Patent ID: 6258328
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B01D,B01J,B23K,F01N,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
A catalyst support in which internal combustion engine exhaust gases are exposed to a catalyst, said catalyst support comprising:a tubular peripheral jacket having a central axis, a cross-section of the jacket lying on a plane normal to the central axis being symmetrical with respect to the central axis; anda cylindrical honeycomb structure surrounded by said jacket, said honeycomb structure being formed by a plurality of abutting metal sheets arranged in a stack, the contiguous surfaces of which define planes of abutment that lie parallel to the central axis of the jacket, each of said metal sheets possessing two ends that are spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the central axis, at least one metal sheet in said stack being corrugated to form a plurality of gas flow channels in said honeycomb structure, said metal sheets being bent such that the planes of abutment are curved yet remain parallel to the central axis, free ends of the sheets so bent overlapping and being successively exposed at spaced locations along a first sector (S1) of the circumference of the honeycomb structure when seen in a cross-section normal to central axis, said honeycomb structure having a second circumferential sector (F1, F4) in which a surface of one of said sheets is exposed and the free ends of the sheets are not present, a joinder between said honeycomb structure and said jacket occurring at a peripheral fastening area (L1-L4) of said honeycomb structure which includes said first circumferential sector (S1) so that the joinder is confined a contiguous circumferential portion which is a fraction of the circumference of the honeycomb structure and so that the joinder is asymmetric with respect to the central axis, the remaining portion of the circumference of said honeycomb structure including said second circumferential sector (F1, F4) being devoid of joinder to the jacket.