AIR VENT FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

An air vent for a vehicle includes a housing with an air duct bounded by the housing, at least one shut-off flap which is adjustable between a closed position and an open position within the air duct and has a flap body and a sealing edge which at least partially surrounds the flap body for butting against a sealing surface of the housing in the closed position, wherein the sealing edge is composed of the same material as the flap body and has a lower rigidity than the flap body.

Claims

1. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising a housing (12) with an air duct (18) bounded by the housing (12), at least one shut-off flap (22) which is adjustable between a closed position and an open position within the air duct (18) and has a flap body (24) and a sealing edge (26) which at least partially surrounds the flap body (24) for butting against a sealing surface (20) of the housing (12) in the closed position, wherein the sealing edge (26) is composed of the same material as the flap body (24) and has a lower rigidity than the flap body (24).

2. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one shut-off flap (22) is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation (A).

3. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing edge (26) has a smaller wall thickness than the flap body (24).

4. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing edge (26) has a curved cross-sectional shape in the form of an expansion bellows.

5. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flap body (24) has stiffening ribs (28).

6. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one shut-off flap (22) is produced in an internal pressure injection-molding process, or in a foaming process.

7. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an operating mechanism (40) which is coupled to the at least one shut-off flap (22) for pivoting the shut-off flap (22).

8. The air vent as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one shut-off flap (22) is twisted about its axis of rotation (A), or the sealing surface (20) of the housing (12) is twisted about the axis of rotation (A) of the shut-off flap (22).

9. The air vent as claimed in claim 7, wherein the distance between the basic body (24) and the sealing surface (20) in the closed position is reduced with increasing distance from the operating mechanism (40).

10. The air vent as claimed in claim 9, characterized by a toggle lever mechanism as operating mechanism, comprising a flap lever (42) arranged on the outer side of the housing (12), wherein the flap lever (42) and the at least one shut-off flap (22) are connected to each other in a manner reaching through the housing (12), a connecting rod (44) which is in engagement with the flap lever (42), and an operating element (48) which is in engagement with the connecting rod (44).

11. The air vent as claimed in claim 9, wherein the operating element (48) latches to the housing (12) in the closed position of the at least one shut-off flap (22).

12. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing surface (20) of the housing (12) is inclined at least in sections in relation to a longitudinal direction of the air duct (18).

13. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact between the sealing edge (26) and the sealing surface (20) runs substantially linearly in the closed position.

14. The air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one shut-off flap (22) has, at each of the two opposite ends, a bearing element (30, 32) interrupting the sealing edge (26) for the rotatable mounting on the housing (12).

15. The air vent as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sealing edge (26) extends as far as the bearing elements (30, 32), wherein the sealing edge portions (38) lying against the bearing elements (30, 32) have a curved shape and/or have a smaller wall thickness than the remaining sealing edge (26).

16. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising a housing defining an air duct therethrough, at least one shut-off flap movable between a closed position and an open position within the air duct, the shut-off flap including a flap body and a sealing edge at least partially surrounding the flap body for butting against a sealing surface of the housing when the shut-off flap is in the closed position, wherein the sealing edge and the flap body are composed of the same material, but the sealing edge is configured such that the sealing edge has a rigidity that is lower than a rigidity of the flap body.

17. The air vent as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one shut-off flap is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation.

18. The air vent as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sealing edge has a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the flap body.

19. The air vent as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sealing edge has a curved cross-sectional shape in the form of an expansion bellows.

20. The air vent as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flap body has stiffening ribs and the sealing edge lacks stiffening ribs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures, in which, schematically:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional view through an air vent according to the invention together with a fully illustrated shut-off flap in the closed position,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows the air vent from FIG. 1 with the shut-off flap in the open position,

[0026] FIG. 3 shows the illustration from FIG. 1 with a sectioned shut-off flap,

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the shut-off flap from the previous figures in a perspective view,

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of FIG. 3,

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the shut-off flap from FIG. 4, and

[0030] FIG. 7 shows the air vent from another side together with the operating mechanism.

[0031] Unless stated otherwise, the same reference signs denote identical objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a sectioned air vent 10 with a housing 12 which bounds an air duct 18 with an air inlet end 14 and an air outlet end 16. An air flow L flows along the line (illustrated by dashed lines) through the air duct 18 from the air inlet end 14 to the air outlet end 16. The dashed line refers here to the main flow direction of the air flow. A deflection of the air flow from said main flow direction can be achieved by air-guiding elements (not illustrated). Within the air duct 18, a shut-off flap 22 is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation A. The shut-off flap 22 comprises a flap body 24 and a sealing edge 26 surrounding the flap body on the circumferential side. The shut-off flap 22 is formed integrally here, wherein the flap body 24 has a substantially rectangular form. The sealing edge 26 substantially completely surrounds the shut-off flap 22 on the circumferential side. The sealing edge 26 is interrupted on two opposite sides of the shut-off flap merely for the mounting of the shut-off flap 22 on the housing 12. In order to increase the rigidity of the flap body 24, stiffening ribs 28 run over the width of the flap body 24. The shut-off flap 22 has a bearing pin 32 which is accommodated in a bearing receptacle (not illustrated) of the housing 12. Furthermore, the shut-off flap 22 has a bearing receptacle 30 in which a pin of a flap lever 42 that reaches through the housing 12 engages.

[0033] The shut-off flap 22 can be adjusted about its axis of rotation A in relation to the air flow L via the flap lever 42. For this purpose, an operating wheel 48 is provided which is mounted on the housing 12 via an operating wheel mounting 46 (see in particular FIG. 7). The operating wheel 48 via an extension LH grips a connecting rod 44 which, in turn, is connected to the flap lever 42. By rotation of the operating wheel 48 about the operating wheel mounting 46, the connecting rod 44, and therefore the flap lever 42 are movedby means of a toggle lever mechanism. This operating mechanism 40 can be seen in particular in FIG. 7.

[0034] According to the invention, the sealing edge 26 of the shut-off flap 22 is composed of the same material as the flap body 24, but has a lower rigidity. In the present exemplary embodiment, the differences in the rigidity between flap body 24 and sealing edge 26 are realized by a different geometry. The flap body 24 thus has a greater wall thickness, i.e. a larger thickness, than the sealing edge 26, as can be seen in particular in the sectional views in FIGS. 3 and 5. In addition, the sealing edge 26 has a curved cross-sectional shape. By means of a plurality of curvatures 52, the sealing edge 26 is designed in the form of an expansion bellows. This geometrical configuration further reduces the rigidity of the sealing edge 26 in relation to the rigidity of the flap body 24. Owing to its lower rigidity, the sealing edge 26 is more elastic than the flap body 24 and permits reliable sealing of the air duct 18 in relation to the air flow L. Since both the flap body 24 and the sealing edge 26 are composed of the same material, the production is, however, substantially more straightforward than in the case of a shut-off flap with a flap body and a sealing edge composed of a different material.

[0035] The production can take place in particular in an injection-molding process. In order to permit a reliable formation of the sealing edge by means of injection molding, the injection mold can have flow-reinforcing regions, which result in a thickening 36 of the flap body 24, and also flow-inhibiting regions, which result in a formation of thin portions 34 of the flap body 24 (see in particular FIG. 3).

[0036] FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the shut-off flap 22 in its closed position. The sealing edge 26 lies here against a sealing surface 20 of the housing 12. The sealing surface 20 is inclined in relation to a longitudinal direction, which extends along the main flow direction L, of the air duct 18. It can be seen in particular in FIG. 3 that the inclined sealing surface 20 results in the formation of a step in the housing 12 or the air duct 18. In the closed position, the sealing edge 26 comes to butt here with an end portion 50 against the inclined sealing surface 20, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 5. The contact between the sealing edge 26 and the sealing surface 20 extends linearly here. Contrary to the illustration in FIG. 5, the end portion 50 of the sealing edge 26 does not engage in the housing 12 in the region of the sealing surface 20, but rather lies against the sealing surface 20. Owing to the elasticity of the sealing edge 26, which is brought about by its geometry and smaller wall thickness, the sealing edge 26 is deformed elastically here and reliably seals the air duct 18.

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates the transition of the sealing edge 26 to the bearing pin 32. The transition of the sealing edge 26 to the bearing receptacle 30 can run in a corresponding manner. The sealing edge portions 38 of the sealing edge 26 have a curved form here, which permits particularly reliable sealing even in this transition region.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0038] 10 air vent [0039] 12 housing [0040] 14 air inlet end [0041] 16 air outlet end [0042] 18 air duct [0043] 19 bearing opening [0044] 20 sealing surface [0045] 22 shut-off flap [0046] 24 flap body [0047] 26 sealing edge [0048] 28 stiffening ribs [0049] 30 bearing receptacle [0050] 32 bearing pin [0051] 34 thin portion [0052] 36 thickening [0053] 38 sealing edge portion(s) [0054] 40 operating mechanism [0055] 42 flap lever [0056] 44 connecting rod [0057] 46 operating wheel mounting [0058] 48 operating wheel [0059] 50 end portion of sealing edge [0060] 52 curvatures [0061] A axis of rotation [0062] L air flow [0063] LH extension