Claims:We Claim:
1. An exhaust manifold (302) comprising:
four exhaust runners (304a-d) positioned adjacent to each other in sets, wherein the exhaust gas from the four exhaust runners (304a-d) flows horizontally towards an oxygen sensor (308);
wherein the oxygen sensor (308) is positioned at an inlet cone of a catalyst converter (306) integrated to the exhaust manifold (302);
deflectors (310) provided on the runner (304d) aiding mixing of the gas flow from the exhaust runners (304a-d) leading to the oxygen sensor (308); and
a plurality of inwardly shaped dimples (402a-c) in a flow stream path running along the length of the exhaust runners (304a-d).

2. The exhaust manifold (302) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the runner (304d) of the four exhaust runners (304a-d) is positioned closest to the oxygen sensor (308).

3. The exhaust manifold (302) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deflectors (310) enable to configure the gas flow path of the runner (304d) into an inverse S shaped.

The exhaust manifold (302) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of inwardly shaped dimples (402a-c) guide the gas flow from each of the exhaust runners (304a-d), thereby maintaining uniform and uninterrupted path leading to the oxygen sensor (308).

Description:AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure in general, relates to an exhaust manifold, and in particular, to a novel exhaust manifold structure for improving the response timings of an oxygen sensor mounted on the exhaust manifold.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional inclined longitudinally oriented engine in accordance with state-of-the-art. Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional exhaust manifold 102 that is connected with the inclined longitudinally oriented engine 104.
[0003] Conventionally, in an inclined longitudinally oriented engine, an oxygen sensor is positioned farther away from the engine which results in increase in the sensing response time, thereby resulting in a significant delay in the feedback for fuelling. Further, in the type of conventionally known exhaust manifolds for the inclined longitudinally oriented engine, there are no structural features or means provided prior to the oxygen sensor enabling correct and proper sensing and the mixing of the exhaust gases thereto, leading to emission inefficiency.
[0004] Accordingly, it is an exigency in the state of designing the exhaust manifold of the type that remediates the abovementioned limitations/shortcomings in the existing solutions and serves the need of assemblies with varying complex requirements, thereby helping provide a compact and efficient exhaust manifold structure.

SUMMARY
[0005] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to an exhaust manifold for improving the response time of an oxygen sensor. The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0006] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an exhaust manifold structure including four exhaust runners positioned adjacent to each other in sets, and the exhaust gas from the four exhaust runners flows horizontally towards the oxygen sensor that is positioned at an inlet cone of a catalyst converter integrated to the exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold further includes deflectors provided on the runner that aids in mixing of the gas flow from the exhaust runners leading to the oxygen sensor. There is further provided a plurality of inwardly shaped dimples in a flow stream path running along the length of the exhaust runners.
[0007] In an aspect, the fourth runner of the four exhaust runners is positioned closest to the oxygen sensor.
[0008] In an aspect, the deflectors enable to configure the gas flow path of the fourth runner into an inverse S shaped.
[0009] In an aspect, the plurality of inwardly shaped dimples guide the gas flow from each of the exhaust runners, thereby maintaining uniform and uninterrupted path leading to the oxygen sensor.
[00010] The solution proposed by the present disclosure as mentioned above provides a novel exhaust manifold runner design in an inclined longitudinally oriented engine, for ensuring proper mixing of exhaust gases before interaction with the oxygen sensor to improve the response time of the oxygen sensor.
[00011] To further understand the characteristics and technical contents of the present subject matter, a description relating thereto will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are illustrative only but not used to limit the scope of the present subject matter.
[00012] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[00013] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and methods that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:
[00014] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional inclined longitudinally oriented engine in accordance with state-of-the-art.
[00015] FIG. 2 illustrates the layout of an exhaust manifold with an integrated front oxygen sensor according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[00016] FIG. 3 represents an inward dimples provided on the exhaust manifold according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[00017] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00018] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[00019] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[00020] The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.
[00021] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[00022] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[00023] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[00024] Hereinafter, a description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00025] FIG. 2 illustrates an exhaust manifold 302, serving a characteristic function of improving the reading of a front oxygen sensor 308 mounted therein, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The exhaust manifold 302 includes four exhaust runners 304a-d positioned adjacent to each other in sets, a catalyst converter 306 integrated to the exhaust manifold 302 and forming an integral part thereof.
[00026] According to Fig. 2, the integrated exhaust manifold 302 further includes a front oxygen sensor 308 positioned at the inlet cone of the catalyst converter 306. A gas flow path of the exhaust gases flowing towards the sensing element, which is the front oxygen sensor 308, of each of the first runner 304a, the second runner 304b, and the third runner 304c, of the series of four exhaust runners is uniform in nature, owing to a considerable distance from the sensing element helping attain a natural uniform flow towards the sensing element or the oxygen sensor 308. However, the gas flow path of the fourth runner 304d, owing to the close proximity to the oxygen sensor 308, is structured in the form of an inverse S. This inverse S shaped configuration of the fourth runner 304d helps maintain position of the sensing element in close proximity without altering the flow uniformity and maintaining faster response time in return.
[00027] It is further in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter that the exhaust manifold 302 is provided with deflectors 310 on the fourth runner 304d, enabling efficient mixing of the exhaust gases running from the exhaust runners to the sensing element 308 and improving the feedback of the sensor in return.
[00028] In an embodiment, the fourth runner 304d is positioned closest to the oxygen sensor 308 amongst the four exhaust runners 304a-d.
[00029] Fig. 3 illustrates an inward dimples 402a-c provided on the exhaust manifold in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The exhaust manifold as illustrated in Fig. 4 is same as the exhaust manifold illustrated in Fig. 3 and therefore, the components already explained with the help of Fig. 3 are not illustrated and explained again herein for the sake of brevity.
[00030] As illustrated in Fig. 3, the exhaust manifold 302 (as illustrated in Fig. 3) includes a plurality of dimples 402a-c in a flow stream path of the exhaust runners 304a-d. The dimples 402a-c ensure that the oxygen sensor or the sensing element 308 (as illustrated in Fig. 3) identifies gas flow pulses from the individual runners and the pulses from any one exhaust runner do not gets interfered from the pulses generated from the adjacent runner(s), thereby enabling uniformity of gas flow from the respective exhaust runners and aiding in the mixing of flow before reaching the sensing element. This characteristic configuration in the form of the feature of the dimples uniformly placed along the length of the exhaust runners helps guide the gas flow from each respective runner to have an uninterrupted path to the oxygen sensor.
[00031] The inwardly placed dimples 402a-c additionally serves an important objective of reducing the overall length of the exhaust runners leading to the sensing element, thereby helping achieve an easy and compact structure for the exhaust manifold.
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[00032] The present disclosure provides an exhaust manifold including an oxygen sensor placed in close proximity with the exhaust runners, thereby ensuring adequate and uninterrupted gas flow from each runner.
[00033] The present disclosure provides an exhaust manifold including deflectors and dimples on the exhaust runners for maintaining uniform and uninterrupted gas flow from the exhaust runners leading to the oxygen sensor.
[00034] Furthermore, each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the “invention” may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the “invention” will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
[00035] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.
[00036] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can appreciate that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the following claims.
[00037] The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.
[00038] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims that follow. The present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.