Air Vent Lever Linkage for Intuitive Vane Swivel Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air vent operating devices require frequent rethinking by vehicle occupants to operate rear vanes correctly, as they are swiveled in opposition to the swivel direction of the operating member, leading to driver distraction.
Innovation Solution
An operating device with a first and second swiveling lever, where the second lever is coupled to the first lever and the vane, allowing both levers to be mounted on a front vane, ensuring that both pairs of vanes are swiveled in the same direction as the operating member, simplifying operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lever is used to operate rear vanes through the front vanes, then the rear vanes can be operated, but the rear vanes are swiveled in opposition to the swivel direction of the operating member, causing driver distraction
Solution Approach 1:
A second operating lever is introduced as an intermediary between the first operating lever and the rear vane. This second lever transfers the swiveling motion from the first lever to the rear vane while reversing the direction twice, ensuring the rear vane swivels in the same direction as the first operating lever moves, eliminating directional confusion for the driver
2Ease of operation
If only one group of vanes is provided, then the operating member can be directly attached to the vane, but this does not allow operation of rear vanes that are covered by front vanes
Solution Approach 1:
The operating device is designed with a universal mechanism that can operate both front and rear vane groups through a single operating member. The first operating lever controls the front vane directly, while the second operating lever extends the control capability to the rear vane, allowing one operating member to universally control multiple vane groups
Data Source
AI summary
An operating device (10) for an air vent (12) which includes at least one swiveling vane (14), the operating device (10) having a first operating lever (22) which has a first lever arm (30), a second lever arm (34), and a bearing member (38) which is arranged therebetween, the first operating lever (22) being mounted around the bearing member (38) for swiveling about a swivel pin (24), and a second operating lever (26) which has a first lever arm (32), a second lever arm (36), and a bearing member (40) which is arranged therebetween, the second operating lever (26) being mounted around the bearing member (40) for swiveling about a swivel pin (28), the first lever arm (32) of the second operating lever (26) being coupled to the second lever arm (34) of the first operating lever (22) and the second lever arm (36) of the second operating lever (26) being adapted to be coupled for swiveling motion to the vane (14).