Patent ID: 6430921
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: F01N,Y02T

Abstract:
A moisture absorbing exhaust system component for an exhaust system through which combustion products flow from an exhaust port of an internal combustion engine to atmosphere, which exhaust system may have other components each of which have an inlet and an outlet, comprising:(a) an exhaust component structure which defines a passageway therethrough with an inlet at one end of said passageway and an outlet at an opposite end of said passageway; (b) wherein said exhaust component structure is designed to be engaged to at least one of the internal combustion engine and the other components of the exhaust system such that said inlet of said passageway is designed to be in fluid communication with either an outlet of one of the other components of the exhaust system or the exhaust port of the internal combustion engine, and said outlet of said passageway may be designed to be in fluid communication with the inlet of another component of the exhaust system; (c) wherein when said moisture absorbing exhaust system component is properly assembled within the exhaust system said passageway defined through said exhaust component structure is in fluid communication with both the exhaust port of the internal combustion engine and atmosphere either directly, or through fluid communication with the other components of the exhaust system which are, in turn, in fluid communication with the exhaust port and atmosphere; (d) wherein when said moisture absorbing exhaust system component is properly installed to the exhaust system which is engaged to the internal combustion engine and the internal combustion engine is operational the combustion products of the internal combustion engine travel from the exhaust port of the internal combustion engine through said passageway defined in said exhaust component structure and eventually to atmosphere; (e) an absorbent liner disposed within said exhaust component structure; (f) wherein said one or more absorbent liners are comprised of a moisture absorbing material which can be subjected to temperature cycles of said moisture absorbing exhaust system component without melting, combusting, undergoing chemical transformation, or otherwise transforming in any manner which would substantially detract from exhaust system performance or performance of said one or more absorbent liners for a normal life of said exhaust system; (g) wherein said absorbent liner is positioned within said exhaust component structure at a point where water which enters the exhaust system might otherwise pool; (h) wherein said exhaust component structure is of a vertical flow design; and (i) wherein said absorbent liner is disposed against an upper side of a horizontal surface interior to said exhaust component structure, where water might otherwise pool.