Thermoplastic Composite Muffler
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorFabrice S. J-M Giaume
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A muffler for internal combustion engines including a hollow body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an inlet pipe extending into the hollow body through the inlet opening an outlet pipe extending out of the hollow body through the outlet opening, wherein the hollow body is formed by a material comprising a fiber lining and a composite structure, and wherein the fiber lining partially penetrates the composite structure.
Claims20
A muffler for internal combustion engines comprising:
- (a) a hollow body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening,
- (b) an inlet pipe extending into the hollow body through the inlet opening
- (c) an outlet pipe extending out of the hollow body through the outlet opening,
- wherein the hollow body is formed by a material comprising a fiber lining and a composite structure, and wherein from 0.5 to 50 percent of the fiber lining penetrates the composite structure, based on the thickness of the fiber lining.
A process for producing a material for forming the hollow body of a muffler or silencer, comprising the steps of:
- (a) superposing a fiber lining and a composite structure comprising a surface having at least a portion thereof made of a surface resin composition and a core comprising a fibrous material impregnated with a matrix resin composition to form a stack;
- (b) heating the stack to a temperature above the melting point of the matrix resin composition and the surface resin composition;
- (c) applying a pressure of from 2 to 100 bars to the stack while maintaining the temperature above the melting point of the matrix resin composition and the surface resin composition until the degree of penetration of the fiber lining into the composite structure is at least 0.5 percent based on the overall thickness of the fiber lining.
- (d) cooling the stack to a temperature below the melting point of the matrix resin composition and the surface resin composition;
- and
- (e) releasing the applied pressure.
A process for producing a muffler or silencer, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a hollow body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the hollow body comprising a fiber lining and a composite structure, wherein from 0.5 to 50 percent of the fiber lining penetrates the composite structure based on the overall thickness of the fiber lining,
- (b) connecting an inlet pipe extending into the hollow body through the inlet opening to the hollow body, and
- (c) connecting an outlet pipe extending out of the hollow body through the outlet opening to the hollow body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.