Automotive Air Vent Mesh Cover for Draft-Reducing Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive air vents often cause discomfort due to direct blowing of cold or warm air, leading to drafts and air conditioning sickness, necessitating frequent adjustment of the air conditioning system.
Innovation Solution
An automotive air vent with a mesh cover divided into upper and lower parts that can be manually switched between a no-wind mode and a normal vent mode, allowing air to be discharged at reduced speed by retracting the mesh covers into the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If cold or warm air is blown directly from the air vent, then rapid cooling or heating is achieved, but user comfort deteriorates due to drafts and air conditioning sickness
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh cover is divided into an upper mesh cover and a lower mesh cover that can be independently positioned. When both covers are in the covering position, they segment the air flow path and reduce direct blowing. This segmentation allows the system to provide rapid cooling when needed while minimizing harmful direct air discharge to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh cover acts as an intermediary element between the air vent and the user. It mediates the air flow by diffusing direct air discharge when in the covering position, thereby reducing drafts and air conditioning sickness while still allowing air circulation for cooling purposes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the mesh cover is used to reduce wind speed, then user comfort is improved, but the cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh cover is designed with movable upper and lower covers that can dynamically change position between covering and retracted states. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to different cooling needs: full covering for comfort, partial covering for balanced performance, and full retraction for maximum cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh cover can be periodically adjusted between different positions (covering and retracted) based on cooling stage. In early cooling stages, the cover is retracted for rapid cooling. In later stages, the cover is positioned to reduce direct blowing, providing periodic adjustment of air flow characteristics to maintain both efficiency and comfort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mesh cover structure is added to the air vent, then mode switching capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper mesh cover and lower mesh cover are merged into a coordinated system where the lower cover's movement automatically drives the upper cover's movement through engaged portions and gears. This merging reduces the need for separate control mechanisms for each cover, thereby adding mode switching capability while limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh cover system is designed to be manually operable, allowing users to switch between modes by simply pressing the lower mesh cover. The system serves itself through mechanical linkages (engagement portions, gears, and arc-shaped movement paths) that automatically coordinate the movement of both covers without requiring additional motors or complex control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive air vent includes: a housing having open front and rear portions, and an air vent mounted inside the housing and configured to move in a front-to-back direction. and the air vent includes a blade and a knob for adjusting a wind direction. The automotive air vent further includes a mesh cover installed in a divided manner inside the housing and configured to cover the air vent so that wind is discharged at a reduced wind speed. In particular, the mesh cover is configured to guide the air vent to selectively move forward when the mesh cover is retracted into the housing for switching from a no-wind mode to an air vent mode.