AIR DIFFUSER SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to an air vent system (1) for a vehicle, which has at least one main duct (2) for conducting a first portion of a total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1), at least one bypass system (3) for conducting a second portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1), and an air flow controller (4). The air flow controller (4) is designed to divide the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1) in such a way that (i) that a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1) is only passed through the at least one bypass system (3) when a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct (2) reaches or exceeds a first predetermined or definable value; and / or (ii) that a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct (2) does not exceed a second predetermined or definable value.

Description

The present invention relates to air venting systems for vehicles. Such air vent systems are in particular part of a ventilation system of a vehicle or form such a ventilation system.The air vent systems considered herein are distinguished in particular in that this is a compilation of different air vents, such as air vents installed in the dashboard of the vehicle, air vents directed toward the vehicle window, or air vents directed into the foot space of the vehicle.In ventilation devices for vehicles, air vents or air outlet nozzles are generally used, which make possible a specific control of the emerging air jet. Such air vents serve for the supply of fresh air in particular into a vehicle interior.The air flow flows via an inlet opening at an air inlet region of the air vent into the air duct bounded by the housing wall of the air vent, through the air duct and finally through an outlet opening at the air outlet region of the air vent into the interior of a vehicle (for example, a passenger car or truck). The air flow in this case fundamentally follows a main flow direction, which can in particular run at least substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing of the air vent.In known air vents, the air flow is deflected from the main flow direction by one or more air guiding elements, for example pivotable air guiding blades. For deflecting the air from the main flow direction, the housing of the air vent delimiting the air duct can also serve, in addition to the air guiding elements.Thus, air vents are known whose housing walls converge in an arcuate manner at least in the air inlet region, wherein an air flow directed onto the arcuate housing wall by an air guiding element follows the arcuate shape and thus experiences a corresponding deflection.Such air vents are known, for example, from DE 20 2015 102 026 U1 and DE 10 2017 111 011 A1.Reference is also made to DE 20 2013 012 285 U1. In the air vent known from this prior art, two mutually opposite housing walls of the air vent housing are of arcuate configuration. An air guiding element having a first air guiding surface and a second air guiding surface opposite the first air guiding surface is arranged in the air vent housing, wherein a first air channel is formed by the housing and the first air guiding surface and a second air channel is formed by the housing and the second air guiding surface. The first air duct is designed to transport a first volume flow of air, which can flow into the housing through the air inlet opening, to the air outlet opening, while the second air duct is designed to transport a second volume flow of air, which can flow into the housing through the air inlet opening, to the air outlet opening.Furthermore, in the air vent known from DE 20 2013 012 285 U1, a wing element is arranged in the housing, wherein the wing element is arranged movably in an air inlet section between the air inlet opening and the end of the air guiding element facing the latter. The movability of the wing element is designed such that the direction of the air flowing out at the air outlet opening is adjusted due to the position of the wing element.Owing to the arcuate configuration of the housing wall, however, such air vents are very complicated to produce, in particular by way of a plastics injection molding process.Furthermore, the air vent known from DE 20 2013 012 285 U1 has certain disadvantages with regard to the total achievable throughput of the air quantity to be introduced into the interior of the vehicle.In particular, the mode of operation of the air vent known from DE 20 2013 012 285 U1 is based on the fact that an air deflection is achieved by varying the volume flows (first and second volume flows) through the two air ducts formed with the aid of the air guiding element. In the known air vent, by adjusting or varying the ratio of the volume flows which flow through the first and second air ducts, a desired air deflection of the air flowing out of the air outlet region of the air vent substantially takes place.However, it has been shown here that such a mechanism for causing an air deflection reduces the performance of the air vent, i.e. the volume flow that can be output by the air vent per unit time and / or the "quality" of the air flow that can be output by the air vent, which can be achieved in particular with regard to air flow fanning out and alignment. Above all, with the approach known from DE 20 2013 012 285 U1, for example, no uniformly distributed volume flow can be realized at different positions of the air vent at the air outlet region of the air vent.Apart from these disadvantages, the air vent known from DE 20 2013 012 285 U1 in particular has disadvantages in the air deflection due to its concept.Thus, in the known air vents, for example even in the straight-ahead position of the air guiding elements, the air is often diverted or deflected a number of times within the housing of the air vent, which results in an increased flow resistance. As a result, the effect of the air guiding elements accommodated in the housing of the air vent is greatly impaired, in particular for the horizontal air deflection.In addition, the increased flow resistance upstream of the outlet opening of the air vent widens the exiting air flow, which is likewise generally not desired.A further disadvantage of known air vents is that the air guiding elements, such as air guiding slats, arranged in the air duct limit the flow cross section available for the air. This applies in particular in the region of the end positions of the air guiding elements. Restrictions on the available flow cross section of more than 50% may occur.Moreover, for design reasons, there is an increasing desire to integrate the outlet openings of the air vents in the overall I-panel design in a harmonic manner as slot-shaped openings. There is thus a need for slot or line outlets which have vent openings which are as imperceptible as possible.However, the problem with slot or line exhausts is that a high pressure loss is associated due to the reduced venting opening. In particular, with such slot or line outflows, a relatively large quantity of air (high volume flow) cannot be conducted into the vehicle interior, or can only be conducted into the vehicle interior with great effort per unit time, which is desired, however, for example for heating up the interior in winter or for air-conditioning the interior.Even if the high pressure loss associated with slit or line outflows should be accepted, noise generation is unavoidable, especially with high volume flows, which is likewise generally unacceptable.The freedom of design in the integration of air vents in the interior of a vehicle is thus limited. The air vents or air nozzles must have a certain opening size and a certain flow cross section so that, if necessary, a relatively high volume flow can be conducted via the air vents into the vehicle interior without the noise development increasing too much in the process and the pressure drop being kept within an acceptable range.Finally, the document DE 33 23 176 A1 relates to a heating and ventilation device for the passenger compartment of motor vehicles, which has the following: a blower to which outside air is supplied, a warm air duct which leads via a heat exchanger, a cold air bypass, a mixing chamber, controllable flaps and ventilation or air outlet nozzles arranged in the region of the dashboard and in the foot region, wherein air flows of different temperatures are guided in mutually adjacent ducts and-for the purpose of mixing the air flows-an opening which can be closed by a valve flap is provided between the adjacent ducts. The valve flap can be controlled as a function of the flow speed prevailing in a first channel, in such a way that the valve flap is opened increasingly with increasing flow speed, so that with increasing flow speed in the first channel, air can increasingly pass from a second channel into the first channel. Such a heating and ventilation device enables an automatic temperature increase of the ventilation air when setting the heating and prevents a return flow of cold air into the mixing space. Due to the air flow control effected automatically as a function of the flow speed, otherwise necessary mechanical, electrical or pneumatic transmission elements are dispensed with.On the basis of this problem, the invention is therefore based on the object of further developing an air vent system of the type described above to the extent that, despite the provision of slot-shaped outlet openings, the overall performance of the air vent system is not adversely affected, and indeed with a simultaneously relatively simple design.In particular, the object of the invention is to provide an air vent system which, despite a slit- or linear outlet opening of air vents of the air vent system, optimizes the performance of the air vent system and at the same time permits the greatest possible freedom of design.This object is achieved in particular by an air vent system for a vehicle according to independent patent claim 1, wherein advantageous developments of the air vent system according to the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims.Accordingly, the invention relates in particular to an air vent system for a vehicle, wherein the air vent system has at least one main duct for conducting a first portion of a total air flow flowing through the air vent system and at least one bypass system for conducting a second portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system.In addition, an air flow control is used which is designed to split the total air flow flowing through the air vent system.In detail, the air flow control of the air vent system is designed such that it divides the total air flow flowing through the air vent system such that (i) a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is only conducted through the at least one bypass system of the air vent system when a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct reaches or exceeds a first predetermined or fixable value; and / or (ii) a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct does not exceed a second predetermined or fixable value.The advantages which can be achieved with the solution according to the invention are obvious:By providing the bypass system with the corresponding air flow control, it is achieved in a simple but nevertheless effective manner that only a predefined or predefinable maximum air flow can flow through the main duct of the air vent system. The main duct of the air vent system is preferably connected in terms of flow to an air vent integrated, for example, in the dashboard of the vehicle.The air vent can be provided in particular with a slot-shaped outlet opening, since the bypass system ensures that only an air volume flow limited towards the top is supplied to the air vent. The air vent, which is connected to the main duct in terms of flow, can thus be integrated harmonically, for example, into the overall design.Because the volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct must not exceed a (second) value which is defined or can be defined in advance with the aid of the air flow controller, it is ensured that-if at all-only very little noise is generated when the air passes through the main duct and is blown out into the interior of the vehicle via the at least one air vent which is connected to the main duct in terms of flow.Nevertheless, the overall performance of the air vent system is not impaired. This relates in particular to situations in which a relatively high volume flow has to be guided into the vehicle interior via the air vent system within a relatively short time, for example for air conditioning or for heating the vehicle interior.For such situations, it is absolutely necessary for the total air flow flowing through the air vent system to be increased.The air flow control system acts here, since with the aid of the air flow control system at least a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is conducted through the bypass system (and no longer through the main duct). This measure, which is easy to implement but nevertheless effective, thus ensures that a slot or line ejector, which is connected in terms of flow to the main duct of the air vent system, passes only a relatively small proportion even if the volume flow of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is to be increased. The other portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is directed via the bypass system into the interior of the vehicle.Thus, the total pressure loss of the air vent system is at least partially decoupled from the total air flow flowing through the air vent system at least over a certain range.According to preferred implementations of the air discharge system according to the invention, it is provided that the at least one main duct is divided into an upstream first region and into a downstream second region. The bypass system is in this case connected or connectable in terms of flow to a region of the at least one main channel via the air flow controller, wherein this region of the at least one main channel lies between the upstream first region and the downstream second region of the at least one main channel.At least one air vent is then connected in terms of flow to the downstream second region of the at least one main duct, wherein this at least one air vent is preferably an air vent arranged / integrated in the dashboard or in the region of the dashboard of the vehicle, in particular having a slot-shaped or linear outlet opening.In a development of the last-mentioned variant of the air discharge system according to the invention, it is provided that at least one adjustable air flow-regulating element is arranged in the downstream second region of the at least one main duct. This at least one adjustable air flow regulating element is in particular a flap, in particular a metering flap. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable for the adjustable air flow regulating element to be designed in the form of a closing plate system.Preferably, the air flow controller comprises at least one pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is designed to detect a pressure, in particular static pressure, in particular in the downstream second region of the at least one main channel.With this measure, it is ensured in an easily realizable but nevertheless effective manner that a volume flow of the air flowing through the downstream second region of the at least one main duct does not exceed the previously defined or definable (second value), since the pressure sensor preferably gives the corresponding signal to the air flow controller when a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is to be branched off and conducted through the bypass system.In particular in this context, it is appropriate that the air flow controller has at least one motor-controllable valve unit, by means of which the bypass system is or can be connected in terms of flow to a region of the at least one main duct between the upstream first region and the downstream second region of the at least one main duct.However, the present invention is not limited to air vent systems in which a static pressure is detected, in particular in the downstream second region of the at least one main duct, via at least one pressure sensor, in order to conduct a proportion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system through the bypass system as required in order to meet the aforementioned conditions (i) and (ii).It is also conceivable, for example, for the air flow controller to have a non-return valve (non-return valve etc.), which is designed or designed in such a way that, when a predetermined or fixable pressure, in particular static pressure, is exceeded, in the at least one main duct the non-return valve opens and conducts a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system through the at least one bypass system, to be precise in particular in such a way that the aforementioned conditions (i) and (ii) are fulfilled.According to implementations of the air vent system according to the invention, it is provided that the at least one main duct is designed as a first air duct for supplying air to at least one first air vent. As already stated, this at least one first air vent is in particular an air vent which is directly visible in the vehicle interior. This is, for example, an air vent in the dashboard or on the dashboard of the vehicle, it being possible for this air vent to be integratable harmonically into the overall I-panel design, since slit or line outflowers in particular are also conceivable for the at least one first air vent.The bypass system may have at least one bypass channel which is connected in terms of flow to a second air channel for supplying air to a second air vent. The second air vent can be, for example, a defroster nozzle or at least one foot well nozzle.According to further developments of the air vent system according to the invention, the air vent system further comprises an air conditioning unit which is designed to supply an air flow to the at least one main duct and / or an air flow to at least one further air duct, as required.It is thereby expedient that the air conditioning unit is designed to set a volume flow of the air flow supplied to the at least one further air duct as a function of a pressure, in particular static pressure, in the at least one main duct. In this case, the air conditioning unit preferably comprises a corresponding pressure sensor.In summary, it remains to be stated that the principle underlying the present invention consists in the air flowing-as usual-through a ventilation opening of an air vent. In the case of higher blower positions, i.e. when the total air flow flowing through the air vent system is increased, the total pressure in the ventilation opening of the at least one air vent increases, on the other hand. When the total pressure reaches a certain value, the air flow controller becomes active, for example by opening a valve actively or passively, so that at least a portion of the air can flow from the main duct into another duct of the bypass system in order to finally pass into the passenger compartment via the bypass system.This mechanism ensures that the volume flow required for air conditioning the vehicle interior can be at least partially conducted into the vehicle interior via an air outlet opening of an air vent having a relatively small cross section, without this opposing an excessively high flow resistance to the system.In particular, a pressure sensor can be used which emits a signal when a specific (static) pressure is reached in the system and in particular in the downstream second region of the at least one air duct, as a result of which an activation of a flap occurs, for example in the air-conditioning unit, so that the flap opens to a greater or lesser extent, so that the volume flow can emerge at another point.The air vent system according to the invention and the system on which the invention is based allow a significantly greater freedom of design, since ventilation nozzles or air vents can be realized which can be significantly narrower and smaller in cross section than previously known types of ventilation nozzles or air vents without the function of an appreciable air flow to the vehicle occupant being lost. This means that fully functional ventilation nozzles or air vents can also be better integrated in smaller regions in the passenger interior, for example in joints and design edges. This enables more imperceptible solutions in the sense of "Clean IP".By limiting the internal pressure of the vent through which flow takes place, which is connected in terms of flow to the at least one main duct of the air vent system, the flow of the vent or of the air vent system can also be limited, which has a positive effect on the noise emission of the vent. In this system, the flow rate of the air vent is limited by limiting the internal pressure without affecting the air conditioning unit (air conditioner) of the vehicle, because the amount of air entering the vehicle via the bypass system and the air vent remains the same.By diverting the overpressure in the vent via the bypass system, the blower output can also be reduced, since the pressure loss in the entire system is reduced. That is, equivalent vehicle air conditioning can be achieved with lower blower capacity.This also leads to a reduction in the energy consumption for the air conditioning and, in the case of electric vehicles, to an improvement in the range.Exemplary embodiments of the air vent system according to the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.The following are shown: FIG. 1 schematically and in a sectional view, a first exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 2 shows schematically and in a sectional view a second exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 3 shows schematically and in a sectional view a third exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 4 shows schematically and in a sectional view a fourth exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 5 shows schematically and in a sectional view a fifth exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 6 shows schematically and in a sectional view a sixth exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; FIG. 7 shows schematically and in a sectional view a seventh exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention; and FIG. 8 shows schematically and in a sectional view an eighth exemplary embodiment of the air vent according to the invention.The exemplary embodiments of the air vent system 1 according to the invention, as shown schematically in the attached drawings in each case in a sectional view, each have a main duct 2, a bypass system 3 and an air flow controller 4.The main duct 2 serves to direct a (first) portion of a total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1. The bypass system 3 serves to direct a (second) portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1 as required. The air flow controller 4 is designed to divide the total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1 accordingly.In detail, the air flow controller 4 is designed to divide the total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1 in such a way that, on the one hand, a proportion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1 is only conducted through the at least one bypass system 3 when a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct 2 reaches or exceeds a first predetermined or fixable value, and that, on the other hand, a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct 2 does not exceed a second predetermined or fixable value.The air vent systems 1 shown in the drawings each have three different air vents 11, 12, 13:Firstly, a first air vent 11 is used, which is connected in terms of flow to the main duct 2 and in particular to a downstream end region 6 of the main duct 2. The first air vent 11 can be an air vent which is arranged in an instrument panel 21 of the vehicle.Alternatively, however, the first air vent 11 can also be an air vent which is integrated in an edge or edge region in the vehicle interior.The air vent system 1 further comprises as second air vent 12 at least one defroster nozzle which is arranged in the region of the front windshield 20 of the vehicle and is designed to direct air onto the front windshield 20 as required, in order, for example, to de-ice it or to prevent condensation of water.As third air vent 13, in the embodiments of the air vent system 1 shown in the drawings, at least one foot space nozzle is used.The mentioned air vents 11, 12, 13 (first air vent 11 in the form of the air vent arranged, for example, in an instrument panel 21 of the vehicle, second air vent 12 in the form of at least one defroster nozzle and third air vent 13 in the form of the at least one foot well nozzle) are each connected in terms of flow to an air conditioning unit 30 of the vehicle via an air duct 2, 14, 15. The air conditioning unit 30 preferably comprises a corresponding blower, with which the total air flow flowing through the air venting system 1 is generated.In the variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1, the bypass system 3 is designed in the form of a bypass duct which opens on the one hand into the air duct 14 which leads to the second air vent 12 (i.e. to the defroster nozzle). On the other hand, the bypass channel is or can be connected in terms of flow to the main channel 2 of the air discharge system 1.In the embodiment variant of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1, the bypass duct is connected fluidically to the main duct 2 of the air vent system 1 via a non-return valve 10, which is designed or designed in such a way that, when a predetermined or fixable pressure, in particular static pressure, is exceeded in the main duct 2, the non-return valve 10 opens and conducts a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system 1 through the bypass duct of the bypass system 3, with the result that this portion of the air flow is fed to the second air vent 12, i.e. to the defroster nozzle.It can be seen in particular that the main channel 2 is divided into an upstream first region 5 and a downstream second region 6. In this case, the bypass duct of the bypass system 3 is or can be connected in terms of flow to a region of the main duct 2 between the upstream first region 5 and the downstream second region 6 of the main duct 2 via the air flow controller 4. The non-return valve 10 is part of the air flow control 4.It can also be seen that at least one adjustable air flow regulating element 7 can be arranged in the downstream second region 6 of the main duct 2. The adjustable air flow regulating element 7 is, for example, a flap, in particular a metering flap, wherein it is however also conceivable for this air flow regulating element 7 to be designed in the form of a closing plate system.The second exemplary embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 2 corresponds substantially to the previously described first exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, wherein, however, in the variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 2, the bypass duct of the bypass system 3 does not open into the air duct 14 for the second air vent 12, i.e. not into the air duct for the defroster nozzle, but rather into the air duct 15 for the third air vent 13, i.e. into the air duct 15 for the foot well nozzle.The variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown schematically in FIG. 3 differs from the variant embodiments described above with reference to the illustrations in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the bypass system 3 is designed without a dedicated bypass duct. Rather, in the embodiment variant shown schematically in FIG. 3, the volume region enclosed by the interior trim of the vehicle serves as a bypass in order to branch off a portion of the air flow flowing through the main duct 2 as required and to discharge it into the interior enclosed by the vehicle trim.The fourth exemplary embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 4 corresponds substantially to the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, wherein, however, in the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 4, the division of the main duct 2 into the first upstream region 5 and into the second downstream region 6 is configured differently. In detail, the upstream, first region 5 of the main duct 2 is provided in the immediate vicinity of the air-conditioning unit 30.The same applies in the transferred sense to the variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 schematically illustrated in FIG. 5, which corresponds substantially to the second exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, wherein however here too the division of the main duct 2 into the first upstream region 5 and into the second downstream region 6 is correspondingly displaced in the direction of the air conditioning unit 30.The variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 6 corresponds substantially to the variant shown in FIG. 4, wherein, however, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the air flow controller 4 is not configured passively in the form of a non-return valve 10, but rather is configured actively.For this purpose, a pressure sensor 8 is arranged in the downstream second region 6 of the main channel 2 in order to measure the static pressure there. When a critical pressure value is exceeded, a valve 9 is opened at least in certain regions with the aid of the air flow controller 4, with the result that the bypass duct of the bypass system 3 is connected in terms of flow to the main duct 2. The valve 9 is preferably designed as an electromotive valve 9, in particular as a valve slide.The variant embodiment of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 7 corresponds substantially to the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein however, the air flow controller 4 is not designed as a passive system with a non-return valve 10 here too, but-as in the sixth variant embodiment according to FIG. 6-with a corresponding pressure sensor 8, which is arranged in the downstream second region of the main duct 2, and with an electric motor-controllable valve 9, via which the air duct 15, which leads from the air conditioning unit 30 to the third air vent 13, i.e. to the foot well nozzle, is connected or can be connected in terms of flow to the main duct 2.An alternative embodiment is finally shown in FIG. 8. Here too, an active air flow controller 4 with a pressure sensor 8 arranged in the main duct 2 of the air vent system 1 is used.However, in the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 8, the bypass system 3 is already integrated in the air ducts 14, 15 which lead from the air conditioning unit 30 to the second air vent 12 (to the defroster nozzle) and to the third air vent 13 (to the foot well nozzle). These air channels 14, 15 are provided with corresponding metering elements 23, in particular metering flaps, which are actuated by electric motor when it is detected via the pressure sensor 8 that the static pressure in the main channel 2 exceeds a predetermined or definable value.The embodiment variants of the air vent system 1 shown in the drawings are briefly summarized once again below:For the air conditioning of a vehicle interior, a plurality of air vent openings for the supply of temperature-controlled air are generally present in an arrangement. Air vents 11 which are oriented toward the vehicle occupants, air vents 13 which serve to ventilate the foot space, or air vents 12 which serve to defrost the panes, should be mentioned here.The air vent openings are located in the instrument panel 21 and are connected to an air conditioning unit 30 by air guides or air ducts 2, 14, 15. According to the settings of the air conditioning unit 30, the temperature-controlled air is now conducted into the various air ducts 2, 14, 15. For this purpose, motorized flaps (for example metering elements 23-FIG. 8 ) are used, which open or close the accesses to the air guides 2, 14, 15.By combining different flap positions, different air conditioning scenarios can be set and thus a targeted heating of the foot space, a targeted defrosting of the windshield 20 or also a targeted directing of the air onto the vehicle occupants can be achieved.If, for example, the air is directed through the air vent 11 in the direction of the vehicle occupants, a high pressure loss arises, in particular in the case of a high flow rate and air vents with small cross sections which are suitable for being positioned in an imperceptible manner in the instrument panel 21. This pressure is composed of the dynamic pressure of the flow and the pressure level with respect to the environment, which pressure level is taken up by the flow resistance present in the air vent 11.The flow resistance can increase significantly, depending on the position of the air-conducting elements in the air outlet 11 (not shown here). The pressure loss in the air vent 11 and in the air ducts 2, 14, 15 taken together has an influence on the amount of air that the fan is able to transport into the vehicle interior, counter to this pressure loss.Further variables which limit this volume flow are the fan power and the fan characteristic curve. As a rule, fans with high power are required in systems with a high pressure loss, which however are either not available for vehicles or are not desired because of the required high energy consumption.The desire for non-noticeable air vents, for example air vents concealed in joints or design edges, in the instrument panel 21 is counter to this, since air vents with a small flow cross section are desired for this purpose, as a result of the installation space. These in turn cause a high pressure loss due to the small cross section and the flow rate therefore required.However, a high pressure loss in the air vent not only requires a high fan output, but together with the high flow velocity in the air vent, which is produced by the small cross section of the air vent, it is also an indicator for the sound emission of the air vent.However, loud flow noises from the air vents are not desirable in the case of present-day vehicles, in particular in the case of electric vehicles.For the rapid air conditioning of a vehicle, for example during the rapid cooling of a vehicle which has been in the sun, however, a certain volume flow is required. This results in a conflict of goals between vehicle design and air conditioning.This conflict of goals can be solved by controlling the air in the system as a function of pressure. For this purpose, a valve 9 is opened actively or passively when a specific pressure is reached and allows the volume flow to flow via a bypass channel 3 into one or more other air channels 14, 15 via further air vent openings 12, 13.This ensures that, in particular with a higher fan setting, a significant and clearly noticeable air flow exits the air outlet 11, the volume flow required for air conditioning additionally reaches the vehicle interior via further ventilation openings of further air outlets 12, 13. This ensures that the air vents 11 which are directed towards the occupants also generate a displaceable air flow there and at the same time the interior of the vehicle is rapidly tempered. The fan output required for air conditioning can remain limited in such an arrangement.If the shut-off and metering flap 7 is closed in the air vent 11 or the closing flame system is brought into the closed position in order to prevent air from escaping via the air vent 11, the fan operates against the closed flap 7, in particular with a higher fan setting. The pressure present in the air vent 11 as a result causes noise or whistles in the worst case when the air passes through remaining narrow gaps in the air vent 11.If only one air vent 11 is open in the instrument panel 21, the entire air flow exits through the latter. This can result in both annoying noises and unpleasant air flow. In this case, the valve 9 which is open at a specific pressure can limit noise and volume flow.In any case, when the air vents 11 are closed, the fan is used to provide increased resistance. As a result, energy is consumed for ventilating the vehicle compartment without any effect. Furthermore, it also takes a substantially longer time until a desired air conditioning result is achieved, and more energy is thereby also consumed than would ideally be required for air conditioning, which has a negative effect on the range, in particular in the case of e-vehicles. This case was and is still frequently observed and this fact takes into account the introduction of the air conditioning system.When considering the mode of operation of the air conditioning system, in particular when starting driving, it is the case that, when the operating temperature of the engine is reached, the fan power is increased to a maximum in order to achieve rapid heating of the vehicle interior. Even during the rapid cooling of the interior, a high fan output is initially set. After the desired interior temperature has been reached, the fan output is reduced back to a minimum. It can also be observed that the heat loss in the vehicle interior is reduced by supplying as little fresh air as possible from the outside in order to prevent too much heated air from being blown out via the pressure outlet valves of the vehicle body. In order to achieve this, the air-circulating control of the air-conditioning device is switched accordingly.The circulated air is distributed both via the air vents and via the defroster nozzle and the foot space ventilation as is best for the well-being of the vehicle occupants.As already explained above, the limitation of the pressure drop in the air vent system 1 is required above all at higher fan outputs. In the case of air conditioning with the aid of an automatic air conditioning system, this would be the case, above all, during the early phase of a trip, in which a rapid temperature control of the vehicle interior is to be achieved. After this phase, the fan power is reduced since it is no longer required. The maintenance of the temperature now begins with a low fan output and an activated recirculation air operation. In this phase, normally no such high pressure losses are achieved in the air venting system 1, which would cause activation of a valve, and the system can operate in the same manner as was already the case with previous arrangements.An arrangement with a pressure-controlled valve 9 can also be realized with a pressure sensor 8, which can be arranged as a pressure transducer in an air vent or upstream of the air vent. This signal may be sent via a control unit to a motorized valve 9 which then allows the overpressure to be diverted into another air outlet.FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent 11, air guides, an air conditioning unit 30 and air outlet openings 12, 13.FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air vent is connected to the air duct via a bypass and conducts the air blown off by a valve at a specific pressure to the ventilation nozzle 13 in the foot well.FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air vent has a valve and directs the air blown off by the valve at a specific pressure under the instrument panel, where it distributes itself.FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air duct is connected to the air duct via a bypass. A valve connects the air duct to the bypass. Via the bypass, the air blown off at a specific pressure is conducted into the air duct and conducted to the defroster nozzle.FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air duct is connected to the air duct via a valve. The air blown off at a specific pressure is guided into the air guide via the valve and guided to the foot space nozzle.FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air duct is connected to the air duct via a bypass, the bypass being connected to the air duct via a motor-driven valve 9. The air blown off at a certain pressure is guided through the motor valve 9 to the defroster nozzle via the bypass. The signal for opening the motor valve is triggered by the pressure sensor 8.FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. In the arrangement shown, the air duct is connected to the air duct via a motorized valve 9. The air blown off at a specific pressure is guided into the air guide via the motorized valve 9 and guided to the foot space nozzle. The signal for opening the motor valve is triggered by the pressure sensor 8.FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a ventilation system of a vehicle having an air vent, air guides, an air conditioning unit and air outlet openings. A pressure sensor 8 is arranged in the air vent, which transmits a signal to the climate control device (not shown). When a certain pressure level is reached, a flap is opened in the air conditioning unit, for example to the air duct, so that the pressure in the air vent can escape via the air duct, the motorized flap can escape the air duct and finally via the air nozzle in the foot space. Alternatively or additionally, a second motorized flap can allow an inflow into a further air duct and then allow the air to escape, for example via the defroster nozzle.The invention is not limited to the embodiment variants of the air vent system 1 according to the invention shown in the drawings, but rather results from a combination of all features disclosed herein.List of reference characters1 Air vent system 2 Main duct 3 Bypass system / bypass duct 4 Air flow controller 5 Upstream first region of the main duct 6 Downstream second region of the main duct 7 Air flow regulating element 8 Pressure sensor 9 Motor-controllable valve unit 10 Non-return valve 11 First air outlet 12 Second air outlet / defroster nozzle 13 Third air outlet / foot space nozzle 14 Air duct for the second air outlet 15 Air duct for the third air outlet 20 Front window 21 Dashboard / instrument panel 23 Metering element / metering flap 30 Air conditioning unit

Claims

An air vent system (1) for a vehicle, wherein the air vent system (1) comprises: - at least one main duct (2) for conducting a first portion of a total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1); - at least one bypass system (3) for conducting a second portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1); and - an air flow controller (4) which is configured to divide the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1) in such a way (i) that a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1) is only conducted through the at least one bypass system (3) when a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct (2) reaches or exceeds a first predetermined or fixable value; and / or (ii) that a volume flow of the air flowing through the at least one main duct (2) does not exceed a second predetermined or predeterminable value.The air vent system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main duct (2) is divided into an upstream first region (5) and a downstream second region (6), wherein the bypass system (3) is or can be fluidically connected to a region of the at least one main duct (2) between the upstream first region (5) and the downstream second region (6) of the at least one main duct (2) via the air flow controller (4).The air vent system (1) according to claim 2, wherein at least one adjustable, air flow-regulating element (7), in particular in the form of a flap, in particular a metering flap, or in the form of a closing slat system, is arranged in the downstream second region (6) of the at least one main duct (2).The air vent system (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the air flow controller (4) comprises at least one pressure sensor (8) which is configured to detect a pressure, in particular static pressure, in particular in the downstream second region (6) of the at least one main duct (2).The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the air flow controller (4) has at least one motor-controllable valve unit (9), via which the bypass system (3) is or can be connected in terms of flow to a region of the at least one main duct (2) between the upstream first region (5) and the downstream second region (6) of the at least one main duct (2).The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air flow controller (4) has a non-return valve (10) which is designed or formed in such a way that, when a predetermined or fixable pressure, in particular static pressure, is exceeded in the at least one main duct (2), the non-return valve (10) opens and conducts a portion of the total air flow flowing through the air vent system (1) through the at least one bypass system (3).The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one main duct (2) is designed as a first air duct for supplying air to at least one first air vent (11).The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and in particular according to claim 7, wherein the at least one bypass system (3) comprises at least one bypass channel which is connected in terms of flow to a second air channel (14, 15) for supplying air to a second air vent (12, 13).The air vent system (1) according to claim 8, wherein the second air vent (12, 13) is designed as at least one defroster nozzle (12) or as at least one foot space nozzle (13).The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and at least according to claim 7, wherein the at least one first air vent (11) is designed as at least one air vent arranged or to be arranged in an instrument panel (21) of the vehicle.The air vent system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the air vent system (1) further comprises an air conditioning unit (30) which is configured to supply an air flow to the at least one main duct (2) and / or an air flow to at least one further air duct (14, 15) as required.The air vent system (1) according to claim 11, wherein the air conditioning unit (30) is configured to set a volume flow of the air flow supplied to the at least one further air duct (14, 15) as a function of a pressure, in particular static pressure, in the at least one main duct (2).

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