EXHAUST TREATMENT DEVICE WITH SENSOR AND METHOD OF MAKING

Abstract

An exhaust treatment device, comprising: a shell portion defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening; at least one catalyst brick being inserted within the shell portion; an insulative material disposed between the shell portion and the at least one catalyst brick; and a sensor receiving area formed in at least one catalyst brick.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a catalytic converter;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with another alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with another alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with another alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross sectional views of devices for forming an exhaust treatment device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9-14 are cross-sectional views of portions of exhaust treatment devices constructed in accordance with other alternative exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of an exhaust treatment device constructed in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An exhaust treatment device, comprising: a shell portion defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening;a pair of catalyst bricks inserted within the shell portion;an insulative material disposed between the shell portion and the pair of catalyst bricks; anda sensor receiving area formed in at least one of the pair of catalyst bricks.

2. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein the pair of catalyst bricks each have an inlet end and an outlet end and the inlet end of one of the bricks is butted against the outlet end of the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks and the sensor receiving area is formed in the inlet end and the outlet end of the bricks butted against each other.

3. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein the pair of catalyst bricks each have an inlet end and an outlet end and the inlet end of one of the bricks is butted against the outlet end of the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks and the sensor receiving area is formed in either the inlet end or the outlet end of the bricks butted against each other and a plug device is used to position the pair of catalyst bricks with a sensor opening in the shell portion.

4. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein the pair of catalyst bricks each have an inlet end and an outlet end and the inlet end of one of the bricks is spaced from the outlet end of the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks and disposed therebetween is a ceramic brick.

5. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein a sensor mounting boss is secured to the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area.

6. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein an opening is formed in the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area and a sensor mounting boss is secured about the opening in the shell portion.

7. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein a sensor mounting boss is formed in the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area via a flow drilling process.

8. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein the pair of catalyst bricks are coated with a washcoat comprising a catalyst and each of the pair of the catalyst bricks have an inlet end and an outlet end and the inlet end of one of the bricks is butted against the outlet end of the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks and the sensor receiving area is formed in either the inlet end or the outlet end of the bricks butted against each other.

9. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 1, wherein one of the pair of catalyst bricks is coated with a washcoat comprising a first catalyst and the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks is coated with a washcoat comprising a second catalyst and each of the pair of the catalyst bricks have an inlet end and an outlet end and the inlet end of one of the bricks is butted against the outlet end of the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks and the sensor receiving area is formed in either the inlet end or the outlet end of the bricks butted against each other, the second catalyst being different from the first catalyst.

10. A method for providing an exhaust treatment device with a mid-mount gas sensor, the method comprising: inserting a first catalyst brick into a shell of the exhaust treatment device;inserting a second catalyst brick into the shell of the exhaust treatment device, wherein an inlet end of the second catalyst is butted against an outlet end of the first catalyst; andproviding an opening in the shell and a complimentary sensor receiving area in at least one of the first and second catalyst bricks by drilling into the shell after the first and second catalyst bricks have been inserted therein.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein an insulative material is disposed between the shell and the first and second catalyst bricks and a portion of both the first and second catalyst bricks are removed when the opening is provided in the shell.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein a gas sensor mounting boss is secured about the opening in the shell after the opening is formed in the shell.

13. The method as in claim 10, wherein the opening is formed by a flow drilling process.

14. An exhaust treatment device, comprising: a shell portion defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening;at least one catalyst brick inserted within the shell portion;an insulative material disposed between the shell portion and the at least one catalyst brick; anda sensor receiving area formed in at least one catalyst brick.

15. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 14, wherein the at least one catalyst brick has a first washcoat section coated with a first washcoat comprising a first catalyst and a second washcoat section coated with a second washcoat comprising a second catalyst, the first catalyst being different from the second catalyst, and the sensor receiving area is formed in an area of the at least one catalyst brick where the first washcoat section changes to the second washcoat section.

16. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 14, wherein a sensor mounting boss is secured to the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area.

17. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 14, wherein a sensor mounting boss is formed in the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area via a flow drilling process.

18. The exhaust treatment device as in claim 14, wherein an opening is formed in the shell portion proximate to the sensor receiving area and a sensor mounting boss is secured about the opening in the shell portion.

19. A method for providing an exhaust treatment device with a mid-mount gas sensor, the method comprising: coating a first portion of a catalyst brick with a first washcoat comprising a first catalyst;coating a second portion of the catalyst brick with a second washcoat comprising a second catalyst, the first catalyst being different from the second catalyst;inserting the catalyst brick into a shell of the exhaust treatment device; andforming an opening in the shell and a complimentary sensor receiving area in the catalyst brick by drilling into the shell and the catalyst brick after the catalyst brick has been inserted in the shell, the sensor receiving area being located in an area of the catalyst brick where the first portion coated with the first washcoat ends and the second portion with the second washcoat begins.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein a sensor bushing is formed in the shell when the opening is formed in the shell, the sensor bushing being formed by a flow drilling process.

21. An exhaust treatment device, comprising: a shell portion defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening;a pair of catalyst bricks inserted within the shell portion, one of the pair of catalyst bricks is coated with a washcoat comprising a first catalyst and the other one of the pair of catalyst bricks is coated with a washcoat comprising a second catalyst, the second catalyst being different from the first catalyst;a ceramic spacer disposed between the catalyst bricks;an insulative material disposed between the shell portion and the pair of catalyst bricks; anda sensor receiving area formed the ceramic spacer.