Air vents for air conditioning a vehicle

Abstract

Air outlet (2) for air conditioning a vehicle, comprising a housing (5) which at one end forms a tubular section (6) for connecting the housing (5) to an air supply pipe (7) and at the other end forms two separate and spaced-apart air outlet channels (8, 9) in which a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (16, 17) are mounted and whose position relative to the airflow (11) is adjustable by pivoting a first handle (20), wherein a pivotally mounted closing flap (21) for restricting and / or preventing the airflow (11) supplied to the air outlet (2) is arranged within the tubular section (6) or the air supply pipe (7), characterized in that a second handle (22) is associated with the closing flap (21), which handle (22) is located within the space between the two air outlet channels (8, 9) are arranged,and that the vertically arranged and the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (16, 17) of both air discharge channels (8, 9) are each coupled to one another with regard to their pivotability.

Description

The invention relates to an air outlet for air conditioning a vehicle, in particular the passenger compartment thereof, according to the preamble of claim 1 of the invention. Air vents of this type have been known for some time in a wide variety of designs. Essentially, the aim is to design the air vent to provide optimal climate control in the passenger compartment and to allow easy adjustment by the vehicle occupant to achieve a desired airflow. The generic German patent DE 43 27 266 C1 describes an air outlet, referred to here as an air nozzle, which is divided into a first, upper, and a second, lower nozzle section. The nozzle sections are formed by a common housing and separated from each other by an intermediate partition. Each nozzle section is equipped with airflow-regulating flaps. A control wheel for actuating a flap is located to the side of the air outlet opening of the second, lower nozzle section, thereby regulating the amount of air passing through said nozzle section. The outlet area of ​​the upper nozzle section is provided with fixed longitudinal and transverse airflow guide vanes, while the lower nozzle section has adjustable airflow guide vanes in the form of transverse and longitudinal vanes.To adjust the longitudinal slats, they are pivotally mounted along a longitudinal axis and can be manually pivoted by means of a slider guided by a transverse slat. The transverse slats are laterally coupled to each other and can be pivoted by a tilting movement of the slider, which is held against one of the transverse slats. US Patent 5,072,657 A discloses an air outlet with several air outlet channels arranged directly adjacent to one another. Within these channels, a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes are mounted, the angle of which to the airflow can be adjusted by pivoting. Here, too, in accordance with the aforementioned DE 43 27 266 C1, the vertically and / or horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes of all air outlet channels are preferably pivotable together by means of a handle via coupling elements. From US patent 2013 / 0078900A1, an air outlet is known with a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes whose angle to the airflow can be adjusted by pivoting them. These vanes can be pivoted together by means of a handle via coupling elements. Furthermore, it is provided that said handle simultaneously serves to actuate a flap for regulating the amount of air passing through. From DE 199 24 493 C1, two central nozzles for ventilating the central plane of a vehicle interior are known, which are integrated into the dashboard of a motor vehicle and arranged side by side in the transverse direction (Y-direction) of the vehicle. Each nozzle has an adjustment wheel on its side for regulating the amount of air flowing out by means of a pivoting flap, with the adjustment wheel for the left central nozzle being located between the two nozzles. From DE 36 04 066 A1, an instrument panel for a motor vehicle is known, consisting of a central part and two side parts, wherein the side parts each have a ventilation nozzle housing with upper and lower ventilation nozzles viewed in the vehicle's vertical direction (Z-direction), wherein a handle in the form of a control wheel is arranged between them. From DE 198 43 364 C1, a ventilation element for the interior ventilation of a vehicle is known, comprising a housing with an air inlet opening and, viewed in the transverse direction (Y-direction) of the vehicle, two lower air outlet openings side by side and two upper air outlet openings vertically above them, wherein the lower and upper air outlet openings are arranged in two planes angled relative to each other. Each lower air outlet opening is associated with an air duct, each of which has an air deflector flap to divide the airflow between the upper and lower air outlet openings. An adjustment knob is arranged between the lower air outlet openings of each air duct to allow manual operation of the associated air deflector flap. Furthermore, another adjustment knob for temperature preselection is arranged between the two adjustment knobs. Starting from this, the object of the invention is to provide an alternative air outlet which, with low material costs and a small number of components, as well as minimized control effort for pivoting the airflow guide vanes, has a large air outlet area with improved outlet characteristics. Starting with an air outlet for air conditioning a vehicle, comprising a housing which at one end forms a tubular section for connecting the housing to an air supply pipe and at the other end two separate and spaced-apart air outlet channels, in each of which a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes are mounted and whose position relative to the airflow can be adjusted by pivoting them using a first handle, wherein a pivotally mounted closing flap is arranged within the tubular section or the air supply pipe to restrict and / or prevent the airflow supplied to the air outlet, the stated problem is solved by assigning a second handle to the closing flap, which handle is arranged within the space between the two air outlet channels.and that the vertically arranged and the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes of both air outlet channels are each coupled to each other with regard to their pivotability. This measure ensures an ergonomically favorable arrangement of the handle for operating the closing damper, while guaranteeing a large air outlet area or a large cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow. Furthermore, this measure simplifies the handling of the airflow guide vanes of both air outlet channels and the adjustment of the individually desired airflow direction. The dependent claims describe preferred further developments or embodiments of the invention. A simple and cost-effective measure is then used to create a separation between the two air outlet channels by means of a recess in the air outlet-side end wall of the air outlet housing. This recessed end wall separates the two air outlet channels. The air outlet housing is either a single or multi-piece design, preferably made of a plastic. A single-piece design offers savings in material and manufacturing costs. Conversely, a multi-piece housing allows for easier installation of the aforementioned airflow guide vanes. Preferably, the second handle is formed by an operating wheel, which is mounted in a bearing housing located within the recess and connected to the air outlet housing.It is further preferred that the bearing housing is attached or attachable as a separate component to the housing of the air outlet, thereby enabling pre-assembly of the control wheel together with the associated coupling to the closing flap on the bearing housing. In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes can be jointly adjusted in their position relative to the airflow by means of connecting rods and a first handle, which is horizontally displaceable on one of the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes. The pivoting of both the vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes is thus accomplished by means of a single handle. It is further advantageous that the air outlet channels are arranged one above the other when viewed in the vehicle's vertical direction (Z-direction) and extend in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X-direction) or almost entirely in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X-direction). An air outlet designed in this way is ideally suited for use in a vehicle's dashboard, particularly in a motor vehicle. Furthermore, it is provided that each air outlet channel has an air outlet opening, the frontal surface of which is arranged in a plane. If these planes are inclined relative to each other, depending on the chosen inclination, a merging of the airflows from both air outlet channels and, moreover, a particularly large flow area or cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow can be achieved.To further improve the air outlet characteristics, the aforementioned planes are designed to be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction (X-direction) of the vehicle. This means that the two air outlet channels are arranged in a stepped configuration, one above the other. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown schematically in the drawings. However, it is not limited to this embodiment, but encompasses all embodiments defined by the claims. The figures show: Fig. 1 a partial view of a vehicle dashboard with an air outlet designed according to the invention in a perspective top view, Fig. 2 the air outlet according to Fig. 1 in a perspective close-up view, Fig. 3 a perspective sectional view of the air outlet along section line “II” according to Fig. 2, Fig. 4 a perspective sectional view of the air outlet along section line “II-II” according to Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 a perspective sectional view of the air outlet along section line “III-III” according to Fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows a partial view of the dashboard 1 of the passenger compartment of a vehicle not shown in the drawing, in particular a passenger car, extending in the transverse direction (Y-direction). An air outlet 2 for air conditioning the passenger compartment is inserted into a prepared opening in the dashboard 1, the opening being covered by a panel 3 or decorative panel 4 that laterally limits the air outlet 2. According to Figures 2, 3, 4 to 5, the air outlet 2 has a housing 5 which has a tubular section 6 at one end for connection to an air supply pipe 7 (shown in a highly schematic way, dashed lines). At the other end, the housing 5 of the air outlet 2 forms two separate air outlet channels 8, 9, arranged one above the other but vertically spaced apart from each other in the vehicle's vertical direction (Z-direction). According to this embodiment, the housing 5 is formed in two parts, with a first vehicle-side part 5a having the aforementioned tubular section 6, which merges seamlessly into a funnel-shaped section 10 at the rear of the vehicle. A vehicle-side part 5b of the housing 5 adjoins the funnel-shaped section 10 and forms the aforementioned air outlet channels 8, 9. The air outlet channels 8, 9 extend in the longitudinal direction (X-direction) of the vehicle, or almost entirely in the longitudinal direction (X-direction), such that the airflow 11 supplied via the air supply pipe 7 is directed from the dashboard 1 into the passenger compartment as a partial airflow 11a, 11b (Figs. 4 and 5). The air outlet opening 12 of the upper air outlet channel 8 is offset towards the front of the vehicle relative to the air outlet opening 13 of the lower air outlet channel 9. The distance between the two air outlet channels 8, 9 is formed by a recess 14 in an air outlet-side end wall 15 of the housing 5 or its rear-facing part 5b. Within each of the two air outlet channels 8, 9, a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 16, 17, adjustable in their orientation to the airflow 11; 11a, 11b, are pivotably mounted. In this case, five vertically and three horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 16, 17 are provided for each air outlet channel 8, 9. The vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 16, 17 are operatively connected to each other in each air outlet channel 8, 9 by means of coupling elements not shown in the drawing.Furthermore, a connecting rod 18, 19 is provided for each of the vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 16, 17 of the two air outlet channels 8, 9, wherein the connecting rod 18 couples the vertically arranged airflow guide vanes 16 of one air outlet channel 8 with the vertically arranged airflow guide vanes 16 of the other air outlet channel 9 and the connecting rod 19 couples the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 17 of one air outlet channel 8 with the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 17 of the other air outlet channel 9 (see especially Fig. 2 and Fig. 4). A sliding first handle 20 is slidably mounted on a horizontally arranged airflow guide vane 17 of the upper air outlet duct 8 (see especially Figs. 2-4). A pivoting movement of the horizontally arranged airflow guide vane 17 can be achieved by means of said handle 20. Due to the fact that all horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 17 of both air outlet ducts 8, 9 are interconnected, they all perform the same pivoting movement. Furthermore, the first handle 20 is interconnected with one of the vertically arranged airflow guide vanes 16 in such a way that moving the handle 20 causes a pivoting movement of the aforementioned vertically arranged airflow guide vane 16.Because all vertically arranged airflow guide vanes 16 of both air outlet channels 8, 9 are interconnected and coupled, they all perform the same pivoting movement. Therefore, a single handle 20 can pivot all horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes 17 and / or all vertically arranged airflow guide vanes 16. As can be seen particularly in Figures 4 and 5, a pivotally mounted closing flap 21 is arranged within the tubular section 6 to restrict and / or prevent the airflow 11 supplied to the air outlet 2. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment, but also encompasses a closing flap 21 arranged in the air supply pipe 7 (not shown in the drawing). A second handle 22 is associated with the closing flap 21, which in turn is arranged within the space between the two air outlet channels 8, 9 or in the recess 14 formed by the end wall 15. The operative connection between the closing flap 21 and the second handle 22 is effected by means of a two-part coupling 23 (Figure 4). According to this embodiment, the second handle 22 is formed by an operating wheel which is mounted in a bearing housing 24. The bearing housing 24 is arranged within the recess 14 and connected to the housing 5 of the air outlet 2. Preferably, the bearing housing 24 is attached or attachable as a separate component to the housing 5 of the air outlet 2, which allows for pre-assembly of the operating wheel and its associated coupling 23 to the closing flap 21 on the bearing housing 24. As can be seen in Figures 2, 3, 4 to 5, the air outlet channels 8, 9, arranged one above the other in the vertical direction (Z-direction) of the vehicle and extending in the longitudinal direction (X-direction) or almost entirely in the longitudinal direction (X-direction), each have an air outlet opening 12, 13, the front surface of which is arranged in a plane. If the aforementioned planes are arranged at an angle to each other, depending on the chosen angle, a merging of the partial airflows 11a, 11b of the air outlet channels 8, 9 and, furthermore, a particularly large flow area or cross-sectional area of ​​the exiting airflow 11 can be achieved. To further improve the discharge characteristics of the air outlet 2, the air outlet openings 12, 13, or the planes formed by their end faces, are arranged offset from one another in the longitudinal direction (X-direction) of the vehicle, according to this embodiment and as already indicated above. The two air discharge channels 8, 9 are thus arranged one above the other in a stepped fashion. Reference symbol list 1 Dashboard 2 Air outlet 3 Cover 4 Decorative cover 5 Housing 5a Front of vehicle part 5b Rear of vehicle part 6 Tubular section 7 Air supply pipe 8 Air outlet duct 9 Air outlet duct 10 Funnel-shaped section 11 Airflow 11a Partial airflow 11b Partial airflow 12 Air outlet opening 13 Air outlet opening 14 Recess 15 Front wall 16 Vertical airflow guide vane 17 Horizontal airflow guide vane 18 Connecting rod 19 Connecting rod 20 First handle 21 Closing flap 22 Second handle 23 Coupling 24 Bearing housing

Claims

Air outlet (2) for air conditioning a vehicle, comprising a housing (5) which forms at one end a tubular section (6) for connecting the housing (5) to an air supply pipe (7) and at the other end two separate and spaced-apart air outlet channels (8, 9) in which a plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (16, 17) are mounted and whose position relative to the airflow (11) is adjustable by pivoting a first handle (20), wherein a pivotally mounted closing flap (21) for restricting and / or preventing the airflow (11) supplied to the air outlet (2) is arranged within the tubular section (6) or the air supply pipe (7), characterized in that a second handle (22) is associated with the closing flap (21), which handle (22) is located within the space between the two air outlet channels (8, 9) are arranged,and that the vertically arranged and the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (16, 17) of both air discharge channels (8, 9) are each coupled to one another with regard to their pivotability. Air outlet (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacing between the two air outlet channels (8, 9) is formed by a recess (14) in an air outlet-side end wall (15) of the housing (5) of the air outlet (2). Air outlet (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (5) of the air outlet (2) is designed in one or more parts. Air outlet (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second handle (22) is formed by an operating wheel and that the operating wheel is mounted in a bearing housing (24) which is arranged within the recess (14) and is connected to the housing (5) of the air outlet (2). Air outlet (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the vertically arranged and the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (16, 17) are jointly adjustable in their position to the airflow (11) by means of connecting rods (18, 19) via the first handle (20) which is mounted horizontally displaceable on one of the horizontally arranged airflow guide vanes (17). Air outlet (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the air outlet channels (8, 9) are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the vehicle and extend in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the vehicle or largely in the longitudinal direction (X direction). Air outlet (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the air outlet channels (8, 9) each have an air outlet opening (12, 13) whose front surface is arranged in a plane. Air outlet (2) according to claim 7, characterized in that said planes are arranged inclined to each other. Air outlet (2) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the said planes are arranged offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (X-direction).

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