Motor vehicle vents

Abstract

The invention relates to an air vent (5) for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (7) delimiting an air-guiding channel and a plurality of thin plates (10) provided with bearing pins (12, 14) at their ends, the thin plates (10) being thus pivotably attached to the housing (7), wherein the thin plates (10) are mounted on opposite sides by means of a respective radial bearing (28, 40) and on only one side by means of a respective axial bearing (16).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of May 3, 2017, the international application number of PCT / IB2017 / 000502, the national application number of 201780037401.6, and the invention name of "Ventilation Hole of Motor Vehicle".

[0002] The invention relates to an air vent for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing defining an air guide channel and a plurality of thin plates provided with bearing pins at their ends so that the thin plates can be pivotally attached to the housing.

[0003] Air from a motor vehicle's air conditioning unit flows into the vehicle's interior through vents. The air conditioning unit is used to heat the air and, in the case of a climate control system, also to cool it. Furthermore, the air flow can be controlled by a fan. The vents themselves are typically used to adjust the direction of air flow into the vehicle's interior. Therefore, the thin plates can be pivoted to direct the air flow, for example, upward or downward.

[0004] The fundamental issue with this type of vent is the mounting of the plate. First, the plate must be easily pivotable. Second, it must prevent the plate from automatically adjusting in an undesirable manner. These often conflicting requirements must also be met over a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels and over a very long service life. Finally, it must prevent chattering noises.

[0005] Various attachments for mounting thin panels are known from the prior art. For example, the bearing pin of a thin panel can be mounted in an omega-shaped spring clip. The elasticity of the spring clip prevents undesirable automatic adjustment of the thin panel and prevents the thin panel from vibrating. However, possible non-roundness of the bearing pin causes significant fluctuations in the actuation force of the thin panel within the pivoting range.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to develop a vent of the type described above so that the requirements for installing the lamellae can be met in an improved manner.

[0007] To achieve this, according to the invention, in a vent of the type described above, the thin plate is provided so as to be mounted on opposite sides by means of a respective radial bearing and on only one side by means of a respective axial bearing. The invention is based on the basic idea of ​​receiving the thin plate in a "conventional" manner in the housing by means of a three-point bearing, thereby eliminating the need for complex spring elements, etc. The three-point bearing allows the best possible compensation of commonly occurring tolerances, so that they have no influence on the force required to pivot the thin plate.

[0008] Preferably, the axial bearing is designed independently of the radial bearing on the corresponding side. This creates space for optimally adapting each bearing to the respective requirements independently of the other bearing.

[0009] Preferably, the axial bearing comprises a fork which surrounds the bearing pin assigned thereto with radial play, wherein the bearing pin is provided with at least one axial bearing surface arranged on one side of the fork. This design ensures that the installation on one side of the axial bearing does not exceed the prescribed limit.

[0010] Axial bearing surfaces may also be provided on both sides of the fork.

[0011] Preferably, the fork comprises an insertion chamfer. This simplifies the insertion of the bearing pin in the fork when the plate is mounted in the housing.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the axial bearings are combined to form an axial bearing strip. This results in a compact design of the housing and a support of the axial bearings relative to one another, resulting in greater strength.

[0013] The axial bearing is preferably formed integrally with the housing, thereby avoiding the cost of a separate installation.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the radial bearing is designed as a circular opening, preferably closed in the circumferential direction, in which the corresponding bearing pin engages. This has the advantage that the actuation force of the lamella remains approximately constant over the pivoting range even if the bearing pin is slightly non-round; this represents a significant advantage over omega-shaped spring clips, in which the actuation force of the lamella depends very significantly on how the non-round cross section of the bearing pin is oriented relative to the slot of the spring clip.

[0015] The radial bearing is preferably attached to the housing so as to be elastically deflectable in the axial direction. With this design, the plate can be retrospectively installed in a radial bearing already present on the housing.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the radial bearings on one side are combined to form a radial bearing strip. Thus, in the same way as for the axial bearing, a more stable design is produced overall.

[0017] Preferably, the radial bearing is formed integrally with the housing.The housing can be, for example, an injection-moulded component made of plastic, wherein no bearings need to be retrospectively mounted.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the radial bearing is designed to be convex toward the side. This results in the desired offset relative to the axial bearing. In addition, when the thin plate is installed in the housing, the radial bearing arranged to be convex can easily deflect in a resilient manner.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, a slot is provided between the housing and the radial bearing. The slot ensures that the radial bearing can be axially deflected in a desired manner when the thin plate is mounted in the housing.

[0020] In order to facilitate the clamping of the bearing pin in the housing, a clamping chamfer can in each case be assigned to the radial bearing.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, each lamella is provided with a positioning surface. This serves to orient the lamella in the mounting device in a suitable manner.

[0022] The plates are preferably connected together by connecting rods, which support the plates axially relative to one another. In this case, the connecting rods have a dual function: first, they ensure that all plates pivot synchronously with one another. Second, they ensure that the plates have no axial play; thus, chattering noises are avoided.

[0023] The coupling rod can be extended in a C-shaped manner, i.e., bent in only one direction. This design allows for a very reliable adjustment of the axial support of the sheets relative to one another. The coupling rod can also be supported in a zigzag manner, i.e., along a path with multiple turns.

[0024] Preferably, the coupling rod for at least two thin plates is provided with an omega-shaped opening, in which the coupling pin engages. This facilitates installation because the coupling rod can be pushed onto the coupling pin in a radial direction.

[0025] Particularly preferably, the coupling pin includes a portion with a smaller diameter, a portion with a larger diameter, and a conical portion located therebetween. The portion with the smaller diameter allows the Ω-shaped opening to be pushed onto the coupling pin. The coupling rod can then be displaced axially to reach the portion with the larger diameter. This allows the coupling rod to be received on the coupling pin without vibration.

[0026] The invention is described below with reference to two embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] - Figure 1 A perspective view of the vent of the present invention according to a first embodiment is shown;

[0028] - Figure 2 The side of the thin plate on which the axial bearing is arranged is shown in a broken perspective view;

[0029] - Figure 3 The plate mounted in the housing on the side where the axial bearing is arranged is shown in an enlarged perspective view;

[0030] - Figure 4 showing, in enlarged perspective view, the opposite side of the sheet mounted in the housing;

[0031] - Figure 5 The back side of the sheet is shown in a broken away perspective view with the coupling rods attached thereto;

[0032] - Figure 6 Schematically showing the installation of the sheet in the housing of the vent;

[0033] - Figure 7 In with Figure 5 The back side of the thin plate according to the second embodiment is shown in a viewing direction opposite to the viewing direction of FIG. 1 , with the coupling rod attached thereto;

[0034] - Figure 8 To correspond to Figure 5 The view shows a thin plate of the second embodiment;

[0035] - Figure 9 A detail of a second embodiment is shown in a first perspective view;

[0036] - Figure 10 Shown in a second perspective view Figure 9 details.

[0037] exist Figure 1 In FIG, the air vent 5 according to the first embodiment can be seen, which has a housing 7, shown in this case broken away, in which an air guide channel is defined. The air introduced into the interior of the motor vehicle can flow through the channel in the direction of the arrow P.

[0038] The vent 5 is provided with a plurality of thin plates 10 arranged substantially parallel to each other. Each thin plate 10 is pivotally mounted in the housing 7 so that it can pivot between different positions (see Figure 1 Arrow S in the figure).

[0039] In principle, in a manner known per se, the vent 5 can also include further lamellae in addition to the lamellae 10 in order to be able to adjust the direction of the air flow emerging from the vent 5. Furthermore, the vent 5 can also be provided with flaps, so that the free flow cross section can be adjusted. All of this is not further relevant here and is therefore not described further.

[0040] The plate 10 is elongated and has a respective bearing pin 12, 14 at opposite ends (see also Figure 3 and Figure 4 ). The bearing pins 12 , 14 together define a pivot axis, about which the corresponding plate 10 is pivotably mounted in the housing 7 .

[0041] The thin plates 10 are mounted in the housing 7 by a combination of fixed and floating bearings. In this case, for each thin plate 10, radial and axial bearings are used on the bearing pin 12 side, while only one radial bearing is used on the bearing pin 14 side, without an axial bearing.

[0042] In the exemplary embodiment shown, all axial bearings are arranged on the same side of the ventilation hole. However, this is not technically necessary; the axial bearings can also be arranged on different sides of the ventilation hole. It is technically important only that only one axial bearing is provided for each thin plate.

[0043] The axial bearing has a fork 16, wherein the fork 16 is formed by a recess in the axial bearing strip 18 (see in particular Figure 2 and Figure 3 ). An axial bearing portion 20 of the bearing pin 12 is located within the fork 16, which is delimited on both sides by axial bearing surfaces 22, 24. These surfaces are located opposite each other at a distance in the axial direction, wherein the distance has a minimum width that is wider than the width of the fork 16.

[0044] The fork formed in the axial bearing strip 18 is provided with two insertion chamfers 25 on its outwardly facing side (see Figure 3 ).

[0045] The recess delimiting the fork 16 in the axial bearing strip 18 is slightly wider than the diameter of the axial bearing portion 20 of the bearing pin 12 , so that in the normal state no contact is made between the circumferential surface of the axial bearing portion 20 and the fork 16 of the axial bearing.

[0046] The radial bearing is formed on the side of the bearing pin 12 by a radial bearing portion 26 having a cylindrical outer contour. The radial bearing portion 26 engages in a radial bearing opening 28, which also has a circular cross section. The diameters of the radial bearing portion 26 and the radial bearing opening 28 are adapted to each other so that a bearing without play is provided.

[0047] The radial bearing opening 28 is formed in a radial bearing strip 30 which is attached to the housing 7 of the vent 5 and projects towards said side.

[0048] like Figure 3 It can be seen in particular that the radial bearing opening 28 is assigned a clamping chamfer 34 which is arranged on the same side as the insertion chamfer 25 of the axial bearing.

[0049] On the side of the bearing pin 14 , a radial bearing is also provided by a radial bearing opening, in this case denoted by reference numeral 40 . In this case, the radial bearing opening 40 is formed directly in a transverse housing wall 42 of the housing 7 .

[0050] In this case, the slot 43 (see Figure 1 ) are provided on the upper and lower edges of the housing wall 42 , said slots allowing the housing wall 42 to be elastically deflected slightly outwards (ie away from the sheet metal 10 ) in the region of the radial bearing opening 40 .

[0051] In the same manner as on the side of the bearing pin 12 , the radial bearing opening 40 is also assigned a clamping chamfer (in this case, designated by the reference numeral 44 ).

[0052] The thin plates 10 are connected together by connecting rods 50 (see Figure 3 and Figure 5 ). The coupling rod 50 consists of metal so that its elastic prestressing is maintained over a long service life and independently of the prevailing temperature and humidity, respectively.

[0053] The coupling rod 50 is connected to each of the thin plates 10 by a coupling pin 52. The coupling pins 52 are oriented in opposite directions so that the thin plates can be supported relative to each other in the axial direction by the coupling rod 50.

[0054] Therefore, in the initial state, the coupling rod is planar. The coupling pins of the different thin plates are arranged slightly offset relative to each other in the axial direction. When the coupling rod 50 is mounted on the coupling pin 52 and the thin plates 10 are oriented axially relative to each other, the coupling rod 50 elastically deforms relative to the initial shape, thereby achieving axial prestressing of the thin plates 10 relative to their axial bearings.

[0055] In order to mount the sheet 10 in the housing 7 of the vent, the sheet can be arranged in a mounting device 60 (see in particular Figure 6 In this condition, the positioning surface 62 can remain correctly oriented, said positioning surface being arranged on a shoulder portion 64 which projects radially between the axial bearing portion 20 and the radial bearing portion 26 of the bearing pin 12 .

[0056] As in Figure 5 As can be seen in the figure, the positioning surfaces 62 are oriented differently. This ensures that only the "correct" sheets can be installed with respect to the axial prestressing. Thus, the uppermost sheet 10 and the lowermost sheet 10 are "coded" in the same manner, but this coding differs from the coding of the second sheet above and below; in this case, the other sheets must be inserted with respect to the axial prestressing. The central sheet 10, in turn, is coded differently from the two upper and lower sheets because, in this case, the coupling pin 52 is used in a different axial position than in the other sheets.

[0057] When the thin plates of the vent have different lengths, coding is also advantageous. In this case, in addition to ensuring the correct positioning for the pretensioning of the coupling rod, the correct position in the vent is also ensured by coding.

[0058] like Figure 6As shown, the housing can be positioned linearly on the plate 10 in the mounting direction M, so that the radial bearing strip 30 and the housing wall 42 flex in the axial direction due to the clamping chamfers 34, 44 and snap back elastically when the bearing pins 12, 14 engage in the radial bearing openings 28, 40. In this state, the axial bearing portion 20 of the bearing pin 12 is automatically introduced into the fork of the axial bearing strip 18 by the insertion chamfer 25. In this state, the axial elasticity of the radial bearing is promoted by the protruding attachment of the radial bearing strip 30 on the housing 7 and the slot 43 on one side of the housing wall 42.

[0059] Alternatively, the housing 7, initially slightly tilted with its radial bearing opening 40, can be provided so as to be fed onto the bearing pin 14 and subsequently pushed down onto the bearing pin 12 on its opposite side so that said bearing pin snaps into the radial bearing opening 28. In this case, the slot 43 in the housing 7 can be omitted.

[0060] The disclosed vent and the installation of the thin plate 10 in the housing 7 of the vent result in a whole series of advantages.

[0061] First, the radial bearing openings 28, 40 can be manufactured with extremely small tolerances and high roundness, since only the pins have to be deformed. Even if one of the bearing pins 12, 14 is slightly out of round, this will not result in a change in the actuation force of the plate within the pivoting range.

[0062] Since the axial bearing is provided only on one side, longitudinal tolerances of the sheet metal 10, dimensional tolerances of the housing 7 (due to shape changes during the injection molding process or during installation in the instrument panel) or thermal expansion do not result in the sheet metal 10 being supported in the housing in the axial direction; Figure 4 As can be clearly seen in FIG, the bearing pin 14 engages with axial play in the radial bearing opening 40 so that any longitudinal differences can be easily compensated without this affecting the actuating forces.

[0063] Since the friction ratios in the radial and axial bearings can be set very precisely at relatively low cost, no expensive friction partners or lubricants are required.

[0064] As in Figure 3 As can be seen, in particular, the coupling rod 50 seen in the axial direction is arranged near the axial bearing. Therefore, any tolerances have a relatively small effect on the friction in the axial bearing that arises from supporting the thin plates 10 relative to each other via the coupling rod.

[0065] The fork of the axial bearing protects the bearing pin 12 in the radial bearing area from excessive loads that might otherwise occur if the plate 10 is centrally loaded with high radial forces (e.g., when an operator pushes against the plate with a high degree of force). In this situation, the plate 10 deflects, and the axial bearing portion 20 is supported on the side of the fork 16 of the axial bearing strip 18 opposite the axial bearing portion. Consequently, the radial bearing portion 26 of the bearing pin 12 can be designed with a relatively small cross-section.

[0066] On the side of the bearing pin 14, the housing wall 42 is designed to be thin enough so that it can be slightly twisted in the region of the radial bearing opening 40, so that the center axis of the radial bearing opening 40 follows the path of the bearing pin 14 when the sheet metal 10 is significantly deformed. This also prevents excessive loads from acting on the bearing pin 14.

[0067] exist Figures 7 to 10 , the coupling between the coupling rod 50 and the sheet 10 of the vent according to the second embodiment is shown in detail. For the components known from the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and, in this regard, reference is made to the above description.

[0068] In the second embodiment, the coupling rod 50 has an omega-shaped opening 70 for each coupling pin 52. Thus, the coupling pin 52 has a portion 71 with a smaller diameter corresponding to the omega-shaped opening on the coupling rod 50, and a portion 72 with a larger diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the omega-shaped opening. A cone 73 is provided between the two portions 71, 72.

[0069] In principle, unlike the embodiment shown, the Ω-shaped opening 70 can also be used for coupling to only two of the lamellae, and the U-shaped opening for coupling to the remaining lamellae.

[0070] During installation, the thin plate is inserted into the mounting device 60, and the coupling rod 50 is pushed in a certain direction onto the portion 71 having a smaller diameter. In this state, the coupling rod 50 slides onto the portion 71 having a smaller diameter, with its Ω opening 74. With the coupling rod 50 supported by the thin plate 10, the coupling rod 50 slides over the cone 73 onto the portion 72 having a larger diameter. Thus, the coupling rod 50 is guided in a captive manner without vibration.

Claims

1. An air vent for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing defining an air guide passage, a plurality of thin plates, each thin plate having a first end and a second end opposite each other and provided with a bearing pin, the bearing pin pivotally attaching the thin plate to the housing, wherein each thin plate is mounted at its first end by arranging the bearing pin at its first end in both a radial bearing opening and an axial bearing fork, wherein each thin plate is mounted at its second end by arranging the bearing pin at its second end in the radial bearing opening but not in any axial bearing fork, wherein the axial bearing fork is formed in an axial bearing liner; in, For each radial bearing opening and axial bearing fork at each first end, the axial bearing fork is designed to be separate from the radial bearing opening and axially spaced from the radial bearing opening; as well as Each axial bearing fork thereby surrounds the bearing pin assigned thereto with radial play.

2. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein each thin plate has opposite first and second ends provided with the bearing pin, the bearing pin pivotally attaching the thin plate to the housing for pivoting about the pivot axis, wherein each thin plate is mounted at its first end by arranging the bearing pin at its first end in both the radial bearing opening for limiting radial movement of the bearing pin at its first end relative to the pivot axis and the axial bearing fork for limiting axial movement of the bearing pin at its first end along the pivot axis, in, each lamella being provided with a locating surface oriented to interact with a mounting means to ensure correct placement of the lamella in the housing, and wherein the positioning surface of a first one of the thin plates is oriented differently from the positioning surface of a second one of the thin plates.

3. The vent according to claim 1, wherein: Each axial bearing fork comprises an insertion chamfer; and / or wherein the axial bearing lining is integrally formed with the housing; and / or wherein each radial bearing opening is designed as a circular opening; and / or wherein the radial bearing opening of the first end is attached to the housing so as to be resiliently deflectable in an axial direction; and / or wherein a clamping chamfer is assigned to each radial bearing opening; and / or Each thin plate is provided with a positioning surface.

4. The vent according to claim 1, wherein The radial bearing opening of the first end is formed in a radial bearing lining strip, and wherein the radial bearing opening of the radial bearing lining strip is designed to protrude from a side surface of the housing; and / or wherein the radial bearing opening at the second end is integrally formed in a wall of the housing, and wherein slots are provided in the wall of the housing above and below the region of the radial bearing opening at the second end.

5. The vent of claim 1 , wherein the thin plates are connected together by coupling rods that support the thin plates relative to each other in an axial direction; and in, The coupling rod is provided with at least two Ω-shaped openings, each Ω-shaped opening being engaged with a coupling pin of a corresponding one of the thin plates; as well as The coupling pin includes a portion with a smaller diameter, a portion with a larger diameter, and a conical portion located therebetween.

6. An air vent for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing defining an air guide passage, a plurality of thin plates, each thin plate having opposite first and second ends provided with bearing pins, the bearing pins pivotally attaching the thin plates to the housing, wherein each thin plate is mounted by arranging the bearing pin at its first end in both a radial bearing opening positioned along a pivot axis of the bearing pin and an axial bearing fork positioned along the pivot axis, wherein each thin plate is mounted by arranging the bearing pin at its second end in the radial bearing opening but not in any axial bearing fork, wherein the radial bearing opening at the second end is integrally formed with the housing; in, For each thin plate, the axial bearing fork at the first end is axially spaced from the radial bearing opening along the pivot axis and surrounds the bearing pin at the first end with a radial gap.

7. The vent according to claim 6, wherein: Each thin plate is mounted by placing the bearing pin at its first end in both the radial bearing opening positioned along the pivot axis of the bearing pin, for limiting radial movement of the bearing pin at its first end relative to the pivot axis, and the axial bearing fork positioned along the pivot axis, for limiting axial movement of the bearing pin at its first end along the pivot axis, wherein each sheet is provided with a locating surface oriented to interact with a mounting means to ensure correct placement of the sheet in the housing; and wherein the positioning surface of a first one of the thin plates is oriented differently from the positioning surface of a second one of the thin plates.

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