Flexible fluid conduit element with a metal bellows

Abstract

To reduce turbulence in a fluid flow, especially exhaust gas from automotive internal combustion engines, within a flexible conduit element, a bellows (1, 40, 42) has an internal hose (6) located therein made of woven or knit metal wire. The hose is engaged against the internal corrugations of the bellows (1) and/or a connecting pipe (41) between adjacent bellows (40, 42) to guide the exhaust gases, and dampen vibrations and oscillations, which may become resonant with the corrugations of the bellows, and thereby decrease noise level during the gas flow. The hose (6) is engaged against the inner corrugations (3) of the bellows by, for example, first axially compressing the hose to result in permanent deformation of the wires to a diameter larger than the clear inner diameter of the bellows; by then forcing the hose into the bellows, the hose will resiliently compress and engage against the bellows. The hose, at least at one point remote from an attachment stub (4) has the wires thereof circumferentially connected so that, upon axial compression, the hose will bulge in barrel shape. More than one connection (17, 18, 20-22) of the wires may be used. The frictional engagement force may be enhanced and controlled by additional internal force spreading elements, such as springs and the like, or by formation of pimples or small bulges embossed on the outside of the hose.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.