Air nozzle device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131210-B2
Application number	US-201615285429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air nozzle device ( 10 ) for a vehicle ( 1 ) comprising a housing ( 11 ) defining an interior volume and having an air inlet ( 12 ) at one side, an air discharge opening ( 14 ) at a second side and an air flow channel ( 18 ) through the housing ( 11 ) for transporting a flow of air between the air inlet and the air discharge opening, the device ( 10 ) further comprising a user-actuated manual mechanism ( 32 ), a moveable first linkage assembly ( 34 ), a moveable second linkage assembly ( 36 ), a shutoff mechanism ( 40 ) configured to regulate the air flow, a first air flow adjustment arrangement ( 22 ) and a second air flow adjustment arrangement ( 24 ), each being pivotably connected to said housing and configured to adjust the direction of the air flow, wherein said user-actuated manual mechanism ( 32 ) is configured to permit manual operation of the first air flow adjustment arrangement ( 22 ), the second air flow adjustment ( 24 ) and the shutoff mechanism ( 40 ) from the outside of the device. The present invention also relates to a vehicle compartment comprising an air nozzle device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Air nozzle device for a vehicle comprising a housing defining an interior volume and having an air inlet at one side, an air discharge opening at a second side and an air flow channel through the housing for transporting a flow of air between the air inlet and the air discharge opening, the device further comprising a user-actuated manual mechanism, a moveable first linkage assembly, a moveable second linkage assembly, a shutoff mechanism configured to regulate the air flow, a first air flow adjustment arrangement and a second air flow adjustment arrangement, each being pivotably connected to said housing and configured to adjust the direction of the air flow,
said first linkage assembly being operatively connected to the user-actuated manual mechanism at one end and further configured to define a channel or groove to accommodate a part of a guiding member of the second air flow adjustment arrangement, wherein the channel or groove extends at least partly in a longitudinal direction (X) to permit a movement of the first linkage assembly along the longitudinal direction (X) independently of the position of the first air flow adjustment arrangement and the position of the second air flow adjustment arrangement, while an adjustment of the second air flow adjustment arrangement is effected by a movement of the first linkage assembly in a transverse direction (Y),
wherein said second linkage assembly is operatively connected to said user-actuated manual mechanism and configured to effect a regulation of the air flow via the shutoff mechanism by a movement of said user-actuated manual mechanism along the longitudinal direction (X),
wherein said user-actuated manual mechanism is configured to permit manual operation of the first air flow adjustment arrangement, the second air flow adjustment arrangement and the shutoff mechanism from the outside of the device,
wherein the first air flow adjustment arrangement comprises a set of spaced apart air directing elements in the form of blades or flanges that are pivotably arranged about pivoting connections,
wherein said first air flow adjustment arrangement comprises a first module and a second module, said first module being configured to move relative to said second module along the longitudinal direction (X), and wherein said second linkage assembly is operatively connected to said user-actuated manual mechanism via said first module of said first air flow adjustment arrangement and configured to effect regulation of the air flow by the shutoff mechanism by a movement of said user-actuated manual mechanism and said first module along the longitudinal direction (X), and
wherein each one of the first module and the second module is provided with at least one flange configured to be adjusted between a plurality of positions.

2. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the user-actuated manual mechanism is slidably engaged to said first module of said first air flow adjustment arrangement and configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction (X) and the transverse direction (Y) upon operation of a user.

3. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the second linkage assembly is configured to adjust the position of the shutoff mechanism upon a movement of the second linkage assembly in the longitudinal direction (X), and further configured to remain in position, as seen in the longitudinal direction (X), upon an adjustment of the first linkage assembly in the transverse direction (Y) and/or in a vertical direction (Z).

4. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said second linkage assembly comprises a movable linkage member and a guiding member connected to the said housing, said linkage member being adapted at a first end to cooperate with said guiding member of said second linkage assembly and at a second end to cooperate with said shutoff mechanism so that a movement of said first module of said first air flow adjustment arrangement is transferred into a movement of said linkage member of said second linkage assembly along the longitudinal direction (X) to effect a regulation of the air flow by the shutoff mechanism.

5. Device according to claim 4 , wherein the said guiding member is configured to allow for a displacement of said first module along the transverse direction (Y).

6. Device according to claim 5 , wherein said first air flow arrangement further comprises an interconnecting member for connecting said first module and said second module of said first air flow adjustment arrangement.

7. Device according to claim 1 , wherein said first air flow adjustment arrangement is a vertical air flow adjustment arrangement for adjusting the air flow in the vertical direction (Z) and said second air flow adjustment arrangement is a horizontal air flow adjustment arrangement for adjusting the air flow in the horizontal direction (X).

8. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the vertical air flow adjustment arrangement is independently pivotably connected to the housing via at least one pivoting connection configured to permit at least a part of said vertical air flow adjustment arrangement to pivot about a transverse pivot axis.

9. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the horizontal air flow adjustment arrangement is independently pivotably connected to the housing via at least one pivoting connection configured to permit said horizontal air flow adjustment arrangement to pivot about a vertical pivot axis.

10. Device according to claim 9 , wherein the horizontal air flow adjustment arrangement comprises a set of spaced apart air directing elements pivotably arranged about the pivoting connections, and at least one of said air directing elements is configured to define said guiding member.

11. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the first linkage assembly is arranged spaced apart from the second linkage assembly within said housing.

12. Device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third linkage assembly, said second linkage assembly and said third linkage assembly being arranged on opposite ends of the air flow adjustment arrangement, as seen in the transverse direction (Y), wherein said third linkage assembly is operatively connected to said user-actuated manual mechanism and configured to effect a regulation of the air flow via the shutoff mechanism by a movement of said user-actuated manual mechanism along the longitudinal direction (X).

13. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the shutoff mechanism is configured to move between an open position, defining a passage for the air flow in the air flow channel, and a closed position, defining an essentially air tight configuration against the inner surfaces of the housing, upon a movement of the second linkage assembly in the longitudinal direction (X).

14. Device according to claim 13 , wherein the first air flow arrangement comprises an alignment member having a guiding surface adapted to engage with a corresponding guiding surface of the first module of the air flow arrangement.

15. Device according to claim 14 , wherein the guiding surface defines a conical-shaped surface.

16. A vehicle compartment member comprising at least one of a dashboard, door trim, or console, wherein the vehicle compartment member comprises a device according to claim 1 .

17. A vehicle comprising a vehicle compartment member according to claim 16 .

Assignees

• Ningbo Geely Automobile Res & Development Co Ltd
• Ningbo Geely Automobile Res & Development Co Ltd

Inventors

• Belzons Lionel
• Stark Richard
• Cyrulewski Christian

Classifications

• B60H1/3421 Primary

  using only pivoting shutters · CPC title

• B60H1/34 Primary

  Nozzles; Air-diffusers · CPC title

• B60H2001/3478

  acting on additional damper doors · CPC title