Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an exhaust system including a turbocharger operated by exhaust gas, a catalytic converter disposed at a downstream side of the turbo charger, and a connection pipe including an inlet portion and an outlet portion formed at both end portions thereof to transfer the exhaust gas of the turbocharger to the catalytic converter, wherein the connection pipe includes a first member on which the inlet portion is formed at one end portion thereof and a first outlet portion is formed at the other end portion thereof to form a part of the outlet portion, and a second member joined to the first member to form an entire outlet portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0094402 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Aug. 28, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    (a) Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an exhaust system having a cone shape connection pipe that connects a warm up catalytic converter with a turbocharger disposed on an exhaust line configured to exhaust gas of an engine to the exterior of the vehicle. 
         [0004]    (b) Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Generally, a flange and a cone shape connection pipe are disposed between a turbocharger and a warm up catalytic converter. Further, an interior side of the flange and the connection pipe is welded together and thus the number of welding portions are increased inside the exhaust line. 
         [0006]    In addition, the cone shape connection pipe is made of casting material and thus the overall weight of the exhaust system is increased. Furthermore, material characteristics of the welding portions are transformed by high temperature exhaust gas causing leak of exhaust gas or decrease the durability of the welding portions. 
         [0007]    Particularly, in an engine having a turbocharger, due to the vibration and the temperature change rate being larger than that of a MPI (multi point injection) engine or a GDI (gasoline direct injection) engine, the structure of the connection pipe connecting the turbocharger with a warm up catalytic converter must be improved. The above information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides an exhaust system having advantages of preventing leak of the exhaust gas, improving the durability of the exhaust system, and reducing the weight of a connection pipe by minimizing the change of the material characteristics in a welding portion. 
         [0009]    An exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a turbocharger operated by exhaust gas, a catalytic converter disposed at a downstream side of the turbo charger, and a connection pipe in which an inlet portion and an outlet portion are formed at both end portions of the connection pipe to transfer the exhaust gas of the turbocharger to the catalytic converter, wherein the connection pipe may include a first member on which the inlet portion is formed at one end portion thereof and a first outlet portion is formed at the other end portion thereof to form a part of the outlet portion, and a second member joined to the first member to form an entire outlet portion together with the first outlet portion. 
         [0010]    The first outlet portion of the first member and the second outlet portion of the second member may be joined to form an outlet portion of a closed curve line shape. The inlet portion of the first member may have a circle shape, the first outlet portion of the first member and the second outlet portion of the second member may have corresponding semi circle shapes, and the outlet portions may be joined to form a circular outlet portion. A sensor aperture may be formed on the second member to connect the interior of the connection pipe with the exterior of the connection pipe. 
         [0011]    The exhaust system may further include a flange joined to the inlet portion of the first member and may be in connection with the outlet of the turbocharger and welded with the first member along the exterior circumference of the first member to form an exterior surface welding portion. The flange may be made of SUS (e.g., a grade of steel) casting steel that the same of the outlet portion of the turbo charger. The first member and the second member may be formed by pressing SUS material and they may be joined to form the connection pipe. 
         [0012]    An exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a turbocharger operated by exhaust gas, a catalytic converter disposed at a downstream side of the turbocharger, and a connection pipe on which an inlet portion and an outlet portion are formed at both end portions of the connection pipe to transfer the exhaust gas of the turbocharger to the catalytic converter, wherein the inlet portion has a closed curve shape to receive the exhaust gas from the turbocharger and the outlet portion of the connection portion may include a first element that forms a part of the outlet portion and a first incision portion formed from the first outlet portion toward the inlet portion to connect the interior of the connection pipe to the exterior of the connection, and a second element including a second incision portion corresponding to the first incision portion of the first member, wherein the first member and the second member may join to from an outlet portion of a closed curve line shape. Furthermore, the first and the second incision portions may be formed from a point where the first outlet portion is joined to the second outlet portion toward the inlet portion. 
         [0013]    As described above, in an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a connection pipe connecting a turbocharger with a warm-up catalytic converter may be formed by SUS material through a pressing process to reduce the weight and cost of the system, compared to a system in which a connecting pipe is formed by a casting material. In addition, a SUS cast steel flange having similar material to that of the outlet of the turbocharger may used to reduce overall heat transformation and prevent leak of the exhaust gas. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, the inlet portion of the connection pipe may be integrally formed and the exterior surface thereof may be welded to the flange, and thus the gap between the inlet portion and the flange may be eliminated. Moreover the exhaust gas passage does not include a welding portion, the leak of the exhaust gas may be prevented, and the durability of the system may be increased. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary view of an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary side view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary enlarged side view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  an exemplary schematic showing an inlet portion and an outlet portion of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, combustion, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). 
         [0021]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
         [0022]    An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  is an exemplary view of an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exhaust system may include an engine  110 , a turbocharger  100 , a flange  142 , a connection pipe  140 , a warm-up catalytic converter  130 , and muffler  120 . 
         [0024]    The exhaust gas of the engine  110  may be supplied to the turbocharger  100  through an exhaust manifold, and the exhaust gas of the turbocharger  100  may be supplied to the warm-up catalytic converter  130  through the connection pipe  140 . The exhaust gas of the warm-up catalytic converter  130  may be released to the exterior of the system through the muffler  120 . The function of the warm-up catalytic converter  130  is known in the conventional art, and thus the detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
         [0025]    The turbocharger  100  and the connection pipe  140 , may be connected by the flange  142  which may be welded along an exterior circumference of the connection pipe  140 . Accordingly, the heat transformation of the exhaust passage and the exhaust gas leak may be prevented, and the durability thereof may be improved. The flange  142  may be made of SUS casting material similar to that of the outlet portion of the turbocharger  100 , and allowing, overall uniform heat transformation to reduce exhaust gas leak. The connection pipe  140  may be formed by joining the first member  200  and the second member  210  that may be formed by a pressing process and the weight thereof may be reduced. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 4 , the connection pipe  140  will be described in detail. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is an exemplary side view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is an exemplary enlarged side view of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the connection pipe  140  includes a first member  200  and a second member  210 , the first member  200  and the second member  210  are joined with each other to the connection pipe  140  of a cone shape. The length of an interior diameter of the inlet portion  400  connected to the turbocharger  100  on the connection pipe  140  may be shorter than the length of an interior diameter of the outlet portion  440  connected to the warm-up catalytic converter  130 . 
         [0029]    Two sensor apertures  220  may be formed on the second member  210  and a sensor (not shown) may be inserted through the sensor aperture  220  to detect the characteristics of the exhaust gas. The number of the sensor aperture may be varied. 
         [0030]    Further, the flange  142  may be welded to the inlet portion of the connection pipe  140 , and an exterior surface welding portion  230  may be formed along an exterior circumference of the connection pipe  140  to connect the connection pipe  140  to the flange  142 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , an inlet portion  400  may be formed at one side of the first member  200  of the connection pipe  140 . The exterior surface of the inlet portion  400  may be welded on the flange  142  to form the exterior surface welding portion  230 . The inlet portion  400  may be formed at one end portion of the first member  200  and a first outlet portion  410  may be formed at the other end portion. The first outlet portion  410  may be connected to a part of an inlet portion of the warm-up catalytic converter  130 . 
         [0032]    A first incision portion  430  may be formed on the first member  200  (or element) and the first incision portion  430  may be from the outlet portion  440  toward the inlet portion  400 . A corresponding second incision portion  432  may be formed on the second member  210  (or element) to correspond to the shape of the first incision portion  430 . Furthermore, the first incision portion  430  may be joined with the corresponding second incision portion  432  to complete the connection pipe  140 . 
         [0033]    In addition, the second outlet portion  420  may be formed to correspond to the first outlet portion  410 . The second outlet portion  420  may be joined to the other end of the inlet of the warm-up catalytic converter  130 . In other words, the first outlet portion  410  and the second outlet portion  420  may form one outlet portion  440 . 
         [0034]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connection pipe  140  may be bent in a predetermined angle and the inlet portion  400  may be disposed in a vertical direction to the outlet portion  440 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  an exemplary schematic showing an inlet portion and an outlet portion of a connection pipe applied to an exhaust system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the inlet portion  400  of the first member  200  may be formed along a closed curve line of a circle shape. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inlet portion  400  may be formed along various types of closed curve lines, and is not limited to the circle shape. An exhaust gas passage may be formed at a central portion of the inlet portion  400 . 
         [0037]    In addition, the first outlet portion  410  of the first member  200  may be formed along a semi-circle line and the second outlet portion  420  of the second member  210  may be formed along a semi-circle line that is symmetrical to the first outlet portion  410 . 
         [0038]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first outlet portion  410  and the second outlet portion  420  may be formed along curved lines that are symmetrical with each other, but the system is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the first and second outlet portion  440  may be formed along any other closed curve line. 
         [0039]    While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 &lt;Description of symbols&gt; 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 100: turbo charger 
                 110: engine 
               
               
                 120: muffler 
                 130: warm-up catalytic converter 
               
               
                 140: connection pipe 
                 142: flange 
               
               
                 200: the first member 
                 210: the second member 
               
               
                 220: sensor aperture 
                 230: exterior surface welding portion 
               
               
                 400: inlet portion 
                 410: the first outlet portion 
               
               
                 420: the second outlet portion 
                 430: incision portion 
               
               
                 432: corresponding incision portion 
                 440: outlet portion