction longitudinally of the vehicle body.

Exhaust gas pipe assembly for an automotive engine

A flexible exhaust coupling comprising first and second passage elements, the first passage element being fluid-connected to the engine for receiving the exhaust gases to be discharged from an automobile engine through the second passage element, and a ring seal member having a spherical sealing surface and carried by one of the first and second passage elements, the other of the first and second passage elements having a mating spherical surface. The first and second passage elements are resiliently urged by springs in a direction close towards each other to permit the spherical sealing surface to gas-tightly and slidingly contact the mating spherical surface thereby constituting a resiliently yieldable joint between the first and second passage elements, and at least one air channel is defined exteriorly of the ring seal member for the passage of cooling air to forcibly cool the ring seal member. The inlet and an outlet of the channel are located and opened at respective regions where a pressure difference can be developed when an automobile vehicle moves in one direction such that wind induced by the movement of the vehicle can flow through the channel from the inlet to the outlet by the effect of the pressure differential therebetween.

Flexible exhaust coupling

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Yoshitaka Nakamura