PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE LINKED FOR MOVEMENT WITH DOOR PROTECTOR

• US 20190178402A1
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Published: 06/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kena, Mukdam, McElroy, Michael Murphy
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/243 located in the lateral area (e.g. doors, pillars)
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/248 Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0243 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/043 Door edge guards
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/02 for providing ventilation, e.g. through double windows; Arrangement of ventilation roses airflow control members per se F24F13/08

Abstract

A system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a door having interior and exterior sides, at least one inlet in the interior side, at least one outlet in the exterior side, and a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door. At least one pressure relief valve is in communication with the inlet and outlet, and is mechanically linked for movement with the protector. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, mechanically linking at least one pressure relief valve for movement with the protector such that the pressure relief valve opens in response to the door beginning to open.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a door having interior and exterior sides;

at least one inlet in the interior side and at least one outlet in the exterior side;

a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door; and

at least one pressure relief valve in communication with the inlet and outlet, and being mechanically linked for movement with the protector.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve is closed when the protector is non-deployed and is opened when the protector is deployed to allow air to flow from the inlet to the outlet.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the door protector mechanism automatically deploys the protector to cover an outer door edge in response to the door being opened.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the door protector mechanism returns the protector to a non-deployed position as the door is closed.

5. The system according to claim 2, including a mechanical connection that couples the door protector mechanism to the pressure relief valve.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the mechanical connection comprises a cable or lever.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inlet comprises at least one louver or vent hole located in door trim on the interior side.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the door protector mechanism comprises a mechanical drive that includes a cable that is actuated when the door is opened to deploy the protector to cover an outer edge of the door.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the pressure relief valve is coupled for movement with the cable to open the pressure relief valve as the door is opened.

10. The system according to claim 9, including a damping assembly to control closing movement of pressure relief valve as the door closes such that air can be exhausted via the outlet before the pressure relief valve closes.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the pressure relief valve comprises a first pressure relief valve and including at least one second pressure relief valve associated with the outlet, and wherein the second pressure relief valve is mechanically coupled to the first pressure relief valve.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pressure relief valve comprises at least a first pressure relief valve associated with the inlet and a second pressure relief valve associated with the outlet, the first and second pressure relief valves being mechanically linked for movement together between open and closed positions.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the inlet comprises a louver or hole located in an inner door trim panel.

14. A method, comprising:

providing a door having interior and exterior sides, a door protector mechanism to move a protector relative to the door, and at least one inlet in the interior side and at least one outlet in the exterior side; and

mechanically linking at least one pressure relief valve for movement with the protector such that the pressure relief valve opens in response to the door beginning to open.

15. The method according to claim 14, including automatically deploying the protector via the door protector mechanism in response to the door being opened which correspondingly opens the pressure relief valve to allow air to flow from the inlet to the outlet.

16. The method according to claim 15, including moving the protector to a non-deployed position via the door protector mechanism once the door is closed resulting in the pressure relief valve returning to a closed position.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the door protector mechanism comprises a mechanical drive that includes a cable, and including actuating the cable when the door is opened to deploy the protector to cover an outer edge of the door, and coupling the pressure relief valve for movement with the cable to open the pressure relief valve as the door is opened.

18. The system according to claim 17, including controlling closing movement of pressure relief valve with a damping assembly as the door closes such that air can be exhausted via the outlet before the pressure relief valve closes.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one pressure relief valve comprises at least a first pressure relief valve and a second pressure relief valve, and including associating the first pressure relief valve with the inlet and associating the second pressure relief valve with the outlet.

20. The method according to claim 19, mechanically linking the first and second pressure relief valves for movement together between open and closed positions.