Grille for vehicle wall opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796245-B2
Application number	US-201314034627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A grille for a vehicle wall opening may comprise a frame, a pair of first louvers, and a second louver. The frame may be receivable on the vehicle wall in an installed position extending around the opening, and may have an inboard side and an outboard side. The pair of first louvers may be supported on the frame, and may be transversely inclined to an outboard direction at a first angle. The second louver may be located between the first louvers, fixed relative to the first louvers, and inclined to the outboard direction at a second angle different from the first angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grille for a vehicle wall opening, the grille comprising:
a frame receivable on the vehicle wall in an installed position extending around the opening, the frame having an inboard side and an outboard side;
a pair of first louvers supported on the frame, the first louvers being transversely inclined to an outboard direction at a first angle;
a second louver located between a space defined by the first louvers, the second louver being fixed relative to the first louvers and inclined to the outboard direction at a second angle different from the first angle; and
a plurality of stiffeners oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second louver, the plurality of stiffeners and the second louver intersecting with one another to define a grid, wherein each of the plurality of stiffeners are attached to only one of the first louvers.

2. The grille of claim 1 , wherein the first and second louvers each have an inboard edge and an outboard edge, and the grille is free of a gap vertically between the inboard edge of a louver and the outboard edge of an adjacent louver when the grille is in an upright orientation.

3. The grille of claim 1 wherein the outboard direction is perpendicular to a plane between the inboard and outboard sides of the frame, and the second louver blocks visibility through the grille between the first louvers on a line of sight in the outboard direction.

4. The grille of claim 1 , wherein each of the first louvers has an outboard edge and reaches upward to the outboard edge at the first angle.

5. The grille of claim 4 , wherein each of the first louvers further has an inboard edge and reaches vertically upward from the inboard edge.

6. The grille of claim 1 , wherein the second louver has an inboard edge and reaches upward from the inboard edge at the second angle.

7. The grille of claim 6 , wherein the second louver further has an outboard edge and reaches vertically upward to the outboard edge.

8. The grille of claim 1 , wherein each of the first louvers has an outboard edge and reaches upward to the outboard edge at the first angle, and wherein the second louver has an inboard edge and reaches upward from the inboard edge at the second angle.

9. The grille of claim 1 , further comprising additional first louvers transversely inclined to the outboard direction at the first angle, and additional second louvers located between adjacent first louvers, with each of the second louvers fixed relative to the first louvers and transversely inclined to the outboard direction at the second angle.

10. The grille of claim 1 , wherein the first louvers and the frame are portions of a first part of the grille, and the second louver is a portion of a second part of the grille that is fastened to the first part.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a body including a cabin wall having a vent opening;
a grille mounted on the cabin wall over the vent opening, the grille comprising a frame having an inboard side and an outboard side, a pair of first louvers, and a second louver located between a space defined by the first louvers; and
a plurality of stiffeners oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second louver, the plurality of stiffeners and the second louver intersecting with one another to define a grid, wherein each of the plurality of stiffeners are attached to only one of the first louvers, and wherein the first louvers are transversely inclined relative to an outboard direction at a first angle, and the second louver is fixed relative to the first louvers and transversely inclined to the outboard direction at a second angle that differs from the first angle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first and second louvers each have an inboard edge and an outboard edge, and the grille is free of a gap vertically between the inboard edge of a louver and the outboard edge of an adjacent louver when the grille is in an upright orientation.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the outboard direction is perpendicular to a plane between the inboard and outboard sides of the frame, and the second louver blocks visibility through the grille between the first louvers on a line of sight in the outboard direction.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein each of the first louvers has an outboard edge and reaches upward to the outboard edge at the first angle.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein each of the first louvers further has an inboard edge and reaches vertically upward from the inboard edge.

16. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the second louver has an inboard edge and reaches upward from the inboard edge at the second angle.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the second louver further has an outboard edge and reaches vertically upward to the outboard edge.

18. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle is selected from an aircraft, a spacecraft, a land vehicle, and a marine vehicle.

19. A method comprising:
providing a grille for a decompression vent opening in a vehicle cabin wall, the grille including a frame configured to extend around the decompression vent opening;
the grille including a pair of first louvers, a second louver located between a space defined by the first louvers, and a plurality of stiffeners, wherein the first louvers are transversely inclined to an outboard direction of the grille at a first angle, and the second louver is fixed relative to the first louvers and transversely inclined to the outboard direction of the grille at a second angle that differs from the first angle, and the plurality of stiffeners are oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second louver, and wherein the plurality of stiffeners and the second louver intersect with one another to define a grid, and each of the plurality of stiffeners are attached to only one of the first louvers.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising providing additional first louvers transversely inclined to the outboard direction at the first angle, and additional second louvers located between adjacent first louvers, with each of the second louvers fixed relative to the first louvers and transversely inclined to the outboard direction at the second angle.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Switzer Lon E
• Siebert Fred P

Classifications

• B60H1/248 Primary

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

• B64C2001/009

  comprising decompression panels or valves for pressure equalisation in fuselages or floors · CPC title

• B64C1/066

  Interior liners · CPC title

• B60H1/26 Primary

  Ventilating openings in vehicle exterior; Ducts for conveying ventilating air · CPC title