VEHICLE VENT POSITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20170120723A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SURA, Bhargav, LYON, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00871 Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3421 using only pivoting shutters

Abstract

A vehicle vent positioning apparatus includes a motion sensor, a blower of an HVAC system, a vent assembly, a positioning device and a controller. The motion sensor detects changes in direction of movement of a vehicle. The blower moves air into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The vent assembly is installed within the vehicle to direct airflow from the blower into a passenger compartment. The vent assembly includes at least one vane positionable to aim airflow into the passenger compartment in differing airflow directions. The positioning device is connected to the vane. The controller is configured to operate the positioning device to re-position the vane from aiming the airflow in a first airflow direction to aiming the airflow in a second airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle is changing direction of movement.

Claims

1. A vehicle vent positioning apparatus comprising:

a motion sensor installed to a vehicle and detecting changes in direction of movement of the vehicle;

a blower of an HVAC system within the vehicle operable to move air into a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

at least one vent assembly installed within the vehicle to direct airflow from the blower into a passenger compartment, the vent assembly including at least one vane positionable to aim airflow moving through the vent and into the passenger compartment in a plurality of differing airflow directions

a positioning device connected to the vane; and

a controller connected to the motion sensor and the positioning device, the controller being configured to operate the positioning device to re-position the vane from aiming the airflow in a first airflow direction to aiming the airflow in a second airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle is changing direction of movement.

2. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to operate the positioning device to re-position the vane aiming airflow in the second airflow direction to aiming airflow in the first airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle has completed changing direction of movement.

3. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a speed sensor installed to the vehicle detecting speed of movement of the vehicle, the controller being connected to the speed sensor, and

the controller being configured to prevent operation of the positioning device in response to determining that the speed of movement of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed during changing direction of movement and enable operation of the positioning device in response to determining that the speed of movement of the vehicle is above a predetermined value during changing direction of movement.

4. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vane of the vent assembly comprises a plurality of vanes coupled to one another for synchronized movement.

5. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the plurality of vanes are vertically oriented and are parallel to one another, each of the plurality of vanes being pivotal about a corresponding vertically extending axis.

6. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a second vent assembly installed within the vehicle to direct airflow from the blower into a passenger compartment, the second vent assembly including a plurality of second vanes coupled to one another for synchronized movement such that the plurality of second vanes are positionable to aim airflow moving into the passenger compartment in a plurality of differing airflow directions; and

a second positioning device connected to the plurality of vanes, and

the controller being connected to the second positioning device and being further configured to operate the second positioning device to re-position the plurality of second vanes aiming the airflow in a third airflow direction to aiming the airflow in a fourth airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle is changing direction of movement.

7. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second vent assembly installed within the vehicle to direct airflow from the blower into a passenger compartment, the second vent assembly including a second vane positionable to aim airflow moving into the passenger compartment in a plurality of differing airflow directions; and

a second positioning device connected to the second vane, and

the controller being connected to the second positioning device and being further configured to operate the second positioning device to re-position the second vane aiming the airflow in a third airflow direction to aiming the airflow in a fourth airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle is changing direction of movement.

8. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the controller is further configured to operate the second positioning device to re-position the second vane from aiming airflow in the fourth airflow direction to aiming airflow in the third airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle has completed changing direction of movement.

9. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one vent assembly includes a friction connecting device operably disposed between the vane and the positioning device such that the vane can be manually re-positioned independent of operation of the positioning device in response to sufficient force being applied by a vehicle passenger to the vane to overcome a predetermined level of friction generated within the friction connecting device.

10. The vehicle vent positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the motion sensor detecting changes in direction of movement of the vehicle include detecting that the vehicle is making a right turn and detecting that the vehicle is making a left turn.

11. A method for positioning vehicle vent vanes, comprising:

blowing air into a passenger compartment of a vehicle through at least one vent assembly having a vane moveable to aim air flowing therethrough in any of a plurality of airflow directions into the passenger compartment;

detecting changes in direction of movement of the vehicle via a motion sensor; and

operating a positioning device to move the vane from a first orientation to a second orientation in response to determining that changes in direction of the vehicle includes turning of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising

moving the vane from the second orientation back to the first orientation in response to determining that the turning of the vehicle is completed.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein

detecting the speed of the vehicle and preventing operation of the positioning device in response to determining that the speed of movement of the vehicle is below a predetermined speed during changing direction of movement and

enabling operation of the positioning device in response to determining that the speed of movement of the vehicle is above a predetermined value during changing direction of movement.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the operating the positioning device includes pivoting the vane about corresponding vertically extending axes.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the operating the positioning device includes synchronously pivoting a plurality of vanes about corresponding vertically extending axes.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein

the detecting changes in direction of movement of the vehicle include detecting the vehicle making a right turn and detecting the vehicle making a left turn.