# US 12,000,318 B2 · Exhaust muffler supporting structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,318 B2 - Document ID: US12000318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/942,718 - Filed: 2022-09-12 - Published: 2023-03-23 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-21 - Assignees: Subaru Corporation - Applicants: Subaru Corporation - Inventors: Takuma Matsuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000318B2 ## CPC - F01N 13/1822: {for fixing exhaust pipes or devices to vehicle body} - B60K 13/04: concerning exhaust - 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: 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) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES ## Abstract An exhaust muffler supporting structure includes left and right vehicle body-side hangers, left and right muffler-side hangers, suspending hooks, suspended hooks, and left and right cushion members. The vehicle body-side hangers extend from a bottom of a vehicle body. The muffler-side hangers are fixed to an exhaust system body. The suspending hooks are disposed respectively on the vehicle body-side hangers. The suspended hooks are disposed respectively on the muffler-side hangers. The cushion members each have first and second hook holes into which a corresponding one of the suspending hooks and a corresponding one of the suspended hooks are inserted respectively. The first and second hook holes are disposed on respective sides of each of the cushion members in a main axis direction. An elastic main axis obtained based on characteristics of the cushion members is set on a gravity center position of the exhaust system body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exhaust muffler supporting structure comprising: a left vehicle body-side hanger and a right vehicle body-side hanger in pairs, the left vehicle body-side hanger and the right vehicle body-side hanger extending from a bottom of a vehicle body of a vehicle; a left muffler-side hanger and a right muffler-side hanger in pairs, the left muffler-side hanger and the right muffler-side hanger being fixed to an exhaust system body of the vehicle; suspending hooks disposed respectively on the left vehicle body-side hanger and the right vehicle body-side hanger; suspended hooks disposed respectively on the left muffler-side hanger and the right muffler-side hanger; and a left cushion member and a right cushion member each having a first hook hole into which a corresponding one of the suspending hooks is inserted and a second hook hole into which a corresponding one of the suspended hooks is inserted, the first hook hole and the second hook hole being disposed on respective sides of each of the left cushion member and the right cushion member in a main axis direction, wherein wherein the left cushion member and the right cushion member are configured, such that an elastic main axis obtained based on a characteristic of the left cushion member and a characteristic of the right cushion member is set on a gravity center position of the exhaust system body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by a spring constant in the main axis direction and a spring constant in a shearing direction orthogonal to the main axis direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by an inclination angle of each of the left cushion member and the right cushion member in the main axis direction, with the gravity center position interposed therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined further by an inclination angle of each of the left cushion member and the right cushion member in the main axis direction, with the gravity center position interposed therebetween. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the left cushion member and the characteristic of the right cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein the elastic main axis is set parallel to a base of an isosceles triangle comprising equal sides that are an extension line of inclination of a main axe of the left cushion member and an extension line of inclination of a main axe of the right cushion member, and a distance from an intersection of a line that is orthogonal to the base and intersects the elastic main axis and a line connecting the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member to the elastic main axis is calculated from Ha=(kp−kg)·y2·sin α·cos α/(kp·cos2α+kq·cos2α), in which Ha is the distance; kp is a spring constant in the main axis direction; kq is a spring constant in a shearing direction; and y2 is a length of ½ of a distance between the second hook hole of the left cushion member and the second hook hole of the right cushion member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising the exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 An exhaust muffler supporting structure comprising: a first vehicle body-side hanger and a second vehicle body-side hanger in pairs, the first vehicle body-side hanger and the second vehicle body-side hanger extending from a bottom of a vehicle body of a vehicle; a first muffler-side hanger and a second muffler-side hanger in pairs, the first muffler-side hanger and the second muffler-side hanger being fixed to an exhaust system body of the vehicle; suspending hooks disposed respectively on the first vehicle body-side hanger and the second vehicle body-side hanger; suspended hooks disposed respectively on the first muffler-side hanger and the second muffler-side hanger; and a first cushion member including a first resilient element and a second cushion member including a second resilient element, each having a first hook hole into which a corresponding one of the suspending hooks is inserted and a second hook hole into which a corresponding one of the suspended hooks is inserted, the first hook hole and the second hook hole being disposed on respective sides of each of the first cushion member and the second cushion member in a main axis direction, wherein wherein the first cushion member and the second cushion member are configured, such that an elastic main axis, determined based on a characteristic of the first cushion member and a characteristic of the second cushion member, is adjusted to pass through a gravity center position of the exhaust system body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by a spring constant in the main axis direction and a spring constant in a shearing direction orthogonal to the main axis direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by an inclination angle of each of the first cushion member and the second cushion member in the main axis direction, with the gravity center position interposed therebetween. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 12, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined further by an inclination angle of each of the first cushion member and the second cushion member in the main axis direction, with the gravity center position interposed therebetween. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 12, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the first cushion member and the characteristic of the second cushion member are determined at least by a distance between the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 11, wherein the elastic main axis is set parallel to a base of an isosceles triangle comprising equal sides that are an extension line of inclination of a main axe of the first cushion member and an extension line of inclination of a main axe of the second cushion member, and a distance from an intersection of a line that is orthogonal to the base and intersects the elastic main axis and a line connecting the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member to the elastic main axis is calculated from Ha=(kp−kg)·y2·sin α·cos α/(kp·cos2α+kq·cos2α), in which Ha is the distance; kp is a spring constant in the main axis direction; kq is a spring constant in a shearing direction; and y2 is a length of ½ of a distance between the second hook hole of the first cushion member and the second hook hole of the second cushion member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A vehicle comprising the exhaust muffler supporting structure according to claim 11.