WO2009069148A1

WO2009069148A1 - Circular diffused air vent

Info

Publication number: WO2009069148A1
Application number: PCT/IN2008/000639
Authority: WO
Inventors: Srinivas Devareddy; Manu Madhav; Mahesh Prakash Chavan
Original assignee: Tata Auto Comp Systems Ltd. Ipd
Priority date: 2007-10-08
Filing date: 2008-10-06
Publication date: 2009-06-04

Abstract

Circular diffused air vent consists of a housing (1); push Barrel (2) inner barrel (3); bush (4) for inner barrel rotation; three vanes (5, 6, 7), connecting link for vanes (8); and another link (9) for diffuser flap rotation; diffuser flap (10), spring (11) and Push switches (12); the vanes (5, 6 and 7) are fixed to a barrel at holes on 3a, 3b and 3c respectively; central vane (6) is connected with the diffuser flap link (9); the diffuser flap link (9) is passing through the hole at centre 3h of the inner barrel (3); the inner barrel (3);vane link (8) is provided with two shafts 8e and 8d in figure 5 and 6; these two shafts are guided through slots 3d and 3e.

Description

"Circular Diffused Air Vent"

Technical Field:

The present invention relates to an innovative operation of diffusiviry of air on circular air vents. More particularly the present invention relates to an innovative operation of circular air vent with diffuser flap.

Background and Prior Art:

The use of ventilation system is known in the prior art. More particularly ventilation systems therefore devised and utilized for the purpose of controlling the discharge of air, are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configuration.

Air vent or air outlets are used on motor vehicles for the passenger comfort ability on cooling or heating of air inside cabin. Air vents are of many types such as barrel type, grill type, round air vent etc. The present invention is categorized under circular or round air vent.

By way of example US Patent no.6080059, describes a method and device of air filtration, to clean the air being fed into a motor vehicle's passenger compartment via existing OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ventilation and heating air conditioning system. This invention provide a passenger compartment air cleaning device that can be easily retrofitted into existing motor vehicles without involving any major form of modification to the vehicle. This device is capable of substantially removing dust, fungus spores, allergens, pollutant gases, or odors, known to enter the passenger compartment from outside and contaminate ventilation ducts and heat exchangers as the air is blown through the ventilation system. US Patent no. 5230654, relates to an air outlet registers of the type that are commonly used in the instrument panels of automotive vehicles for directing heated air, conditioned or fresh air. The invention relates to an air outlet register that enables the volume flow to be maintained, but with a diffuse, rather than a jet flow, so that high velocity impingement on occupants can be avoided. The invention allows selective adjustment of a register to a jet setting for initial cool down or heat up and to a diffuse setting for temperature maintenance without blasting on the occupants. This capability is attained without significantly increasing the back pressure on the blower and without significantly increasing aerodynamically generated noise.

US Patent no. 5470276, relates generally to ventilation systems for automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to a diffuser air outlet for a ventilation system on an automotive vehicle. This arrangement allows a focused stream of air to be emitted from the air outlet, causing a specific location within an occupant compartment of the automotive vehicle to be heated or cooled where the directional vanes are aimed.

US Patent no. 7229348 B2, relates to air conditioning register buried in a decorative panel having decorative surface and cylinder shaped retainer, having a ventilation passage fin assembly adjacent to the outlet opening in the retainer a connective member for connecting the fin assembly. The air-conditioning register operates interchangeably between a blowing direction adjusting mode, in which the fin assembly adjusts a blowing direction of air-conditioning air, and a shut-off mode, in which the fin assembly shuts off the outlet opening. The ventilation passage extends in a lengthwise direction which intersects with the decorative surface at an acute angle. The fin assembly includes main fin members, and a sub fin member. In the blowing direction adjusting mode, the main fin members' swing, but the sub fin member is held substantially parallel to the lengthwise direction of the ventilation passage.

While these devices fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe the innovative concept of assembly of the air vents which reduces total time of assembly.

In this respect the circular diffused air vent, according to the present invention, substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art and in doing so provides the system primarily developed for the purpose of allowing maximum flow of air to be adjusted 360°. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Drawbacks of Prior Art:

1. Prior art circular air vents vanes (flaps) and diffuser flap are rigidly connected which leads to partial air flow when vanes are operated partially.

2. In prior art systems the diffused air vent with push barrel mechanism is not introduced.

3. Many of the prior art processes are time consuming.

Objects of the Present Invention:

The main object of the present invention is to provide an innovative operation of diffusivity of air, in which a push barrel is used for converting air vent into diffused state.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an innovative operation of circular air vent with diffuser flap, in which vanes and diffuser flap are having simultaneous operation for certain degree and there after vanes are rotating. Description of the Drawing of the Present Invention:

Fig.l shows Side view, front view and top view of circular air vent

Fig.2 shows three vanes (sectioned view) (5, 6 and 7) Diffuser flap link(9 ) slots (9 a and 9b) and diffuser flap(lθ) slot 10 a and center axis/ pivot at 10b.

Fig.3 shows the center vane 6, its pivots 6a engages with the vane link pivot 6b fitted into the inner barrel, and pivot 6c engaged with diffuser flap link 9. It shows diffuser flap Iink9, its slots 9a, 9b sliding area inside the inner barrel (9d) and pivot to operate diffuser flap (9c).

Fig.4 shows three vanes 5, 6, 7 and corresponding vane link.8. It also shows vanes pivots and engaging slots. In vane link, there are two pivots (8e and 8d) shown, which are engaged with the push barrel

Fig.5 shows Inner barrel 3 , its holes fit vanes fitment 3a 3b 3c with 5b 6b and 7b, vane link pivots 8d runs in slot 3d and 3j and 8e runs in slot 3e and 3i. At 3f the bush sits and together they are inserted into housing. At hole 3g , pivot 1Od fitted into

Description of the Present Invention:

The foregoing objects of the invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with prior art techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described bellow in the preferred embodiment.

Now present invention is illustrated with the help of accompanying drawings, through out which, like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

The present invention air vent consists of a Housing (1), Push Barrel (2) inner barrel (3), bush (4) for inner barrel rotation, three vanes (5,6,7), connecting link for vanes (8), and another link (9) for diffuser flap rotation, Diffuser flap (10), spring (11) and Push switches (12).The vanes (5, 6, and T) are fully closable. User operates vanes by pushing at the central vane (6). As the vanes are connected with connecting link (8), it drives other vanes (5 and 7) too in same orientation. The vanes (5, 6 and 7) are fixed to a barrel at holes on (3a, 3b and 3c respectively in figure 6) a barrel (3). This is called as the inner barrel (3). The vanes are firmly fixed with the inner barrel (3). Vanes link (8) is connected with the vanes. This link transfer motion from central vane (6) to other vanes (5 and 7).Central vane (6) is connected with the diffuser flap link (9). The diffuser flap link (9) is passing through the hole at centre (3h in figure 7 and figure 8) of the inner barrel (3). Inner barrel is fixed to the housing (1) at the center with plastic bush (4). At the time of assembly, this bush is initially fitted with the inner barrel. Then it is inserted together to the housing (1). The bush (4) and housing (1) gets locked together. The inner barrel (3) is allowed to rotate inside the bush (4) which helps in meeting all directivity requirements. Also plastic bush (4) assembly restricts all other movement of the inner barrel (4) other than rotation through axis of housing. Also plastic bush makes easy disassemble the inner barrel from the housing. The diffuser flap (10), diffuser flap link (9), vanes (5, 6 and 7) push barrel (2) and vane link (8) are rotatable along with the inner barrel (3). Vane link (8) is provided with two shafts (8e and 8d in figure 5 and 6), which will avoid any undesirable rotation of vane link (8) and hence avoid improper positioning. These two shafts are guided through slots (3d and 3e). For initial rotation (from closing condition of vanes (5, 6 and 7) to opening condition). After that the shafts will pass through straight slots (3j and 3i) for diffused action. This pushing of the shafts will be done by the push barrel (2). (Refer to figure 6)Push barrel (2) is assembled to inner barrel. On the inner side of push barrel there is a cutout (2c). When vanes (5, 6 and 7) are rotated and reached fully open condition, vane link (8) shafts (8e and 8d) reaches at locators (2a and 2b). After that when push barrel is pushed, vane link is also moved along with the push barrel because of these locators (2a and 2b). Thus it leads to orientation of vanes (5 and 7) non parallel. The push barrel cutout (2c) is designed such a way that it will not be able to engage the vane link (8) unless vanes are fully opened. The middle vane (6) is having another pivot (6c) which is engaged with diffuser flap link (9). This link is having a slot. Slot is having 2 regions (9a and 9b). The slot allows intermittent operation of diffuser flap (10).

When the central vane (6) along with other vanes (5 and 7) is opening from closed condition to semi open condition, the pivot (6c) on the vane (6) is pushing the link towards rear at first region (9a). This pivot (9c) is inserted in a slot of diffuser flap (10a). When the vane (6) is pushed, the link (9) pushes the diffuser flap though its pivot on link (9c). By this motion the diffuser flap (10) rotates from close condition to open condition.

As the vane rotates further pivot on vane (6c) reaches to next region (9b). This slot in second region (9b) is concentric to the vane axis of rotation at that location (i.e. after it is pushed to a particular distance). Due to this concentricity, the link (9) does not move further. So on effect the diffuser flap (10) stays stationary for the further rotation of the vanes (5, 6 and 7). The vane link (8) is having slots. These slots (8a, 8b and 8c) are made for purpose of diffused action. Once the vanes (5, 6 and 7) are reaching at fully opened position, push barrel (2) is operable. Once user pushes the barrel (2) it slides towards inside to a certain distance and along with that vane link (8) is also pushed. As the vane link (8) moves inside, the pivots of the vanes (5a, 6a and 7a) are guided through slots (8a, 8b and 8c respectively). Out of these, first slot (8a) is towards center of first vane (5), second slot (8b) is straight and third slot is towards center of last vane (7). The first (8a) and third (8c) are in opposite direction. There fore, guiding slots (8a and 8c) are forcing vanes (5 and 7) to rotate in opposite direction. Also it could be described as Vanes (5 and 7) orient to non parallel direction from parallel condition. Now when air is allowed to pass through housing (1), it would result in dispersing or diffusing of air.

Advantages of the Present Invention:

1. In the present invention the diffuser flap is not rigidly connected with the vanes. So after a certain angle diffuser flap is fully open and vanes are rotating, so as compared to prior art patents in this invention diffuser flap doesn't stands as an obstruction to flow of air after certain angle.

2. The air vent in the present invention is capable of spreading or diffusing the air through user operated push barrel.

3. In the present invention all the components are assembled to inner barrel and then are assembled in to the housing which signifies easy assembly.

4. The assembly of the present invention is cost effective

Claims

We claim

1. Circular diffused air vent consists of a housing (1), push Barrel (2), inner barrel (3), bush (4) for inner barrel rotation, three vanes (5,6,7), connecting link for vanes (8), and another link (9) for diffuser flap rotation, diffuser flap (10), spring (11) and Push switches (12); the vanes (5, 6 and 7) are fixed to a barrel at holes on 3a, 3b and 3c respectively ; central vane (6) is connected with the diffuser flap link (9); the diffuser flap link (9) is passing through the hole at centre 3h of the inner barrel (3); the inner barrel (3);vane link (8) is provided with two shafts 8e and 8d in figure 5 and 6; these two shafts are guided through slots 3d and 3e.

2. Circular diffused air vent substantially as herein above described in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.