Patent ID: 7997071

Claim:
A vehicle exhaust apparatus comprising: an exhaust conduit; an exhaust aftertreatment device configured to remove pollutants from an exhaust stream positioned within the exhaust conduit, the exhaust aftertreatment device including an upstream face and a downstream face; an inlet tube positioned at an upstream end of the exhaust conduit; a tapered inlet conduit for directing exhaust gas into the exhaust conduit, the tapered inlet conduit including a first end having a first diameter and a second end having a second diameter, the first end being connected to an end of the inlet tube, wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter; a flow distribution arrangement positioned upstream from the exhaust aftertreatment device for distributing flow across the upstream face of the exhaust aftertreatment device, the flow distribution arrangement including a plate having: a concave side that faces the exhaust aftertreatment device and an oppositely disposed convex side that faces the inlet, the convex side contacting the second end of the tapered inlet conduit; at least 6 wedge-shaped flow distribution openings defined by the plate that extend radially outwardly from a central region of the plate, wherein the flow distribution openings increasing in size as the flow distribution openings extend radially away from the central region of the plate; radial flow distribution members that separate the flow distribution openings wherein the radial flow distribution members are interconnected at the central region of the plate; and a boundary defined by an interface between the second end of the tapered inlet conduit and the convex side of the plate, inlet at the second side of the plate, wherein a sum of an area defined by each of the flow distribution openings within the boundary divided by a total area within the boundary is greater than or equal to 75 percent.