Patent ID: 6908595

Claim:
A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device adapted to control exhaust emissions in a vehicle comprising: an inner housing having a first inlet and a first outlet defining a longitudinal direction and having an exhaust treating device therein chosen to reduce emissions from the exhaust of a combustion engine as the exhaust passes from the first inlet to the first outlet; an outer housing enclosing the inner housing but characteristically not contacting the inner housing, the outer housing including a second inlet and a second outlet that align with the first inlet and the first outlet of the inner housing, the inner and outer housings including walls forming a sealed insulation cavity around the inner housing, the insulation cavity having a vacuum drawn therein; and a passive, temperature-activated variable insulator device positioned within the outer housing and in communication with the insulation cavity, the variable insulator device including a hydrogen source that obviates a need for separate electrical wiring and controls for controlling the temperature of the variable insulator device, wherein the insulator device includes a hydride comprising a reversible hydride located in a confined space defined between the first and second outlets, the insulator device including a wire mesh member in the confined space, and further including a containment ring in the confined space configured to hold the wire mesh in the space, the containment ring including holes permitting passage of hydrogen from the hydride to a remaining part of the insulation cavity.