Holding sealing material, method for manufacturing holding sealing material, and exhaust gas purifying apparatus

An exhaust gas purifying apparatus comprising:

• an exhaust gas treating body comprising:
• cell walls longitudinally extending to define cells;
• a casing which accommodates said exhaust gas treating body;
• and
• a holding sealing material provided between said exhaust gas treating body and said casing to hold said exhaust gas treating body, said holding sealing material comprising:
• a plurality of mats having a longitudinal direction and first and second longer side faces along the longitudinal direction and comprising a lower mat and an upper mat laminated on the lower mat, each of said plurality of mats comprising inorganic fibers and having a substantially rectangular shape;
• a length of the lower mat in the longitudinal direction being longer than a length of the upper mat in the longitudinal direction;
• each of said plurality of mats being connected to each other at a fixed portion which extends substantially along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said plurality of mats;
• and
• the fixed portion having a first end portion and a second end portion in the width direction, the first end portion being on a side of the first longer side face, the second end portion being on a side of the second longer side face, the first end portion and the second end portion being spaced apart from the first longer side face and the second longer side face, respectively.

An exhaust gas purifying apparatus comprising:

• an exhaust gas treating body comprising:
• cell walls longitudinally extending to define cells;
• a casing which accommodates said exhaust gas treating body;
• and
• a holding sealing material provided between said exhaust gas treating body and said casing to hold said exhaust gas treating body, said holding sealing material being manufactured using a method comprising:
• laminating a plurality of mats having a longitudinal direction and first and second longer side faces along the longitudinal direction and comprising a lower mat and an upper mat to be laminated on the lower mat, each of the plurality of mats comprising inorganic fibers and having a substantially rectangular shape, a length of the lower mat in the longitudinal direction being longer than a length of the upper mat in the longitudinal direction;
• and
• connecting each of the plurality of mats to each other at a fixed portion which extends substantially along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said plurality of mats, the fixed portion having a first end portion and a second end portion in the width direction, the first end portion being on a side of the first longer side face, the second end portion being on a side of the second longer side face, the first end portion and the second end portion being spaced apart from the first longer side face and the second longer side face, respectively.