Air vent of a ventilation and heating module for motor vehicles with switching between a spot position and a diffuse position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878596-B2
Application number	US-201213882001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An air vent of a ventilation and heating module for motor vehicles has at least horizontally extending air guide vanes which can be pivoted about a first axis and which are each coupled with a coupling element. At least one air guide vane is coupled via a coupling rod to the coupling element which is displaceable relative to the first axis in a displacement direction between a neutral position and a diffuse position of the air guide vanes. The coupling rod for each air guide vane is formed as a rocker, which is coupled at one end with an air guide vane and is pivotally coupled at the other end with the ventilation and module. Each rocker is coupled to the coupling element via a sliding block guide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air vent of a ventilation and heating module for motor vehicles, comprising:
a plurality of air guide vanes which extend at least in a horizontal direction and have a first end that can be pivoted about a vehicle-fixed axis,
a separate rocker associated with each of the air guide vanes in one-to-one correspondence and having two ends, wherein a first end of the rocker is coupled with a second end of a corresponding air guide vane and a second end of the rocker is pivotally coupled with the ventilation and heating module, and
a coupling element comprising coupling pins, each coupling pin engaging in a corresponding first sliding block guide disposed in the rocker associated with each of the air guide vanes, wherein the coupling element is linearly displaceable in a displacement direction perpendicular to the vehicle-fixed axis between a position causing a neutral position of the air guide vanes and a position causing a diffuse position of the air guide vanes,
wherein one of the plurality of air guide vanes is a neutral vane having two sides, wherein the rocker of the neutral vane is coupled to the coupling element via a straight first sliding block guide, and wherein at least one additional air guide vane constructed as an outer vane is provided on each of the two sides of the neutral vane, wherein the rocker associated with a respective outer vane is coupled to the coupling element via a curved first sliding block guide for producing the diffuse position,
wherein the coupling element is displaced perpendicular to the displacement direction to produce a spot position of the air guide vanes, wherein the rocker of the neutral vane is coupled with the ventilation and heating module via a second sliding block guide enabling a pivoting movement and wherein the rocker of at least one outer vane arranged on each of the two sides of the neutral vane is coupled with the outer vanes via a third sliding block guide enabling a pivoting movement.

2. The air vent of claim 1 , further comprising a movable slider plate having a drive opening configured to receive the coupling element and to transfer a translatory movement of the slider plate to the coupling element.

3. The air vent of claim 2 , wherein the drive opening is configured to move the coupling element perpendicular to the displacement direction of the coupling element so as to produce a spot position of the air guide vanes.

4. The air vent of claim 1 , wherein the coupling element is coupled with a housing wall of the ventilation and heating module via a fourth sliding block guide for centering the diffuse position of the air guide vanes.

5. The air vent of claim 4 , wherein the fourth sliding block guide comprises a motion link having a substantially heart-shaped apex extending in the first displacement direction of the coupling element, wherein the coupling element is guided in the heart-shaped apex by a coupling pin to produce the diffuse position.

6. The air vent of claim 5 , wherein the coupling pin couples the coupling element to the fourth sliding block guide disposed in the housing wall.

7. The air vent of claim 5 , wherein the coupling pin couples the rocker associated with a neutral vane.

8. The air vent of claim 5 , wherein the drive unit comprises an electric motor.

9. The air vent of claim 4 , further comprising:
a reset lever articulated in the region of an outlet opening of the air vent and coupled with the coupling element for pivoting into a memory position corresponding to a spot position of the air guide vanes,
a free end of the reset lever, which is pivoted into the memory position while maintaining its pivot position, is operatively connected with a slider plate that is operatively connected with the coupling element, wherein displacement of the slider plate causes the diffuse position of the air guide vanes, and
the reset lever is coupled to the coupling element via a fifth sliding block guide which upon displacement of the slider plate carries the coupling element along from the diffuse position into the memory position.

10. The air vent of claim 9 , wherein the reset lever comprises a positioning pin engaging in guideways of the slider plate for operatively connecting the free end of the reset lever with the slider plate.

11. The air vent of claim 9 , wherein the coupling pin of the fourth sliding block guide which couples the coupling element with the housing wall of the ventilation and heating module is constructed to be coupled with the reset lever.

12. The air vent of claim 9 , further comprising a spring element that is articulated on the housing wall of the ventilation and heating module, wherein the slider plate is operatively connected to the spring element, wherein a spring force of the spring element urges the slider plate either into the spot position of the air guide vanes or into the diffuse position of the air guide vanes, wherein the spring element passes over its dead center position with maximum spring force when the slider plate is displaced between the spot position and the diffuse position.

13. The air vent of claim 12 , further comprising a control element for manual operation of at least one air guide vane, wherein the fourth sliding block guide in the housing wall of the ventilation and heating module is configured to define the movement of the coupling element when the control element is operated in the diffuse position of the air guide vanes, wherein the movement of the coupling element is transferred to the slider plate, while simultaneously passing over the dead-center position of the spring element.

14. The air vent of claim 13 , wherein the slider plate is constructed in two parts, with a first slider part receiving the coupling element and a second slider part being coupled to the first slider part and receiving guideways for coupling with the free end of the reset lever.

15. The air vent of claim 9 , further comprising a drive unit connected to the slider plate for switching between the spot position of the air guide vanes and the diffuse position, and vice versa.

16. A standard module constructed as a stand-alone mechanical assembly inserted into a conventionally constructed air vent having a plurality of air guide vanes which extend at least in a horizontal direction and have a first end that can be pivoted vertically about an axis, the standard module comprising:
a separate rocker associated with each of the air guide vanes in one-to-one correspondence and having two ends, wherein a first end of the rocker is coupled with a second end of a corresponding air guide vane and a second end of the rocker is pivotally coupled with the ventilation and heating module, and
a coupling element comprising coupling pins, each coupling pin engaging in a corresponding first sliding block guide disposed in the rocker associated with each of the air guide vanes, wherein the coupling element is linearly displaceable in a displacement direction perpendicular to the vehicle-fixed axis between a position causing a neutral position of the air guide vanes and a position causing a diffuse position of the air guide vanes,
a movable slider plate having a drive opening configured to receive the coupling element and to transfer a translatory movement of the slider plate to the coupling element,
wherein one of the plurality of air guide vanes is a neutral vane having two sides, wherein the rocker of the neutral vane is coupled to the coupling element via a straight first sliding block guide, and wherein at least one additional air guide vane constructed as an outer vane is provided on each of the tw

Assignees

• Ross Steffen
• Nadler Reinhold
• Foidl Hannes
• Endres Gerhard
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Ross Steffen
• Nadler Reinhold
• Foidl Hannes
• Endres Gerhard

Classifications

• B60H1/3421 Primary

  using only pivoting shutters · CPC title

• B60H1/345

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

• B60H1/34 Primary

  Nozzles; Air-diffusers · CPC title