Ventilation apparatus for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486492-B2
Application number	US-201615204420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A motor vehicle ventilation apparatus is provided including a distributor housing having at least two air ducts leading from the distributor housing. Through these two outgoing air ducts, an air mass flow that is fed to the housing or produced inside the housing is able to be distributed to at least two air outlets arranged at a distance from one another in an interior space of a motor vehicle. The air ducts leading from the distributor housing are each in flow communication with at least one of the air outlets. In addition, at least one servo unit is movable by a drive unit arranged adjacent to at least one of the air ducts in the distributor housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle ventilation apparatus comprising:
a distributor housing configured to discharge an air mass flow;
a first air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing and having a first air outlet configured to be arranged in an interior space of a motor vehicle;
a second air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing and having a second air outlet configured to be arranged in the interior space at a distance from the first air outlet, the first air duct separated from the second air duct by a partition wall;
a third air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing and having a third air outlet configured to be arranged in the interior space at a distance from the first and second air outlet;
a servo unit arranged in the distributor housing adjacent to the first and second air ducts, wherein the servo unit is positionable for selectively concealing and revealing the first and second air ducts, the servo unit comprising a first flap pivotable around a first axis and supported on an upstream end of the partition wall and mounted in the housing and a second flap pivotable around the first axis and supported on the upstream end of the partition wall and mounted in the housing, the first flap pivotable to conceal and reveal the first air duct and the second flap pivotable to conceal and reveal the second air duct;
a first drive unit coupled to the servo unit for selective positioning thereof, wherein the first and second flaps are selectively positionable independent of each other and are each movable by the first drive unit;
a third flap pivotable around a second axis different than the first axis, the third flap selective concealing and revealing the third air duct;
a second drive unit coupled to the third flap for selective positioning of the third flap; and
a controller in communication with the first drive unit and the second drive unit, the controller configured to actuate the first drive unit and the second drive unit for selectively positioning the servo unit and the third flap continuously altering the positions of at least one of the first flap, the second flap and the third flap to continuously alter a flow rate of the air mass flow to the first, second and third air ducts.

2. The motor vehicle ventilation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the first drive unit and the second drive unit according to an operating mode selected by a user.

3. The motor vehicle ventilation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the servo unit is positionable in at least one of a continuous mode, a constant mode or an incremental mode.

4. The motor vehicle ventilation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the servo unit is positionable in a periodical mode.

5. The motor vehicle having a motor vehicle ventilation apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. The motor vehicle ventilation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third flap is supported on a wall of the second air duct and mounted in the housing, and the third flap is pivotable about the second axis relative to the wall of the second air duct to conceal and reveal the third air duct.

7. A method for ventilating an interior space of a motor vehicle comprising:
discharging an air mass flow from a distributor housing;
selectively pivoting a first flap of a servo unit over a first air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing for directing at least a portion of the air mass flow to a first air outlet arranged in the interior space of the motor vehicle;
selectively pivoting a second flap of the servo unit over a second air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing for directing at least a portion of the air mass flow to a second air outlet arranged in the interior space at a distance from the first air outlet, the first air duct separated from the second air duct by a partition wall, the first flap of the servo unit pivoting around a first axis and supported on a downstream end of the partition wall and mounted in the housing, and the second flap of the servo unit pivoting around the first axis and supported on the downstream end of the partition wall and mounted in the housing, the first flap pivoting to conceal and reveal the first air duct and the second flap pivoting to conceal and reveal the second air duct; and
selectively positioning a third flap over a third air duct in fluid communication with the distributor housing for directing at least a portion of the air mass flow to a third air outlet arranged in the interior space at a distance from the first air outlet;
wherein a controller in communication with a first drive unit configured to selectively position the servo unit and a second drive unit configured to selectively position the third flap is configured to continuously alter a flow rate of the air mass flow to the first, second, and third air ducts by continuously altering the position of at least one of the first flap, the second flap and the third flap.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which when executed by the controller, is configured to execute the method according to claim 7 .

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Reichel Gregor

Classifications

• B60H1/0073

  Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models · CPC title

• B60H1/247

  Disposition of several air-diffusers in a vehicle for ventilation-air circulation in a vehicle cabin · CPC title

• B60H2001/00707

  Details of pivots of damper doors · CPC title

• B60H1/00671

  Damper doors moved by rotation; Grilles · CPC title

• B60H1/00678

  the axis of rotation being in the door plane, e.g. butterfly doors · CPC title