Patent ID: 7919052

Claim:
A catalytic converter comprising: a housing defining a conduit and having a support wall defining an opening in said conduit; a removable catalyst element covering said opening for treating an exhaust gas passing through said conduit, a first side of said catalyst element abutting a surface of said support wall adjacent to the periphery of said opening; a removable bar abutting a second, opposite side of said catalyst element; an anchorage anchoring a first end of said bar to said wall; and a bolt bolting a second end of said bar to said wall with a threaded engagement to press said catalyst element against said surface of said wall, thus clamping said catalyst element between said wall and said bar, wherein said bolt and threaded engagement are configured such that when said threaded engagement is tightened, the clamping force applied by said bar to press said catalyst element against said wall is increased, wherein said bar, wall, anchorage and bolt are formed from respective materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, said materials selected so that said clamping force increases with increasing temperature, and said clamping force is sufficiently strong at an elevated operating temperature that said catalyst element sealingly engages said wall, to prevent leakage of said gas through a gap between said surface of said wall and said catalyst element.