GB2607297A - Airflow direction adjuster - Google Patents

Abstract

An airflow direction adjuster 1 comprises a housing 3 attachable to a panel of the vehicle (e.g. automobile). An air guide 5, ideally including louvres 51, is moveably attached to a downstream section of the housing, and a valve 7 (i.e. damper) is arranged in an upstream section of the housing. A manually-operated rotary knob 2 is rotatably connected to the air guide and is coupled to the valve via a cardan joint 6 and control shaft 8 to adjust an airflow rate when the knob is rotated by a vehicle occupant (e.g. by 90 degrees to fully close the valve from a fully open position). There is ideally only one cardan joint that comprises first and second yokes 62,68 and a cross bearing 61 having first 63 and second 67 pairs of diametrically opposite arms having the same radial length, their radial length being greater than their width. A slotted guide (11, figure 6) may couple the valve to the control shaft so the valve opens/closes with rotation of the shaft. The air guide may be pivotally attached to a cylindrical sleeve 4 that rotatably attaches to the housing.

Description

1AC Southfield

Airflow Direction Adjuster The invention relates to an airflow direction adjuster for directing airflow towards the passenger in a cabin of a vehicle, in particular an automobile vehicle.

Airflow direction adjusters allow vehicle passengers to direct airflow from an air conditioning device or heater device as desired. Many airflow direction adjusters therefore include options to control airflow volume, upwards or downwards airflow pitch with respect to a horizontal axis, and crosswise airflow to the right or left with regard to a vertical axis.

A variety of different airflow direction adjusters for vehicles is known. Some rectangular airflow direction adjusters are for example described in DE in 2016 124 o88 Ai and US 2002 0 081 965 At Different circular airflow direction adjusters are for example described in EP 2 477 828 El, EP 3 778 274 Ai, US 4,092,907 A, US 9,937,775 B2, US 10,220,683 B2, and US 2019 o 248 124 At Airflow direction adjusters generally use a multitude of different mechanical components movable relative to one another to allow for flow volume and direction adjustments. A common issue is that many airflow direction adjusters are prone to emit rattling noises caused by vibrations and collisions of loosely coupled mechanical components. Some airflow adjusters use spherical joints including a ball unit received within a corresponding spherical reception, the ball unit being coupled with the spherical reception through one pair of radial protrusions transmitting rotary motion. Especially airflow adjusters using spherical joints have shown to be susceptible to defects due to dust collection.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide an airflow direction adjuster less prone to defects due to dust collection and/or noise emissions. This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention, an airflow direction adjuster for directing airflow towards the passenger in a cabin of the vehicle, such as an automobile, is provided. It shall be clear that the term passenger refers to all people including the driver within a vehicle cabin.

The airflow direction adjuster according to the first aspect of the invention comprises a housing attachable to a panel of the vehicle. It may be preferred that the vehicle is an automobile. The housing is configured to guide airflow from a source towards the cabin. In particular, the housing may be hollow cylindrical. The source may for example be an air conditioning device, an air heater device, or the like.

Furthermore, the airflow direction adjuster according to the first aspect of the invention comprises an air guide, preferably including a louver arrangement, movably attached to the housing in the downstream section thereof, and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction. It may be preferred that the air guide is circular, in particular in combination with a hollow cylindrical housing. The downstream section of the housing may be in the section of the housing facing towards the cabin, whereas an upstream section of the housing may be facing the source. A valve is arranged in an upstream a section of the housing, the valve being adjustable to control the airflow. For instance, the valve may be adjustable between a closed state for allowing a first airflow volume through the housing, in particular for minimizing or preventing airflow from the source to the cabin, and an opened state for allowing a maximal airflow volume through the housing.

The airflow direction adjuster according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises a rotary actuator knob and configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement for actuating the valve, the actuator knob being rotatably connected to the air guide, in particular centrally and/or coaxially with the preferably cylindrical air guide. Additionally, the airflow direction adjuster comprises a control shaft coupled to the rotary actuator knob for transmitting the manual actuation movement from the rotary actuator knob to the valve. The control shaft is on the one hand coupled to the rotary actuator knob and on the other hand to the valve.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the airflow direction adjuster comprises a cardan joint rotatably coupling the rotary actuator knob to the control shaft. The cardan joint is configured to transfer a first rotary actuator motion into a second rotary shaft motion. As long as the rotary axis of the actuator knob and the control shaft are arranged coaxially with respect to one another, the first and second rotary motion or the same. However, if there is an angular offset between the rotary axis of the actuator knob and the rotary axis of the control shaft for instance due to directing the air guide into a desired direction different from the direction of the control shaft axis, the cardan joint will transfer the rotary motion in accordance with a cardan joint transmission function known to the person skilled in the art: Aan \ (1) = tan-(y2 cos/3i wherein y1 designates the primary angle of rotation of the control shaft axis dependent on the secondary angle of rotation y2 of the actuator knob dependent on the angular offset [3 between the rotary axes. Unlike spherical joints, cardan joints have been found to be significantly more resistant to dust collection. As cardan joints can be assembled without play, they are also more resilient against rattling noise in comparison to spherical joints.

According to one embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster includes a cardan joint comprising a first yoke rigidly coupled to the actuator knob, a second yoke rigidly coupled to the control shaft, and a cross bearing tiltably attached to the first yoke and to the second yoke. It may be preferred that the cardan joint consists of the first yoke, the second yoke and the cross bearing. The first yoke attached to the actuator knob may be configured to connect to a first pair of diametrically opposite arms of the cross bearing such that the first pair of arms extends radially with respect to the first rotary axis of the actuator knob and first yoke. The second yoke attached to the control shaft may be configured to connect to a second pair of diametrically opposite arms of the cross bearing such that the second pair of arms extends radially with respect to the second rotary axis of the control shaft and second yoke. It may be preferred that the cross bearing comprises or consists of two pairs of diametrically opposite first and second arms offset by 900 relative to one another.

According to a further development, the cross bearing comprises a first pair of diametrically opposite first arms for engaging the first yoke and a second pair of diametrically opposite arms for engaging the second yoke. The cross bearing may in particular have a cross -shaped body. The radial length of the first arms and of the second arms is larger than the respective width of the first arm or of the second arm. In particular, the first arms have approximately the same radial length as of the second arms. This configuration has been shown to yield particularly favorable results with respect to resiliency against defects due to dust collection.

Another embodiment of the airflow direction adjuster comprises no more than one cardan joint for transmitting the actuating movement from the actuator knob to the valve. Surprisingly, it has been found out that even though using only one cardan joint prevents to make use of the double cardan joint effect, the airflow direction adjuster according to the invention is easy to handle and particularly durable. By minimizing the number of moving mechanical parts in the airflow direction adjuster, possible sources of failure and noise can be avoided.

According to a second aspect of the invention which may be combined with the first aspect of the invention and the embodiments thereof, an airflow direction adjuster is provided for directing airflow towards a passenger in a cabin of the vehicle. The airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention comprises a housing attachable to a panel of the vehicle. It may be preferred that the vehicle is an automobile. The housing is configured -4 -to guide airflow from a source towards the cabin. In particular, the housing may be hollow cylindrical. The source may for example be an air conditioning device, an air heater device, or the like.

Furthermore, the airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention comprises an air guide, preferably including a louver arrangement, movably attached to the housing in the downstream section thereof, and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction. It may be preferred that the air guide is circular, in particular in combination with a hollow cylindrical housing. The downstream section of the housing may be in the section of the housing facing towards the cabin, whereas an upstream section of the housing may be facing the source. A valve is arranged in an upstream a section of the housing, the valve being adjustable to control the airflow. For instance, the valve may be adjustable between a closed state for allowing a first airflow volume through the housing, in particular for minimizing or preventing airflow from the source to the cabin, and an opened state for allowing a maximal airflow volume through the housing.

The airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention further comprises a rotary actuator knob configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement for actuating the valve, the actuator knob being rotatablv connected to the air guide, in particular centrally and/or coaxially with the preferably cylindrical air guide. Additionally, the airflow direction adjuster comprises a control shaft coupled to the rotary actuator knob for transmitting the manual actuation movement from the rotary actuator knob to the valve. The control shaft is on the one hand coupled to the rotary actuator knob and on the other hand to the valve.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the airflow direction adjuster further comprises a slotted guide coupling the valve to the control shaft for transferring the manual actuation movement of the control shaft into a movement of the valve. The slotted guide may comprise or consist of, on the one hand, at least one guiding groove, and on the other hand, at least one prong engaging the at least one guiding groove. In particular, the slotted guide may be configured to cause the valve to be moved from a completely closed to a completely open position through a rotation of the control shaft of at least 450, in particular at least 6o°, more particularly at least 8o°, and/or no more than 18o°, in particular no more than 135°, more particularly no more than too°. According to a preferred embodiment, the slotted guide is configured to cause the valve to be moved from a closed state to an opened state through a 90° rotation of the control shaft. The valve may be biased towards its closed state or towards its opened state. The valve is connected to the control shaft via the slotted guide such that a rotary position of the control shaft determines the degree of closure or opening of the valve.

The use of a slotted guide allows to precisely set the valve into a desired state while avoiding any undesired rattling noises. The airflow direction adjuster using a self-cleansing slotted guide is particularly robust against defects due to dust collection.

According to a further development of the second aspect of the invention, the valve comprises a first flap member and a second flap members attached to the housing pivotable to control the airflow. In particular, the first and second flap members are both pivotable between an open state and a closed state. In the dosed state, the flap members may be configured to engage the internal walls of the, particularly hollow cylindrical, housing. In order to sealingly engage the inner wall of the housing, the first flap member and the second flap member may be provided with a sealing member, such as a rubber or a silicone coating along the edge of the flap member. The first and second flap member are preferably pivotable about the same flap pivot axis such that opposing edges of the first and second flap member engage one another the proximity of said flap pivot axis. In the fully opened state, both the first flap member and a second flap member may be arranged centrally within the housing protruding in the direction of the axis of the housing from the flap pivot axis.

In a further development of the airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention including two flap members, the slotted guide comprises a guiding groove extending radially around an outer circumference of the control shaft, the first and second flap members comprising a respective prong engaging the guiding groove. The slotted guide may have a first slot section for engaging a first prong of the first flap member and a second slot section for engaging the second prong of the second flap member. The guiding groove may be formed as a notch or keyway in the outer circumference of the control shaft. in particular, the guiding groove has a constant depth extending in the radial direction of the control shaft. The guiding groove may have a generally continuous path along the circumference of the control shaft which may be completely or sectionally rectilinear and/or curved. At least sectionally, the path of the guiding groove extends in the axial direction of the control shaft so as to impart movement of the flap member in said axial direction through a rotary motion of the control shaft. Preferably, the guiding groove is free of steps, undercuts, etc. According to one further development of the airflow direction adjuster having a slotted guide with a at least one guiding groove, the guiding groove is shaped as a sinusoidal curve extending around the outer circumference.

In one embodiment of the airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention, which may be combined with the above-mentioned embodiments and developments, the first and second flap members have a shape corresponding to the interior shape of the housing for closing the housing with regard to the airflow, wherein the prong is -6 -arranged on an axis of mirror symmetry of the respective flap member. In particular, in an embodiment of the airflow direction adjuster having a hollow cylindrical housing, the first and second flap members may have a generally semicircular or a semi ellipsoid shape. it may be preferred that the respective prong extends along the axis of mirror symmetry of the flap member in a completely mirror-symmetrical manner. Alternatively, only a portion, such as a terminal portion configured for engaging the guiding groove and/or a base portion attaching the prong to the flap member, is arranged on the axis of mirror symmetry. In particular, the plane of mirror symmetry of the flap member(s) may correspond to the axis of rotation of the control shaft Such an arrangement allows for a smooth transmission of the rotary actuation motion into a corresponding pivoting movement of the valve flap members.

In one particular embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster according to the second aspect of the invention includes a first and/or second flap member configured to lie plane against one another in a fully opened state. Alternatively or additionally, the first and second flap member are pivotable for 300 to 600, in particular for 450 to 60°, more particularly 50°, from the fully opened state to a closed state with respect to a flap pivot axis. The maximal pivot angle is preferably defined by the engagement of the valve flap member with the inner circumference of the hollow, in particular cylindrical, housing. It is preferred that the rotary actuation motion is transmitted to a smaller magnitude of rotary motion of the valve flaps with respect to the valve pivot axis through the mechanical coupling of from the actuator knob through the control shaft to the valve to allow for a smooth operator control.

According to a third aspect of the invention which may be combined with the first and/or second aspect of the invention and the embodiments thereof, an airflow direction adjuster is provided for directing airflow towards a passenger in a cabin of the vehicle. The airflow direction adjuster according to the third aspect of the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical housing attachable to a panel of the vehicle. It may be preferred that the vehicle is an automobile. The source may for example be an air conditioning device, an air heater device, or the like.

Furthermore, the airflow direction adjuster according to the third aspect of the invention comprises a circular air guide, preferably including a louver arrangement, movably attached to the housing in the downstream section thereof, and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction. The dovvmstream section of the housing may be in the section of the housing facing towards the cabin, whereas an upstream section of the housing may be facing the source. In particular, a valve may be arranged in an upstream a section of the housing, the valve being adjustable to control the airflow, which valve may be adjustable between a closed state for allowing a first airflow volume through the housing, in particular for minimizing or preventing airflow from the source to the cabin, and an opened state for allowing a maximal airflow volume through the housing.

The airflow direction adjuster according to the third aspect of the invention may in particular comprise a rotary actuator knob and be configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement for actuating the valve, the actuator knob being rotatablv connected to the air guide, in particular centrally and/or coaxially with the preferably cylindrical air guide. Alternatively or additionally, the airflow direction adjuster may comprise a control shaft coupled to the rotary actuator knob for transmitting the manual actuation movement from the rotary actuator knob to the valve. The control shaft may on the one hand be coupled to the rotary actuator knob and on the other hand to the valve.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the airflow direction adjuster has a cylindrical sleeve interposed between the air guide and the housing. The air guide is pivotably attached to the sleeve. The sleeve is rotatably attached to the housing. The pivotable attachment of the circular air guide to the sleeve is preferably configured to be rotatable together with the sleeve around the sleeve's axis of rotation. Thus, the air guide may be a pivotable with respect to a horizontally arranged guide pivot axis in a first rotary position of the sleeve in relation to the housing, and the air guide may be pivotable with respect to a vertically arranged guide pivot axis in a second rotary position of the sleeve in relation to the housing. The air guide pivot axis is rotatable with respect to the housing around the axis of rotation of the sleeve. Unlike many designs known from the prior art in which the air guide is movably attached directly to the housing, which oftentimes leads to undesirable rattling noises when the air guide vibrates within the housing, employing a sleeve interposed between air guide and housing has shown to allow for a much quieter operation.

According to a further development of the third aspect of the invention, the air guide is pivotable with respect to the sleeve in a range of up to ± 600, in particular ±90°, more particularly ±300 with respect to a guide pivot axis. The rotary axis of an actuator knob configured for receiving a manual rotary action movement for actuating a valve configured to control the airflow is held coaxially with the rotary axis of the air guide, in particular corresponding to a secondary axis of rotation. In particular, the air guide may be rotatable around the secondary axis of rotation independently of the position of the rotary actor knob. Vice versa, the rotary actuator knob may, additionally or alternatively, be rotatable around the secondary axis of rotation independently of the air guide. Having valve actuator knob operable independently of a setting and/or position of an air guide allows individual control of the distinct functions of the air guide and the valve independent of one another. The -8 -coaxial arrangement of the rotary knob and the air guide allows for a space saving arrangement and intuitive operator control of the airflow direction adjuster.

Another embodiment of an airflow direction adjuster according to the third aspect of the invention, which may be combined with the aforementioned embodiments, includes a sleeve being rotatable for at least 90° and/or at most 360° or at most 1800 about a primary axis of rotation defined by the housing In particular, the sleeve may be freely rotatable about the primary axis of rotation defined by the housing. in particular, the sleeve is attached to the housing rotatable about a common axis of rotation or rotational symmetry. The control shaft of the airflow direction adjuster may be arranged concentrically and coaxially with respect to the hollow cylindrical housing and sleeve. The sleeve may be freely rotatable within the housing, for example between such first and second positions, so that the guide pivot axis can be arranged in a corresponding a multitude of different pitch settings. Especially for an air guide including a louver arrangement, it may be desirable to allow for free rotatability of the guide pivot axis in order to maximize the capability of of the louver arrangement to direct an airstream in a desired direction.

In an embodiment of an airflow direction adjuster according to the third aspect of the invention, which may be combined with the aforementioned ones, the sleeve is held to the housing with an annular cap attached to the downstream section of the housing at an end thereof facing into the cabin. Preferably, the cap is attached completely circumferentially to the cabin-aside end of the circular housing. Preferably, the cap holds the sleeve firmly against the housing, thereby avoiding noise emissions. The cap itself may have the shape of a ring or washer. Such a cap allows for simple attachment and maintenance of the airflow direction adjuster and particularly its sleeve and air guide. The cap is resilient against dust collection.

According to a further embodiment of an airflow direction adjuster, the sleeve and the housing have a meshing interface configured to define a rotary position of the sleeve with respect to the housing. In particular, the meshing interface includes at least one protrusion extending parallel to the primary axis of rotation for engaging a complementary reception. The use of a defined meshing interface between sleeve and housing ascertains that the sleeve may be securely held in an operator determined position, particularly being unable to move on its own, so as to avoid vibrations.

In accordance with a further development of the third aspect of the invention in which the airflow direction adjuster has the meshing interface, the sleeve or the housing comprises a profile facing in the direction of the primary axis of rotation provided with a multitude of receptions for engaging the protrusion. The number of receptions may be in the range of 4 to 500, in particular 12 to 360, more particularly 30 to 180, even more particularly 60 to 90. The receptions may be arranged in a uniform distance to one another. For example, the sleeve the housing may have the multitude of receptions for engaging the protrusion arranged along its circumference. By providing a multitude of receptions in the meshing interface, the operator is provided with a, possibly wide, variety of possible secure position configurations of the sleeve and air guide with respect to the housing.

Alternatively or additionally, the airflow direction adjuster may include a spring member forming the protrusion and/or biasing the sleeve in the direction of the primary axis of rotation against the housing or against the cap. The airflow direction adjuster may include exactly one spring member or several spring members. It may be preferred that the spring member is realized as a leaf spring. The spring member may be securely held in a spring reception of the housing, sleeve or cap so that a relative rotary motion between the spring member and said part is inhibited. It may be preferred that the spring member is arranged in the area of the circumference of the housing, sleeve and/or cap. By employing a suitable spring member as a biasing means for holding the sleeve firmly against the cap and/or housing, vibrations and accompanying noise emissions can be reliably suppressed. Dust collection does not impair the function of the spring member.

According to a further embodiment according to the first, second and/or third aspect of the invention, the airflow direction adjuster includes an actuator knob being rotatable between a first rotary position and a second rotary position. Preferably, the actuator knob is only rotatable between said first and second rotary positions. The first and second rotary position define a range between 300 and 3600, in particular between 450 and 18o°, more particularly a range of approximately 900, from the first position to the second rotary knob position. The valve is coupled to the knob such that a fully opened state of the valve corresponds to the first rotary position of the knob and such that a fully closed state of the valve corresponds to the second rotary position of the knob. Preferably, the first and/or second rotary position of the knob is constant with respect to the secondary axis of rotation, in particular such that the first or second rotary position of the knob remains the same, independent of the current position of a sleeve and/or air guide. The control of the valve setting through the knob is preferably independent of an operator determined air flow direction set via rotating the sleeve around the primary axis of rotation and/or the air guide and possible louver arrangement thereof. By defining a limited range between the first and second rotary position, the operator can easily control the desired airflow volume with the aid of haptic feedback without being compelled to visually confirm the setting.

-10 -The above-mentioned and other features of the disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments described herein taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. I shows a schematic side view of a vehicle operator in the airflow of an airflow direction adjuster according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of the vehicle operator in the airflow of an airflow direction adjuster according to the invention; Fig. 3 shows a front view onto an airflow direction adjuster according to the invention; Figs. 4a -4d show different perspective illustrations of an airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3 with different discharge direction settings; Figs. 4e & 4f show different top views onto an airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3 in different discharge direction settings; Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3; Fig. 6 shows a detailed perspective view of an actuator knob, cardan joint, control shaft and valve of one embodiment of an airflow direction adjuster; Fig. 7 shows an sectional perspective view of the airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3; Fig. 8 shows a sectional side view of the airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3 in a fully opened state; Fig. 9 shows a sectional side view of the airflow direction adjuster according to Fig. 3 in a fully closed state; and Fig. 10 shows a sectional view through the housing and sleeve of one embodiment of an airflow direction adjuster.

It may be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and of the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention(s) herein may be capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it may be appreciated that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting as such may be understood by one of skill in the art.

Figs. I and 2 illustrate the range in which the airflow direction adjuster i according to one embodiment of the invention may direct airflow into the cabin of the automobile vehicle 101 towards the passenger 200. Figs. 3 and 4a -4d show different corresponding settings of the airflow direction adjuster I in detail.

As is shown in Figs. land 2, the housing 3 of the airflow direction adjuster 1 is mounted in the panel 103 of the automobile vehicle (not shown in detail.). Fig. 3 displays a default setting in which the primary axis A and the secondary axis B of the airflow direction adjuster are coaxi ally aligned such that the airflow is directed straight through the housing 3 of the airflow direction adjuster into the cabin 101, in parallel to the primary axis A. As indicated in Fig. i and in Figs. 3a and 3b, the airflow direction may be tilted up and down in relation to the primary axis A by a maximal vertical tilt angle of 13v,max of up to ± 30°. This maximal tilt angle 13v,max allows the airflow to be directed anywhere between the hip and the top of the head of the passenger 200. As shown in Fig. 2 and in Figs. 3c and 3d, the airflow direction may be tilted to the left or right in relation to the primary axis A by a maximal horizontal tilt angle 131-1,"," of up to ± 300. A horizontal tilt angle range between 50 and 25° may be configured to direct the secondary axis of rotation B which corresponds to the air flow direction to the passenger zoo between their left and right shoulder. If the passenger does not desire airflow directed directly at them, they may tilt the airflow direction adjuster horizontally away from them, facing towards the door. As it will be further described hereinbelow, the maximal horizontal tilt angle Pun., and a maximal vertical tilt angle I3v.. are the same.

Fig. 3 shows a frontal view of the airflow direction adjuster 1 having its air guide 5 aligned with the housing 3. The housing 3 is hollow cylindrical in shape. The air guide 5 has a generally circular shape and is provided with a louver arrangement 51. The air guide 5 is movable in relation to the housing 3 in order to direct the airflow into a desired direction. The airflow direction adjuster 1 has a rotary actuation knob 2 arranged coaxially with the air guide 5 and housing 3 with which a volume of airflow through the airflow direction adjuster 1 can be set.

-12 -Figs. 4a and 4h show the airflow direction adjuster 1 with its air guide 5 pivoted to the left or right, respectively, with respect to the housing 3 in relation to a vertical air guide pivot axis P. A secondary axis of rotation B, with which the circular air guide 5 and actuator knob 2 are concentrically aligned is horizontally offset by a guide pivot angle 13 to the left or right in relation to the primary axis of rotation A defined by the hollow cylindrical housing 3.

Figs. 4c and 4d show the airflow direction adjuster 1 with its air guide 5 pivoted upwards or downwards, respectively, with respect to the housing 3 in relation to a horizontal air guide pivot axis P. The secondary axis of rotation B, with which the circular air guide 5 and actuator knob 2 are concentrically aligned is vertically offset by a guide pivot angle 13 to the left or right in relation to the primary axis of rotation A defined by the hollow cylindrical housing 3.

Figs. 4e and 4f show a detailed view of the air guide 5 being held by a sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 may be held rotatably around the primary axis of rotation A inside of the housing 3. The air guides is pivotably attached to the sleeve 4. The pivotable attachment of the air guides to the sleeve 4 allows the sleeve 5 to be pivoted about a pivot axis P with regard to the sleeve 4.

In Fig. 4e, the primary axis of rotation A and the secondary axis of rotation B are coaxially aligned in a default position of the airflow direction adjuster 3. In Fig. 4f, the secondary axis of rotation B is offset by a guide pivot angle with respect to the primary axis of rotation A. Thereby, the air guide 5 is angularly offset by the guide pivot angle 13 with respect to the sleeve 4. The air guides has diametrically opposite radially extending protrusions 54 attached to the sleeve 4 with a sliding bearing 45. The air guide 5 has at least one further protrusion 56 engaging a slot 46 in the sleeve for, which limits the magnitude of angular offset between the air guide 5 and the sleeve 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve 4 and guide 5 are configured such that the maximal air guide pivot angle [3max with respect to the default alignment is ± 30°. By limiting the maximal guide pivot angle P.m. to no more than 30°, it may be ascertained that, in accordance with the joint transmission formula, the angular actuation motion of the rotary actuator knob 2 does not deviate significantly from the corresponding rotary motion of the control shaft 8 so that the operator does not notice any difference in operation regardless of the current orientation of the air guide 5 in the state of the valve 7.

It shall be noted that the previously mentioned vertical or horizontal arrangement of the guide pivot axis P may be determined by rotating the sleeve 4 within the housing 3 about the primary axis of rotation A. The guide pivot axis P may be set by an operator to any desired orientation between a vertical arrangement and a horizontal arrangement. A multitude of predefined settings for arrangements of the guide pivot axis P may be determined by -13 -providing a meshing interface 43 between the housing 3 and the sleeve 4 arranged therein, which will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 shows a sectional view through the housing 3 and sleeve 4, in which the air guide 5 is not shown in order to improve intelligibility. In the direction of the primary axis of rotation A, the air sleeve 4 is held by the housing 3 and a cap 31 thereof. A front edge 42 of the sleeve 4 is in a sliding contact with an annular protrusion 32 of the cap 31 which protrudes in the direction of the primary axis of rotation A. A rear edge of the sleeve 4 is provided with a wave profile 41 comprising a multitude of axial receptions. Facing the rear edge of the sleeve 4, a spring 33 is attached to the housing 3 and held axially between the housing 3 and the sleeve 4. The spring 33 has an axial protrusion 34 configured for engaging one of the multitude of axial receptions in the profile 41 of the sleeve 4. The axial protrusion 34 extends in the shape of a convex semi circle from a plane, leaf-like basis of the spring 33. The profile 41 consists of a multitude of regularly spaced, adjacent, axially extending, and/or convex semi circles defining V-shaped receptions. The spring 33 biases the sleeve 4 against the housing 3, so that the sleeve 4 is firmly held to the housing 3 in a desired angular position of the guide pivot axis P. Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the airflow direction adjuster i according to an embodiment of the invention. The airflow direction adjuster 1 comprises as its main constituents the actuator knob 2, the housing 3, the sleeve 4, the air guide 5, a cardan joint 6, a valve 7 and a control shaft 8 Fig. 6 shows a detailed view of the mechanical actuation assembly of the airflow direction adjuster which comprises the knob 2 attached to the first yoke 62 and the control shaft 8 attached to the second yoke 68 of the cardan joint 6, the first and second yokes 62, 68 being connected through a cross bearing 61. The valve 7 comprises two semi-circular flap members 71, 73 pivotable about a flap pivot axis F and engaging the control shaft 8 through a slotted guide 11.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective cross-sectional view and Fig. 8 shows a cross sectional side view through the assembled airflow direction adjuster 1 in a fully opened state of the valve 7, the air guide 5 being arranged with the secondary axis of rotation B coaxially aligned with the primary axis of rotation A. Fig. 9 shows a cross sectional side view through the assembled airflow direction adjuster 1 in a fully closed state of the valve 7, the air guide 5 being arranged with the secondary axis of rotation B coaxially aligned with the primary axis of rotation A. -14 -The actuator knob 2 is operable to cause the valve 7 to completely inhibit thereby close the airflow direction adjuster 1 to air flow, as shown in Fig. 9, or such that the valve 7 completely opens the hollow cylindrical housing 3 for airflow, such as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The actuator knob 2 may be provided with an indicator 21 to show the current orientation of the knob 2 with respect to the secondary axis of rotation B. In the embodiment described herein, the knob 2 is rotatable by no more than approximately 900 between the fully opened valve state and the fully closed valve state. In the fully open state, the flap members 71 and 73 lie flat against each other to provide the least possible amount of air resistance.

The flap members 71 and 73 of the valve 7 are attached to the housing 3 pivotable about a flap pivot axis F with a constant alignment, which in the present embodiment is exemplarily shown to be horizontal. The inner circumference in the upstream section 37 of the hollow cylindrical housing 3 has a circular cross-section. The flap members 71 and 73 are semi-ellipsoid in shape. The flap members 71 and 73 have a first, minor radius in the direction of the pivot axis F corresponding to the inner diameter of the housing 3 in the upstream section 37 thereof. The flap members 71 and 73 have a second, major radius in a direction perpendicular to the pivot apps axis F larger than the inner diameter of the housing 3 in the upstream section 37. Thus, in the closed state of the valve 7 such as shown in Fig. 9, the flap members 71, 73 are offset by no more than 600 to enable the valve 7 to reliably and easily enter and leave the closed state. The flap members 71 and 73 both comprise a rigid plate section 75 covered with a flexible sealing material 76, such as rubber or silicone, along the circumferential edge which is configured to engage the inner circumference of the hollow cylindrical housing 3.

From the respective rigid plate section 75 of each flap members 71, 73 comprises a respective prong 72, 74 which engages a guiding groove 13 in the control shaft 8. The prongs 72 and 74 together with the guiding groove 13 realize the slotted guide ii which is configured to transmit radial motion of the control shaft 8 with respect to the primary axis of rotation A into a pivoting motion of the valve 7 about the flap pivot axis F. The guiding groove 13 can be seen most clearly in Fig. 6. It provides an essentially sinusoidal path around the circumference of the control shaft 8 for the prongs 72, 74 to follow. The guiding groove 13 and prongs 72, 74 are form-fittingly matched to one another such that the prong 72, 74 is firmly held inside of the guiding groove 13 in any rotational position of the shaft 8. The sinusoidal path of the groove 13 extends in the direction of the primary axis of rotation A so as to impart a movement in the axial direction onto the respective prong 72, 74 and thereby into the respective flap members 71, 73. In the fully opened state shown in Fig. 8, the frontal ends of the prongs 72, 74 are in an axially further rearward position in comparison -15 -to the fully closed state shown in Fig. 9. In the present embodiment, when viewed in the circumferential direction, the axially rearmost tip of the sinusoidal path and the axially foremost tip of the sinusoidal path are spread 900 apart with respect to the primary axis of rotation A. The control shaft 8 is mounted in a coaxial alignment with the housing 3 via a sliding shaft bearing 38. The sliding shaft bearing 38 is rigidly connected Nvith the inner surface of the housing 3 through several rigid fins 39. The control shaft 8 is rotatable about the primary axis of rotation A within the shaft bearing 38. The control shaft 8 has a radial collar or flange 83 abutting against a corresponding stopper 41 in the direction of the primary axis of rotation A. An 0-ring 36 is arranged radially between the control shaft 8 and the shaft bearing 38. The 0-ring 36 acts as a biasing means urging the flange 83 against the stopper 41 to avoid any undesired free motion between the shaft 8 and bearing 38 which could otherwise cause a rattling noise. The 0-ring 36 also protects the mounting against dust. The shaft bearing 38 also structurally connects the cardan joint 6 and the rotary knob 2 to the housing 3.

The shaft 8 and bearing 38 are furthermore provided with a pair of rotational stoppers 84 hunting the rotational movement of the shaft with respect to the shaft bearing 38 around the primary axis of rotation A, for example to 900.

The forward end of the control shaft 8 is provided with a secondary yoke 68 attached thereto in a rotationally rigid manner, the secondary yoke 68 being configured to engage the cross bearing 61 of the cardan joint 6. A corresponding primary yoke 62 attached in a rotationally rigid manner to the actuator knob 2 is also configured to engage the cross bearing 61. The yokes 62, 68 together with the cross bearing 61 form the cardan joint 6.

The cardan joint 6 serves to transmit a rotary actuation motion of the knob 2 into a corresponding rotary motion of the control shaft 8. The air guide 5 surrounds the knob 2 and first yoke 62 circumferentially to hold the knob 2 and first yoke 62 coaxially aligned with respect to the secondary axis of rotation B. The knob 2 is rendered to be useable to control the valve 7 independent of the air guides orientation by the cardan joint 6. In particular is the air guide 5 held by the sleeve 4 rotatable about the secondary axis of rotation B independently of the rotary position of the knob 2 and vice versa.

The cross bearing 61 of the cardan joint has the shape of an "X" comprising a first and a second pair of arms 63, 67 each extending radially in pairwise diametrically opposite directions. The first arms 63 are offset by i8o° with respect to one another. The second arms 67 are offset by i8o° with respect to one another. The first arms 63 are offset by a 900 with -16 -respect to the second arms 67. The first pair of arms 63 is held by the first yoke 62 such that the first pair of arms 63 always extends perpendicular to the secondary axis of rotation B. Each arm 63,67 has a substantial radial extrusion from a central hub of the cross bearing. The second pair of arms 67 is held by the second yoke 68 such that the second pair of arms always extends perpendicular to the primary axis of rotation A. In case an angular offset [3 is present between the primary axis of rotation A and the secondary axis of rotation B, the first pair of arms 63 is no longer necessarily arranged perpendicular with the primary axis of rotation A, nor is the second pair of arms 67 necessarily arranged perpendicular with respect to the secondary axis of rotation B any longer.

In the above description, the same reference numbers are used for corresponding features throughout the drawings. These features are not described in detail in the description of each one of the drawings to avoid fastidious repetitions. However, where details of certain features are not provided, reference is made to the description of the respective preceding drawings. It is to be understood that any variance and details of one embodiment may also be applied to the other embodiments.

Features disclosed in the above description, the Figs. and the claims may be significant for the realization of the invention in its different embodiments individually as well as in any combination thereof.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (18)

1. Claims 1. Airflow direction adjuster (i) for directing airflow towards a passenger (200) in a cabin (im) of a vehicle, comprising: a housing (3) attachable to a panel (103) of the vehicle and configured to guide the airflow (fl from a source towards the cabin (lm), an air guide (5), preferably including a louver arrangement (50, movably attached to the housing (3) in a downstream section (35) of the housing (3), and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction (d), a valve (7) arranged in an upstream section (37) of the housing (3), the valve (7) being adjustable to control the airflow, a rotary actuator knob (2) configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement (a) for actuating the valve (7), the actuator knob (2) being rotatably connected to the air guide (5), preferably coaxially with the air guide (5), a control shaft (8) coupled to the rotary actuator knob (2) for transmitting the manual actuation movement (a) from the rotary actuator knob (2) to the valve (3), characterized by a cardan joint (6) rotatably coupling the rotary actuator knob (2) to the control shaft (8).
2. 2. Airflow direction adjuster (i) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cardan joint (6) comprises, in particular consists of, a first yoke (62) rigidly coupled to the actuator knob (2), a second yoke (68) rigidly coupled to the control shaft (6), and a cross bearing (61) tiltably attached to the first yoke (62) and to the second yoke (68).
3. 3. Airflow direction adjuster (0 according to claim 2, characterized in that the cross bearing (61), in particular having an cross-shaped body, comprises a first pair of diametrically opposite first arms (63) for engaging the first yoke (62) and a second pair of diametrically opposite second arms (67) for engaging the second yoke (68), wherein the radial length of the first arms and second arms is larger than the respective width of the first arm or of the second arm, wherein in particular the first arms have approximately the same radial length as the second arms.
4. 4. Airflow direction adjuster according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjuster comprises no more than one cardan joint for transmitting the actuation movement from the knob to the valve.
5. 5. Airflow direction adjuster (0 for directing airflow towards a passenger (200) in a cabin (um) of a vehicle, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: a housing (3) attachable to a panel (103) of the vehicle and configured to guide the airflow (f) from a source towards the cabin (ior), an air guide (5), preferably including a louver arrangement (51), movably attached to the housing (3) in a downstream section (35) of the housing (3), and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction (d), a valve (n arranged in an upstream section (37) of the housing (3), the valve (7) being adjustable to control the airflow, a rotary actuator knob (2) configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement (a) for actuating the valve (7), the actuator knob (2) being rotatably connected to the air guide (5), a control shaft (8) coupled to the rotary actuator knob (2) for transmitting the manual actuation movement (a) from the rotary actuator knob (2) to the valve (3), characterized in that the airflow direction adjuster (1) further comprises a slotted guide (11) coupling the valve (7) to the control shaft (8) for transferring the manual actuation movement of the control shaft (8) into a movement of the valve (7).
6. 6. Airflow direction adjuster according to claims, characterized in that the valve (7) comprises a first flap member (71) and a second flap member (73) attached to the housing (3) pivotable to control the airflow.
7. 7. Airflow direction adjuster according to claim 6, characterized in that the slotted guide (n) comprises a guiding groove (13) extending radially along an outer circumference (Si) of the control shaft (8), the first and second flap members (71, 73) comprising a respective prong (72, 74) engaging the guiding groove (13).
8. 8. Airflow direction adjuster according to claim 7, characterized in that the guiding grove (13) is shaped as a sinusoidal curve extending along the outer circumference (18).
9. 9. Airflow direction adjuster according to one of the claims claim 6 to 8, characterized in that the first and second flap members (71, 73) have a generally semicircular shape and/or a shape corresponding to the interior shape of the cylindrical housing (3) for closing the housing with regard to the airflow, wherein the prong (72, 74) is arranged on an axis of mirror symmetry of the respective flap member (71, 73).to.
10. Airflow direction adjuster according to one of the claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the first and second flap member (71, 73) are configured to lie plane against one another in a fully opened state and/or in that the first and second flap member (71, 73) are pivotable for 300 to 900, in particular for 450 to 600, preferably for 500, from the fully opened state to a dosed state with respect to a flap pivot axis (F).
11. 11. Airflow direction adjuster (0 for directing airflow towards a passenger (200) in a cabin (tot) of a vehicle, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: a hollow cylindrical housing (3) attachable to a panel (103) of the vehicle and configured to guide the airflow (f) from a source towards the cabin (tot), a circular air guide (5), preferably including a louver arrangement (51), movably attached to the hollow cylindrical housing (3) in a downstream section (35) of the housing (3) , and configured to direct the airflow into a desired discharge direction (d), characterized by a cylindrical sleeve (4) interposed between air guide (5) and housing (3), wherein the air guide (5) is pivotably attached to the sleeve (4) and wherein the sleeve (3) is rotatably attached to the housing (3).
12. 12. Airflow direction adjuster (0 according to claim it, characterized in that the air guide is pivotable with respect to the sleeve in a range of up to ± 600, in particular ±900, preferably ±30° with respect to a guide pivot axis (P), wherein the rotary axis of an actuator knob (2) configured for receiving a manual rotary actuation movement for actuating a valve (7) configured to control the airflow is held coaxially with the rotary axis of the air guide (5), in particular corresponding to a secondary axis of rotation (B), wherein in particular the air guide (3) is rotatable around the secondary axis of rotation (B) independently of the position of the rotary actuator knob (2).
13. 13. Airflow direction adjuster (0 according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the sleeve (4) is rotatable for at least 90° and/or at most 360° or at most 180°, in particular freely rotatable, about a primary axis of rotation (A) defined by the housing (3).
14. 14. Airflow direction adjuster (i) according to one of the claims n to 13, characterized in that the sleeve (4) is held to the housing (3) with an annular cap (31) attached to the downstream section of the housing (3) at an end thereof facing into the cabin (im).
15. 15. Airflow direction adjuster (0 according to one of the claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the sleeve (4) and the housing (3) have meshing interface (43) to define a rotary position of sleeve (4) with respect to the housing (3), wherein in particular the meshing interface includes at least one protrusion (34) extending parallel to the primary axis of rotation (A) for engaging a complementary reception.
16. 16. Airflow direction adjuster (i) according to claim 15, characterized in that the sleeve (4) or the housing (3) comprises a profile (41) facing the direction of the primary axis of rotation (A) provided with multitude of receptions for engaging the protrusion.
17. 17. Airflow direction adjuster (i) according to claim 14 and 15 or 16, characterized by a spring member (33) forming the protrusion (34) and/or biasing the sleeve in the direction of the primary axis of rotation (A) against the housing (3) or against the cap (31).
18. 18. Airflow direction adjuster according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator knob is, preferably only, rotatable between a first position and a second position in a range between 300 and 3600, in particular between 450 and 18o°, preferably approximately 90°, from the first position to the second position, wherein the valve (7) is coupled to the knob (2) such that a fully opened state of the valve (7) corresponds to the first position of the knob (2) and such that a fully closed state of the valve (7) corresponds to the second position of the knob (2).