Patent ID: 7398645

Claim:
A reversing flow catalytic converter for treating exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine comprising: a container having a gas flow passage therein and a top end having a first port and a second port that respectively communicate with the gas flow passage; a catalytic material in the gas flow passage adapted for contacting the exhaust gases that flow through the gas flow passage; a valve for reversing an exhaust gas flow through the gas flow passage, including a valve housing with an intake cavity and an exhaust cavity, mounted to the top end of the container, the intake cavity adapted for connection to an exhaust gas pipe from said engine and exhaust cavity adapted for connection to a tail pipe for egress of said exhaust gas from said converter; and a valve component for reversing gas flow operably mounted to the valve housing, having a rotatable disk with first and second openings therethrough, and adapted to be rotated between a first position in which the intake cavity communicates with the first port via the first opening and the exhaust cavity communicates with the second port via the second opening, a second position in which the intake cavity communicates with the second port via the first opening and the exhaust cavity communicates with the first port via the second opening, and a third position wherein the first and second openings each communicate with both the first and second ports which allows the intake cavity to communicate with the exhaust cavity; and a controller for controlling movement of the valve component between the first and second positions during normal operating temperatures for the catalytic converter and to the third to permit bypass of some exhaust gas without passing through said catalyst material during certain other temperatures for the catalytic converter.