# US 9,039,981 B2 · Exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,981 B2 - Document ID: US9039981B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/499,802 - Filed: 2011-03-10 - Published: 2013-12-19 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-10 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Mamoru Yoshioka - Inventors: Mamoru Yoshioka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039981B2 ## CPC - B01D 53/94: by catalytic processes - F01N 3/2013: {using electric or magnetic heating means} - F01N 3/2026: {directly electrifying the catalyst substrate, i.e. heating the electrically conductive catalyst substrate by joule effect} - F01N 3/28: Construction of catalytic reactors - F01N 3/2853: {using mats or gaskets between catalyst body and housing} - F01N 3/2871: {the mats or gaskets having an additional, e.g. non-insulating or non-cushioning layer, a metal foil or an adhesive layer} - F01N 2240/20: a flow director or deflector - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - 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) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A laminated body composed of a holding member and an inner cylinder is arranged between a heat generation element, which is electrically energized to generate heat, and a case which covers the heat generation element, and the inner cylinder has an upstream side end portion extended to a more upstream side than an upstream side end face of said heat generation element and an upstream side end face of said holding member to form an extension portion, which is formed with a protruding portion protruding to an inner side in a diametrical direction. A flow of an exhaust gas, which flows backwards after colliding with the heat generation element, will be obstructed by said protruding portion. As a result, the backflow exhaust gas stops flowing into a gap between the case and the inner cylinder. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine comprising: a heat generation element that is electrically energized to generate heat; a case that is a cylindrical member having an inside diameter larger than an outside diameter of said heat generation element, and covers said heat generation element; an inner cylinder that is a cylindrical insulating body having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of said heat generation element and at the same time an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of said case, and is arranged between said heat generation element and said case; a first holding member that is a cylindrical insulating body arranged between said case and said inner cylinder, and holds said inner cylinder; a second holding member that is a cylindrical insulating body arranged between said heat generation element and said inner cylinder, and holds said heat generation element; an extension portion that is formed by extending an upstream side end portion of said inner cylinder to a more upstream side than an upstream side end face of said first holding member and an upstream side end face of said second holding member; and a protruding portion that is formed on said extension portion and protrudes to a diametrically inner side of said inner cylinder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said protruding portion is formed by bending the upstream side end portion of said extension portion to the diametrically inner side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein said protruding portion curves in such a manner that a tip of said protruding portion is directed to a downstream side. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein said protruding portion has a curvature, the magnitude of which is set in such a manner that the exhaust gas flowing backwards along an inner wall surface of said extension portion swirls in a forward direction along an inner wall surface of said protruding portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said case is provided with a cylindrical portion, and a conical portion of a tapered shape that is connected with an upstream side end portion and a downstream side end portion of said cylindrical portion; and on an inner wall surface of said conical portion connected with an upstream side of said cylindrical portion, there is formed a restriction member that is an annular body protruding to a downstream side and has an inside diameter equal to or less than that of said inner cylinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the shortest distance between said restriction member and said extension portion is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said restriction member and said extension portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 5, further comprising: a shield part that is formed on the inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical portion at a location downstream of the downstream side end portion of said inner cylinder, and protrudes to a diametrically inner side of said cylindrical portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the shortest distance between said shield part and said inner cylinder is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said shield part and said inner cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the shortest distance between said extension portion and said case is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said extension portion and said case. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein a creeping distance of said extension portion extending from the upstream side end face of said first holding member to the upstream side end face of said second holding member is set to be equal to or larger than a distance at which a creeping discharge does not occur between said first holding member and said second holding member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein said case is provided with a cylindrical portion, and a conical portion of a tapered shape that is connected with an upstream side end portion and a downstream side end portion of said cylindrical portion; and on an inner wall surface of said conical portion connected with an upstream side of said cylindrical portion, there is formed a restriction member that is an annular body protruding to a downstream side and has an inside diameter equal to or less than that of said inner cylinder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the shortest distance between said restriction member and said extension portion is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said restriction member and said extension portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 11, further comprising: a shield part that is formed on the inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical portion at a location downstream of the downstream side end portion of said inner cylinder, and protrudes to a diametrically inner side of said cylindrical portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, further comprising: a shield part that is formed on the inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical portion at a location downstream of the downstream side end portion of said inner cylinder, and protrudes to a diametrically inner side of said cylindrical portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 12, further comprising: a shield part that is formed on the inner peripheral surface of said cylindrical portion at a location downstream of the downstream side end portion of said inner cylinder, and protrudes to a diametrically inner side of said cylindrical portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the shortest distance between said shield part and said inner cylinder is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said shield part and said inner cylinder. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the shortest distance between said shield part and said inner cylinder is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said shield part and said inner cylinder. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 17, wherein the shortest distance between said extension portion and said case is set to be equal to or larger than a spatial distance at which an electric discharge does not occur between said extension portion and said case. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The exhaust gas purification apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to claim 18, wherein a creeping distance of said extension portion extending from the upstream side end face of said first holding member to the upstream side end face of said second holding member is set to be equal to or larger than a distance at which a creeping discharge does not occur between said first holding member and said second holding member.