# US 8,770,342 B2 · Muffler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,342 B2 - Document ID: US8770342B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/451,821 - Filed: 2012-04-20 - Published: 2012-10-25 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-21 - Assignees: Eberspächer Exhaust Technology GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Georg Wirth - Inventors: Georg Wirth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770342B2 ## CPC - F01N 13/1822: {for fixing exhaust pipes or devices to vehicle body} - F01N 1/026: {Annular resonance chambers arranged concentrically to an exhaust passage and communicating with it, e.g. via at least one opening in the exhaust passage} - F01N 1/089: {using two or more expansion chambers in series (F01N1/083, F01N1/084, F01N1/086 take precedence)} - F01N 1/10: in combination with sound-absorbing materials (F01N1/125 takes precedence) - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) ## Abstract A muffler (1) for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, especially of a motor vehicle, has a housing (2), which encloses a muffler volume (7) and has at least one flat wall area (6), with at least one inlet tube (3) and with at least one outlet tube (4) and with at least one bracket (5) for fastening the muffler (1) to a holding structure. A lightweight construction is simplified if at least one wall section (11) of such a flat wall area (6) is formed by a flat lightweight panel (12) with sandwich structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A muffler for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, the muffler comprising: a housing, which encloses a muffler volume and comprises a flat wall area, said housing comprising a housing surface, said housing surface defining a housing opening; an inlet tube connected to said housing; an outlet tube connected to said housing; and a bracket connected to said housing for fastening the muffler to a holding structure, wherein said flat wall area has a flat wall section formed by a flat lightweight panel having a sandwich structure, said flat lightweight panel being inserted in said opening, wherein at least a portion of said flat lightweight panel is arranged in said opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sandwich structure comprises an inner shell, an outer shell and a support structure arranged between said inner shell and said outer shell, at least one of said support structure supporting said inner shell and said outer shell on one another and said support structure fastening said inner shell to said outer shell, said flat lightweight panel comprising a circumferential outer edge, said circumferential outer edge having a circumferential outer edge outer surface, said housing having a housing portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said housing, said housing portion comprising an inner housing portion surface, said circumferential outer edge engaging said inner housing portion surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A muffler in accordance with claim 2, wherein said inner shell is perforated, said inner shell comprising an inner shell portion, said outer shell comprising an outer shell portion, said inner shell portion being substantially parallel to said outer shell portion, said support structure comprising a plurality of support projections, each of said projections being substantially perpendicular to said inner shell portion and said outer shell portion, each of said projections engaging said inner shell portion and said outer shell portion, said inner shell portion, said outer shell portion and said plurality of projections defining a plurality of openings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A muffler in accordance with claim 3, wherein said housing surface defines another opening, said housing surface extending in a circumferential direction of said housing and an axial direction of said housing, said another opening and said opening extending in said circumferential direction and said axial direction, wherein another flat lightweight panel is inserted in said another opening, at least a portion of said another flat lightweight panel being arranged in said another opening, wherein said housing surface surrounds said at least said portion of said another flat lightweight panel, said another flat lightweight panel having a sandwich structure, said outer shell portion being located at a spaced location from said housing portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an interior support element wherein at least one of said bracket and said interior support element is fastened to said flat wall area in a region outside a region of said lightweight panel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, said flat wall area is formed entirely by a lightweight panel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a non-flat wall area, wherein at least one wall section of said non-flat wall area is formed by a gas-tight film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a support structure, to which said inlet tube, said outlet tube, a holder and said lightweight panel are fastened. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A muffler in accordance with claim 8, wherein said support structure is self-supporting and said housing is not self-supporting. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A muffler in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a tube fastened to said support structure and arranged in said housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A muffler in accordance with claim 8, wherein said support structure comprises a plurality of nodes for fastening said inlet tube, said outlet tube, said bracket and said lightweight panel and has a plurality of carriers for connecting said nodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) A muffler in accordance with claim 8, wherein: said support structure is arranged essentially within said housing and comprises a gas-tight, non-self-supporting shell; or said support structure is arranged essentially outside said housing and comprises a gas-tight, non-self-supporting shell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A muffler in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a shell construction. ### Claim 14 A motor vehicle internal combustion engine exhaust system muffler comprising: a housing, which defines an enclosed muffler volume, said housing comprising a flat wall area, said housing comprising a housing surface having a surface area extending in a circumferential direction of said housing and an axial direction of said housing, said housing surface defining at least a housing opening, said housing opening extending in said axial direction and said circumferential direction; an inlet tube connected to said housing; an outlet tube connected to said housing; and a bracket connected to said housing for fastening the muffler to a holding structure, wherein said flat wall area has a flat wall provided by a flat lightweight panel formed by an inner shell, an outer shell and a support structure arranged between said inner shell and said outer shell, said flat lightweight panel being arranged in said housing opening, wherein said flat lightweight panel closes said housing opening to define a sealed housing structure, said housing surface surrounding at least a portion of said flat lightweight panel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A muffler in accordance with claim 14, wherein said housing comprises a non-flat wall area, wherein at least one wall section of said non-flat wall area is formed by a gas-tight film. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A muffler in accordance with claim 14, further comprising: a support structure, said inlet tube, said outlet tube, a holder and said lightweight panel being fastened to said support structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A muffler in accordance with claim 16, wherein: said support structure is arranged essentially within said housing and comprises a gas-tight, non-self-supporting shell; or said support structure is arranged essentially outside said housing and comprises a gas-tight, non-self-supporting shell; or said support structure is self-supporting and said housing is not self-supporting. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) A muffler in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a tube fastened to said support structure and arranged in said housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) A muffler in accordance with claim 14, wherein said sandwich structure comprises an inner shell, an outer shell and a support structure arranged between said inner shell and said outer shell, said flat lightweight panel comprising a circumferential outer edge, said circumferential outer edge having a circumferential outer edge outer surface, said housing portion comprising an inner housing portion surface, said circumferential outer edge outer surface engaging said inner housing portion surface, said inner shell comprising an inner shell portion, said outer shell comprising an outer shell portion, said housing portion being substantially parallel to said outer shell portion, said inner shell portion and said circumferential outer edge, at least a portion of said flat light panel extending through said opening in a radial direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of said housing, said outer shell portion being located at a radially spaced location from said housing portion with respect to said longitudinal axis of said housing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A muffler in accordance with claim 19, wherein said housing surface defines another opening extending in said axial direction and said circumferential direction, wherein another flat lightweight panel is inserted in said another opening, at least a portion of said another flat lightweight panel being arranged in said another opening, wherein said another flat lightweight panel closes said another housing opening to define a portion of said sealed housing structure, at least a portion of said another flat light panel extending through said opening in said radial direction with respect to said longitudinal axis of said housing, said another flat lightweight panel having a sandwich structure.