Abstract:
An air escape for ventilation systems in vehicles comprises manual adjusting means for as outflow direction and for an outflow volume. The manual adjusting means have a single operating element that is movable in translation and in rotation about an axis, translational movement of the operating element causing a change the outflow direction and rotational movement causing a chang of the volume flow. The operating element is connected by a cardan shaft ( 24 ) to an actuating drive that converts rotational movement of the cardan shaft into an adjustment movement of an air flap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to an air escape device for ventilation systems in vehicles, comprising manual adjusting means for an outflow direction and for an outflow volume.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Such air vents are used in vehicles in order to allow a controlled ventilation of the vehicle interior. Normally, the vehicle occupant can manually adjust the direction and the strength of the airflow by means of operating elements.  
           [0003]    An adjustment of the ventilation with just one operating element is known, for example, from EP 0,888,916 A2. Here, a wheel simultaneously opens an airflow flap and affects the position of vanes that direct the airflow into the interior of the vehicle. The volume flow is not adjustable independently of the direction in which the air enters the interior of the vehicle.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The invention provides an air escape wherein a single operating element can adjust the volume flow as well as the direction of the emerging airflow, independently of each other.  
           [0005]    In the air escape according to the invention, the manual adjusting means have an single operating element movable in translation and in rotation about an axis, translational movement of the operating element causing a change of the outflow direction and rotational movement causing a change of the outlfow volume, and the operating element is connected by a cardan shaft to an actuating drive that converts rotational movement of the cardan shaft into an adjustment movement of an air flap. A translational movement and a rotational movement by an operating element can be carried out independently of each other with just one hand, which enhances the ergonomic convenience, and these movements are easy to convert into a movement involving various components. While, for example, vanes that influence the direction of the airflow can be moved by the translational movement of the operating element, the extent to which an air flap is open can be changed by the rotational movement of the operating element, which is converted into an adjustment movement in order to regulate the volume flow.  
           [0006]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the linear movement is converted into a pivoting movement of the air flap by means of a lever connected to the air flap. In this manner, a simple conversion of the rotational movement into an opening movement of an air flap can be achieved.  
           [0007]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuating drive comprises a threaded spindle and a nut engaged with it, the nut being mounted such that it cannot be rotated or axially displaced, and the threaded spindle is arranged with respect to the nut such that it can be rotated and axially displaced. The length compensation needed in this case along the cardan shaft is preferably achieved in that the threaded spindle consists of an inner part and an outer part, the inner and outer parts being coupled for joint rotation and so as to be axially displaceable with respect to each other. With such a mechanism, a rotational movement can easily and reliably be converted into a translational movement.  
           [0008]    Advantageously, the operating element is coupled to the actuating drive so as to have a slight axial play, in order to allow a limited translational movement of the operating element.  
           [0009]    Additional features and advantages of the invention ensue from the subordinate claims.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0010]    The invention is described in greater detail below on the basis of several embodiments and making reference to the appended drawings. The following is shown in the drawings:  
           [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1—a schematic three-dimensional view of part of an air escape according to the invention in a first embodiment;  
           [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2—a cross section through an air escape according to the invention in a first embodiment;  
           [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3—another cross section through an air escape according to the invention in a first embodiment;  
           [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4—a schematic drawing of an actuating drive for an air escape according to the invention in a second embodiment; and  
           [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5—a schematic drawing of an actuating drive for an air escape according to the invention in a third embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 shows the manual adjusting means of an air escape according to the invention in a first embodiment of the invention. The manual adjusting means has a first set of air guiding vanes  10  arranged in parallel to each other. Upstream from the first set of air guiding vanes  10  is a second set of air guiding vanes  14 , the air guiding vanes  14  being perpendicular to the air guiding vanes  10 .  
         [0017]    In a known manner, the vanes of the first and second set are connected to each other via carriers  18 ,  20  so that every movement of a vane brings about a parallel movement of all of the vanes of that particular set. These carriers  18 ,  20  can be connected to a housing  22  (not shown in FIG. 1). The housing  22  can be attached to the vehicle.  
         [0018]    An operating element  12  is connected to at least one vane  10  of this first set. In this case, the operating element is configured as an operating knob. The operating knob  12  is also connected to a fork-shaped component  16  that is in contact with two vanes  14  of the second set.  
         [0019]    The operating knob  12  is connected to the vane  10  of the first set in such a way that it can be displaced in the lengthwise direction of this vane but, in the direction perpendicular thereto, said knob is coupled to said vane in a form-fitting manner. Moreover, the operating knob  12  is arranged so as to rotate around its lengthwise axis.  
         [0020]    A tilting movement of the operating knob  12  directly causes a change in the angle of the vanes  10  of the first set, while a translational movement of the operating knob  12  is transmitted via the fork-shaped component  16  to the vanes  14  of the second set, bringing about a change in their setting angle.  
         [0021]    Furthermore, the operating knob  12  is connected to a cardan shaft  24  that transmits a rotational movement of the operating knob  12  to an actuating drive  26 . The cardan shaft  24  is configured in such a way that the operating knob  12  has a certain amount of axial play, so that it can execute limited translational compensation movements during its tilting movements.  
         [0022]    A first joint  28  of the cardan shaft  24  is arranged between two vanes  14  of the second set in a recess of the fork-shaped component  16 . A second joint  30  transmits the rotational movement to the actuating drive  26 .  
         [0023]    The actuating drive  26  (see FIG. 3) comprises a nut  34  as well as threaded spindle  32  engaged with it. The nut  34  is firmly connected to a housing-mounted component  35 . The threaded spindle  32  consists of an inner part  32 ′ and an outer part  32 ″ which are connected in such a way that they cannot be rotated, but can be displaced axially with respect to each other. The inner part  32 ′ concurrently forms the inner part of the joint  30 . The outer part  32 ″ of the threaded spindle  32  is connected on the end  25  facing away from the cardan shaft  24  with a joint  36 ′ of another cardan shaft  36  in such a way that the end  25  can rotate freely in the joint  36 ′. The cardan shaft  36  is connected by a lever mechanism  38  with an airflow flap  40 . This airflow flap  40  is arranged in a ventilation duct  42  in such a way that it can completely close it.  
         [0024]    A rotational movement of the operating knob  12  is transmitted via the cardan shaft  24  to the actuating drive  26 , whereby a rotation of the joint  30  brings about a rotation of the inner part  32 ′ of the threaded spindle  32  and in this manner, a rotation of the outer part  32 ″. The result is a translational movement of the outer part  32 ″ with respect to the nut  34  in the axial direction. The necessary length compensation is achieved by an axial displacement of the inner part  32 ′ relative to the outer part  32 ″.  
         [0025]    The translational movement of the outer part  32 ″ is transmitted via the cardan shaft  36  to the lever mechanism  38 , which results in a rotation of the airflow flap  40 .  
         [0026]    The necessary length compensation can also be achieved by components in the cardan shaft  24  that can be displaced relative to each other.  
         [0027]    Therefore, the direction of the airflow is adjusted by changing the setting angle of the vanes  10  of the first set and/or by pivoting the vanes  14  of the second set by means of a corresponding movement of the operating knob  12 , which is transmitted directly to the vanes  10  of the first set and, via the component  16 , to the vanes  14  of the second set, whereas the air volume flow is adjusted by a rotation of the operating knob, which is converted into a movement of an air flap.  
         [0028]    A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the rotational movement of the operating element is converted into an adjustment movement of the airflow flap  40  by a bevel gear  126  that is connected via a cardan shaft  124  to the operating knob. The cardan shaft  124  is connected to a first conical gear wheel  128  of the bevel gear  126 , which engages with a second conical gear wheel  130  situated on the airflow flap  40 . A rotation of the operating knob is converted into a rotational movement of the shaft  124  which, in turn, brings about a rotation of the conical gear wheel  128 , as a result of which the conical gear wheel  130  is made to move and the setting angle of the flap  40  is changed.  
         [0029]    Any length compensation that might be necessary can be achieved by means of components of the cardan shaft  124  that can move axially relative to each other.  
         [0030]    In a third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the rotational movement is converted into an adjustment of the airflow flap  40  by means of an actuating drive mechanism  226  connected to a cardan shaft  224 , said actuating drive mechanism  226  having a lever  200  with an angled end that is attached to the housing  22  so that it can be rotated but cannot be displaced, and it is attached to the airflow flap  40  by a rigid connecting member  202 . The connecting member  202  is eccentrically attached to the airflow flap  40 .  
         [0031]    A rotation of the operating knob is transmitted to the lever  200  via the cardan shaft  224 . The actuating drive mechanism  226  is configured in such a way that, when the angled end of the lever  200  executes a rotational movement, the distance of the angled end of the lever that serves to attach the connecting member  202  to the airflow flap  40  changes (shown by a broken line in FIG. 5). As a result of the eccentric arrangement of the connecting member  202  on the airflow flap  40 , such a change in distance brings about a change in the setting angle of the flap.  
         [0032]    The cardan shaft  224  can have a certain amount of play perpendicular to its lengthwise axis as is indicated in FIG. 5 by broken lines.