Silencer for an internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A silencer which may be positioned in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, said silencer comprising: walls forming the main body of said silencer; a first separator supported by said walls, to thereby define a rear chamber therebetween; a second separator supported by said walls, to thereby define a first intermediate chamber between said walls and said first and second separators; a flame-extinguishing device having a space formed therein by a pair of porous plates and said walls of the main body and being filled with a non-catalytic material to thereby define a second intermediate chamber between said walls and said second separator as well as to define a front chamber between said walls and said flame-extinguishing device; an inlet pipe in fluid communication with said front chamber whereby an exhaust gas may flow from said inlet pipe into said front chamber and over the entire surface of said flame extinguishing device; an outlet pipe in fluid communication with said first intermediate chamber whereby the exhaust gas may flow out of said first intermediate chamber through said outlet pipe; and an inner pipe positioned between said first and said second separators to fluidly couple said second intermediate chamber with said rear chamber, said inner pipe having a plurality of apertures formed therein through which the exhaust gas may lead into said first intermediate chamber, said inlet and outlet pipes and said inner pipe being positioned such that they do not extend through said flame extinguishing device whereby the active surface area and therefor the capacity of said flame extinguishing device are increased.