Abstract:
An oscillator device is configured to be attached to a vent in an interior of an automotive vehicle. The device includes a housing and a fan element pivotally coupled thereto. The fan element has a plurality of radially outwardly extending channels for causing rotation of the fan element relative to the housing and for distributing air radially outwardly from the vent as air passes from the vent and through the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to air vent for automotive vehicle interiors. More particularly, the invention relates to an air vent having a fan element 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Automotive vehicles typically include a ventilation system that blows air through a vent for heating or cooling air in a passenger compartment. Conventional vent designs allow for only manual adjustment of the direction of the air flowing from the vent. Directing heated or cooled air, however, to any one location in the vehicle creates a hot or cold spot that may cause discomfort to occupants in the vehicle. This becomes an inconvenience for the occupants or the driver, who must continuously adjust the vent to minimize hot or cold spots felt by occupants in the vehicle. Thus, it remains desirable to provide a device for automatically distributing air in an oscillating manner to minimize hot or cold spots and to eliminate the need to continuously manually regulate the position of the vents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention, an oscillating device is provided for directing air exiting a vent in an interior of a vehicle. The oscillating device includes a housing, a fan element, a clip mechanism and a pair of buttons. The housing has opposite and spaced apart sides. Each of fie sides has an aperture extending therethrough. Each of the sides extends between opposite front and back ends of the housing. The fan element is disposed in the housing for rotation therein about a fixed fan pivot axis. The fan element has a plurality of channels extending generally radially outwardly relative to the pivot axis so as to distribute air in a radially outward direction as air passes between the front and back ends of the housing. The clip mechanism extends along the back side of the housing for fixedly securing the housing to the vent. The clip mechanism is actuatable by a pair of arms. The pair of buttons is each slidably coupled to respective apertures in the sides of the housing. Each button is in mechanical communication with one of the arms, so as to allow actuation of the clip mechanism as the buttons are displaced inwardly toward the housing. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, an oscillating device is provided for directing air exiting a vent in an interior of a vehicle. The oscillating device includes a housing and a fan element. The housing is configured for attachment to the vent. The housing has opposite and spaced apart sides. Each of the sides has an aperture extending therethrough. Each of the sides extends between opposite front and back ends of the housing. The fan element is pivotally coupled to the housing for rotation about a fan pivot axis. The fan element has a plurality of channels each having an axis that extends radially outwardly relative to the pivot axis so as to distribute air in a radially outward direction as air passes between the front and back ends of the housing. The angle between the fan pivot axis and the axis of each channel is directly proportional to the distance between the channel and the fan pivot axis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dashboard of an automotive vehicle showing an oscillator device according to the invention coupled to an air vent; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the oscillator device; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the oscillator device; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the oscillator device; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the dashboard showing the oscillator device according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a dashboard in a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle is generally indicated at  10 . The dashboard  10  includes an air vent  12  that delivers air from a ventilation system of the vehicle. Described in detail below, the invention provides an oscillating device  20  that distributes the air passing through the air vents  12  in an oscillating manner into the passenger compartment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the oscillating device  20  includes a box-shaped housing  22  having a top wall  24 , a bottom wall  26  and a pair of side walls  28 ,  30 . A front side of the housing  22  ( FIG. 2 ) includes plurality of slats  32 ,  33 ,  35  extending between the side walls  28 ,  30 . One of the slats  33  includes a boss  34  extending inwardly toward the back side of the housing  22 . 
     A fan element  40  is pivotally coupled to the boss  34  for rotation about a fixed fan pivot axis A. The fan element  40  is generally convex shaped as viewed from the front of the housing  22 . The fan element  40  includes a plurality of troughs or channels  42 . The channels  42  each have an axis that extends along a direction not parallel to the fan pivot axis A. The channels  42  extend radially outwardly from the fan pivot axis A, so that air passing through the channels  42  is distributed radially outwardly from the front of the housing  22  as the fan element  40  rotates. In one embodiment, as best shown in  FIG. 4 , the angle between the axis of each channel and the fan pivot axis A is directly proportional to the distance between each channel and the fan pivot axis A. The channels  42  are also angled in a rotational direction, so that air passing through the channels  42  causes rotation of the fan element A about the fan pivot axis A. The channels  42  are shown arranged in a radially extending row, though it should be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the channels may be positioned along the fan element  40  in other ways. For example, the channels may be positioned along a nonradial linear path or along an arcuate path along the fan element. 
     Optionally, a damper  31  may be used to provide friction between the fan element  40  and the boss  34  to passively control the rotational speed of the fan element  40 . The damper may be viscous, elastomeric, or other suitable materials known by those skilled in the art. 
     Optionally, the oscillating device may also include a stop mechanism that allows selective locking of the fan element relative to the housing, so that air is directed by the channels to a fixed location. For example, a set screw may be threaded through a bore formed in the boss or the walls of the housing to interfere with the rotation of the fan element relative to the housing. Other examples of a stop mechanism may include a swing arm pivotally coupled to the housing or a pin slidably coupled to the housing, either of which may be movable to a locking position to interfere with the rotation of the fan element relative to the housing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the back side of the housing  22  includes a lattice-type support frame  50  extending between the top wall  24 , bottom wall  26  and side walls  28 ,  30 . More specifically, the support frame  50  includes a cross member  52  that extends between the side walls  28 ,  30 . The support frame  50  also includes a pair of generally parallel and spaced apart beams  54 ,  56  that is generally orthogonal relative to the cross member  52 . A plurality of middle walls  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64  extends generally orthogonally between the beams  54 ,  56 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , a clip mechanism  70  is supported by the frame  50  and allows the oscillating device  20  to be coupled to The vent. The clip mechanism  70  includes arms  72 ,  74  pivotally coupled to each other. The outer end of at least one of the arms  72 ,  74  includes teeth  76  for gripping a side of one of the rungs of the vent. In the embodiment shown in the figures, both arms  72 ,  74  include teeth  76  along the outer ends. Inner ends  73 ,  75  of the arms  72 ,  74  are coupled to respective rods  80 ,  82 . The rods  80 ,  82  extend through holes in the middle walls  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64  and are slidably coupled to the middle walls  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64 . The rods  80 ,  82  extend through respective top  24  and bottom  26  walls and terminate at buttons  84 ,  86 . Pressing the buttons  84 ,  86  toward each other causes the outer ends of the arms  72 ,  74  to separate for receiving a portion of the vent therebetween. Preferably, the arms  72 ,  74  are biased by a spring or other suitable biasing member (not shown) toward a closed position so that the teeth  76  continue to grasp the vent after the buttons  84 ,  86  are released. 
     Locating pins  90 ,  92  extend outwardly from the cross member  52  and extend between an adjacent pair of rungs to help position the oscillating device  20  relative to the vent. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the pins  90 ,  92  are spaced apart along a direction orthogonal to the rungs of the vent, so as to engage opposite sides of one of the rungs during installation of the oscillating device  20  to the vent. 
     In use, the buttons  84 ,  86  are pressed inwardly toward each other to separate the outer ends of the arms  72 ,  74 . A rung from the vent is inserted between the outer ends of the arms  72 ,  74 . The buttons  84 ,  86  are released to allow the teeth  76  to clamp opposite sides of the rung, thereby securing the oscillating device  20  to the vent. 
     Forced air exits the vents  12  and passes through the housing  22  of the oscillating device  20 . Some of the air passing through the housing  22  is redirected through the channels  42 , which creates a rotational force that causes the fan element  40  to rotate about the fan pivot axis A. As the fan elements  40  rotates about the pivot axis A, air is distributed radially and outwardly from the front of the housing  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a second embodiment of the oscillating device  20 ′ is shown. In this embodiment, the oscillating device  20 ′ is generally integrated with the dashboard  10 ′, wherein a front end of the housing is generally flush with an outer surface of the dashboard or otherwise disposed behind the vent in the dashboard. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is, therefore, to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the fan element may be actively driven or controlled by an actuator, such as an electric motor. The fan element may also be rotatably driven in a reciprocating manner between opposite directions, so as to distribute air from side to side in the passenger compartment. As another example, the oscillating device may be coupled with any vent located within the vehicle, such as in a rear side panel, a center console and the like. Thus, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.