Air vent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408490-B2
Application number	US-201615077367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2013
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

An air vent includes air-conveying surfaces in a housing arranged to guide separate first and second volumetric flows of air through the housing from an inlet end to a discharge end via respective first and second air channels. The air channels are arranged so that the first and second volumetric flows of air exit an air discharge opening in intersecting directions and collide after exiting the housing. The air vent includes an air flow adjustment element that is movable to change a ratio of the first volumetric flow to the second volumetric flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air vent, comprising:
a housing having an inlet end, an opposite discharge end, and an inner wall located between said ends;
a first air-conveying surface located in the housing, the first air-conveying surface facing toward and being spaced away from the inner wall to at least partially define a first air channel configured to guide a first volumetric flow of air through the housing from the inlet end to an air discharge opening at the discharge end of the housing;
a second air-conveying surface located in the housing, the second air-conveying surface facing toward and being spaced away from the inner wall to at least partially define a second air channel configured to guide a second volumetric flow of air through the housing from the inlet end to the air discharge opening separately from the first volumetric flow of air, wherein the first and second air channels are arranged so that the first and second volumetric air flows exit the housing at the air discharge opening in respective intersecting directions and collide after exiting the housing; and
an air flow adjusting element located in the housing and being movable to change a ratio of the first volumetric flow to the second volumetric flow, wherein each of the first and second air-conveying surfaces is in a fixed position with respect to the housing,
wherein the air flow adjusting element is movable between a first position, in which the first air channel is blocked by the air flow adjusting element, and a second position, in which the second air channel is blocked by the air flow adjusting element,
wherein the second air-conveying surface is symmetric to the first air-conveying surface.

2. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , wherein the air flow adjusting element is located in the housing between the inlet end and the first and second air-conveying surfaces and is moveable to change the first volumetric flow of air and/or the second volumetric flow of air to change said ratio.

3. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an air-conveying element that includes the first and second air-conveying surfaces and a transition region at an end of the air-conveying element facing the inlet end of the housing, wherein the air flow adjusting element is arranged at said end of the air-conveying element and bears against the transition region.

4. The air vent as defined in claim 3 , wherein the air flow adjusting element has a symmetrical shape tapering in the direction of the inlet end of the housing and has a shape that is complementary to the transition region where bearing against the transition region.

5. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , wherein one or both of said air-conveying surfaces has a bulge and the housing has a corresponding bulge formed in the same direction where the respective air-conveying surfaces oppose the inner wall of the housing across the respective air channel.

6. The air vent as defined in claim 5 , wherein the housing has an axis extending between the inlet end and the discharge end, the first and second air-conveying surfaces face in opposite directions, and each bulge is formed in a direction perpendicular with said axis.

7. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a light source located in the housing between the air discharge opening and the air flow adjusting element.

8. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a closure element located between the inlet end of the housing and the air flow adjusting element, wherein the closure element is movable between an open position, in which air flow is permitted along an air passage between the inlet and discharge ends, and a closed position, in which air flow along the air passage is blocked.

9. The air vent as defined in claim 8 , wherein the closure element comprises a plurality of plates that are hinged via a common pivot pin on the housing and movement of the closure element between the open position and the closed position is provided via rotation of the plates about the pivot pin.

10. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a manipulator at the discharge end of the housing, the manipulator being moveable between a first direction and a second direction, wherein the manipulator is mechanically coupled to the air flow adjusting element via a first coupling configured to convert movement of the manipulator in the first or second direction to movement of the air flow adjustment element in the first or second direction.

11. The air vent as defined in claim 10 , wherein the first coupling comprises a first coupling rod coupled to the manipulator for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis and a second coupling rod coupled to the air flow adjustment element for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis, the first coupling rod and the second coupling rod being mechanically coupled to each another via a first sliding guide block.

12. The air vent as defined in claim 11 , further comprising a set of wings, each wing being pivotable about an axis perpendicular to a pivot axis of the air flow adjusting element, wherein the manipulator is mechanically coupled to the set of wings via a second coupling configured to convert a movement of the manipulator in a direction perpendicular to the first direction to pivoting movement of the set of wings.

13. The air vent as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second coupling comprises a third coupling rod coupled to at least one of the wings of the set of wings, the first coupling rod and the third coupling rod being mechanically coupled via a second sliding guide block to transmit force between the first coupling rod and the third coupling rod, wherein the first sliding guide block is configured to allow movement of the first coupling rod relative to the second coupling rod in the direction perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The air vent as defined in claim 10 , wherein the first coupling is located between the first and second air-conveying surfaces within an air-conveying element that includes the first and second air-conveying surfaces.

15. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an air-conveying element that includes the first and second air-conveying surfaces, wherein the air-conveying element has a cross-section with a truncated egg shape.

16. The air vent as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inner wall of the housing has a rectangular cross-section at least at the inlet end of the housing.

17. An air vent, comprising:
a housing having an inlet end, an opposite discharge end, and an inner wall located between said ends;
a first air-conveying surface located in the housing, the first air-conveying surface facing toward and being spaced away from the inner wall to at least partially define a first air channel configured to guide a first volumetric flow of air through the housing from the inlet end to an air discharge opening at the discharge end of the housing;
a second air-conveying surface located in the housing, the second air-conveying surface facing toward and being spaced away from the inner wall to at least partially define a second air channel configured to guide a second volumetric flow of air through the housing from the inlet end to the air discharge opening separately from the first volumetric flow of air, wherein the first and second air channels are arranged so that the first and second volumetric air flows exit the housing at the air discharge opening in respective intersecting directions and collide after exiting the housing; and
an air flow adjusting element located in the housing and being m

Assignees

• Faurecia Innenraum Systeme Gmbh

Inventors

• Londiche Stephane
• Doll Volker
• Seiller Julien
• Schulz Martin

Classifications

• C21D1/25

  Hardening, combined with annealing between 300 degrees Celsius and 600 degrees Celsius, i.e. heat refining ("Vergüten") · CPC title

• C22C38/42

  with copper · CPC title

• C21D2211/008

  Martensite · CPC title

• C22C38/44 Primary

  with molybdenum or tungsten · CPC title

• B60H1/3421

  using only pivoting shutters · CPC title