Silencer Prefabricated Inserts and Closure Plate Welding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional muffler installation, particularly transverse installation, is challenging due to the difficulty of welding within the casing, especially when the silencer is installed perpendicular to the vehicle's direction of travel.

Innovation Solution

The muffler elements, including inlet and outlet pipe sections, are designed as prefabricated inserts that can be pushed into the jacket from the front side, with a separate closure plate providing exhaust gas openings, allowing for pre-connection and welding of the inserts before installation, eliminating the need for welding within the casing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sleeve is inserted into the jacket and welded inside the jacket to fix muffler elements, then the muffler elements can be secured to the jacket, but welding within the casing becomes difficult particularly when the silencer is installed transversely

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecuring of muffler elementsVSAvoidwelding difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the assembly process into two separate stages: first, the muffler elements are secured to the sleeve outside the jacket; second, the closure plate with integrated sleeve is welded to the jacket as a single unit. This segmentation eliminates the need for difficult internal welding of muffler elements to the jacket, while maintaining secure connection through the closure plate structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the silencer is installed transversely to the direction of travel, then the installation configuration is achieved, but welding within the casing becomes even more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransverse installation capabilityVSAvoidwelding accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of welding muffler elements to the jacket from inside the casing (which is difficult in transverse installation), the invention inverts the approach by providing the sleeve as part of the closure plate that is welded to the jacket from the outside. The muffler elements are then secured to this externally-accessible sleeve, making the welding operation accessible and easy to perform regardless of transverse installation orientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the closure plate is made thicker, then stability is increased, but the weight of the muffler increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidmuffler weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by making only the closure plate thicker (e.g., 2-5 mm) to provide the necessary structural stability and rigidity for transverse installation, while the rest of the muffler components can use thinner, lighter materials. This localized thickening provides stability exactly where needed (at the connection point to the jacket) without unnecessarily increasing the weight of the entire muffler assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2196640B1Silencer
Publication Date: 2014.10.08 FRIEDRICH BOYSEN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2196640B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2196640B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2196640B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The silencer (10) has a jacket (14) and two front walls (16,18), a housing (12) comprising an exhaust gas inlet opening and an exhaust gas outlet opening and silencer elements placed in the housing. The silencer elements placed in the housing comprise an inlet or outlet pipe section (24), which opens in a jacket side exhaust gas inlet opening or exhaust gas outlet opening (20) of the housing with an end or extends outward through these. The exhaust gas inlet opening or exhaust outlet opening is provided with a locking plate (26). An independent claim is also included for a method for manufacturing a silencer.