Modular manifold for motor vehicles

Abstract

A modular exhaust manifold 1 for a motor vehicle, with multiple adjoining manifold pipe modules, having: at least one engine flange, via which an inlet connection pipe of the manifold pipe modules can be connected to a cylinder head of the motor vehicle; at least one manifold pipe module, configured as a collector pipe module and having a contact flange, via which the exhaust manifold can be connected to an exhaust system of the motor vehicle, the respective manifold pipe modules having an overlap contour of a length a that permits the telescoping of two manifold pipe modules to an insertion depth t for coupling purposes, at least two manifold pipe modules being identical in shape, and a variation of the insertion depth t of at least 5 mm to 30 mm or 10 mm or 15 mm or 20 mm or 25 mm being obtained by the formation of length a of the overlap contour. A method for producing a manifold formed from multiple adjoining manifold pipe modules.

Claims

1. A modular exhaust manifold of a motor vehicle comprising: multiple adjoining single-wall manifold pipe modules, with at least one engine flange, via which multiple inlet connecting pieces of the manifold pipe modules can be connected to a cylinder head of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one manifold pipe module configured as a collector pipe module and having a contact flange is provided, via which manifold pipe module the exhaust manifold can be connected to an exhaust system of the motor vehicle, wherein each of the manifold pipe modules has a cylindrical overlapping contour of a length (a) that ensures a telescoping of two adjacent manifold pipe modules at a time to an insertion depth (t) for a purpose of coupling and welding afterwards, wherein at least two manifold pipe modules are identical in shape, wherein at least one of two adjacent manifold pipe modules of the identical shape has a diameter of the cylindrical overlapping contour that is a) tapered with respect to a non-overlapping contour portion of the other adjacent manifold pipe module of identical shape or b) expanded with respect to the non-overlapping contour portion of the other adjacent manifold pipe module of identical shape, wherein each of the manifold pipe modules are made of sheet metal and have only one inlet connecting piece at a time, wherein formation of the length (a) of the overlapping contour allows for a variation of the insertion depth (t) of at least 5 mm to 100 mm for adapting to different cylinder head architectures, wherein the insertion depth (t) is fixed by welding one of the manifold pipe modules to the manifold pipe module inserted therein.

2. The exhaust manifold according to claim 1, wherein all manifold pipe modules are identical in shape with the exception of the collector pipe module or a first manifold pipe module of the manifold pipe modules, or all manifold pipe modules are identical in shape.

3. The exhaust manifold according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the manifold pipe modules is configured as a hinged shell with two joining surfaces that can be placed against each other, wherein the joining surfaces are root-penetration-welded in the region of at least one of the inlet connecting pieces.

4. The exhaust manifold according to claim 1, wherein the at least one manifold pipe module is configured as a hydroformed part or a two-shell manifold pipe module.

5. The exhaust manifold according to claim 1, wherein the manifold pipe modules have seals in a region of the overlapping contour.

6. A method, comprising the steps of: using at least three identically shaped single-shell or two-shell manifold pipe modules according to claim 1 for a complete production of modular exhaust manifolds for various cylinder head architectures.

7. The exhaust manifold according to claim 1, wherein a seal is provided, by which a first manifold pipe module of the manifold pipe modules is sealed gas-tight at a free end.

8. A modular exhaust manifold of a motor vehicle, comprising: multiple adjoining manifold pipe modules, with at least one engine flange, via which multiple inlet connecting pieces of the manifold pipe modules can be connected to a cylinder head of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one manifold pipe module configured as a collector pipe module and having a contact flange is provided, via which manifold pipe module the exhaust manifold can be connected to an exhaust system of the motor vehicle, wherein each of the manifold pipe modules has a cylindrical overlapping contour of a length (a) that ensures a telescoping of two adjacent manifold pipe modules at a time to an insertion depth (t) for a purpose of coupling and welding afterwards, wherein at least two manifold pipe modules are identical in shape, wherein at least one of two adjacent manifold pipe modules of the identical shape has a diameter of the cylindrical overlapping contour that is a) tapered with respect to a non-overlapping contour portion of the other adjacent manifold pipe module of identical shape or b) expanded with respect to the non-overlapping contour portion of the other adjacent manifold pipe module of identical shape, wherein each of the manifold pipe modules are made of sheet metal, wherein each manifold pipe module a) is provided with an outer shell module and b) is a double-walled air-gap-insulated module, wherein there is only one inlet connecting piece per manifold pipe module, wherein formation of the length (a) of the overlapping contour makes a variation of an insertion depth (t) of at least 5 mm to 100 mm possible for adapting to different cylinder head architectures, wherein the insertion depth (t) is fixed by welding one of the outer shell modules to the outer shell module inserted therein.

9. The exhaust manifold according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the outer shell modules is configured as a hinged shell, wherein in the region of the inlet connecting piece, the at least one outer shell module is so connected to the engine flange as to be gas-tight and one of the manifold pipe modules is so connected to one or more of the at least one outer shell module and to the engine flange as to be gas-tight.

10. The exhaust manifold according to claim 8, wherein the at least one manifold pipe module has an overlapping contour in a form of a taper and at least one outer shell module of a different one of the manifold pipe modules to be connected has an overlapping contour in the form of an expanded portion in this region.

11. The exhaust manifold according to claim 8, wherein a seal is provided, by which one of the outer shell modules is sealed gas-tight at the free end.

12. The exhaust manifold according to claim 8, wherein the manifold pipe modules have seals in a region of the overlapping contour.

13. The exhaust manifold according to claim 8, wherein the at least one manifold pipe module is configured as a hydroformed part or a two-shell manifold pipe module.

14. A method for producing a single-shell manifold formed from multiple adjoining manifold pipe modules, each of them having at least one joining surface and only one inlet connecting piece, comprising the steps of: a) closing and connecting at least one of the manifold pipe modules configured as a hinged shell or made up of two shells as to be gas-tight in the region of the at least one joining surface, b) welding an engine flange onto the inlet connecting piece of one of the manifold pipe modules, c) telescoping several such manifold pipe modules, by a cylindrical overlapping contour, in a number of exhaust channels of a cylinder head to be connected, d) adjusting an insertion depth (t), when telescoping, to a respective architecture of the cylinder head and to distances between the exhaust channels of the cylinder head to be connected that result from said architecture, e) directly connecting at least three manifold pipe modules via said cylindrical overlapping contour by gas-tight welding.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the inlet connecting piece of at least one manifold pipe modules is shortened prior to being connected to the engine flange, said shortening being performed according to installation space conditions present.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the inlet connecting piece of at least one manifold pipe module is shortened prior to being connected to the engine flange, said shortening being performed according to installation space conditions present, and wherein a first manifold pipe module of the manifold pipe modules is sealed gas-tight, by a seal at a free end.

17. A method for producing a two-shell air-gap-insulated manifold formed from multiple adjoining manifold pipe modules, each of them having at least one joining surface and only one inlet connecting piece, comprising the steps of: a) closing and connecting at least one of the manifold pipe modules made up of two shells or configured as a hinged shell as to be gas-tight in the region of the at least one joining surface, b) putting the closed manifold pipe module into an outer shell module configured as a hinged shell, c) closing the outer shell module in the region of the at least one joining surface as to be gas-tight, d) welding an engine flange onto the inlet connecting piece, e) telescoping several such manifold pipe modules by a respective cylindrical overlapping contour, in a number of exhaust channels of a cylinder head to be connected, f) adjusting an insertion depth (t), when telescoping, to a respective architecture of the cylinder head and to distances between the exhaust channels of the cylinder head to be connected that result from said architecture, g) directly connecting at least three manifold pipe modules to each other via said cylindrical overlapping contour by welding the outer shell modules thereof.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein one or more of a first manifold pipe module of the manifold pipe modules and the outer shell module are/is sealed gas-tight, by a seal, in the region of the overlapping contour that is still free or of a free end.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the inlet connecting piece of at least one manifold pipe module is shortened prior to being connected to the engine flange, said shortening being performed according to installation space conditions present, and wherein one or more of the outer shell module is sealed gas-tight, by a seal, in the region of the overlapping contour that is still free.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in the patent claims and in the description and illustrated in the figures in which

(2) FIG. 1a shows a sectional view of a modular exhaust manifold;

(3) FIG. 1b shows a perspective side view according to FIG. 1a;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a further embodiment;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view according to the embodiment of FIG. 2 with four modules;

(6) FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an exhaust manifold with four modules and additionally shows seals;

(7) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment according to FIG. 4 with a changed arrangement of the seal;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a modular manifold with expansion components between the modules;

(9) FIG. 7a shows a sectional view of a modular two-shell manifold;

(10) FIG. 7b shows a perspective side view according to FIG. 7a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) An exhaust manifold 1 according to FIG. 1a has three manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.3. The respective manifold pipe module has an inlet connecting piece 1.1a to 1.3a, to which one engine flange 2.1 to 2.3 at a time is attached. The first manifold pipe module 1.1 is arc-shaped, whereas the two manifold pipe modules 1.2 and 1.3 are identical in shape. The manifold pipe modules 1.2, 1.3 are basically T-shaped and are telescoped to an insertion depth t by means of an overlapping contour 1.1b, 1.2b of a length a. An overlapping contour 1.3b of the third manifold pipe module 1.3 serves to accommodate a contact flange 1.5 for connecting to an exhaust system that is not shown in further detail. The aforementioned engine flanges 2.1 to 2.3 serve to connect to a cylinder head (not shown) or to cylinder outlets (not shown).

(12) The first manifold pipe module 1.1 is arc-shaped and has, in contrast to the second and third manifold pipe modules 1.2, 1.3, an overlapping contour 1.1b with a diameter that is not tapered in comparison with the other portion of the pipe bend. In principle, a taper of the overlapping contour 1.1b is conceivable as well. In contrast thereto, an overlapping contour between the illustrated manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.3 could also be realized by expanding the diameter instead of reducing it. The expanded portion is slipped on the adjacent manifold pipe module to an appropriate insertion depth.

(13) The respective manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.3 is configured as a hinged part that is kept and connected in the illustrated pipe shape by means of appropriate joining surfaces 1.2c, 1.3c. The arc-shaped first manifold pipe module 1.1 is not configured as a hinged part because the simple arc shape of the pipe is a simple standard geometry. The diameters of the respective inlet connecting pieces 1.1a to 1.3a are not tapered, either. This is because the respective engine flange 2.1 to 2.3 has an appropriately large inner diameter.

(14) By means of the overlapping contour 1.1b, 1.2b, the configuration of the manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.3 can be varied with respect to the distances between the inlet connecting pieces 1.1a to 1.3a or between the engine flanges 2.1 to 2.3. By varying the insertion depth t, the distances between the aforementioned engine flanges 2.1 to 2.3 can be varied within the range of the realizable insertion depth and can be adjusted to different engine or cylinder head geometries to this extent. The length a of the overlapping contour is approximately 15 mm so that the insertion depth t cannot be more than 15 mm in principle or can be reduced to a minimum dimension of 2 mm if larger distances are used so that the distance between two engine flanges can be varied by exactly 13 mm.

(15) According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, all three manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.3 are identical in shape. The second manifold pipe module 1.2 is slipped on the overlapping contour 1.1b of the first manifold pipe module 1.1, whereas the third manifold pipe module 1.3 is slipped on the overlapping contour 1.2b of the second manifold pipe module 1.2. The open end 1.1e of the first manifold pipe module 1.1 is sealed by means of a sealing element 4, whereas the open end 1.3e of the third manifold pipe module 1.3 has, as in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1a and 1b, the contact flange 1.5 for connecting to a downstream exhaust system.

(16) According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the modular exhaust manifold 1 has, in contrast to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, a total of four manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4. The manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4 are telescoped, corresponding to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, by means of the corresponding overlapping contour 1.1b to 1.3b, wherein the open end 1.1e of the manifold pipe module 1.1 is correspondingly provided with the sealing element 4 and the fourth manifold pipe module 1.4 has the contact flange 1.5 at the open end 1.4e.

(17) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, four manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4 are provided as well. In contrast to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1a to 3, the respective overlapping contour 1.1b to 1.4b is configured as a diameter expansion that enables the adjacent manifold pipe module to be slipped on. Moreover, a sealing ring 5.1 to 5.4 is provided in the region of the overlapping contour configured in this way, said sealing ring sealingly contacting the cylindrical overlapping contour 1.2b to 1.4b along the periphery. The manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.3 that carries the seal has, at the corresponding open end, a holding geometry 1.1d to 1.3d for supporting or fixing the sealing ring 5.1 to 5.3. The holding geometry 1.1d to 1.4d is configured as a toric enlargement in comparison with the main diameter, said toric enlargement cooperating with an expanded portion on the front side so that the respective sealing ring 5.1 to 5.3 is embedded, over part of its thickness, in the ring channel formed in this way and cannot slip axially. In the region of the open end of the fourth manifold pipe module 1.4, the aforementioned holding geometry for a sealing ring to be provided is not provided because the contact flange 1.5 is attached to this open end 1.4e. In this respect, the shape of the fourth manifold pipe module 1.4 differs from that of the first three manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.3. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 also provides a sealing ring 5.2 to 5.4 between the manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4. In contrast to the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the embodiment of FIG. 5 provides a holding geometry 1.2d to 1.4d for the respective sealing ring 5.2 to 5.4, said holding geometry being provided in the respective overlapping contour 1.2b to 1.4b. The holding geometry 1.2d to 1.4d is configured as a ring-groove-shaped extension of the aforementioned overlapping contour 1.2b to 1.4b so that the respective sealing ring 5.2 to 5.4 fits closely along the periphery within the aforementioned ring groove, while it sealingly contacts the respective open end of the respective inserted manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.3 after slipping on. The open end 1.1e of the first manifold pipe module 1.1 has the sealing element 4, wherein the open end 1.1e of the first manifold pipe module 1.1 has a further diameter enlargement 1.1f at the front-side end of the overlapping contour 1.1b. The sealing element 4 is arranged in said diameter enlargement 1.1f.

(18) According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, one expansion component 6.1 to 6.3 at a time is provided between the four manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4. By means of said expansion component, the manifold pipe modules 1.1 to 1.4 are so connected as to be gas-tight and to exhibit appropriate flexibility, wherein the respective open ends of the respective manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.4 are cylindrical without any overlapping contour, wherein the respective expansion component is provided with a correspondingly larger diameter so that it is slipped on the respective open end. Like the sealing element 4, the expansion components and the flanges 1.5, 2.1 to 2.4 are so connected (preferably by welding or soldering) to the respective manifold pipe module as to be gas-tight.

(19) According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7a, the exhaust manifold 1 is configured as a two-shell air-gap-insulated exhaust manifold. For this purpose, each manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.4 has a separate outer shell module 3.1 to 3.4, wherein both the respective manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.4 and the respective outer shell module 3.1 to 3.4 have a separate overlapping contour 1.1b to 1.1c, 3.2b to 3.4b, by means of which adjacent manifold pipe modules as well as adjacent outer shell modules 3.1 to 3.4 are telescoped or slipped on each other. The overlapping contour 1.1b to 1.4b of the manifold pipe module 1.1 to 1.3 is configured as a taper, whereas the respective overlapping contour 3.2b to 3.4b of the outer shell module 3.2 to 3.4 is configured as a diameter expansion so that the air gap to be created will not become smaller in the region of the overlapping contours, either, i.e., not smaller than in the other regions. The sealing element 4 is inserted in the open end 1.1e of the manifold pipe module 1.1 and also contacts the open end 3.1e of the outer shell module 3.1 so that it can be so connected to the outer shell module 3.1 there as to be gas-tight. The contact flange 1.5 is slipped on the open end 3.4e of the manifold pipe module 1.4 as well as on the open end of the outer shell module 3.4 and can be so connected as to be gas-tight as desired. As shown in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 7b, the respective outer shell module 3.1 to 3.4 also has a joining surface 3.1c to 3.4c that is root-penetration-welded particularly in the respective region of an overlapping contour 3.1b to 3.4b or in the region of a respective inlet connecting piece 3.1a to 3.4a or open end according to FIG. 7a so that a gas-tight connection to the respective engine flange 2.1 to 2.4 or to the contact flange 1.5 or to the sealing element 4 is ensured.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(20) 1 exhaust manifold 1.1 manifold pipe module 1.1a inlet connecting piece 1.1b overlapping contour 1.1c joining surface 1.1d holding geometry 1.1e free, open end 1.1f diameter enlargement 1.2 manifold pipe module 1.2a inlet connecting piece 1.2b overlapping contour 1.2c joining surface 1.2d holding geometry 1.3 manifold pipe module, collector pipe module 1.3a inlet connecting piece 1.3b overlapping contour 1.3c joining surface 1.3d holding geometry 1.3e free, open end 1.4 manifold pipe module, collector pipe module 1.4a inlet connecting piece 1.4b overlapping contour 1.4c joining surface 1.4d holding geometry 1.4e free, open end 1.5 contact flange 2.1 engine flange 2.2 engine flange 2.3 engine flange 2.4 engine flange 3.1 outer shell module 3.1a inlet connecting piece 3.1b overlapping contour 3.1c joining surface 3.1e free, open end 3.2 outer shell module 3.2a inlet connecting piece 3.2b overlapping contour 3.2c joining surface 3.3 outer shell module 3.3a inlet connecting piece 3.3b overlapping contour 3.3c joining surface 3.4 outer shell module 3.4a inlet connecting piece 3.4b overlapping contour 3.4c joining surface 3.4e free, open end 4 sealing element 5.1 seal, sealing ring 5.2 seal, sealing ring 5.3 seal, sealing ring 5.4 seal, sealing ring 6.1 expansion component 6.2 expansion component 6.3 expansion component a length t insertion depth