Air outlet, heating and / or air conditioning system with such an air outlet, motorhome with air outlet, heating and / or air conditioning system and methods for attaching, operating and modifying an air outlet

Abstract

An air outlet (1), in particular for heating and / or air conditioning systems for recreational vehicles such as motorhomes or caravans, comprising: a main housing (10), wherein the main housing (10) forms an airflow duct; a flap (20) suitable for sealing the airflow duct in the main housing (10); and a coupling mechanism (30) that couples the flap (20) to the main housing (10) in a movable manner, such that the flap (20) can be moved relative to the main housing (10) between a closed state in which the flap (20) seals the airflow duct and an open state in which the flap (20) does not seal the airflow duct; wherein the coupling mechanism (30) is configured such that the flap (20) performs a rotational and sliding movement relative to the main housing (10) when moved between the closed state and the open state, wherein the air outlet (1) further comprises a mounting housing (40),wherein the mounting housing (40) is configured to be attached to a respective mounting surface or section of a heating and / or air conditioning system, in particular a heating and / or air conditioning system of a recreational vehicle such as a motorhome or caravan, wherein the mounting housing (40) and the main housing (10) are detachably coupled to each other via an engagement arrangement (12, 44), characterized in that the engagement arrangement (12, 44) is a combination of detent elements or sections and threaded elements or sections on the mounting housing (40) and on the main housing (10), wherein the combination of detent elements or sections with the threaded elements or sections is configured such that the main housing (10) is coupled to or decoupled from the mounting housing (40) in a two-stage process.wherein one step comprises the engagement or disengagement of the locking elements or sections and another step comprises the engagement or disengagement of the threaded elements or sections.

Description

This invention relates to an air outlet, a heating and / or air conditioning system having such an air outlet, a recreational vehicle having an air outlet, a heating and / or air conditioning system and methods for fastening, operating and converting an air outlet.Different configurations for air outlets are known, in particular for air outlets for heating and / or air conditioners, preferably for recreational vehicles such as recreational vehicles or recreational vehicles. Conventional air outlets are provided with a main body, a flap and a coupling mechanism. The main housing forms an air flow channel. The flap is adapted to seal the air flow passage within the main housing, and the coupling mechanism movably couples the flap to the main housing such that the flap can be moved with respect to the main housing. The flap may be moved between a closed state in which the flap seals the air flow passage and an open state in which the flap does not seal the air flow passage. Thus, the air outlet can be closed and opened as needed by the user.An example of an air nozzle for guiding an air stream from an air supply duct or from a heating, ventilation or air conditioning system in a motor vehicle is disclosed in DE 20 2009 000 012 U1. The air nozzle comprises a housing which can be inserted into or behind a wall aperture and which has at least one air outlet opening with an insert made of pivotable lamellae and a separate housing. The insert is mounted in the housing of the nozzle so as to be pivotable or adjustable about a pivot axis and the pivot axis is arranged in such a way that the insert can be pivoted or pulled forward into the air outlet opening from a stowage position, in which it is pivoted or pushed into the housing, into a use position.Another example of an air outlet is shown in EP 0 810 112 A2. The air outlet has a hollow cylindrical body terminating in a circular outlet opening, two front flaps being provided, supported by a rotatable ring, so that they are connected to each other in a pivotable manner to rotate parallel to each other between two outer positions. In one position, they are coplanar and cooperate with each other to fully close the outlet opening. In the other position, the flaps are provided with maximum mutual spacing to fully open the front of the opening. A throttle valve is disposed in the cavity of the body to hermetically block or regulate the flow of air passing through the cavity.An example of an air outlet with a louver for an air conditioner is disclosed in WO 2020 / 169 204 A1. The blind is moved by a first displacement mechanism. The first displacement mechanism includes first and second pins and a first link for supporting the blind. The link includes a slot for receiving the second pin. The displacement mechanism also includes a first crank connected at a first end to the first pin and at a second end to the first link. This provides a simple-to-operate displacement mechanism for moving the blind.A cover housing mechanism for opening and closing an air outlet port is disclosed in JP H11-115 475 A.Since such air outlets are generally mounted in the furniture close to the floor in recreational vehicles, special requirements are imposed on the air outlet. Firstly, operation of the air outlet, that is to say movement of the flap between the open and the closed state, must be easy for the user to handle and reliable in the intended function. On the other hand, the air outlet and in particular the provided flap and the coupling mechanism must be protected against impacts by external influences, for example by feet, heels and / or shoes of persons who are located in the interior of the recreational vehicle. Therefore, the air outlet should be provided such that neither the flap nor the coupling mechanism protrudes from the main housing in the opened state of the flap and the front side of the air outlet forms a substantially planar and smooth surface in the closed state. Such embodiments are very robust.At present, no designs are known which solve all these problems and which satisfactorily fulfil the requirements resulting therefrom.Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an air outlet which solves the above mentioned problems and which satisfactorily meets the requirements associated therewith.This output is solved by the air outlet according to claim 1. The dependent claims relate to preferred modifications for such an air outlet, certain devices and / or vehicles provided with such an air outlet, as well as to various methods associated with such an air outlet.According to a first aspect of the present invention, an air outlet as described above is characterized in that the coupling mechanism is configured such that the door performs a rotational and sliding movement with respect to the main housing when moved between the closed and opened states.Typically, the flap is rotated between two different orientations with respect to the airflow passage to seal or open the airflow passage. However, it has been found that it is difficult to provide a configuration in which the front side of the air outlet forms a substantially planar and uniform surface in the closed state and in which the flap does not protrude from the main housing in the open state of the flap. The combination of the necessary rotational movement of the flap with a sliding (i.e. translatory) movement of the flap enables a configuration in which the flap slides into the interior of the main housing when rotated from the closed state into the open state. In the open state, the flap therefore does not protrude from the main housing. During the rotation of the door from the open state to the closed state, the door rotates and simultaneously slides back into a front opening of the main housing (i.e., the outlet of the airflow duct) to form a flat and smooth front surface in the closed state. The movement of the flap is realized by the coupling mechanism according to the present invention. Those skilled in the art may consider various structural configurations for a coupling mechanism that results in such functionality. In such an air outlet according to the invention, components or parts of the air outlet do not protrude from the main housing either in the open or in the closed state of the flap, while at the same time no undesired openings or recesses are formed on the front side of the air outlet in the closed state of the air outlet. Such a configuration according to the present invention is robust and functional and at the same time provides a smooth and pleasing appearance. It is however noted that it is preferred, but not necessary, to design the coupling mechanism such that the flap is provided completely within the main housing in the closed state or that the flap together with the main housing forms a completely planar and uniform front surface of the air outlet. In this regard, the skilled person has the freedom to adapt the claimed configurations to his requirements and / or needs. The basic idea of the present invention is thus that the rotational movement of the flap is combined with a sliding (i.e. translatory) movement in order to obtain robust and functional overall designs for air outlets.Preferably, the coupling mechanism comprises at least one sliding pin and at least one corresponding sliding groove. The slide pin is provided on the flap and the slide groove is provided on an inner surface of the main housing. In the assembled state of the coupling mechanism, the slide pin and the corresponding slide groove are engaged with each other. The slide pin is configured to slide along the corresponding slide groove during movement of the door between the closed and open states with respect to the main housing. In this way, the door with the pin can slide in the groove along the main housing as it rotates about the pin with respect to the main housing. Such a configuration is quite simple and reliable and realizes the desired combination of the rotational movement of the flap with a sliding movement thereof. In order to achieve an even more robust and stable configuration, the coupling mechanism may comprise two sliding pins and two corresponding sliding grooves, which are provided in particular on opposite sides of the flap and the main housing, respectively.More preferably, the slide grooves extend parallel to a longitudinal axis of the airflow channel within the main housing and the slide pins extend radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the airflow channel within the main housing. As a result, during the movement of the flap relative to the housing, the occurrence of undesired shear forces within the coupling mechanism is effectively and reliably prevented.Preferably, at least one slide pin is provided with a rotation limiting arrangement. The rotation limiting assembly is configured to restrict rotation of the slide pin within the slide groove. In other words, the rotation limiting arrangement is configured such that the slide pin can only rotate within the slide groove by a predefined angle. Such a rotation limiting arrangement may be provided, for example, in the form of a protrusion that protrudes from the slide pin in the radial direction with respect to a rotation axis of the slide pin. Alternatively or additionally, a rotation limiting arrangement may comprise one or more flattened surfaces or may be formed from one or more flattened surfaces provided on the slide pin and hindering rotation of the slide pin within the slide groove by more than a predetermined angle. To realize the intended function, such configurations are simple in construction but provide a reliable function. In particular, not only one of the provided slide pins but all are provided with such a rotation limiting arrangement. Thus, an undesired rotation of the flap beyond a predetermined angle with respect to the main housing is reliably prevented. At the same time, undesired shear forces within the coupling mechanism are prevented or at least suppressed to a minimum.Preferably, the coupling mechanism comprises at least one rotating lever. The rotary lever has two lateral end portions. The first of the two end portions is rotatably coupled to the flap. The second of the end portions is rotatably coupled to the main housing. This rotates the flap relative to the main housing during a sliding movement along a longitudinal axis of the airflow channel. In other words, the rotary lever is provided so that sliding movement of the flap relative to the main housing results in simultaneous rotational movement of the flap and vice versa. The provision of such a rotary lever is a simple but reliable possibility of realizing the intended simultaneous rotational and sliding movement of the flap with respect to the main housing.Further preferably, the first axis of rotation of the rotary lever at its first end portion is parallel to the second axis of rotation of the rotary lever at its second end portion. As a result, undesired shearing forces are reliably prevented during the movement of the flap relative to the main housing. In particular, the sliding pins extend parallel to the first and to the second axis of rotation. This further prevents undesirable shear forces within the air outlet during movement of the flap relative to the main housing.Further preferably, the coupling mechanism comprises at least one, in particular two, hinges, which connect the rotary lever to the main housing or the flap. Conventional hinges are very simple and reliable possibilities for achieving the desired rotation. In particular, at least one and preferably all of these hinges are designed in the form of pin hinges. This particular construction results in a simple and cost effective overall configuration.Further preferably, the coupling mechanism or the flap is provided with a bearing. The rotary lever is coupled to the bearing. Preferably, the main housing and the lid are provided with such bearings to which the rotary lever is coupled. Such bearings allow a highly flexible and practical coupling of the rotary lever to the flap or to the main housing. In particular, at least one of the bearings can be provided with two coupling arms, wherein the respective end section of the rotary lever is rotatably coupled to both coupling arms. This results in a robust and reliable configuration.Preferably, the air outlet further comprises a locking arrangement configured to lock the flap in its closed state and / or in its open state. The locking arrangement prevents unintentional and / or independent closing and / or opening of the air outlet. In particular, the locking arrangement comprises at least one prestress configuration acting on the flap. The at least one biasing configuration acts on the flap to require a force to be applied to the flap to move the flap from either its closed state to its open state or to the other state. With such a pretensioning configuration, unintentional and / or independent movements of the flap are prevented in a simple and reliable manner. Alternatively or additionally, the biasing configuration may be provided such that when the flap is in a position near its closed or open state, the flap is biased to that closest state. Thus, undesired positioning of the door in an intermediate state near the closed state or near the open state is reliably prevented.Further preferably, the locking arrangement comprises at least one pretensioning strip. The biasing bar is made of a resilient material and is coupled to the main housing and at least one corresponding locking protrusion provided on the flap. Such a biasing bar is an example of a suitable biasing configuration. The locking protrusion is configured to cooperate with the biasing bar to realize the functionality of the locking assembly and, in particular, also the biasing member. This configuration is simple and robust, but at the same time functional. Preferably, two biasing strips and two corresponding locking protrusions are provided in order to realize an even more robust and reliable overall configuration.Further, the locking protrusions are preferably provided with a first contact surface and a second contact surface. In the closed state of the flap, the pretensioning strips rest at least partially, preferably flat, on the first contact surface of the corresponding locking projection. In the open state of the flap, the provided pretensioning strips rest at least partially and preferably flat on a second contact surface of the corresponding locking projections. In each of the two end states of the flap, the prestressing force produced by the prestressing strips on the locking projections is minimal, but in particular not zero. This implementation provides a simple and inexpensive, yet reliable construction.More preferably, the locking projections are provided with a third contact surface, the third contact surface being provided between the two other contact surfaces, so that for the movement of the locking projections with respect to the biasing strips between the two end states of the flap, the biasing strips are in contact with the third contact surface. In particular, the third contact surface is formed continuously to the two other contact surfaces and has a curved shape. Thereby, the biasing strips can slide smoothly with respect to the locking projections between the two end states of the flap. Preferably, the third contact surface is configured such that the biasing force generated by the respective biasing strip on the locking protrusion is greater when the biasing strip contacts the third contact surface than for the two end states of the flap in which the respective biasing strip rests on one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface.According to the invention, the air outlet further comprises a fastening housing. The mounting housing is configured to be attachable to a corresponding mounting surface or portion of a heating and / or air conditioning system, in particular a heating and / or air conditioning system of a recreational vehicle such as a recreational vehicle or residence. The mounting housing and the main housing are releasably connected to each other via an engagement arrangement. Thus, the fastening housing can first be fastened to the corresponding fastening surface or the corresponding section without engagement with the flap and / or the coupling mechanism. Then, the main housing may be coupled to the lid and the coupling mechanism may be coupled to the mounting housing. This results in a simple fastening process for the air outlet. Moreover, with this configuration, it is possible to replace the insert formed by the main body with the lid and the coupling mechanism with another insert. For example, the other insert may not have a flap mechanism and coupling mechanism, but only a fixed end cap with fixed vents. Such a configuration offers all the above-mentioned advantages and at the same time is very flexible.Furthermore, according to the invention, the engagement arrangement consists of a combination of latching elements or sections and threaded elements or sections on the fastening housing and on the main housing. The combination of detents or portions with the threaded members or portions is configured to couple the main housing to the mounting housing or to be decoupled from the mounting housing in a two-step process. One step comprises engaging or disengaging the latching elements or sections. The other step involves the meshing or diverging of the threaded members or portions. With such a configuration, the main housing can be coupled to the mounting housing in a reliable and stable manner.According to another aspect of the present invention, a heating and / or air conditioning system-which is provided in particular for recreational vehicles such as recreational vehicles or recreational vehicles-comprises at least one of the air outlets described above. Such an arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning system having at least one of the air outlets according to the invention thus benefits from the technical effects of the air outlet according to the invention.According to a further aspect of the present invention, a recreational vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle or recreational vehicle, comprises at least one of the heating and / or air conditioning systems described above and / or the air outlet described above. The technical effects according to the invention of the air outlet can thus be achieved in corresponding vehicles.According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for operating one of the air outlets described above is proposed. The method according to the invention comprises a step of, for moving the flap from the closed state to the open state, pressing the flap at a first operating portion thereof such that the flap slides and rotates with respect to the main housing from the closed state to the open state. In order to move the door from the opened state to the closed state, the door is pressed at a second operation portion different from its first operation portion so that the door slides from the opened state to the closed state with respect to the main housing and rotates back. The operating portions may be provided as separate regions on the surface of the flap. In this way, it is easy to open and close the air outlet according to the present invention.Preferably, the compressive force to be applied to move the flap between its states must exceed a predetermined, not negligible threshold value to cause relative movement of the flap with respect to the main housing from its closed state and / or from its open state. This reliably prevents undesired unintentional and / or independent movements of the flap, for example due to oscillations of the recreational vehicle during travel or also due to gravity.According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of securing one of the above-described air outlets to a desired attachment surface or portion includes securing a mounting housing of the air outlet to the respective attachment surface with a corresponding mounting structure, and coupling the main housing to the mounting housing through a combined operation of engaging latching members or portions and engaging threaded members or portions of the main housing with corresponding members or portions on the mounting housing. In this way, the main housing is coupled to the mounting housing in a robust and reliable manner.Preferably, for locking the main housing into the fastening housing, locking elements or sections of the main housing are first locked with corresponding locking elements or sections of the fastening housing. The first latching members or portions of the main housing are engaged with corresponding latching members or portions of the mounting housing by longitudinal movement of the main housing with respect to the mounting housing along the longitudinal axis of the main housing. The longitudinal axis of the main housing is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the mounting housing. Threaded members or portions of the main housing are then engaged with corresponding threaded members or portions of the mounting housing. The threaded members or portions of the main housing are engaged with corresponding threaded members or portions of the mounting housing by rotational movement of the main housing with respect to the mounting housing about the common longitudinal axis of the main housing and the mounting housing. In this way, the main housing is coupled to the mounting housing in a robust and reliable manner.According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for converting one of the air outlets described above is proposed. The method for converting one of the above-described air outlets according to the present invention comprises decoupling the main housing with the flap and the coupling mechanism from the fixing housing in a configuration in which the main housing of the air outlet is coupled to a corresponding fixing housing of the air outlet, and replacing the flap with the corresponding coupling mechanism with a stationary end cap with ventilation openings and a corresponding coupling mechanism (30') Thus, the air outlet can be adapted to different situations and requirements by replacing the inserted main housing with its components coupled thereto in a simple and easy manner.These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of preferred, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of an air outlet according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention (obliquely from the front); FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the air outlet of FIG. 1 (viewed obliquely from behind); FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the air outlet of FIGS. 1 and 2 (from behind along a longitudinal axis of the air outlet); FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the door and the rotating lever of the air outlet of FIGS. 1, 2 to 3 (obliquely from behind); FIG. 4B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the slide pins of FIG. 4A (along its rotational axis); FIGS. 5A to 5B are cross-sectional side views of the air outlet of FIGS. 1, 2 to 3 in the closed state (see FIG. 5A ), in an intermediate state (see FIG. 5B ), and in the open state (see FIG. 5C ); FIG. 6 is a first perspective view of an air outlet with an immovable end cap (from obliquely front); FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the alternative air outlet of FIG. 6 (viewed obliquely from behind); FIG. 8 is a partial spatial view of an air outlet according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the air outlet of FIG. 8 ; and FIGS. 10A to 10D are enlarged side views of the first locking protrusion of FIGS. 8 and 9 interacting with the respective biasing rail during movement of the flap relative to the main housing at various moments.Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4B, a first exemplary embodiment of an air outlet 1 according to the present invention will be described.The air outlet includes a main housing 10, a flap 20, a coupling mechanism 30, and a fixing housing 40. The door 20 is movably coupled to the main housing 10 via the coupling mechanism 30, and is configured to be capable of sealing (i.e., closing) the air flow passage inside the main housing 10. The coupling mechanism 30 is configured such that the door 20 can be moved relative to the main housing 10 between closed and open states. In the closed state, the flap 20 closes or seals the air flow channel. In the open state, the air flow channel is open and air can flow through the air flow channel. The concrete configuration of the coupling mechanism 30 and its components will be described later. The main housing 10 is coupled to the mounting housing 40 via an engagement arrangement, the mounting housing 40 is tubular. The main housing 10, the air flow passage, and the fixing housing 40 each have a longitudinal axis LA. In the assembled state of the air outlet 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 to 3, the longitudinal axis LA of the main housing 10 corresponds to the longitudinal axis LA of the air flow duct and further to a longitudinal axis LA of the fastening housing 40, as is particularly shown in FIG. 3.The mounting housing 40 comprises a mounting structure 42 on its outer surface with respect to its longitudinal axis LA. The mounting housing 40 can be coupled to the mounting structure 42 on a mounting surface or a mounting portion of a heating and / or air conditioning system, for example. The air outlet 1 is to be attached to the mounting structure 42. Since the skilled person is familiar with various possibilities for realizing such a fastening structure 42, further details regarding a specific implementation thereof are omitted here.On the inner surface of the mounting housing 40, an engagement arrangement is provided. The engagement arrangement is realized in the form of an interrupted internal thread 44. The main housing 10 has a mating engagement arrangement on its outer surface and with respect to the longitudinal axis LA. The mating engagement arrangement is provided in the form of an interrupted external thread 12. The interruptions in the internal thread 44 of the fastening housing 40 and the interruptions in the external thread 12 of the main housing 10 extend along the longitudinal axis LA. The internal threads 44 of the mounting housing 40 and the external threads 12 are provided such that the main housing 10 can be inserted into or removed from the mounting housing 40 with transverse movement of the main housing 10 relative to the mounting housing 40 along the longitudinal axis LA in a first relative orientation between the main housing 10 and the mounting housing 40. During insertion of the main housing 10 into the mounting housing 40, the main housing 10 is rotated relative to the mounting housing 40 about the central longitudinal axis LA to engage the male threads 12 of the main housing 10 with the female threads 44 of the mounting housing 40. In this state, the intermeshing threads 12 and 44 prevent translation of the main housing 10 relative to the mounting housing 40. During decoupling of the main housing 10 from the mounting housing 40, the main housing 10 is first rotated relative to the mounting housing 40 to rotate the main housing 10 and mounting housing 40 back to the original relative orientation in which the external thread 12 of the main housing 10 is aligned with the discontinuities in the internal thread 44 of the mounting housing 40, and vice versa. Then, the main housing 10 is removed from the mounting housing 44 by a translation movement of the main housing 10 along the central longitudinal axis LA. The projections of the threads 12 and 44 represent threaded elements or thread sections within the meaning of the present invention. The interruptions in the threads 12 and 44 represent latching elements or sections within the meaning of the present invention.However, other configurations for reasonable coupling of the main housing 10 to the fastening housing 40 are also conceivable. For example, simple, non-interrupted, intermeshing threads may be provided if desired.The main housing 10 with the flap 20 and the coupling mechanism 30 is releasably coupled to the mounting housing 40 via the engagement arrangement with the threads 12 and 44. Specifically, the door 20 is coupled to the main housing 10 via the coupling mechanism 30, and the main housing 10 is in turn coupled to the fixing housing 40. Thus, it is possible to replace the insert consisting of the flap 20 and the associated coupling mechanism 30 with an alternative insert with a corresponding coupling mechanism 30'. An example of such an alternative use is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The alternative insert comprises, instead of the flap 20, an immovable end cap 64 with a plurality of ventilation openings 66, which delimit the cross section of the provided air flow channel, but cannot be varied as desired. In the present embodiment, the stationary end cap 64 has six slot-shaped vent holes 66 which define the cross section of the intended air flow channel. However, neither the number nor specific shape of the vent apertures 66 is essential to the invention and may be varied according to the specific needs and requirements of the user. The respectively provided coupling mechanism 30 or 30' here contains a fastening projection 38 or 38' with a locking projection 38a or 38a' which engages in the main housing 10 (see in particular FIGS. 2 and 7 ). It is thus possible in a particularly simple manner to change the use of the main housing 10 in the disassembled state of the main housing 10 and thus to adapt the air outlet finally formed to different circumstances and requirements in a particularly simple manner without having to reconfigure the main housing 10 and / or the fastening housing 40.Referring again to the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 4B, the linkage mechanism 30 is configured to allow the door 20 to be moved relative to the main housing 10. The flap can be slidably and rotatably moved with respect to the main housing 10. In other words, the coupling mechanism 30 is configured such that the door 20 performs a rotational and sliding movement with respect to the main housing 10 when moved between its closed and opened states. This movement is seen in Figs. 5A to 5C. FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional view of the air outlet 1 of FIGS. 1, 2 to 3 in the closed state in which the flap 20 closes the air flow channel (see arrows). FIG. 5C shows a cross-sectional view of the air outlet 1 of FIGS. 1, 2 to 3 in the open state, in which the flap 20 does not seal the air flow channel (see arrows). FIG. 5C shows an intermediate state of the door 20 in a state between its closed state of FIG. 5A and its open state of FIG. 5C. In this state, the air flow passage is partially blocked (see the arrows).As the various states of the flap illustrated in FIGS. 5A through 5C are illustrated, during movement of the flap 20 between its closed state of FIG. 5A and its open state of FIG. 5C, a center point CP of the flap 20 moves or slides along the longitudinal axis LA. At the same time, a first operating portion OS 1 representing a specific area on the flap 20 and a second operating portion OS 2 representing another specific area on the flap 20 rotate about the center CP of the flap 20. In the present embodiment, the coupling mechanism 30 and the first operating portion OS 1 are provided so that the door 20 can be moved from the closed state of FIG. 5A to the opened state of FIG. 5C (via the intermediate state of FIG. 5B ) by applying a predetermined force to the first operating portion OS 1. In other words, by pressing the first operation portion OS 1 with the predetermined force, the door 20 moves from the closed state of FIG. 5A to the open state of FIG. 5C (via the intermediate state of FIG. 5B ). Moreover, the coupling mechanism 30 and the second operating portion OS 2 are provided so that the door 20 can be moved from the opened state of FIG. 5C to the closed state of FIG. 5A (via the intermediate state of FIG. 5B ) by applying a predetermined force to the second operating portion OS 2. In other words, by pressing the second operation portion OS 2 with the predetermined force, the door 20 moves from the opened state of FIG. 5C to the closed state of FIG. 5A (via the intermediate state of FIG. 5B ).The structural structure of the coupling mechanism 30 of the illustrated embodiment with the movable flap 20 will be described in more detail below.As seen in FIGS. 3, 4A, and 4B, the slide pins 22 aand 22 bare coupled to or provided on the door 20. A first slide pin 22 ais provided on the outer periphery of the door 20 on a side of the door 20 with respect to the longitudinal axis LA of the air outlet 1. A second slide pin 22 bis provided on the outer periphery of the door 20 on the opposite side of the door 20 with respect to the longitudinal axis LA of the air outlet 1. The first and second slide pins 22 aand 22 bextend radially with respect to the longitudinal axis LA. On each of the fixing projections 38, along the inner surface of the main housing 10, a corresponding slide groove 14a and 14b is provided for the first and second slide pins 22a and 22b, respectively. As can be seen in FIG. 2, for example, each sliding groove 14 aand 14 b(here the second sliding groove 14 b) is designed such that the respective sliding pin 22 aand 22 b(here the second sliding pin 22 b) is in engagement with the corresponding sliding groove 14 aand 14 b. The slide pins 22 aand 22 bare engaged with the slide grooves 14 aand 14 b, respectively, such that the slide pins 22 aand 22 bcan slide along the slide grooves 14 aand 14 balong the longitudinal axis LA and can rotate within the slide grooves 14 aand 14 b about an axis of rotation RA extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LA (see FIG. 3 ).Although the slide pins 22 aand 22 bare members of the coupling mechanism 30 in the terminal, they may be provided integrally with the door 20 as in the illustrated embodiment. Moreover, the term "coupling mechanism 30" does not necessarily describe, within the scope of the present invention, an arrangement in which a plurality of components are connected to one another. The term "coupling mechanism 30" may include a plurality of independent components or component groups, as is the case in the illustrated embodiment. Nevertheless, integrally formed coupling mechanisms 30 are also possible within the scope of the present invention.To stabilize and limit the rotational movement of the slide pins 22 aand 22 bwithin the respective slide grooves 14 aand 14 bto a predetermined angle, each slide pin 22 aand 22 bhas a rotation limiting arrangement as illustrated in the depicted embodiment. As can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, here the rotation limiting arrangement is provided on the first sliding pin 22 ain the form of two flattened surfaces 22 a 1 and 22 a 2. The two flattened surfaces 22 a 1 and 22 a 2 are provided on a periphery of the respective slide pin 22 awith respect to the rotation axis RA. The first flattened surface 22 a 1 is configured to contact a corresponding side wall of the respective sliding groove 14 ain the closed state of the flap 20. The second flattened surface 22 a 2 is configured to contact the other side wall of the respective slide groove 14 ain the opened state of the flap 20. The two flattened surfaces 22a1 and 22a2 are provided on the corresponding slide pin 22a. The two flattened surfaces 22 a 1 and 22 a 2 are aligned with one another such that they do not impede a rotation of the sliding pin 22 aand therefore of the flap 20 during a movement between its closed and its open state, but prevent a further rotation of the sliding pin 22 aand therefore of the flap 20 beyond its closed and beyond its open state. Here, it is preferable that the flattened surfaces 22 a 1 and 22 a 1 are perpendicular to each other and protrude from a circular cross section of the respective slide pin 22 a, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, for example. The rotation limiting arrangement with the flattened surfaces 22a1 and 22a2 thus enables the movement of the flap 20 with respect to the main housing 10, as is illustrated for example in Figures 5A to 5C, but limits the rotational movement beyond this range. In the illustrated embodiment, both slide pins 22a and 22b are provided with such flattened surfaces.As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4A, the coupling mechanism 30 of the air outlet 1 of the depicted embodiment further includes a rotating lever 32. the rotating lever 32 is provided to reliably combine the sliding movement with the rotating movement of the flap 20, as will be described in more detail below. The rotating lever 32 has a first side end portion and a second side end portion. The first lateral end portion of the rotating lever 32 is coupled to a first bearing assembly 26 provided on the rear side 20 aof the door 20 via a first pin hinge 34. The first bearing arrangement 26 comprises two first coupling arms 26 aand 26 b. One end each of the first coupling arms 26 aand 26 bis coupled to the rear side 20 aof the flap 20. The first coupling arms 26 aand 26 bextend from the rear side 20 aof the flap 20 parallel to one another and perpendicular along the longitudinal axis LA. In the present embodiment, the first coupling arms 26 aand 26 bare provided in the form of relatively flat, substantially two-dimensional components. The other ends of the first coupling arms 26 aand 26 bare provided with an engagement structure. The engagement structure is configured to be engageable with a first hinge pin 34a provided through a corresponding pin opening (not shown) of the rotary lever 32. Thus, the rotating lever 32 can rotate with respect to the door 20. The second lateral end portion of the rotary lever 32 is coupled to a second bearing assembly 16 provided as part of the coupling mechanism 30 within the main housing 10 via a second pin hinge 36 having a second hinge pin 36 a. The two hinge pins 34a and 36a are seen, for example, in Figures 5A to 5C. The second bearing arrangement 16 comprises two second coupling arms 16 aand 16 b. Each of the two second coupling arms 16 aand 16 bhas an "L" shape and is connected at its end portions to the main housing 10 via the fixing protrusions 38. Each of the second coupling arms 16 aand 16 bhas an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of each of the second coupling arms 16a and 16b is coupled to the second end portion of the rotary lever 32 via the second pin hinge 36 in a manner very similar to the first pin hinge 34. In order to prevent the occurrence of shearing forces upon the movement of the flap 20 relative to the main housing 10, the axes of rotation of the pin hinges 34 and 36 and of the slide pins 22 aand 22 aare oriented parallel to one another, while the slide grooves 14 aand 14 run parallel to the longitudinal axis LA. Thus, the rotating lever 32 can also rotate with respect to the main housing 10. At the same time, the rotating lever 32 restricts the movement of the door 20 relative to the main housing 10 such that, upon sliding movement of the door 20 relative to the main housing 10 along the slide grooves 14 aand 14 b, the door 20 is forced to rotate about the slide pins 22 aand 22 baround the rotation axis RA.Another exemplary embodiment of an air outlet 1 according to the present invention is illustrated with reference to Figs. 8 to 10D. The air outlet 1 according to this exemplary embodiment has in principle the same structural design as the air outlet 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 5C. In the exemplary embodiment of Figs. 8 to 10D, the corresponding mounting housing has been omitted, but the air outlet 1 has all the structural components and configurations described above with respect to the air outlet 1, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5C. For the sake of brevity, repetition of the specific description of these features described above is omitted here.The structural difference between the configuration shown in Figures 1 to 5C and the configuration of Figures 8 to 10D is that a further locking arrangement is provided in the latter. The further locking arrangement comprises a biasing configuration. The biasing configuration is comprised of two biasing ledges 50 and 52 and two corresponding locking protrusions 54 and 56. The biasing ledges 50 and 52 are substantially flat components and have an "L" shape. The biasing strips 50 and 52 protrude into the air flow channel inside the main housing 10. The locking protrusions 54 and 56 are provided on the rear side 20 aof the flap 20 immediately adjacent to the first coupling arms 26 aand 26 b. The locking projections 54 and 56 are designed in the form of plates as two-dimensional components.As best seen in FIGS. 10A to 10D, each of the locking protrusions (here in particular locking protrusion 54) comprises a plurality of, here in particular three, different contact surfaces 54 a, 54 band 54 c.Here, the locking protrusion 54 includes a first contact surface 54 a, a second contact surface 54 c, and a third contact surface 54 b. The first contact surface 54 aand the second contact surface 54 care both aligned flat and more or less perpendicular to each other. The third contact surface 54 bis provided between the first contact surface 54 aand the second contact surface 54 cand couples them to each other. Here, the third contact surface 54 bis formed on one side thereof continuously with the first contact surface 54 aand on the other side thereof continuously with the second contact surface 54 cand has a curved, in particular round, shape as viewed along the rotational axis RA.The pretensioning strips 50 and 52 and the locking projections 54 and 56 are designed such that, in the closed state of the flap 20, the first contact surface 54 alies in particular flat on the corresponding pretensioning strip 50 or vice versa (see FIG. 10A ). In addition, the pretensioning strips 50 and 52 and the locking projections 54 and 56 are designed such that, in various intermediate states of the flap 20 between its closed and its open state, the third contact surface 54 blies particularly flat on the corresponding pretensioning strip 50 or vice versa (see FIGS. 10B and 10C ). Finally, the pretensioning strips 50 and 52 and the locking projections 54 and 56 are designed such that, in the open state of the flap 20, the second contact surface 54 cis in particular resting flat on the corresponding pretensioning strip 50 or vice versa (see FIG. 10D ).The biasing ledges 50 and 52 and the locking protrusions 54 and 56 are configured such that a biasing force generated by the biasing ledges 50 and 52 on the locking protrusions 54 and 56 is minimal for the opened state and for the closed state of the flap 20. In these two end states for the flap, however, the generated prestressing force should not be zero, so that the flap 20 is stabilized in the respective end state and wobbling of the flap in its end states is prevented. For the intermediate states of the flap 20, the generated biasing force is increased with respect to the two end states of the flap 20 such that the flap 20 tends toward its two end states. This increased biasing force results from increased deformation of the biasing ledges 50 and 52 by the locking protrusions 54 and 56 when the biasing ledges 50 and 52 are then in contact with the respective third contact surfaces 54 b.By continuously forming the third contact surface 54 b, i.e. flat with respect to the two other contact surfaces 54 aand 54 c, and providing the third contact surface 54 bwith a curved, in particular round shape, as viewed along the axis of rotation RA, a continuous course of the generated prestressing force results, which firstly increases and then decreases during a movement of the flap 20 between its two end states. This results in a quite stable and reliable overall configuration.Finally, it is pointed out that the embodiments described here represent preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection is defined only by the appended claims and is not restricted by the explanations given above with respect to the exemplary embodiments.It is also to be noted that the appended claims relate not only to a suitable air outlet, but also to a heating and / or air conditioning system having such an air outlet and to a recreational vehicle having such a heating and / or air conditioning system and / or such an air outlet. Moreover, the claims relate to various (implicit) methods described above, which are closely related to the air outlet according to the present invention.REFERENCE CHARACTER1 Air outlet 10 Main housing 12 Interrupted external thread 14 aFirst sliding groove 14 bSecond sliding groove 16 aFirst of the second coupling arms 16 bSecond of the second coupling arms 20 Flap 20 aBack 22 aFirst sliding pin 22 a 1First flattened surface 22 a 2Second flattened surface 22 bSecond sliding pin 26First bearing arrangement 26 aFirst of the first coupling arms 26 bSecond of the first coupling arms 30 Coupling mechanism 30' Coupling mechanism 32 Rotary lever 34First pin hinge 34 aFirst hinge pin 36Second pin hinge 36 aSecond hinge pin 38 Latching protrusion 38' Latching protrusion 38 a Latching protrusion 38 a' Latching protrusion 40 Fastening housing 42 Fastening structure 44 Interrupted internal thread 50 First pretensioning strip 52 Second pretensioning strip 54First locking protrusion 56 Second locking protrusion 54 aFirst contact surface 54 bThird contact surface 54 cSecond contact surface 64 End cap 66 ventilation openings CP center point LA longitudinal axis OS 1 first actuation section OS 2 second actuation section RA axis of rotation

Claims

An air outlet (1), in particular for heating and / or air conditioning systems for recreational vehicles such as recreational vehicles or recreational vehicles, comprising: a main housing (10), wherein the main housing (10) forms an air flow channel; a flap (20) suitable for sealing the air flow channel in the main housing (10); and a coupling mechanism (30) coupling the flap (20) to the main housing (10) in a movable manner such that the flap (20) can be moved with respect to the main housing (10) between a closed state in which the flap (20) seals the air flow channel and an open state in which the flap (20) does not seal the air flow channel; wherein the coupling mechanism (30) is configured such that the flap (20) performs a rotational and sliding movement with respect to the main housing (10), An air outlet (1) when moved between the closed state and the open state, wherein the air outlet (1) further comprises a mounting housing (40), wherein the mounting housing (40) is configured to be mounted on a / a respective mounting surface or section of a heating and / or air conditioning system, in particular a heating and / or air conditioning system of a recreational vehicle such as a recreational vehicle or a recreational vehicle, wherein the mounting housing (40) and the main housing (10) are detachably coupled to each other via an engagement arrangement (12, 44), characterized in that the engagement arrangement (12, 44) is a combination of latching elements or sections and threaded elements or sections on the mounting housing (40) and on the main housing (10), wherein the combination of latching elements or sections with the threaded elements or sections is configured such that, the main housing (10) being coupled to or uncoupled from the fastening housing (40) in a two-step method, wherein one step comprises the engaging or releasing of the latching elements or sections and another step comprises the engaging or releasing of the threaded elements or sections.The air outlet (1) according to claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism (30) comprises at least one, in particular two, sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b) and at least one, in particular two, corresponding sliding groove(s) (14a, 14b), wherein the sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b) is / are provided on the flap (20) and the sliding groove(s) (14a, 14b) is / are provided on an inner surface of the main housing (10) such that the sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b) and the corresponding sliding groove(s) (14a, 14b) are / are engaged with each other and that the sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b) slides / slides along the corresponding slide groove(s) (14a, 14b) during movement of the flap (20) between the closed state and the open state with respect to the main housing (10).The air outlet (1) according to claim 2, wherein the sliding groove(s) (14a, 14b) extends / extend parallel to a longitudinal axis (LA) of the air flow duct inside the main housing (10), and wherein the sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b) extends / extend radially with respect to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the air flow duct inside the main housing (10).The air outlet (1) according to any of claims 2 and 3, wherein at least one sliding pin (22a, 22b), in particular all sliding pins (22a, 22b), is / are provided with a rotation limiting arrangement, in particular in the form of a protrusion and / or one or more flattened surfaces (22a1, 22a2), wherein the rotation limiting arrangement is configured to limit a rotation of the sliding pins (22a, 22b) within the sliding grooves (14a, 14b).The air outlet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling mechanism (30) comprises at least one rotating lever (32), the rotating lever (32) having two lateral end portions, a first of the end portions being rotatably coupled to the flap (20) and a second of the end portions being rotatably coupled to the main housing (10), such that the flap (20) is rotated during a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the air flow channel with respect to the main housing (10).The air outlet (1) according to claim 5, wherein the first axis of rotation of the rotating lever (32) at its first end portion is parallel to the second axis of rotation of the rotating lever (32) at its second end portion, wherein in particular the sliding pin(s) (22a, 22b), if provided, is / are parallel to the first and second axes of rotation.The air outlet (1) according to any one of claims 5 and 6, wherein the coupling mechanism (30) comprises at least one, in particular two, hinges (34, 36), in particular in the form of pin hinges, which couple the rotating lever (32) to the main housing (10) and / or to the flap (20).The air outlet (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the coupling mechanism (30) and / or the flap (20) is / are provided with an in particular integrally formed bearing arrangement (16, 26), wherein the rotary lever (32) is coupled to the bearing arrangement(s) (16, 26), and wherein the bearing arrangement(s) (16, 26) comprises / comprise in particular two coupling arms (16a, 16b, 26a, 26b), wherein the respective end portion of the rotary lever (32) is rotatably coupled to the coupling arms (16a, 16b, 26a, 26b).The air outlet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air outlet (1) further comprises a locking arrangement configured to lock the flap (20) in its closed state and / or in its open state, wherein the locking arrangement in particular has at least one biasing configuration acting on the flap (20) such that a certain, not negligible force has to be applied to the flap (20) in order to move the flap (20) from its closed state and / or its open state into its other state, and / or such that when the flap (20) is close to its closed or its open state, the flap (20) is biased into this closest state.The air outlet (1) according to claim 9, wherein the locking arrangement comprises at least one, in particular two, biasing strip(s) (50, 52) made of elastic material and coupled to the main housing (10), as well as at least one, in particular two corresponding locking protrusion(s) provided on the flap (20), wherein the locking protrusion(s) or the locking protrusions (54, 56) is / are configured to cooperate with the corresponding biasing strip(s) (50, 52) to realize the functionality of the locking arrangement.The air outlet (1) according to claim 10, wherein the locking protrusion or protrusions (54, 56) is provided with a first contact surface (54a) and a second contact surface (54c), wherein in the closed state of the flap (20) the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) at least partially and preferably flat rests on the first contact surface (54a) of the corresponding locking protrusion (54), and in the open state of the flap (20) the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) at least partially and preferably flat rests on the second contact surface (54c) of the corresponding locking protrusion or protrusions (54, 56), so that in each of the two states of the flap (20) the biasing force generated by the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) on the locking protrusion or protrusions (54, 56) is minimal, but in particular never is zero.The air outlet (1) according to claim 11, wherein the locking protrusion or protrusions (54, 56) is / are provided with a third contact surface (54b), wherein the third contact surface (54b) is provided between the two other contact surfaces (54a, 54c), in particular is continuously formed thereon and has a curved shape, such as for the movement of the locking protrusion or protrusions (54, 56) with respect to the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) between the two end states of the flap (20), wherein the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) is / are in contact with the third contact surface (54b), wherein in particular the third contact surface (54b) is formed such that the biasing force generated by the respective biasing strip (50, 52) on the corresponding locking protrusion (54, 56) is greater, when the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) contacts / contact the third contact surface (54b) than for the two end states of the flap (20) in which the biasing strip(s) (50, 52) rests / rest on one of the first contact surface (54a) and the second contact surface (54c).A heating and / or air conditioning system, in particular for recreational vehicles such as recreational vehicles or recreational vehicles, having at least one air outlet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.A recreational vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle or a recreational vehicle, with at least one heating and / or air conditioning system according to claim 13 and / or at least one air outlet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.A method of operating an air outlet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein to move the door (20) from the closed state to the open state, the door (20) presses a first operating portion (OS1) thereof such that the door (20) slides and rotates relative to the main housing (10) from the closed state to the open state, wherein to move the door (20) from the open state to the closed state, the door (20) presses a second operating portion (OS2) thereof different from the first operating portion (OS1) such that the door (20) slides and rotates back relative to the main housing (10) from the open state to the closed state.The method according to claim 15, wherein the applied pressing force must exceed a predetermined, not negligible threshold value in order to trigger a relative movement of the flap (20) with respect to the main housing (10) from its closed state and / or from its open state.A method for fastening the air outlet (1) according to any of claims 1 to 12 to a desired fastening surface or portion, comprising fastening a fastening housing (40) of the air outlet (1) to the respective fastening surface by means of a corresponding fastening structure (42), and coupling the main housing (10) of the air outlet (1) to the fastening housing (40) of the air outlet (1) with a combined process of engaging latching elements or portions and engaging threaded elements or portions (12) of the main housing (10) with corresponding elements or portions (44) on the fastening housing (40).The method of claim 17, wherein to engage the main housing (10) with the mounting housing (40), first, latching elements or portions (12) of the main housing (10) are engaged with corresponding latching elements or portions (44) of the mounting housing (40) by a longitudinal movement of the main housing (10) with respect to the mounting housing (40) along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the main housing (10) aligned with the longitudinal axis (LA) of the mounting housing (40), and then threaded elements or portions (12) of the main housing (10) are engaged with corresponding threaded elements or portions (44) of the mounting housing (40) by a rotational movement of the main housing (10) with respect to the mounting housing (40) about the common longitudinal axis (LA) of the main housing (10) and the mounting housing (40).A method of redesigning the air outlet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein in a configuration in which the main housing (10) of the air outlet (1) is coupled to a respective mounting housing (40) of the air outlet (1), the main housing (10) with the flap (20) and the coupling mechanism (30) is uncoupled from the mounting housing (40) and the flap (20) with the associated coupling mechanism (30) is replaced by a stationary end cap (64) with ventilation openings (66) and a respective coupling mechanism (30').

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