Abstract:
A filter includes a cylindrical foramenous core which is removably mounted inside the exit end of an exhaust pipe of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. Engine exhaust gases flow through the core before being exhausted into the atmosphere and are cleaned of undesirable products such as Carbon Monoxide as well as undesirable particulate matter and the like. The core is easily removed from the exhaust pipe for cleaning, replacement or the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to devices for removing pollutants from internal combustion engine emissions and in particular to an air-pollutant separator for removing pollutants from the exhaust and other engine sources of emission.  
         [0003]     2. Background of the Invention  
         [0004]     At present, exhaust fumes from the engine of a vehicle flow through an exhaust pipe and through a muffler to be exhausted. As exhaust fumes generally contain a large amount of incompletely burned gasoline and carbon monoxide, which is toxic to human bodies, laws are enacted to limit toxic gas emission to protect human health and the environment.  
         [0005]     The continuing effort to develop ways and means of reducing the pollution from internal combustion engines is well known. This effort continues on at least two broad fronts. On the one hand, there is modification of engine operation or replacement with a different type of power source. On the other hand, there are efforts to develop accessories for use with internal combustion engines with and without accompanying engine modifications, both at the intake and exhaust sides of the engine to prevent the engine from creating one or the other of the undesirable types of emissions and to trap and entrain the pollutants emitted by the engine prior to the discharge of the exhaust from the engine to the atmosphere.  
         [0006]     Illustrative of such accessories are the catalytic converters which are being utilized in the exhaust system of internal combustion engines. The palladium catalyst used by the converters is a prime factor in requiring engines to be modified so that they can operate on non-leaded fuels. The use of leaded fuels quickly “poison” the palladium catalyst utilized in such converters, thereby quickly rendering them ineffective. The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system for reducing pollution due to crankcase emissions including the PCV and valve converter is another example of such engine accessories  
         [0007]     Therefore, there is a need for an accessory for use with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that can effectively and efficiently clean undesirable products from the exhaust gases associated with those vehicles.  
         [0008]     Because vehicle emission gases change over time, due to changes in engine design or engine use, as well as results desired, any accessory associated with the engine should be easy to change. Therefore, there is a need for an accessory for use with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that can effectively and efficiently clean undesirable products from the exhaust gases associated with those vehicles yet is easy to remove and replace so it is easily and efficiently changed to meet changing requirements associated with the engine.  
         [0009]     Still further, in order to be most acceptable and to achieve the most success, any such accessory should be inexpensive to encourage the widest possible use thereof. In this regard, there is a need for an accessory for use with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine that can effectively and efficiently clean undesirable products from the exhaust gases associated with those vehicles yet will be inexpensive to purchase, remove and replace.  
       INVENTION SUMMARY  
       [0010]     These, and other, objects are achieved by a filter unit that includes a cylindrical foramenous core. The unit mounts on the gas exit end of an exhaust pipe that is associated with a motor vehicle that is powered by an internal combustion engine. A mounting unit of the filter unit includes a ring that fits around the outside of the exhaust pipe and is attached to the exhaust pipe by a ring.  
         [0011]     Using the filter embodying the present invention will permit a user to quickly and easily place, remove and replace the core, and hence a filter element to meet changing conditions associated with the vehicle as well as changing conditions associated with the filter unit itself. In this manner, should the filter unit have the effectiveness thereof reduced, as by exhaustion of its filtering capacity through use or damage, the unit can be easily and quickly replaced. Still further, should conditions of the exhaust gases themselves change or the requirements associated with the character of the gases being exhausted into the atmosphere change (as by changes in the laws associated with vehicle exhaust, or the like), the filter unit embodying the present invention can be easily and quickly changed.  
         [0012]     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a filter for removing undesirable products from gases being exhausted from an internal combustion engine embodying the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway view of the filter shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a filter unit  10  including a gas flow pipe  12  associated with an internal combustion engine E being used to provide power to a motor vehicle, such as a land vehicle or the like. The engine and vehicle will not be discussed because they are well known to those skilled in the art and the particulars of these elements are not important to the present invention. Pipe  12  includes a cylindrical wall  14  having a gas exit end  16  and a bore  18 . Bore  18  fluidically connects gas exit end  16  to internal combustion engine E for conducting gases G generated by the internal combustion engine during operation thereof away from the internal combustion engine. Gas flow pipe  12  has an interior surface  20  located adjacent to bore  18  and an exterior surface  22 . Bore  18  has an internal diameter  24  defined by interior surface  20  of the gas flow pipe. Gas flow pipe  12  also has a longitudinal axis  26 .  
         [0017]     A tubular filter element  30  is located inside the gas flow pipe adjacent to gas exit end  16 . Element  30  includes a first end  32  which is an inlet end when filter element  30  is in place in the gas flow pipe as shown in  FIG. 2 . First end  32  is planar and is spaced apart in the direction of the internal combustion engine from a plane  34  containing gas exit end  16  of gas flow pipe  12 . First end  32  is contained in a plane  36  that is parallel with plane  34  containing the gas exit end.  
         [0018]     Element  30  further includes a second end  38  which is an outlet end when the filter element is in place in the gas flow pipe. Second end  38  is located closely adjacent to plane  34 . second end  38  is arcuate and extends out of gas exit end  16  of the gas flow pipe when the filter element is in place in the gas flow pipe as can be understood from  FIG. 2 .  
         [0019]     An outer surface  40  on element  30  connects the first and second ends of tubular filter element  30 . Outer surface  40  of the filter element has an outer diameter  42  which is slightly smaller than internal diameter  24  defined by the interior surface of gas flow pipe  12  and is sized so tubular filter element  30  fits snugly inside bore  18  of the gas flow pipe when in use.  
         [0020]     A cylindrical bore  44  is defined in element  30  and extends between the first and second ends of tubular filter element  30 . Cylindrical bore  44  of the filter element has an internal diameter  46 . A gas exhaust port  48  is defined in second end  38  of the tubular filter element to be in fluid communication with cylindrical bore  44  of the tubular filter element to fluidically connect cylindrical bore  44  to the environment surrounding the gas flow pipe. Gas exhaust port  48  has an internal diameter  50  which is smaller than internal diameter  46  of cylindrical bore  44  of filter element  30 .  
         [0021]     A mounting unit  70  mounts filter element  30  on gas flow pipe  12 . Unit  70  includes a cap  72  mounted on exterior surface  22  of gas flow pipe  12 . Cap  72  has a cylindrical body  74  which has a first end  76  and a second end  78 . Body  74  of the cap extends past second end  16  of gas flow pipe  12  and portion  80  of body  74  of the cap adjacent to second end  78  of the body extends toward longitudinal axis  26  of the gas flow pipe and has a shape which is arcuate and which matches the arcuate shape of second end  38  of filter element  30 .  
         [0022]     A gas exhaust port  82  is defined in second end  78  of body  74  of the cap. Gas exhaust port  82  of the cap has a diameter  84  which is smaller than internal diameter  24  of gas flow pipe  12  and larger than internal diameter  46  of bore  44  of filter element  30 . Second end  78  of body  74  of cap  72  snugly engages second end  38  of filter element  30  to securely hold the filter element in place in the gas flow pipe. A clamp element  90  surrounds body  74  of the cap adjacent to first end  76  of the body of the cap. Clamp element  90  is adjustable and securely holds mounting unit  70  on the gas flow pipe.  
         [0023]     The filter element  30  may be made from a variety of materials to filter out the carbon monoxide from the exhaust gases such mesh fiber and the outer surface  40  may be wrapped with wire mesh. As such, exhaust gases flowing from engine E will thus pass through filter element  30  and be filtered before exiting gas pipe  12  and then to the environment. The filter element  30  can be easily installed within the gas flow pipe  12  so that filter element cannot be seen. In addition, with the filter element  30  inside the gas flow pipe  12 , exhaust gases are filtered as the gases flow pass through the length of the filter element  30  such that the exhaust gases are filtered in an effective and efficient manner and operation of the engine will not be unduly affected by the presence of a filter element in the exhaust port of the gas pipe.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show that a foramenous cylindrical filter element core  60  may be also provided inside cylindrical bore  44  of tubular filter element  30 . Core  60  includes a first end  62  which is planar and which is coplanar with plane  24  containing first end  32  of filter element  30 . Core  60  further includes a second end  64  which is arcuate and which is located adjacent to second end  38  of filter element  30 . Second end  64  of the filter element core tapers and extends in a direction from the filter element core toward the gas exit end of gas flow pipe  12  and is located entirely inside bore  18  of gas flow pipe  12  so cylindrical filter element core  60  is entirely located inside bore  18  of gas flow pipe  12 . It is noted that the taper of second end  64  controls flow of gas so the exhaust gas will be filtered while gas flow from engine E is not unduly impeded.  
         [0025]     A cylindrical wall  66  connects the first and second ends of filter element core  60  and has an external diameter  68  which is slightly smaller than internal diameter  46  of the cylindrical bore  44  of tubular filter element  30  so filter element core  60  fits snugly inside the cylindrical bore of tubular filter element  30 . External diameter  68  of the cylindrical wall of the filter core element is greater than internal diameter  50  of gas exhaust port  48  of filter element  30  with arcuate second end  64  of the filter element core extending into gas exhaust port  48  of filter element  30 . The filter element core  60  may be made from mesh fiber to further filter the exhaust gases flowing through the gas flow pipe  12 , along with the filter element  30 .  
         [0026]     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.