Multi-adjustable air register

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional air registers in vehicles restrict airflow due to the use of vanes, which can limit the effectiveness of air distribution and require expensive materials for stiffness.

Innovation Solution

An air register design featuring a vent housing with a pivotally coupled frame member and movable chambers with perimeter walls, allowing for adjustable airflow direction and reduced material costs through the use of polymeric materials with mineral fillers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional vanes are used to direct airflow, then airflow direction can be adjusted, but airflow is restricted and material costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow direction adjustmentVSAvoidairflow volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The air register is divided into multiple independent chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that can be individually adjusted. Each chamber acts as an independent airflow control unit, allowing selective opening or closing of specific airflow paths while maintaining overall high airflow volume. This segmentation enables directional control without restricting total airflow as much as traditional vane systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using solid vanes to block and redirect airflow, the invention uses open chambers with perimeter walls that guide airflow along their edges. The chambers are mostly open rather than solid, inverting the traditional approach of using blocking elements for direction control. This allows airflow to pass through the register more freely while still achieving directional guidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Strength

If glass filler materials are used in vanes to achieve stiffness, then structural rigidity is improved, but material cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural rigidityVSAvoidmaterial cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The chambers are formed using thin polymeric walls with perimeter structures that provide structural definition without requiring thick, expensive glass-filled materials. The perimeter walls create rigid geometric shapes that maintain structural integrity while using cheaper polymeric materials, eliminating the need for costly glass filler additives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses polymeric materials with mineral fillers (such as calcium carbonate or talc) instead of expensive glass filler materials. This composite approach provides sufficient stiffness and structural rigidity at lower material costs, achieving the same structural performance with more economical material composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS10919366B2Multi-adjustable air register

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

An air register for use in a vehicle includes a vent housing having an outlet. A frame member is operably coupled to the sidewalls of the outlet and contains a perimeter wall framing an open central portion. Disposed within the open central portion is a plurality of chambers operably coupled to the frame member and movable between first and second positions. Each chamber includes a perimeter wall having vertical and horizontal surfaces disposed in a common plane around an open interior portion.