Vehicle Ventilation Arrangement with Fluidic Distributor Channels

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air vent designs for motor vehicle interiors are complex, heavy, and costly due to adjustable slats and flaps, which restrict geometric configuration and increase manufacturing costs, while failing to provide intuitive and easy operation for adapting air flow direction and outflow characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A ventilation arrangement with separate fluidically isolated first and second flow channels in each air vent, coupled through distributor channels, allows for central control of air mass flow redistribution to change outflow directions without moving parts, enabling adaptable and synchronized adjustment of air flow characteristics across multiple vents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If adjustable slats and flaps are provided in air vents to change air flow direction and outflow characteristics, then the adaptability of air flow control is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow direction controlVSAvoidnumber of moving components
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The air vent is divided into multiple independent flow channels (first flow channel, second flow channel, etc.), each capable of independently directing air flow. By segmenting the air flow paths and controlling them separately through distributor channels, the system achieves versatile air flow control without requiring complex adjustable slats and flaps in each vent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical adjustable slats and flaps with a distributor channel system that redirects air flow using fluid dynamics principles. Instead of mechanically moving parts within each air vent, the system uses a centralized distribution mechanism that channels air to different outlets based on flow demand, eliminating complex mechanical adjustment components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If adjustable slats and flaps are provided in air vents to change air flow direction and outflow characteristics, then the adaptability of air flow control is improved, but the manufacturing and assembly costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow direction controlVSAvoidmanufacturing and assembly costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The air vent is divided into multiple independent flow channels (first flow channel, second flow channel, etc.), each capable of independently directing air flow. By segmenting the air flow paths and controlling them separately through distributor channels, the system achieves versatile air flow control without requiring complex adjustable slats and flaps in each vent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical adjustable slats and flaps with a distributor channel system that redirects air flow using fluid dynamics principles. Instead of mechanically moving parts within each air vent, the system uses a centralized distribution mechanism that channels air to different outlets based on flow demand, eliminating complex mechanical adjustment components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If adjustable slats and flaps are provided in air vents to change air flow direction and outflow characteristics, then the adaptability of air flow control is improved, but the weight of air vents increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow direction controlVSAvoidweight of air vent
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the air flow adjustment function from individual air vent components (slats and flaps) and relocates it to a centralized distributor channel system. This separation allows the air vents themselves to be simplified static structures without heavy moving parts, while the distributor channels handle the dynamic flow control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical adjustable slats and flaps with a distributor channel system that redirects air flow using fluid dynamics principles. Instead of mechanically moving parts within each air vent, the system uses a centralized distribution mechanism that channels air to different outlets based on flow demand, eliminating complex mechanical adjustment components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple air vents are equipped with adjustable slats and flaps for independent control, then the adaptability of each vent is improved, but the device complexity and synchronization difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual vent controlVSAvoidsynchronization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the control functions of multiple air vents into a single integrated distributor channel system. The distributor channels receive air flow and automatically distribute it to various air vents based on flow demand, enabling synchronized control of multiple vents through a unified mechanism rather than independent adjustment of each vent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The distributor channel system serves multiple air vents simultaneously with a single control mechanism. The same distributor channels that supply air to individual vents also coordinate the flow distribution across all vents, providing a universal control solution that handles both individual vent adaptation and synchronized operation.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3941766B1Ventilation arrangement for ventilating a motor vehicle interior
Publication Date: 2022.12.28 PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
  • EP3941766B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3941766B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3941766B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for ventilating a motor vehicle interior by means of a ventilation arrangement. The ventilation arrangement has at least one first air outlet (10) which is arranged in the interior of the motor vehicle and has a first flow channel (20) and a second flow channel (22), wherein the first and the second flow channel (20, 22) of the first air outlet (10) are separate from each other with respect to flow and open into an outlet opening (12) of the first air outlet (10) at different angles. The ventilation arrangement has at least one second air outlet which is arranged spaced apart from the first air outlet (10) and has a first flow channel and a second flow channel, wherein the first and the second flow channel of the at least one second air outlet are separate from each other with respect to flow and open into an outlet opening of the second air outlet at different angles. The first flow channels (20) of the first and second air outlets (10) are coupled to each other by means of a first distributor channel, and the second flow channels (22) of the first and second air outlets (10) are coupled to each other with respect to flow by means of a second distributor channel of the air distributor.