VEHICLE VENT VALVE ASSEMBLY

• US 20120003907A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Carlson, Daniel D., Andrews, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,410,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00835 Damper doors, e.g. position control construction or arrangement of damper doors B60H1/00664; B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/248 Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/465 to the valve seats
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/03 with a hinged closure member or with a pivoted closure member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 24/04 for venting only F16K24/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle vent valve assembly (30) is provided to prevent excessive air pressure in a passenger compartment (52) of a vehicle (36). The vent valve assembly (30) includes a vent valve (32) which is movable between a closed condition blocking fluid (air) flow from a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an open condition. An actuator assembly (34) is provided to operate the vent valve (32) from the closed condition to the open condition. The vent valve (32) is urged toward the closed condition by a closing spring (112). A damper (132) is connected with the vent valve (32) to delay closing of the vent valve. A force transmitting member (64) in the actuator assembly (34) is connected with the vent valve (32) by a slide connection (94) that enables relative movement to occur between the vent valve and the force transmitting member.

Claims

1. An apparatus which prevents objectionable increases in air pressure in a passenger compartment of a vehicle upon closing of a door of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a vent valve which is movable between a closed condition blocking air flow through a vent opening and an open condition enabling air to flow through the vent opening;

a door position sensor assembly which is operable from a first condition to a second condition in response to movement of the door of the vehicle from a closed position to an open position, said door position sensor assembly being operable from the second condition to the first condition in response to movement of the door of the vehicle from the open position to the closed position; and

an actuator assembly which is connected with said door position sensor assembly and said vent valve, said actuator assembly being operable to operate said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition, said actuator assembly being operable to release said vent valve for movement from the open condition to the closed condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the second condition to the first condition.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said door position sensor includes a plunger having a first position when the door is in the closed position and a second position when the door is in the open position and a spring biasing said plunger toward the second position.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said plunger engages the door when the door is in the closed position.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator assembly includes a force transmitting member connected with said vent valve, said force transmitting member moving from a first position to a second position upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition, said force transmitting member moving said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition when said force transmitting member moves from the first position to the second position.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein a first end section of said force transmitting member extends into a slot in said vent valve to provide a slide connection with said vent valve.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein a first spring urges said force transmitting member to move said vent valve to the open condition.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein a second spring urges said vent valve toward the closed condition.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said first spring urges a plunger of said door position sensor assembly toward a first condition.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein a solenoid moves said force transmitting member from the first position to the second position to move said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said door position sensor assembly includes a switch that closes upon movement of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said force transmitting member includes first and second portions pivotally connected to each other.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including a damper which delays movement of said vent valve from the open condition to the closed condition for a period of time sufficient to enable air to be conducted from the passenger compartment of the vehicle after the vehicle door has closed.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said damper includes first and second portions movable relative to each other, said first portion being connected with a base and said second portion being connected with said vent valve, said second portion moving with said vent valve relative to said first portion and said base during movement of said vent valve relative to said base.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein a friction member engages said first and second portions of said damper to resist relative movement between said first and second portions.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first portion extends into an opening in said second portion, said first and second portions being coaxial and rotating relative to each other when said vent valve moves between the closed condition and the open condition.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said first and second portions are coaxial with a hinge of said vent valve.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein an O-ring engages said first and second portions to resist relative rotation between said first and second portions.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first portion is a shaft rotatable with said vent valve relative to said base, said second portion extending from said base into engagement with said shaft.

19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said vent valve and a base includes a magnet and the other of said vent valve and said base includes a magnetic material, said magnet applying a magnetic force to said magnetic material to move said vent valve relative to said base toward the closed condition.

20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a spring urges said vent valve toward the closed condition, said spring having a first portion engaging the vent valve and a second portion engaging a base.

21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said spring is a leaf spring.

22. An apparatus as set forth in claim 21 wherein said vent valve has pins extending through openings in the leaf spring.

23. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said first portion of said spring extends into a recess in said vent valve.

24. An apparatus which prevents objectionable increases in air pressure in a passenger compartment of a vehicle upon closing of a door of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a vent valve which is movable between a closed condition blocking air flow through a vent opening and an open condition enabling air to flow through the vent opening; and

a damper which delays movement of said vent valve from the open condition to the closed condition for a period of time sufficient to enable air to be conducted from the passenger compartment of the vehicle after the vehicle door has closed.

25. An apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said damper includes first and second portions movable relative to each other,

26. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said first portion is connected with a base and said second portion is connected with said vent valve, said second portion moving with said vent valve relative to said first portion and said base during movement of said vent valve relative to said base.

27. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein a friction member engages said first and second portions of said damper to resist relative movement between said first and second portions.

28. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said first portion extends into an opening in said second portion, said first and second portions being coaxial and rotating relative to each other when said vent valve moves between the closed condition and the open condition.

29. An apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein said first and second portions are coaxial with a hinge of said vent valve.

30. An apparatus as set forth in claim 28 wherein an O-ring engages said first and second portions to resist relative rotation between said first and second portions.

31. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein said first portion is a shaft rotatable with said vent valve relative to said base, said second portion extending from said base into engagement with said shaft.

32. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25 wherein a door position sensor assembly is operable from a first condition to a second condition in response to movement of the door of the vehicle from a closed position to an open position, said door position sensor assembly being operable from the second condition to the first condition in response to movement of the door of the vehicle from the open position to the closed position;

and

an actuator assembly being connected with said door position sensor assembly and said vent valve, said actuator assembly being operable to operate said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition, said actuator assembly being operable to release said vent valve for movement from the open condition to the closed condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the second condition to the first condition, said actuator assembly including a force transmitting member connected with said vent valve, said force transmitting member moving from a first position to a second position upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition, said force transmitting member moving said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition when said force transmitting member moves from the first position to the second position.

33. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein a first end section of said force transmitting member extends into a slot in said vent valve to provide a slide connection with said vent valve.

34. An apparatus as set forth in claim 33 wherein a first spring urges said force transmitting member to move said vent valve to the open condition.

35. An apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein a second spring urges said vent valve toward the closed condition.

36. An apparatus as set forth in claim 34 wherein said first spring urges a plunger of the door position sensor assembly toward a first condition.

37. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein a solenoid moves said force transmitting member from the first position to the second position to move said vent valve from the closed condition to the open condition upon operation of said door position sensor assembly from the first condition to the second condition.

38. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said force transmitting member includes first and second portions pivotally connected to each other.

39. An apparatus as set forth in claim 32 wherein said door position sensor includes a plunger having a first position when the door is in the closed position and having a second position when the door is in the open position and a spring biasing said plunger toward the second position.

40. An apparatus as set forth in claim 39 wherein said plunger engages the door when the door is in the closed position.

41. An apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein one of said vent valve and a base includes a magnet and the other of said vent valve and said base includes a magnetic material, said magnet applying a magnetic force to said magnetic material to move said vent valve toward the closed condition relative to said base.

42. An apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein a spring urges said vent valve toward the closed condition, said spring having a first portion engaging said vent valve and a second portion engaging a base.

43. An apparatus as set forth in claim 42 wherein said spring is a leaf spring.

44. An apparatus as set forth in claim 43 wherein said vent valve has pins extending through openings in the leaf spring.

45. An apparatus as set forth in claim 42 wherein said first portion of said spring extends into a recess in the vent valve.