Abstract
A vent device for passage of an air flow from inside of a vehicle cab to the outside, the vent device comprising a main body having an inlet side, an outlet side and one or more air passages; an outer protection plate connected to the main body, wherein air flowing from the main body is directed to the outside via the outer protection plate, the vent device further comprising one or more main flaps, where each main flap is associated with a corresponding air passage, wherein each main flap is arranged to be moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein each main flap is configured to move from the closed position to the open position when the air pressure inside the cab is higher than outside the cab.
Claims
1. A vent device for passage of an air flow from inside of a vehicle cab to the outside, the vent device comprising: a main body having an inlet side, an outlet side, and one or more air passages; and an outer protection plate connected to the main body, wherein air flowing from the main body is directed to the outside via the outer protection plate, the vent device further comprising: one or more main flaps, wherein: each main flap is associated with a corresponding air passage, each main flap is arranged to be moveable between a closed position, in which it at least partly covers the corresponding air passage, and an open position, in which air is allowed to pass through the corresponding air passage in a flow path to the outside of the cab via the protection plate, and each main flap is configured to move from the closed position to the open position when the air pressure inside the cab is higher than outside the cab; and one or more additional flaps which are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein each additional flap its open position provides an alternative flow path is to the outside of the cab via the protection plate.
2. The vent device claim 1, wherein the outer protection plate is provided with one or more plate openings forming the alternative flow path, wherein each of the one or more additional flaps is arranged on the outer protection plate in association with a corresponding plate opening.
3. The vent device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the main flaps is provided with a flap opening forming the alternative flow path, wherein each of the one or more additional flaps is arranged on the one or more main flaps in association with a corresponding flap opening.
4. The vent device of claim 3, wherein the additional flaps are smaller than the main flaps.
5. The vent device of claim 3, wherein the main flap forms a frame that extends around the flap opening.
6. The vent device of claim 1, wherein the vent device is provided with stop means arranged to prevent each of the main flap and additional flaps from moving in a direction towards the main body when set in their closed position.
7. The vent device of claim 1, wherein each of the main flap and additional flaps are arranged in a pivoting manner with one side portion of each flap attached to the vent device and remaining side portions being non-attached so as to allow a swivelling movement between the closed and open positions.
8. The vent device of claim 7, wherein the one or more main flaps are arranged at an angle in relation to the inlet side of the main body so that the main flap's attached side portion is located closer to the inlet side than a side portion opposite to the attached side portion.
9. A vehicle comprising a cab, wherein the cab is provided with the vent device of claim 1.
10. The vehicle claim 9, wherein the vent device is arranged in an opening of a cab wall with the inlet side of the main body facing an inside of the cab and the outer protection plate facing outwards.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle in the form a truck provided with a cab that in turn is provided with a vent device according to the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows an outwardly facing side of a first embodiment of a vent device according to the present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows an inwardly facing side of the embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0028] FIGS. 5a-5c show the function of the embodiment of FIG. 2 at different pressures.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows an outwardly facing side of a second embodiment of a vent device according to the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 7 shows an inwardly facing side of the embodiment of FIG. 6.
[0031] FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 6.
[0032] FIGS. 9a-9c show the function of the embodiment of FIG. 6 at different pressures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0033] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle in the form a truck 1 provided with a cab 2 that in turn is provided with a first and a second vent device 10, 100. Each vent device 10, 100 is in this example 20 arranged in a corresponding opening in a rear wall 3 of the cab 2.
[0034] A first embodiment of the vent device 10 is described below with reference to FIGS. 2-5 and a second embodiment of the vent device 100 is described below with reference to FIG. 6-9. Similar or identical parts in the two embodiments have been given the same 25 reference numbers. Each embodiment is suitable for passage of an air flow from an inside of the vehicle cab 3 to the outside.
[0035] As can be seen in FIGS. 2-5, the first embodiment of the vent device 10 comprises a main body 11 having an inlet side 11a, an outlet side 11b and one or more air passages 11c, and 30 it also comprises an outer protection plate 12 connected (in this case by a snap mechanism) to the main body 11. As shown in FIGS. 5a-5c, air flowing from the main body 11 is directed to the outside via the outer protection plate 12.
[0036] In FIG. 2 the outer protection plate 12 is illustrated as transparent to show the parts located 35 behind.
[0037] The vent device 10 further comprises a plurality of main flaps 13, wherein each main flap 13 is associated with a corresponding air passage 11c. Each main flap 13 is arranged to be moveable between a closed position (see FIG. 5a), in which it covers the corresponding air passage 11c, and an open position (see FIGS. 5b and 5c), in which air is allowed to pass through the corresponding air passage 11c in a flow path 14 to the outside of the cab 2 via the protection plate 12 (above and below the plate 12 as indicated in FIG. 5b). Both FIGS. 5b and 5c show the main flaps 13 in the open position; the difference is that in figure the main flaps 13 are more open than in FIG. 5b. Each main flap 13 is configured to move from the closed position to the open position when the air pressure inside the cab 2 is higher than outside the cab 2.
[0038] The vent device 10 is also provided with in this case two additional flaps 15 which are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein each additional flap 15 in its open position provides an alternative flow path 16 to the outside of the cab 2 via the protection plate 12. In this embodiment, the outer protection plate 12 is provided with two plate openings 22 (see e.g. FIG. 4) forming said alternative flow path 16, and each of the two additional flaps 15 is arranged on the outer protection plate 12 in association with a corresponding plate opening 22. The alternative flow path 16 to the outside of the cab 2 goes thus in this embodiment through the plate 12 as indicated in FIG. 5c.
[0039] FIGS. 5a-5c show the function of the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 at varying overpressure inside the cab 2. In FIG. 5a the pressure inside the cab 2 is the same as (or only slightly higher than, or lower than) the pressure outside the cab 2. All flaps 13, 15 are therefore in their closed position and there is no air flow through the vent device 10.
[0040] In FIG. 5b there is a moderate overpressure inside the cab 2 so that air is forced outwards through the vent device 10. The main flaps 13 are in their open position and air flows via flow path 14 towards the outer protection plate 12 and further out to the surroundings at a side of the protection plate 12. The overpressure is here not sufficiently large to generate an air flow of such magnitude that the additional flaps 15 open.
[0041] In FIG. 5c there is high over pressure inside the cab 2 generating a substantial air flow sufficient to set both the main flaps 13 and the additional flaps 15 in their open position. As in FIG. 5b the air flows along flow path 14 but also in the alternative flow path 16 through the plate openings 22 at the opened additional flaps 15. The vent device 10 is thus arranged so that the additional flaps 15 opens at some threshold overpressure/air flow and provides for additional flow capacity through the device when needed. When the overpressure/air flow decreases the additional flaps 15 will move to its closed position, and after further decrease in pressure/flow also the main flaps 13 will close at some point.
[0042] The second embodiment of the vent device 100 shown in FIGS. 6-9 is in many ways similar to the first embodiment of the vent device 10 described above. The main difference is that the main flaps 13 of the vent device 100 are provided with a flap opening 23 forming said alternative flow path 160, wherein each of the one or more additional flaps 150 is arranged on the one or more main flaps 13 in association with a corresponding flap opening 23. Thus, instead of arranging the additional flaps and the alternative flow path in the outer protection plate 12 as described above, these parts are arranged onto the main flaps 15 in the second embodiment.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the additional flaps 150 are smaller than the main flaps 13 and the main flap 13 forms a frame that extends around its corresponding flap opening 23 and additional flap 150 (see e.g. FIG. 6).
[0044] FIGS. 9a-9c show the function of the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8 at varying overpressure inside the cab 2. In FIG. 9a the pressure inside the cab 2 is the same as (or only slightly higher than, or lower than) the pressure outside the cab 2. All flaps 13, 150 are therefore in their closed position and there is no air flow through the vent device 100.
[0045] In FIG. 9b there is a moderate overpressure inside the cab 2 so that air is forced outwards through the vent device 100. The main flaps 13 are in their open position and air flows via flow path 14 towards the outer protection plate 12 and further out to the surroundings at a side of the protection plate 12. The overpressure is here not sufficiently large to generate an air flow of such magnitude that the additional flaps 150 open.
[0046] In FIG. 9c there is high over pressure inside the cab 2 generating a substantial air flow sufficient to set both the main flaps 13 and the additional flaps 150 in their open position. As in FIG. 9b the air flows along flow path 14 but also in the alternative flow path 160 through the flap openings 23 at the opened additional flaps 150. The vent device 100 is thus arranged so that the additional flaps 150 open at some threshold overpressure/air flow and provides for additional flow capacity through the device when needed. When the overpressure/air flow decreases the additional flaps 150 will move to its closed position, and after further decrease in pressure/flow also the main flaps 13 will close at some point.
[0047] In both embodiments, the vent device 10, 100 is provided with stop means 8 arranged to prevent each of the main and additional flaps 13, 15, 150 from moving in a direction towards the main body 11 when set in their closed position, see e.g. FIGS. 4 and 8.
[0048] Further, each of the main and additional flaps 13, 15, 150 are arranged in a pivoting manner with one side portion of each flap, i.e. an upper side portion, attached to the vent device 10, 100 and remaining side portions being non-attached so as to allow a swivelling movement between the closed and open positions. In the shown examples all flaps 13, 15, 150 have a rectangular shape, but other shapes are possible.
[0049] As can be seen in e.g. FIGS. 5a and 9a, the main flaps 13 are arranged at an angle in relation to the inlet side 11a of the main body 11 so that the main flap's attached side portion, i.e. the upper side portion, is located closer to the inlet side 11a than a side portion opposite to the attached side portion (i.e. the lower side portion).
[0050] All FIGS. 1, 5a-5c and 9a-9c show the vent device 10, 100 arranged in an opening of the cab wall 3 with the inlet side 11a of the main body 11 facing an inside of the cab 2 and the outer protection plate 12 facing outwards. As shown in FIGS. 5a-5c and 9a-9c, the wall 3 is inclined above and below the vent device 10, 100 so as to form a depressed and thereby protected area at the opening where the vent device 10, 100 is arranged. This opening is indicated as the space between the parts of the wall 3 shown in FIGS. 5a-5c and 9a-9c.
[0051] The flaps 13, 15, 150 may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer material. The thickness of the flaps may be around 1 mm. The main body 11 and the outer protection plate 12 may be made of e.g. polyamide or other plastic material.
[0052] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. For instance, additional flaps may be arranged both in the outer protection plate and in the main flaps. Further, various number, size and shape of flaps may be used depending on the particular application (cab size, available cross-sectional are for vent device, etc.) and pressure requirements (maximum overpressure, air flow rate, etc.).
