The present invention relates generally to an exhaust pipe structure of a vehicle, and more particularly to an exhaust pipe with adjustable volume.
Taking a motorcycle as an example of vehicles, when riding a motorcycle on the road, its unique and powerful exhaust sound has always been fascinating. However, the exhaust sound becomes a noise pollution to disturb the people in the middle of the night. Therefore, how to reduce noise when riding a motorcycle at night has become an important issue.
Therefore, some manufacturers in the industry have developed a kind of exhaust pipe that could lower the noise, as disclosed in the Taiwan utility model patent M389161 “Exhaust Pipe with regulable displacement”, which disposes regulating slats in the exhaust pipe. However, such arrangement will be difficult to repair. In addition, in patent M389161, in order to adjust an angle of the slats, the slats disposed inside an outlet is driven by a driving motor and an electronic device. However, using the driving motor and the electronic device will increase the manufacturing cost. Moreover, the high temperature and the sun exposure environment will accelerate the loss of the electronic device.
In light of this, there is a need for the manufacturers to reform an exhaust pipe to lower the noise, lower the manufacturing cost, simplify the maintenance, and reduce environmental impact.
In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a displacement regulating device, which could reduce the noise generated when an exhaust pipe exhausting.
The present invention provides a displacement regulating device, which is adapted to be disposed on an exhaust pipe body of a vehicle, wherein the exhaust pipe body has at least one outlet. The displacement regulating device includes a regulating member and an operating device, wherein the regulating member is adapted to be movably disposed inside or outside of the exhaust pipe body. The operating device is engaged with the regulating member and is operable to drive the regulating member to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is adjacent to the at least one outlet, and the second position is away from the at least one outlet.
In an embodiment, the regulating member has a first end and a second end which are opposite. When the regulating member is at the second position, the first end is adjacent to a peripheral edge of the at least one outlet of the exhaust pipe body, and the second end of the regulating member and the peripheral edge of the at least one outlet are spaced from each other by a distance.
In an embodiment, the operating device includes an operating member and a linking assembly, and the linking assembly engages the operating member and the regulating member. When the operating member is operated, the linking assembly drives the operating member to move between the first position and the second position.
In an embodiment, the regulating member includes a cover, wherein the cover has the first end and the second end and is controlled by the operating member to pivot around the first end, whereby to move between the first position and the second position.
In an embodiment, the linking assembly includes a movable shaft and an abutting rod, and the movable shaft is engaged with the second end of the cover, wherein the abutting rod is engaged with the movable shaft. When the cover is at the first position, the abutting rod abuts against an outer surface of the cover.
In an embodiment, the linking assembly further includes a restoring member, and the restoring member provides a reverse force to urge the cover to move toward the first position.
In an embodiment, the cover has at least one opening, wherein when the cover is located at the first position, the at least one opening communicates inside and outside of the exhaust pipe body.
In an embodiment, the regulating member includes a cover and a guiding path, and the cover is controlled by the operating member to horizontally move between the first position and the second position via the guiding path.
In an embodiment, the operating device includes an operating member and a linking assembly, and the linking assembly engages the operating member and the regulating member, and has a driven shaft which is driven by the operating member to move relative to the exhaust pipe body. The cover is disposed on the driven shaft, wherein the guiding path includes at least one extending shaft disposed in parallel with the driven shaft. The cover moves along with an extending direction of the at least one extending shaft.
In an embodiment, the driven shaft has a threaded section, and the cover has a threaded hole which is screwed to the threaded section.
In an embodiment, the guiding path includes a plurality of extending shafts, wherein an end of each of the extending shafts is connected to a peripheral edge of the exhaust pipe body, while another end thereof extends outside of the at least one outlet. The cover is located between the extending shafts.
In an embodiment, the linking assembly further includes a restoring member, and the restoring member provides a reverse force to urge the cover to move toward the first position.
In an embodiment, the cover has at least one opening, wherein when the cover is located at the first position, the at least one opening communicates inside and outside of the exhaust pipe body.
In an embodiment, an inner surface of the cover has a protruding portion, and the protruding portion has at least one opening. When the cover is located at the first position, the at least one opening communicates inside and outside of the exhaust pipe body.
In an embodiment, the regulating member includes a sound-absorbing member connected to the cover, and at least a part of the sound-absorbing member is located inside of the exhaust pipe body.
In an embodiment, the regulating member includes a cover and a rotatable shaft, and the cover is engaged with the rotatable shaft. When the cover is controlled by the rotatable shaft to rotate around an axial direction of the rotatable shaft from the second position to the first position, an exhaust gas exhausted from the at least one outlet is gradually shielded by the cover.
In an embodiment, further including an extending tube disposed outside of the at least one outlet, wherein the extending tube is adapted to be engaged with the exhaust pipe body, and the exhaust gas exhausted from the at least one outlet passes through the extending tube.
In an embodiment, when the cover is located at the first position, the cover is located between the extending tube and the exhaust pipe body. When the cover is located at the second position, the cover is not located between the extending tube and the exhaust pipe body.
In an embodiment, the exhaust pipe body includes a main exhaust pipe and an attached exhaust pipe, and the at least one outlet comprises a main outlet and an attached outlet. The main outlet is located on the main exhaust pipe, and the attached outlet is located on the attached exhaust pipe. When the regulating member of the displacement regulating device is located at the first position, the regulating member is adjacent to the main outlet. At this time, a displacement of the main outlet minus a displacement of the attached outlet is defined as a first difference. When the regulating member of the displacement regulating device is located at the second position, the regulating member is away from the main outlet. At this time, the displacement of the main outlet minus the displacement of the attached outlet is defined as a second difference. The first difference is smaller than the second difference.
In an embodiment, an inside of the attached outlet which is adjacent to a peripheral edge of the attached outlet has a sound-absorbing member.
By integrating the exhaust pipe of the vehicle with the displacement regulating device, not only the displacement of the exhaust pipe of the vehicle could be controlled, but also the noise generated by the exhaust pipe body of the vehicle could be effectively reduced.
The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
As shown in
The operating device 20 includes an operating member 24 and a linking assembly 26, wherein the linking assembly 26 links the regulating member 22 and the operating member 24, and is driven by the operating member 24 to drive the regulating member 22 to move between a first position P1 and a second position P2. As shown in
As shown in
The linking assembly 26 includes a stable tube 261, a movable shaft 262, a restoring member 263, an abutting rod 264, and a spring member 265, wherein the stable tube 261 is fixed on a predetermined portion of the motorcycle 100. The movable shaft 262 includes a flat segment 262a and a bending section 262b, wherein the flat segment 262a passes through the stable tube 261, and an end of the flat segment 262a is pivotally connected to the operating member 24 and is located between the pivot end 24a and the control end 24b of the operating member 24, while another end thereof is connected to the bending section 262b. The bending section 262b is connected to the regulating member 22 at where adjacent to the second end 22b via the spring member 265. The restoring member 263 is a tension spring, and an end of the restoring member 263 is connected to the bending section 262b, while another end thereof is connected to the stable tube 261, wherein a reverse force generated by the restoring member 263 urges the regulating member 22 to move toward the first position P1. An end of the abutting rod 264 is fixed on an inside of the bending section 262b, while another end thereof has a sphere portion 264a extending toward the regulating member 22.
In the aforementioned paragraphs, detailed components and the structures of the present invention are explained, while the manner about how the displacement exhausted from the exhaust pipe body 10 is regulated for reducing the noise will be described in detail as follow, and the performance will be described later.
During the process of changing the position of the regulating member 22, when the regulating member 22 is located at the first position P1, the regulating member 22 is adjacent to the main outlet 12a. At this time, a part of exhaust gas is blocked by the regulating member 22 to be transferred to the attached exhaust pipe 14, so that exhaust gas is not only exhausted from the notch 22c of the regulating member 22 but also from the attached outlet 14a. At this time, a displacement of the main outlet 12a minus a displacement of the attached outlet 14a is defined as a first difference. When the regulating member 22 is located at the second position P2, the regulating member 22 is away from the main outlet 12a. At this time, exhaust gas is mainly exhausted from the main outlet 12a, and the displacement of the main outlet 12a minus the displacement of the attached outlet 14a is defined as a second difference, wherein the first difference is smaller than the second difference. It shall be noted that no matter the regulating member 22 is located at the first position P1 or at the second position P2, the total amount of the exhausted exhaust gas is not affected. In this way, when the regulating member 22 is located at the first position P1, a part of exhaust gas that is exhausted from the attached outlet 14a could pass through the sound-absorbing member 16 to reduce the noise. On the contrary, when the regulating member 22 is located at the second position P2, since exhaust gas is mainly exhausted from the main outlet 12a, the volume reduction effect of the sound-absorbing member 16 is not significant.
In addition, a regulating member 22′ with another type is illustrated in
In addition to using the structure of the aforementioned regulating member 22 which is pivotally connected for blocking exhaust gas and changing the flow direction, there are the following embodiments, such as a displacement regulating device 2 of a second embodiment according to the present invention illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
The manner about how the displacement exhausted from the exhaust pipe body 10 is regulated by the displacement regulating device 2 for reducing the noise will be described in detail as follow, and the performance will be described later.
With the position change of the cover 321 and the notch 324 of the cover 321 which communicates inside and outside of the main outlet 12a, when the cover 321 is located at the first position P1, a part of exhaust gas transferred to the attached exhaust pipe 14 passes through the sound-absorbing member 16 to be exhausted from the attached outlet 14a, so that the noise could be reduced. On the contrary, when the cover 321 is located at the second position P2, exhaust gas is not mainly exhausted from the attached outlet 14a, so that the volume reduction effect of the sound-absorbing member 16 is not significant.
In addition, the structure of the cover is not a limitation of the present invention. In an embodiment, a cover 321a with another type, which is also circular and is illustrated in
In an embodiment, a cover 321b with still another type, which is illustrated in
Moreover, in an embodiment, a cover 321c with still another type, which is circular and is illustrated in
It is worth mentioning that, the aforementioned cover that has the threaded hole could be rotated clockwise or in a counterclockwise direction to move forward or backward on the threaded section 364a of the driven shaft 364, whereby to adjust a distance between the cover and the main outlet 12a. In this way, the degree of closure of the main outlet 12a could be fine-tuned through the cover.
In addition to using the structure of the aforementioned regulating member which is pivotally connected or is screwed for blocking exhaust gas and changing the flow direction, there is a regulating member 52 of a third embodiment according to the present invention illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
With the position change of the cover 521, when the cover 521 is gradually rotated toward the first position P1, the main outlet 12a is gradually shielded by the cover 521, so that a part of exhaust gas is transferred to the attached exhaust pipe 14 and passes through the sound-absorbing member 16 to be exhausted from the attached outlet 14a, whereby to reduce the noise volume. On the contrary, when the cover 521 is gradually rotated toward the second position P2, exhaust gas is not mainly exhausted from the attached outlet 14a, so that the volume reduction effect of the sound-absorbing member 16 is not significant.
An operating member 44 with another type is illustrated in
In this way, when the control end 441b of the operating shaft 441 is moved toward a front of the motorcycle 100, the cover 421 horizontally moves toward the second position P2 that is away from the first position P1; when the control end 441b of the operating shaft 441 moves toward the rear of the motorcycle 100, the cover 421 horizontally moves toward the first position P1 that is away from the second position P2.
With the aforementioned design, the displacement regulating device could drive the linking assembly via the operating member so as to move the regulating member to be located at the first position that is adjacent to the main outlet or at the second position that is away from the main outlet. In addition, the operating member could be positioned via the locking member (not shown), whereby to keep the regulating member at the second position. In this way, the exhaust pipe of the vehicle controlled by the displacement regulating device could operate either in a low noise volume state or in a normal state that the noise volume is not restricted.
In conclusion, by disposing the regulating member and the operating device on the exhaust pipe, the displacement regulating device of the present invention could significantly reduce the noise volume, lowering the disturbances to the people.
It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.