Ventilation valve for a vehicle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ventilation valves allow vehicle noises and impurities, such as exhaust gases, to enter the vehicle interior due to the upward opening of flexible flaps, which are prone to material fatigue and leakage over time, limiting their effectiveness and service life.

Innovation Solution

A ventilation valve with pivotable flaps and resetting means, such as counterweights or springs, that ensure the flaps return to the closed position without elastic deformation, allowing flexible placement and reducing material fatigue, while the flaps open downward to direct airflow and exhaust gases away from the vehicle interior.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If flexible flaps are used in ventilation valves, then the valve can be simple in structure and easy to manufacture, but the flaps are prone to material fatigue and leakage over time, reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve structureVSAvoidflap tightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flap is segmented into a rigid support structure and a flexible sealing element. The rigid portion (made of plastic or metal) provides structural stability and resists fatigue, while the flexible sealing lip (made of elastomer) maintains contact with the valve seat to prevent leakage. This segmentation allows each component to perform its optimal function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flap is constructed as a composite component combining rigid material (plastic or metal) for structural integrity and flexible material (elastomer) for sealing. This composite structure eliminates the material fatigue issues of purely flexible flaps while maintaining the sealing effectiveness, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If ventilation valves are arranged in the rear region near wheels, then they can be simply covered by the rear skirt, but vehicle noises and exhaust gases may enter the vehicle interior through the open flap

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidnoise and exhaust gas entry

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the flap open upward as in conventional designs, the flap is configured to open downward. This inversion changes the airflow direction so that exhaust gases and noise are directed away from the vehicle interior rather than toward it, effectively reducing harmful factors while maintaining the simple rear-region installation configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

A counterweight mechanism is integrated into the flap assembly to ensure the flap returns to and remains in the closed position. This counterweight system provides sufficient force to overcome any residual pressure differentials that might keep the flap partially open, ensuring complete sealing when ventilation is not required, thereby preventing noise and exhaust gas entry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

3Device complexity

If the flap opens upward in conventional design, then the structure is simple, but exhaust gases and noise can rise into the vehicle interior through the opening

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflap configurationVSAvoidexhaust gas and noise direction

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The flap opening direction is inverted from the conventional upward opening to a downward opening. This simple configurational change reverses the airflow path, causing exhaust gases and noise to be directed downward and away from the vehicle interior, thereby reducing harmful factors without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 effectively prevents the entry of impurities and noises into the vehicle, maintains high tightness and service life, and increases air throughput by eliminating the need for ribs and reducing deformation, allowing for flexible placement and reliable operation.

Implementation Method 1

resetting means, such as counterweights or springs, that ensure the flaps return to the closed position without elastic deformation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

resetting means, such as counterweights or springs, that ensure the flaps return to the closed position without elastic deformation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

By means of a positive pressure occurring in the vehicle interior, the ventilation flaps are deformed counter to gravity, and the through openings are therefore opened up

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS11225124B2Ventilation valve for a vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A ventilation valve for ventilating the interior of a vehicle includes a valve frame with at least one through opening, and also at least one ventilation flap which is mounted on the valve frame and is pivotable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the at least one ventilation flap closes the at least one through opening in the closed position and opens up the at least one through opening in the open position. A resetting feature is provided for pivoting the at least one ventilation flap back out of the open position into the closed position.