IP Library Granted Patent US 6,959,782
Granted Patent B2
US 6,959,782 · App. 10/390,584 · Granted Nov 1, 2005

Tuned exhaust system for small engines

Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,959,782
App. No.
10/390,584
Granted
Nov 1, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tuned exhaust system for small two cylinder engines, the exhaust system including a pair of exhaust passage through which exhaust gasses pass. The exhaust passages are dimensioned to providing a tuning effect to the exhaust gasses for enhanced engine performance. The exhaust passages are not straight and elongated, but rather are sprialed, scrolled, coiled, or otherwise folded upon themselves at least twice. In this manner, the exhaust passages may be housed at least in part within a muffler having a significantly reduced overall size or profile, such that the muffler may be used in small engines.

Claims (21)

1. A muffler for a two cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising:

a housing having two muffler inlets respectively connected to the engine cylinders, and at least one muffler outlet;

two exhaust passages disposed within said housing, one associated with each inlet, said exhaust passages each folded upon themselves at least twice and shaped to provide an exhaust tuning effect to increase the output power of the engine, each said exhaust passage shaped as a spiral, including an exhaust passage inlet communicating with a respective said muffler inlet, and an exhaust passage outlet communicating with a respective said muffler outlet; and

a pair of tubes disposed within said muffler housing around which said spiral exhaust passages are respectively disposed, said exhaust passage outlets in communication with a respective said tube, each tube in communication with a muffler outlet.

2. The muffler of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of said exhaust passage inlet is less than the cross sectional area of said exhaust passage outlet.

3. The muffler of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of said exhaust passage increases from said exhaust passage inlet to said exhaust passage outlet.

4. The muffler of claim 1 , wherein each said tube includes an end portion communicating with an expansion chamber within said housing, each said expansion chamber communicating with a muffler outlet.

5. A muffler for a two cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising:

a muffler housing having two inlets in respective communication with the engine cylinders and at least one muffler outlet;

two exhaust passages disposed within said muffler housing, each said exhaust passage folded upon itself at least twice, said exhaust passages in respective communication with said inlets and in communication with said at least one outlet, wherein said muffler includes a pair of housing halves connected to one another with a dividing wall therebetween, with one each of said muffler inlet, exhaust passage, and muffler outlet disposed on each side of said dividing wall.

6. The muffler of claim 5 , wherein said exhaust passages each have a spiral shape disposed about a central axis, including an exhaust passage inlet in communication with a respective said muffler inlet and an exhaust passage outlet in communication with said at least one muffler outlet.

7. The muffler of claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional area of said exhaust passage inlet is less than the cross sectional area of said exhaust passage outlet.

8. The muffler of claim 5 , wherein said exhaust passages are formed in part of a strip of material wound in a spiral configuration including a plurality of turns, said strip having a plurality of apertures therein for allowing passage of exhaust gas therethrough.

9. The muffler of claim 6 , wherein said exhaust passages have a common central axis and are disposed in a side-by-side relationship with one another.

10. The muffler of claim 5 , further including a tube disposed centrally within said muffler housing along said central axis of said exhaust passages, each of said exhaust passage outlets in communication with said tube.

11. The muffler of claim 10 , wherein said tube includes opposite end portions extending within said muffler housing outwardly of said exhaust passages.

12. The muffler of claim 10 , wherein said tube includes opposite end portions, one end portion communicating with an enclosed expansion chamber, the other end portion communicating with a muffler outlet.

13. A muffler for a two cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising:

a muffler housing having two inlets in respective communication with the engine cylinders and at least one muffler outlet;

two exhaust passages disposed within said muffler housing, each said exhaust passage folded upon itself at least twice, said exhaust passages in respective communication with said inlets and in communication with said at least one outlet wherein said exhaust passages each have a spiral share disposed about a central axis, including an exhaust passage inlet in communication with a respective said muffler inlet and an exhaust passage outlet in communication with said at least one muffler outlet; and

a pair of tubes disposed centrally within said muffler housing along said central axis of said exhaust passages and around which said spiral exhaust passages are respectively disposed, said exhaust passage outlets in communication with a respective said tube, each tube in communication with a muffler outlet.

Assignments (7)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 29, 2008
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY; TECUMSEH INVESTMENTS, INC.; DOUGLAS HOLDINGS, INC.; CONVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; EUROMOTOR, INC.; MANUFACTURING DATA SYSTEMS, INC.; M.P. PUMPS, INC.; LITTLE GIANT PUMP COMPANY; TECUMSEH COMPRESSOR COMPANY; EVERGY, INC.; TECUMSEH PUMP COMPANY; TECUMSEH CANADA HOLDING COMPANY; TECUMSEH AUTO, INC., FORMERLY FASCO INDUSTRIES, INC.; TECUMSEH DO BRASIL USA, LLC; HAYTON PROPERTY COMPANY, LLC; VON WEISE GEAR COMPANY; TECUMSEH POWER COMPANY
Reel/Frame 020582/0023 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 29, 2008
From: TECUMSEH POWER COMPANY
To: WELLS FARGO FOOTHILL, LLC
Reel/Frame 020431/0127 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2008
From: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY; CONVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; EUROMOTOR, INC.; MANUFACTURING DATA SYSTEMS, INC.; M.P. PUMPS, INC.; LITTLE GIANT PUMP COMPANY; TECUMSEH COMPRESSOR COMPANY; EVERGY, INC.; TECUMSEH PUMP COMPANY; TECUMSEH CANADA HOLDING COMPANY; TECUMSEH AUTO, INC., FORMERLY FASCO INDUSTRIES, INC.; TECUMSEH DO BRASIL USA, LLC; HAYTON PROPERTY COMPANY, LLC; TECUMSEH TRADING COMPANY; VON WEISE GEAR COMPANY; TECUMSEH POWER COMPANY
Reel/Frame 020417/0052 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2007
From: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY
To: TECUMSEH POWER COMPANY
Reel/Frame 020196/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2006
From: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY; CONVERGENT TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; TECUMSEH TRADING COMPANY; EVERGY, INC.; FASCO INDUSTRIES, INC.; LITTLE GIANT PUMP COMPANY; MANUFACTURING DATA SYSTEMS, INC.; M.P. PUMPS, INC.; TECUMSEH CANADA HOLDING COMPANY; TECUMSEH COMPRESSOR COMPANY; TECUMSEH POWER COMPANY; TECUMSEH PUMP COMPANY; VON WEISE GEAR COMPANY; EUROMOTOT, INC.; HAYTON PROPERTY COMPANY LLC; TECUMSEH DO BRASIL USA, LLC
To: CITICORP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 017606/0644 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2005
From: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 016641/0380 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 21, 2004
From: BROWER, DAVID R.; MASON, JOHN R.
To: TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY
Reel/Frame 015273/0660 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 6036673300 · Mar 22, 2002
Related Publication 20050023078A1 · Feb 3, 2005