IP Library Granted Patent US 11,780,299
Granted Patent B2
US 11,780,299 · App. 17/267,596 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Air vent for a vehicle

Inventors: Thomas Pacher (Sembach, DE); Günther Krämer (Enkenbach-Alsenborn, DE); Michael Demerath (Hüffler, DE)
Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
B60H1/3421B60H2001/3471
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,780,299
App. No.
17/267,596
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Air vent for a vehicle, including a housing with an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and an air duct for air flowing from the inlet opening to the outlet opening in a main flow direction. A slat assembly is arranged in the air duct and has a plurality of air-guiding slats that are pivotable together with respect to the main flow direction, and designed to divert the air flow from the main flow direction in an open position of the slat assembly and to interrupt the air flow in a closed position of the slat assembly. The air-guiding slats, in the closed position, are braced relative to one another and each of them takes up its end position, and at least some of the air-guiding slats reach their respective end position in succession during an adjustment of the slat assembly from the open position to the closed position.

Claims (10)

1. An air vent for a vehicle, comprising a housing with an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the housing delimiting an air duct for air flowing from the inlet opening to the outlet opening in a main flow direction, further comprising a slat assembly arranged in the air duct and having a plurality of air-guiding slats that are coupled in terms of movement and are pivotable together with respect to the main flow direction, with each air-guiding slot pivotable between an open position in an open state of the slat assembly and an end position corresponding to a closed state of the slat assembly, the air-guiding slats designed to divert the air flow from the main flow direction in the open state of the slat assembly and to interrupt the air flow in the closed state of the slat assembly, the air-guiding slats, in the closed state of the slat assembly, being braced against one another, wherein the slat assembly is configured such that, during an adjustment of the slat assembly from the open state to the closed state, at least some of the air-guiding slats reach their respective end positions at different times in a successive manner;

wherein the air-guiding slats include an actuable control slat and further air-guiding slats that move in response to movement of the control slat, the slat assembly configured such that, during the adjustment of the slat assembly from the open state to the closed state, the further air-guiding slats progressively reach their respective end positions beginning with the further air-guiding slats farthest from the control slat and continuing with the further air-guiding slats that are successively closer to the control slat, with the control slat reaching its end position last.

2. The air vent as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the closed state of the slat assembly, the air-guiding slats are braced relative against one another by at least one elastic coupling rod.

3. The air vent as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one end stop extending from a housing inner wall of the housing into the air duct is provided in order to stop at least one further air-guiding slat of the slat assembly in its end position.

4. The air vent as claimed in claim 3 , wherein an end stop extending from a housing inner wall of the housing into the air duct is provided for each of the air-guiding slats.

5. The air vent as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coupling rod has a rod portion and coupling arms projecting from the rod portion, each of the air-guiding slats being connected in a rotatably movable manner via a respective attachment point to a respective one of the coupling arms.

6. The air vent as claimed in claim 5 , which has a rod portion having a curved profile, and coupling arms of equal length.

7. The air vent as claimed in claim 5 , which has a rod portion having a straight profile, and coupling arms of differing length.

8. The air vent as claimed in claim 5 , which has a rod portion having a curved profile, and coupling arms of differing length.

9. The air vent as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coupling rod has a rod portion and coupling arms projecting from the rod portion, each of the air-guiding slats being connected in a rotatably movable manner via a respective attachment point to a respective one of the coupling arms, each of the air-guiding slats having an elastic slat portion that has the respective attachment point.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2021
From: PACHER, THOMAS; KRÄMER, GÜNTHER; DEMERATH, MICHAEL
To: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Reel/Frame 055213/0192 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2018 119 639.3 · Aug 13, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210316598A1 · Oct 14, 2021