Air vent for a vehicle

Abstract

An air vent for a vehicle includes a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet; at least one rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel; and an actuator arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, where the actuator includes a shape memory alloy element, and the rigid air-directing body is pivotably arranged within the housing by being affixed to a first axis which runs parallel to a second axis to which the actuator is affixed to be pivotably arranged within the housing.

Claims

1. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet; at least one rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel; and an actuator, separate from the at least one rigid air directing body, and arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, wherein the actuator comprises a shape memory alloy element, and the rigid air-directing body is pivotably arranged within the housing by being affixed to a first axis which runs parallel to a second axis to which the actuator is affixed to be pivotably arranged within the housing; wherein the actuator comprises a transmission element affixed to the second axis and pivotable around the second axis by the shape memory alloy element, and wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body.

2. The air vent according to claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis are arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the air channel.

3. The air vent according to claim 1, wherein the concave surface is at least one of spaced apart from the first axis and facing in the direction of the air inlet, and the convex surface is at least one of spaced apart from the second axis and facing in the direction of the air outlet.

4. The air vent according to claim 1, wherein the air channel comprises a lower air channel and an upper air channel, and the shape memory alloy element is adapted to rotate a transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

5. The air vent according to claim 1, wherein the rigid air-directing body is aerodynamically shaped or torpedo shaped.

6. The air vent according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet forms a nozzle.

7. A vehicle comprising an air vent, the air vent comprising a housing with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air channel between the air inlet and the air outlet; at least one rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel; and an actuator, separate from the at least one rigid air directing body, and arranged within the housing in order to act on the rigid air-directing body to determine a direction of an air stream exiting the air outlet, wherein the actuator comprises a shape memory alloy element, and the rigid air-directing body is pivotably arranged within the housing by being affixed to a first axis which runs parallel to a second axis to which the actuator is affixed to be pivotably arranged within the housing; wherein the actuator comprises a transmission element affixed to the second axis and pivotable around the second axis by the shape memory alloy element, and wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the air channel comprises a lower air channel and an upper air channel, and the shape memory alloy element is adapted to rotate a transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention and its embodiments are further explained with reference to the drawings, which show in

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an air vent according to the invention configured for a straight air outlet direction;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the air vent according to FIG. 1 configured for an upward air outlet direction; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the air vent according to FIG. 1 configured for a downward air outlet direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) An air vent 10 of the invention comprises a housing 12 with an air inlet 14 and an air outlet 16. Conditioned air is provided to the air inlet 14 and directed by the air vent 10 through the air outlet 16 into the interior (not shown) of a vehicle.

(6) In order to control the direction of air leaving the air outlet 16, an air directing body 18 is arranged within an air flow channel 20 defined by the housing 12. The air guiding body 18 is pivotably affixed to a first axis 22. In order to control the orientation of the air guiding body 18 within the air channel 20, an actuator 24 is arranged within the housing 12 and affixed pivotably to a second axis 26. The actuator 24 comprises a transmission element 28 and a shape memory alloy element 30.

(7) A convex surface 32 of the transmission element 28 engages with a complementary concave surface 34 of the air guiding body 18. The convex surface 32 is oriented toward the air outlet 16, while the concave surface 34 is oriented toward the air inlet 14.

(8) The air outlet 16 forms a nozzle, helping to direct the air flow. The air guiding body 18 is aerodynamically shaped, in particular torpedo shaped, complementing the cross-sectional geometry of the nozzle of the air outlet 16.

(9) FIG. 1 shows the air vent 10 in a configuration for straight-forward air flow. In this configuration, the air guiding body 18 is in a central, horizontal position, so that a lower air channel 36 and an upper air channel 38 are formed between the air guiding element 18 and the housing 12. Air provided through the air inlet 14 can stream through the lower air channel 36 and the upper air channel 38 and exit the air outlet 16 in essentially a straight-forward direction.

(10) In order to modify the air flow direction out of the air outlet 16 of the air vent 10, the shape memory alloy element 30 of the actuator 24 can be heated or cooled. Upon such a temperature change, the lattice structure of the shape memory alloy element 30 changes, usually between austenite and martensite. The heating can be provided by applying an electrical current which resistively heats up the shape memory alloy element 30, while the cooling is usually provided by the passing air stream.

(11) The shape change of the shape memory alloy element 30 exerts a torque on the transmission element 28 around the second axis 26. Consequently, the actuator 24 rotates around the second axis 26. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the actuator 24 rotates around the second axis 26 in a clockwise manner upon heating and, as shown in FIG. 3, in a counterclockwise manner upon cooling. This is, of course, only an example depending on constructive details. It is equally possible, that heating of the shape memory allow element 30 leads to a counterclockwise rotation of the actuator 24 and cooling of the shape memory alloy element 30 leads to a counterclockwise rotation.

(12) If the actuator 24 rotates in a clockwise manner as shown in FIG. 2, the convex surface 32 of the actuator 24 exerts a force on the concave surface 34 of the air guiding body 18, so that the air guiding body 18 rotates in a counterclockwise manner around the first axis 22. As can be seen in FIG. 2, this leads to a closing of the upper air flow channel 38, whereas the lower air channel 36 is fully opened. The air stream through the housing 12 of the air vent 10 now completely flows through the lower air channel 36 and is thus directed in an upward direction by the nozzle shaped geometry of the air outlet 16.

(13) On the other hand, if the actuator 24 is rotated in a counterclockwise manner around the second axis 26, as shown in FIG. 3, the air guiding body 18 rotates in a clockwise manner around the first axis 22, thus closing the lower air channel 36 and fully opening the upper air channel 38, leading in a downward flow of the air exiting the air outlet 16 of the air vent 10.

(14) Due to the inherently silent nature of a shape memory alloy actuator 24 and the aerodynamic geometry of the air guiding body 18 any change in air flow direction from the air outlet 16 of the air vent 10 can be performed in a particular silent manner.

(15) In summary, an air vent 10 is provided which is particularly compact and silent.

(16) Features of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the above description, in the claims, and in the drawings, can be essential both individually and in any combination required in order to realize the invention in its different embodiments.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

(17) 10 air vent 12 housing 14 air inlet 16 air outlet 18 air directing body 20 air channel 22 first axis 24 actuator 26 second axis 28 transmission element 30 shape memory alloy element 32 convex surface 34 concave surface 36 lower air channel 38 upper air channel