GB2040438A

GB2040438A - Ventilation Device for a Vehicle Interior

Info

Publication number: GB2040438A
Application number: GB8002539A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 1979-01-26
Filing date: 1980-01-25
Publication date: 1980-08-28
Also published as: IT1129565B; FR2447282A1; DE2902998A1; GB2040438B; IT8019299A0; FR2447282B1; DE2902998C2

Abstract

A ventilation device for a vehicle interior, having a roller-shaped component (3) provided at an opening (4) in a part (5) fixed to the vehicle, the component (3) being displaceable about an axis of rotation (d-d) and comprising air-guiding elements (7) which extend from the circumference of roller-shaped component (3) towards its interior and define air exit apertures (6) defined in a section of the circumference of that component (3) by the air-guiding elements (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ventilation Device for a Vehicle Interior This invention relates to a ventilation device for the interior of a vehicle, more especially but not exclusively for a passenger motor vehicle, with an air outlet means which is provided at an opening in a part or parts which are fixed to the vehicle, the air outlet means being displaceable about an axis of rotation and comprising air-guiding elements.

Such a ventilation device is described in German Patent Application DE-AS 26 28 663, in which a first frame defines an opening or perforation in a flat part fixed with respect to the vehicle. A second frame is provided in which the air-guiding elements are arranged. To regulate the direction of the emerging air-stream, the second frame is pivotably mounted in the first frame by means of cylindrically-shaped sections.

When the outlet means constituted by the second frame and the air-guiding elements is pivoted considerably from its basic position, one of its sections projects substantially from the plane of the part fixed with respect to the vehicle, thus protruding into the passenger space. The other section of the air outlet means comes to lie inside the first frame. The result is a considerable resistance to air flow, because the cross-section of the emerging flow is reduced, particularly on the outlet side. Thus, effective ventilation is difficult with this ventilation device if there is a sharp change made to the direction of emergence of the air. The position of the air outlet means can therefore be varied over only a small range without loss of a substantial part of the ventilation effect.Moreover, the section of the air outlet means projecting into the passenger space produces the risk of possible injury. Finally, a section of the air outlet means protruding from the opening gives an untidy appearance which is particularly obtrusive when there are two adjacent differentially-adjusted air outlet means.

German Patent Application DE-OS 21 43 318 discloses a ventilation device with a cylindrical airguiding pipe which displays air exit apertures arranged spaced apart on the circumference of the pipe for defrosting the windscreen and/or heating or ventilating the interior of a motor vehicle. These exit apertures can be covered by a further pipe arranged coaxially in the air-guiding pipe or exposed by means of control apertures.

Thus, in this ventilation device the directions of emergence of the air-flow are fixed in advance by the positions of the exit apertures. A consequent drawback is that for any given aperture only the amount of the emerging air can be influenced.

The invention aims to create a ventilation device of the construction set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification which is of a relatively simple construction, is stilistically attractive, assists flow and which is less subject to the aforementioned drawbacks.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an air ventilation device in which the air outlet means is a roller-shaped component with air exit apertures provided in a section of its circumference and defined substantially by the airguiding elements which extend from the circumference of the roller-shaped component towards the interior of the latter.

Such a device can be made with a greater position adjustment range of the air outlet means.

This is particularly so if the device incorporates the feature of arranging the roller-shaped component in or behind the opening and approximately flush with approximately cylindrically-domed external contours of the part which is fixed to the vehicle.

This is because a section of the circumference of the roller-shaped component with exit apertures can be made to extend beyond the edges of the opening, as viewed in cross-section, so that the flow emergence cross-section is reduced only when the angular position of the roller shaped component has been altered considerably from a mean position. Finally, the roller-shaped component can be rotated sufficiently far to close the opening in the part fixed to the vehicle. This is advantageous in that an additional shut-off means for this ventilation device is unnecessary. A further noteworthy advantage is that the roller-shaped component presents approximately the same optical image as it has for its mean position over a wide range of the angular position adjustment in either sense of rotation.

An advantageous simple construction is achieved by mounting the roller-shaped component directly in a cylindrical section of an air-guiding duct over its circumference. It is particularly advantageous here if the roller-shaped component has the air inlet at one of its ends or end-faces, thus requiring the minimum space for fitting the ventilation device, low-cost manufacture of the roller-shaped component is achieved by providing it with fixed air-guiding elements which extend parallel to the axis of rotation between the ends or end-faces.

The air-guiding elements may extend from the circumference of the roller-shaped component to at least a central plane thereof. This directs the emerging air effectively and gives a jet of air which may reach far into the interior of the vehicle. The air-guiding elements may diverge somewhat towards the air exit apertures on the circumference of the roller-shaped component. On the one hand, this somewhat reduces the jet effect and, on the other hand, it simplifies the manufacture of the roller-shaped component. The air-guiding elements ending on the circumference of the roller-shaped component enable the fingers to secure a hbld on it to rotate it, thus making additional roller position-adjustment devices unnecessary.

Finally, an optimum directing of the air-stream can be obtained with a roller-shaped component which comprises pivotable air-guiding elements directed transversely with respect to the fixed airguiding elements.

Thus the present invention affords the possibility of a simple construction of a ventilation device which is stilistically attractive and fulfils safety regulations without additional outlay. The roller-shaped component may be arranged behind an opening in the vicinity of a rounded horizontally-extending edge of an upholstered instrument panel in a motor vehicle, streamlining of the edges of the opening being preferable.

An example of a ventilation device in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective partly cut-away view of a ventilation device incorporated in an instrument panel of a passenger motor vehicle; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the ventilation device taken on line Il-Il of Figure 1; and Figures 3 and 4 show maximum possible rotational displacements of a roller-shaped component of Figure 2 in opposite senses.

Figure 1 shows a ventilation device 1 in an interior part 2 of a passenger car (not shown fully).

The ventilation device 1 comprises an air outlet component 3, rotatable about an axis d--d, which is positioned adjacent to an opening 4 in an upholstered instrument panel 5 of which a section is shown. This air outlet component 3 is a thinwalled roller-shaped component with air exit apertures 6 provided in a circumferential section.

The air exit apertures 6 are defined by air-guiding elements 7 which extend parallel to the axis d-d and from the circumference of the component 3 into the interior of the latter. Preferably, these airguiding elements 7 extend from the roller circumference at least to the central plane of the roller-shaped component 3. Figure 1 shows further that end parts of the air outlet component 3 are arranged behind a rounded edge 8 of the instrument panel 5, the edge 8 extending horizontally. An air-guiding duct 9 extends parallel to the edge 8 by the opening 4 in the instrument panel 5. Within the vicinity of the opening 4 the air-guiding duct 9 has a cylindrical section 10 in which the roller-shaped component 3 is mounted to be rotatabie about its axis. The direction of the air-stream into the interior can be altered by adjusting the angular position of the roller.

As is shown further by Figure 1, the air delivered via the air-guiding duct 9 enters the roller-shaped component 3 at an end or end-face 11 thereof. In this roller-shaped component 3 the air entering axially impinges on the fixed airguiding elements 7. As well as extending parallel to the axis of rotation d-d, the air-guiding elements 7 may be arranged parallel to one another as viewed in cross-section. Alternatively, the air-guiding elements 7 may diverge somewhat towards the air exit apertures 6 on the roller circumference, as shown in Figure 2. This produces increased swirling of the emerging air and thus alleviates the unpleasant effect of a direct jet of air on a passenger in the vehicle.

Figure 2 shows further that air exit apertures 6 are distributed over a section of the circumference of the roller-shaped components which extends beyond the edges of the opening 4 viewing the arrangement in cross-section. It shows further that the edges of the opening 4 in the upholstered instrument panel 5 are streamlined or rounded in order to assist flow. This reduces swirling or detaching of the air-stream at those edges, particularly with the extreme positions of the roller-shaped component 3 shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which the air emerges more rapidly as a result of the smaller outlet cross-section. Finally, Figures 3 and 4 also show that the opening 4 can be shut by means of a continuous circumferential section of the roller-shaped component 3 when the component 3 is turned further in one of the illustrated directions a orb.

A design facilitating both the manufacture and assembly of the ventilation device is achieved with a roller-shaped component 3 which is open at both ends. A plug 12 inserted in one of the ends serves to secure the roller 3 in the cylindrical section 10 of the air-guiding channel 9 and at the same time seals the end-section of the air-guiding duct 9.

The scope of the invention embraces a roller having pivotabiy-constructed airguiding elements directed transversely with respect to, and making an angle with the air-guiding elements 7 which are fixed in relation to the roller.

Claims

1. A ventilation device for the interior of a vehicle, more especially but not exclusively for a passenger motor vehicle, with an air outlet means which is provided at an opening in a part or parts which are fixed to the vehicle, the air outlet means being displaceable about an axis of rotation and comprising air-guiding elements, in which the air outlet means is a roller-shaped component with air exit apertures provided in a section of its circumference and defined substantially by the airguiding elements which extend from the circumference of the roller-shaped component towards the interior of the latter.

2. A ventilation device according to claim 1, in which the roller-shaped component is arranged behind the opening and is substantially flush with substantially cylindrically-domed outer contours of the part or parts fixed to the vehicle.

3. A ventilation device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the rolier-shaped component, over its circumference, is rotatably mounted in a cylindrical section of an air-guiding duct.

4. A ventilation device according to claim 3, in which the roller-shaped component has the air inlet at one of its ends or end-faces and has fixed air-guiding elements which extend parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller-shaped component.

5. A ventilation device according to claim 4, in which the air-guiding elements extend from the circumference at least to a central plane of the roller-shaped component.

6. A ventilation device according to claim 5, in which the air-guiding elements diverge somewhat towards the air exit apertures on the circumference of the roller-shaped component.

7. A ventilation device according to claim 4, in which the roller-shaped component comprises pivotably-constructed air-guiding elements making an angle with the fixed air-guiding elements.

8. A ventilation device according to any preceding claim, in which the roller-shaped component is arranged behind an opening in the region of a rounded, substantially horizontallyextending edge of an upholstered instrument panel, and the edges of the opening are streamlined.

9. A ventilation device according to any preceding claim, in which the air exit apertures are provided over a section of the circumference of the roller-shaped component which extends beyond the edges of the opening as viewed in cross-section.

10. A ventilation device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.