EP2125405A2

EP2125405A2 - Aerator for the ventilation system of an automotive vehicle and vehicle dashboard equipped with the same

Info

Publication number: EP2125405A2
Application number: EP08762123A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pierre Guerreiro; Thomas Burghelle
Original assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie SAS
Current assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie SAS
Priority date: 2007-02-28
Filing date: 2008-02-19
Publication date: 2009-12-02
Also published as: WO2008113933A3; WO2008113933A2; FR2912960A1; FR2912960B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an aerator for ventilating the passenger compartment (6) of a vehicle, connected to a main duct (2) conveying an upstream air flow (3) and converting the same into a diffusion downstream air flow (8), or directional downstream air flow (5), control means for passing form one mode to the other and also including a central duct (4) that is coaxial to an annular duct (7), both ducts (4, 7) being connected to the main duct (2), a ring (10) that can be moved from a first position, in which it closes a connection between the central duct (4) and the annular duct (7), and a second position in which it opens said connection, characterised in that it comprises elastic means that urges said ring (10) into one of said positions, and reversible latching means for maintaining the ring (10) into the other of said positions. The invention also relates to a dashboard including such an aerator.

Description

Aerator of a ventilation system of a motor vehicle and equipped dashboard vehicle.

The invention relates to the automotive industry, and more specifically the devices for injecting air into the passenger compartment, constituting the terminal part of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems of the vehicles.

In the most common configurations of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that equip the motor vehicles, the air flows injected into the passenger compartment are of two kinds. The flows intended to be directed directly on the occupants of the vehicle penetrate into the passenger compartment by fixed or adjustable aerators. Flows intended for indirect distribution in the passenger compartment penetrate through soft diffusion grids totally separate from the aerators. To ensure the two functions of direct and indirect diffusion, two different classes of broadcasting means are therefore used.

In order to simplify the design of the air diffusion installation and to reduce the proportion of the surface of the dashboard dedicated to this function, it is desirable to be able to perform these functions using the same classes of elements. Such a solution has already been proposed in document US-A-2004/0063397, in the form of an aerator consisting of a hollow cylinder having a first directional grid on one half of its surface and a diffusion grid on the other half of its surface. A manual control is available to the user, who can choose between a direct diffusion and indirect diffusion of air without intermediate position. In this embodiment, the air flow undergoes a right-angle turn between the upstream flow and the downstream flow, which is unfavorable in terms of aeraulics and acoustics. In addition, the mounting of the device in the dashboard is complex because of the presence of an axis of rotation to extend from left to right or from top to bottom relative to the occupants of the vehicle.

WO-A-2006/048538 discloses an aerator comprising two coaxial ducts each connected to the main air duct. One carries at its downstream end the direct diffusion means, and the other carries at its downstream end the indirect diffusion means. A ring that can be controlled by the user enables the user to choose one or the other of the two types of air diffusion by the aerator concerned, as well as, preferably, different compromises between these two types of diffusion. .

This system is however not completely satisfactory, in that it requires a rotational movement of the ring to place the aerator in the position desired operation. The user can find this movement inconvenient to perform during the rolling of the vehicle, and it is necessary to equip the ring gripping means that can be unsightly. Also, the comfort of use strongly depends on the quality of the sliding of the different parts on each other, which is likely to deteriorate in the long run.

The object of the invention is to propose an adjustable aerator system in at least two positions corresponding to a direct air ejection and the other to an indirect air ejection, free from at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a ventilation system aerator of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, constituting the end part of a main air duct conveying an upstream air flow, said aerator being provided with diffusion means for converting the upstream air flow into a downstream diffusion air flow, directional means for converting the upstream air flow into a directional downstream air flow, and control means for passing from a mode of air flow downstream to the other by the connection of one or the other of the diffusion means and directional means to said main air duct, of a central duct at least partially coaxial with an annular duct; two pipes having their upstream ends connected to the main air duct and each having at its downstream end one of said diffusion means and said directional means, and a ring which can be placed in a first position where it has the function of to close a connection between the central duct and the annular duct and a second position where the ring has the function of opening said connection, characterized in that it comprises at least one resilient means which constrains the ring towards one of these positions and reversible locking means for holding the ring under stress in the other of these positions. Said locking means may be a releasable latching system by depressing the ring.

Said reversible locking means may also be designed to maintain the ring in at least one intermediate position between one and the other of said positions. Said locking means may then comprise a ratchet-lever assembly rotating about an axis, said assembly being fixed on an outer wall of the aerator, and a return spring tending to press said ratchet between a toothed bar disposed on the ring. in its longitudinal direction, said lever being accessible to the user.

Said locking means may comprise a bent bar fixed on the outer wall of the aerator and rotating about an axis, a first branch of said bar bent being accessible to the user and a second branch of said bent bar which can come to cap a bar disposed on the ring in its longitudinal direction under the effect of a return spring when the ring is in a position where said elastic means is constrained. The aerator may comprise at least one retarder device acting on the ring during movements printed by said elastic means.

Said retarder may be a pad rubbing against the ring. The invention also relates to a dashboard of a motor vehicle, equipped with a ventilation system of the passenger compartment, comprising one or more aerators, characterized in that at least one of said aerators is of the previous type.

As will be understood, the invention consists in equipping the shutter ring with an aerator, comparable to that of WO-A-2006/048538, with biocable and unlockable resilient means, controllable by the user, making it possible to place and maintain the aerator in a position such that:

- Or the entire air flow through the central duct to form a directional air flow expelled into the passenger compartment;

- Or the entire air flow through the annular duct to form a diffuse air flow expelled into the passenger compartment; - And, for some variants, the air flow is distributed between the central and annular ducts in a proportion adjustable by the user to obtain a partially directional and partially diffused air flow expelled into the passenger compartment.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given with reference to the following appended figures: FIGS. 1 and 2 which represent an example of an aerator according to the invention, seen in longitudinal section, respectively in the position of ejecting a directional airflow and a diffusion airflow;

- Figure 3 which show in partial longitudinal section such an aerator equipped with a first type of locking device of its ring; - Figures 4 and 5 which show in partial longitudinal section such an aerator equipped with another type of locking device of its ring, respectively in the ejection position of a diffusion air flow and a flow of directional air.

Figures 1 and 2 show the general architecture of an example of an aerator according to the invention, to which the invention can be applied. This example of aerator is intended to be embedded in an orifice formed in the dashboard 1 of the vehicle and to be connected, by its upstream end, in a connection zone 2 to a main air duct (not shown), itself connected to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the vehicle. The main air duct brings to the aerator an upstream air flow symbolized by the arrow 3.

Downstream of the connection zone 2, the aerator comprises two coaxial conduits of circular sections. The central duct 4 is dedicated to the passage of a directional downstream air flow, symbolized by the arrows 5, in the passenger compartment 6 of the vehicle. The annular duct 7 is dedicated to the passage of a downstream air flow of diffusion symbolized by the arrows 8.

The annular duct 7 is defined on the one hand by the outer wall 9 of the aerator fixed in the dashboard 1, and on the other hand by a cylindrical ring 10 slidable along its longitudinal axis, being guided by a piece 11 in this way, a translation applied to the ring 10 can advance it towards the passenger compartment 6 or back in the direction of the dashboard 1.

The front portion of the ring 10 has on its entire periphery a lip 12 which, when the ring 10 is in the maximum recoil position (case of Figure 1), comes into contact with the outer face of the dashboard 1. In this position, the lip 12 thus completely closes the annular duct 7.

Conversely, when the ring 10 is in the advanced position (as in FIG.

2), the lip 12 is located away from the dashboard 1 and thus provides an annular opening 13. As also, the rear end 14 of the ring 10 is remote from the outer wall 9, the flow of Upstream air 3 has the possibility of entering the annular duct 7 and exiting through the opening 13.

The translation of the ring 10 also controls the movement of a series of flaps 15 (central flap) 16, 17 (front flaps).

The central flap 15 is disposed inside the central duct 4 and can rotate about an axis 18 which, in the example shown, crosses the longitudinal axis of the aerator and is perpendicular thereto. When the ring 10 is in its position controlling the only restitution of a directional air flow 5 (Figure 1), the central flap

15 is in a position substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the aerator and therefore does not interfere with the output of the directional airflow 5. Conversely, when the ring 10 is in its position controlling the only restitution of a flow of air. 8 (Figure 2), the central flap 15 is in a position substantially perpendicular to the axis longitudinal of the aerator and abuts against an annular bulge 19 formed on the inner wall of the ring 10. In this way, it closes the central duct 4, and all the upstream air flow 3 can pass into the annular duct 7 and out through the annular opening 13. The front flaps 16, 17 at the downstream end of the central duct 4 are supported by a ring 20. They can similarly rotate about axes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerator. When they are in the maximum open position (FIG. 1) they do not interfere with the exit of the directional air flow 5 and contribute to its orientation, especially if the ring 20 which supports them can itself rotate about its longitudinal axis. When they are in the closed position (FIG. 2), they contribute to the closure of the central duct 4, for example by coming each one abutting on the one hand against the periphery of the central duct 4 and / or on the other hand against a side of the other front flap 16, 17 (case shown in Figure 2).

It should be understood that it is not essential to provide both a central flap 15 and front flaps 16, 17, the essential being that there is at least one flap (or any functionally equivalent device) that can ensure at the request of the user substantially total closure of the central duct 4 by translation of the ring 10. A single flap similar to the flap 15 but located in the front portion of the aerator could, for example, be used, particularly if the precise orientation of the directional downstream air flow 5 was provided by other independent means.

According to the invention are also provided on the aerator elastic means tending to force the ring 10 in one of its two extreme positions. In the variant shown in Figures 1 and 2, these resilient means are constituted by a spring 21 bearing on the outer wall 9, namely in the bottom of the annular conduit 7, and on the rear end of the ring 10. It tends to push the ring 10 towards its position in Figure 2 where it ensures the expulsion of a pure stream of diffusion air 8. The stroke of the ring 10 is stopped in the position shown by an annular portion 22 which abuts against the rear face of the piece 11 secured to the outer wall 9 and serving as a guide to the ring 10. Other functionally equivalent means could be used for this purpose.

To the elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is therefore necessary to add means making it possible to hold the ring 10 in its retracted position in FIG. 1, where the spring 21 is compressed, so that the ring 10 can expel the ring 10 therefrom. a pure directional airflow 5. Said means may, possibly, be designed to allow also the maintenance of the ring 10 in one or more intermediate positions between its two extreme positions above, so as to allow the user to distribute the upstream air flow 3 between a directional downstream air flow 5 and a flow In a first variant of the invention (not shown), these holding means are a conventional snap-fastening system that is elastically depressible by pushing, of the so-called "push-pull" or "push-pull" type. , such as that commonly used on switches, for example.

When the aerator is in the position of Figure 2, the user presses on the front face of the ring 10 to push it to its position in Figure 1. When this position is reached, the snap system s' it engages and locks the ring 10. To unlock it, the user must press the ring 10, which releases the snap and allows the spring 21 to push the ring 10 to its position in Figure 2. Such a system However, it is necessary to provide that the ring 10, at the beginning of its release, can continue its travel beyond its depressed nominal position of FIG. 1, in which contact between the lip 12 and the dashboard 1 is ensured. It is therefore necessary that at least one of these last two parts has a certain deformability to allow the unlocking of the ring 10. It is therefore desirable to use a system that does not require this deformability. In addition, if the user presses the flaps 16, 17 instead of pressing the periphery of the ring 10, there is interference between the two opening systems.

It may therefore be preferred to control the relative positions of the ring 10 and the outer wall 9 of the aerator by means of a button or a lever, placed at a distance from the aerator.

Figure 3 schematically shows such a device, mounted on an aerator which has been shown the ring 10 and the outer wall 9 surrounding it, the latter being cut only in its longitudinal plane of symmetry. The ring 10 carries on its outer wall a toothed bar 23 arranged in its longitudinal direction. The outer wall 9 of the aerator carries a pawl 24 rotatable about an axis 25 and secured to a lever 26 accessible to the user when the aerator is installed in the dashboard 1.

A return spring (not shown) tends to press the ratchet 24- lever 26 against a stop (not shown) in a position where the ratchet 24 cooperates with the toothed bar 23. When the aerator is in the "pure diffusion air flow" position (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) and the user wants to switch to the "pure directional airflow" position (FIG. intermediate position between these two extreme positions, it presses the ring 10 so as to also advance the notched bar 23 which exerts pressure on the pawl 24 and its spring. The pawl 24 gradually moves from notch to notch, and when the user has made the ring 10 reach the desired position, it stops its pressure and the pawl 24, pushed by its spring against its stop, blocks the notched bar 23, therefore the ring 10, in this same position.

When the user wants to release the ring 10 so that the spring 21 pushes it back into the "pure diffusion air flow" position, it actuates the lever 26 so as to disengage the pawl 24 from the toothed bar 23. For this, there is no need to provide the ring 10 an additional depression, unlike the configuration with the snap elastic "push-pull" described above.

Preferably, it is possible to provide at least one buffer 27 fixed on the outer wall of the aerator 9, which exerts a friction against the toothed bar 23. It slows the stroke of the ring 10 when the spring 21 pushes it back and makes thus his less rapid return. The user can thus more easily interrupt the progression of the ring 10 by releasing the lever 26, so as to restore the engagement of the pawl 24 and the toothed bar 23 in an intermediate position between the two extreme positions of the aerator .

The aerator may be equipped with only one such device, or two such devices placed symmetrically with respect to its longitudinal axis.

Another variant of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the same way as that of FIG. 3. As in the variant of FIG. 3, there is a bar 23 extending longitudinally on the outer wall of FIG. the ring 10. This bar 23 can be notched (as shown) or not. It can cooperate with a pad 27 rubbing against it and slowing the movements of the ring 10 printed by the spring 21. In this case, the notching of the bar 23 serves only to increase the coefficient of friction of the bar 23 against the buffer 27, with respect to a configuration where the bar 23 would be smooth. Any other suitable type of roughness could be used for this purpose.

In this variant, the ratchet 24-lever 26 of the previous variant is replaced by a bent bar rotating about an axis 25, a first branch 28 is accessible to the user and a second branch 29 has the possibility to come to cap the bar 23 under the effect of a not shown return spring, when the ring 10 is placed in the depressed position by the user (fig.5). Thus, the ring 10 is locked.

When the user wants to replace the aerator in the position of Figure 4, it prints a rotation, in the opposite direction of the spring restoring force, to the second branch 29 of the bent bar, which releases the toothed bar 23 and allows the ring 10 to return to its position in Figure 4. The buffer 27, if present, slows this return. In this configuration, the ring 10 can therefore be placed in two positions, corresponding to a purely directional flow of air (Figure 5) or purely diffusion (Figure 4). Again, no further depression of the ring 10 is necessary.

Of course, modifications can be made to the described embodiments, as to the manner in which the functions of the various elements are realized. For example, the buffer retarder system can be replaced by a roller whose rolling on the notched bar (or not-notched) is braked by grease or oil in which the axis of the roller dipping, said axis being equipped with fins.

At least one retarder acting on the ring 10 during the movements printed to it by the spring 21 can also be adapted to the push-pull type device described in the first variant, and, in general, can be integrated into any device of different design that would be in accordance with the invention. It also goes without saying that the spring 21 (or any other functionally equivalent elastic means) could tend to constrain the ring 10 not in its position where it ensures a purely diffusion air flow (as shown in the figures), but soft to constrain the ring 10 in its position where it ensures a purely directional flow of air. The invention allows an easy and instantaneous passage from one position of the aerator to another, and the fact that this passage is assisted by elastic means and realized by a pressure exerted by the user, or by the actuation of a button or a joystick, makes the comfort of use less dependent on the quality of the sliding between the parts than in the realization of the prior art described in the introduction.

Claims

1. A ventilation system ventilation of the cabin (6) of a motor vehicle, constituting the end portion of a main air duct (2) conveying an upstream air flow (3), said aerator being provided with diffusion means for converting the upstream air flow (3) into a downstream diffusion air flow (8), directional means for converting the upstream air flow (3) into a downstream air flow directional means (5), and control means for switching from one downstream air flow mode to the other by the connection of one or the other of the diffusion means and directional means to said main air duct (2). ), a central duct (4) at least partially coaxial with an annular duct (7), the two ducts (4, 7) having their upstream ends connected to the main air duct (2) and each having at its end downstream one of said diffusion means and said directional means, and a ring (10) can be placed in a first position where it has for function of closing a connection between the central duct (4) and the annular duct (7) and a second position where the ring (10) serves to open said connection, characterized in that it comprises at least one elastic means which forces the ring (10) towards one of these positions and a reversible locking means for holding the ring (10) under stress in the other of these positions.

2. An aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means is a releasable latching system by depressing the ring (10).

3. An aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that said reversible locking means can also maintain the ring (10) in at least one intermediate position between one and the other of said positions.

4. A ventilator according to claim 3, characterized in that said locking means comprises a ratchet assembly (24) - lever (26) rotating about an axis (25), said assembly being fixed on an outer wall (9) the aerator, and a return spring tending to press said pawl (24) between a toothed bar (23) disposed on the ring (10) in its longitudinal direction, said lever (26) being accessible to the user.

5. An aerator according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means comprises a bent bar fixed on the outer wall (9) of the aerator and rotating about an axis (25), a first branch (28) said bent bar being accessible to the user and a second leg (29) of said bent bar that can be capped a bar (23) disposed on the ring (10) in its longitudinal direction under the effect of a return spring when the ring (10) is in a position where said elastic means is constrained.

6. A ventilator according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises at least one retarder device acting on the ring (10) during movements printed by said resilient means.

7. An aerator according to claim 6, characterized in that said retarder is a buffer (27) rubbing against the ring (10).

8. Dashboard of a motor vehicle, equipped with a ventilation system of the passenger compartment, comprising one or more aerators, characterized in that at least one of said aerators is of the type according to one of claims 1 to 7. .