Patent ID: 7059113

Claim:
An exhaust gas purification apparatus, for an engine having a combustion chamber, comprising an exhaust passage, a particulate filter arranged in the exhaust passage for removing particulates in exhaust gas exhausted from the combustion chamber by oxidation, a device for controlling a characteristic of the exhaust gas flowing into the particulate filter, and means for judging if the particulate filter will be deteriorated by heat derived from the oxidation of the particulates, wherein, when the judging means judges that the particulate filter will be deteriorated by heat, the controlling device changes the characteristic of the exhaust gas flowing into the particulate filter to prevent the particulate filter from being deteriorated by heat; and wherein the judging means judges that the particulate filter will be deteriorated by heat when the temperature of the particulate filter is higher than a predetermined temperature and conditions of the engine and filter would cause deterioration of the particulate filter, the condition of the filter including the amount of deposited particulates in the particulate filter.