Vehicle Air Vent Slat Layout to Prevent Unintended Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ventilation vents for motor vehicles are prone to unintentional adjustment due to contact with occupants, leading to unwanted airflow deflection, and lack cost-effective solutions for precise airflow direction into the passenger compartment.

Innovation Solution

A ventilation vent design featuring pivotable air guide slats mechanically coupled to each other, with shielding slats and a spring device to prevent unintentional adjustment, and a housing that can be integrated with the ventilation duct to direct airflow at a variable angle, using materials like metal and plastic with reinforcing fibers for enhanced stability and deflection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If adjustable air guide slats are provided for variable airflow deflection, then the airflow direction can be precisely controlled toward the passenger compartment, but unintentional adjustment becomes easily possible due to inadvertent contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveairflow direction controlVSAvoidunintentional adjustment risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A spring device acts as an intermediary between the air guide slat and the housing. The spring provides a restoring force that counteracts inadvertent contact forces, preventing unintentional adjustment while allowing deliberate adjustment when needed. The spring mechanism mediates between external disturbances and the slat position, maintaining reliability without sacrificing adjustability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring device is pre-loaded to provide a counteracting force against potential inadvertent contact. This preliminary anti-action prevents the slat from moving unintentionally by opposing any external forces before they can cause unwanted adjustment, while still allowing intentional adjustment when the user applies sufficient force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Device complexity

If rigid air guide slats are used for constant direction airflow, then the structure is simple and stable, but the airflow direction cannot be adjusted to follow occupants or change conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveventilation vent structureVSAvoidairflow direction adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The air guide slat is made dynamic through the spring mechanism, allowing it to pivot between different angular positions. The spring enables the slat to adapt its position based on operational needs while returning to a default position when not in use, providing both simplicity and adaptability in the ventilation system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the angular parameter of the air guide slat to control airflow direction. The spring mechanism enables this parameter change while maintaining a simple structural design, allowing the slat to assume different positions for different airflow requirements without complex actuation systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple air guide slats are mechanically coupled for synchronous pivoting, then the airflow distribution is uniform and coordinated, but the mechanism becomes more complex and costly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveairflow distribution uniformityVSAvoidslat coupling mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple air guide slats are mechanically coupled together to form a unified assembly that pivots synchronously. This merging of multiple slats into a single coordinated unit achieves uniform airflow distribution while simplifying the control mechanism, as one adjustment action controls all slats simultaneously rather than requiring individual adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3758963B1Air vent
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3758963B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3758963B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3758963B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a ventilation vent (1) for a ventilation system of a motor vehicle for blowing an air flow flowing in a flow direction (S) against a vehicle compartment (4) of the motor vehicle in a controlled manner, having a housing (5), a panel device (6) with a first panel section (7) and a second panel section (8), a slot-shaped air gap (9) being formed between the first panel section (7) and the second panel section (8), and a first air-guiding lamella (10) with a first front lamella end (11) in the flow direction (5) and a first rear lamella end (12), said first air-guiding lamella (10) being held in a pivotal manner about a first pivot axis (VI) relative to the panel device (6), wherein the width of the first air-guiding lamella (10) extends parallel to the air gap (9). The first air-guiding lamella (10) is arranged in front of the first panel section (7) so as to be aligned with the flow direction (S).