US3910040A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for detecting the overheating of a catalyst traversed by the exhaust gas of an explosion engine
Assignee: Fiat Auto SpA
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Filing: 1974-02-26
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Granted: 1975-10-07
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Expires: 1994-02-26
Abstract
Abstract In systems for the post-combustion of the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, of the type comprising a catalyst mass for promoting the post-combustion reactions, a sensing device is provided to sense the possible improper operation of the catalyst mass due to overheating; the sensing device is of the pressure type, responsive to variations of the pressure drop occurring in the exhaust gases upon passing through the catalyst mass, since these variations are a function of the temperature conditions existing in the catalytic mass.
Inventors
- 👤 Giampaolo Garcea
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 03:48
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/08; F01N3/10; F01N3/18; F01N3/22; F01N3/227; F01N13/00; F01N13/009; F01N13/011; F01N3/20; F01N3/2053; F01N3/24; F01N3/28; F01N3/30; F01N3/34; F01N2230/00; F01N2230/04; F01N2330/00; F01N2330/08; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A50/00; Y02A50/20; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
In an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, particularly for motor vehicles, provided with at least one muffler for the post combustion of the engine exhaust gas, a device for detecting excessive overheating of a catalyst contained in said muffler, said device comprising a first and second cell disposed in series and traversed by the engine exhaust gas, said cells containing solid but not compact material and hence being traversable by the gas, the gas undergoing a first and second pressure drop in said cells, the material contained in the second cell being a catalytic material, said detector device further comprising means sensitive to the pressure drops undergone by the gas in traversing said cells, a signal being supplied by said sensitive means when, for a determined overheating in said second cell, the pressure drop undergone by the gas in traversing said second cell exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
In an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, particularly for motor vehicles, provided with at least one muffler for the post combustion of the engine exhaust gas, a device for detecting excessive overheating of a catalyst contained in said muffler, said device comprising a first and second cell disposed in series and traversed by the engine exhaust gas, said cells containing solid but not compact material and hence being traversable by the gas, the gas undergoing a first and second pressure drop in said cells, the material contained in the second cell being a catalytic material, said detector device further comprising means sensitive to the pressure drops undergone by the gas in traversing said cells, a signal being supplied by said sensitive means when, for a determined overheating in said second cell, the pressure drop undergone by the gas in traversing said second cell exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said first and second cells are disposed in the exhaust system upstream of the catalytic muffler and are traversed by the entire engine exhaust gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said first and second cells are disposed inside the catalytic muffler, the entire engine exhaust gas traversing first the first cell, then the second cell, then the main catalytic bed of the catalytic muffler.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said first and second cells are disposed inside the catalytic muffler, the second cell being constituted by the main catalytic bed of the catalytic muffler itself, the entire exhaust gas traversing firstly the first cell and then the second cell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said first and second cells are of smaller volume than the catalytic muffler, and are disposed in the exhaust system parallel to the catalytic muffler, the flow of engine exhaust gas being divided into two parts, the first of said parts being greater than the second and traversing the catalytic muffler, the second of said parts traversing firstly the first and then the second cell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
A device as claimed in claim 5 comprising small diameter pipes connecting said first and second cells to said means sensitive to the pressure drops undergone by the gas in traversing said cells, said sensitive means being spaced from said cells, said small diameter pipes having ports provided upstream and downstream of the first and second cells.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as claimed in claim 6, comprising a single container containing said first and second cells, the ports for said small diameter pipes being provided in the walls of said container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said means sensitive to the pressure drops undergone by the gas in traversing said first and second cells provides a signal when, for the second pressure drop, a determined increase occurs with respect to the first pressure drop, said sensitive means then making a comparison between said first and second pressure drops.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
24 words
A device as claimed in claim, 8 in which said signal is used for lighting an indicator lamp, indicating excessive overheating of the catalyst.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, in which said signal is used for acoustically indiating, inside the motor vehicle passenger compartment, excessive overheating of the catalyst.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, in which said signal is used for automatically controlling valve means which deviates the exhaust gas through a bypass around the catalytic muffler when excessive overheating occurs in said muffler, said deviation of the exhaust gas through the bypass giving at least one of the following indications: lightinG an indicator lamp inside the vehicle, and giving an acoustic indication inside the vehicle, and lighting an indicator lamp visible on the outside of the vehicle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as claimed in claim 11, in which said valve means is made to open said bypass around the catalytic muffler by said sensitive means, and is made to close said bypass only by other means sensitive to the working conditions of the engine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as claimed in claim 11, in which said valve means which deviates the exhaust gas through the bypass around the silencer is also controlled by further means sensitive to parameters indicating the power delivered by the engine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
80 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, in which the said means sensitive to the pressure drops is operatively connected to valve means mounted in the pipe means, by which the air necessary for the post-combustion is fed to the engine exhaust gases, by opening in the exhaust system upstream of the catalytic muffler, said valve means being controlled by the signal originated from said sensitive means, so as to exclude the air from being fed to the exhaust gases.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-06 | 1979-04-07 | 1979-10-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-06 | 1983-04-07 | 1983-10-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-06 | 1987-04-07 | 1987-10-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |