AIR VENT APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

An air vent apparatus for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a rear wing having a plurality of lead wires plated in a longitudinal direction by a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) method, and a knob connected to the rear wing and configured such that a position of the knob is horizontally adjustable. At this point, the knob includes a housing surrounding a partial section of the rear wing, an electrode portion located inside the housing and having input and output terminals electrically connected to the lead wire, and a light source electrically connected between the input and output terminals of the electrode portion to emit light into a vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0104903, filed on Aug. 9, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to an air vent apparatus for a vehicle.

2. Discussion of Related Art

In general, air vent apparatuses for a vehicle are operated by a method in which a user operates a knob to adjust a wind direction of a wing. However, such air vent apparatuses lead to many restrictions on a configuration of electrical connection lines (hereinafter, wires) for operating parts with small packaging.

For example, when wire paths of the operating parts are incorrectly considered in design, a problem such as a malfunction of the apparatus or an open circuit of the wire may occur.

As a specific example, when interior lightings are configured inside the knob as a part of providing convenience in a relatively narrow space according to a slim cockpit structure, conventional air vent apparatuses have difficulty in constituting a printed circuit board (PCB) inside the knob, and in the wiring process, there is a high possibility that the wires are exposed or interference between adjacent parts occurs.

As a result, it is difficult to implement various convenience structures within the slim type cockpit with the conventional wire method, thereby inevitably leading to disappointment in terms of diversity.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to providing an air vent apparatus for a vehicle, which may solve the conventional wire interference and open circuit problems through a wire integrated structure to which a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) (hereinafter, referred to as an ‘LMA’) is applied.

The object of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned object, and other objects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air vent apparatus for a vehicle including a rear wing having a plurality of lead wires plated in a longitudinal direction by a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) method, and a knob connected to the rear wing and configured such that a position of the knob is horizontally adjustable.

The knob includes a housing surrounding a partial section of the rear wing, an electrode portion located inside the housing and having input and output terminals electrically connected to the lead wire, and a light source electrically connected between the input and output terminals of the electrode portion to emit light into a vehicle.

A wiring engraved portion in which the lead wire is plated may be formed on a lower end surface of the rear wing in the longitudinal direction. The rear wing may include a knob connection portion providing a movement path of the knob in a partial section in the longitudinal direction.

The knob connection portion may have first and second recess portions formed by recessing on the movement path of the knob, and the first and second recess portions may be located at different heights.

The first and second recess portions may prevent the input and output terminals of the electrode portion connected to the plurality of lead wires from interfering with each other when the knob horizontally moves on the knob connection portion.

The lead wire may be electrically connected to a battery for a vehicle.

Meanwhile, an air vent apparatus for a vehicle according to a modified embodiment (different configuration) of the present disclosure includes a rear wing including a wiring engraved portion in which a plurality of lead wires connected to a battery for a vehicle are plated, and a knob connection portion having first and second recess portions having different heights in a partial section in a longitudinal direction, a knob electrically connected to the knob connection portion of the rear wing and configured such that a position of the knob is horizontally adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the knob connection portion, and a light source electrically connected between the lead wire of the rear wing and the knob to emit light into a vehicle.

The wiring engraved portion may be formed on a lower end surface of the rear wing in the longitudinal direction, and the first and second recess portions may be located at a central portion of the wiring engraved portion.

The lead wire may be plated inside the wiring engraved portion and on the first and second recess portions by a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) method.

The knob may include a housing surrounding a partial section of the rear wing, and an electrode portion located inside the housing and having input and output terminals electrically connecting the light source and the lead wire.

According to the present disclosure, an air vent apparatus for a vehicle can solve the conventional wire interference and open circuit problems through a wire integrated structure to which a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) (hereinafter, referred to as an ‘LMA’) is applied.

In particular, the present disclosure is significant in that the wire can be configured even in a narrow space to present the modeling capable of reflecting various design structures, and at the same time, provide various convenience structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of achieving them will be made clear from embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments disclosed below but will be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains, and the present disclosure is defined by the description of the claims. Meanwhile, terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the present specification, the singular forms include the plural forms as well unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprise” or “comprising” used herein do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps, operations, and/or devices other than stated elements, steps, operations, and/or devices. As used in the present specification, the term “and/or” includes any one of the corresponding listed items and all combinations of one or more of them.

FIGS.1to5show an air vent apparatus for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS.1to5, an air vent apparatus for a vehicle10is mounted inside a dashboard (not shown) inside a vehicle to convert air introduced from an air-conditioner (not shown) for a vehicle into a direct wind mode or an indirect wind mode and guide the air into the vehicle. The air vent apparatus for a vehicle10adopts a convenience structure such as lighting so that a user easily identifies the air vent apparatus in a process of performing each function.

To this end, the air vent apparatus for a vehicle10includes a duct100, a front wing200, a rear wing300, a knob400, and a guide bracket500.

The duct100has an air flow path provided with an inlet and an outlet as a portion communicating with an air-conditioner. The inlet is a portion connected to the air-conditioner, and the outlet is a portion directed to the interior of the vehicle.

The front wing200is located on the air flow path of the duct100to adjust the flow of air directed to the interior of the vehicle in a left-right direction (horizontally).

The rear wing300is located at the outlet of the duct100to adjust the flow of air directed to the interior of the vehicle in an up-down direction (vertically).

The rear wing300includes a wiring engraved portion310and a knob connection portion340.

The wiring engraved portion310is formed on a lower end surface of the rear wing300in a longitudinal direction.

First and second lead wires320and330electrically connected to a battery for a vehicle are plated inside the wiring engraved portion310by a laser manufacturing antenna (LMA) method. The first and second lead wires320and330may be applied within the rear wing300, which is an injection assembling part, in an integrated structure.

As another example, the first and second lead wires320and330electrically connected to the battery for a vehicle may be configured by a conductive ink inside the wiring engraved portion310.

The knob connection portion340is located in a partial section in the longitudinal direction of the rear wing300and provides a movement path of the knob400.

Such a knob connection portion340includes a first recess portion341and a second recess portion342having different heights. Here, the first recess portion341and the second recess portion342may be located at a central portion of the wiring engraved portion310.

The first and second lead wires320and330plated on the wiring engraved portion310may be plated in the first recess portion341and the second recess portion342.

The knob400serves to horizontally rotate and adjust the front wing200by a user's manual operation and/or an automatic operation in conjunction with the front wing200and the rear wing300, and vertically rotate and adjust the rear wing300.

Such a knob400includes a housing410, an electrode portion420, a light source430, and a cover440.

The housing410may have a E shape surrounding a partial section of the rear wing300, and have an end with an opened one surface snap-fit fastened vertically. At this point, the end of the housing410with the opened one surface is connected to the front wing200. In other words, the housing410may be connected to the front wing200in a state of surrounding the rear wing300to adjust wind directions of the front wing200and the rear wing300by the up, down, left, and right operations.

The electrode portion420includes a first terminal421and a second terminal422located inside the housing410and electrically connected to the first and second lead wires320and330.

Here, the first terminal421and the second terminal422may be configured as an input terminal and an output terminal, respectively. For example, when the first terminal421is the input terminal, the second terminal422may be the output terminal, and when the first terminal421is the output terminal, the second terminal422may be the input terminal.

The light source430is electrically connected between the first and second terminals421and422of the electrode portion420to emit light into a vehicle.

The cover440may be snap-fit fastened to the other end of the opened one surface of the housing410in the form of surrounding the light source430. At this point, the cover440may be also made of a transparent or opaque material or formed in a mesh shape to generate the lighting of the light source430.

Meanwhile, as a specific example in which the light source430is connected to emit light, when the first terminal421is the input terminal, one end of the first terminal421is electrically connected to the light source430, and the other end of the first terminal421is electrically connected to the first lead wire320.

One end of the second terminal422is electrically connected to the light source430, and the other end of the second terminal422is electrically connected to the second lead wire330.

One ends of the first and second lead wires320and330may be connected to the first terminal421and the second terminal422, respectively, and the other ends of the first and second lead wires320and330may be connected to a battery. The battery may supply power to the light source430with the flow of a current through an anode and a cathode.

At this point, the battery may be managed by a battery management unit (BMU), and the BMU may be controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU).

The first and second recess portions341and342are configured in a stepped structure. This is to prevent the first and second terminals421and422of the electrode portion420to which the first and second lead wires320and330are connected from interfering with each other when the knob400horizontally moves on the knob connection portion340.

The guide bracket500is connected to both ends of the rear wing300within the duct100to guide the vertical adjustment of the rear wing300. Both ends of such a guide bracket500are provided with first and second connectors510and520connected to the first and second lead wires320and330, respectively. Here, the first and second connectors510and520serve as a connection medium connecting between the first and second lead wires320and330and the battery.

A shaft groove connected to rotation shafts350formed at both ends of the rear wing300is provided at a rear end of the guide bracket500, and a guide hole530to which a guide shaft360of the rear wing300is fastened to guide a rotation path of the guide shaft360is formed at a front end of the guide bracket500. At this point, the guide hole530may be formed at one and/or all of two guide brackets500connected to both ends of the rear wing300, and the number of guide hole530may be the same as the number of guide shafts360.

FIGS.6to8show an air vent apparatus for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS.6to8, unlike the first embodiment, in an air vent apparatus10′ according to the second embodiment, a lead wire220′ may be plated on a plated portion210′ of a front wing200′ in the LMA method, or the lead wire220′ may be constituted using a conductive ink.

As the lead wire220′ is concealed by the plated portion210′ of the front wing200′, the lead wire220′ is not exposed to the outside, and the lead wires220′ do not interfere with each other even when each component is operated and fastened, so that it is possible to solve malfunction or wire open circuit problems of the apparatus.

The plated portion210′ may be formed to be curved along a lower end of the front wing200′, and the lead wire220′ may be plated corresponding to a shape of the plated portion210′.

Here, a plurality of lead wires220′ may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other, and input and output terminals450′ and460′ each connected to the plurality of lead wires220′ are built by a knob400′. A light source430′ is electrically connected between the input and output terminals450′ and460′.

The above-described first and second embodiments exemplify each configuration, but the first and second embodiments may be integrally applied in some cases. For example, the plating the lead wire in the LMA method may also constitute the rear wing300in the first embodiment and the front wing200′ in the second embodiment as one embodiment.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be variously modified and practiced without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.