Vehicle with improved exhaust system for internal combustion engine

Claim 2

In combination with a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, the improvement of an exhaust system, which comprises: a) a rigid exhaust pipe connected to the engine and including a downstream end in spaced relation from the engine; b) a corrugated, flexible metal hose with an upstream end and a downstream end; c) a constriction means for constricting said flexible hose in clamping relation on said exhaust pipe; d) an emission control device connected to the flexible hose downstream end; and e) a clamp assembly, which includes: 1) a gasket with upstream and downstream ends and a bore extending therebetween, said gasket bore receiving at least one of said exhaust pipe and said flexible hose; and 2) a band subassembly generally encircling said gasket.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said gasket includes: a) a downstream section whereat said gasket bore has a corrugated configuration and said gasket has a generally cylindrical outer surface with a first outside diameter; and b) an upstream section whereat said gasket bore is a generally smooth-walled with a cylindrical configuration and a gasket upstream section outer surface with a generally cylindrical configuration and an outside diameter less than the outside diameter of said downstream section.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 2 wherein said band subassembly includes: a) a pair of halves split longitudinally; b) each said half having a downstream section with a pair of downstream flanges with downstream receivers and an upstream section with a pair of upstream flanges with upstream receivers; c) said downstream sections forming a downstream inside diameter corresponding to said gasket downstream portion outside diameter and said upstream sections forming an upstream inside diameter corresponding to said gasket upstream portion outside diameter; and d) said constriction means comprising two pairs of bolts extending through corresponding, opposed pairs of said downstream and upstream end flanges respectively and received in the receivers thereof and two pairs of nuts threadably mounted on said bolts.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said flexible hose includes: a) an end land located in proximity to said flexible hose upstream end; and b) a generally cylindrical smooth-walled extension extending in an upstream direction from said end land and received in said gasket upstream portion bore.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 2 wherein: a) said exhaust pipe is grippingly received in said gasket bore at said gasket upstream portion.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 4 wherein said flexible hose includes: a) a plurality of radially-spaced, longitudinally-extending slots formed in said flexible hose extension.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 6 wherein said slots are closed and are positioned in spaced-relation from said extension end.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 7 wherein said slots extend to and are open at said extension end.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 8, wherein said flexible hose includes a corrugated portion extending in a downstream direction from said end land and further includes a plurality of longitudinally-extending, radially-spaced slots formed in said flexible hose corrugated portion and received within said gasket downstream portion.

Claim 11

In combination with a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, the improvement of an exhaust system, which comprises: a) an exhaust pipe connected to the internal combustion engine and including a downstream end; b) a flexible, corrugated metal hose including upstream and downstream ends and a corrugated portion including a plurality of alternating lands and grooves; c) an emission control device connected to said flexible metal hose downstream end; and d) a clamp assembly including: 1) a gasket with a downstream section and an upstream section, said gasket having a bore with a corrugated configuration at said downstream section and a smooth-walled configuration at said upstream section; 2) said gasket having an outer surface with a first greater outside diameter at said downstream section and a second, lesser outside diameter at said upstream section; 3) said gasket having downstream and upstream ends at said downstream and upstream sections respectively; 4) said gasket forming a shoulder at the outer surface thereof between the gasket downstream and upstream sections; 5) clamp assembly downstream and upstream ends; 6) a band subassembly comprising downstream and upstream sections with downstream and upstream band subassembly ends respectively; 7) said band subassembly including a longitudinally-split pair of band halves each having a pair of end flanges with downstream and upstream flange sections; 8) each said flange having downstream and upstream receivers aligned with opposed receivers on said other band half with said band subassembly positioned on said gasket; 9) a band shoulder formed between said band half downstream and upstream sections; 10) downstream and upstream pairs of bolts respectively received in downstream and upstream pairs of aligned band flange receivers; and 11) downstream and upstream pairs of nuts respectively threadably mounted on said downstream and upstream bolts.

Claim 12

In combination with a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, the improvement of an exhaust system, which comprises: a) an exhaust pipe connected to the internal combustion engine and including a downstream end; b) a flexible, corrugated metal hose including upstream and downstream ends and a corrugated portion including a plurality of alternating lands and grooves; c) an emission control device connected to said flexible metal hose downstream end; and d) a clamp assembly including: 1) a gasket with a downstream section and an upstream section, said gasket having a bore with a corrugated configuration at said downstream section and a smooth-walled configuration at said upstream section; 2) said gasket having an outer surface with a first greater outside diameter at said downstream section and a second, lesser outside diameter at said upstream section; 3) said gasket having downstream and upstream ends at said downstream and upstream sections respectively; 4) said gasket forming a shoulder at the outer surface thereof between the gasket downstream and upstream sections; 5) clamp assembly downstream and upstream ends; 6) a band subassembly comprising downstream and upstream sections with downstream and upstream band subassembly ends respectively; 7) said band subassembly including a longitudinally-split pair of band halves each having a pair of end flanges with downstream and upstream flange sections; 8) each said flange having downstream and upstream receivers aligned with opposed receivers on said other band half with said band subassembly positioned on said gasket; 9) a band shoulder formed between said band half downstream and upstream sections; 10) downstream and upstream pairs of bolts respectively received in downstream and upstream pairs of aligned band flange receivers; and 11) downstream and upstream pairs of nuts respectively threadably mounted on said downstream and upstream bolts.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 10, which includes: a) said flexible hose corrugated section having an end corrugation adjacent to said flexible hose end; and b) said exhaust pipe being engaged by said gasket upstream section.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 10, which includes: a) said flexible hose having an end corrugation captured within said clamp assembly gasket downstream section; and b) said flexible hose having a smooth-walled extension extending in an upstream direction from said end corrugation thereof, said flexible hose extension being received in said clamp assembly upstream section and engaged by said gasket upstream section.