Patent ID: 7874149

Claim:
An exhaust apparatus for a vehicle, said exhaust apparatus comprising: a first exhaust pipe; a second exhaust pipe disposed beside said first exhaust pipe; a first catalyst pipe; a second catalyst pipe disposed beside said first catalyst pipe; a first flange disposed on said first exhaust pipe; a second flange disposed on said second exhaust pipe; a third flange disposed on said first catalyst pipe; and a fourth flange disposed on said second catalyst pipe; wherein said first flange of said first exhaust pipe is formed separately from said second flange of said second exhaust pipe, and said third flange of said first catalyst pipe is integrally formed with said fourth flange of said second catalyst pipe, wherein said first exhaust pipe and said second exhaust pipe are made of a first material, and said first catalyst pipe and said second catalyst pipe are made of a second material different than said first material, and wherein said first flange, said second flange, said third flange, and said fourth flange collectively form an outward flange joint, said outward flange joint being positioned at a small diameter end of each of said first exhaust pipe, said second exhaust pipe, said first catalyst pipe, and said second catalyst pipe, wherein each of said first exhaust pipe and said second exhaust pipe constitute a collecting pipe for collecting individual exhaust pipes, said collecting pipes being disposed upstream of each of said first catalyst pipe and said second catalyst pipe, wherein each of said first catalyst pipe and said second catalyst pipe accommodates a catalyst apparatus, is disposed downstream of said outward flange joint, and narrows in a direction toward said outward flange joint, wherein a first end portion of each of said first exhaust pipe and said second exhaust pipe is disposed upstream of said outward flange joint and narrows in a direction toward said outward flange joint, wherein said first catalyst pipe, said second catalyst pipe, said collecting pipes, and said outward flange joint are disposed under an engine of the vehicle.