FR2804378A3 - Heater air distributor with passenger cab heater and windscreen demister outlets for use in vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

This air distributor is mounted in a vehicle instrument panel close to the windscreen (3) and has a hollow housing with an inlet opening (5) for a stream of air blown in from the heater fan and an upper outlet opening (7,9) to pass air into the vehicle passenger compartment. The upper opening (7,9) is separated by a divider wall (8) into two to provide a demister air flow (7) to the windscreen (3) and a heater air flow (9) into the cabin. The cabin outlet (9) is provided with an air control organ (11) in the form of a cylindrical body rotating on its horizontal axis and with a side wall (14) which closes the cabin outlet (9) directing all air flow to the vehicle windscreen (3). Rotation of the air control organ (11) allows air flow to be controlled in a number of stages between fully open and closed.

Description

The present invention relates to an air diffuser for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. More specifically, the subject of the invention is an air diffuser intended to be placed near a window, such as the windshield or a window window.

The diffusion of air in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles is a function of some importance with a view to the impact on perceived climatic or thermal comfort. The air vents or diffusers used for this purpose can also be aesthetically important.

The diffusion of air in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle also has a significant subsequent function which makes it possible to ensure a good degree of visibility by means of demisting the windows.

 In order to meet the requirements for improving climatic comfort and guaranteeing visibility, diffusers or air vents of a specialized type are currently used, for air conditioning or for demisting, and located primarily on the dashboard of the vehicle. The object of the present invention is to provide an air diffuser which makes it possible to integrate the two functions and which in any case has a reduced bulk. This object, as well as others, are achieved thanks to the invention with an air diffuser, characterized in that it comprises a hollow body (4) with at least one inlet opening (5) for a flow. forced air and at least first and second outlet openings (7, 9) for introducing air into the passenger compartment; the first opening (7) being made in direct communication with the inlet opening (5), in an upper portion of the body (4) intended to be disposed adjacent to the internal surface of said window (3); the second opening (9) being produced in a portion of the body (4) and which, once mounted, is located on the side opposite the window (3) relative to said first opening (7); at least one obturator / deflector member (11) being associated with this second opening (9) and being mounted, in a movable manner, in the body (4) and capable of assuming an interception position in which it closes the second opening ( 9) and several opening positions, in which it allows the emission of air through said second opening (9), in a variable direction according to its own position. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description which follows, carried out by simple non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a diffuser device d air according to the invention, shown in a first operating condition, and Figure 2 is a view similar to that presented in Figure 1, and shows the diffuser device in a second operating condition.

The diagrams show an air diffuser, generally indicated by 1, mounted in a door 2 of a motor vehicle, near the window 3 of the corresponding window.

The diffuser 1 comprises a hollow body 4 having, at the lower level, an inlet opening 5 intended to be connected to a duct 6 for supplying a forced air flow.

The body 4 of the diffuser has at the upper level at least a first opening 7, adjacent to the internal surface of the window pane 3 of the window. A partition wall 8 separates the opening 7 from an adjacent opening 9 situated on the side opposite the window 3 relative to said first opening 7.

Conveniently, but not necessarily, the openings 7 and 9 are covered with a sheet or layer 10 of air-permeable material.

Inside the body 4 of the diffuser, near the outlet opening 9, there is a shutter / deflector member generally indicated by 11 and rotatably mounted. In the embodiment illustrated by way of example, this member is a cylindrical body, pivoting about an essentially horizontal axis and having at least one transverse passage 12. In this passage, extends a partition 13, in a direction essentially diametral.

The deflector member 11 is capable of assuming an interception position, shown in FIG. 1, in which its side wall 14 closes the outlet opening 9 of the diffuser. In this condition, the diffuser device 1 is capable of emitting only an air flow directed vertically upwards, towards the internal surface of the glass 3. This air flow is useful for demisting the glass, when this is necessary.

The shutter / deflector member 11 is capable, on the other hand, of assuming several open positions, one of which is shown in FIG. 2. In these open positions, the member 11 allows the exit, through the opening 9, of an air flow in a direction varying according to its angular position. In particular, the direction of emission of the air flow through the opening 9 can be changed substantially between the vertical direction (flow directed upwards) and the horizontal direction.

The rotation of the shutter / deflector member can be implemented by means of manual action control members or motorized devices, according to modes known per se.

The diffuser device described above has a large compactness and therefore a reduced size.

It can be incorporated in a vehicle door, as illustrated in the diagrams, or in the dashboard, near the windshield. Of course, the above description has been given by way of non-limiting example and various modifications may be made to it by those skilled in the art without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. Air diffuser for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, intended to be disposed near a window (3), such as the windshield or a window glass; the diffuser being characterized in that it comprises a hollow body (4) with at least one inlet opening (5) for a forced air flow and at least a first and a second outlet opening (7, 9) for the introduction of air into the passenger compartment; the first opening (7) being made in direct communication with the inlet opening (5), in an upper portion of the body (4) intended to be disposed adjacent to the internal surface of said window (3); the second opening (9) being produced in a portion of the body (4) and which, once mounted, is located on the side opposite to the window (3) relative to said first opening (7); at least one obturator / deflector member (11) being associated with this second opening (9) and being mounted, in a movable manner, in the body (4) and capable of assuming an interception position in which it closes the second opening ( 9) and several opening positions, in which it allows the emission of air through said second opening (9), in a variable direction according to its own position. 2. Air diffuser according to claim 1, characterized in that said obturator / deflector member (11) is essentially cylindrical, is mounted inside the body (4) pivotally about a substantially horizontal axis and has at least one substantially transverse passage (12). 3. Air diffuser according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the passage (12) of the shutter / deflector member (11), it is provided with at least one partition wall (13) which s' extends in an essentially diametral direction. 4. Air diffuser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said outlet openings (7,9) are covered with a coating (10) of air permeable material.