Muffler assembly and process of manufacture

1. A reflective muffler assembly comprising:

a) one or more exhaust pipe(s), at least one of the exhaust pipe(s) having a plurality of perforations;

b) a polymeric housing carried by at least one of the exhaust pipe(s), the polymeric housing having a housing interior surface and at least one housing-exhaust pipe interface and the polymeric housing enclosing the plurality of perforations to provide one or more acoustic chamber(s); and

c) a thermal insulating layer lining said housing interior surface and extending between the housing and exhaust pipe at the at least one housing-exhaust pipe interface; wherein the thermal insulating layer comprises a nonwoven fabric comprising crimped, heat-resistant organic fibers compressed thereon, the fibers held in a compressed state by a thermoplastic binder;

wherein when the fabric is exposed to heat, the fabric increases in thickness to seal the reflective muffler assembly at the housing-exhaust pipe interface and provides thermal insulation to the polymeric housing.

2. The muffler assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more internal polymeric baffle(s) integrally formed and spaced within the polymeric housing and extending toward the exhaust pipe(s) to provide at least one baffle-exhaust pipe interface, the one or more internal polymeric baffle(s) providing two or more acoustic chambers within the muffler assembly.

3. The muffler assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more internal metal baffle(s) connected to and spaced along the exhaust pipe(s) and extending toward the polymeric housing to provide at least one baffle-polymeric housing interface, the one or more internal metal baffle(s) providing two or more acoustic chambers within the muffler assembly.

4. The muffler assembly of claim 1 comprising at least two exhaust pipes and two or more metal braces spaced along, attached to, and connecting the at least two exhaust pipes.

5. The muffler assembly of claim 1 further comprising a metal layer adjacent to a face of the thermal insulating layer opposite the housing interior surface.

6. The muffler assembly of claim 5 wherein the metal layer and the thermal insulating layer extend between the housing and exhaust pipe at the housing-exhaust pipe interface wherein the metal layer and the thermal insulating layer seal the muffler assembly at the housing-exhaust pipe interface.

7. The muffler assembly of claim 1 wherein the thermal insulating layer extending between the housing and exhaust pipe at the at least one housing-exhaust pipe interface comprises two or more thermal insulating layers.

8. A process for making a reflective polymeric muffler assembly comprising the steps of:

i) assembling one or more exhaust pipe(s), at least one of the exhaust pipe(s) having a plurality of perforations to form a pipe sub-assembly;

ii) enclosing the pipe sub-assembly with two or more polymeric housing sections carried by at least one of the exhaust pipe(s), the polymeric housing sections having a housing interior surface and at least one housing-exhaust pipe interface and the polymeric housing sections enclosing the plurality of perforations to provide one or more acoustic chamber(s); wherein a thermal insulating layer lines said housing interior surface and extends between the housing and exhaust pipe at the at least one housing-exhaust pipe interface, and wherein the thermal insulating layer comprises a nonwoven fabric comprising crimped, heat-resistant organic fibers compressed thereon, the fibers held in a compressed state by a thermoplastic binder;

iii) adhering or attaching the polymeric housing sections together to form a polymeric muffler assembly;

iv) heating the polymeric muffler assembly sufficiently such that the nonwoven fabric increases in thickness to seal the reflective polymeric muffler assembly at the housing-exhaust pipe interface.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the polymeric muffler housing sections are attached in step (iii) by fasteners, adhesives, or a polymeric welding process.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein the polymeric muffler housing sections are attached in step (iii) by polymeric welding process selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or vibrational welding.

11. The process of claim 8 , further comprising placing a metal layer adjacent to a face of the thermal insulating layer opposite the housing interior surface.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the metal layer and the thermal insulating layer extend between the housing and exhaust pipe at the housing-exhaust pipe interface wherein the metal layer and the thermal insulating layer seal the muffler assembly at the housing-exhaust pipe interface.