Slim Air Vent Assembly with Slit-Based Flow Direction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air vent assemblies for vehicles require a large space due to their design, limiting design freedom in the vehicle interior and causing wind direction control inefficiencies, especially when trying to maintain wind speed while adjusting direction.
Innovation Solution
The air vent assembly features a slim design with a slit assembly and a movable knob that allows for precise control of air flow direction without losing wind speed, utilizing a housing with internal tracks and pivotally connected plates to form a single flow path that can be bent for desired direction adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wing-type air vent with multiple horizontal and vertical wings is used to control wind direction, then wind direction control is improved, but the vertical space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air vent assembly is divided into separate functional components: a housing, a slit assembly with multiple slits, and a knob mechanism. The slit assembly includes an upper inlet plate, lower inlet plate, and outlet plate that can independently adjust to create different flow paths, eliminating the need for multiple overlapping wings while maintaining directional control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional wing structure to a three-dimensional flow path control system. By creating adjustable flow paths that extend into the depth of the housing (from inlet to outlet plates), the system achieves wind direction control without increasing vertical profile, utilizing internal spatial arrangement rather than external wing extensions.
2Ease of operation
If multiple wings are used to adjust wind direction in left-right and up-down directions, then wind direction control is improved, but the installation space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single knob mechanism serves multiple functions: it controls both the upper and lower inlet plates as well as the outlet plate simultaneously. By integrating these control functions into one mechanism, the system achieves comprehensive wind direction adjustment (left-right and up-down) without requiring separate control elements for each direction, thereby reducing overall assembly size.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the control of multiple plates (upper inlet plate, lower inlet plate, and outlet plate) into a single integrated slit assembly that operates together. This consolidation allows all directional control functions to be achieved within a compact configuration, eliminating the need for separate wing assemblies for different adjustment directions.
3Shape
If the air vent size is reduced in the vertical direction to achieve a slim shape, then design freedom is improved, but wind speed maintenance during direction adjustment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The slit assembly is designed with movable plates that can dynamically adjust the flow path configuration. The upper inlet plate, lower inlet plate, and outlet plate can shift positions to accommodate different wind directions while maintaining optimal flow characteristics. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures wind speed consistency regardless of the vertical size constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls wind flow by changing the geometric parameters of the flow path (slit openings, plate positions, flow path angles) rather than relying on fixed wing structures. By adjusting the opening sizes and orientations of the slits formed by the movable plates, the system maintains wind speed while adapting to directional requirements, all within a compact vertical envelope.
Data Source
AI summary
An air vent assembly may include a housing to allow air to pass therethrough, a slit assembly disposed inside the housing and controlling a flow direction of the air, and a knob movably connected to the slit assembly to move the slit assembly, wherein the slit assembly includes an upper inlet plate connected to the housing, the upper inlet plate movable along the internal surface of the housing, a lower inlet plate forming an inlet slit from the upper inlet plate and disposed inside the housing, the lower inlet plate connected to the housing and movable along the internal surface of the housing, and an outlet plate, wherein a side of the outlet plate is pivotally coupled to the upper inlet plate and the lower inlet plate to be movable with the upper inlet plate and the lower inlet plate and the other side is pivotally coupled in the housing.