Patent ID: 7334402

Claim:
A catalytic converter-incorporated exhaust system, which comprises: an exhaust tube through which exhaust gases emitted from an engine flows; a muffler fluidly connected with a downstream end of the exhaust tube and including a muffler casing, the muffler casing having at least one expansion chamber defined therein; an exhaust introducing passage for introducing the exhaust gases from the exhaust tube to the expansion chamber; an catalytic converter assembly for substantially purifying the exhaust gases mounted in an downstream portion of the exhaust introducing passage and positioned upstream of the expansion chamber; an exhaust composition detecting sensor disposed within the exhaust introducing passage at a location outside the muffler casing, wherein the exhaust introducing passage is defined by a tube of a shape extending from one end wall of the muffler casing, which has an inlet, to the opposite end wall thereof through an interior of the muffler casing and having a generally U-shaped turnback tube portion around which the exhaust introducing passage is turned backwards to extend towards such one end wall of the muffler casing; wherein the muffler casing has an upstream expansion chamber defined therein at a location frontward of the muffler casing for receiving the exhaust gases having passed through the catalytic converter assembly and also has one or more downstream expansion chambers defined therein at a location rearwardly of the upstream expansion chamber; and wherein the catalytic converter assembly is connected with a downstream portion of the generally U-shaped turnback tube portion and disposed at a location between the generally U-shaped turnback tube portion and the upstream expansion chamber.