Ventilation opening device for vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a ventilation opening device for a vehicle. The ventilation opening device comprises: a housing, the housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet; an air guide blade set, the air guide blade set being accommodated in the housing; and an air guide block, the air guide block being accommodated in the housing and being arranged adjacent to the air outlet, and the air guide block being configured to extend in a first direction and being pivotable about the first direction with respect to the housing, so as to regulate the direction of an airflow guided by the air guide blade set. By means of the pivoting movement of the air guide block around the housing, the ventilation opening device of the present disclosure achieves regulation of the direction of an airflow guided from the air outlet, thereby simplifying the number of components of existing air guide structures, improving the structural layout, and improving the use comfort. The ventilation opening device has a compact structure, is simple and reliable, is easy to operate, has low costs, can be applied to various occasions, and meets diversified requirements of users.

Description

Ventilation device for a vehicle TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of accessories for vehicles, and more particularly to a ventilation device for a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are commonly used to control the environment in a vehicle to maintain a desired internal environment regardless of the external environment. For a vehicle, an air conditioning outlet is usually arranged on a vehicle dashboard or a sub-instrument panel to allow air-conditioned air to enter the vehicle interior to change the temperature and / or air freshness of the vehicle interior. In order to adjust the direction of air flow, the conventional outlet controls the up and down and left and right directions respectively by adjusting the position and / or degree of inclination of a vertical blade group and / or a horizontal blade group or by a blade string, and can realize natural wind outlet and other functions to improve the riding comfort of the passengers.

[0003] Although the existing outlet can meet the air flow adjustment requirements in most cases, according to the user's wishes, it is desired to set the outlet at a position such as a vehicle pillar, a ceiling, etc., and to be able to adjust the air flow direction more flexibly and safely. Thus, due to the limited arrangement space, the traditional guiding mode cannot meet the requirements. In addition, although some existing outlets provide automation of the outlet mode by using electric control to improve comfort, the adjustment of the electric outlet requires, for example, clicking a menu on a touch screen, which increases the operation complexity and affects the driving safety, so users still hope to retain the function of manually adjusting the outlet while providing the electric outlet function.

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to propose a ventilation device to solve the problems in the prior art. The ventilation device can more flexibly and effectively adjust the direction of air flow in a compact space and with a simple operation structure, further enhancing the user's experience comfort.

[0005] To this end, according to the present disclosure, a ventilation device for a vehicle is provided, comprising: a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet; a guide vane group accommodated in the housing; a guide block accommodated in the housing and arranged adjacent to the air outlet, wherein the guide block is configured to extend along a first direction and is capable of pivoting relative to the housing about the first direction to adjust the direction of air flow guided by the guide vane group.

[0006] The ventilation device of the present disclosure controls the direction of the guided air flow by means of the pivoting of the guide block arranged adjacent to the air outlet, which can more flexibly and effectively control the direction of air flow in a compact structure layout, and is particularly suitable for application environments with limited arrangement space.

[0007] According to the technical concept described above, the present disclosure can further include any one or more of the following optional forms.

[0008] In some optional forms, the air guide block has a guide surface forming an external profile, the guide surface being shaped to fit the profile of an inner surface of the adjacent housing to form a guide air passage.

[0009] In some optional forms, the air guide block is pivotable relative to the housing about the first direction at a first limit position, a second limit position, and positions therebetween, the guide surface of the air guide block closing the guide air passage formed with the inner surface of the adjacent housing when abutting the inner surface to be at the first limit position or the second limit position.

[0010] In some optional forms, the external profile of the air guide block fits the external profile of the peripheral component of the vent device at the installed position when the guide surface of the air guide block is adjacent to or abutting the inner surface of the adjacent housing to form a substantially continuous curved surface.

[0011] In some optional forms, either of the air guide block and the air guide vane set is configured to have an external surface that fits the profile of the other of the air guide block and the air guide vane set to accommodate the pivot trajectory of the air guide block.

[0012] In some optional forms, the air guide block is provided with a pivot arm at each end of the extension direction, the pivot arms being pivotally connected to pivot portions at the two ends of the housing.

[0013] In some optional forms, a damping member is provided between the pivot arm and the housing.

[0014] In some optional forms, the air guide vane set is configured as a vane string having a rotation shaft, the rotation shaft being arranged along the first direction, the air guide block being configured to pivot coaxially with the air guide vane set.

[0015] In some optional forms, the air guide vane set is configured to include a plurality of vanes arranged at least along the first direction and pivotable about a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a pivot axis about which the air guide block is pivotable about the first direction is arranged in sequence with the vanes along a third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction respectively.

[0016] In some optional forms, the air guide vane set is configured to include a plurality of vanes arranged at least along the first direction and pivotable about a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a pivot axis about which the air guide block is pivotable about the first direction is located within a projection range of the vanes in a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

[0017] In some optional forms, the pivoting movement of the air guide block is automatically controlled by a motor or manually controlled.

[0018] In some optional forms, the air vent device further comprises a knob attached to the air guide block and extending out of the housing, the knob being configured to be movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, displacement of the knob in the second direction driving the air guide block to pivot relative to the housing.

[0019] In some optional forms, the displacement of the knob in the second direction comprises an arc-shaped displacement swinging around the first direction, or a linear displacement along the second direction.

[0020] In some optional forms, the knob is formed integrally with the air guide block, or the air guide block is configured as a hollow structure with the knob embedded therein.

[0021] In some optional forms, the knob is configured to be movable in the first direction, the air guide vane set changing the direction of air flow or changing the air out mode in response to the movement of the knob.

[0022] In some optional forms, the knob comprises a knob block extending out of the housing and a knob lever attached to the knob block, the knob lever being attached to a displacement sensor to sense displacement of the knob block, wherein the air vent device further comprises a control unit controlling the air guide vane set to change the direction of air flow in response to a displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensor.

[0023] In some optional forms, the air guide block is configured as a hollow structure with a cavity, the displacement sensor being arranged in the cavity, the air guide block being provided with a knob slot through which the knob lever passes and is movable in the first direction.

[0024] In some optional forms, the knob block is attached to the knob lever by a knob support.

[0025] In some optional forms, the vehicle comprises a vehicle, and the air vent device is adapted to be mounted on an instrument panel, a secondary instrument panel, a door trim, an armrest, a pillar or a vehicle roof.

[0026] The air vent device of the present disclosure achieves adjustment of the direction of air flow guided from the air outlet through pivoting movement of the air guide block around the housing, simplifies the number of components of the existing air guide structure, improves the structural layout, and improves the use comfort. The air vent device is compact and simple and reliable, easy to operate, low in cost, and can be applied to various occasions to meet the diversified needs of users. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical or similar components throughout the figures, wherein:

[0028] Fig. 1A is a schematic view of the overall vehicle from the outside, Fig. 1B is a schematic view of the interior of the vehicle, showing the air vent device arranged in different positions;

[0029] Fig. 2A is a schematic view of an air vent device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2B is a schematic view of the air vent device of Fig. 2A with the upper housing removed, Fig. 2C is an exploded view of the air vent device of Fig. 2A;

[0030] Fig. 3A is a schematic view of the housing of the air vent device of Fig. 2A, Fig. 3B is a schematic view of the air deflector of the air vent device of Fig. 2A;

[0031] Fig. 4A is a front view of the air vent device of Fig. 2A, Fig. 4B is a left side view of Fig. 4A;

[0032] Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of Fig. 4A, showing the air deflector in a first extreme position, Fig. 5B is similar to Fig. 5A, showing the air deflector in an intermediate position, Fig. 5C is similar to Fig. 5A, showing the air deflector in a second extreme position;

[0033] Fig. 6A is similar to Fig. 5A, showing another version of the air deflector vane set, Fig. 6B shows yet another version of the air deflector vane set and another version of the air deflector, Fig. 6C is an exploded view of an air vent device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the air deflector of Fig. 6B and yet another version of the air deflector vane set, Fig. 6D is a schematic view of an air vent device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure mounted to the roof of a vehicle, showing the air deflector in a first extreme position, Fig. 6E shows the direction of air flow within the vehicle interior in the state of the air vent device of Fig. 6D, Fig. 6F is similar to Fig. 6D, showing the air deflector in an intermediate position, Fig. 6G shows the direction of air flow within the vehicle interior in the state of the air vent device of Fig. 6F, Fig. 6H is similar to Fig. 6D, showing the air deflector in a second extreme position, Fig. 61 shows the direction of air flow within the vehicle interior in the state of the air vent device of Fig. 6H;

[0034] Fig. 7A is a schematic view of an air vent device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 7B is a schematic view of the air deflector of the air vent device of Fig. 7A, Fig. 7C is an exploded view of the air vent device of Fig. 7A;

[0035] Fig. 8A is a front view of the air deflector of Fig. 7B, Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the air deflector of Fig. 8A, Fig. 8C is another cross-sectional view of the air deflector of Fig. 8A;

[0036] Fig. 9A is a schematic view of the air deflector blade set and the air deflector block in the air vent device of Fig. 7A, showing the air deflector blade set directing air flow when the knob is moved to a first position, and Fig. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the air deflector block in the state shown in Fig. 9A;

[0037] Fig. 10A is a schematic view of the air deflector blade set and the air deflector block in the air vent device of Fig. 7A, showing the air deflector blade set directing air flow when the knob is moved to a second position, and Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the air deflector block in the state shown in Fig. 10A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following discussion of embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise indicated, the discussion can apply to any of the examples of the disclosure, and the drawings, where like numerals refer to like elements, can not be to scale.

[0039] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," "contains," "containing," or any other similar term are intended to be open-ended and not limit the element or elements being encompassed.

[0040] As used herein, the terms "first," "second," and the like, do not imply any particular order, but rather are used to distinguish one component from another.

[0041] As used herein, the terms "mounting," "connected," "attached," and the like, are not limited to direct connection, but can include indirect connection via other parts or intermediaries.

[0042] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" mentioned herein includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle, a ship, an airplane, etc., wherein the "vehicle" includes a fuel vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a hydrogen-powered vehicle, etc., and can be various vehicle models, without being limited to the drawings.

[0043] As shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the vehicle V includes an interior having an instrument panel IP, and air vent devices A are arranged generally centrally and on both sides of the instrument panel IP. It is expected that the air vent devices A will be applied to positions such as pillars or ceilings according to the needs of different users, and it should be understood that the air vent devices A can also be provided at any other position in the vehicle, such as a sub-instrument panel, a door trim, an armrest, etc.

[0044] It is known that a commonly used air vent device in current vehicles is to provide one or more adjustable vanes at an air outlet to provide up, down, left and right air direction adjustment and air flow cutoff functions. In order to improve the comfort of use in the vehicle, users have put forward more functional requirements, such as air flow gathering and dispersing, natural wind and other air outlet functions, which puts higher requirements on the air vent control mechanism. Because providing such devices for affecting air flow can require a large number of components and structural space, resulting in high cost. Especially for space-limited locations such as pillars or ceilings, the existing air vent device cannot achieve the multi-functional air outlet requirement in a compact structural space with fewer parts.

[0045] According to the concept of the present disclosure, an air vent device with a deflector is provided, comprising a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet, and a deflector vane set and a deflector accommodated in the housing, wherein the deflector is arranged adjacent to the air outlet and is configured to extend in a first direction and be pivotable relative to the housing about the first direction to adjust the direction of air flow directed by the deflector vane set.

[0046] By arranging a deflector at the air outlet and enabling the deflector to pivot relative to the housing, the air vent device of the present disclosure can adjust the air flow direction of the air outlet in a compact layout, especially suitable for space-limited locations such as pillars or ceilings in the interior of a vehicle. Further, by controlling the pivoting movement of the deflector, such as manual adjustment or electric adjustment, the air vent device of the present disclosure can also provide convenient blind operation possibilities while improving user comfort, simplifying operation and improving driving safety.

[0047] Fig. 2A shows an air vent device A1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As an example, the air vent device is described herein in a horizontally arranged manner, so the directions represented as "vertical" and "horizontal" hereinafter are consistent with the vertical and horizontal directions when the vehicle is parked on a flat ground. As shown in Fig. 2A, a first direction is indicated by a mark D1, i.e. the left-right horizontal direction in the figure, and a second direction is indicated by a mark D2, i.e. the up-down vertical direction in the figure and substantially perpendicular to the first direction D1.

[0048] It should be understood that the above definitions of directions are only for ease of description. When the air vent device is applied to different positions in the vehicle, such as a vehicle pillar, the above directions can also change accordingly, for example, the first direction can be the up-down vertical direction. In addition, when the air vent device is installed at an angle relative to the horizontal direction, the above first direction and second direction can also not be horizontal or vertical.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the air vent device A1 includes a housing 100 defining an internal volume or air flow passage, which can include an upper housing 110 and a lower housing 120 attached to each other, and having an air inlet 130 located at one side and an air outlet 140 located at the opposite side. The air inlet 130 is typically connected to an air flow duct of an air ventilation system, an air conditioning system, an air heating system, etc., and the air outlet 140 is used to discharge air into the vehicle interior. It should be understood that the housing 100 having a hollow structure can have any appropriate cross-sectional shape depending on the application, and the illustration is merely an example.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, the air guide vane set 200 is configured as a vane string having a rotation shaft 210 arranged in the first direction D1. The air guide vane set 200 in the form of a vane string can provide multiple air outlet modes, such as natural wind air outlet, concentrated air blowing, parallel air outlet, and split air outlet, to improve the ride comfort of the user or passenger while saving the number of motors. Moreover, compared with conventional vane sets, such as horizontal vane sets typically arranged near the air outlet and vertical vane sets arranged near the air inlet, the vane string only needs to occupy a small space in the housing to achieve multi-functional air outlet, which is particularly suitable for compact structural design.

[0051] Advantageously, the air guide block 310 arranged adjacent to the air outlet 140 is configured to pivot coaxially with the air guide vane set 200. In other words, the pivot shaft of the air guide block 310 is coaxial with the rotation shaft 210 of the vane string, which further makes the air vent device have a compact structure.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2A-4B, the air guide block 310 is provided with a pivot arm 320 at each end in the extension direction, which is pivotally connected to the pivot portion 150 at both ends of the housing 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing 110 of the housing 100 can be provided with an upper half shaft hole 111, and the lower housing 120 can be provided with a corresponding lower half shaft hole 121 to be able to engage with the upper half shaft hole 111 to form a pivot portion 150 in the form of a shaft hole, and the rotation shaft 210 of the vane string can extend out of the pivot portion 150 and be connected to the drive motor. Accordingly, the pivot arm 320 can be provided with a rotation arm hole 321 to be sleeved on the pivot portion 150, so that the air guide block 310 can pivot relative to the housing 100.

[0053] In some embodiments, a damping member can be provided between the pivot arm 320 and the housing 100, for example, a damping member 330 can be provided between the pivot arm 320 and the pivot portion 150. As shown in FIG. 3B, a damping groove 322 can be provided on the pivot arm 320 adjacent to the pivot hole 321, and when the pivot arm 320 is sleeved on the pivot portion 150, the damping member 330 can be in friction with the surface of the pivot portion 150, thereby providing a holding force for the air guide block 310 to stabilize the air guide block 310 at the desired position. The damping member can also be a spring, a bead, a spring, etc.

[0054] It should be understood that although the pivot arm 320 of the air guide block 310 in the illustrated embodiment is configured to have a pivot hole 321 in which the pivot portion 150 of the housing 100 can be sleeved (i.e., the pivot portion can be regarded as a shaft), the pivot arm can also be configured in the form of a shaft and sleeved in the pivot portion (i.e., the pivot portion can be regarded as a shaft hole), for example, in the case of a conventional blade form of the air guide blade set, the blade set does not need to pass through the shaft out of the housing. Thus, the form of the pivot arm of the air guide block and the pivot portion of the housing shown is not limiting, and can be adjusted accordingly according to actual needs.

[0055] Advantageously, the air guide block 310 has a guide surface 311 forming an external contour, as shown in FIG. 4B, the shape of the guide surface 311 is contoured to the inner surface of the adjacent housing (for example, the inner surface 112 of the upper housing 110). In this way, the guide surface 311 of the air guide block 310 and the inner surface of the housing form a guide air passage, so that the pivoting of the air guide block 310 relative to the housing can adjust the direction of the air flow of the air outlet 140 by adjusting the ratio of the upper and lower guide air passages shown in FIG. 4B. Also, as shown, the structural design and movement mode of the air guide block 310 effectively realize a significant reduction in the structural size of the air vent device in the direction of the air inlet 130 and the air outlet 140. Compared with the existing design in which a guide structure is provided at the air inlet or a guide structure is provided at the air outlet (usually translated in the first direction D1 or the second direction D2), the air vent device of the present disclosure has a more compact structure, especially when the air guide block 310 is configured to pivot coaxially with the rotating shaft 210 of the air guide blade set 200, further making the air vent device have a shorter size L as shown, which can be suitable for application occasions with limited arrangement space.

[0056] The specific operation process of the air vent device A1 and the realized air direction or air flow adjustment function are described below in connection with FIGS. 5A-5C.

[0057] Fig. 5A shows a state where the air guide block 310 is in the first limit position. At this time, the upwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 abuts against the inner surface of the upper housing 110 to close the guide air passage, and the downwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 forms a guide air passage facing upwardly with the inner surface of the lower housing 120, and the air flow is guided by the air guide vane set 200, the air guide block 310 and the lower housing 120 to be directed upwardly as shown by the arrow.

[0058] Fig. 5B shows a state where the air guide block 310 is in the intermediate position. At this time, the upwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 forms a guide air passage with the inner surface of the upper housing 110, and the downwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 forms a guide air passage with the inner surface of the lower housing 120, and the two guide air passages have approximately the same proportion, and the air flows upwardly and downwardly are converged at the air outlet 140 and directed forwardly (to the right in the figure) as shown by the arrow.

[0059] Fig. 5C shows a state where the air guide block 310 is in the second limit position. At this time, the downwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 abuts against the inner surface of the lower housing 120 to close the guide air passage, and the upwardly facing guide surface of the air guide block 310 forms a guide air passage facing downwardly with the inner surface of the upper housing 110, and the air flow is guided by the air guide vane set 200, the air guide block 310 and the upper housing 110 to be directed downwardly as shown by the arrow.

[0060] As can be seen, the air vent device of the present disclosure provides effective air guiding effect in a compact space, has simple and concise appearance, simple and reliable structure and low cost. In addition, in some embodiments, either of the air guide block and the air guide vane set can be configured to have an outer surface profile-fitted with the other one of the air guide block and the air guide vane set to adapt to the pivoting track of the air guide block. For example, as shown in Figs. 5A to 5C, for the air guide vane set 200 in the form of a vane string, the air guide block 310 can have an outer surface 313 profile-fitted with the outer surface 220 of the vane string, so as to further facilitate the compact structure design of the air vent device while ensuring smooth implementation of the pivoting movement of the air guide block 310.

[0061] Depending on different needs, the pivoting movement of the air guide block 310 can be provided with automatic operation by motor control, or can be manually controlled to simplify the operation. When the manual control mode is adopted, the user can enjoy the comfort of electric air outlet, and the possibility of convenient blind operation is provided through traditional manual operation, thereby improving the driving safety.

[0062] As a way of manual control, the vent device Al shown in FIG. 2A can further include a knob 340, which can be attached to the air deflector 310 and extend out of the housing 100, wherein the knob 340 can be configured to be movable in the second direction D2, such that the displacement of the knob 340 in the second direction D2 drives the air deflector 310 to pivot relative to the housing 100. For example, the knob 340 can be configured to form an arc displacement (i.e., swing around the first direction Dl) or a linear displacement (i.e., translate up and down along the second direction D2) or any other possible displacement trajectory in the second direction D2. In the shown embodiment, the knob 340 can be formed integrally with the air deflector 310.

[0063] The air deflector described above can also be applied to conventional air deflector blade sets, three conventional air deflector blade sets are exemplarily shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. First, in combination with FIGS. 2A and 6A, in some embodiments, the air deflector blade set 400A can be configured to include a plurality of blades arranged at least in the first direction Dl and pivotable around the second direction D2, i.e., a conventional vertical blade set, capable of achieving the directional adjustment of the air flow in the first direction Dl (or horizontal direction). Similarly, the air deflector 310 can be pivotally connected to the pivot portion of the housing through the pivot arm, the difference is that in this case, the pivot axis of the air deflector 310 is not coaxial with the axis on which the blades are arranged, but is located within the projection range of the plane formed by the blades in the first direction Dl and the second direction D2. Due to the design of the air deflector 310, the conventional horizontal blade set arranged near the air outlet can be removed, and the adjustment of the air direction in the second direction D2 (or vertical direction) can be achieved through the air deflector, so that a compact layout space can also be obtained, which is suitable for application occasions with limited layout space. Similarly, in this embodiment, the air deflector 310 can have an outer surface 313 that is profiled to fit the outer surface 410A of the blades of the air deflector blade set 400A, or vice versa, the blades of the air deflector blade set 400A can have an outer surface 410A that is profiled to fit the outer surface 313 of the air deflector 310, for example, the outer surface 410A is shown as outwardly convex to accommodate the pivot trajectory of the air deflector 310.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6B, the blades of the air deflector blade set 400B can adopt conventional rectangular cross-section blades, and another form of air deflector 350 can be used, wherein the air deflector 350 can be configured as a hollow structure in which the knob 360 is embedded. In this embodiment, the pivot axis of the air deflector 350 around the first direction Dl can be configured to be arranged in sequence with the blades in the third direction D3, in combination with FIG. 2A, the third direction D3 is perpendicular to the first direction Dl and the second direction D2, respectively.

[0065] The configuration of the air guide block 350 is specifically shown in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6C, and another form of the air guide vane set 400C is shown, in which the air guide vane set 400C is similarly configured in that the vanes can have an outer surface profile that fits the outer surface profile of the air guide block 350, such as the outer surface 410C shown having a concave profile, or, the air guide block 350 can have an outer surface profile that fits the outer surface profile of the vanes of the air guide vane set 400C to accommodate the pivoting trajectory of the air guide block. In this embodiment, the air guide block 350 can be configured to include an air guide block main plate 351 and an air guide block trim plate 352, both of which are attached to form a hollow structure and can have the knob 360 inlaid therein. The knob 360 can include a knob block 361 that extends out of the housing, which can be attached to the air guide block 350 by a knob support 362 that is disposed within the hollow structure of the air guide block 350. The knob 360 is configured as a dial switch, for example, and is provided with a first limit damper 363 that limits the range of movement of the knob block 361 in a first direction D1, and a second limit damper 364 that limits the range of movement of the knob block 361 about the first direction D1 or in a second direction D2. In addition, the knob 360 can also be provided with a ball 365 that provides a dial feel.

[0066] FIGS. 6D-6I show exemplary air vent devices of another embodiment of the present disclosure installed on a vehicle roof C. The main structure of the air vent device is substantially similar to that of the air vent device shown in FIG. 4B, and thus the same or similar structures will not be described again. In the air vent device shown in FIG. 6D, the air guide block 370 also has a guide surface that fits the inner surface profile of the adjacent housing, and in addition, when the guide surface of the air guide block 370 is adjacent to or abuts the inner surface of the adjacent housing, the outer profile of the air guide block fits the outer profile of the peripheral components of the air vent device at the installed position to form a substantially continuous curved surface, so that the airflow at the air outlet can meet the Coanda effect. The so-called "Coanda effect" refers to the tendency of a fluid (water flow or air flow) to flow along the surface of a convex object deviating from the original flow direction. In this way, the airflow will spread outward along the surface of the outer profile of the peripheral components due to the Coanda effect, which can avoid the discomfort caused by direct blowing.

[0067] Specifically, Fig. 6D shows the state where the air guide block 370 is in the first limit position, at which the outer contour of the air guide block 370 is adapted to the outer contour of the peripheral part of the air vent device at the installation position (i.e. the vehicle roof C) to form a substantially continuous curved surface. Fig. 6E shows the air flow direction in the vehicle interior in the state of the air vent device of Fig. 6D, i.e. the air flow spreads along the surface of the outer contour of the vehicle roof C in the direction of the arrow, and then spreads along the surface of the window glass G, so as to achieve the cold / hot radiation insulation of the window and / or roof by the air conditioning wind, adjust the local climate in the vehicle interior, and avoid the direct blowing of the air flow to the occupant P in the vehicle interior to cause human discomfort, and achieve an adjustable guide range of nearly 180°, which is particularly suitable for the case where the air vent device is installed on the vehicle roof.

[0068] Figs. 7A to 10B show another embodiment of the air vent device A2. Similarly, the air vent device A2 comprises a housing 100 having an upper housing 110 and a lower housing 120 attached to each other, and an air guide vane group 200 in the form of a vane string, and an air guide block 510 provided with a pivot arm 520 pivotally connected to a pivot portion of the housing 100 to achieve the pivoting relative to the housing 100 about a first direction D1. Moreover, a damping member 530 can be provided between the pivot arm 520 and the pivot portion. Different from the air vent device Al of the above embodiment, in this embodiment, the knob 540 can be configured to be movable along the first direction D1, and the air guide vane group 200 changes the direction of the air flow or changes the air outlet mode in response to the movement of the knob to achieve the wind direction adjustment of different function modes. In this way, the knob 540 swings about the first direction D1 to achieve the pivoting of the air guide block 510 about the housing, and the wind direction control of the air guide vane group can be additionally obtained by the movement of the knob 540 along the first direction D1, further optimizing the air outlet effect of the air vent device.

[0069] Specifically, in combination with FIGS. 7A-8C, the knob 540 can include a knob block 541 extending out of the housing 100 and a knob lever 543 attached to the knob block 541, the knob lever 543 being attached to a displacement sensor 546 (e.g., a linear displacement sensor) to sense the displacement (e.g., linear displacement along the first direction D1) of the knob block 541. The air vent device further includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the air deflector blade set 200 to change the direction of the air flow in response to the displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensor 546. Three functional modes are exemplarily shown in the illustrated embodiment, and the air deflector block 510 can be provided with corresponding three functional identifiers 550 to facilitate the user to move the knob 540 to the corresponding functional identifier 550 according to different needs to achieve the required air outlet function.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the air deflector block 510 can be configured as a hollow structure having a cavity 547, the displacement sensor 546 being arranged in the cavity 547 and the cavity 547 being closed by a cover 545. In addition, the air deflector block 510 is provided with a knob slot 511 through which the knob lever 543 passes and is capable of moving along the first direction D1. In some embodiments, the knob block 541 can be attached to the knob lever 543 through a knob bracket 542. As shown in FIGS. 7C, 8B and 8C, the knob bracket 542 is provided with a knob lever slot 544 for the knob lever 543 to be embedded, and the knob block 541 can also be shape-fitted and nested with the knob bracket 542. In this way, the movement of the knob block 541 along the first direction D1 causes the knob bracket 542 and the knob lever 543 to move together, thereby generating a corresponding displacement signal through the displacement sensor 546, and the control unit is capable of identifying the displacement signal to determine the different positions of the knob block 541 to move, so as to control the air deflector blade set 200 to achieve different air outlet functions according to the preset program. It should be understood that depending on different needs, the knob 540 can also be changed into forms such as a button switch, a key switch or a touch switch, and is not limited to being capable of moving along the first direction D1. Depending on different needs, the displacement sensor can also be in any other suitable form, such as an angular displacement sensor, to sense the angular displacement of the knob block, e.g., varying around the first direction D1 or the second direction D2 or the third direction D3.

[0071] FIGS. 9A-10B exemplarily show the specific operation process of the knob 540 of the air vent device A2 and the air direction or air flow adjustment function achieved thereby.

[0072] FIGS. 9A and 9B show the state when the knob 540 is moved to the first position along the first direction D1, i.e., the knob 540 is moved to the leftmost position. The control unit identifies the displacement signal and controls the motor to drive the air deflector blade set 200 in the form of a blade string to the natural wind state based on the functional identifier 550 corresponding to this position, at which time the air outlet blows air in the natural wind state, capable of providing a wide range of turbulent flow by being stirred, providing a more uniform cabin temperature experience.

[0073] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B show the state when the knob 540 is moved to the second position along the first direction D1, i.e. the knob 540 is moved to the rightmost position. The control unit recognizes the displacement signal and controls the motor to drive the air guide vane group 200 in the form of vane string to the parallel arrangement state based on the function mark 550 corresponding to this position, at this time the air outlet blows air in the parallel air state, the air outlet blows more concentrated air flow, which can be delivered to more accurate local target points (blowing to people or avoiding blowing to people).

[0074] Regardless of the implementation, the air vent device of the present disclosure realizes the adjustment of the air direction or air flow by the air guide block in a smaller space, the structure of the air vent device is compact, and the air guide efficiency is high, which is especially suitable for application occasions with limited arrangement space. Through different control modes of the pivotal movement of the air guide block, automatic operation and manual operation can be provided according to different needs, and the knob form of manual operation simplifies the operation complexity and improves the driving safety. Through the further design of the knob, the pivotal movement of the air guide block and the adjustment function of the air guide vane group can be realized independently or in combination, so as to allow the user to adjust and guide the air flow according to the will, and improve the user experience.

[0075] It should be understood here that the implementation shown in the figure only shows the optional architecture, shape, size and arrangement of the various optional components of the air vent device according to the present disclosure, which is only illustrative and not limiting, and other shapes, sizes and arrangements can also be adopted without departing from the idea and scope of the present disclosure.

[0076] It is noted that the present disclosure (e.g., the disclosed concepts, etc.) has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments thereof in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings; the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to just those embodiments described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the precise nature of the elements embodied in the disclosed concepts as described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, equivalents, variations, changes, omissions, substitutions, etc. of the elements of the disclosed concepts as described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings that are within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, it is noted that various / other modifications, alterations, permutations, equivalents, variations, changes, omissions, substitutions, etc. in the configurations and / or arrangements of the exemplary embodiments (e.g., in terms of concepts, designs, structures, devices, forms, assemblies, constructions, means, functions, systems, processes / methods, steps, order of steps, operations, operating conditions, performance, materials, components, combinations, etc.) can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure; all such alternatives, modifications, equivalents, variations, changes, omissions, substitutions, etc. are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the subject matter (e.g., details, structures, functions, materials, acts, steps, orders, systems, results, etc.) as described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings. It is contemplated that the claims in this patent document will be appropriately interpreted to include the full scope of the present disclosure (e.g., including any and all alternatives, modifications, equivalents, variations, changes, omissions, substitutions, etc.); it is to be understood that the terminology used in this patent document is for the purpose of providing a descriptive description of the subject matter of the exemplary embodiments and not as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] It is further noted that, according to exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure can include conventional technology (e.g., technology implemented and / or integrated in exemplary embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents, etc.) or can include any other applicable technology (now and / or future), with the ability to perform the functions and processes / operations described in the specification and / or illustrated in the drawings. All such technology (e.g., technology implemented in embodiments, modifications, variations, combinations, equivalents, etc.) is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure in this patent document.

Claims

1. A vent arrangement for a vehicle, characterized by The vent device comprises: a housing defining an air inlet and an air outlet; a set of air guide vanes housed in the housing; an air guide block housed in the housing and arranged adjacent to the air outlet, wherein the air guide block is configured to extend along a first direction and pivotable relative to the housing about the first direction to adjust the direction of air flow guided by the set of air guide vanes.

2. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 1, wherein, The air guide block has a guide surface forming an external profile, the shape of the guide surface is adapted to the profile of an inner surface of the adjacent housing to form a guide air channel.

3. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 2, wherein, The air guide block is pivotable relative to the housing about the first direction at a first limit position, a second limit position and positions therebetween, the guide surface of the air guide block abutting the inner surface of the adjacent housing to close the guide air channel formed with the inner surface at the first limit position or the second limit position.

4. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 2, wherein, The external profile of the air guide block is adapted to the external profile of a peripheral component of the vent device at a mounted position when the guide surface of the air guide block abuts or is adjacent to the inner surface of the adjacent housing to form a substantially continuous curved surface.

5. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 1, wherein, Either of the air guide block and the set of air guide vanes is configured to have an external surface profile adapted to the other of the air guide block and the set of air guide vanes to accommodate a pivot trajectory of the air guide block.

6. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 1, wherein, The air guide block is provided with a pivot arm at each end of the extension direction, the pivot arm being pivotally connected to a pivot portion of the housing at each end.

7. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 6, wherein, A damping member is provided between the pivot arm and the housing.

8. The venting aperture arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The set of air guide vanes is configured as a vane string having a rotation shaft arranged along the first direction, the air guide block being configured to pivot coaxially with the set of air guide vanes.

9. The venting aperture arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The set of air guide vanes is configured to include a plurality of vanes arranged at least along the first direction and pivotable about a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a pivot axis of the air guide block pivoting about the first direction is arranged in sequence with the vanes in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction respectively.

10. The venting aperture arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The set of air guide vanes is configured to include a plurality of vanes arranged at least along the first direction and pivotable about a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a pivot axis of the air guide block pivoting about the first direction is located within a projection range of the vanes in a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

11. The venting aperture arrangement of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The pivot movement of the air guide block is automatically controlled by a motor or manually controlled.

12. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 11, wherein, The vent device further comprises a knob attached to the air guide block and extending out of the housing, the knob being configured to be movable along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, displacement of the knob in the second direction driving the air guide block to pivot relative to the housing.

13. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 12, wherein, The displacement of the knob in the second direction comprises an arc-shaped displacement swinging about the first direction, or a linear displacement along the second direction.

14. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 12, wherein, The knob is formed integrally with the air guide block, or the air guide block is configured as a hollow structure in which the knob is embedded.

15. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 12, wherein, The knob is configured to be movable along the first direction, and the group of air guiding vanes changes the direction of air flow or changes the air out mode in response to the movement of the knob.

16. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 15, wherein, The knob includes a knob block extending out of the housing and a knob lever attached to the knob block, the knob lever being attached to a displacement sensor to sense displacement of the knob block, wherein the air vent device further includes a control unit that controls the group of air guiding vanes to change the direction of air flow in response to a displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensor.

17. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 16, wherein, The air guiding block is configured as a hollow structure having a cavity, the displacement sensor is arranged in the cavity, and the air guiding block is provided with a knob slot through which the knob lever passes and is movable along the first direction.

18. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 16, wherein, The knob block is attached to the knob lever by a knob support.

19. The venting aperture arrangement of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle includes a vehicle, and the air vent device is adapted to be mounted on an instrument panel, a sub-instrument panel, a door trim, an armrest, a pillar, or a vehicle roof.

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