Jointed pipe connection, particularly for automotive exhaust pipes

Jointed flexible connection for two approximately axially aligned, mutually axially movable pipes, particularly exhaust pipes (4,9,10,101,137,138;

• 102,139,140) of a motor vehicle, having
• at least one flexible, generally cylindrical, gas-tight, and temperature-resistant metal bellows conduit element (3,103) having a pair of ends, each of which is connected, at least indirectly, by welding to a respective one of said mutually movable pipes, thereby preventing gas leaks at said connection, and
• means for connecting the pipes (9,10,101;
• 102) together in a load-bearing but angularly flexible and elastically damped manner, including
• a support (11,12,105,145,146) secured to one of said pipes (9,10,102,139,140),
• an inner protective tube (7,8,104,141,142) which defines a flow path for a flowing medium (5,6) passing from one of said pipes to another of said mutually axially movable pipes, the protective tube being disposed inside the bellows conduit element (3,103) and being connected to one of said pipes (9,10,101,138;
• 102,139), and
• at least one resilient support pad (13,14,109,143,144) interposed radially between said inner protective tube and said support member (11,12,105,145,146),
• wherein, in accordance with the invention,
• said inner protective tube and said support member are respectively connected to different ones of said two mutually axially movable pipes;
• the inner protective tube (7,8;
• 104;
• 114;
• 127,128;
• 141,142;
• 156) has a free portion of its length which engages with said at least one resilient support pad (13,14;
• 109;
• 121, 133, 143, 144, 160);
• and
• said resilient support pad is annular, is radially contained by said support member (11, 12;
• 105, 116, 130, 145, 146, 157), and axially engages against at least one of said inner protective tube (7,8 . . .) and said support member.