Vehicle Air Vent Slat Closure for Flat Outflow and Low Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle air vents lack efficient control over airflow direction and intensity while maintaining a low installation height and visually appealing design.
Innovation Solution
The air vent features freely movable closing edges on slats that open in opposite directions, allowing for a wide gap with minimal opening stroke, enabling efficient airflow control and a flat outflow angle, which is achieved through a mechanism involving a positioning roller and actuator system, allowing for manual or automatic operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple blind slats are used to control airflow direction, then airflow control capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air vent is divided into multiple independent slats (first blind slat and second blind slat) that can be controlled separately. Each slat can be adjusted independently to different positions, allowing precise control of airflow direction and distribution. This segmentation enables versatile airflow control while keeping each individual slat's structure simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a complex lever mechanism is used to control blind slats, then airflow direction control is improved, but installation height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex lever mechanism from the design. Instead of using a lever system that requires significant space, the invention employs a simplified control mechanism that directly actuates the slats, reducing the overall installation height while maintaining effective airflow direction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mechanism transitions from a multi-dimensional lever system requiring vertical space to a more compact arrangement that achieves the same control function with reduced height, effectively moving the solution to another dimensional configuration.
3Device complexity
If slats are actuated in the same direction by a common actuator, then device complexity is reduced, but airflow control versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air vent is divided into multiple independent slats (first blind slat and second blind slat) that can be controlled separately. Each slat can be adjusted independently to different positions, allowing precise control of airflow direction and distribution. This segmentation enables versatile airflow control while keeping each individual slat's structure simple.
4Productivity
If wide outflow openings are used, then ventilation efficiency is improved, but visual appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The slats are designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the air vent to transition between a closed state (when not in use) and an open state (when ventilation is needed). This dynamic capability enables the vent to maintain a sleek, inconspicuous appearance when closed while providing efficient ventilation when opened.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening mechanism is designed to locally expand the outflow area only when needed. The slats can be positioned to create wide openings for maximum ventilation efficiency, while the surrounding housing and closed slat configuration maintain a compact, visually appealing appearance in non-operational states.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an air outlet (1) for a vehicle, which has a housing (11) having an air outlet opening (12) and, in the region of the air outlet opening (12), at least two movably mounted lamellae (21, 22) for controlling a discharge of air, wherein the at least two movably mounted lamellae (21, 22) close the air outlet opening (12) in a closed position and each have a bearing edge (211, 221) connected to the housing (11) and a freely movable closing edge (21s, 22s), and the at least two movably mounted lamellae (21, 22) are arranged in the air outlet opening (12) in such a way that their closing edges (21s, 22s) are opposite one another in the closed position.