WO2004078501A1 - Vent assembly for automobiles having separate grill unit and container compartment - Google Patents

Vent assembly for automobiles having separate grill unit and container compartment Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2004078501A1
WO2004078501A1 PCT/KR2003/002500 KR0302500W WO2004078501A1 WO 2004078501 A1 WO2004078501 A1 WO 2004078501A1 KR 0302500 W KR0302500 W KR 0302500W WO 2004078501 A1 WO2004078501 A1 WO 2004078501A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
housing
sidewall
container compartment
grill unit
motor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/KR2003/002500
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Sung-Ho Cho
Original Assignee
Sung-Ho Cho
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sung-Ho Cho filed Critical Sung-Ho Cho
Priority to AU2003284732A priority Critical patent/AU2003284732A1/en
Publication of WO2004078501A1 publication Critical patent/WO2004078501A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/34—Nozzles; Air-diffusers
    • B60H1/3414—Nozzles; Air-diffusers with means for adjusting the air stream direction
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/34—Nozzles; Air-diffusers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/00507—Details, e.g. mounting arrangements, desaeration devices
    • B60H1/00592—Add-on devices, e.g. heat/cooling boxes, compartment dividers, upgrade sets
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H3/00—Other air-treating devices
    • B60H3/0007—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen
    • B60H3/0014—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen characterised by the location of the substance adding device
    • B60H3/0028—Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen characterised by the location of the substance adding device on or near an air outlet
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H3/00—Other air-treating devices
    • B60H3/06—Filtering
    • B60H3/0608—Filter arrangements in the air stream
    • B60H3/0616—Filter arrangements in the air stream with provisions for replacing the filter element
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
    • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
    • B60H1/34—Nozzles; Air-diffusers
    • B60H2001/3492—Manufacturing; Assembling
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F13/00—Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening
    • F24F13/08—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates
    • F24F13/10—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers
    • F24F13/14—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre
    • F24F13/1426—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre characterised by actuating means
    • F24F2013/1446—Air-flow control members, e.g. louvres, grilles, flaps or guide plates movable, e.g. dampers built up of tilting members, e.g. louvre characterised by actuating means with gearings

Definitions

  • the present invention relates, in general, to vent assemblies for automobiles each of which has a separate grill unit and a container compartment and, more particularly, to a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases.
  • a desired material such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer
  • automobiles have been used as a means of conveyance or transport, in which a liquid energy source that is a fuel is evaporated, and the evaporated fuel gas is mixed with air and, thereafter, an engine of the automobile draws the mixed fuel gas into therein and executes mixed fuel gas compression, combustion and combustion gas exhaust operations to generate a driving force, so that the automobile can quickly move any distance using the driving force generated by the above-mentioned operations.
  • Such automobiles are provided with air conditioning apparatuses, such as heaters or air conditioners, for discharging impure air from the passenger compartment to the atmosphere and controlling a temperature of the passenger compartment, thus appropriately conditioning the air in the passenger compartment while driving the automobile.
  • air conditioning apparatuses such as heaters or air conditioners
  • Fresh air fed from such an air conditioning apparatus is blown into the passenger compartment through a blowing duct installed at a dashboard with a vent assembly having a grillwork provided at a front of the blowing duct.
  • a grillwork holder installed at the dashboard, holds the grillwork to discharge into the passenger compartment the air of a low or high temperature passing through the blowing duct. Therefore, when it is desired to change the air blowing direction of the grillwork, a plurality of horizontal or vertical blades, provided at the grillwork, are manually tilted upward, downward, leftward or rightward within the fixed grillwork holder, thus appropriately controlling a direction of the air discharged from the vent assembly into the passenger compartment.
  • the user must clean the interior of the vent assembly or install an air filter or a bacterial filter at a position around the vent assembly after removing the grillwork from the blowing duct.
  • the conventional vent assembly is produced to be impossible to remove the grillwork from the blowing duct, the conventional vent assembly is problematic in that the cleaning of the interior thereof or the installation and a change of the filter are very difficult.
  • air quality enhancing agents such as aromatics, germicides, and/or deodorizers are laid on the top wall of the dashboard or the rear shelf provided in back of the rear seats inside the passenger compartment, or are attached to the front of the grillwork such that air laden with components of the air quality enhancing agents circulates in the passenger compartment.
  • air quality enhancing agents makes the interior of the passenger compartment messy, as well as hindering the driving of a driver.
  • vent nozzle for air conditioning apparatuses of automobiles in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. Sho. 61-137,012.
  • the vent nozzle which corresponds to a grill unit with a grillwork, is removably installed in a housing fixedly set in the dashboard of an automobile such that the grill unit with the grillwork is completely removed from the housing by pulling the grill unit from the housing when desired. That is, this grill unit has a detachable structure, which allows a user to install or remove the grill unit with the grillwork in or from the housing provided in the dashboard.
  • the vent nozzle generates noises upsetting passengers around the grill unit when the automobile runs at a speed with substantial vibrations.
  • the grill unit is repeatedly removed and installed from or in the housing, the assembling parts of both the grill unit and the housing may be damaged, broken or lost.
  • vent assemblies for automobiles having drawer-type grill units were proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297258 and 297260 ( Filed: November, 26. 2002 ) which were applied by the inventor of the present invention and have been registered.
  • the vent assembly proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297258 includes a grill unit, a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, and a drive means.
  • the grill unit includes a grillwork holder which has at a front thereof a grillwork, and a container compartment which is provided at a back of the grillwork holder and has an air inlet opening, with movable rails arranged along outer surfaces of both sidewalls of the container compartment.
  • the grill unit is ejected from or retracted into the housing along fixed rails of the housing within a predetermined range by the drive means.
  • Two horizontal racks are arranged along upper or lower ends of both sidewalls of the container compartment so as to respectively engage with two pinion gears provided at both ends of a drive shaft of the drive means in which a first transmission gear of an intermediate gear assembly engages with a drive gear of a reversible motor, and a driven gear is mounted to an end of the drive shaft and engages with a second transmission gear of the intermediate gear assembly.
  • the vent assembly proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297260 includes a grill unit, a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, and a drive means.
  • the grill unit includes a grillwork holder which has at a front thereof a grillwork, and a container compartment which is provided at a back of the grillwork holder and has an air inlet opening, with movable rails arranged along outer surfaces of both sidewalls of the container compartment.
  • the grill unit is ejected from or retracted into the housing along fixed rails of the housing within a predetermined range by the drive means.
  • the container compartment has a stopper at a rear end thereof to engage with and disengage from a push button switch installed in the housing, and has a drive roll at a bottom thereof, with a drive spring being connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll.
  • a horizontal rack is provided along an upper surface of one of the movable rails which are arranged along both sidewalls of the container compartment, to engage with a reduction gear installed in the housing.
  • the housing has a drive opening on a bottom thereof so that the drive roll is moved forward and backward along the drive opening, with a second end of the drive spring being connected to an outer surface of a front portion of the housing.
  • the above-mentioned conventional vent assemblies having the drawer- type grill units each allow a user to eject the grill unit from the housing within a predetermined range to be not completely removed from the housing, so as to solve the problems of loss or damage to the assembling parts of the vent assemblies and to easily remove impurities which are deposited and caught in the grill unit and in the interior of the housing. Therefore, the vent assemblies blow cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment.
  • the grillwork holder having a predetermined height is integrally provided at a front portion of the grill unit, thus the conventional vent assemblies cause inconvenience to the user when it is desired to clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing or to contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, in the container compartment.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases.
  • a desired material such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer
  • the present invention provides a vent assembly for automobiles, including a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, a grill unit having a grillwork therein and provided at a front of the housing to be opened, and a container compartment provided in the housing to be ejected from or retracted into the housing.
  • the grill unit having an air filter seated therein is installed at the front of the housing, and the container compartment having a locking piece to detachably lock a container unit in the container compartment is installed in an interior of the housing, such that an opening or closing motion of the grill unit and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment relative to the housing are executed simultaneously or sequentially by a drive means.
  • FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view showing a construction of the vent assembly of FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3 A through 3C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a second embodiment of the present invention
  • FIGS. 5 A through 5C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 4;
  • FIGS. 6 A and 6b are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a third embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 8A through 8C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 7;
  • FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 10A through IOC are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 9;
  • FIG. 11 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 12A through 12C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 11;
  • FIG. 13 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention
  • FIGS. 14A through 14C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 13;
  • FIGS. 15A through 15C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention
  • FIGS. 16A and 16b are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 17A is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 17B is a plan sectional view of the vent assembly for automobiles according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, with a container compartment being removed from the vent assembly;
  • FIGS. 18A and 18B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 17 A;
  • FIGS. 19A and 19B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention;
  • FIGS. 20 A and 20B are plan sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the construction of the vent assembly for automobiles according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 22 A and 22B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view showing a construction of the vent assembly of FIG. 1.
  • FIGS. 3 A through 3C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 1.
  • the vent assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 1, a container compartment 2, a drive means 3, and a grill unit 4.
  • the housing 1 supports the grill unit 4 to determine a blowing direction of cool or hot air which is discharged toward a front of a dashboard from an air conditioning apparatus through a blowing duct which is coupled to an outlet of the air conditioning apparatus.
  • the housing 1 has a space defined above the container compartment 2 therein, so that air quality enhancing agents, such as aromatics, germicides, and/or deodorizers, are contained in the space to remove odor.
  • the housing 1 is installed in the dashboard and has at an inside end thereof a square-shaped opening which is coupled to the blowing duct.
  • the housing 1 further has a rim 11 which is integrally formed around an outside end of the housing 1 so as to prevent the housing 1 from being completely inserted into the dashboard.
  • Two fixed rails 12 are respectively oppositely provided along inner surfaces of both sidewalls of the housing 1 in longitudinal directions.
  • the housing 1 further has at a predetermined portion on one of the sidewalls thereof a mounting hole 13. , A first drive gear 31, which will be described later herein, is mounted to the mounting hole 13 so that the first drive gear 31 is placed in the housing 1.
  • the container compartment 2 slides frontward or rearward along the fixed rails 12 of the housing 1 by the drive means 3, so that the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the container compartment 2 includes a container compartment body 20 having a plate-type bottom with opposite sidewalls having a predetermined height and is open at front and rear ends thereof.
  • Two movable rails 21 are respectively provided on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the container compartment body 20 to engage with the two fixed rails 13 of the sidewalls of the housing 1 and slide along the fixed rails 12 of the housing 1.
  • a horizontal rack 22 is formed along an upper surface of one of the two movable rails 21.
  • the container compartment 2 further includes a plurality of locking pieces 23 which are provided on predetermined portions of an upper surface of a bottom of the container compartment body 20 to removably mount a box-type container unit 24 containing therein the air quality enhancing agents, such as the aromatics and etc., to the plurality of locking pieces 23.
  • the plurality of locking pieces 23 are symmetrically formed on the upper surface of the bottom of the container compartment body 20.
  • the locking piece 23 may have a screw-type shape, thus mounting the container unit 24 to the screw-type locking piece 23.
  • the container compartment 2 further includes an air inlet opening 25 which has a predetermined area and is provided at a rear wall of the container compartment body 20.
  • the vent assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention has the drive means 3, so as to simultaneously or selectively execute an opening or closing motion of the grill unit 4 and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment 2 relative to the housing 1.
  • the drive means 3 includes a first motor 30 which is provided on the sidewall of the housing 1 at an upper portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive ' gear 31, a first pinion gear 32 which is provided on an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 1, and an idle gear 33 engaging with both the first drive gear 31 and the first pinion gear 32.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of the sidewall of the container compartment 2 and engages with the first pinion gear
  • the drive means 3 further includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with a driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 and engaging with the first drive gear31. Due to the above-mentioned construction of the drive means 3, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a rotation of the first motor 30.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1.
  • the grill unit 4 ordinary changes a blowing direction of cool or hot air discharged from the vent assembly into the passenger compartment.
  • the grill unit 4 is opened at the front of the housing to easily execute the above-mentioned cleaning or changing operation.
  • the grill unit 4 does not interfere with the container compartment 2 while the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the grill unit 4 has a square-shaped space therein.
  • a grillwork 40 which comprises a plurality of blades, is provided in the square- shaped space defined in the grill unit 4 to be manually tilted upward, downward, leftward or rightward by manipulating a dial which is provided in the square- shaped space of the grill unit 4 to operate in conjunction with the blades of the grillwork 40.
  • the grill unit 4 has the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4 and is inserted into the housing 1 through a hinge hole 14 which is provided on a predetermined portion of the sidewall of the housing 1.
  • the grill unit 4 further has a seating slot 42 which is formed on an upper surface of the grill unit 4 so as to seat an air filter 5 in the grill unit 4.
  • the air conditioning apparatus such as a heater or an air conditioner
  • the container compartment 2 is placed in the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 3A
  • the cool or hot air discharged from the outlet of the air conditioning apparatus passes through the blowing duct (not shown) which is coupled to the inside end of the housing 1. Thereafter, the cool or hot air is blown into the passenger compartment through the housing 1, the container compartment 2, and the grillwork 40 which is provided in the grill unit 4.
  • the plurality of blades of the grillwork 40 are manually tilted at predetermined angles by manipulating the dial which is provided in the grill unit 4, so that the cool or hot air is discharged into the passenger compartment in a desired direction.
  • a user turns on the power switch (not shown), so that a constant current is supplied under the control of the control unit (not shown) to the first motor 30, thus the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30 is rotated clockwise.
  • the driven gear 34 engaging with the first drive gear 31, is rotated counterclockwise, so that the grill unit 4 is rotated counterclockwise ( in a direction of the interior of the housing 1 ) around the hinge shaft 41, thus opening the front of the housing 1, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C.
  • the user changes the air filter 5, which is seated in the grill unit 4, and/or the air quality enhancing agent, which is contained in the container unit 24 of the container compartment 2, with new ones.
  • the user turns on the power switch (not shown), thus the first drive gear 31 is rotated counterclockwise and, simultaneously, the idle gear 33, the driven gear 34 and the first pinion gear 32 are rotated in directions opposite to the ejection operation.
  • the container compartment 2, which has been ejected from the housing 1, is retracted into the housing 1, and the grill unit 4, which has been opened at the front of the housing 1, closes the front of the housing 1, so that the vent assembly accomplishes a state to discharge the cool or hot air into the passenger compartment.
  • the driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4, engages with the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30, and, simultaneously, the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2 is connected to the first drive gear 31 via the idle gear
  • a first motor 30 and a second motor 35 may be used as the drive means 3. That is, the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the drive means 3 of the vent assembly according to the second embodiment includes the first motor 30 having a first drive gear 31, and a hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with a driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft
  • the drive means 3 further includes the second motor 35 which is provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the first and second motors 30 and 35 are used as the drive means 3, so that the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the first motor 30, and the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1 by operations of a drive spring 36c and a push button switch 36e.
  • the drive means 3 of the vent assembly includes the first motor 30 having the first drive gear 31, and the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 and engaging with the first drive gear 31.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and the drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft
  • the driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4, engages with the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30, and, simultaneously, the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2 is connected to the first drive gear 31 via the idle gear
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with inside and outside driven gears 34a and 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41, and a second pinion gear
  • the drive means 3 further includes an idle gear 33 engaging with both the inside driven gear 34a and the second pinion gear 32, and a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of the sidewall of the container compartment 2 and engages with the second pinion gear 32.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and, simultaneously, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30.
  • the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the inside and outside driven gears 34a and 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41, and the second pinion gear 32 which is provided on the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 1.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the idle gear 33 engaging with both the inside driven gear 34a and the second pinion gear 32, and the horizontal rack 22 engaging with the second pinion gear 32.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and, simultaneously, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30.
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with an outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further include a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor 35 which provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2, and the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with an inside driven gear 34a being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the inside driven gear 34a of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment
  • the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2, and the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with a spring
  • the drive means 3 further includes a second motor 35 which is provided on an intermediate part of a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated by elasticity of the spring 37 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the first motor 30 and the second motor 35 are used as the drive means 3. That is, the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4
  • the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
  • the drive means 3 includes a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor
  • the drive means 3 further includes a vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and a third motor 48 which is provided at a predetermined position under the housing 1 and has a third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack
  • the grill unit 4 is moved downward in a vertical direction by a reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the opening and closing motions of the grill unit 4 and the ejecting and retracting motions of the container compartment 2 do not interfere with each other.
  • the drive means 3 includes the vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and the third motor 48 which has the third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack 43 of the grill unit 4.
  • the grill unit 4 is moved downward in the vertical direction by the reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the drive means 3 includes a vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and a third motor 48 which is provided at a predetermined position under the housing 1 and has a third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack 43 of the grill unit 4.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll
  • the drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing
  • the grill unit 4 is moved downward in the vertical direction by the reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
  • the drive means 3 includes a vertical guide slot 14 which is provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing 1, a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit 4 to movably engage with the vertical guide slot 14 of the housing 1 so that the hinge shaft 41 moves along the vertical guide slot 14 in a vertical direction.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a horizontal guide rod 44 which is coupled by a hinge to a lower portion of the grill unit 4, with a first horizontal rack 44a provided along the horizontal guide rod 44.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided at a predetermined position in the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the first horizontal rack 44a, thus moving the horizontal guide rod 44 forward or backward.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a second horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor 35 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with the second horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the grill unit 4 is pushed forward at the lower portion thereof by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the drive means 3 includes a vertical guide slot 14 which is provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing 1, a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit 4 to movably engage with the vertical guide slot 14 of the housing 1 so that the hinge shaft 41 moves along the vertical guide slot 14 in the vertical direction.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a horizontal guide rod 44 of the grill unit 4, with a first horizontal rack 44a provided along the horizontal guide rod 44.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided at a predetermined position in the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the first horizontal rack 44a, thus moving the horizontal guide rod 44 forward or backward.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e.
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided at a side of the grill unit 4 to couple the side of the grill unit 4 to a lower portion of a side of a front of the housing 1 and has a driven gear 34, and a first motor 30 which is provided on a bottom wall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the driven gear 34 of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a second motor 35 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated forward around the hinge shaft 41 by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
  • the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided at a side of the grill unit 4 to couple the side of the grill unit 4 to a lower portion of a side of a front of the housing 1 and has a driven gear 34, and a first motor 30 which is provided on a bottom wall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the driven gear 34 of the hinge shaft 41.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a.
  • the drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e.
  • the grill unit 4 is rotated forward around the hinge shaft 41 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
  • the present invention provides a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases.
  • the vent assembly of the present invention may hold a vessel containing drinking water therein in the container compartment, so as to cool or heat the drinking water by the cool or hot air passing through the container compartment.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

A vent assembly for automobiles, including a housing (1) installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, a grill unit (4) having a grillwork therein and provided at a front of the housing (1) to be opened, and a container compartment (2) provided in the housing (1) to be ejected from or retracted into the housing (1). In the vent assembly, the grill unit (4) having an air filter (5) seated therein is installed at the front of the housing (1), and the container compartment (2) having a locking piece (23) to detachably lock a container unit (24) in the container compartment (2) is installed in an interior of the housing (1), such that an opening or closing motion of the grill unit (4) and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment (2) relative to the housing (1) are executed simultaneously or sequentially by a drive means (3).

Description

VENT ASSEMBLY FOR AUTOMOBILES HAVING SEPARATE GRILL
UNIT AND CONTAINER COMPARTMENT
Technical Field
The present invention relates, in general, to vent assemblies for automobiles each of which has a separate grill unit and a container compartment and, more particularly, to a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases.
Background Art
Generally, automobiles have been used as a means of conveyance or transport, in which a liquid energy source that is a fuel is evaporated, and the evaporated fuel gas is mixed with air and, thereafter, an engine of the automobile draws the mixed fuel gas into therein and executes mixed fuel gas compression, combustion and combustion gas exhaust operations to generate a driving force, so that the automobile can quickly move any distance using the driving force generated by the above-mentioned operations.
Such automobiles are provided with air conditioning apparatuses, such as heaters or air conditioners, for discharging impure air from the passenger compartment to the atmosphere and controlling a temperature of the passenger compartment, thus appropriately conditioning the air in the passenger compartment while driving the automobile. Fresh air fed from such an air conditioning apparatus is blown into the passenger compartment through a blowing duct installed at a dashboard with a vent assembly having a grillwork provided at a front of the blowing duct.
In a conventional vent assembly for automobiles, a grillwork holder, installed at the dashboard, holds the grillwork to discharge into the passenger compartment the air of a low or high temperature passing through the blowing duct. Therefore, when it is desired to change the air blowing direction of the grillwork, a plurality of horizontal or vertical blades, provided at the grillwork, are manually tilted upward, downward, leftward or rightward within the fixed grillwork holder, thus appropriately controlling a direction of the air discharged from the vent assembly into the passenger compartment. However, when conditioning the air of the, passenger compartment through the conventional vent assembly, external dusts and internal dusts of the automobile are drawn along with the air into the air conditioning apparatus through an air inlet of the air conditioning apparatus during an operation of the air conditioning apparatus, thus fine dusts are deposited in the blowing duct and on the grillwork because the dusts are discharged along with the air into the passenger compartment. Therefore, the deposited fine dusts, discharged along with the cool or hot air into the passenger compartment through the grillwork of the conventional vent assembly, may cause several respiratory diseases as well as be the source of odor and uncleanliness. To solve the problem of the above-mentioned uncleanliness, the user must clean the interior of the vent assembly or install an air filter or a bacterial filter at a position around the vent assembly after removing the grillwork from the blowing duct. However, because the conventional vent assembly is produced to be impossible to remove the grillwork from the blowing duct, the conventional vent assembly is problematic in that the cleaning of the interior thereof or the installation and a change of the filter are very difficult. In the meantime, to solve the problem of the above-mentioned odor, air quality enhancing agents, such as aromatics, germicides, and/or deodorizers are laid on the top wall of the dashboard or the rear shelf provided in back of the rear seats inside the passenger compartment, or are attached to the front of the grillwork such that air laden with components of the air quality enhancing agents circulates in the passenger compartment. However, such installation of the air quality enhancing agents makes the interior of the passenger compartment messy, as well as hindering the driving of a driver.
In an effort to overcome the problems experienced in the conventional vent assembly, there was proposed and has been used an interior vent nozzle for air conditioning apparatuses of automobiles in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. Sho. 61-137,012. The vent nozzle, which corresponds to a grill unit with a grillwork, is removably installed in a housing fixedly set in the dashboard of an automobile such that the grill unit with the grillwork is completely removed from the housing by pulling the grill unit from the housing when desired. That is, this grill unit has a detachable structure, which allows a user to install or remove the grill unit with the grillwork in or from the housing provided in the dashboard. However, due to such a detachable structure, the vent nozzle generates noises upsetting passengers around the grill unit when the automobile runs at a speed with substantial vibrations. In addition, when the grill unit is repeatedly removed and installed from or in the housing, the assembling parts of both the grill unit and the housing may be damaged, broken or lost.
To solve the above-mentioned problems experienced in the conventional vent nozzle, vent assemblies for automobiles having drawer-type grill units were proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297258 and 297260 ( Filed: November, 26. 2002 ) which were applied by the inventor of the present invention and have been registered.
The vent assembly proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297258 includes a grill unit, a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, and a drive means. The grill unit includes a grillwork holder which has at a front thereof a grillwork, and a container compartment which is provided at a back of the grillwork holder and has an air inlet opening, with movable rails arranged along outer surfaces of both sidewalls of the container compartment.
The grill unit is ejected from or retracted into the housing along fixed rails of the housing within a predetermined range by the drive means. Two horizontal racks are arranged along upper or lower ends of both sidewalls of the container compartment so as to respectively engage with two pinion gears provided at both ends of a drive shaft of the drive means in which a first transmission gear of an intermediate gear assembly engages with a drive gear of a reversible motor, and a driven gear is mounted to an end of the drive shaft and engages with a second transmission gear of the intermediate gear assembly.
In the meantime, the vent assembly proposed in Korean Utility Model Registration NO. 297260 includes a grill unit, a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, and a drive means. The grill unit includes a grillwork holder which has at a front thereof a grillwork, and a container compartment which is provided at a back of the grillwork holder and has an air inlet opening, with movable rails arranged along outer surfaces of both sidewalls of the container compartment. The grill unit is ejected from or retracted into the housing along fixed rails of the housing within a predetermined range by the drive means. The container compartment has a stopper at a rear end thereof to engage with and disengage from a push button switch installed in the housing, and has a drive roll at a bottom thereof, with a drive spring being connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll. A horizontal rack is provided along an upper surface of one of the movable rails which are arranged along both sidewalls of the container compartment, to engage with a reduction gear installed in the housing. The housing has a drive opening on a bottom thereof so that the drive roll is moved forward and backward along the drive opening, with a second end of the drive spring being connected to an outer surface of a front portion of the housing. The above-mentioned conventional vent assemblies having the drawer- type grill units each allow a user to eject the grill unit from the housing within a predetermined range to be not completely removed from the housing, so as to solve the problems of loss or damage to the assembling parts of the vent assemblies and to easily remove impurities which are deposited and caught in the grill unit and in the interior of the housing. Therefore, the vent assemblies blow cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment.
However, the grillwork holder having a predetermined height is integrally provided at a front portion of the grill unit, thus the conventional vent assemblies cause inconvenience to the user when it is desired to clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing or to contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, in the container compartment.
Disclosure of the Invention
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a vent assembly for automobiles, including a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, a grill unit having a grillwork therein and provided at a front of the housing to be opened, and a container compartment provided in the housing to be ejected from or retracted into the housing. The grill unit having an air filter seated therein is installed at the front of the housing, and the container compartment having a locking piece to detachably lock a container unit in the container compartment is installed in an interior of the housing, such that an opening or closing motion of the grill unit and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment relative to the housing are executed simultaneously or sequentially by a drive means.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view showing a construction of the vent assembly of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 A through 3C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 5 A through 5C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 4;
FIGS. 6 A and 6b are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 8A through 8C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 10A through IOC are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 12A through 12C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 14A through 14C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 13;
FIGS. 15A through 15C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 16A and 16b are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 17A is a plan sectional view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 17B is a plan sectional view of the vent assembly for automobiles according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention, with a container compartment being removed from the vent assembly;
FIGS. 18A and 18B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 17 A; FIGS. 19A and 19B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 20 A and 20B are plan sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the construction of the vent assembly for automobiles according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 22 A and 22B are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vent assembly for automobiles according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view showing a construction of the vent assembly of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 A through 3C are longitudinal sectional views showing an operation of the vent assembly of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3C, the vent assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 1, a container compartment 2, a drive means 3, and a grill unit 4.
The housing 1 supports the grill unit 4 to determine a blowing direction of cool or hot air which is discharged toward a front of a dashboard from an air conditioning apparatus through a blowing duct which is coupled to an outlet of the air conditioning apparatus. The housing 1 has a space defined above the container compartment 2 therein, so that air quality enhancing agents, such as aromatics, germicides, and/or deodorizers, are contained in the space to remove odor. To form the above-mentioned housing 1, the housing 1 is installed in the dashboard and has at an inside end thereof a square-shaped opening which is coupled to the blowing duct. The housing 1 further has a rim 11 which is integrally formed around an outside end of the housing 1 so as to prevent the housing 1 from being completely inserted into the dashboard. Two fixed rails 12 are respectively oppositely provided along inner surfaces of both sidewalls of the housing 1 in longitudinal directions. The housing 1 further has at a predetermined portion on one of the sidewalls thereof a mounting hole 13. , A first drive gear 31, which will be described later herein, is mounted to the mounting hole 13 so that the first drive gear 31 is placed in the housing 1.
The container compartment 2 slides frontward or rearward along the fixed rails 12 of the housing 1 by the drive means 3, so that the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1. The container compartment 2 includes a container compartment body 20 having a plate-type bottom with opposite sidewalls having a predetermined height and is open at front and rear ends thereof. Two movable rails 21 are respectively provided on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the container compartment body 20 to engage with the two fixed rails 13 of the sidewalls of the housing 1 and slide along the fixed rails 12 of the housing 1. A horizontal rack 22 is formed along an upper surface of one of the two movable rails 21.
The container compartment 2 further includes a plurality of locking pieces 23 which are provided on predetermined portions of an upper surface of a bottom of the container compartment body 20 to removably mount a box-type container unit 24 containing therein the air quality enhancing agents, such as the aromatics and etc., to the plurality of locking pieces 23.
The plurality of locking pieces 23 are symmetrically formed on the upper surface of the bottom of the container compartment body 20. However, the locking piece 23 may have a screw-type shape, thus mounting the container unit 24 to the screw-type locking piece 23. The container compartment 2 further includes an air inlet opening 25 which has a predetermined area and is provided at a rear wall of the container compartment body 20.
The vent assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention has the drive means 3, so as to simultaneously or selectively execute an opening or closing motion of the grill unit 4 and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment 2 relative to the housing 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3C, the drive means 3 according to the first embodiment includes a first motor 30 which is provided on the sidewall of the housing 1 at an upper portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive' gear 31, a first pinion gear 32 which is provided on an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 1, and an idle gear 33 engaging with both the first drive gear 31 and the first pinion gear 32. The drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of the sidewall of the container compartment 2 and engages with the first pinion gear
32. The drive means 3 further includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with a driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 and engaging with the first drive gear31. Due to the above-mentioned construction of the drive means 3, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a rotation of the first motor 30.
The grill unit 4 is rotated by the rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1.
The grill unit 4 ordinary changes a blowing direction of cool or hot air discharged from the vent assembly into the passenger compartment. When it is desired to clean the interior of the housing 1 or change the air quality enhancing agent, such as an aromatic, with a new one, the grill unit 4 is opened at the front of the housing to easily execute the above-mentioned cleaning or changing operation. At this time, the grill unit 4 does not interfere with the container compartment 2 while the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1. The grill unit 4 has a square-shaped space therein. A grillwork 40, which comprises a plurality of blades, is provided in the square- shaped space defined in the grill unit 4 to be manually tilted upward, downward, leftward or rightward by manipulating a dial which is provided in the square- shaped space of the grill unit 4 to operate in conjunction with the blades of the grillwork 40. The grill unit 4 has the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4 and is inserted into the housing 1 through a hinge hole 14 which is provided on a predetermined portion of the sidewall of the housing 1.
The grill unit 4 further has a seating slot 42 which is formed on an upper surface of the grill unit 4 so as to seat an air filter 5 in the grill unit 4.
Next, the operation and effect of the vent assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to FIGS. 3A through 3C.
When the air conditioning apparatus (not shown), such as a heater or an air conditioner, is operated while the container compartment 2 is placed in the housing 1 as shown in FIG. 3A, the cool or hot air discharged from the outlet of the air conditioning apparatus passes through the blowing duct (not shown) which is coupled to the inside end of the housing 1. Thereafter, the cool or hot air is blown into the passenger compartment through the housing 1, the container compartment 2, and the grillwork 40 which is provided in the grill unit 4.
At this time, the plurality of blades of the grillwork 40 are manually tilted at predetermined angles by manipulating the dial which is provided in the grill unit 4, so that the cool or hot air is discharged into the passenger compartment in a desired direction. When it is desired to clean the interior of the housing 1 or to change the air quality enhancing agent, such as the aromatic and etc., contained in the container unit 24 of the container compartment 2, with a new one, a user turns on the power switch (not shown), so that a constant current is supplied under the control of the control unit (not shown) to the first motor 30, thus the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30 is rotated clockwise.
When the first drive gear 31 is rotated clockwise, the idle gear 33, engaging with the first drive gear 31, is simultaneously rotated counterclockwise, and, simultaneously, the first pinion gear 32, engaging with the idle gear 33, is rotated clockwise. Thus, the movable rails 21 of the container compartment 2, having the horizontal rack 22 engaging with the first pinion gear 32, slide frontward along the fixed rails 13 of the housing 1, so that the ejecting motion of the container compartment 2 with the movable rails 23 relative to the housing 1 starts.
Simultaneously, the driven gear 34, engaging with the first drive gear 31, is rotated counterclockwise, so that the grill unit 4 is rotated counterclockwise ( in a direction of the interior of the housing 1 ) around the hinge shaft 41, thus opening the front of the housing 1, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C.
In the above-mentioned state in that the container compartment 2 is exposed to the outside and the grill unit 4 is opened at the front of the housing 1, the user changes the air filter 5, which is seated in the grill unit 4, and/or the air quality enhancing agent, which is contained in the container unit 24 of the container compartment 2, with new ones. After the process of cleaning the housing 1 or changing the air quality enhancing agent or the air filter 5 is finished, the user turns on the power switch (not shown), thus the first drive gear 31 is rotated counterclockwise and, simultaneously, the idle gear 33, the driven gear 34 and the first pinion gear 32 are rotated in directions opposite to the ejection operation. Thus, the container compartment 2, which has been ejected from the housing 1, is retracted into the housing 1, and the grill unit 4, which has been opened at the front of the housing 1, closes the front of the housing 1, so that the vent assembly accomplishes a state to discharge the cool or hot air into the passenger compartment.
In the vent assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention, the driven gear 34, being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4, engages with the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30, and, simultaneously, the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2 is connected to the first drive gear 31 via the idle gear
33 and the pinion gear 32, so that the opening or closing motion of the grill unit 4 and the ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment 2 relative to the housing 1 are simultaneously executed by the rotation of the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 through
5C, a first motor 30 and a second motor 35 may be used as the drive means 3. That is, the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1.
The drive means 3 of the vent assembly according to the second embodiment includes the first motor 30 having a first drive gear 31, and a hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with a driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft
41 and engaging with the first drive gear 31. The drive means 3 further includes the second motor 35 which is provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
In the vent assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention, the first and second motors 30 and 35 are used as the drive means 3, so that the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the grill unit 4 is rotated by the first motor 30, and the container compartment 2 is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1 by operations of a drive spring 36c and a push button switch 36e. That is, the drive means 3 of the vent assembly according to the third embodiment includes the first motor 30 having the first drive gear 31, and the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the driven gear 34 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 and engaging with the first drive gear 31. The drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and the drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a. The drive means 3 further includes the push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 inward and upward around the hinge shaft
41 which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
In the vent assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention, the driven gear 34, being mounted to the hinge shaft 41 which is provided on the upper portion of the sidewall of the grill unit 4, engages with the first drive gear 31 of the first motor 30, and, simultaneously, the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2 is connected to the first drive gear 31 via the idle gear
33 and the pinion gear 32, so that the opening or closing motion of the grill unit 4 and the ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment 2 relative to the housing 1 are simultaneously executed by the rotation of the first drive gear
31 of the first motor 30. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 8C, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with inside and outside driven gears 34a and 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41, and a second pinion gear
32 which is provided on an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 1. The drive means 3 further includes an idle gear 33 engaging with both the inside driven gear 34a and the second pinion gear 32, and a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of the sidewall of the container compartment 2 and engages with the second pinion gear 32. The grill unit 4 is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and, simultaneously, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30.
In the vent assembly of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the inside and outside driven gears 34a and 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41, and the second pinion gear 32 which is provided on the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 1. The drive means 3 further includes the idle gear 33 engaging with both the inside driven gear 34a and the second pinion gear 32, and the horizontal rack 22 engaging with the second pinion gear 32. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and, simultaneously, the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 9 through 10C, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with an outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further include a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor 35 which provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2.
The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35. In the vent assembly of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2, and the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 11 through 12C, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with an inside driven gear 34a being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the inside driven gear 34a of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a. The drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment
2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
In the vent assembly of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the drive means 3 includes the hinge shaft 41 of the grill unit 4, with the outside driven gear 34b being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 includes the first motor 30 which has the first drive gear 31 to engage with the outside driven gear 34b of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2, and the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22. The grill unit 4 is rotated by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 13 through 14C, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit 4, with a spring
37 being mounted to the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a second motor 35 which is provided on an intermediate part of a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. The grill unit 4 is rotated by elasticity of the spring 37 outward and downward around the hinge shaft 41 which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing 1, thus opening the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
In the vent assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention, the first motor 30 and the second motor 35 are used as the drive means 3. That is, the first motor 30 actuates only the grill unit 4, and the second motor 35 actuates only the container compartment 2 which is ejected from or retracted into the housing 1. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 15A through
15C, the drive means 3 includes a horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor
35 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear
35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. The drive means 3 further includes a vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and a third motor 48 which is provided at a predetermined position under the housing 1 and has a third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack
43 of the grill unit 4. Thus, the grill unit 4 is moved downward in a vertical direction by a reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. At this time, the opening and closing motions of the grill unit 4 and the ejecting and retracting motions of the container compartment 2 do not interfere with each other.
In the vent assembly of the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the drive means 3 includes the vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and the third motor 48 which has the third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack 43 of the grill unit 4. The grill unit 4 is moved downward in the vertical direction by the reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35 which has the second drive gear 35a to engage with the horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. However, in a vent assembly for automobiles according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the drive means 3 includes a vertical rack 43 extending downward from the grill unit 4, and a third motor 48 which is provided at a predetermined position under the housing 1 and has a third drive gear 48a to engage with the vertical rack 43 of the grill unit 4. The drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll
36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a. The drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing
1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment
2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e. Thus, the grill unit 4 is moved downward in the vertical direction by the reversible rotation of the third motor 48 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
In the vent assembly of a tenth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 17A through 18B, the drive means 3 includes a vertical guide slot 14 which is provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing 1, a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit 4 to movably engage with the vertical guide slot 14 of the housing 1 so that the hinge shaft 41 moves along the vertical guide slot 14 in a vertical direction. The drive means 3 further includes a horizontal guide rod 44 which is coupled by a hinge to a lower portion of the grill unit 4, with a first horizontal rack 44a provided along the horizontal guide rod 44. The drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided at a predetermined position in the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the first horizontal rack 44a, thus moving the horizontal guide rod 44 forward or backward. The drive means 3 further includes a second horizontal rack 22 which is arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment 2, and a second motor 35 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with the second horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. The grill unit 4 is pushed forward at the lower portion thereof by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by a reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
In the vent assembly of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the drive means 3 includes a vertical guide slot 14 which is provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing 1, a hinge shaft 41 which is provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit 4 to movably engage with the vertical guide slot 14 of the housing 1 so that the hinge shaft 41 moves along the vertical guide slot 14 in the vertical direction. The drive means 3 further includes a horizontal guide rod 44 of the grill unit 4, with a first horizontal rack 44a provided along the horizontal guide rod 44. The drive means 3 further includes a first motor 30 which is provided at a predetermined position in the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the first horizontal rack 44a, thus moving the horizontal guide rod 44 forward or backward. The drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a. The drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e. The grill unit
4 is pushed forward at the lower portion thereof by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e. In the vent assembly of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 20 A through 21, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided at a side of the grill unit 4 to couple the side of the grill unit 4 to a lower portion of a side of a front of the housing 1 and has a driven gear 34, and a first motor 30 which is provided on a bottom wall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the driven gear 34 of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a second motor 35 which is provided on a sidewall of the housing 1 and has a second drive gear 35a to engage with a horizontal rack 22 of the container compartment 2. The grill unit 4 is rotated forward around the hinge shaft 41 by a reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the reversible rotation of the second motor 35.
In the vent assembly of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 22 A and 22B, the drive means 3 includes a hinge shaft 41 which is provided at a side of the grill unit 4 to couple the side of the grill unit 4 to a lower portion of a side of a front of the housing 1 and has a driven gear 34, and a first motor 30 which is provided on a bottom wall of the housing 1 and has a first drive gear 31 to engage with the driven gear 34 of the hinge shaft 41. The drive means 3 further includes a drive roll 36a which is mounted to a bottom of the container compartment 2 by a support piece 36b, and a drive spring 36c which is connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll 36a and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing 1 to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll 36a. The drive means 3 further includes a push button switch 36e which is installed in a rear end of the housing 1, and a stopper 36d which is provided at a rear end of the container compartment 2 to engage with and disengage from the push button switch 36e. The grill unit 4 is rotated forward around the hinge shaft 41 by the reversible rotation of the first motor 30 to open the front of the housing 1, and the container compartment 2 is ejected forward from the housing 1 by the operations of the drive spring 36c and the push button switch 36e.
Industrial Applicability
As described above, the present invention provides a vent assembly for automobiles, which has a container compartment being selectively ejected or retracted by a drive means from or into a housing installed at a predetermined portion of a dashboard of an automobile, and a grill unit provided at a front end of the container compartment to be openable outward or inward relative to the housing by an additional drive means, thus allowing a user to easily contain a desired material, such as an aromatic, germicide or deodorizer, in the grill unit, and simply change the material with a new one, thus pleasantly maintaining the atmosphere of a passenger compartment of the automobile, and allowing the user to easily clean the grill unit and the interior of the housing, so that the vent assembly blows cool or hot air of a fresh and clean state into the passenger compartment, thus preventing the user or passengers from contracting several respiratory diseases. Furthermore, the vent assembly of the present invention may hold a vessel containing drinking water therein in the container compartment, so as to cool or heat the drinking water by the cool or hot air passing through the container compartment.

Claims

Claims
1. A vent assembly for automobiles, comprising a housing installed at a vent channel of a dashboard, a grill unit having a grillwork therein and provided at a front of the housing to be opened, and a container compartment provided in the housing to be ejected from or retracted into the housing, wherein the grill unit comprising an air filter seated therein is installed at the front of the housing, and the container compartment comprising a locking piece to detachably lock a container unit in the container compartment is installed in an interior of the housing, such that an opening or closing motion of the grill unit and an ejecting or retracting motion of the container compartment relative to the housing are executed simultaneously or sequentially by drive means.
2. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at an upper portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear; a first pinion gear provided on an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing; an idle gear engaging with both the first drive gear and the first pinion gear; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with the first pinion gear; and a hinge shaft provided on an upper portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with a driven gear being mounted to the hinge shaft and engaging with the first drive gear, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor inward and upward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and, simultaneously, the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by the reversible rotation of the first motor.
3. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at an upper portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear; a hinge shaft provided on an upper portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with a driven gear being mounted to the hinge shaft and engaging with the first drive gear; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; and a second motor provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the horizontal rack of the container compartment, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor inward and upward, around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
4. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at an upper portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear; a hinge shaft provided on an upper portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with a driven gear being mounted to the hinge shaft and engaging with the first drive gear; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with a reduction gear provided on the sidewall of the housing; a drive roll mounted to a bottom of the container compartment by a support piece; a drive spring connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll; a push button switch installed in a rear end of the housing; and a stopper provided at a rear end of the container compartment to engage with and disengage from the push button switch, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor inward and upward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the upper portion of the front part of the sidewall of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by operations of the drive spring and the push button switch.
5. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with inside and outside driven gears being mounted to the hinge shaft; a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the outside driven gear of the hinge shaft; a pinion gear provided on an inner surface of the sidewall of the housing; an idle gear engaging with both the inside driven gear and the pinion gear; and a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with the pinion gear, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor outward and downward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and, simultaneously, the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by the reversible rotation of the first motor.
6. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with an outside driven gear being mounted to the hinge shaft; a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the outside driven gear of the hinge shaft; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; and a second motor provided on an intermediate part of the sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the horizontal rack of the container compartment, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor outward and downward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
7. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with an inside driven gear being mounted to the hinge shaft; a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing at a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the inside driven gear of the hinge shaft; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with a reduction gear provided on the sidewall of the housing; a drive roll mounted to a bottom of the container compartment by a support piece; a drive spring connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll; a push button switch installed in a rear end of the housing; and a stopper provided at a rear end of the container compartment to engage with and disengage from the push button switch, wherein the grill unit is rotated by a reversible rotation of the first motor outward and downward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to the lower portion of the front part of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by operations of the drive spring and the push button switch.
8. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided on a lower portion of a sidewall of the grill unit, with a spring being mounted to the hinge shaft; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; and a second motor provided on an intermediate part of a sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the horizontal rack of the container compartment, wherein the grill unit is rotated by elasticity of the spring outward and downward around the hinge shaft which is coupled to a lower portion of a front part of the sidewall of the housing, thus opening the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
9. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; a second motor provided on a sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the horizontal rack of the container compartment; a vertical rack extending downward from the grill unit; and a third motor provided at a predetermined position under the housing and having a third drive gear to engage with the vertical rack of the grill unit, wherein the grill unit is moved downward in a vertical direction by a reversible rotation of the third motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
10. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a vertical rack extending downward from the grill unit; a third motor provided at a predetermined position under the housing and having a third drive gear to engage with the vertical rack of the grill unit; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with a reduction gear provided on a sidewall of the housing; a drive roll mounted to a bottom of the container compartment by a support piece; a drive spring connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll; a push button switch installed in a rear end of the housing; and a stopper provided at a rear end of the container compartment to engage with and disengage from the push button switch, wherein the grill unit is moved downward in a vertical direction by a reversible rotation of the third motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by operations of the drive spring and the push button switch.
11. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a vertical guide slot provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing; a hinge shaft provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit to movably engage with the vertical guide slot of the housing so that the hinge shaft moves along the vertical guide slot in a vertical direction; a horizontal guide rod coupled by a hinge to a lower portion of the grill unit, with a first horizontal rack provided along the horizontal guide rod; a first motor provided at a predetermined position in the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the first horizontal rack, thus moving the horizontal guide rod forward or backward; a second horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; and a second motor provided on a sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the second horizontal rack of the container compartment, wherein the grill unit is pushed forward at the lower portion thereof by a reversible rotation of the first motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
12. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a vertical guide slot provided on a front part of each of both sidewalls of the housing; a hinge shaft provided on an upper portion of each of both sidewalls of the grill unit to movably engage with the vertical guide slot of the housing so that the hinge shaft moves along the vertical guide slot in a vertical direction; a horizontal guide rod coupled by a hinge to a lower portion of the grill unit, with a first horizontal rack provided along the horizontal guide rod; a first motor provided at a predetermined position in the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the first horizontal rack, thus moving the horizontal guide rod forward or backward; a second horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of the sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with a reduction gear provided on a sidewall of the housing; a drive roll mounted to a bottom of the container compartment by a support piece; a drive spring connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll; a push button switch installed in a rear end of the housing; and a stopper provided at a rear end of the container compartment to engage with and disengage from the push button switch, wherein the grill unit is pushed forward at the lower portion thereof by a reversible rotation of the first motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by operations of the drive spring and the push button switch.
13. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided at a side of the grill unit to couple the side of the grill unit to a lower portion of a side of the front of the housing and having a driven gear; a first motor provided on a bottom wall of the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the driven gear of the hinge shaft; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment; and a second motor provided on a sidewall of the housing and having a second drive gear to engage with the horizontal rack of the container compartment, wherein the grill unit is rotated forward around the hinge shaft by a reversible rotation of the first motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by a reversible rotation of the second motor.
14. The vent assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises: a hinge shaft provided at a side of the grill unit to couple the side of the grill unit to a lower portion of a side of the front of the housing and having a driven gear; a first motor provided on a sidewall of the housing and having a first drive gear to engage with the driven gear of the hinge shaft; a horizontal rack arranged along an outer surface of a sidewall of the container compartment and engaging with a reduction gear provided on the sidewall of the housing; a drive roll mounted to a bottom of the container compartment by a support piece; a drive spring connected at a first end thereof to the drive roll and at a second end thereof to a lower surface of the housing to be wound around and unwound from the drive roll; a push button switch installed in a rear end of the housing; and a stopper provided at a rear end of the container compartment to engage with and disengage from the push button switch, wherein the grill unit is rotated forward around the hinge shaft by a reversible rotation of the first motor to open the front of the housing, and the container compartment is ejected forward from the housing by operations of the drive spring and the push button switch.
PCT/KR2003/002500 2003-03-05 2003-11-20 Vent assembly for automobiles having separate grill unit and container compartment WO2004078501A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

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AU2003284732A AU2003284732A1 (en) 2003-03-05 2003-11-20 Vent assembly for automobiles having separate grill unit and container compartment

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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KR1020030013833A KR100445700B1 (en) 2003-03-05 2003-03-05 The automobile ventilator has the separate frame and acceptance
KR10-2003-0013833 2003-03-05

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AU (1) AU2003284732A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2004078501A1 (en)

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US10350968B2 (en) 2015-11-11 2019-07-16 Ford Global Technologies Llc Air vent register for a vehicle
CN115520094A (en) * 2022-11-23 2022-12-27 宁波劳伦斯汽车内饰件有限公司 Central console interior assembly

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