Vehicle Air Vent Parallel Sub-Duct Design for Safety and Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air vents for vehicles face challenges in optimizing air deflection while ensuring occupant safety, particularly due to complex production processes, large outlet openings that can allow objects to pass through, and increased flow resistance leading to undesirable air flow patterns.
Innovation Solution
The air vent design subdivides the air duct into parallel sub-ducts with separate outlet openings, each equipped with an adjustable pivotable air-guiding element. This configuration allows for optimized air deflection and reduced flow resistance while ensuring the outlet openings are small enough to prevent objects from entering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the outlet opening is made large to ensure high air flow rate, then the air flow rate is improved, but the safety risk increases allowing objects to pass through
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single outlet opening into multiple smaller outlet openings (at least two) arranged in the air outlet region. This segmentation allows the total air flow rate to be maintained through multiple channels while each individual opening remains small enough to prevent objects and fingers from passing through, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety.
2Ease of operation
If arcuate housing walls are used to deflect air, then the air deflection capability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the air duct into multiple parallel sub-ducts, each with its own air-guiding element. This allows air deflection to be achieved through simpler, localized components rather than complex arcuate housing walls, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining air deflection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pivotable air-guiding slats that can dynamically adjust their position to deflect air flow in different directions. This dynamic mechanism provides flexible air deflection control without requiring complex fixed arcuate housing structures, thereby improving ease of operation while simplifying manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If multiple air deflections are implemented in the air duct, then the air deflection control is improved, but the flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the air duct into separate parallel sub-ducts, each with its own air-guiding element, the patent enables independent air deflection control in each sub-duct. This segmentation reduces the number of sequential deflections needed compared to a single duct with multiple deflection points, thereby maintaining air deflection control while reducing flow resistance and energy loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves improved air deflection and reduced flow resistance, enhancing the air vent's performance while ensuring occupant safety by preventing objects from entering the outlet openings.
Implementation Method 1
an adjustable, and in particular pivotable, air-guiding element is arranged in each sub-duct, in order to deflect the air flowing through the corresponding sub-duct as required
Data Source
AI summary
An air vent (100) for a vehicle, wherein the air vent (100) has a housing (1a, 1b) with an air inlet region (3) and an opposite air outlet region (5), wherein a housing wall of the housing (1a, 1b) delimits, at least in certain regions, an air duct (7) for air flowing from the air inlet region (3) to the air outlet region (5) along a main flow direction (H), upstream of the air outlet region (5), the air duct (7) is subdivided into at least two sub-ducts (9a, 9b) which extend in parallel along the main flow direction (H) and which open into a respective air outlet opening (6a, 6b) at the air outlet region (5) and for air deflection as required, at least one adjustable air-guiding element (11a, 11b) is arranged in each sub-duct (9a, 9b).