GB2224827A

GB2224827A - Air-outlet nozzles

Info

Publication number: GB2224827A
Application number: GB8924991A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Kunkel; Horst Mohrmann; Andreas Langenbeck
Original assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Current assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Priority date: 1988-11-09
Filing date: 1989-11-06
Publication date: 1990-05-16
Also published as: IT1237029B; GB8924991D0; JPH02178559A; IT8948530A0; FR2638685A1; IT8948530A1; DE3837916A1

Description

1 A 2224827 1 Air-outlet nozzle 1 The invention relates to an air-outlet

nozzle for ventilation systems of vehicles, with two air-permeable plates arranged displaceably at a parallel spacing from one another and with a.multiplicity of mutually parallel air-guide elements which extend between the two plates and which are held movably on these.

In a known air-outlet nozzle of this type (DE 3,202,355 C2), the two plates lying in parallel planes are equipped with a bank of ports, and between each port in the front plate and in the rear-wall plate is arranged an air-guide element which is designed as a tube and which is mounted universally movably on both sides. The rear-wall plate is displaceable parallel to the front plate. Each tube is subdivided into four parallel air shafts by means of partition walls. As a result of the displacement of the rear-wall plate, the alignment of the parallel tubes and therefore the air outflow direction can be adjusted. This known airoutlet nozzle, although being of very compact construction, nevertheless has the disadvantage that only a relatively small cross-section remains available for actual air guidance on the existing total surface of each of the mutually displaceable plates. Moreover, the production outlay for making this air-outlet nozzle is appreciable.

The present invention seeks, in an air-outlet nozzle of the type mentioned in the introduction, to enlarge the proportion of area useful for air guidance in the total available area of the air-outlet nozzle, in order thereby to increase the air throughput.

According to the present invention there is provided an air-outlet nozzle for ventilation systems of vehicles, with two air-permeable plates arranged displaceably at a parallel spacing from one another and with a multiplicity of mutually parallel air-guide elements which extend between the two plates and which are held movably on T 1 1 t.' 2 these, wherein the plates- c-pmprise g.ratings with grating bars thin in relation -to the mesh width, and each airguide element is formed by.at least two thin-surface airguide vanes extending along and projecting from a common longitudinal axis and is fastened flexibly at each end of its longitudinal axis to a respective one of the gratings. Because the air- guide elements are designed according to the invention, they take up only a relatively small amount of space, thus preserving a large flow cross- section, the reduction of which by change of direction is restricted to a minimum. The adjustment of the air-guide vanes and consequently the change of direction of the air can be obtained by the displacement of the rear or front grating. The air-outlet nozzle according to the invention can be produced economically and easily matched to the dimensional requirements and design of the installation space.

Preferably, an air guide element is fastened at each intersection point of the grating bars. The flexible fastening may be obtained by means of hinges or joints, for example, a film hinge or a ball or rubber joint, and the joints or hinges may be formed integrally with the air-guide elements.

Preferably, the two air-guide vanes are so arranged offset relative to one another that they form an angle less than or equal to 900.

In a preferred embodiment, the two air-guide vanes are arranged diametrically relative to one another on the longitudinal axis, and the air-guide elements are so aligned in rotation relative to one another that the airguide vanes of adjacent air-guide elements form between them air-guide shafts of rectangular or triangular crosssections. Alternatively, each air-guide element may have more than two air-guide vanes which are arranged offset relative to one another at equal angles.

Embodiments of the air-outlet nozzle according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an air-outlet A 3 r nozzle, Fig. 2 shows a perspective representation of a cutout from the air-outlet nozzle in the viewing direction II of Fig.1, Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through an air-outlet nozzle according to a further exemplary embodiment, Fig. 4 shows a perspective representation of a cutout from the modified air-outlet nozzle in the viewing direction IV of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a perspective representation of an air-outlet nozzle incorporated in the instrument panel of a passenger car, Figs. 6 to 10 respectively, show perspective representations of a number of air-guide elements of differing design and alignment.

The air-outlet nozzle shown in longitudinal section in Fig. 1 and in a perspective representation in cutout form in Fig. 2 and intended for the ventilation system of a motor vehicle has two air-permeable plates which are arranged at a parallel spacing from one another and which are designed as large-mesh gratings 11,12 with thin plastic grating bars 13 arranged crosswise. The grating bars 13 bulge out on the mutually confronting sides of the two gratings 11,12, in such a way that the intersection points 17 of the grating bars 13 are located at the highest elevation of the bulge. A ball socket 14a of a ball joint 14 consisting of the latter and of a ball 14b is formed in at each intersection point 17. The two gratings 11,12 are of identical design, the only difference being that the front grating 11 is fastened to a rectangular frame 15 which can be inserted, for example, into the instrument panel of a dashboard. The balls 14b held in the ball sockets 14a arranged on the end face preferably formed into these. The air-guide elements 16 flexibly to each of the intersection point 17 of the of the ball joints 14 are of air-guide elements 16, are consequently fastened two gratings 11,12 at each grating bars 13. An actuating t 4 0 pin 19 engaging through a specially designed bearing body 18 in the front grating-41. is fastened rigidly to one of the air--guide- elements -16, in such a way that its longitudinal axis is aligned with the longitudinal axis 20 of the air-guide element 16. When the actuating pin 19 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow, via the air-guide element 16 connected to it the rear grating 12 is displaced parallel to the front grating 11 and the parallel air-guide elements 16 change their position, the air flowing through the air-outlet nozzle from the rear grating 12 to the front grating 11 changing its outlet direction according to the changed position of the airguide elements 16.

As can be seen especially from Fig. 2, each air-guide element 16 produced from plastic has four thin-surface air-guide vanes 21 which extend along the longitudinal axis 20 of the air-guide element 16 and which project radially from this longitudinal axis 20. The four airguide vanes 21 are respectively offset relative to one another at the same angle of 900- The air-guide vanes 21 of adjacent air-guide elements 16 together form airguide shafts 22 of rectangular cross-section and with a large air throughflow area.

As shown in Fig. 2, instead of the ball joints, there can also be rubber joints 23 provided between the intersection point 17 of the gratings 11, 12 and the end faces of the air-guide elements 16.

Fig. 3 illustrates a further embodiment of an air-outlet nozzle. The gratings 111 and 112'are made plane and carry projections 130 at the intersection points 117 of the straight grating bars 113. The projections 130 are arranged on the inside of the gratings Ill and 112, so that the projections 130 of the two gratings 111 and 112 confront one another. Formed once again into each projection 130 is the ball socket 14a of the ball joint 14, the ball l4b of which is held in the region of the longitudinal axis 20 on the air-guide element 16 of a design unchanged in relation to Figs. 1 and 2. The rear grating K 41 112 is fastened rigidly, for example in the instrument panel of a vehicle, whereas the front grating 111 is displaceable in orthogonal directions in a guide 131. Thus, in Fig. 3, the front grating 111 can be displaced to the right and to the left and perpendicularly relative to the drawing plane. The parallel air-guide elements 116 align themselves according to the relative position between the front grating 111 and rear grating 112 and impart the desired air outflow direction to the air leaving the front grating 111.

In Fig. 4, a cutout from the air-outlet nozzle is shown in perspective in a viewing direction IV of Fig. 3. Here, however, the air-guide elements 116 are modified in relation to Fig. 3. They have only two thin-surface airguide vanes 121 which extend in the same way along the common longitudinal axis 20 and which project radially from this. The two airguide vanes 121 form an angle of less than 900. In addition, the ball to Fig. 3 are replaced by rubber joints 0 joints 14 according 123 on the end faces of the air-guide elements 116. For the sake of clarity, the displaceable front grating 111 is merely indicated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective representation of the airoutlet nozzle according to Fig. 3 which is incorporated in the instrument panel of a passenger car. An actuating knob 132 is fastened to the front face of the displaceable front grating 111. By means of this knob 132, the grating 111 can be displaced in orthogonal directions upwards and downwards and to the right and left, as represented symbolically by the two intersecting arrows in Fig. 5. The air-guide elements 116 thereby change their alignment, with the result that the outflow direction of the air flowing through the air-outlet nozzle is, in turn, changed correspondingly. Fig. 5 clearly shows the flexibility of the air-outlet nozzle in terms of its form of construction and matching to the vehicle design.

In Figs. 6 to 10, different embodiments of the design and alignment of the air-guide elements 216, 316 and 416are r L 6 shown in perspective. In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, each air-guide element 216 has two thin air-guide vanes 221 which are located diametrically opposite one another on the longitudinal axis 20, that is to say are offset at 1800 relative to one another. In Figs. 6 and 7, the air-guide elements are so aligned that the air-guide vanes 221 of adjacent air-guide elements 216 form between them airguide shafts 222 of rectangular cross-section. In Fig. 8, the air-guide elements 216 are so aligned that the airguide shafts 222 have a triangular cross-section.

The air-guide elements 316 in Fig. 9 likewise have only two thin-surface air-guide vanes 321, but these are offset at 900 relative to one another, whilst the air-guide elements 416 in Fig. 10 possess three air-guide vanes 421 which are offset relative to one another at equal angles, that is to say at 1200. Here, the air-guide vanes 421 of adjacent air-guide elements 416 enclose air ducts 422 of hexagonal cross-section.

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Claims

1. An air-outlet nozzle for ventilation systems of vehicles, with two airpermeable plates arranged displaceably at a parallel spacing from one another and with a multiplicity of mutually parallel air-guide elements which extend between the two plates and which are held movably on these, wherein the plates comprise gratings with grating bars thin in relation to the mesh width, and each air-guide element is formed by at least two thinsurface air-guide vanes extending along and projectifig from a common longitudinal axis and is fastened flexibly at each end of its longitudinal axis to a respective one of the gratings.

2. A nozzle according to Claim 1, wherein an air-guide element is fastened at each intersection point of the grating bars.

3. A nozzle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the flexible fastening is obtained by means of hinges or joints.

4. A nozzle according to Claim 3, fastening comprises a film hinge joint.

wherein the flexible or a ball or rubber

5. A nozzle according to ClLim 3 or 4, wherein the joints or hinges are formed integrally with the air-guide elements.

6. A nozzle according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the two airguide vanes are so arranged offset relative to one another that they form an angle less than or equal to 900.

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7. A nozzle according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the two airguide vanes are arranged diametrically relative to one another on the longitudinal axis, and the air-guide elements are so aligned in rotation relative to one another that the air-guide vanes of adjacent air-guide elements form between them air-guide shafts of rectangular or triangular cross-sections.

8. A nozzle according to one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein each air-guide element has more than two air-guide vanes which are arranged offset r"elative to one another at equal angles.

9. An air-outlet nozzle for ventilation systems of vehicles, substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 6&71 High Holborn. London WCIR4TP-Funher copies inkybe obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch. St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd St Mary Crky. Kent. Con 187