Flexible combined vibration decoupling exhaust connector and preliminary catalytic converter construction

A flexible catalytic converter apparatus, for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a vibration decoupling flexible connector for connecting upstream and downstream components in an exhaust system, including
• an upstream liner tube and a downstream liner tube, in which portions of the liner tubes overlap axially,
• a vibration damping member operably disposed between the upstream and downstream liner tubes,
• a flexible sealing member sealingly connecting the upstream and downstream liner tubes, to preclude escape of exhaust gases, passing through the vibration decoupling flexible connector, to ambient atmosphere, the flexible sealing member circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the downstream liner tube;
• and
• a catalytic converter insert, operably disposed within at least the downstream liner tube, and circumferentially surrounded by at least a portion thereof, so that, upon installation of the flexible catalytic converter apparatus into an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, exhaust gases passing through the vibration decoupling flexible connector are constrained to pass through the catalytic converter insert, for at least partial catalytic conversion of predetermined components of the exhaust gases.