Vehicle Air Vent Toggle-Gear Layout for Compact Blade Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air conditioner vents in vehicles have a high parts count, complex structure, and high development costs due to numerous components and intricate drive mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

An air conditioner vent design featuring a housing, first and second blade groups, and an air direction adjustment assembly with a toggle mechanism that connects first and second air guide blades through a gear mechanism, allowing for air direction adjustment with a simplified structure and reduced parts count.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional air conditioner vent design with multiple components (panel, housing, upper-layer blade, lower-layer blade, dial wheel, ventilation door, toggle, drive connection rod) is used, then air direction adjustment function is achieved, but parts count increases and structure becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair direction adjustment functionVSAvoidparts count and structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple traditional components into an integrated housing structure with built-in guide blades. The housing itself serves as both the structural enclosure and the airflow guidance mechanism, eliminating the need for separate panels, ventilation doors, and complex drive connection rods. This merging of functions directly reduces parts count while maintaining air direction adjustment capability through the integrated guide blades.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, defines the air outlet geometry, contains the guide blades for airflow direction control, and eliminates the need for separate ventilation doors. This multi-functionality approach allows the air conditioner vent to achieve full air direction adjustment without requiring traditional separate components for each function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If hidden air conditioner vent with inner housing, upper air guide blade, lower air guide blade, left air guide blade group, right air guide blade group, swing frame, and control mechanism is used, then air direction control is improved, but structure becomes extremely complex and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair direction controlVSAvoidstructure complexity and space requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the housing and guide blades into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate inner housing, swing frame, and control mechanism components. The guide blades are directly formed as part of the housing structure, which dramatically simplifies the overall assembly and reduces the space required for the air conditioner vent while maintaining full air direction control capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate components such as the swing frame and complex control mechanism from the traditional hidden air conditioner vent design. By removing these redundant elements and retaining only the essential housing and guide blades, the design achieves simpler structure and reduced space requirements while preserving the core air direction control function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If traditional air conditioner vent with large number of parts is used, then air direction adjustment function is achieved, but development costs increase and development period lengthens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair direction adjustment functionVSAvoiddevelopment costs and development period
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separately manufactured components into a single integrated housing structure with built-in guide blades. This reduction in parts count directly decreases the number of manufacturing steps, assembly operations, and quality control checkpoints, thereby reducing both development costs and development period while maintaining the air direction adjustment function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the air conditioner vent into essential functional elements only (housing and guide blades), eliminating non-essential components. This selective segmentation approach retains the core air direction adjustment capability while removing redundant parts that contribute to higher development costs and longer development cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4289646B1Air conditioner vent, air conditioning system, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.07.16 ZHEJIANG GEELY HLDG GRP CO LTD
  • EP4289646B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4289646B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4289646B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Disclosed are an air conditioner vent, an air conditioning system, and a vehicle. The air conditioner vent includes a housing (10), a first blade group (20), a second blade group (30), and an air direction adjustment assembly. The first blade group (20) includes at least one first air guide blade (201). The at least one first air guide blade (201) has a first side edge and a second side edge that are opposite to each other. The first side edge and the second side edge are hinged to the housing (10), respectively. The second blade group (30) includes at least one second air guide blade (301). The at least one second air guide blade (301) has a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other. The first end and the second end are hinged to the housing (10), respectively. The air direction adjustment assembly includes a toggle (40). The toggle (40) includes a first connection portion (401) connected to a corresponding one of the at least one first air guide blade (201) and a second connection portion (402) connected to the at least one second air guide blade (301) through a gear mechanism. The structure has a small quantity of parts, is simple in design, and has low demand to an arrangement space, which greatly simplifies a structure of the air conditioner vent, saves development costs and reduces a development cycle.