AIR VENT FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A vehicle air vent includes an illuminating device having an illuminating element, a light conductor optically coupled to the light source and the illuminating element, and a bearing having a first bearing segment and a second bearing segment mounted pivotably and/or rotatably on the first bearing segment. The first bearing segment has a light decoupling segment and the second bearing segment has a light coupling element. A wall of the outer air conducting element surrounds a wall of a roller-shaped inner air conducting element, and the inner air conducting element can be pivoted in relation to the outer air conducting element and the housing around a pivoting axis running transversely to the current direction predetermined by the channel. The pivoting axis runs perpendicularly to the pivoting axis of the outer air conducting element. A pivoting point and/or rotating point of the bearing coincide or coincides with an imaginary intersection of the pivoting axis of the air conducting element.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. An air vent for a vehicle, the air vent comprising: a housing having a channel configured so that air can flow through the channel; an air conducting element, which is pivotable relative to the housing around a first pivoting axis running transversely to a current direction predetermined by the channel; an illuminating device comprising an illuminating element, a light source arranged outside the air conducting element, and a light conductor optically coupled to the light source and the illuminating element; a bearing comprising a spherically formed first bearing segment fixed at least indirectly on the housing and a spherical second bearing segment fixed or formed on the illuminating element and corresponding to the first bearing segment, wherein the second bearing segment is mounted pivotably and/or rotatably on the first bearing segment, wherein the first bearing segment comprises a light decoupling segment configured to optically couple the illuminating element to the light conductor, and the second bearing segment comprises a light coupling element, wherein the air conducting element is a roller-shaped outer air conducting element, wherein a wall of the outer air conducting element surrounds a wall of a roller-shaped inner air conducting element, wherein the inner air conducting element is pivotable relative to the outer air conducting element and the housing around a second pivoting axis running transversely to the current direction predetermined by the channel, wherein the second pivoting axis runs perpendicularly to the first pivoting axis of the outer air conducting element, and wherein a pivoting point or rotating point of the bearing coincide or coincides with an imaginary intersection of the first and second pivoting axes.

11. The air vent of claim 10, wherein the illuminating element is configured to at least sectionally illuminate a visible side of the outer air conducting element or to at least sectionally illuminate a visible side of the inner air conducting element.

12. The air vent of claim 10, wherein the illuminating element is a component of an actuating element arranged centrally between the wall of the inner air conducting element or forms the wall of the inner air conducting element, the actuating element is mechanically coupled to the outer air conducting element and the inner air conducting element and pivoting around the bearing causes a pivoting of the outer air conducting element or the inner air conducting element around the respectively corresponding first or second pivoting axis.

13. The air vent of claim 12, further comprising: a flap arrangement arranged in the channel and having at least one flap, which is pivotably arranged inside the channel to change a free cross-section of the channel.

14. The air vent of claim 13, wherein the actuating element is coupled to a rotatable shaft, which coaxially surrounds the light conductor at least sectionally, comprises a spur gear serration on an end facing away from the actuation element, the spur gear serration being engaged with a serration of a drive of the flap arrangement, wherein a rotating movement of the actuating element causes a rotating movement of the shaft and a transfer of the rotation to the drive of the flap arrangement to pivot the at least one flap.

15. The air vent of claim 14, wherein the shaft is coupled to the first bearing segment on an end facing away from the actuating element or comprises the first bearing segment.

16. The air vent of claim 10, wherein the first bearing segment is a ball cup and the second bearing segment is a ball corresponding to the ball cup or the second bearing segment is a ball cup and the first bearing segment is a ball corresponding to the ball cup, at least one radially protruding spigot is arranged on an outside of the ball, at least one slot-shaped recess running in a peripheral direction of the wall perpendicularly to a rotational direction of the actuating element is arranged on a wall of the ball cup, and the at least one radially protruding spigot protrudes into the at least one slot-shaped recess and is in mechanical engagement with the ball cup.

17. The air vent of claim 12, wherein the actuating element comprises a gripping element at least sectionally surrounding the illuminating element, and the gripping element comprises a peripheral translucent or transparent light decoupling section running coaxially to a rotational axis of the actuating element and directed away from the rotational axis of the actuating element, wherein the light decoupling section decouples light decoupled inside the gripping element by the illuminating element.

18. The air vent of claim 12, wherein the actuating element comprises a gripping element at least sectionally surrounding the illuminating element, and the gripping element comprises a translucent or transparent light decoupling section, that decouples light decoupled inside the gripping element by the illuminating element in a running direction of a rotational axis of the actuating element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0020] Here are shown:

[0021] FIG. 1, schematically, a perspective view of an air outflow arrangement of an air vent,

[0022] FIG. 2, schematically, a sectional depiction of an air vent,

[0023] FIG. 3, schematically, an enlarged cut-out of the sectional depiction of the air vent according to FIG. 2,

[0024] FIG. 4, schematically, an enlarged cut-out of the sectional depiction of the air vent with an actuation element in a pivoted position,

[0025] FIG. 5, schematically, a perspective detailed view of an actuation element in a non-pivoted position and a cut-out of a shaft of the air vent according to FIG. 2 coupled to the actuation element,

[0026] FIG. 6, schematically, a side view of the actuation element in a pivoted and rotated position and of the cut-out of the shaft according to FIG. 5,

[0027] FIG. 7, schematically, a section depiction of the air vent according to FIG. 2 with an inner air conducting element in a pivoted position,

[0028] FIG. 8, schematically, a perspective view of the air vent according to FIG. 2 with an inner air conducting element and outer air conducting element in a non-pivoted position,

[0029] FIG. 9, schematically, a front view of the air vent according to FIG. 8 with an outer air conducting element in a pivoted position,

[0030] FIG. 10, schematically, a perspective view of an air outflow arrangement of the air vent according to FIG. 8 with an inner air conducting element in a pivoted position, and

[0031] FIG. 11, schematically, a front view of the air vent according to FIG. 8 with an inner air conducting element and outer air conducting element in a pivoted position.

[0032] Parts corresponding to one another are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] A perspective view of a possible exemplary embodiment of an air outflow arrangement 1 of an air vent 2 shown in FIG. 2 for a vehicle is depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows a sectional depiction of a possible exemplary embodiment of an air vent 2 having an air outflow arrangement 1 according to FIG. 1, wherein the air vent 2 is cut along a sectional plane running vertically in its vertical direction. FIGS. 3 and 4 show enlarged cut-outs of the sectional depiction of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 2 with an actuation element 3 in a non-pivoted position (FIG. 3) and in a pivoted position (FIG. 4).

[0034] The air vent 2 comprises a housing 4, which has a channel 4.1 that air can flow through via which the air can be supplied to an interior chamber of the vehicle.

[0035] The air outflow arrangement 1 is arranged inside the housing 4, the air outflow arrangement comprising a roller-shaped outer air conducting element 5 and roller-shaped inner air conducting element 6.

[0036] Here, the outer air conducting element 5 can be pivoted in relation to the housing 4 around a pivoting axis S1 running transversely to a current direction predetermined by the channel 4.1.

[0037] The inner air conducting element 6 can be pivoted in relation to the outer air conducting element 5 and the housing 4 around a pivoting axis S2 running transversely to the current direction predetermined by the channel 4.1. This pivoting axis S2 runs perpendicularly to the pivoting axis S1 of the outer air conducting element 5, wherein the inner air conducting element 6 is mounted pivotably in the outer air conducting element 5. Here, the pivoting axes S1, S2 intersect at an intersection SP. A pivoting of the air conducting elements 5, 6 causes a change of the outflow direction of the air.

[0038] In order to operate the air conducting elements 5, 6, these are coupled to the central actuation element 3, wherein a corresponding pivoting movement of the air conducting elements 5, 6 is caused by a pivoting movement of the actuation element 3. The coupling of the actuation element 3 to the outer air conducting element 5 is carried out indirectly, for example, via the coupling to the inner air conducting element 6, which in turn is mounted on the outer air conducting element 5.

[0039] For this pivoting of the actuation element 3, a bearing 8 arranged centrally in the air vent 2 is provided, the bearing comprising a spherically formed first bearing segment 8.1 fixed at least indirectly on the housing 4 and a spherical second bearing segment 8.2 fixed on the actuation element 3 and corresponding to the first bearing segment 8.1. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the first bearing segment 8.1 is formed as a ball cup, and the second bearing segment 8.2 is formed as a ball corresponding to the ball cup. Alternatively, in a manner not depicted, the second bearing segment 8.2 is formed as a ball cup and the first bearing segment 8.1 is formed as a ball corresponding to the ball cup.

[0040] In addition, the actuation element 3 is coupled to a flap arrangement 7, wherein a rotating movement of the actuation element 3 around a rotational axis D causes a control of the flap arrangement 7 and thus a change of a free cross-section of the channel 4.1. In order to set the free cross-section of the channel 4.1, the flap arrangement 7 comprises at least one flap 7.1, in the exemplary embodiment depicted two flaps 7.1, 7.2, which are pivotably arranged inside the channel 4.1 to change the free cross-section.

[0041] To pivot the flaps 7.1, 7.2, these are coupled to a drive 7.3, which comprises a serration 7.3.1. The actuation element 3 is coupled to a rotatable shaft 9, which comprises a spur gear serration 9.1 on an end facing away from the actuation element 3, the spur gear serration being in engagement with the serration 7.3.1 of the drive 7.3 of the flap arrangement 7. Here, the rotational movement of the actuation element 3 around the rotation axis D causes a rotational movement of the shaft 9 and a transmission of the rotation to the drive 7.3 of the flap arrangement 7 for pivoting the flaps 7.1, 7.2.

[0042] To transfer a rotational torque from the actuation element 3 to the shaft 9, the shaft 9 is coupled to the spherical first bearing segment 8.1, or comprises this, on the end facing towards the actuation element 3.

[0043] In order to simultaneously enable the pivoting of the actuation element 3 to pivot the air conducting elements 5, 6 around their pivoting axes S1, S2 and a rotational torque transfer to the shaft 9, two of these radially protruding spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 are arranged on an outside of the second bearing segment 8.2 formed as a ball. Furthermore, two slot-shaped recesses 8.1.1, 8.1.2 running in the peripheral direction of the wall perpendicularly to the rotational direction of the actuation element 3 are arranged on a wall of the first bearing segment 8.1 formed as a ball cup, wherein the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 each protrude into a recess 8.1.1, 8.1.2 and thus are in mechanical engagement with the ball cup. The recesses 8.1.1, 8.1.2 here release a pivoting path around the first pivoting axis S1 and/or the second pivoting axis S2 depending on a rotational position of the actuation element 3, however the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 are fixed in their position in relation to the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3, such that a transfer of the rotational torque when rotating the actuation element 3 around the rotational axis D to the shaft 9 is carried out.

[0044] Furthermore, the air vent 2 comprises an illuminating device 10, which is formed to decouple light starting from the actuation element 3 outwardly in the direction of the inner air conducting element 6 and the outer air conducting element 4 and thus to indirectly illuminate the outer and the inner air conducting element 5, 6. Furthermore, the illuminating device 10 is formed to decouple light in the running direction of the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3 into the interior chamber of the vehicle.

[0045] In order to achieve such an illumination without an illuminant having to be arranged moveably in the air vent 2, the illuminating device 10 comprises a light source 11 arranged outside the housing 4, for example a light diode. The light source 11 is formed to emit light in different colors. A color of the light can be freely selected, for example by a vehicle occupant, or is automatically predetermined.

[0046] In order to conduct the light of the light source 11 to the actuation element 3, the light source 11 is optically coupled to a light conductor 12, wherein the light source 11 couples the light into the light conductor 12. The light conductor 12 is guided from the light source 11 through the housing 4 into the inside thereof and through a predetermined opening into the inside of the shaft 9, which is formed as a hollow shaft and sectionally coaxially surrounds the light conductor 12. The light conductor 12 is optically coupled to the first bearing segment 8.1 on an end facing away from the light source 11.

[0047] In order to decouple the light, the actuation element 3 comprises an illuminating element 3.1, which is surrounded at least sectionally by a gripping element 3.2. The illuminating element 3.1 is formed, in particular, as a light conductor and/or as a scattering element.

[0048] In order to optically couple the illuminating element 3.1 to the light conductor 12, the first bearing segment 8.1 comprises a light decoupling surface and the second bearing segment 8.2, which is, in particular, a component of the illuminating element 3.1, a corresponding light coupling surface. This means that the illuminating element 3.1 unites illumination and cinematic functions.

[0049] In order to enable the conducting of the light in each pivoted and/or rotated position of the actuation element 3 and the air conducting elements 5, 6 without limiting or preventing a pivoting or a rotation, a pivoting point SSP and a rotating point DP of the bearing 8, i.e., a central point thereof, coincide with an imaginary intersection SP of the pivoting axes S1, S2 of the air conducting elements 5, 6.

[0050] In order to decouple the light in the direction of the air conducting elements 5, 6, the gripping element 3.2 comprises a peripheral translucent or transparent light decoupling section 3.2.1 running coaxially in relation to the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3 and directed away from the rotational axis D, the light decoupling section decoupling light decoupled inside the gripping element 3.2 by means of the illuminating element 3.1. For example, the light decoupling section 3.2.1 is formed as a peripheral groove into which a light distributing arm 3.1.1 of the illuminating element 3.1 is fitted. Along with achieving the illumination, the arrangement of the light distributing arm 3.1.1 in the groove here also enables a force transfer from the gripping element 3.2 to the shaft 9 and thus the flap arrangement 7. This design is depicted in more detail in FIG. 3.

[0051] In order to decouple light in the running direction of the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3 into the interior chamber of the vehicle, the air vent 2 alternatively or additionally comprises a gripping element 3.2, which comprises a translucent or transparent light decoupling section 3.2.2, which decouples light decoupled inside the gripping element 3.2 in the running direction of the rotational axis D by means of the illuminating element 3.1. Here, the light decoupling section 3.2.2 runs coaxially to the rotational axis D. This design is depicted in more detail in FIG. 4, wherein the actuation element 3 and thus the two air conducting elements 5, 6 are pivoted upwardly around the pivoting axis S1. A possible pivoting angle is here 25°, for example, based on an average, non-pivoted position, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0052] In order to generate particular light effects of the air conducting elements 5, 6, these are formed to be at least sectionally reflected on their visible sides in one possible design.

[0053] In FIG. 5, a perspective detailed view of the actuation element 3 in a non-pivoted position and a cut-out of the shaft 9, coupled to the actuation element 3, of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 2 is depicted.

[0054] The detailed view illustrates the arrangement of the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 of the slot-shaped recesses 8.1.1, 8.1.2, into which the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 respectively protrude. The recesses 8.1.1, 8.1.2 here presently release a pivoting path around the first pivoting axis S1, however the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 are fixed in their position in relation to the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3, such that a transfer of the rotational torque when rotating the actuation element 3 around the rotational axis D to the shaft 9 can be carried out.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the actuation element 3 according to FIG. 5 in a position pivoted around the pivoting axis S1 and rotated by 90° in comparison to the depiction in FIG. 5 and the cut-out of the shaft 9.

[0056] In this position, the recesses 8.1.1, 8.1.2 release a pivot path around the second pivoting axis S2, however the spigots 8.2.1, 8.2.2 are fixed in their position in relation to the rotational axis D of the actuation element 3, such that a transfer of the rotation torque when rotating the actuation element 3 around the rotational axis D to the shaft 9 can be carried out.

[0057] In FIG. 7, a sectional depiction of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 2 is depicted, wherein the air vent 2 is cut along a sectional plane running horizontally in its transverse direction. Here, the actuation element 3 and the inner air conducting element 6 are pivoted starting from the non-pivoted starting position depicted in FIG. 2, for example around a pivoting angle of 25°.

[0058] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 2 having an inner air conducting element 6 and outer air conducting element 5 in a non-pivoted position.

[0059] In FIG. 9, a front view of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 8 having an outer air conducting element 5 in a position pivoted around the pivoting axis S1 is depicted. Here, the actuation element 3, the outer air conducting element 6 and, with this, the inner air conducting element 6 are pivoted starting from the non-pivoted starting position depicted in FIG. 8, for example around a pivoting angle of 25°.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an air vent arrangement 1 of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 8 with an inner air conducting element 6 in a pivoted position, wherein the actuation element 3 and the inner air conducting element 6 are pivoted starting from the non-pivoted starting position depicted in FIG. 8 around the pivoting axis S2 around a pivoting angle of 25°, for example.

[0061] In FIG. 11, a front view of the air vent 2 according to FIG. 8 with an inner air conducting element 6 in a pivoted position and an outer air conducting element 5 are depicted. Here, the actuation element 3, the outer air conducting element 5 and, with this, the inner air conducting element 6 are pivoted starting from the non-pivoted starting position depicted in FIG. 8 for example around a pivoting angle of 25° around the pivoting axis S1. In addition, the actuation element 3 and the inner air conducting element 6 are pivoted around the pivoting axis S2 around a pivoting angle of 25°, for example.

[0062] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.