Air vent register for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10350968-B2
Application number	US-201514938300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A vent register for a motor vehicle includes an integral scent-dispensing chamber configured for selectively allowing a vehicle heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) airflow therethrough. The scent-dispensing chamber includes a rear wall having one or more rear wall apertures and carrying a damper that is selectively translatable between an open configuration and a closed configuration to control a flow of conditioned air through the chamber. A selectively closeable scent-dispensing chamber front panel allows inserting or removing an air freshening substance.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A vent register comprising:
a housing in fluid communication with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) duct system; and
an interior scent-dispensing chamber disposed within the housing and configured to selectively allow an HVAC airflow therethrough.

2. The vent register of claim 1 , wherein the scent-dispensing chamber includes a damper-supporting wall having one or more apertures and carrying a selectively translatable damper disposed at an upstream portion of the scent-dispensing chamber relative to an exit of the HVAC airflow from the housing.

3. The vent register of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the damper-supporting wall is disposed to define an acute angle relative to a plane defined by a wall of the vent register housing.

4. The vent register of claim 2 , wherein the damper is selectively translatable between an open configuration allowing an HVAC airflow through the scent-dispensing chamber and a closed configuration preventing the HVAC airflow through the scent-dispensing chamber.

5. The vent register of claim 2 , wherein the damper-supporting wall further includes one or more damper supports configured to allow sliding translation of the damper between the open configuration and the closed configuration.

6. The vent register of claim 2 , wherein the damper includes one or more damper apertures disposed to at least partially align with the one or more apertures when the damper is translated from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

7. The vent register of claim 3 , wherein the damper includes a first portion defining a same angle as the acute angle and a second portion carrying an actuator.

8. The vent register of claim 7 , wherein the actuator is configured to pass through a slot defined in a roof of the scent-dispensing chamber, whereby the actuator functions also as a dog to retain the selectively translatable damper in operative contact with an interior of the scent-dispensing chamber.

9. The vent register of claim 1 , wherein the scent-dispensing chamber includes a selectively closeable front panel.

10. A vent register for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a housing in fluid communication with a vehicle heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) duct system;
a plurality of vanes pivotally carried by the housing for directing an HVAC airflow; and
an interior scent-dispensing chamber disposed within the housing and configured to selectively allow the HVAC airflow therethrough.

11. The vent register of claim 10 , wherein the scent-dispensing chamber includes a damper-supporting wall having one or more apertures and carrying a selectively translatable damper disposed, relative to a direction of flow of the HVAC airflow, upstream of the plurality of vanes.

12. The vent register of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the damper-supporting wall is disposed to define an acute angle relative to a plane defined by a wall of the vent register housing.

13. The vent register of claim 11 , wherein the damper is selectively translatable between an open configuration allowing the HVAC airflow through the scent-dispensing chamber and a closed configuration preventing the HVAC airflow through the scent-dispensing chamber.

14. The vent register of claim 11 , wherein the damper-supporting wall further includes one or more damper supports configured to allow sliding translation of the selectively translatable damper between the open configuration and the closed configuration.

15. The vent register of claim 11 , wherein the selectively translatable damper includes one or more damper apertures disposed to at least partially align with the one or more apertures when the damper is translated from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

16. The vent register of claim 12 , wherein the selectively translatable damper includes a first portion defining a same angle as the damper-supporting wall acute angle and a second portion carrying an actuator.

17. The vent register of claim 16 , wherein the actuator is configured to pass through a slot defined in a roof of the scent-dispensing chamber, whereby the actuator functions also as a dog to retain the selectively translatable damper in operative contact with an interior of the scent-dispensing chamber.

18. The vent register of claim 10 , wherein the scent-dispensing chamber includes a selectively closeable front panel.

19. The vent register of claim 10 , wherein the scent-dispensing chamber defines a same width dimension and height dimension as one or more of the plurality of vanes.

20. A motor vehicle including the vent register of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Avendano Arenas Pamela
• Marini Parissi Jesus
• Vargas Sosa Jesus Ricardo

Classifications

• B60H3/0028 Primary

  on or near an air outlet · CPC title

• B60H2003/0042

  with ventilating means for adding the substances · CPC title