FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an exhaust muffler and more particularly to a mounting means for the exhaust muffler supported on the engine and mounting bracket of rider footrest.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] A two-wheeled vehicle has an exhaust muffler for expelling the burnt and unburnt gases out of the engine through the exhaust pipe to the atmosphere. This exhaust muffler in general generates a large amount of vibration and noise, which finally adds up to the vehicle noise and vibrations. The noise and vibrations produced by the vehicle is reduced and brought to the prescribed limits by use of soft grommets and mounting bracket. Use of mounting brackets for mounting the exhaust muffler to the engine at the one end and to the vehicle frame structure using a mounting bracket at the location of pillion rider footrest is well known in the art.

[0003] By experiments, the stiffness of mounting bracket and the grommet can be calculated and the mounting brackets at the above two ends of the exhaust muffler can be designed for cancelling the noise and vibrations produced therein. Exhaust system is generally mounted at two points - one at cylinder head and one near pillion footrest. If the muffler weight is high, two mounting points are not sufficient to arrest the lateral movement of muffler, which results in vibration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] To obviate the problems associated with the existing exhaust muffler mountings, the current invention provides a third mounting point, which is not welded to the exhaust muffler but fastened to it at one end and to the engine and footrest-mounting bracket at the other end. This mounting is fastened in such a way that muffler's movement in lateral direction is arrested thereby reducing vibration. Due to provision of a third mounting bracket for the exhaust muffler, which is already fastened at two points namely, the exhaust pipe end and the pillion rider footrest, the vibrations and noise are reduced by a considerable amount.

[0005] The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for an exhaust
muffler wherein this mounting arrangement is an addition to other existing and well-known mounting arrangements of an exhaust muffler at the cylinder head side and the pillion rider footrest side. This mounting arrangement reduces the vibrations and noise of the exhaust muffler by a considerable amount and is specifically very useful for the exhaust mufflers, which are larger and heavier in weight.

[0006] In another embodiment of the invention, this third mounting bracket is integrated with the rider footrest bracket thus reducing the number of parts as well as reducing the noise and vibrations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a typical two-wheeler.

Figure 2 illustrates a typical exhaust muffler of a two-wheeler.

Figure 3 illustrates a third mounting bracket of an exhaust muffler.

Figure 4 illustrates mounting of the third mounting bracket to a typical exhaust muffler.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention relates to a method and means of mounting arrangement for an exhaust muffler wherein this mounting arrangement is an addition to other existing and well known mounting arrangements of an exhaust muffler, namely at the cylinder head side and the pillion rider footrest side. This third mounting arrangement reduces the vibrations and noise generated by the exhaust muffler by a considerable amount and is specifically very useful for the exhaust mufflers, which are larger and heavier in weight.

[0008] Figurel shows a typical two-wheeler 10, with an exhaust system which is mounted in cylinder head, pillion footrest mounting bracket. The vehicle comprises of a rider seat 1, an exhaust muffler 2, a rear wheel 3, and a pillion footrest 9, a pillion footrest-mounting bracket 11, a rider footrest 5, a brake paddle 6, an exhaust pipe 7, and a front wheel 8. In this figure, Figure 1, the pillion footrest 9 is mounted on the pillion footrest-mounting bracket 11.

[0009] This pillion footrest-mounting bracket 11 is in turn fastened to the frame of the vehicle, shows an exhaust system consists of pipe exhaust which takes away the exhaust gases from engine, body muffler which provides expansion volume for exhaust gases to lose its energy so that noise level is reduced, guard exhaust front which protects the rider from excessive heat coming from the muffler, mounting bracket to mount the exhaust and a third mounting bracket to arrest the lateral movement of the muffler.

[00010] Figure 2 shows an exhaust muffler 2 in detail with explicitly depicting all the mountings namely the first mounting 21 wherein this mounting mounts the exhaust muffler to the cylinder head. The second mounting 22 wherein this second mounting mounts the exhaust muffler to the pillion rider foot rest mounting bracket. The third mounting bracket 24 with the two end provisions namely 24a and 24b wherein the said mounting provision 24a mounts the exhaust muffler to the third mounting bracket 24 and the mounting provision 24b mounts the exhaust muffler to the mounting bracket of the rider footrest mounting bracket. Figure 2 also shows the exhaust muffler cover 23 used for protecting the pillion rider's foot from getting burnt due to excessive temperature of the outer exhaust muffler body.

[00011] Figure 3 shows the main embodiment of the invention, the third mounting bracket 24. The third mounting bracket 24 as shown in the figure consists of two concave portions namely first concave portion 31 and second concave portion 32. Here in this invention, the first concave portion 31 accommodates the exhaust muffler body and hence the size and contour of the concave portion 31 is designed to accommodate the exhaust muffler body as per the requirement.

[00012] The second concave portion 32 is used for accommodating the brake pedal lever and to avoid the hitting of the brake pedal on to the third mounting bracket 24. As shown in the Figure 3, the mounting provision 24a gets fastened to the exhaust muffler using a fastening means and the mounting provision 24b gets fastened to a fastening provision at the rider foot rest mounting bracket.

[00013] Figure also shows the design of third mounting bracket where a second concave portion 32 is provided to increase the clearance with brake pedal. The design of the bracket at the concave portion 32 and as a whole shall be in such a way that it facilitates enough clearance with other interfacing parts.
[00014] The third mounting bracket is fastened at the ends in such a way that the muffler is always under tension so that the movement of the muffler in lateral direction is arrested thereby reducing vibration. This bracket can be fastened anywhere in the frame say engine mounting bracket to exhaust and shall not be restricted only to rider footrest mounting bracket. A slot is provided at one end and a hole is provided at other end so that the bracket can be fastened in spite of manufacturing variations. The finish of the bracket shall be same as that of muffler so that aesthetical appeal is not lost.

[00015] Figure 4 shows the third mounting bracket 24 mounted in the vehicle 10 by using the provisions as explained in the previous diagrams. Figure 4 shows the exhaust muffler 2 mounted with the help of the third mounting bracket 24 at the two ends namely the ends 24a and 24b.End 24a of the third mounting bracket holds the exhaust muffler and the end 24b of the exhaust muffler is fastened to the rider footrest. Figure 4 also shows the vehicle stand 4, the first concave portion 31 accommodating the exhaust muffler and the second concave portion 32 providing passage for the brake pedal lever. Figure shows the third point mounting where one end of the bracket is mounted to the boss where guard of the exhaust on the exhaust muffler fastened and other end is mounted to the bracket where rider footrest is mounted.

We claim:

1. An exhaust muffler (2) supporting means for two-wheeled vehicle (10)
comprising:
an exhaust pipe (7);
a first mounting means (21);
a second mounting means (22);
and a third mounting means (24);
wherein the said exhaust pipe (7) is connected to the said engine supported by the first mounting means (21); the said exhaust muffler supported by the second mounting means (22) on one end to a pillion foot rest mounting bracket (11) and the exhaust muffler supported by the said third mounting means (24) on one end to a rider foot rest mounting bracket (42).

The exhaust muffler (2) supporting means for two-wheeled vehicle (10) as Claimed in Claim 1 wherein the said exhaust muffler (7) is provided with a third mounting arrangement (24) wherein the said third mounting arrangement (24) is in such a way that the one end of the third mounting arrangement (24) holds the said exhaust muffler (7).

The exhaust muffler (2) supporting means for two-wheeled vehicle (10) as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the said third mounting arrangement (24) comprises of atleast two concave profiles specifically shaped for accommodating the exhaust muffler (7).

The exhaust muffler (2) supporting means for two-wheeled vehicle (10) as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the third mounting means (24) is integrated with the rider footrest bracket (42).