Adaptive valve for exhaust system

Abstract

A vehicle exhaust system includes at least one adaptive valve that is associated with an exhaust component, and which is movable between open and closed positions. An anti-flutter component is associated with the adaptive valve to reduce fluttering movement of the adaptive valve caused by exhaust gas pulsations.

1 . A vehicle exhaust system comprising:
 at least one exhaust component;   at least one adaptive valve associated with said at least one exhaust component, said at least one adaptive valve movable between open and closed positions within an exhaust gas flow path; and   at least one anti-flutter component associated with said at least one adaptive valve to reduce fluttering movement of said at least one adaptive valve caused by exhaust gas pulsations.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein said anti-flutter component comprises a damper that is coupled to said at least one adaptive valve. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one adaptive valve comprises at least one first adaptive valve and wherein said anti-flutter component comprises a second adaptive valve that operates independently of said first adaptive valve. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 3  wherein one of said first and second adaptive valves is positioned upstream of said at least one exhaust component and the other of said first and second adaptive valves is positioned downstream of said at least one exhaust component. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 4  wherein said one of said first and second adaptive valves provides broadband suppression and said the other of said first and second adaptive valves provides resonance suppression. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 3  wherein said at least one exhaust component comprises a muffler and wherein said first adaptive valve is positioned within an inlet pipe to said muffler and said second adaptive valve is positioned within an outlet pipe to said muffler. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein said anti-flutter component comprises a weighted mass that is coupled to said at least one adaptive valve. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 7  wherein said weighted mass biases said at least one adaptive valve to one of the closed position or open position. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 8  including an elongated body fixed to a valve body of said at least one adaptive valve, and wherein said weighted mass is fixed to a distal end of said elongated body. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein said anti-flutter component comprises first and second retainer members connected by a wire element, wherein one of said first and said second retainer members is rotatable relative to the other of said first and said second retaining members. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one exhaust component comprises a pipe that connects an upstream exhaust component to a downstream component. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 1  wherein movement of said at least one adaptive valve is solely controlled by exhaust gas flow. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle exhaust system comprising:
 at least one exhaust component;   at least one adaptive valve associated with said at least one exhaust component, said at least one adaptive valve having a valve body that is movable between open and closed positions; and   a mass member associated with said at least one valve to bias said at least one adaptive valve toward one of the open and closed positions.   
     
     
         14 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 13  wherein said mass member exerts a mass force to hold said at least one adaptive valve in said closed position, and wherein when exhaust gas flow force is sufficient to overcome said mass force, said at least one adaptive valve moves toward said open position. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 13  wherein said mass member comprises an elongated component fixed to said valve body and an enlarged weighted mass fixed to a distal end of said elongated component. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle exhaust system comprising:
 at least one exhaust component;   a first adaptive valve positioned upstream of said at least one exhaust component to provide a first type of noise suppression; and   a second adaptive valve that operates independently of said first adaptive valve and is positioned downstream of said at least one exhaust component to provide a second type of noise suppression, said first and second adaptive valves each being moveable between open and closed positions in response to exhaust gas flow.   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 16  wherein one of said first and second types of noise suppression comprises broadband suppression and the other of said first and second types of noise suppression comprises resonance suppression. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle exhaust system according to  claim 16  wherein said at least one exhaust component comprises a muffler and wherein said first adaptive valve is positioned within an inlet pipe to said muffler and said second adaptive valve is positioned within an outlet pipe to said muffler.