SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTIVE HATCH VENT

• US 20100330894A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynalloy, Inc., GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Dynalloy, Inc., GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Voss, Mark A., Gao, Xiujie, Browne, Alan L., Hao, Lei, Owens, John N., Naik, Sanjeev M., Namuduri, Chandra S., Alexander, Paul W., Zolno, Aragorn, Gopalakrishnan, Suresh, Brown, James Holbrook, Millerman, Alexander, Patterson, Derek L., Rober, Kevin B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,821,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/241 characterised by the location of ventilation devices in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/249 using one-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 9/04 Air curtains in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A vent assembly is disposed within an interior space of a vehicle for opening and closing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a housing defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of vanes disposed in the openings. An actuator mechanism moves the vanes between an open position and a closed position, and includes a shaped memory alloy (SMA) member for actuating the vanes between the open and closed positions. The SMA member is activated when a hatch of the vehicle is open to move the vanes into the open position and thereby open fluid communication between the interior space and the exterior to alleviate excessive air pressure buildup during closure of the hatch.

Claims

1. A vent assembly for selectively opening and closing an interior space of a vehicle to permit air within the interior space of the vehicle to exit the interior space of the vehicle, the vent assembly comprising:

a housing defining a plurality of openings;

a plurality of vanes, with one of said plurality of vanes disposed within each of said plurality of openings, each of said plurality of vanes being pivotably attached to said housing and configured for movement in unison between an open position and a closed position with said open position permitting fluid flow through said plurality of openings and said closed position preventing fluid flow through said plurality of openings; and

an actuator mechanism attached to said housing and coupled to at least one of said plurality of vanes and configured for moving said plurality of vanes between said open position and said closed position;

wherein said actuator mechanism includes a transmission coupled to said at least one of said plurality of vanes and configured for transmitting rotation to said at least one of said plurality of vanes, and further includes a shape memory alloy member coupled to said transmission and configured for actuating said transmission in response to an electrical signal.

2. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shape memory alloy member contracts in response to heat generated by the electrical signal.

3. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator mechanism includes a casing and wherein said transmission includes a vane gear rotatably supported by said casing and a geared lever rotatably supported by said casing and in meshing engagement with said vane gear.

4. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a drive shaft interconnecting said transmission and said at least one of said plurality of vanes and configured for transmitting rotational movement between said transmission and said at least one of said plurality of vanes.

5. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said drive shaft is coupled to said vane gear for rotation with said vane gear.

6. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said shape memory alloy member includes a first end coupled to said geared lever and a second end coupled to said casing.

7. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator mechanism includes a spring coupled to said transmission and configured to urge said vanes into the closed position.

8. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said casing defines a channel with said shape memory alloy member disposed within said channel.

9. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator mechanism includes a printed circuit board assembly including at least one wire connecting said printed circuit board assembly to said shape memory alloy member and a microcontroller configured for controlling said shape memory alloy member.

10. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a potentiometer coupled to said microcontroller and configured for sensing a position of said vanes.

11. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 10 further comprising an electronic overload protection system, wherein said microcontroller is operable to control said electronic overload protection system.

12. A vent assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of vanes includes as first edge coupled to said housing and a second edge parallel to and spaced from said first edge, and wherein said vent assembly further comprises a linkage interconnecting each of said plurality of vanes adjacent said second edge.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a wall;

a hatch cooperating with said wall to define an interior space;

a vent assembly attached to said wall and including a plurality of vanes configured for selectively opening and closing fluid communication between said interior space and an exterior;

a sensor system configured for sensing one of an open position and a closed position of said hatch; and

a vehicle controller configured for signaling said vent assembly to open fluid communication between said interior space and the exterior in response to said sensor system sensing movement of said hatch into said closed position to permit air within said interior space to exit said interior space.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13 wherein said vent assembly includes a transmission coupled to a plurality of vanes for transmitting rotation to said plurality of vanes, and further includes a shape memory alloy member coupled to said transmission and configured for actuating said transmission in response to an electrical signal.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 14 wherein said shape memory alloy member contracts in response to heat generated by the electrical signal to move said plurality of vanes into an open position permitting fluid flow between said interior space and the exterior.

16. A method of operating a hatch on a vehicle defining an interior space and including a vent assembly moveable between an open position and a closed position, with the open position permitting fluid flow into and out of the interior space of the vehicle and the closed position preventing fluid flow into and out of the interior space of the vehicle, the method comprising:

opening the hatch;

automatically signaling the vent assembly to move into the open position in response to the opening of the hatch;

closing the hatch; and

automatically signaling the vent assembly to move into the closed position in response to the closing of the hatch.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the vent assembly includes a shape memory alloy member and signaling the vent assembly to move into the open position includes heating the shape memory alloy member to contract the shape memory alloy member and move the vent assembly into the open position.

18. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the vent assembly includes a shape memory alloy member and signaling the vent assembly to move into the closed position includes cooling the shape memory alloy member to elongate the shape memory alloy member and move the vent assembly into the closed position.

19. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising sensing a position of the plurality of vanes.

20. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising signaling the vent assembly to move into the closed position in response to the hatch being positioned in the open position for a pre-determined period of time.