Vane adjustment device for an air register and an air register assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10328774-B2
Application number	US-201715433056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A vane adjustment device in an air register includes a front vane connector pivotably connected to a front vane and a rear vane connector pivotably connected to a rear vane. The front vane connector includes a sliding member substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the front vane and the rear vane connector includes a first joint. The first joint is movably connected to the sliding member to enable a linear movement of the sliding member relative to the first joint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vane adjustment device, comprising:
a front vane connector pivotably connected to a front vane, said front vane connector including a sliding member substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the front vane; and
a rear vane connector pivotably connected to a rear vane, said rear vane connector including a first joint;
wherein the first joint is movably connected to the sliding member to enable a first linear movement of the sliding member relative to the first joint.

2. The vane adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member has a bar shape and the first joint includes a first sleeve to receive the sliding member.

3. The vane adjustment device of claim 2 , wherein the rear vane connector includes a second joint connected to the first joint at an angle, the second joint including a second sleeve to receive a towel bar disposed on the rear vane to enable a second linear movement of the second joint relative to the towel bar.

4. The vane adjustment device of claim 3 , wherein the second joint includes a groove extending longitudinally thereon.

5. The vane adjustment device of claim 3 , wherein the second joint is substantially perpendicular to the first joint.

6. The vane adjustment device of claim 3 , wherein the first joint and the second joint are formed integrally.

7. The vane adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member includes at least a partially hollowed sleeve portion and the first joint has a bar shape and is received in the sleeve portion to enable a second linear movement of the sliding member relative to the sleeve portion.

8. The vane adjustment device of claim 7 , wherein an end of the first joint includes an aperture to receive a towel bar on the rear vane to enable a third linear movement of the first joint relative to the towel bar.

9. The vane adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the front vane connector includes a shaft connected to the sliding member at an angle, said shaft being pivotably connected to the front vane.

10. The vane adjustment device of claim 9 , wherein the shaft and the sliding member are substantially perpendicular to each other.

11. A vehicle air register assembly, comprising:
a first front vane extending along a first direction;
a first rear vane extending along a second direction; and
a vane adjustment device, said vane adjustment device including:
a front vane connector connected to the first front vane, said front vane connector having a shaft pivotably connected to the first front vane and a sliding member substantially perpendicular to the shaft; and
a rear vane connector connected to the first rear vane, wherein said rear vane connector includes a first joint;
wherein the sliding member is movably connected to the first joint to enable a first linear movement relative to the first joint.

12. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 11 , wherein said sliding member has a bar shape and the first joint includes a first sleeve to at least partially receive the sliding member.

13. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 12 , wherein rear vane connector includes a second joint connected to and perpendicular to the first joint.

14. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first rear vane includes a towel bar substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the first rear vane and wherein the second joint is movably connected to the towel bar and is linearly movable between a first position and a second position on the towel bar.

15. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second joint includes a second sleeve and said sleeve includes a groove extending longitudinally thereon to let the towel bar pass through such that the towel bar is received in the sleeve.

16. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sliding member includes a third sleeve, and the first joint includes a bar portion to be received in the third sleeve to enable said first linear movement of the sliding member relative to the first joint.

17. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first rear vane includes a towel bar parallel to a longitudinal direction of the first rear vane.

18. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 17 , further including a tab, said tab including:
a tab body having a channel to receive the first front vane, and
two protrusions extending from two ends of the tab body, the two protrusions respectively including a recess to receive ends of the shaft,
wherein the first front vane extends through the channel and is pivotably connected to the front vane connector via the tab body.

19. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 18 , further including a plurality of front vanes linked with the first front vane and a plurality of rear vanes linked with the first rear vane,
wherein movement of the tab towards the first direction causes the first rear vane and the plurality of rear vanes to move along the first direction to close the air register assembly, and rotation of the tab towards the second direction causes the first front vane and the plurality of front vanes to pivot along the second direction.

20. The vehicle air register assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first rear vane includes a first base and a second base, wherein two ends of the towel bar are respectively connected to the first base and the second base and said towel bar is parallel to the first rear vane and is spaced from a plane of the first rear vane by a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Tian Bao Jun

Classifications

• B60H2001/3464

  Details of hinges · CPC title

• B60H1/3421 Primary

  using only pivoting shutters · CPC title

• F24F13/15

  with parallel simultaneously tiltable lamellae · CPC title

• F24F13/12

  built up of sliding members · CPC title

• B60H2001/3478

  acting on additional damper doors · CPC title