CN213056620U

CN213056620U - Vent hole

Info

Publication number: CN213056620U
Application number: CN202020873551.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 桑赫-蒂尤·比尤伊; 布鲁诺·迪南特
Original assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie SAS
Current assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie SAS
Priority date: 2019-06-20
Filing date: 2020-05-22
Publication date: 2021-04-27
Anticipated expiration: 2030-05-22
Also published as: DE102019209011A1

Abstract

The present application relates to a vent (1) comprising: a housing (2) extending in an axial direction from an intake port (21) to an exhaust port (22); a stationary air guiding element (3); a pivotable air guiding element (6) arranged between the fixed air guiding element (3) and the air inlet (21); and at least one pivotable vane (7). At least one pivotable vane (7) axially overlaps at least partially with the pivotable air guiding element (6), and the pivotable air guiding element (6) has a substantially tear-drop-shaped or approximately tear-drop-shaped cross section.

Description

Vent hole

Technical Field

The present patent application relates to the field of vents. In particular, the subject matter of the present patent application relates to a vent with a fixed air guiding element and a pivotable air guiding element to guide a first air flow through a first air channel and a second air flow through a second air channel. In particular, the vent is suitable for use in a vehicle.

Background

Document US 2014/0357179a1 provides a vent having a housing, an air inlet arranged in an axial direction relative to the housing, and an air outlet opposite the air inlet, an air transport element located in the housing having a first air transport surface and a second air transport surface opposite the first air transport surface. The first flap is movably arranged on the end of the air conveying element facing the air inlet, wherein the movability of the first flap is configured such that the ratio of the first volume flow to the second volume flow can be adjusted as a result of the position of the first flap.

According to one embodiment of the vent in US 2014/0357179, the vent further comprises a set of second flaps, wherein the first flaps are pivotable in a direction in a first plane, wherein the second flaps are pivotable in a direction in a second plane, wherein the first and second planes are arranged perpendicular to each other, wherein the second flaps are arranged between the first flaps and the air inlet, seen in the axial direction of the housing. According to various embodiments, the vent further comprises a closure element, wherein the closure element is arranged between the air inlet and the first flap, wherein the closure element is movable between an open position and a closed position.

Arranging a set of second vanes and/or closure elements (seen in the axial direction of the housing) between the first vanes and the air inlet may result in a housing having a certain minimum size which needs to be accommodated when arranging the air vent in the vehicle.

However, in a vehicle, space constraints are often taken into account when considering placing the vent holes. In particular, the space available for ventilation apertures in dashboards, center consoles, ceilings, pillars, door assemblies or similar interior elements of motor vehicles may be greatly restricted.

The problem to be solved by the present application is therefore to provide a vent with a compact housing, in particular along the axial direction of the housing.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

According to the present application, this problem is solved by a vent having the following features:

a housing extending in an axial direction from an inlet port to an outlet port, the housing comprising a central portion arranged between the inlet port and the outlet port, wherein the central portion has a cross-section larger than the cross-section of the inlet port and/or the outlet port;

a stationary air directing element disposed at least partially within the central portion of the housing;

a pivotable air directing element disposed between the fixed air directing element and the air intake, wherein the pivotable air directing element is configured to deflect the air flow in a first direction or a second direction; and

at least one pivotable vane configured to deflect the airflow in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. At least one pivotable vane at least partially overlaps the pivotable air guiding element in the axial direction. The pivotable air guiding element has a substantially tear-drop or approximately tear-drop shaped cross-section for guiding the air flow along the fixed air guiding element.

The housing includes a wall defining a cavity, wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are openings in the wall and are configured to fluidly connect the cavity with an ambient air flow. The inlet and outlet may be directly opposite or almost directly opposite with respect to each other, whereby the central axis is defined as a connecting line from the centre of the inlet to the centre of the outlet. The axial direction is a direction parallel to the central axis.

The first direction is a direction perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the axial direction, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction. Deflecting the gas flow in a certain direction means that after deflection the directional component of the gas flow in that direction is larger than the directional component before deflection. A plane parallel to a first direction containing the central axis is called a cross-section. The cross-sectional length of the housing at a given position in the axial direction is defined as the length of a line that lies in the cross-section and extends in the first direction from a point of the wall of the housing to an opposite point of the wall. A central portion having a larger cross-section than the air inlet may mean that the cross-sectional length of a point within the central portion is greater than the cross-sectional length of a point at or near the air inlet or at or near the air outlet.

At least one pivotable vane is pivotably disposed at least partially within the cavity. The pivotable air guiding element may be pivotably arranged at the fixed air guiding element. Pivotably arranged at the fixed air guiding element means that the pivotable vanes are located close to the fixed air guiding element and are pivotable with respect to the fixed air guiding element. The pivot axis of the at least one pivotable vane may be carried by the fixed air guiding element. In this case, the mechanism or at least a part of the mechanism for pivoting the at least one pivotable vane can be arranged inside the fixed air guiding element. At least one pivotable vane may be pivotably arranged at the housing. The pivot axis of the at least one pivotable vane may be carried by a different part of the wall of the housing and/or the vent. The pivot axis of the at least one pivotable vane may intersect the fixed air guiding element.

The air inlet may be connectable or connected to an air duct. The air duct may be part of an HVAC (heating and/or ventilation and/or air conditioning) system. The HVAC system may be an HVAC system of a motor vehicle. The air duct may be configured to pass airflow through a cavity of the housing, such as fluidly connected to a central unit of an HVAC system.

The exhaust port may be configured to allow the cavity of the housing to be in fluid connection with, for example, a space inside a motor vehicle or any other space that requires exhaust. The exhaust port may be configured to allow airflow to exhaust into the space when the intake port is connected to an air duct of the HVAC system.

The fixed air guiding element may be a rigid body mounted in a fixed position relative to the housing. The pivotable air guiding element may be a rigid body arranged between the fixed air guiding element and the air inlet. The housing and the fixed air guiding element together with the pivotable air guiding element define a first air channel and a second air channel, wherein the first air channel comprises a part of the cavity arranged in the first direction between the fixed air guiding element and the wall of the housing and a part of the cavity arranged in the first direction between the pivotable air guiding element and the wall of the housing. The second air channel comprises a part of the cavity arranged in the second direction between the fixed air guiding element and the wall of the housing and a part of the cavity arranged in the second direction between the pivotable air guiding element and the wall of the housing. The housing of the vent may be configured to direct a first portion of the air flow from the air inlet through the first air passage to the air outlet and/or to direct a second portion of the air flow from the air inlet through the second air passage to the air outlet.

The third direction is defined as a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and perpendicular to the first direction. The fourth direction is defined as a direction opposite to the third direction.

The pivotable air guiding element is configured to be pivotable about a first pivot axis. The first pivot axis may be parallel or nearly parallel to the third direction. The pivotable air guiding element may be pivotable to an intermediate position in which it allows the first and second partial air flows to be equal, i.e. to have equal air flow rates.

The vent holes may be at least partially axisymmetric or nearly axisymmetric about a central axis in the cross-section. In this case, the intermediate position of the pivotable air guiding element may be the following position: in this position, the pivotable air guiding element is arranged to be axisymmetric or almost axisymmetric with respect to the central axis in the cross-section.

When the pivotable air guiding element is pivoted from the intermediate position towards the first or second direction, the pivotable air guiding element may at least partially block the first or second air channel, respectively, and direct a portion of the air flow away from the air channel at least partially blocked by the pivotable air guiding element, thereby changing the ratio between the first and second portions of the air flow.

The cross-section of the housing may decrease towards the exhaust port. The cross section of the stationary air guiding element may likewise decrease towards the exhaust opening, so that the stationary air guiding element has a conical shape. Thus, at an exhaust port where the first and second portions of the air flow may be discharged from the vent hole, for example, into the vehicle interior space, the first portion of the air flow may be directed in the second direction and the second portion of the air flow may be directed in the first direction such that the first and second portions of the air flow collide. The direction of the net exhaust air flow is determined by the ratio between the first partial air flow and the second air flow, which can be adjusted by pivoting the pivotable air guiding element. The cross-section of the housing and the stationary air guiding element as referred to herein means the shape of the housing and the stationary air guiding element in cross-section.

The pivotable air directing element may be mounted in an easy to pivot manner while maintaining sufficient frictional force to stably maintain any intermediate deflection between fully deflected positions toward the first and second directions. This has the advantage that the pivotable air guiding element can be operated to set any net discharge direction within a certain range along the first and second direction.

The at least one pivotable vane may comprise or consist of a rigid body or vane arranged at least partially within the at least one air channel. The at least one pivotable vane is pivotable about a second pivot axis. The second pivot axis may be parallel or nearly parallel to the first direction. The at least one pivotable vane may have an intermediate position in which it allows a vector component or projection of the first and/or second partial air flow in the second and/or first direction to be parallel to the central axis.

As mentioned above, the at least one pivotable vane at least partially overlaps the pivotable air guiding element in the axial direction. An advantage of arranging the at least one pivotable vane in this way is that the length of the at least one pivotable vane in the axial direction can be increased without increasing the length of the housing of the ventilation aperture in the axial direction. This allows the vent to have a compact housing, particularly in the axial direction, while allowing the at least one pivotable vane to be long enough to effectively direct the first and/or second portion of the air flow in the third or fourth direction.

The at least one pivotable vane may be mounted in an easily deflectable manner while maintaining sufficient frictional force to stably maintain any intermediate deflection between fully deflected positions toward the third and fourth directions. This has the advantage that the at least one pivotable vane can be operated to set any net discharge direction within a certain range along the third and fourth directions.

It should be noted that the at least one pivotable blade may have the following shape: the shape is configured to allow the pivotable air-guiding element and/or the at least one pivotable vane to move independently. For example, the at least one pivotable vane may have at least one cut-out to allow the pivotable air guiding element to move unimpeded between the two extreme positions.

The vent may comprise a plurality of pivotable vanes, i.e. at least two pivotable vanes, arranged at the fixed air-guiding element, such that the vanes are oriented in a mutually parallel manner and are configured to pivot in a mutually parallel manner to adjust the direction of the exhaust air flow.

An advantage of a vent comprising a plurality of pivotable vanes parallel to each other is that such a plurality of pivotable vanes can more efficiently direct the exhaust airflow in the third or fourth direction.

The plurality of vanes may be arranged in a single channel or in two channels. In case the vanes are arranged in two channels, the vanes in the first channel and the vanes in the second channel may be mechanically coupled in pairs. Each pair of blades may have a single pivot axis, or the pivot axes of the pair of blades may be coaxial.

At least one pivotable vane may be housed within the central portion of the housing. Alternatively, at least a portion of the at least one pivotable vane may extend into the air inlet or the air outlet.

The pivotable air guiding element may have a substantially tear-drop-shaped or approximately tear-drop-shaped cross section, wherein the cross section of the pivotable air guiding element refers to the shape of the pivotable air guiding element in cross section. A substantially or near tear-drop shaped cross-section may have advantageous air-directing properties. Alternatively, the pivotable air guiding element may have a different cross section, for example an oval cross section, a flat cross section or a partially conical cross section.

The pivotable air guiding element may have a first length in the axial direction and the fixed air guiding element may have a second length in the axial direction. The first length may be defined as the length of the pivotable air guiding element measured along the central axis when the pivotable air guiding element is in the neutral position. The second length may be less than or equal to the first length. This has the advantage of allowing a particularly compact vent. However, the second length may alternatively be greater than the first length.

The parallel projection of the pivotable air guiding elements in the axial direction may comprise a parallel projection of the fixed air guiding elements in the axial direction, at least when the pivotable air guiding elements are in the intermediate position. The parallel projection of the pivotable air guiding element in the axial direction comprises a parallel projection of the fixed air guiding element in the axial direction, which may mean that the length of the pivotable air guiding element in the first direction is greater than or equal to the length of the fixed air guiding element in the first direction. The advantage of this arrangement is the smooth shape of the first and second air channels and the advantageous air flow characteristics resulting therefrom.

The housing may comprise a stop configured to abut against a portion of the pivotable air guiding element when the pivotable air guiding element is in the extreme pivoted position. The stop may be a recessed portion or a protruding portion of the housing. Preferably, the housing may comprise two stops arranged to abut against a portion of the pivotable air guiding element when the pivotable air guiding element is fully pivoted into the first and second directions, respectively. In addition, the pivotable air guiding element may have a protruding portion, the one or more stops of the housing being configured to abut against the protruding portion of the pivotable air guiding element when the pivotable air guiding element is in the pivoted position. Such one or more stops, in particular in combination with the protruding portion of the pivotable air guiding element, may improve the ability of the pivotable air guiding element to block the first or second portion of the air flow and to stabilize the pivotable air guiding element in the fully deflected position.

The at least one pivotable vane may be configured to be movable to a closed configuration in which the at least one pivotable vane blocks the air flow through the cavity or a part thereof, in particular the first part of the air flow and/or the second part of the air flow. The vent may comprise a plurality of pivotable vanes arranged at the fixed air-guiding element. The plurality of pivotable vanes are movable to a closed configuration in the event that both the first and second portions of the airflow are blocked.

Configuring the at least one pivotable vane to be movable to such a closed configuration makes it possible to simultaneously guide the first and/or second partial air flow towards the third or fourth direction and/or to activate or block the first and/or second partial air flow using only the at least one pivotable vane. This eliminates the need for separate features for these functions, thus having the following advantages: allowing for a more compact housing and a reduced number of parts, which in turn may make the vent more robust and durable and/or simplify maintenance.

The fixed air guiding element may comprise a manipulator configured to pivot the pivotable air guiding element in the first direction or the second direction. The manipulator may be further configured to pivot the at least one pivotable vane in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and/or to move the at least one pivotable vane to the closed configuration. The resulting advantageous effect is that all the operational features of the vent, i.e. the pivotable air-guiding element and the at least one pivotable vane, can be operated by a single manipulator, which improves the ease of use.

As noted, the vent may be configured to be disposed in a motor vehicle. The movable portion of the vent, i.e. the pivotable air-guiding element and the at least one pivotable vane, may be sufficiently recessed into the housing and/or obscured from view by a portion of the housing at and/or near the exhaust port and/or obscured from view by the fixed air-guiding element such that the movable portion of the vent is not visible when viewed from the interior of the motor vehicle.

Drawings

The above and other advantages of the present application will become more apparent to those skilled in the art when the following detailed description of some embodiments of the vent hole is considered in light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section of a vent according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a cross-section of the vent of FIG. 1, wherein the pivotable air-directing element is maximally pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction;

FIG. 2B schematically shows a cross-section of the vent of FIG. 1 with the pivotable air-directing element in an intermediate position;

fig. 2C schematically shows a cross section of the vent in fig. 1, wherein the pivotable air guiding element in the second position is maximally pivoted in the clockwise direction.

In the following, in this and the subsequent description, repeated and similar features have the same reference numerals.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view (i.e. a view of the cross-section defined above) of a vent 1 according to the present application. The pivotable air guiding element is in its intermediate position. The cross-sectional shape of the ventilation hole 1 is substantially axisymmetric about the central axis.

The central axis defines an axial direction parallel to the central axis. The first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction and the second direction is parallel to but opposite the first direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the axial direction and the first direction; the fourth direction is parallel to but opposite the third direction. At the lower right of fig. 1The angle shows the axial direction (ax.) and the first direction (1)^ST) Second (2)^ND) Third (3)^RD) And fourth (4)^TH) Description of the directions. The cross-section is a plane parallel to a first direction containing the central axis.

The vent 1 comprises a housing 2 extending in an axial direction from an inlet 21 to an outlet 22. The housing includes a wall 20 defining a cavity 90. The wall 20 is made of a plastic material so that it is entirely rigid. However, different materials or combinations of materials, such as metals, may be used. The vent 1 is configured to be provided in a motor vehicle; as shown in fig. 1, it is arranged as a part of a vehicle interior trim piece 8.

The housing 2 includes a first end 23 connected to the intake port 21, a second end 24 connected to the exhaust port 22, and a center portion 25 disposed between the first end 23 and the second end 24. The air inlet 21 is an opening in the wall 20 in a first end 23 of the housing 2. The cavity 90 is configured to be in fluid communication with the HVAC system of the motor vehicle through the air intake 21.

The exhaust port 22 is an opening in the wall 20 within the second end 24 of the housing 2. The cavity 90 is configured to be in fluid communication with the interior space of the motor vehicle through the exhaust port 22. The cavity 90 of the vent 1 is configured to direct an air flow provided by the HVAC system and entering the cavity 90 through the air inlet 21 into the interior space of the motor vehicle through the air outlet 22. The vent 1 further has the following features: the features are configured to regulate the directionality and flow rate of air flow (as described in detail below) into the interior space of the motor vehicle.

The central portion 25 has a larger cross-section than the first end portion 23 and the second end portion 24; in particular, the central portion 25 has a larger cross-section than the air inlet 21 and the air outlet 22. This is achieved by: the wall 20 of the housing 2 has a first inner surface 28 and a second inner surface 29 opposite the first inner surface 28, wherein the first inner surface 28 and the second inner surface 29 have a distance in the first direction such that in the axial direction the distance monotonically increases from a first distance 92 at a point in the first end portion to a second distance 93 at a point in the central portion and monotonically decreases from the second distance 93 at said point in the central portion to a third distance 94 at a point in the second end portion. The first inner surface 28 and the second inner surface 29 have a substantially curved shape in cross section. The first end portion 23 further comprises, at its end facing away from the central portion 25, a connecting portion 91, which connecting portion 91 is configured to be connectable to an air duct of an HVAC system of the motor vehicle.

The fixed air guiding element 3 is arranged partly inside the central portion 25 of the housing 2 and partly inside the second end portion 24. The stationary air guiding element 3 is rigidly mounted with respect to the housing 2. The fixed air guiding element 3 has walls made of plastic, so that the fixed air guiding element 3 is rigid as a whole. However, different materials or combinations of materials may be used, such as metals.

The pivotable air-guiding element 6 is arranged between the fixed air-guiding element 3 and the air inlet 21, wherein the pivotable air-guiding element 6 has a wall made of a plastic material, so that the pivotable air-guiding element 6 is generally rigid. However, different materials or combinations of materials, such as metals, may be used.

The pivotable air guiding element 6 is configured to be pivotable about a first pivot axis 62 (shown in fig. 1 as a cross indicating the position where the first pivot axis 62 intersects the cross section) parallel to the third direction. The pivotable air guiding element 6 is pivotably arranged on a spindle mounted on a side wall of the housing 2, wherein, for example, the friction between the pivotable air guiding element 6 and the spindle makes the pivotable air guiding element 6 easy to deflect by manual force, but can maintain a stable position even when an additional force is applied by the air flow. The pivotable air guiding element 6 is movable to an intermediate position, wherein the pivotable air guiding element 6 is axisymmetric with respect to a central axis in cross-section.

The pivotable air guiding element 6 has a front surface portion 61 oriented towards the fixed air guiding element 3. The fixed air guiding element 3 has a rear surface portion 34 oriented towards the pivotable air guiding element 6. The front surface portion 61 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 and the rear surface portion 34 of the pivotable air guiding element 3 are shaped as complementary cylindrical surfaces and almost abut against each other. The first pivot axis 62 is located at the cylinder axis of the cylindrical surface, so that pivoting the pivotable air-guiding member 6 about the first pivot axis 62 does not create a large gap between the two air-guiding members 3 and 6 in any position.

The pivotable air-guiding element 6 has a tear-drop shaped cross section with a maximum thickness between the end facing the air inlet 21 and the end facing the fixed air-guiding element 3. When the pivotable air guiding element 6 is in the intermediate position, the parallel projection 95 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 in the axial direction contains the parallel projection of the fixed air guiding element 3 in the axial direction. In other words, only the pivotable air guiding element 6 is seen, instead of the fixed air guiding element 3, when seen along the central axis from the air inlet 21 towards the air outlet 22. The pivotable air-guiding member 6 has a first length 96 in the axial direction, and the fixed air-guiding member 3 has a second length in the axial direction, when measured in the intermediate position. The second length is less than the first length.

The fixed air guiding element 3 has a first outer surface 32 oriented towards the first inner surface 28 of the housing 2 and a second outer surface 33 oriented towards the second inner surface 29 of the housing 2. The pivotable air guiding element 6 has a first rear surface portion 64 oriented towards the first inner surface 28 of the housing 2 and a second rear surface 65 oriented towards the second inner surface 29 of the housing 2. The first outer surface 32 of the fixed air guiding element 3 and the first rear surface portion 64 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 and the first inner surface 28 of the housing 2 define a first air passage 4. The second outer surface 33 of the fixed air-guiding member 3 defines with the second rear surface portion 65 of the pivotable air-guiding member 6 and the second inner surface 29 of the housing 2a second air passage 5.

The pivotable air-guiding element 6 has an end 63 oriented towards the air inlet 21. The end 63 is configured to divide the air flow entering the cavity 90 through the air inlet 21 into a first partial air flow in the first air passage 4 and a second partial air flow in the second air passage 5.

In the neutral position, the first and second partial air flows have equal flow velocities due to the symmetry of the vent 1. Pivoting the pivotable air guiding element 6 about the pivotable axis moves the end 63 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 towards the first or second direction, thereby at least partially blocking the first or second air channel 4, 5, respectively.

The fixed air guiding element 3 has a dimension in the first direction which increases in the axial direction from a narrow portion oriented towards the exhaust opening 22 to a wider portion oriented towards the intake opening 21. The distance in the first direction between the first inner surface 28 and the second inner surface 29 of the housing similarly increases from the air outlet 22 towards the central portion 25, so that these surfaces are, to a certain extent, substantially parallel to the first outer surface 32 and the second outer surface 33, respectively, of the fixed air guiding element 3. Thus, the first air channel 4 directs the first part of the air flow in the second direction and the second air channel 5 directs the second part of the air flow in the first direction. Deflecting the pivotable air directing element from the intermediate position changes the ratio of the first and second portions of the air flow, thereby adjusting the net discharge direction of the air flow through the exhaust port 22.

The housing 2 comprises two stops 26. The stop 26 is configured to abut against a part of the pivotable air guiding element 6 when the pivotable air guiding element 6 is in a maximum pivoted position towards the first direction or the second direction. Each stop 26 is a recessed portion of the wall 20 of the housing 2. However, the stop 26 may also be formed in a different manner, for example as a projection of the wall 20 of the housing 2.

The pivotable air guiding element 6 has a protruding portion 27, and the stop 26 of the housing 2 is configured to abut against the protruding portion 27 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 when the pivotable air guiding element 6 is in the maximum pivoted position towards the first or second direction, thereby effectively blocking the air flow through the first or second air channel 4, 5, respectively.

Deflecting the pivotable air guiding element 6 is further illustrated in fig. 2A-C.

In fig. 2A, the pivotable air guiding element 6 is maximally pivoted in the counter-clockwise direction, so that the air flow (as indicated by the arrow) is guided through the first air channel 4 and leaves the air outlet 22 maximally deflected towards the second direction. The projecting portion 27 of the pivotable air-guiding member 6 is shown abutting against a stop 26 of the housing 2.

In fig. 2B, the pivotable air guiding element 6 is in an intermediate position such that an equal flow rate of air flow is allowed through the first air channel 4 and the second air channel 5, as indicated by the arrows, resulting in a net discharge in axial direction through the exhaust opening 22.

In fig. 2C, the pivotable air guiding element 6 is maximally pivoted in the clockwise direction, so that the air flow (indicated by the arrow) is guided through the second air channel 5 and leaves the air outlet 22 maximally deflected towards the first direction. The projecting portion 27 of the pivotable air-guiding element 6 is shown abutting against a further stop 26 of the housing 2.

Referring again to fig. 1, the vent 1 comprises a plurality of pivotable vanes 7 (only one pair is visible in fig. 1) arranged on the fixed air-guiding element 3 such that the pivotable vanes 7 are oriented in a mutually parallel manner and are configured to be pivotable in a mutually parallel manner to adjust the direction of the exhaust air flow.

Each pivotable vane 7 is pivotable about a second pivot axis oriented in the vertical direction, which second pivot axis intersects the fixed air guiding element 3. Pivoting the pivotable vanes 7 about said axis allows the pivotable vanes 7 to deflect towards the third and fourth directions and to direct the first and second partial air streams, respectively. The pivotable vanes 7 are arranged on spindles 71 projecting through the fixed air guiding element 3, so that the second pivot axis is carried by the fixed air guiding element 3. On each spindle 71, one pivotable vane 7 is arranged in the first air passage 4 and one pivotable vane 7 is arranged in the second air passage. Thus, any movement of the pivotable vanes affects the first and second partial air flows in the same way. However, different sub-parts of the pivotable vanes 7 may be configured to affect the partial air flow or a part of the partial air flow in different ways.

Alternative arrangements of the pivotable vanes 7 are possible. The pivotable vanes may be pivotably arranged at the housing 2, in particular at the wall 20 of the housing 2, or at different parts of the vent 1.

The friction between the spindle 71 and the fixed air guiding element 6 makes the pivotable vanes 7 easy to deflect by manual force, but maintains a stable position even when additional force is applied by the air flow. Additionally or alternatively, movement of the manipulator for pivoting the blade may be subject to frictional forces.

Each pivotable vane 7 is a rigid fin constructed from a plastic material. However, different materials or combinations of materials, such as metals, may be used. Each pivotable vane 7 abuts against the first inner surface 28 or the second inner surface 29 of the housing 2 and against the first outer surface 32 or the second outer surface 33 of the stationary air guiding element, respectively.

Each pivotable vane 7 overlaps the pivotable air-guiding member 3 in the axial direction partially. The pivotable vanes 7 have a third length 97 in the axial direction, the third length 97 being smaller, for example about eighty percent of the first length 96 of the pivotable air guiding element 6 in the axial direction. However, first length 96 and third length 97 may be the same or similar size, or third length 97 may be greater than first length 96. Third length 97 may be less than eighty percent of first length 96, for example, less than sixty percent or less than thirty percent of first length 96.

As shown, the pivotable vanes 7 overlap in the axial direction about two thirds of the pivotable air guiding element 6 and about one third of the fixed air guiding element 3. However, the pivotable vanes 7 may overlap a smaller part of the pivotable air guiding element 6 in the axial direction, for example about one third or less than one third of the pivotable air guiding element 6, or the pivotable vanes 7 may completely overlap the pivotable air guiding element 6 and/or protrude further towards the air inlet 21 than the pivotable air guiding element 6. The pivotable vanes 7 may axially overlap more than one third of the fixed air guiding element 3, for example about two thirds or more of the fixed air guiding element 3.

The second pivot axis of the pivotable vane 7 intersects a portion of the fixed air guiding element 3 in the vicinity of the pivotable air guiding element 6. However, the second pivot axis may intersect other points of the fixed air guiding element 3, such as near the center of the fixed air guiding element 3 in the axial direction, or a portion of the fixed air guiding element 3 near the air outlet 22.

Each pivotable vane 7 is completely accommodated within the central portion 25 of the housing 2. Alternatively, at least a portion of the at least one pivotable vane 7 may extend into the first end 23 and/or the second end 24 of the housing 2, and/or the air inlet 21 and/or the air outlet 22. The housing has a fourth length in the axial direction. Third length 97 may be less than or equal to the fourth length. For example, the third length 97 may be about eighty percent of the fourth length or less than two-thirds of the fourth length or greater than one-third of the fourth length. The third length 97 may also be longer than the fourth length.

Each pivotable vane 7 has a substantially rectangular shape, with two deviations from the strictly rectangular shape: towards the respective

inner surface

28 or 29, the pivotable vanes 7 have a curved shape that follows the curved shape of the respective

inner surface

28 or 29 to prevent air flow leakage; towards the pivotable air guiding element 6, the pivotable vanes 7 have cut-outs in the shape of cut-out angles to allow the pivotable air guiding element 6 to pivot unimpeded. The pivotable vanes 7 may have different shapes and/or the shapes of the pivotable vanes 7 may be different from each other.

The pivotable vanes 7 are configured to be movable to a closed configuration in which the pivotable vanes 7 block the first and second portions of the air flow. The pivotable vanes 7 are pivotably independent of the position of the pivotable air guiding element 6 and thus of the ratio between the first and second air flows. This allows the air flow leaving the ventilation holes 1 to be directed independently in different directions, for example in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction.

The ventilation opening 1 comprises a manipulator 31, which manipulator 31 is arranged at the fixed air-guiding element 3 and protrudes out of the exhaust opening 22, so that it can be operated from the interior space of the motor vehicle. The manipulator 31 is configured to deflect the pivotable air guiding element 6 in the first direction or the second direction. The manipulator 31 is further configured to deflect the pivotable vanes 7 in the third and fourth directions and to move the pivotable vanes 7 to the closed configuration. Such manipulators are known which pivot the vertical blade and the horizontal blade by means of a single manipulator, see for example patent application FR3054491a 1.

The walls of the fixed air guiding element 3 are arranged in the following way: the fixed air guiding element 3 comprises a hollow portion inside. The manipulator 31 is connected to the pivotable air-guiding element 6 and to the at least one pivotable vane 7 and the position of said elements is achieved by means of a manipulator mechanism arranged partly within the hollow part of the fixed air-guiding element 3. The steering mechanism may be formed and configured in any manner known in the art. For example, document US 2014/0357179a1 provides an exemplary steering mechanism.

Fig. 2A-C illustrate exemplary aspects of the operation of manipulator 31.

In fig. 2A, the manipulator 31 is pivoted to the greatest extent in the second direction, so that the pivotable air guiding element 6 is pivoted to the greatest extent in the second direction.

In fig. 2B, the manipulator 31 is in a neutral position, so that the pivotable air-guiding element 6 is in a neutral position.

In fig. 2C, the manipulator 31 is pivoted maximally towards the first direction, so that the pivotable air guiding element 6 is pivoted maximally towards the first direction.

The present application also relates to the following aspects:

1. a vent (1) comprising:

a housing (2) extending in an axial direction from an inlet port (21) to an outlet port (22), the housing (2) comprising a central portion (25) arranged between the inlet port (21) and the outlet port (22), wherein the central portion (25) has a larger cross-section than the inlet port (21) and/or the outlet port (22);

a stationary air guiding element (3) arranged at least partially within the central portion (25) of the housing (2);

a pivotable air guiding element (6) arranged between the fixed air guiding element (3) and the air inlet (21), wherein the pivotable air guiding element (6) is configured to deflect an air flow in a first or a second direction; and

at least one pivotable vane (7) configured to deflect an air flow towards a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions;

the method is characterized in that:

the at least one pivotable vane (7) axially overlaps at least partially with the pivotable air guiding element (6), and the pivotable air guiding element (6) has a substantially tear-drop-shaped or approximately tear-drop-shaped cross section.

2. The vent (1) according to aspect 1, wherein the at least one pivotable vane (7) is housed within the central portion (25) of the housing (2).

3. The ventilation aperture (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the at least one pivotable vane (7) is pivotably arranged at the fixed air guiding element (3) and/or the housing (2) and/or a pivot axis of the at least one pivotable vane (7) intersects the fixed air guiding element (3).

4. The ventilation aperture (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the pivotable air-guiding element (6) has a first length in axial direction and the fixed air-guiding element (3) has a second length in axial direction, the second length being smaller than or equal to the first length.

5. The ventilation aperture (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the parallel projection of the pivotable air guiding element (6) in axial direction comprises the parallel projection of the fixed air guiding element (3) in axial direction.

6. The ventilation aperture (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the housing (2) comprises a stop (26) configured to abut against a portion of the pivotable air guiding element (6) when the pivotable air guiding element (6) is in an extreme pivoting position.

7. The ventilation aperture (1) according to aspect 6, wherein the pivotable air-guiding element (6) has a protruding portion (27), the stop (26) of the housing (2) being configured to abut against the protruding portion (27) of the pivotable air-guiding element (6) when the pivotable air-guiding element (6) is in an extreme pivoting position.

8. The vent (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the at least one pivotable vane (7) is further configured to be movable to a closed configuration in which the at least one pivotable vane (7) blocks airflow through the central portion (25).

9. The ventilation aperture (1) according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the fixed air guiding element (3) further comprises a manipulator (31), the manipulator (31) being configured to pivot the pivotable air guiding element (6) towards the first or second direction.

10. The vent (1) according to aspect 8, wherein the manipulator (31) is further configured to pivot the at least one pivotable vane (7) in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and/or to move the at least one pivotable vane (7) to a closed configuration.

11. The vent (1) according to any one of the preceding aspects, configured to be provided in a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A vent (1) comprising:

at least one pivotable vane (7) configured to deflect an air flow towards a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, wherein the at least one pivotable vane (7) is housed within the central portion (25) of the housing (2);

the method is characterized in that:

the at least one pivotable vane (7) axially at least partially overlaps the pivotable air guiding element (6) and the pivotable air guiding element (6) has a substantially tear-drop-shaped or approximately tear-drop-shaped cross section,

wherein the pivot axis of the at least one pivotable vane (7) intersects the fixed air guiding element (3).

2. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one pivotable vane (7) is pivotably arranged at the fixed air guiding element (3) and/or the housing (2).

3. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivotable air-guiding element (6) has a first length in axial direction and the fixed air-guiding element (3) has a second length in axial direction, which is smaller than or equal to the first length.

4. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the parallel projection of the pivotable air guiding element (6) in axial direction comprises the parallel projection of the fixed air guiding element (3) in axial direction.

5. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) comprises a stop (26) configured to abut against a portion of the pivotable air guiding element (6) when the pivotable air guiding element (6) is in an extreme pivoting position.

6. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the pivotable air-guiding element (6) has a protruding portion (27), the stop (26) of the housing (2) being configured to abut against the protruding portion (27) of the pivotable air-guiding element (6) when the pivotable air-guiding element (6) is in an extreme pivoting position.

7. The vent (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pivotable vane (7) is further configured to be movable to a closed configuration in which the at least one pivotable vane (7) blocks airflow through the central portion (25).

8. A ventilation aperture (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed air-guiding element (3) further comprises a manipulator (31), the manipulator (31) being configured to pivot the pivotable air-guiding element (6) towards the first direction or the second direction.

9. The vent (1) according to claim 8, wherein the manipulator (31) is further configured to pivot the at least one pivotable vane (7) in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and/or to move the at least one pivotable vane (7) to a closed configuration.

10. A vent (1) according to claim 1, wherein the vent (1) is configured to be arranged in a motor vehicle.