Patent ID: 8443782

Claim:
An air intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake manifold adapted for being connected to an engine head, the intake manifold including therein an intake passage through which a stream of fuel-air mixture passes and a receiving portion formed at an inner circumferential surface of the intake passage, the receiving portion being at a downstream side of the stream of fuel-air mixture; a valve open/close mechanism including a cartridge made of resin, an open/close valve accommodated in the cartridge, and a shaft for rotating the open/close valve, the cartridge defining a first clearance with the receiving portion and defining a second clearance with the engine head; and a first elastic member arranged between the engine head and the cartridge of the valve opening/closing mechanism for elastically retaining the cartridge in an upstream direction of the stream of fuel-air mixture, wherein the cartridge is provided with a flange which defines the second clearance in which the first elastic member is fitted with the engine head, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second elastic member arranged between the flange and the intake manifold for elastically retaining the flange in a downstream direction of the stream of fuel-air mixture, and wherein the flange is provided therein with a groove in which at least one of the first elastic member and the second elastic member is fitted.