GASOLINE ENGINE EXHAUST GAS SYSTEM HAVING A PARTICULATE FILTER

Abstract

A method for producing a gasoline engine exhaust gas system having a particulate filter includes using at least one spacer for positioning at least two components provided for the passage of exhaust gas from the engine. The spacer includes ash-forming constituents. The method then includes permanently connecting the components, and burning the spacer element during a first heating up of the exhaust gas system, thereby releasing the ash-forming constituents and depositing the ash-forming constituents on the particulate filter. An exhaust gas system of a gasoline engine also is provided in a state before a first heating up of the exhaust gas system. The exhaust gas system includes a burnable spacer element between two exhaust gas system components that are provided for the passage of exhaust gas. The burnable spacer elements include ash-forming constituents.

Claims

1. An exhaust gas system of a gasoline engine in a state before a first heating up of the exhaust gas system, comprising: at least first and second exhaust gas system components defining parts of a passage for exhaust gas from the engine, the components being connected permanently in the passage, the first component being arranged between an outlet valve of the gasoline engine and a particulate filter, the second component being downstream of the first component; and at least one burnable spacer element arranged between the first and second components and positioning the first and second components, the at least one spacer element including ash-forming constituents.

2. The exhaust gas system of claim 1, wherein the at least one spacer element is composed of plastic with ash-forming constituents or paper with ash-forming constituents.

3. The exhaust gas system of claim 1, wherein the at least one spacer element is a ring arranged between the first and second components.

4. The exhaust gas system of claim 1, wherein the at least one spacer element is arranged between the particulate filter and a catalytic converter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exhaust gas system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exhaust gas system in accordance with a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] An exhaust gas system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1. The exhaust gas system is used with a gasoline engine 10 and specifically extends from an outlet valve 11 of the engine 10. The exhaust gas system of FIG. 1 includes first and second components 12 and 14 and a burnable spacer element 16 arranged between the first and second components for positioning the first and second components relative to one another and relative to other parts of the exhaust gas system. The spacer element 16 includes ash-forming constituents. Additionally, the spacer element 16 may define a generally ring-shaped as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 2. The exhaust gas system of FIG. 1 further includes a particulate filter 18 downstream of the second component 14. With the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, the spacer element will be burned, thereby releasing the ash-forming constituents and depositing the ash-forming constituents on the particulate filter 18.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an alternate embodiment of an exhaust gas system. The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 primarily in that the spacer element 16 directly abuts against the particulate filter 18. Thus, the particulate filter 18 is the second component in the embodiment of FIG. 3. Additionally, the embodiment of FIG. 3 has a catalytic converter 24 disposed downstream of the particulate filter 18. A second burnable spacer element 22 is positioned between the particulate filter 18 and the catalytic converter 24. The second spacer element 22 also includes ash-forming constituents. In both embodiments, the burnable spacer element 16, 22 may be formed from paper and/or plastic, with the ash-forming constituents being arranged between or on the paper or plastic.