Engine exhaust gas purification device

An exhaust gas purification device of an engine, comprising:

• air-fuel mixture control means for making an air-fuel mixture burned in a combustion chamber of the engine a rich air-fuel mixture;
• a three way catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the engine;
• a NOx absorbent arranged in said exhaust passage downstream of said three way catalyst, said NOx absorbent absorbing NOx therein when an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into said NOx absorbent is lean;
• first secondary air supply means for feeding secondary air into said exhaust passage upstream of said three way catalyst;
• second secondary air supply means for feeding secondary air into said exhaust passage between said three way catalyst and said NOx absorbent;
• and
• secondary air control means for controlling amounts of secondary air fed from said first secondary air supply means and said second secondary air supply means to maintain the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into said three way catalyst at a rich air-fuel ratio which is larger than an air-fuel ratio of said first mentioned rich air-fuel mixture and to maintain the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into said NOx absorbent at a lean air-fuel ratio.