Slim air vent for vehicle

Abstract

A slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first wing, a wing shaft mounted through the front end of the first wing, a connecting plate fixedly connected to the wing shaft, and a knob having a rear end connected to the front end of the connecting plate.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slim air vent for a vehicle, and more specifically, to a slim air vent for a vehicle having a structure capable of minimizing the thickness of a knob mounted on the air vent. Background Technology

[0002] The interior of the vehicle is equipped with air vents that discharge air according to the operation of the air conditioner and heater. The air vents include a center air vent mounted on the center fascia panel between the front of the driver and passenger seats, and side vents mounted on the crash pads in front of the driver and passenger seats.

[0003] Recently, due to the increasing size of clusters and AVN (Audio, Video, Navigation) devices installed in vehicle interiors, there is a trend for air vents to be moved to the lower area of ​​the center fascia panel, and in particular, the exterior design of the air vents is trending toward a slim type.

[0004] These air vents are equipped with knobs, which are generally mounted in a structure that wraps around the horizontal wing from top to bottom. However, in order to assemble the knob mounted in the aforementioned structure onto the horizontal wing, it is formed to wrap around it from top to bottom, so the thickness of the knob must be, for example, at least 12mm. In terms of the performance of the air conditioning function, which is the main function of the air vent, there was a problem in that as the thickness of the knob increased, it acted as a factor that hindered the airflow.

[0005] Therefore, as vehicle interior and exterior designs become slimmer, it is necessary to develop air vents with a slim structure that can minimize the thickness of the knobs mounted on the air vents. The problem to be solved

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention provides a slim air vent for a vehicle in which, because the knob is formed to have the same thickness as the first wing or a thinner thickness than the first wing, when air is discharged to the upper and lower parts of the first wing, interference by the knob does not occur, thereby allowing the maximum airflow to be discharged without hindering the airflow.

[0009] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0010] A slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first wing; a wing shaft mounted through the front end of the first wing; a connecting plate fixedly connected to the wing shaft; and a knob having a rear end connected to the front end of the connecting plate.

[0011] The knob may be formed to have a thickness equal to or thinner than that of the wing.

[0012] In the central part of the first wing, the connecting plate may be mounted, and a rotating plate mounting part may be formed with an opening facing forward.

[0013] The above connecting plate is composed of a pair that wraps around the wing shaft vertically, and the front ends can be inserted into the rear end of the knob while in contact with each other.

[0014] The above connecting plate may include: a body portion formed to wrap around the wing shaft vertically; a rear end portion extending from the rear end of the body portion and extending in contact with each other to rotate on the plate mounting portion; and a front end portion extending from the front end of the body portion and extending in contact with each other to be inserted into the rear end of the knob.

[0015] The above connecting plate is made of steel, and the above knob can be made together with the above connecting plate by insert injection molding.

[0016] A friction projection may be provided protruding from the central part of the wing shaft to provide frictional force to maintain the connection plate in a fixed state.

[0017] A wind direction control link is rotatably connected to one end of the wing shaft, and the rotation of the wind direction control link can be centered around a hinge portion provided on the wind direction control link.

[0018] A wing link is positioned at the other end of the above wind direction control link to be movable in the left and right directions, and a second wing positioned perpendicular to the first wing may be positioned to be rotatable at a predetermined interval.

[0019] The first wing can be mounted to the wing axis so as to be rotatable up and down. Effects of the invention

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, since the knob is formed to have the same thickness as the first wing or a thinner thickness than the first wing, when air is discharged to the upper and lower parts of the first wing, interference by the knob does not occur, so the maximum airflow can be discharged without hindering the airflow. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first wing of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the wing axis of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a knob and a connecting plate of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7 and 8 are drawings illustrating the up-and-down operation of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the left and right operation of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions may obscure the essence of the present invention.

[0023] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0024] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0025] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when the term "connected" is used, it does not mean only that two or more components are directly connected, but may also mean that two or more components are indirectly connected through other components, that they are connected not only physically but also electrically, or that they are a single unit although referred to by different names depending on their location or function.

[0026] Furthermore, when described as being formed or placed on the “top or bottom” of each component, “top or bottom” includes not only cases where two components are in direct contact with each other, but also cases where one or more other components are formed or placed between the two components. Additionally, when expressed as “top or bottom,” it may include the meaning of a downward direction as well as an upward direction relative to a single component.

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing with reference to the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first wing of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a wing axis of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a knob and a connecting plate of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] As illustrated herein, a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first wing (100), a wing shaft (200), a connecting plate (300), a knob (400), and a second wing (700).

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first wing (100) may be installed to be rotatable up and down in one embodiment. For this purpose, the first wing (100) may be in the shape of a plate long in the left-right direction. The first wing (100) is driven to operate up and down so as to regulate and discharge air for cooling or heating in the up-and-down direction.

[0031] An axial hole (110) through which a wing shaft (200) passes is formed in the front end of the first wing (100). The axial hole (110) is formed by penetrating the front end of the first wing (100) in the left-right direction, and when the wing shaft (200) is installed in the axial hole (110), the first wing (100) can rotate up and down around the wing shaft (200).

[0032] A connecting plate (300) is mounted in the central part of the first wing (100), and a rotating plate mounting part (120) is formed by opening forward. The plate mounting part (120) is a part formed by opening on the front side of the central part of the first wing (100), and acts as an operating space for the connecting plate (300) that is rotatably installed on the plate mounting part (120). In addition, the wing shaft (200) and the connecting plate (300) can be moved together on the plate mounting part (120) by the left and right movement of the knob (400). Accordingly, the plate mounting part (120) can be used as a rail on which the wing shaft (200) and the connecting plate (300) move in a straight line together.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, the wing shaft (200) acts as a rotation axis of the first wing (100), and a duct (500, see FIG. 6) to be described below can be connected to each side. In one embodiment, the wing shaft (200) can be rotatably mounted in a housing (not shown) in which an air vent is mounted. The wing shaft (200), which is mounted by passing through the shaft hole (110) in this manner, can be exposed to the outside through a plate mounting part (120) that is open in the center.

[0034] A friction protrusion (210) may be provided protruding from the outer surface of the central part of the wing shaft (200). The friction protrusion (210) provides frictional force to the connecting plate (300) coupled to the wing shaft (200), so that the connecting plate (300) can be stably fixed without slipping.

[0035] A connecting plate (300) is mounted on the central part of the wing shaft (200). The connecting plate (300) functions as a medium connecting the wing shaft (200) and the knob (400). The connecting plate (300) is fixedly mounted on the central part of the wing shaft (200) and can rotate around the wing shaft (200) together with the knob (400). Any type of connecting plate (300) that is fixed to the wing shaft (200) can be applied, and is not limited to the structure presented in this drawing.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in one embodiment, the connecting plate (300) may be composed of a pair that wraps around the wing shaft (200) from top to bottom. That is, the connecting plate (300) may be composed of a pair of plates of the same size and mounted to wrap around the upper and lower parts of the wing shaft (200).

[0037] More specifically, the connecting plate (300) may include a body portion (310) formed to wrap around the wing shaft (200) vertically, a rear portion (320) extending from the rear end of the body portion (310) and extending in contact with each other to rotate on the plate mounting portion (120), and a front portion (330) extending from the front end of the body portion (310) and extending in contact with each other to be inserted into the rear end of the knob (400).

[0038] The connecting plate (300) may be composed of a pair of plates extending forward and backward when viewed from the side, and may be fixed to the wing shaft (200) by the central part wrapping around the wing shaft (200) and the front and rear ends being attached to each other. The shape of the connecting plate (300) shown in the drawing is merely presented as an example, and any structure that can be fixed to the wing shaft (200) may be applied to the connecting plate (300).

[0039] The front portion (330) of the connecting plate (300) can be inserted into and fixed to the rear end of the knob (400). Here, the front portion (330) being inserted into and fixed to the rear end of the knob (400) can be manufactured by an insert injection molding method for the connecting plate (300) and the knob (400). In one embodiment, the connecting plate (300) may be composed of a steel plate, and the knob (400), which is manufactured as an injection molded product, may be insert injection molded together with the connecting plate (300). Thus, according to the insert injection molding method, the connecting plate (300) and the knob (400) can be integrally molded in a form in which the front portion (330) of the connecting plate (300) is inserted into the rear end of the knob (400).

[0040] The knob (400) made in this way can be placed on the front of the central part of the first wing (100). Previously, the wing shaft (200) responsible for the rotation axis of the first wing (100) only performed the function of a rotation axis, but in this embodiment, the connecting plate (300) and the knob (400) are directly mounted to the wing shaft (200), so the slim air vent for a vehicle can be configured with a simpler structure.

[0041] Additionally, the knob, which is insert injection molded together with the connecting plate (300), can be formed to have a thickness equal to or thinner than that of the first wing (100). In this embodiment, a structure is devised in which the connecting plate (300) is fixed to the wing shaft (200) described above to reduce the thickness of the air vent, particularly the knob (400). Accordingly, the thickness of the knob (400) positioned on the front of the first wing (100) can be formed to have at least the same thickness as the first wing (100) or a thickness thinner than that of the first wing (100). When the thickness of the knob (400) is set in this way, when air is discharged to the upper and lower parts of the first wing (100), interference by the knob (400) does not occur, so the maximum airflow can be discharged without hindering the airflow.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are drawings exemplarily illustrating the up-and-down operation of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the wing shaft (200) is mounted with both ends fixed inside a housing (not shown) where a slim air vent for a vehicle is installed. At this time, both ends of the wing shaft (200) can be fixed to ducts (500) placed on both sides of the housing. In this state, when a user holds the knob (400) and moves it upward, the first wing (100) rotates upward as shown in FIG. 7, and when a user holds the knob (400) and moves it downward, the first wing (100) rotates downward as shown in FIG. 8.

[0044] That is, when operating the air conditioning system in the vehicle and adjusting the airflow direction up and down, the knob (400) moves up and down, and at this time, the first wing (100) connected to the knob (400) by the connecting plate (300) can move up and down. In this way, when adjusting the airflow direction in the up and down direction, the connecting plate (300) combined with the knob (400) transmits rotational force to the first wing (100) so that they can rotate together.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the left and right operation of a slim air vent for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 9, a wind direction control link (600) is rotatably connected to one end of the wing shaft (200) through a first link hinge (620). The wind direction control link (600) may be positioned forward and backward on one side of the first wing (100). The first link hinge (620) is provided at the front and rear ends of the wind direction control link (600), respectively; the first link hinge (620) positioned at the front end rotatably connects one end of the wing shaft (200), and the first link hinge (620) positioned at the rear end rotatably connects one end of the wing link (710).

[0047] A first hinge portion (610), which is the center of rotation, is provided on the wind direction control link (600). The first hinge portion (610) is the part that becomes the center of rotation when the wind direction control link (600) rotates in conjunction with the movement of the wing axis (200).

[0048] Additionally, a plurality of second wings (700) are each rotatably mounted on the wing link (710) via a second link hinge (720). The second wings (700) operate to rotate left and right, serving to control the left and right wind direction. A second hinge portion (730), which serves as a rotation center, is provided on the second wing (700). The second hinge portion (730) is the part that becomes the rotation center when the wing link (710) rotates in conjunction with the movement of the wing axis (200). The second wings (700) can be positioned perpendicular to the first wing (100).

[0049] In an air vent having such a structure, when a user grasps the knob (400) and moves it to the left or right, the wing axis (200) moves left or right, and in conjunction with this, the wind direction control link (600) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, and in conjunction with the rotation of the wind direction control link (600), the wing link (710) can rotate to the left or right. Accordingly, the first wing (100) controls the up and down wind direction, and the second wing (700) controls the left and right wind direction.

[0050] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0051] 100: 1st Wing 110: Celebration 120: Plate mounting part 200: Wing Axis 210: Friction protrusion 300: Connecting plate 310: Body part 320: Rear section 330: Shear section 400: Knob 500: Duct 600: Wind direction control link 610: First hinge part 620: 1st link hinge 700: 2nd Wing 710: Wing Link 720: Second link hinge 730: Second hinge part

Claims

Claim 1 A slim air vent for a vehicle comprising: a first wing; a wing shaft mounted through the front end of the first wing; a connecting plate fixedly connected to the wing shaft; and a knob having a rear end connected to the front end of the connecting plate. Claim 2 In claim 1, the knob is formed to have a thickness equal to or thinner than that of the wing, forming a slim air vent for a vehicle. Claim 3 A slim air vent for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate is mounted in the central part of the first wing and a rotating plate mounting part is formed by opening forward. Claim 4 A slim air vent for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate is composed of a pair that wraps the wing shaft vertically and horizontally, and the front ends are inserted into the rear end of the knob while in contact with each other. Claim 5 In paragraph 3, the connecting plate comprises: a body portion formed to wrap around the wing shaft vertically; a rear end portion extending from the rear end of the body portion and extending in a state of contact with each other to rotate on the plate mounting portion; and a front end portion extending from the front end of the body portion and extending in a state of contact with each other to be inserted into the rear end of the knob, thereby forming a slim air vent for a vehicle. Claim 6 A slim air vent for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting plate is made of steel and the knob is made by insert injection molding together with the connecting plate. Claim 7 A slim air vent for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a friction projection is provided protruding from the central portion of the wing shaft to provide frictional force to maintain the connecting plate in a fixed state. Claim 8 A slim air vent for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a wind direction control link is rotatably connected to one end of the wing shaft, and the rotation of the wind direction control link is centered around a hinge portion provided on the wind direction control link. Claim 9 In claim 8, a slim air vent for a vehicle is provided, wherein a wing link is disposed at the other end of the wind direction control link so as to be movable in the left and right directions, and a second wing is disposed perpendicular to the first wing so as to be rotatably disposed at a predetermined interval. Claim 10 In claim 1, the first wing is a slim air vent for a vehicle that is rotatably mounted on the wing axis.

Images