Automotive Air Vent Dial Assembly With Reliable Click Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air vent dials for automobiles face challenges in providing a reliable click phase due to issues with leaf springs escaping from the dial assembly and increased manufacturing costs, as well as complexity in assembly processes, leading to malfunctions and high part costs.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a dial assembly and housing with elongated holes and projections that use elastic forces to guide and fix the dial knob, allowing for accurate recognition of air vent states and simplified assembly, reducing part count and manufacturing costs by using plastic materials for injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a leaf spring is coupled to the dial assembly by inserting both end portions into the dial assembly, then the click phase is applied to the dial assembly, but the leaf spring escapes from the dial assembly due to being pushed by holding projections during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is divided into two separate elastic members, each coupled to one end of the dial assembly. This segmentation prevents the single leaf spring from escaping during rotation, as each smaller elastic member is independently retained by holding projections at the respective ends of the dial assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Holding projections are introduced as intermediary elements that mediate between the elastic members and the dial assembly. These projections engage with grooves or slots in the elastic members to prevent them from escaping during rotation, providing a reliable retention mechanism.
2Reliability
If a leaf spring is coupled to the dial assembly, then the click phase is improved, but the coupling process is difficult in terms of manufacturing method of metal materials, resulting in increased parts cost
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter of the elastic members is changed from metal to plastic. This parameter change enables the use of injection molding for manufacturing, which simplifies the coupling process and reduces parts cost while maintaining the click phase quality through the elastic properties of the plastic material.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical coupling process for metal leaf springs is replaced with an injection molding process for plastic elastic members. This substitution eliminates the need for complex metal forming and assembly operations, making the manufacturing process easier and more cost-effective.
3Ease of operation
If elastic member ends are formed with open holes for assembly, then assembly convenience is improved, but the pin and open hole are likely to separate by vibration and shock, resulting in dial malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming open holes in the elastic members for assembly, the invention inverts the approach by having the holding projections on the dial assembly engage with grooves or slots formed in the elastic members. This inversion provides a more stable connection that resists separation from vibration and shock while maintaining assembly convenience.
4Ease of operation
If the elastic member is rotated in a state where one end is pin-coupled and then the other end is fitted, then the elastic member can be assembled, but a space is required for rotation resulting in enlargement of parts and increased number of required parts
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic members are pre-formed with grooves or slots during injection molding that are designed to engage with holding projections. This preliminary action eliminates the need for separate rotation and fitting operations, allowing the elastic members to be directly coupled to the dial assembly in a single assembly step, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the assembly process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables users to accurately recognize air vent states through a clear click phase, simplifies assembly, and reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining durability and functionality, avoiding malfunctions caused by vibration and shock.
Implementation Method 1
a rear fixing plate 32 connected to the damper 11 through a link member 12 so as to control opening and closing degrees of the damper 11, wherein the dial housing 20 has a housing elongated hole 24 formed at a rear body and holding projections 25 respectively formed at positions corresponding to the opening and closing positions of the damper 11 along a rear outer peripheral surface
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
In order to improve the click phase of a dial assembly, an air vent dial for an automobilecomprises: an air vent housing (10) having an air path and a damper (11) for opening or closing the air path; a dial housing (20) provided to the air vent housing (10) and having an opening (21) and holding projections (25); and a dial assembly (30) having a dial knob (31) to be fitted into the opening (21) and a rear fixing plate (32) connected to the damper (11) through a link member (12) so as to control the opening and closing degrees of the damper (11), wherein the dial housing (20) has the holding projections (25) at positions corresponding to the opening and closing positions of the damper (11), and wherein the dial assembly (30) has fixing projections (34) projecting inwards and coming into contact with the holding projections (25) while being guided and moving along the rear outer peripheral surface of the dial housing (20) at the outside of the rear fixing plate (32) having the dial elongated hole (33).