# US 10,865,930 B2 · Vehicular exhaust pipe structure

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- Number: US 10,865,930 B2
- Document ID: US10865930B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/795,433
- Filed: 2017-10-27
- Published: 2018-05-10
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-04
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Kazutoshi Wakatsuki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865930B2

## CPC

- F16L 51/025: {with several corrugations}
- F01N 13/08: Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits {(pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005)}
- F01N 13/146: {with vacuum in the space between both walls}
- F01N 13/1805: {Fixing exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes or pipe sections to each other, to engine or to vehicle body (pipe joints in general F16L; fixing auxiliaries in motor vehicles in general B60K)}
- F16L 9/006: {specially profiled (F16L9/003 takes precedence)}
- F16L 59/065: using vacuum (F16L59/075 takes precedence)
- F01N 2260/10: for avoiding stress caused by expansions or contractions due to temperature variations
- F01N 2260/18: for improving rigidity, e.g. by wings, ribs
- F01N 2340/04: Arrangement of the exhaust system relative to a vehicle or parts thereof
- F01N 2470/10: Tubes having non-circular cross section
- F01N 2470/12: Tubes being corrugated
- F01N 2470/24: Concentric tubes or tubes being concentric to housing, e.g. telescopically assembled
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16)

## Abstract

A vehicular exhaust pipe structure includes an outer pipe extending along a front-rear direction of a vehicle and an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe along an axial direction of the outer pipe. The inner pipe is joined to the outer pipe such that a vacuum layer is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe. The inner pipe includes a pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicular exhaust pipe structure comprising:
an outer pipe configured to extend along a front-rear direction of a vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle;
an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe along an axial direction of the outer pipe, the inner pipe being joined to the outer pipe such that a vacuum layer is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, the inner pipe including a pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part; and
a connection pipe connected to a rear end portion of the outer pipe, wherein:
the outer pipe is configured to be disposed directly below a fuel tank of the vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle such that the fuel tank overlaps with an entire length of the outer pipe, the fuel tank protruding downward from a vehicle body of the vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle;
the connection pipe communicates with the inner pipe;
the connection pipe has a gradient rising vertically upward toward a rear of the vehicle;
the inner pipe includes cylindrical portions and polygonal portions;
the polygonal portions extend to an axial inside from axial inside end portions of the cylindrical portions, respectively; and
axial inside end portions of the polygonal portions are continuous with first and second axial end portions of the pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part, respectively.

### Claim 2

A vehicle having a fuel tank and a vehicular exhaust pipe structure, the fuel tank protruding downward from a vehicle body of the vehicle, the vehicular exhaust pipe structure comprising:
an outer pipe extending along a front-rear direction of the vehicle;
an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe along an axial direction of the outer pipe, the inner pipe being joined to the outer pipe such that a vacuum layer is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, the inner pipe including a pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part; and
a connection pipe connected to a rear end portion of the outer pipe, wherein
the outer pipe is disposed directly below the fuel tank such that the fuel tank overlaps with an entire length of the outer pipe;
the connection pipe communicates with the inner pipe; and
the connection pipe has a gradient rising vertically upward toward a rear of the vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a load capacity in a bending direction of the pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part of the inner pipe exceeds a load capacity in a bending direction of a circular pipe having a cylindrical shape and having a size identical to a size of the pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part of the inner pipe.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an outer diameter of the outer pipe is constant over an entire length of the outer pipe.

### Claim 5

A vehicular exhaust pipe structure comprising:
an outer pipe configured to extend along a front-rear direction of a vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle;
an inner pipe disposed inside the outer pipe along an axial direction of the outer pipe, the inner pipe being joined to the outer pipe such that a vacuum layer is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, the inner pipe including a pseudo-cylindrical concave polyhedral shell-shaped part;
a connection pipe connected to a rear end portion of the outer pipe; and
a sub-muffler, wherein:
the outer pipe is configured to be disposed directly below a fuel tank of the vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle such that the fuel tank overlaps with an entire length of the outer pipe, the fuel tank protruding downward from a vehicle body of the vehicle when the vehicular exhaust pipe structure is mounted to the vehicle;
the connection pipe communicates with the inner pipe;
the connection pipe has a gradient rising vertically upward toward a rear of the vehicle; and
the outer pipe is a lowermost portion of the vehicular exhaust pipe structure and positioned lower than the sub-muffler.