Air vent and vehicle with an air vent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296653-B2
Application number	US-202318175826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An air vent for a vehicle includes a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet; a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotably arranged within the housing by being affixed to a first axis; an actuator arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, the actuator comprising a transmission element affixed to a second axis and pivotable around the second axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising
a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet;
a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotable around a first axis;
an actuator arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, the actuator comprising a transmission element, the transmission element pivotable around a second axis,
wherein the actuator further comprises a shape memory alloy element, and wherein the transmission element is pivotable around the second axis by the shape memory alloy element.

2. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the air stream exiting the air outlet is modified by heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element.

3. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element causes a shape of the shape memory alloy element to change exerting a torque on the transmission element around the second axis.

4. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the first axis runs parallel to the second axis.

5. The air vent according to claim 4 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the air channel.

6. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body.

7. The air vent according to claim 6 , wherein the concave surface is at least one of spaced apart from the first axis or facing in the direction of the air inlet, and the convex surface is at least one of spaced apart from the second axis or facing in the direction of the air outlet.

8. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the air channel comprises a lower air channel and an upper air channel, and the shape memory alloy element is adapted to rotate the transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

9. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid air-directing body is aerodynamically shaped or torpedo shaped.

10. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the air outlet forms a nozzle.

11. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet;
a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotable around a first axis; and
an actuator arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, the actuator comprising a transmission element and a shape memory alloy element, the transmission element pivotable around a second axis by the shape memory alloy element,
wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body, and
wherein the concave surface is facing in the direction of the air inlet, and the convex surface is facing in the direction of the air outlet.

12. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the direction of the air stream exiting the air outlet is modified by heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element.

13. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element causes a shape of the shape memory alloy element to change exerting a torque on the transmission element around the second axis.

14. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the first axis runs parallel to the second axis.

15. The air vent according to claim 14 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the air channel.

16. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the air channel comprises a lower air channel and an upper air channel, and the shape memory alloy element is adapted to rotate the transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

17. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the rigid air-directing body is aerodynamically shaped or torpedo shaped.

18. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the air outlet forms a nozzle.

19. A vehicle comprising the air vent according to claim 1 or claim 11 .

Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wieczorek Romeo
• Weingärtner Torsten

Classifications

• F24F2013/144

  with thermoactuators · CPC title

• F24F13/1426

  characterised by actuating means · CPC title

• B60H2001/3485

  Air temperature regulation · CPC title

• B60H2001/3471

  Details of actuators · CPC title

• B60H1/345

  with means for adjusting divergence, convergence or oscillation of air stream · CPC title