IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,296,653
Granted Patent B2
US 12,296,653 · App. 18/175,826 · Granted May 13, 2025

Air vent and vehicle with an air vent

Inventors: Romeo Wieczorek (Stuttgart, DE); Torsten Weingärtner (Göttingen, DE)
Assignee: Motherson Innovations Company Limited
B60H1/3421B60H1/345B60H1/24B60H2001/3471B60H2001/3485F24F13/1426F24F2013/144
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,296,653
App. No.
18/175,826
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
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; a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotably arranged within the housing by being affixed to a first axis; 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, the actuator comprising a transmission element affixed to a second axis and pivotable around the second axis.

Claims (27)

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;

a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotable around a first axis;

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, the actuator comprising a transmission element, the transmission element pivotable around a second axis,

wherein the actuator further comprises a shape memory alloy element, and wherein the transmission element is pivotable around the second axis by the shape memory alloy element.

2. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the air stream exiting the air outlet is modified by heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element.

3. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element causes a shape of the shape memory alloy element to change exerting a torque on the transmission element around the second axis.

4. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the first axis runs parallel to the second axis.

5. The air vent according to claim 4 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the air channel.

6. The air vent according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body.

7. The air vent according to claim 6 , wherein the concave surface is at least one of spaced apart from the first axis or facing in the direction of the air inlet, and the convex surface is at least one of spaced apart from the second axis or facing in the direction of the air outlet.

8. 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 the transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

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

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

11. 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;

a rigid air directing body arranged within the air channel and pivotable around a first axis; 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, the actuator comprising a transmission element and a shape memory alloy element, the transmission element pivotable around a second axis by the shape memory alloy element,

wherein the transmission element comprises a convex surface engaging with a complementary concave surface of the rigid air-directing body, and

wherein the concave surface is facing in the direction of the air inlet, and the convex surface is facing in the direction of the air outlet.

12. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the direction of the air stream exiting the air outlet is modified by heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element.

13. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein heating or cooling the shape memory alloy element causes a shape of the shape memory alloy element to change exerting a torque on the transmission element around the second axis.

14. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the first axis runs parallel to the second axis.

15. The air vent according to claim 14 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the air channel.

16. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the air channel comprises a lower air channel and an upper air channel, and the shape memory alloy element is adapted to rotate the transmission element within the air channel in order to determine the lower and upper air channels.

17. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the rigid air-directing body is aerodynamically shaped or torpedo shaped.

18. The air vent according to claim 11 , wherein the air outlet forms a nozzle.

19. A vehicle comprising the air vent according to claim 1 or claim 11 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2023
From: WIECZOREK, ROMEO; WEINGARTNER, TORSTEN
To: MOTHERSON INNOVATIONS COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 062826/0879 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2018 100 326.9 · Jan 9, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16960731
Related Publication 20230211650A1 · Jul 6, 2023
References Cited (18)
US 5340357A · Nagai · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 8230650B1 · Stamps · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 11618303B2 · Wieczorek · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20070123158A1 · Shibata et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070243810A1 · Browne et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20120184195A1 · Browne et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130037252A1 · Major et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140357179A1 · Londiche · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20170370611A1 · Link et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180086182A1 · Gareis · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180319248A1 · Pacher · 2018 [cited by applicant]
DE 29716410U1 · 1997 [cited by applicant]
DE 102013209430 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP S6146333U · 1986 [cited by applicant]
JP S61211123A · 1986 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007153121A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated May 31, 2019 of International application No. PCT/EP2018/086263. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion dated May 31, 2019 of International application No. PCT/EP2018/086263. [cited by applicant]