Vehicle door closure cabin pressure relief system
An active pressure relief system for a vehicle cabin in response to a cabin-door closure. An air-extractor may be configured to open when a cabin-door is opened, and remain open until the last of a number of cabin-doors are closed. The air-extractor allows for the increased pressure resulting from the cabin-door closure to be equalized with the external environment through the air-extractor. After the last of a number of cabin-doors are closed, the air-extractor closes to inhibit noise and external elements from entering the cabin through the air-extractor.
1. A vehicle cabin pressure-relief system comprising:
an air-extractor, including a louver and gear to rotate the louver, and an actuator mechanically linked to the louver via a pinion gear and belt, fluidly connected to a cabin;
a spring to bias the air-extractor;
a position sensor for a door; and
a controller in communication with the position sensor and programmed to open the air-extractor, via the actuator, when the door is in a non-closed position.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator connected to and capable of opening the air-extractor, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the actuator to open the air-extractor based upon the door being in the non-closed position.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller actuates the actuator to overcome a spring force to open the air-extractor, and the spring force returns the air-extractor to a closed position when the actuator is no longer actuated by the controller.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator connected to and capable of closing the air-extractor, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the actuator to close the air-extractor based upon the door being in the closed position.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cabin has a number of doors and each door has an air-extractor.
6. A vehicle cabin pressure relief system comprising:
a valve, including a louver and gear to rotate the louver, and an actuator mechanically linked to the louver via a pinion gear and belt to drive the gear, fluidly connected to a cabin, biased to a closed position by a spring; and
a controller programmed to maintain the valve in an open position, via the actuator, based on a door being open such that an increase in air pressure within the cabin caused by a closure of the door is equalized with an external environment through the valve.
7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a number of doors and the controller maintains the valve in an open position when any one of the number of doors remains open.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further programmed to close the valve based upon a last of the number of doors being closed.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the valve is closed by a spring.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the valve is closed by an actuator.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein the valve allows an air pressure differential between the cabin and the external environment through the valve when the valve is in a closed position.
12. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller obtains an indication of the door being open from an internal communications network.
13. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is a door control module.
14. The system of claim 6 wherein the spring is a torsion spring, the controller energizes a motor to overcome a force of the torsion spring to open the valve, the motor remains energized by the controller to maintain the valve open, and the torsion spring overcomes a friction of the motor when the motor is no longer energized to close the valve.
15. A method of controlling pressure increase in a vehicle cabin caused by a closure of a cabin-door comprising:
biasing a cabin-valve including a louver and gear to rotate the louver, and an actuator mechanically linked to the louver via a pinion gear and belt to drive the gear that fluidly connects the vehicle cabin to an external environment to a closed position using a spring;
opening, via the gear, a cabin-valve in response to an opening of a cabin-door;
maintaining the cabin-valve, via the actuator, in an open position while a cabin-door is open allowing increased cabin pressure caused by a cabin-door closure to pass through the cabin-valve; and
allowing, via the spring, the cabin-valve to close in response to a closing of a cabin-door.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the vehicle cabin has a number of cabin-doors, and the method further comprising maintaining the cabin-valve in an open position in response to any of the number of cabin-doors being open, and closing the cabin-valve in response to a last of the number of cabin-doors being closed.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising closing the cabin-valve and inhibiting exterior elements and noise from an exterior of the cabin from entering the cabin through the cabin-valve.