Muffler for vacuum-inducing motor

Claim 2

An air-filtering, sound-attenuating muffler for a vacuuminducing motor comprising, in combination: an attenuator box having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being in direct communication with said motor for receiving a flow of air from said motor, said attenuator box defining a muffler cavity; a muffler filler within said muffler cavity, said muffler filler including a series of reticulated foam layers of varying pore densities, said layers being arranged in order of increasing pore density, a first layer having the lowest pore density; and air control means for directing said flow of air from said inlet into said first layer of said muffler material and through said series of layers and said outlet, whereby the noise produced by said motor and carried by said air is substantially absorbed and attenuated by said muffler.

Claim 3

A muffler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said attenuator box further defines an intake chamber in direct communication with said inlet, whereby said flow of air from said motor is substantially disrupted.

Claim 4

A muffler as claimed in claim 2 wherein said air control means defines a slot, said intake chamber directly communicating with said muffler cavity through said slot.

Claim 5

A muffler as claimed in claim 3 wherein said slot substantially aligns with said first layer of said muffler filler.

Claim 6

A muffler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reticulated foam layers are open cell polyurethene foam.

Claim 7

A muffler as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pore densities vary from 10 to 100 pores per linear inch.

Claim 8

An air-filtering, sound-attenuating muffler for vacuum-inducing motor comprising, in combination: an attenuator box having inlet means and outlet means, said inlet means receiving a flow of air from said motor, said attenuator defining a muffler cavity; a muffler filler within said muffler cavity, said muffler filler including a series of reticulated foam layers of varying pore densities, a central layer having the lowest pore density, a first outer layer and a second outer layer having the highest pore density, said first and second outer layers being in direct communication with said outlet means, said layers being arranged about said central layer in order of increasing pore densities; and air control means for directing said flow of air from said inlet into said central layer, whereby said air passes through said muffler filler in two directions and exists said attenuator box through said outlet means.

Claim 9

An air-filtering, sound-attenuating muffler for vacuum-inducing motor comprising, in combination: an attenuator box having inlet means and outlet means, said inlet means receiving a flow of air from said motor, said attenuator defining a muffler cavity; a muffler filler within said muffler cavity, said muffler filler including a series of reticulated foam layers of varying pore densities, a central layer having the lowest pore density, a first outer layer and a second outer layer having the highest pore density, said first and second outer layers being in direct communication with said outlet means, said layers being arranged about said central layer in order of increasing pore densities; and air control means for directing said flow of air from said inlet into said central layer, whereby said air passes through said muffler filler in two directions and exists said attenuator box through said outlet means.

Claim 10

A muffler as claimed in claim 7 wherein said air control means includes an air passageway between said inlet and said muffler filler.

Claim 11

A muffler as claimed in claim 8 wherein said air passageway is a slot, said slot substantially aligning with said central layer.

Claim 12

A muffler as claimed in claim 7 wherein said reticulated foam layers are open cell polyurethane foam.

Claim 13

A muffler for a vacuum-inducing motor comprising, in combination: an attenuator box having an inlet, said inlet being in direct communication with said motor for receiving a flow of air from said motor, said attenuator box defining a muffler cavity; a muffler filler with said muffler cavity, said filler including a series of foam layers of varying pore densities, a first layer having the lowest pore density and a second layer having the greatest pore density; and air control means for directing said flow of air from said inlet into and through said muffler filler from said first layer to said second layer, whereby the noise produced by said motor and carried by said air is substantially absorbed and attenuated by said muffler.

Claim 14

A muffler for a vacuum-inducing motor comprising, in combination: an attenuator box having an inlet, said inlet being in direct communication with said motor for receiving a flow of air from said motor, said attenuator box defining a muffler cavity; a muffler filler with said muffler cavity, said filler including a series of foam layers of varying pore densities, a first layer having the lowest pore density and a second layer having the greatest pore density; and air control means for directing said flow of air from said inlet into and through said muffler filler from said first layer to said second layer, whereby the noise produced by said motor and carried by said air is substantially absorbed and attenuated by said muffler.