Vehicle ventilation module and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834064-B2
Application number	US-201313741253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2013
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle ventilation module for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment, comprising a carrier element to be mounted to the vehicle, the carrier element comprising:
at least one vent opening for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment when the vehicle ventilation module is mounted to the vehicle; at least one flap being pivotable about a swivel axis at the carrier element between a close position and an open position, wherein the vent opening is covered by the flap in the close position and is at least partially uncovered by the flap in the open position so that air may flow through the vent opening; and an actuating mechanism coupled to the flap for pivoting the flap about its swivel axis from the close position to the open position.

The actuating mechanism is actuated to pivot the flap to the open position by a current applied to the actuating mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle ventilation module for allowing air to exhaust from an inside of a vehicle compartment, the ventilation module comprising:
a carrier element having a carrier frame comprising a single substantially planar plate configured to mount the vehicle ventilation module to a vehicle, wherein the carrier frame has an upper side and a bottom side;
at least two vent openings in the carrier frame for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of the vehicle compartment when the vehicle ventilation module is mounted to the vehicle;
at least four flaps being pivotable about a swivel axis at the carrier frame between a closed position and an open position, wherein the vent openings are covered by the at least four flaps in the closed position and are at least partially uncovered by the at least four flaps in the open position so that air may flow through the vent openings;
wherein at least two flaps of the at least four flaps are arranged at the carrier element sequentially along a first common swivel axis and at least two other flaps of the at least four flaps are arranged at the carrier element sequentially along a second common swivel axis, the at least four flaps being arranged in pairs at the carrier frame so that a first pair of two flaps may be swivelled about the first common swivel axis parallel to the second swivel axis of a second pair of two flaps;
a plurality of fastening elements at the carrier frame in the form of fastening clips for fastening the ventilation module to a body panel of the vehicle, the plurality of fastening elements being located at the bottom side of the carrier frame; and
an actuating mechanism coupled to the first and second pairs of flaps and comprising an electric driving motor for pivoting the first and second pairs of flaps about their first and second common swivel axes from the closed position to the open position, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to be actuated to pivot the first and second pairs of flaps to the open position by a current applied to the actuating mechanism,
wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a transmission mechanism mechanically connecting the electric driving motor to the first and second pairs of flaps and comprising a lever arrangement for transmitting a driving force from the electric driving motor to the first and second pairs of flaps such that upon activation of the electric driving motor all flaps may be pivoted synchronously from the closed position to the open position;
wherein the lever arrangement comprises:
a driving lever connected to the electric driving motor;
at least one displaceable transmission lever, wherein the driving lever is configured to be swivelled by the electric driving motor about a driving axis and wherein the driving lever and the at least one transmission lever are connected with each other such that a swivel movement of the driving lever results in a longitudinal movement of the transmission lever; and
at least two second transmission levers at the carrier element, wherein each second transmission lever is fixed to at least one flap of one of the first and second pairs of flaps, and is pivotable about the first or second common swivel axis of the corresponding first or second pair of flaps, and wherein the first transmission lever is connected to each of the second transmission levers in such way that a longitudinal movement of the first transmission lever results in a swivel movement of the two second transmission levers causing their corresponding pair of flaps to pivot; and
wherein the actuating mechanism is mounted to a side of the carrier frame so that the vehicle ventilation module preassembled with the actuating mechanism and the at least one flap at the carrier frame is configured to be mounted to a vehicle only by being clipped by fastening clips into an aperture of the body panel.

2. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the carrier frames defines a housing part in which the electric driving motor is at least partially accommodated.

3. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ventilation module comprises a housing part in which the electric driving motor is at least partially accommodated, the housing part being clipped to the carrier frame.

4. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a gearing mechanism having at least two gears meshing with each other for transmitting a driving force of the electric driving motor to the at least one flap.

5. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 4 , wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a first gear pivotable about a gearing axis, the first gear having a teeth portion at its circumference with teeth for meshing with at least one second gear of the transmission mechanism, wherein the teeth portion of said first gear solely circumferentially extends at the most 180° about the gearing axis.

6. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the carrier element comprises several vent openings for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment and respective pivotable flaps each assigned to a respective vent opening for covering the respective vent in the closed position.

7. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the carrier element further comprises at least one elastic component that biases the flap towards its closed position so that the flap is pivotable from the closed position to the open position against a resilient force of the elastic component.

8. The vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 , wherein the carrier element is a molded part and at least one electrically conductive wire element for applying current to the actuating mechanism is embedded in the carrier element.

9. A vehicle ventilation device for allowing air to exhaust from an inside of a vehicle compartment, the ventilation device comprising a vehicle ventilation module of claim 1 .

10. A vehicle ventilation module for allowing air to exhaust from an inside of a vehicle compartment, the ventilation module comprising:
a carrier element having a plate in the plane of a plurality of flaps wherein shafts of the plurality of flaps are in a plane of the plate configured to mount the vehicle ventilation module to a vehicle,
a plurality of vent openings for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment when the vehicle ventilation module is mounted to the vehicle;
the plurality of flaps each being pivotable about a swivel axis at the plate carrier element between a closed position and an open position and each being assigned to a respective vent opening for covering it in the closed position, wherein the respective vent opening is covered by a flap in its closed position and is at least partially uncovered by the flap in its open position so that air may flow through the vent opening; and
an actuating mechanism coupled to the flaps for pivoting the flaps from the closed position to the open position,
wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to be actuated to pivot the flaps to the open position by a current applied to the actuating mechanism and wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a single electric driving motor for pivoting the flaps synchronously and a transmission mechanism mechanically connecting the electric driving motor to at least one flap,
wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a lever arrangement for transmitting a driving force from the electric driving motor to the flaps,
wherein the lever arrangement comprises a driving lever connected to the electric driving motor and at least one displaceable transmission lever, wherein the driving lever may be swivelled by the electric driving motor about a driving ax

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile
• Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co Kg Wurzburg

Inventors

• Wissmueller Thomas
• Rosales David
• Salo James
• Mudge Derek

Classifications

• F16K31/041

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00678

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

• B60H1/249 Primary

  using one-way valves · CPC title