Pressure relief valve linked for movement with door protector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10639963-B2
Application number	US-201715834164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a door having interior and exterior sides, at least one inlet in the interior side, at least one outlet in the exterior side, and a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door. At least one pressure relief valve is in communication with the inlet and outlet, and is mechanically linked for movement with the protector. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, mechanically linking at least one pressure relief valve for movement with the protector such that the pressure relief valve opens in response to the door beginning to open.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a door having interior and exterior sides and including at least on outer edge;
at least one inlet in the interior side and at least one outlet in the exterior side;
a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door to cover at least a portion of the outer edge of the door; and
at least one pressure relief valve in communication with the inlet and outlet, and being mechanically linked for movement with the protector.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure relief valve is closed when the protector is non-deployed and is opened when the protector is deployed to allow air to flow from the inlet to the outlet.

3. The system according to claim 2 , including a mechanical connection that couples the door protector mechanism to the pressure relief valve.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the mechanical connection comprises a cable or lever.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inlet comprises at least one louver or vent hole located in door trim on the interior side.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure relief valve comprises at least a first pressure relief valve associated with the inlet and a second pressure relief valve associated with the outlet, the first and second pressure relief valves being mechanically linked for movement together between open and closed positions.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the inlet comprises a louver or hole located in an inner door trim panel.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer edge comprises a peripheral edge that extends about a periphery of the door, and wherein the door protector comprises a strip of material that covers a portion of the peripheral edge.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure relief valve includes a fixed valve body and a moveable valve portion that moves relative to the fixed valve body between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the protector and the moveable valve portion are linked for movement together such that when the movable valve portion is open the protector covers a portion of the outer edge of the door.

10. A system, comprising:
a door having interior and exterior sides;
at least one inlet in the interior side and at least one outlet in the exterior side;
a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door; and
at least one pressure relief valve in communication with the inlet and outlet, and being mechanically linked for movement with the protector, and wherein the pressure relief valve is closed when the protector is non-deployed and is opened when the protector is deployed to allow air to flow from the inlet to the outlet, and wherein the door protector mechanism automatically deploys the protector to cover an outer door edge in response to the door being opened.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the door protector mechanism returns the protector to a non-deployed position as the door is closed.

12. A system, comprising:
a door having interior and exterior sides;
at least one inlet in the interior sides and at least one outlet in the exterior side;
a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door; and
at least one pressure relief valve in communication with the inlet and outlet, and being mechanically linked for movement with the protector, and wherein the door protector mechanism comprises a mechanical drive that includes a cable that is actuated when the door is opened to deploy the protector to cover an outer edge of the door.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the pressure relief valve is coupled for movement with the cable to open the pressure relief valve as the door is opened.

14. The system according to claim 13 , including a damping assembly to control closing movement of pressure relief valve as the door closes such that air can be exhausted via the outlet before the pressure relief valve closes.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the pressure relief valve comprises a first pressure relief valve and including at least one second pressure relief valve associated with the outlet, and wherein the second pressure relief valve is mechanically coupled to the first pressure relief valve.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kena Mukdam
• Mcelroy Michael Murphy

Classifications

• B60H1/243 Primary

  located in the lateral area (e.g. doors, pillars) · CPC title

• B60H1/248 Primary

  Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior · CPC title

• E06B7/02

  for providing ventilation, e.g. through double windows; Arrangement of ventilation roses (airflow control members per se F24F13/08) · CPC title

• B60R13/0243

  Doors · CPC title

• B60J5/0412

  Lower door structure · CPC title