Air Vent Slat Geometry for Low-Loss Air Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air vents face issues with varying flow speeds and pressure losses due to complex kinematics and movable air guide elements, which affect air deflection efficiency and visibility in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An air vent design featuring two fixed air guiding elements with pivot axes through their end faces, reducing the air duct cross-section uniformly, and a slat arrangement with coupled slats to maintain constant flow speeds and minimize pressure loss, while ensuring air deflection without visible moving parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If movable air guide elements are used to deflect air, then air deflection is achieved, but pressure loss increases and flow speeds vary excessively
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using movable air guide elements to deflect air, the patent uses fixed air guide elements with a specific geometric configuration. The air guiding surfaces are designed with curved contours that passively redirect airflow without requiring movement, thereby maintaining constant cross-sectional area and avoiding pressure losses associated with movable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the air duct, specifically designing air guiding surfaces with curved contours that maintain a constant cross-sectional area throughout the deflection process. This parameter optimization allows airflow to be redirected while keeping flow velocity and pressure constant, eliminating the energy losses caused by variable cross-sections in conventional designs.
2Ease of operation
If movable air guide elements are used for air deflection, then air flow control is achieved, but the structure becomes complex with visible moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the movable components from the air vent system entirely, replacing them with fixed air guide elements. By removing the moving parts that cause structural complexity and visibility issues, the design achieves air flow control through optimized fixed geometry rather than mechanical movement.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of controlling airflow through movement of guide elements, the patent inverts the approach by using fixed elements with specifically designed curved surfaces that passively control flow direction. This eliminates the need for visible moving parts while maintaining effective air deflection functionality.
3Ease of operation
If the cross section of the air duct is reduced by air guiding elements, then air deflection is achieved, but flow speed increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the air duct by designing air guiding surfaces that maintain a constant cross-sectional area. The curved contours of the guiding surfaces redirect airflow without reducing the flow area, thereby achieving air deflection while preventing excessive increases in flow speed.
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
The design maintains consistent flow velocities and reduces pressure losses across different deflection positions, simplifies the structure, and prevents high flow speeds, while providing effective air deflection without complex kinematics or visible moving components.
Implementation Method 1
the air flowing out of the air vent in a deflected manner using the Coanda effect
Implementation Method 2
the pivot axes of the first air guiding elements run through the end faces of the first air guiding elements which face away from the air outlet opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An air vent is described which has two first air guiding elements (90) which are located in front of an air outlet opening (14) and a front section of an air duct (16) of the air vent (10) in the air flow direction. The first air guiding elements (90) are arranged in such a way that they reduce the cross section of the air duct (16), the pivot axes (A) of the first air guiding elements (90) running through the end faces of the first air guiding elements (90) that face away from the air outlet opening (14).