Ventilation nozzle for ventilating a vehicle interior

Abstract

Ventilation nozzle (10) for ventilating a vehicle interior with at least two air guide elements (11, 12) which can be operated by at least two control elements (20, 21, 50, 51) and moved in a common direction or in different directions, wherein the at least two control elements (20, 21, 50, 51) can be moved by a maximum of two fingers (25, 42, 43) of one hand in order to move the at least two air guide elements (11, 12) in a common direction in a first operating case or in different directions in a second operating case, and the maximum of two fingers (25, 42, 43) can couple and jointly drive the at least two control elements (20, 21, 50, 51), or can only drive them jointly, characterized in that the at least two control elements (20, 21, 50,51) are arranged side by side and are movable back and forth on a lamella (24) arranged parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis and can be coupled and driven together with a single finger (25), or can only be driven.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a ventilation nozzle for ventilating a vehicle interior according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] It is generally known from the prior art that the vehicle interior can be ventilated by several air vents. Each of the air vents can be adjusted separately and direct an airflow in only one direction. In order to be able to direct multiple airflows in different directions, two air vents, each with its own control element, are usually provided in the area of ​​the center console. Such air vents are known, for example, from DE 42 40 946 A1, DE 198 50 989 C1 and DE 10 2004 053 720 A1.

[0003] Furthermore, DE 10 2006 001 798 A1 discloses a ventilation nozzle suitable for dividing an airflow into several airflows. For this purpose, a coupling mechanism is required, which couples or decouples jointly driven packages of air guide elements, depending on whether the airflow is to be directed in a single direction or in different directions. However, the coupling mechanism represents a relatively complex design. It requires an additional control element for coupling and decoupling, which must be provided in the area of ​​the ventilation nozzle.

[0004] US Patent 4,970,947 A also describes a ventilation nozzle that can split an airflow into two airflows. This is achieved using two partial blades that deflect the airflow in opposite directions. To split the airflow into two airflows, the partial blades are rotated in opposite directions using two adjacent handwheels.

[0005] In DE 10 2014 200 544 A1 and DE 10 2013 101 887 A1, an air outlet is described in which the closing and opening of the air outlet or the control of the airflow and the control of the airflow direction is possible by means of a single control element arranged in the air outlet.

[0006] The invention aims to improve a generic ventilation nozzle in such a way that it can be manufactured with less effort and is user-friendly.

[0007] The invention solves the stated problem with a ventilation nozzle of the type mentioned above according to the characterizing part of claim 1. Since the operator's fingers couple or separate the control elements, a complex coupling mechanism can be omitted, which also has an advantageous effect on the manufacturing costs.

[0008] The ventilation nozzle known from DE 10 2006 001 798 A1 does not readily reveal from the outside that it can divide the airflow. This results in a significant limitation in ease of use. This is particularly true for rental vehicles, where the driver is generally unfamiliar with the specific characteristics of the vehicle. In contrast, the ventilation nozzle according to the invention no longer requires a special control element for coupling and decoupling the air guide elements. This increases ease of use.

[0009] To operate the controls, the operator can, for example, place their fingers on the front faces or the free side surfaces of the outer controls to move the controls, and thus the air guide elements, in a common direction. In this way, the at least two controls are coupled together by the maximum of two fingers of one hand. This finger positioning corresponds to that of a conventional ventilation nozzle, which allows the airflow to be adjusted but not divided. Therefore, a vehicle occupant can operate the nozzle according to the invention in the usual manner to move the air guide elements in a common direction.

[0010] To move the controls in different directions in a second operating scenario, the fingers can be placed, for example, on the ends of the controls to be moved. For instance, one thumb and another finger can be placed on the ends of the controls, and then the fingers moved away from each other to divide the airflow in the desired directions. The finger positioning in the second operating scenario can therefore be identical to that in the first. Only the direction of finger movement differs between the two scenarios. The operator is already familiar with this finger positioning from a conventional air vent. This allows for intuitive operation of the air vent according to their preferences in both scenarios.

[0011] The at least two control elements are arranged side by side. This enhances ease of use. Furthermore, the multiple controls arranged side by side make it easier for the vehicle occupant to operate the ventilation nozzle intuitively. This arrangement allows the occupant to immediately recognize that the ventilation nozzle according to the invention can direct the airflow in different directions or in a single, common direction.

[0012] Because the two controls are positioned side by side, they can be coupled and actuated, or actuated, with a single finger. To do this, the finger can be placed simultaneously on the adjacent ends of the controls to move them together in the same direction. The adjacent controls are then moved together. Of course, the airflow can also be split with a single finger. For this, the vehicle occupant simply places one finger on the selected control to steer only that control in the desired direction. Decoupling the controls is no longer necessary, so operation with a single finger is possible in this case as well.

[0013] The at least two control elements can each be provided with a recess. The recesses are preferably located in the center of the control elements. The recesses serve as preferred contact or resting surfaces for the fingers, thus increasing ease of use. Furthermore, they allow the vehicle occupant to more intuitively grasp the different operating options of the ventilation nozzle.

[0014] Furthermore, each of the control elements can be provided with a half-recess at its adjacent end areas, with the two half-recesses together forming a full recess that extends over the adjacent end areas of the control elements. This allows the vehicle occupant to move the two adjacent control elements even more securely in the same direction with just one finger, with the single finger engaging the two control elements even more reliably.

[0015] To improve the feel and grip, the surfaces of the recesses can be coated with a high-adhesion coating or roughened.

[0016] To further enhance ease of use, the adjacent end areas of at least two control elements can be colored in such a way that an operator immediately recognizes that they are separate control elements that can be moved in a common or different direction.

[0017] For the same reason, each of the at least two control elements can display a double arrow.

[0018] If the at least two control elements also indicate the direction in which the airflow from the ventilation nozzle flows, the vehicle occupant also receives visual information about the exact setting of the ventilation nozzle.

[0019] Advantageously, several air guide elements can be moved together with one of the at least two control elements. They are then coupled to form a unit, which improves the operability and directional effect of the ventilation nozzle.

[0020] The air guide elements can be louvers arranged to pivot around a pivot axis running parallel to the vehicle's vertical axis. This allows the air guide elements to direct the airflow in the vehicle interior towards the center, to the left, or to the right.

[0021] From a design perspective, it is very simple that the at least two control elements can be moved back and forth together or separately on a lamella arranged parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis.

[0022] The at least two control elements can together occupy the same installation space as a conventional control element with which the airflow cannot be divided.

[0023] An exemplary embodiment of a ventilation nozzle according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Specifically, we show: Fig. 1 the ventilation nozzle in a first operating state; Fig. 2 the ventilation nozzle in a second operating state; Fig. 3 the ventilation nozzle in a third operating state; Fig. 4 the ventilation nozzle in a fourth operating state; Fig. 5 A top view of two controls.

[0025] A ventilation nozzle 10 for ventilating a vehicle interior has lamellar air guide elements 11 and air guide elements 12, which are coupled to each other with a coupling rod 13 and 14 and thus form a composite 15 and 16.

[0026] The air guide elements 11 and 12 are pivoted about pivot axes 17 and 18 running parallel to a vehicle vertical axis in order to direct an airflow 19 in the vehicle interior in certain directions.

[0027] Control elements 20 and 21 are provided for pivoting the air guide elements 11 and 12. Forks 22 and 23 are mounted on the control elements 20 and 21, the jaws of which grasp the end regions of one of the air guide elements 11 and 12 in order to pivot these and the air guide elements 11 and 12 coupled to them.

[0028] If controls 20 and 21 are in the drawing plane of the Fig. If the air guide elements 11 and 12 are moved upwards by 1, they will be in the drawing plane of the Fig. 1. Swiveled counterclockwise. If the controls 20 and 21 are in the drawing plane of the Fig. If the air guide elements 11 and 12 are moved downwards by 1, they will be in the drawing plane of the Fig. 1. rotated clockwise (see Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4) Depending on the respective position of the air guide elements 11 and 12, the airflow 19 is directed in corresponding directions. It can also be divided into airflows 30, 31, 40 and 41 (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4).

[0029] The control elements 20 and 21 can be moved back and forth along a lamella 24 arranged parallel to a transverse axis of the vehicle.

[0030] Controls 20 and 21 are arranged side by side. A finger 25 is placed face down on the adjacent end areas of controls 20 and 21 (see Fig. 2) It thus couples the control elements 20 and 21 together and drives them jointly, so that they can be moved back and forth together along the lamella 24 arranged parallel to a transverse axis of the vehicle in order to direct the airflow 19 in the vehicle interior in the same direction.

[0031] Alternatively, finger 25 can be placed on the free side surface or on the front face of the control element 20 and in the drawing plane of the Fig. 1 is moved downwards. Then the control element 21 is also moved into the drawing plane by finger 25. Fig. 1 shifted downwards. In this case, the controls 20 and 21 do not need to be coupled to each other by finger 25. If you want to direct the airflow 19 in the opposite direction, finger 25 is placed on the free side surface or on the front face of the control 21 and in the drawing plane of the Fig. 1 moved upwards. In this way, control 20 is automatically moved to the drawing layer of the Fig. 1 shifted upwards.

[0032] In a third operating method, two fingers (not shown in detail here) are placed on the ends of controls 20 and 21. In this way, they also link controls 20 and 21 together. The placed fingers can then be moved together up or down in the drawing plane of the Fig. 1 will be postponed.

[0033] In a fourth alternative, the two fingers (not shown in detail here) are placed on the free side surfaces of the controls 20 and 21, thus also linking them together and placing them jointly in the drawing plane of the Fig. They can be moved 1 up or down.

[0034] Starting from the operating state Fig. Only the air guide elements 12 of the assembly 16 can be moved, while the air guide elements 11 of the assembly 15 retain their position. Since the assembly 15 and the assembly 16 are not mechanically coupled, but can only be coupled by one or two fingers, the assembly 15 and the assembly 16 do not need to be decoupled from each other in order to move the assembly 16 separately from the assembly 15. For this purpose, the control element 21 can be moved downwards in the drawing plane with one or two fingers. Fig. 1 can be moved, while the control element 20 remains unactivated. Thus, the airflow can be split into airflows 30 and 31 directed in different directions using one or two fingers (see Fig. 3).

[0035] If one wants to start from the point in Fig. In the operating state shown in Figure 1, spread air streams 40 and 41 are generated, fingers 42 and 43 can be placed on the control elements 20 and 21 and simultaneously moved away from each other in different directions (see Figure 1). Fig. 4).

[0036] Fig. Figure 5 shows two control elements 50 and 51. Control element 50 is provided with a recess 52, and control element 51 with a recess 53. In addition, control elements 50 and 51 are each provided with a half recess 54 and 55, which together form a full recess, the full recess extending over the adjacent end areas of control elements 50 and 51.

[0037] The recesses 52, 53, 54 and 55 are designed to accommodate a finger (not shown in detail here). They thus increase ease of use and indicate to a vehicle occupant that the controls 50 and 51 can be operated with a finger at this location. Reference symbol list 10 ventilation nozzle 11 Air guide element 12 Air guide element 13. Connecting rod 14 Stabilizer link 15 network 16 network 17 Swivel axis 18 Swivel axis 19 Airflow 20 Control element 21 Control element 22 Fork 23 Fork 24 slats 25 fingers 30 airflow 31 Airflow 40 airflow 41 Airflow 42 fingers 43 fingers 50 Control element 51 Control element 52 trough 53 trough 54 trough 55 trough

Images