Having Swiveling Nozzle Patents (Class 454/154)
  • Patent number: 7014557
    Abstract: The air outlet device (10) for the interior of a vehicle, particularly for being arranged above a seat of a vehicle such as, e.g., an airplane, a bus or the like, is provided with an air outlet element (38) comprising at least one air inlet opening (44) and an air outlet opening (45). Further, the air outlet device (10) comprises a slide element (46) for blocking and unblocking the at least one air inlet opening (44) and an actuating element (30) for moving the slide element (46), which is arranged at the air outlet opening (45) and comprises a collar. The actuating element (30) is supported so as to be pivotable about a longitudinal axis (50) of the collar. When the actuating element (30) is rotated, the slide element (46) is movable along a curved path for blocking and unblocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Goodrich Hella Aerospace Lighting Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Thomassin, Stefan Harasta, Elmar Schrewe
  • Patent number: 6974377
    Abstract: Air duct outlets for use on inclined surfaces within vehicles are provided. An air duct outlet includes a body having a fascia with an opening formed therein. A louver assembly is disposed within the fascia opening and is movable between a first position substantially flush with the fascia and a second position substantially nonflush with the fascia. The louver assembly includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet. A set of louvers are secured within the housing in spaced-apart adjacent relationship and are configured to adjust the direction of air flowing through the housing. An actuator extends from the fascia adjacent the opening and is operably connected with the louver assembly. Movement of the actuator within a first range causes pivotal movement of the louvers, and movement of the actuator within a second range causes pivotal movement of the louver assembly between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman Products Co.
    Inventors: Thomas F.J. Gehring, Ireneusz Jankowski, Dejan Havidic
  • Publication number: 20040224625
    Abstract: An air vent for a ventilation system in a vehicle is disclosed that has an air circulation chamber (1) defined by a housing (9) that has a generally bulged shape. An inflow duct (2) is connected to this housing and opens into the circulation chamber (1), the housing having a perforated wall area (3). An air stream, in use, enters the circulation chamber (1) through inflow duct (2), circulates through the air circulation chamber and exits through the perforated wall area. The air vent further comprises a movable air deflection member disposed to deflect the air stream transversely to an axial direction of the inflow duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components Gmbh & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Demerath, Markus Bittcher
  • Patent number: 6719623
    Abstract: A device that allows a sitting airline passenger to control the direction and volume of the airflow from an overhead air conditioning nozzle by manipulating a remote control keyboard located near the passenger. It increases an individual's thermal comfort in an aircraft cabin by allowing the individual to regulate the thermal conditions at their seat. The present invention also allows an individual-supplemental air volume to be introduced into an aircraft cabin by means of individual spreadable and adjustable air outlets to provide a “local” climate zone that is distinct from the basic cabin climate or condition. The present invention also provides a means of remote passenger manipulation of the individual-supplemental air volume and direction and all from the comfort of the passenger seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Hybrid Systems
    Inventors: Levik Kodaveridan, David Garakanian
  • Publication number: 20040063397
    Abstract: An air vent is provided that is capable of delivering a distributed divergent air flow with a predominant direction of flow that can be changed within a wide range of mutually perpendicular directions. In one embodiment, the air vent has an outlet grid that is generally ball shaped and that is rotatably mounted at an end of an air duct for rotation about its center. Each of the multiple outlet openings of the grid points to a direction that is different from pointing directions of all other outlet openings so that a divergent air flow is obtained. By rotating the ball shaped grid about its center, the predominant direction of air flow can nevertheless be changed in a within a wide range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Dippel
  • Patent number: 6645065
    Abstract: An air outlet system of a sphere and socket type. The air outlet system includes a housing, a hollow sphere rotatably mounted therein, and a bearing therebetween; and pluralities of openings in respective predetermined shapes formed in oppositely disposed portions of the hollow sphere for dispersing air supplied thereto from a remote source in respective diffused or straight paths, depending upon the rotational position of the hollow sphere in the housing. An intermediate position of the sphere between the oppositely disposed openings serves to block the flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Inventors: David A. Rooney, Dan M. Bui
  • Patent number: 6616523
    Abstract: Air-accumulating chamber of a roof air duct has a non-branched configuration and is located substantially centrally in a widthwise direction of a vehicle. Air emission port sections emit conditioned air from the air-accumulating chamber toward respective rear seats. In each of the air emission port sections, a sawtooth-like surface is formed on each port base member and a resilient locking protrusion is provided on a grill for meshing engagement with the sawtooth-like surface. Air emission port, air-conditioner operating section and room lamp are provided together as a unit on the port base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Tani, Yasuyuki Koma
  • Patent number: 6610116
    Abstract: An air filter system for use by airline passengers on commercial airlines and the like. The housing is configured to clamp to the gasper air supply nozzle of the airliner. The housing is configured to direct air from the air supply nozzle through the filter medium. Thus, the present invention provides a filter which may easily be installed by an airline passenger so as to mitigate airborne contaminants from the air supply nozzle of the airliner. The air filter system provides a flow of comparatively clean air to the passenger and the flow of comparatively clean air directs undesirable airborne contaminants found within the passenger cabin of the airliner away from the passenger, thus forming a region of comparatively clean air generally around the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Inventor: Neal H. Avery
  • Patent number: 6386967
    Abstract: An air ventilator for ventilating cold or heated air into the interior of an automobile from a duct is provided. The air ventilator includes a pair of wing units having a plurality of wings fixed in various angles, a housing for receiving the wing units, and a gear mounted between the wing units and engaged to be driven by a motor to rotate the wing units simultaneously to automatically change the direction of ventilated air. The pair of wing units preferably have their wings twisted to direct air flow in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyo Keun Kim
  • Patent number: 6364760
    Abstract: An air outlet system of a sphere and socket type. The air outlet system includes a housing, a hollow sphere rotatably mounted therein, and a bearing therebetween; and pluralities of openings in respective predetermined shapes formed in oppositely disposed portions of the hollow sphere for dispersing air supplied thereto from a remote source in respective diffused or straight paths, depending upon the rotational position of the hollow sphere in the housing. An intermediate position of the sphere between the oppositely disposed openings serves to block the flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Inventor: David A. Rooney
  • Patent number: 6261173
    Abstract: An open motor vehicle, such as a convertible or a roadster, has at least one vehicle seat accommodated in a vehicle interior. A wind partition is assigned to the at least one vehicle seat and is arranged behind the backrest covering at least the headrest area. A heating system which has at least one heat exchanger through which at least a portion of the air flows which reaches the wind partition. For supplying the headrest area with warm air during a drive with an open top without an intervention in the wind partition and an impairment of the design, the at least one heat exchanger is integrated in a shaft constructed in the vehicle interior behind the backrest. The shaft is provided with an air inflow device which is situated upstream of the heat exchanger and with an air outflow device situated downstream of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Odebrecht
  • Patent number: 6176775
    Abstract: A fresh air nozzle device (10) for the passenger compartment of a vehicle, having a housing (12) which at the outlet side is provided with slats (30) for guiding the air flow and which has a slat-adjusting member. At the outlet side the housing (12) has a circular opening end portion (14) on which there is rotatably provided an adjusting ring (22) forming the slat-adjusting member. The slats (30) are connected to the adjusting ring (22). The opening end portion (14) of the housing (12) is formed with two diametrally oppositely disposed longitudinal slots which are oriented in the peripheral direction of the housing (12) and through each of which extends a respective connecting pin (34). The two connecting pins (34) are axially aligned with each other and they serve for connecting the adjusting ring (22) to an inner ring (24) which is provided with the slats (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Dr. Franz Schneider Kunststoffwerke GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Siegfried Volk
  • Patent number: 6145754
    Abstract: According to the present invention, even when the two-layer mode in which the inside air is introduced into a first air passage and the outside air is introduced into a second air passage is set, it is further determined whether air mix doors are controlled at the maximum hot positions. When it has been determined that the air mix doors are controlled at the maximum hot positions, the inside/outside air introduction mode is still set to the two-layer mode, because the temperature difference due to the outside air temperature is small, however, otherwise, the inside/outside air introduction mode is not set to the two-layer mode but is set to a mode in which the outside air is introduced into the both air passages. In this way, it is possible to prevent the difference between the temperatures of the air blown out from a defroster opening portion and a foot opening portion from being increased due to the temperature of the outside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Uemura, Kazushi Shikata, Hiroshi Nonoyama, Hikaru Sugi, Kenji Suwa, Tadashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6059652
    Abstract: An improved ventilation register for a vehicle and the like is provided which comprises an elongated housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle and having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of air and an outlet opening adapted to distribute the air into a vehicle compartment. A grille assembly is mounted in the outlet opening of the elongated housing and comprising a grille housing having an inlet opening in register with the inlet opening of the elongated housing and an outlet opening in register with the outlet opening of the elongated housing. At least one directional vane can be mounted in the grille housing which is adapted to direct the flow of air passing through the outlet opening of the elongated housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Summit Polymers, Inc.
    Inventors: Warren W. Terry, Michael A. Dinsmore
  • Patent number: 5967891
    Abstract: An air vent for a heating or air conditioning system comprising an air flow nozzle having a part spherical outer wall mounted within a housing which is substantially circular in cross section about a longitudinal axis and shaped to allow swivelling of the nozzle within it, the nozzle being mounted to the housing via a gimbal member, the gimbal member comprising two legs with a web extending between them, each leg extending between the housing and the nozzle wall in a longitudinal direction, each leg being pivotally attached to the housing at diametrically opposite points such that the gimbal member may rotate about a first axis with respect to the housing, the gimbal member also comprising a tongue extending from the web to the first axis between the pivot points of the housing and being pivotally attached to the nozzle about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Joseph Riley, Keith Malcolm Evans
  • Patent number: 5746651
    Abstract: The outlet assembly (10) includes a housing (14) and a barrel or eyeball (20) moveable therein. The barrel (20) includes directional vanes (22) for redirecting air. A retainer ring (24) interconnects the barrel (20) in the housing and allows rotation of the barrel (20) about a first axis (A) which extends through a diameter of the retainer ring (24) and about a second axis (B) which extends through the center point of the retainer ring (24) perpendicular to the first axis (A) and in a plane extending through the perimeter of the ring (24). The retainer ring (24) slides along a guide (26) within the housing (14), and the barrel (20) pivots about pivot pins (28,30) connected to the retainer ring (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Guntis Arajs, Dennis Patel
  • Patent number: 5643080
    Abstract: An air conditioner duct being suitable for connection with an air conditioner arranged in a cab. The air conditioner duct is provided with an air outlet member, which includes an air release portion for releasing air into the cab and plural fins for guiding air to the air release portion. The air outlet member comprises a turnable air outlet member shaped to enclose a duct portion, to which the turnable air outlet member is connected, and is turnable relative to the duct portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kondoh, Tsuyoshi Sakyo, Yoshimi Iwase, Sadahisa Tomita, Kazunori Komatsu, Kazuhisa Tamura
  • Patent number: 5588910
    Abstract: A barrel type air outlet is provided for an opening in an instrument panel or other panel or compartment of a vehicle. The air outlet contains two sets of stationary vanes for directing a stream of air. The first set of stationary vanes is oriented parallel to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the barrel and to one another to direct the stream of air in a jet flow pattern. The second set of stationary vanes is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and nonparallel to the transverse axis and nonparallel to one another to direct the stream of air in a diffuse pattern to avoid direct impingement of the stream of air on the driver or other occupants of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Hutter, Christopher J. Martin, Thomas W. Roesner
  • Patent number: 5567230
    Abstract: An air filter unit for use with an air ventilation control nozzle in the cabin of an aircraft. The air filter unit includes a housing containing a filter medium, wherein the filter medium has a first side and a second side. The housing includes an inlet port positioned on the first side of the filter medium and an outlet port positioned on the second side of the filter medium, wherein the inlet port includes a connecting member dimensioned to snugly fit over the circumference of the ventilation control nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Inventor: Hugh J. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 5370576
    Abstract: A forced flow of outside ventilation air may be selectively directed into the cab of a truck using a specially designed fan assembly that works in conjunction with an existing vent structure disposed within a ventilation passage extending through a wall of the cab. The existing vent structure has a control member which is manually operable from the interior of the cab to selectively permit or preclude outside air inflow to the cab interior through the ventilation passage. The fan assembly includes a housing having an open front side, and an open rear side secured to the cab wall portion over the inner side of the ventilation passage. A cover plate having a pair of air flow openings therein is secured to the front side of the housing for pivotal movement relative thereto between a closed position in which the cover plate blocks the front housing side, and an open position providing manual access to the vent structure control member through the housing interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignees: Eleanor L. Sackett, Jon W. Krofchalk
    Inventor: Gary F. Krofchalk
  • Patent number: 5162018
    Abstract: An air vent system having an inner tube slidably disposed within a liner. A lock mechanism is mounted at one end of the inner tube. A lock pin is disposed at one end of the liner and is constructed to engage the lock mechanism such that the air vent system can be selectively moved between an open position and a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Inventor: Donald L. Horton
  • Patent number: 5099753
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of maximizing transfer of thermal energy to or from an oscillating or swept air jet propogated over a windshield. The air jet is projected through short distances in ambient from a nozzle properly aimed at said windshield. The wavelength of the oscillating or swept jet is caused to be greater than the nozzle distance from windshield and smaller than the length extent of windshield in the direction of air jet propogation across it whereby there is less of loss or gain of thermal energy from said air jet in the space between said nozzle and said windshield and a maximum transfer of thermal energy between the windshield and air jet by lessening the thickness of any insulating boundary layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Bowles Fluidics Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald D. Stouffer
  • Patent number: 5080002
    Abstract: Starting with an outlet nozzle having directional louvers which are mutually slaved by a coupler in the region of their air-intaking back edge and are respectively able to swivel around a swivel axis which runs parallel to the front edge on the outlet side, a further increase of comfort can be achieved by means of an additional diffused setting of the directional louvers with simple means of small construction, whereby the directional louvers are guided in the region of their back edges by those types of crank guideways for the directional louvers in a horizontally and vertically guided crank carriage. The directional louvers are guided in a first setting of the crank carriage into a parallel directed airstream setting with the ability to swivel parallel to each other. During a horizontal movement of the crank carriage, the louvers are correspondingly guided into the respective diffused-flow setting by their respective crank guideways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Freddie Soethout, Martin Prause