Ventilation device and vehicle comprising same

Abstract

A ventilation device for a vehicle includes an air guide configured to project toward a passage through which air flows, where a length of the air guide extending into the passage can be adjusted by rotation relative to the passage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a ventilation device for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle includes an air conditioning system configured to adjust the air quality inside the vehicle. For example, the air conditioning system adjusts the interior temperature of the vehicle. In order to maintain a comfortable interior temperature of the vehicle, the air conditioning system can generate hot or cold air.

[0003] like Figure 1 As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , a cabin 10 in a vehicle V can maintain a comfortable environment by a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system 20. Air generated by the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system 20 can be supplied to the cabin 10 through a passage 30. To this end, the cabin 10 includes an exhaust port 40 configured to communicate with the passage 30.

[0004] The exhaust port 40 may have a vent mounted thereon. Using the vent, the amount, direction, etc. of air supplied through the exhaust port 40 may be adjusted in the cabin 10. The adjustment function of the vent is certainly important, but the shape of the vent greatly affects the interior aesthetics of the vehicle. For this reason, in recent years, in order to improve the aesthetics of the interior of the vehicle, thin vents or ultra-thin vents with a very small height have received attention. Due to the size of the thin vent, it is more difficult to control the direction and amount of air in the thin vent compared to conventional vents, and therefore the structural design of the thin vent is being actively studied.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore the above information may include information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a ventilation device capable of effectively controlling the direction of air discharged from a thin vent using the Coanda effect.

[0007] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a ventilation device capable of ensuring the amount of air exhausted from a thin vent.

[0008] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a ventilation device in which the direction of air discharged from a thin vent can be recognized from the outside of the vent.

[0009] The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing, and a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs should clearly understand other objects not mentioned herein based on the following description.

[0010] Features of the present disclosure that achieve the objects of the present disclosure as described above and perform characteristic functions of the present disclosure to be described below are as follows.

[0011] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a ventilation device including an air guide configured to protrude toward a passage through which air flows, and a length of the air guide protruding into the passage can be adjusted by rotating the air guide relative to the passage.

[0012] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides a ventilation device, which includes: an air guide configured to rotate to protrude toward a channel through which air flows; a driving part configured to provide a driving force to the air guide so that the air guide can rotate around a pivot axis; and a controller configured to control the operation of the driving part to adjust the rotation angle of the air guide.

[0013] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides a method for operating a ventilation device, the method comprising: an input step, in which a demand for an air exhaust direction of the ventilation device is input by an input part; a receiving step, in which a controller receives the demand for the air exhaust direction; a calculation step, in which the controller calculates a position of an air guide of the ventilation device based on the demand for the air exhaust direction; and an operation step, in which the controller operates a driving part of the air guide to move the air guide to the above-mentioned position.

[0014] Other aspects and other embodiments of the disclosure are discussed below.

[0015] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms as used herein generally include motor vehicles (such as passenger cars (including sport utility vehicles (SUVs)), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft (including various boats and ships), aircraft, etc.), and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more sources of power, for example, a vehicle powered by both gasoline and electricity.

[0016] The above features and other features of the present disclosure are discussed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above-mentioned features and other features of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to certain embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the embodiments are given by way of illustration only and therefore do not limit the present disclosure, and in which:

[0018] Figure 1 The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the vehicle is schematically shown;

[0019] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a ventilation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein: Figure 2 The air guide of the ventilation device according to the present disclosure is shown in a state where the air guide is fully extended into the air passage, and Figure 3 The air guide is shown rotating and moving from before being extended to after being fully extended into the air passage;

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a ventilation device mounted to a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5A It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

[0022] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A partial enlarged view of the

[0023] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the operation of an air guide according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 The structure between the first vent and the second vent of the ventilation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Fig. 8A shows a first vent and a second vent when the ventilation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure discharges air upward;

[0026] Figure 8B is in Fig. 8A A cross-sectional view of the ventilation device in a state of FIG. 1 , wherein arrows indicate the direction of airflow;

[0027] Figure 8C is in Fig. 8A A front view of the ventilation device in the state of

[0028] Fig. 9A shows a first vent and a second vent when the ventilation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure discharges air in a straight direction;

[0029] Fig. 9B is in Fig. 9A A cross-sectional view of the ventilation device in the state of

[0030] Fig. 9C is in Fig. 9A A front view of the ventilation device in the state of

[0031] Fig. 10Ashows a first vent and a second vent when the ventilation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure discharges air downward;

[0032] Fig. 10B is in Fig. 10A A cross-sectional view of the ventilation device in the state of

[0033] Fig. 10C is in Fig. 10A A front view of the ventilation device in the state of

[0034] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of a device in the related art;

[0035] Fig. 12A Shows Fig.11 The protrusion of the device is in a state where it is fully protruded, Fig. 12B Shows Fig.11 The protruding portion of the device is in a state where it partially protrudes, and Fig. 12C Shows Fig.11 A state in which the protrusion of the device is not protruding; and

[0036] Fig.12D Shown for operation Fig.11 The space required to accommodate the protruding part in the

[0037] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and that the drawings present somewhat simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure as disclosed herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0038] In the drawings, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The description of the specific structure or function presented in the embodiments of the present disclosure is merely for the purpose of explaining the embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. In addition, these descriptions should not be interpreted as limiting the embodiments described herein, but should be understood to include all variations, equivalents and substitutes falling within the concept and scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] In the present disclosure, terms such as "first" and / or "second" may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, the component may be directly connected to the other component or intervening components may also exist. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" another component, there are no intervening components. Other terms used to describe the relationship between components should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0042] Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same components. The terms used herein are for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the singular includes the plural. The terms "comprise" and / or "include" used in this specification mean that the referenced components, steps, operations and / or elements do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0043] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered herein as being "configured to" satisfy the purpose or perform the operation or function.

[0044] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] The ventilation device according to the present disclosure is configured to control the direction of the air discharged from the ventilation device using the Coanda effect. Specifically, the direction of the airflow is controlled by an air guide extending into the air channel. In this example, the air guide is configured to rotate to extend into the channel.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the ventilation device 100 may include a housing 200. The housing 200 defines a passage 210 configured to transfer air from a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 20 of the vehicle V to the cabin 10 of the vehicle V. Air may flow from the HVAC system 20 through the passage 210, and the air may be supplied to the cabin 10 through an exhaust port 220.

[0047] refer to Figure 3, the ventilation device 100 includes an air guide 300. The air guide 300 is configured to rotate relative to the channel 210. The air guide 300 can rotate to extend into the channel 210. For example, the air guide 300 can rotate around the pivot axis P1 formed at the housing 200 (i.e., at the position of the housing 200, on the housing or in the housing) or at the upper part 230 of the housing 200. Utilizing the Coanda effect, the direction of the air or wind discharged through the exhaust port 220 can be controlled to be along the length of the air guide 300 extending into the channel 210. The air guide 300 can rotate around the pivot axis P1 by known methods or similar methods. For example, the ventilation device 100 includes a drive portion 302. The air guide 300 can rotate around the pivot axis P1 by the operation of the drive portion 302. As a non-limiting example, the drive portion 302 can be an electric motor.

[0048] In some embodiments, the air guide 300 may be installed at the upper portion 230 of the housing 200. In some embodiments, the air guide 300 may be installed at the lower portion 240 of the housing 200, unlike the drawings.

[0049] The air guide 300 may be disposed in a space 232 provided at the upper portion 230 of the housing 200. For example, the space 232 may be defined by the upper portion 230 and the decoration member 250 coupled to the outer side of the upper portion 230 of the housing 200. As another example, the space 232 may be defined by the shape of the upper portion 230 of the housing 200.

[0050] The housing 200 may define an opening 234. In some embodiments, the opening 234 may be defined by the housing 200 and the decoration member 250. The opening 234 allows the air guide 300 disposed outside the housing 200 or disposed in the space 232 to extend into the passage 210.

[0051] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B , the air guide 300 may include a light emitting area 310. The light emitting area 310 is configured to emit light. Specifically, the light emitting area 310 may be provided on the air guide 300 so that when the air guide 300 extends into the passage 210, light from the light emitting area 310 is recognized at the exhaust port 220 or at the cabin 10 (i.e., from the cabin 10 or in the cabin 10). In some embodiments, the air guide 300 may include a curved portion, and the light emitting area 310 may be provided in or on the curved portion.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilation device 100 includes a light string 400 and a light emitting diode (LED) module 500. The light string 400 and the LED module 500 allow the air guide 300 to emit light.

[0053] The light string 400 may be installed in the air guide 300. The light string 400 may be an optical fiber that implements linear lighting by allowing light from the LED module 500 to pass therethrough.

[0054] In some embodiments, the air guide 300 may be made of a transparent material. As a non-limiting example, the air guide 300 may be made of polycarbonate (PC). The light-emitting area 310 may be coated with a light-transmitting paint. The non-light-emitting area (which is the area on the air guide 300 other than the light-emitting area 310) may be coated with a shield. Figure 5B As shown, light can pass through the light emitting area 310 only in the direction of the arrow, and the size of the light emitting area 310 recognized from the outside (e.g., from the cabin 10) can change according to the rotation angle of the air guide 300, allowing the light to be visually recognized.

[0055] In some embodiments, the air guide 300 may further include a cover 320. The cover 320 may surround the light string 400 installed in the air guide 300. In some embodiments, the cover 320 may be integrally formed with the air guide 300.

[0056] refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, the ventilation device 100 may further include a controller 330. The controller 330 may receive a user's request for a position of the air guide 300 or a demand for an air discharge direction of the ventilation device 100, thereby rotating the air guide 300 based on the position demand or the air discharge direction demand.

[0057] The controller 330 may collect demand information for the position of the air guide 300 requested by the user through the input portion 340. The input portion 340 may be a switch or a knob configured to adjust the rotation angle of the air guide 300. The input portion 340 may be provided in the ventilation device 100 itself, or may be provided away from the ventilation device 100 but in communication with the ventilation device 100 or with the controller 330. In an embodiment, the input portion 340 may be a mechanical switch communicatively connected to the controller 330. In another embodiment, the input portion 340 may be an icon type switch on a touch screen of an electronic device communicatively connected to the controller 330.

[0058] The controller 330 can operate the driving part 302 based on the user's required information on the position of the air guide 300 or the air discharge direction. The driving part 302 can rotate the air guide 300 around the pivot axis P1 according to the command of the controller 330 so that air is discharged in the direction required by the user.

[0059] like Figure 7 As shown, according to the present disclosure, one LED module 500 can provide light to the light emitting areas 310 of at least two vents. Figure 4 , when there are the first vent 110 and the second vent 120 separated from each other, the LED module 500 is disposed between the first vent 110 and the second vent 120. The light string 400 is connected to the LED module 500 and is configured to pass through the first vent 110 and the second vent 120. Therefore, light from the LED module 500 can pass through the light string 400a passing through the first vent 110 and the light string 400b passing through the second vent 120. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, only one LED module 500 is required, thereby improving space utilization and reducing costs.

[0060] Fig. 8A , Fig. 9A and Fig. 10A The first position, the second position, and the third position of the air guide 300 which vary with the rotation of the air guide 300 are respectively shown.

[0061] When the air guide 300 is in the Fig. 8A In the first position shown, the rotation angle of the air guide 300 is as follows Figure 8B Because the air guide 300 in the first position does not extend into the channel 210, the air flowing through the channel 210 is discharged upward along the channel 210 as indicated by the arrow. Figure 8C As shown, since the rotation angle of the air guide 300 in the first position is 0°, the light emitting area 310 cannot be observed from the cabin 10, and it is easy to recognize that the air is discharged upward.

[0062] When the air guide 300 is in the Fig. 9A In the second position shown, the air guide 300 rotates as shown in FIG. Fig. 9B The predetermined angle θ1 shown. For example, the rotation angle θ1 may be about 35°. In the second position, the air guide 300 is rotated so that a portion of the air guide is parallel to the horizontal direction or flush with the upper portion 230 of the housing 200 to allow the air flowing through the channel 210 to be discharged in a straight direction through the discharge port 220. Fig. 9CAs shown, when the air guide 300 is in the second position, a portion of the light emitting area 310 is exposed to the exhaust port 220, and thus light from the light emitting area 310 can be observed from the cabin 10. Since only a portion of the light emitting area 310 is observed, it can be immediately recognized from the cabin 10 that air is being discharged in a straight direction.

[0063] When the air guide 300 is in the Fig. 10A In the third position shown, the air guide 300 is as shown in FIG. Fig. 10B As shown, the air can be fully rotated and the air can be discharged downward. In this example, the air flowing through the channel 210 can hit the air guide 300 extending into the channel 210 and then turn downward. For example, the rotation angle θ2 of the air guide 300 can be about 70°. Fig. 10C As shown, when the air guide 300 is in the third position, the area of ​​the light emitting area exposed to the passage 210 increases, compared to the area of ​​the light emitting area 310 exposed to the passage 210 when the air guide 300 is in the second position, and thus the size of the area of ​​the light emitting area 310 observed from the cabin 10 increases. Thus, the present disclosure has the advantages of being able to immediately identify the exhaust direction of air and improving space utilization (which will be described in detail below).

[0064] In the related art, vents utilizing the Coanda effect have been introduced. Fig.11 According to the related art, the protrusion 800 moves linearly to extend into the channel defined by the housing 810. However, there is a problem in that as the protrusion 800 extends and increases in length, the air contacts the protrusion 800 at the portion ( Fig.11 The vortex is generated at R1 in the air guide 300 of the present invention, which is configured to extend in a rotating manner, and the vortex area can be reduced. In experiments conducted on the vents of the related art and the vents of the present invention under the same conditions, it was confirmed that the air volume of the vents of the present invention was increased by more than 50%.

[0065] In the related art, the downward discharge of air is controlled by using the angle A1 of the lower part of the housing 810 and by extending the protrusion 800 to the maximum value to turn the direction of the airflow. The advantage of the present disclosure is that since the rotation angle of the air guide 300 is used instead of the angle A1 of the lower part of the housing 810, the downward discharge of air can be controlled at a larger angle than the angle A1. In the experiment, it was confirmed that the angle A1 in the related art was about 10°, while in the present disclosure, the air guided downward was discharged at an angle of about 37°.

[0066] According to the related art, since the protrusion 800 is extended using the linear moving device 820 such as a rack and pinion system, the protrusion 800 requires a relatively large space outside the housing 810. FIG. 12A to FIG. 12C As shown, in order to discharge air downward, in a straight direction or upward by the linear movement of the protrusion 800, a space three times the length L of the protrusion 800 is required. However, the air guide 300 of the present disclosure is controlled in a rotational manner, thereby reducing the space required for operating the air guide and improving space utilization. In the experiment, it was confirmed that the required space was reduced by about 30% compared with the related art.

[0067] According to the present disclosure, ventilation devices are improved in controlling the amount and direction of airflow.

[0068] According to the present disclosure, a rotatable air guide may significantly reduce the required interior space.

[0069] According to the present disclosure, since the air guide includes the light emitting area, the direction of currently exhausted air can be easily recognized from the outside of the vent.

[0070] As apparent from the above description, the present disclosure provides the following effects.

[0071] According to the present disclosure, a thin ventilation device capable of effectively controlling the direction of air discharged therefrom using the Coanda effect is proposed.

[0072] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a thin-type ventilator capable of ensuring the amount of air discharged therefrom.

[0073] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a thin ventilation device in which the direction of air discharged therefrom can be recognized from the outside of the ventilation port.

[0074] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects that have been described above, and a person of ordinary skill in the art should clearly recognize other effects that are not mentioned herein based on the above description.

[0075] It is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes may be made within the scope not departing from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A ventilation device, comprising: an air guide configured to protrude toward a passage through which air flows, The length of the air guide extending into the channel can be adjusted by rotating the air guide relative to the channel.

2. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein: The air guide is configured to rotate between a first position, a second position, and a third position.

3. The ventilation device according to claim 2, wherein: When the air guide is in the first position, air flowing through the passage is discharged along the passage in a first direction; When the air guide is in the second position, the air flowing through the passage is discharged in a second direction, the second direction being a horizontal direction; and When the air guide is in the third position, air flowing through the passage is discharged in a third direction, wherein each of the first direction and the third direction forms a different angle with respect to the second direction.

4. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein: In the first position, the air guide does not protrude into the channel.

5. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein: In the second position, the air guide partially extends into the channel.

6. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein: In the third position, the air guide extends completely into the channel.

7. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein: The air guide includes a light emitting area configured to emit light.

8. The ventilation device according to claim 7, wherein: The size of the area of ​​the light emitting zone exposed to the passage increases as the air guide extends into the passage.

9. The ventilation device according to claim 7, wherein: The air guide includes a light source configured to provide light to the light emitting area.

10. The ventilation device according to claim 9, wherein: The light source comprises: a light string mounted in the air guide and formed of optical fibers; and The light emitting diode module is connected to the light string and is configured to provide light to the light string.

11. The ventilation device according to claim 7, wherein: The air guide is made of a transparent material; The light-emitting area is coated with light-transmitting paint; and A non-light emitting area is coated with a mask, the non-light emitting area being an area on the air guide excluding the light emitting area.

12. The ventilation device according to claim 7, wherein: The light emitting area is disposed on the air guide and faces an exhaust port through which air is exhausted from the passage.

13. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein: The passage is defined by the housing; and The air guide is rotatable about a pivot axis arranged at the housing.

14. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein: The air guide is disposed adjacent to a discharge port through which air is discharged from the passage.

15. A ventilation device comprising: an air guide configured to rotate to project toward a passage through which air flows; a driving portion configured to provide a driving force to the air guide so that the air guide can rotate about a pivot axis; as well as A controller is configured to control the operation of the driving portion to adjust the rotation angle of the air guide.

16. The ventilation device according to claim 15, further comprising an input portion configured to input a position requirement for the air guide and configured to communicate with the controller, in, The controller operates the driving portion based on a position demand input by the input portion.

17. A method of operating a ventilation device, the method comprising: An input step, in which a requirement for an air exhaust direction of the ventilation device is inputted by an input part; A receiving step, in which a controller receives a demand for the air exhaust direction; a calculation step, wherein the controller calculates a position of an air guide of the ventilation device based on a requirement of the air exhaust direction; as well as The operating step is to operate the driving portion of the air guide by the controller to move the air guide to the position.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The air guide is configured to rotate to extend into a passage through which air flows in the ventilation device.

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