Heat absorption means operative at prescribed temperature for suppression of heat transfer from abnormally heated automotive exhaust system to article on board

Claim 1

In an automobile having a body including a floor and as a component of an exhaust system an exhaust gas purifying device, in which occurs exothermic oxidation of unburned fuel, located beneath the floor, the improvement comprising a heat absorption layer which is particularly operative at a prescribed temeperature within the range from about 100° C. to about 1200° C. and located within a space bounded on its upper and lower sides by a horizontal plane slightly above the upper surface of the floor and the outer and upper surface of the purifying device, respectively, a principal material of said heat absorption layer being a substance which absorbs a large amount of heat at a temperature which is specific to said substance and agrees with said prescribed temperature, said heat absorption layer consisting of a container made of a heat-conductive and uncombustible metal foil material and said substance packed in said container.