Apparatus for purifying exhaust gases of internal combustion engines

Claim 1

Apparatus for purifying the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines of automotive vehicles comprising a pair of upstream exhaust pipes adapted to communicate with exhaust ports of an internal combustion engine, a catalytic converter communicating with said exhaust pipes, and a downstream exhaust pipe communicating with said catalytic converter, said catalytic converter comprising a cylindrical shell made of half shells, said cylindrical shell having an oval cross-section, said cylindrical shell forming an inlet chamber, a catalyst chamber and an outlet chamber, a monolithic catalyst element in said catalyst chamber, a reinforcement stud provided in a central portion of said inlet chamber between said half shells, said inlet chamber having a pair of inlet ports engaged with said upstream exhaust pipes, said inlet ports being so arranged that axial lines of the inlet ports cross each other in said inlet chamber at a position near, but upstream of, the upstream facing end of said monolithic catalyst element, and a diffuser means secured to said stud, said diffuser means comprising a V-shaped diffusing plate having a plurality of perforations and said diffusing plate being so arranged that the axial line of each inlet port makes an angle of incidence with a respective upstream facing plane of the plate, and said diffusing plate having a height of about a half of the diameter of the gas flow passage in the inlet chamber, whereby at least a portion of the exhaust gases from said inlet ports pass around said diffusing plate in a substantially unimpeded manner so as to prevent excessive back pressure.