BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to automobile mufflers and, more particularly, to a muffler having a pair of spaced apart and opposed sound baffles each having an arcuate or curved configuration and being perforated for receiving a portion of exhaust gases streaming through the muffler body. Importantly, at least one sound deflector is positioned in the exhaust gas flow path and oriented to simultaneously deflect the exhaust gases toward the pair of sound baffles.

A muffler is a device for reducing the noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. More particularly, a muffler includes a casing having structures against which soundwave is associated with exhaust gases flowing there through may ricochet and be absorbed before remaining gases flow downstream from the muffler.

Various muffler designs have been proposed in the prior art and patent proposals for directing or redirecting a gaseous flow between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. Although presumably effective for their intended purposes, there is still a need for a muffler that deflects and incoming stream of exhaust gases more efficiently and quantitatively through a pair of sound baffles and onto sound absorbing material.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have a sound deflecting muffler having a pair of opposed sound baffles that are curved and perforated so as to increase the amount of an exhaust gas stream from a flow path and onto the sound absorbing fill material. Further, it would be desirable to have a sound deflecting muffler having at least one sound deflector positioned adjacent and inlet opening of the muffler casing having a shape configuration and being oriented to simultaneously direct a substantial portion of the exhaust gases toward the pair of sound baffles, respectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sound deflecting muffler for deflecting and absorbing sound waves associated with exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes casing having a muffler body that defines an interior area. the muffler body has an inlet end defining an inlet opening operatively connected to the internal combustion engine for receiving exhaust gases therefrom into the interior area and has an outlet end defining an outlet opening in communication with the interior area for directing the exhaust gases downstream from the interior area. The casing includes a pair of spaced apart and opposed sound baffles that define a flow path for the exhaust gases flowing between the inlet end and the outlet end of the muffler body, each sound baffle being perforated and having an arcuate configuration such that a flow path narrows at a midpoint. A first sound deflector is positioned in the flow path of the casing proximate the inlet end so as to deflect the portion of the exhaust gases toward the pair of sound baffles.

Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a sound deflecting muffler for deflecting and absorbing sound waves associated with exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sound deflecting muffler, as aforesaid, having a pair of spaced apart and opposed sound baffles each being perforated and having an arcuate work curved configuration for receiving sound waves associated with engine exhaust gases flowing between the pair of sound baffles.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a sound deflecting muffler, as aforesaid, in which said pair of sound baffles define chambers containing sound absorbing filler material.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a sound deflecting muffler, as aforesaid, having at least one sound deflector positioned in the flow path and oriented so as to simultaneously deflect and inflow of sound producing exhaust gases toward the pair of curved sound baffles.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.

