ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM FOR AN AIR VENT

• US 20200130475A1
• Filed: 09/13/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: KULICKI, Piotr
• Granted Patent: US 11,325,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3421 using only pivoting shutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3471 Details of actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/1446 with gearings

Abstract

An adjustment mechanism (7) for an air vent (5), which adjustment mechanism is adapted to guide an air stream flowing through the air vent. The adjustment mechanism comprises one or more adjustable first vanes (17) having a main extension in a first direction (D₁), one or more adjustable second vanes (19) having a main extension in a second direction (D₂) being angled to the first direction, a shaft (23) extending in the first direction and being rotatable around its length axis, a slider (47) being movably attached to the shaft, such that the slider is able to slide along the shaft in the first direction, and a rack (45), extending in parallel to the shaft and a pinion (41), rigidly connected to one of the second vanes and configured to cooperate with the rack.

Claims

1. An adjustment mechanism for an air vent, which adjustment mechanism is adapted to guide an air stream flowing through said air vent, said adjustment mechanism comprising

one or more adjustable first vanes having a main extension in a first direction (D₁),

one or more adjustable second vanes having a main extension in a second direction (D₂) being angled to said first direction (D₁),

a shaft extending in said first direction (D₁) and being rotatable around its length axis (A₃),

a slider being movably attached to said shaft, such that said slider is able to slide along said shaft in said first direction (D₁),

a rack, extending in parallel to said shaft,

a pinion, rigidly connected to one of said second vanes and configured to cooperate with said rack,

wherein said shaft is mechanically coupled by at least one first connection to said one or more first vanes, such that a rotation of said shaft is transferred to an adjustment of said one or more first vanes, and said slider is adapted to cooperate with said rack, such that a sliding movement of said slider along said shaft displaces said rack, which displacement is transferred to an adjustment of said one or more second vanes by means of said pinion being adapted to cooperate with said rack.

2. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said slider is configured to rotate together with said shaft, said slider being freely rotatable relative to said rack.

3. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first connection mechanically coupling said shaft to said one or more first vanes comprises or is constituted by a geared connection.

4. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first connection is located at or adjacent to an end of said shaft, a first connection being located at each end of said shaft.

5. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said one or more first vanes has a respective first rotation axis (A₁) extending in said first direction (D₁), said one or more first vanes being adjustable by being rotatable around said first rotation axis (A₁).

6. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said one or more second vanes has a respective second rotation axis (A₂) extending in said second direction (D₂), said one or more second vanes being adjustable by being rotatable around said second rotation axis (A₂).

7. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein one of said rack and said slider comprises an indentation, and the other of said rack and said slider comprises a first protrusion adapted to fit in said indentation, said indentation being open in said second direction (D₂) to allow said slider to freely rotate with said shaft without interfering with said rack, said indentation having a delimitation wall in said first direction (D₁), such that a sliding movement of said slider along said shaft displaces said rack correspondingly by said first protrusion transferring said displacement to said delimitation wall.

8. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein one of said slider and said shaft comprises a second protrusion and the other of said slider and said shaft comprises a groove extending in said first direction (D₁), said second protrusion being located at least partly in said groove.

9. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said adjustment mechanism further comprises an air adjustment actuator connected to or integrated with said slider.

10. The adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said one or more second vanes comprises a first vane portion at least partly located at a first side of said one or more first vanes and a second vane portion located at a second opposite side of said one or more first vanes.

11. An air vent comprising

an adjustment mechanism of claim 1,

an elongate housing having a length in said first direction (D₁) of said adjustment mechanism, wherein said housing encloses said one or more first vanes and said one or more second vanes, said slider being directly or indirectly accessible from an outside of said housing.

12. The air vent of claim 11, further comprising

an air guide, at least partly located within said housing, fixedly positioned in relation to said housing and extending in said first direction (D₁), preferably said air guide being located downstream of said one or more first vanes and said one or more second vanes as seen in a flow direction of said air stream being guided through said air vent.

13. The air vent of claim 12, wherein said shaft and/or rack of said adjustment mechanism is/are located within said air guide.

14. The air vent of claim 12, wherein, when said adjustment mechanism comprises an air adjustment actuator connected to or integrated with said slider, said slider and said air adjustment actuator being displaceable in relation to said air guide, said air adjustment actuator protruding above or below said air guide.

15. The air vent of claim 11, wherein said one or more first vanes and one or more second vanes are located in a common chamber within said housing, preferably such that a first vane portion of one or more second vanes is at least partly located at a first side of said one or more first vanes and a second vane portion of said one or more second vanes is located at a second opposite side of said one or more first vanes.