Patent ID: 8266899

Claim:
An exhaust purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine including an exhaust passage, comprising: a filter provided in the exhaust passage in the internal combustion engine to collect particulate matter contained in exhaust gas; a selective catalytic reduction converter provided downstream of the filter in the exhaust passage to reduce nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas; adsorption means provided upstream of the selective catalytic reduction converter in the exhaust passage to temporarily adsorb the nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas and which is to be reduced by the selective catalytic reduction converter; recovery processing means for recovering the filter by boosting temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the filter, the selective catalytic reduction converter and the adsorption means so as to heat the filter over at least a predetermined recovery temperature; and an electronic control device including a routine, which when executed, inhibits the recovery processing means from being started if the selective catalytic reduction converter has not been activated even when the amount of particulate matter accumulated in the filter exceeds a predetermined value and thus the recovery processing means would otherwise be started.