Air Cleaner Secondary Air Valve Noise Suppression

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air cleaners for internal combustion engines face challenges in reducing noise associated with the actuation of the secondary air valve without using a special structure, which increases costs.

Innovation Solution

An air cleaner design that includes a secondary air separate chamber within the purified chamber, a connecting tube guiding air to the engine body, and a partition wall forming the secondary air and blow-by gas separate chambers, which suppresses noise from the secondary air valve actuation without a special structure, while maintaining air flow and reducing weight and complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a special structure is used for the secondary air valve to reduce operating noise, then noise reduction is achieved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperating noiseVSAvoidcost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The purified chamber is segmented into a main purified chamber and a separate secondary air chamber. This spatial segmentation isolates the noise source (secondary air valve) within the separate chamber, preventing noise propagation to the exterior while maintaining a simple, cost-effective valve structure without special noise reduction features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If the secondary air valve structure is simplified to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but noise suppression capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidoperating noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A partition wall acts as an intermediary barrier between the secondary air valve (noise source) and the external environment. The partition wall physically separates the noise-generating region from the surrounding space, effectively suppressing noise transmission while allowing the use of simple, low-cost valve structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the cleaner case structure is simplified to reduce weight and complexity, then manufacturing simplicity increases, but noise isolation capability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural complexityVSAvoidnoise leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaner case is segmented by introducing a partition wall that creates a separate secondary air chamber. This segmentation strategy effectively isolates noise without requiring complex external noise barriers or enclosures, maintaining overall structural simplicity while achieving noise suppression.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3376015B1Air cleaner for internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2021.07.21 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3376015B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3376015B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3376015B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An air cleaner for an internal combustion engine includes a secondary air conduit. The secondary air conduit has a downstream end portion coupled to an exhaust system, a secondary air valve being interposed at an intermediate portion of the secondary air conduit. The secondary air conduit has an upstream end portion coupled to a cleaner case so as to be communicated with an inside of a purified chamber. The air cleaner for the internal combustion engine suppresses noise in association with an actuation of the secondary air valve from leaking to outside without using a secondary air valve with a special structure. In a purified chamber 57, a region including a coupling portion of the purified chamber 57 which is coupled with a secondary air conduit 46 is partitioned as a secondary air separate chamber 62 occupying a part of the purified chamber 57.