Patent ID: 12246575

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1shows a perspective view of an actuating knob1of a ventilation outlet2, which in the example is mounted so as to be both displaceable in the horizontal direction and pivotable in a substantially vertical direction. The mounting of the actuating knob1can be seen in the figures commented on in more detail below. In the background ofFIG.1a housing3is shown, in which non-visible steering louvers for a ventilation flow (ventilation louvers) are arranged. The ventilation louvers that form the flow directing elements are shown inFIG.3.

The housing3may be installed in a dashboard of a vehicle, for example. On the actuating knob1, an illumination surface1amade clearly visible by emerging light when the operating knob is illuminated can be seen on its operating side. For this purpose, the illumination surface1acan be roughened or designed to be semi-transparent, for example. In principle, the actuating knob1is at least partially made of a material that is transparent to visible light, for example a transparent or translucent plastic or glass.

FIG.2shows in an enlarged view of the actuating knob1that it is displaceable in a first direction along the double arrow4and pivotable in a second direction along the double arrow5in a substantially vertical direction.

FromFIG.3, by omitting some elements of the design, the interaction of the actuating element1,12a, in particular the actuating knob1, with flow directing elements6,7,8of the ventilation outlet can be seen. Usually, these flow directing elements are designed as vertically and parallel arranged louvers. The louvers6,7,8are hinged to one another and can be actuated by means of at least one lever, which is coupled to the actuating knob1. By moving the actuating knob1horizontally together with the pipe12ain the direction of the arrow4inFIG.2, the louvers are pivoted about a vertical axis inFIG.3so that an air flow pivots in the horizontal direction.

When the actuating knob1is swiveled in the vertical direction, another flow directing element, which is pivotable about a horizontal directing element axis9inFIG.3, is actuated to allow a ventilation flow to be swiveled in the vertical direction. Usually, this flow element is designed as a horizontally arranged louver. The latter flow directing element, which can be pivoted about a horizontal directing element axis, is not shown in more detail inFIG.3, but can be seen inFIG.8, where it is designated by the reference number30. InFIG.3, the drive axis9of the louvers is drawn on the left side of the figure, around which the gear wheel10can be driven. The gear wheel10is driven by a segment gear11, which is connected to a pipe12, which in turn is connected to the actuating knob1.

By combined action of horizontal displacement of the actuating element1,12awith pivoting in vertical direction, a ventilation flow can sweep a three-dimensional space area with limited extension. In this context, the direction of movement when the actuating knob1is pivoted is referred to as vertical, since the pivoting movement is narrowly limited and only a portion of a circular path can be traversed by the actuating knob, which is oriented substantially vertically.

FIG.4shows that the actuating element comprises a pipe12athat is slidable and rotatable on a cylinder13. The cylinder13is formed as a hollow cylinder in which, as can be seen more clearly fromFIG.5, a cavity13ais arranged which extends in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder13as far as the actuating knob1and beyond, and which forms the cavity in which the light beam propagates. In this figure, an opening in a wall of the cavity can also be seen. A light guide (18) protrudes through this opening, which is part of the actuating knob and through which light is guided from the cavity to the operating side of the actuating knob. This opening is covered by the pipe12a.

The actuating fork14,14acooperates with a lever that actuates the vertical steering louvers6,7,8. The pipe12is configured so that the actuating element1,12ais displaceable relative to it in the direction of its longitudinal axis. When the actuating element1,12arotates, it takes the pipe12with it and also sets it in a rotating motion. Connected to the pipe12is a lever11awhich carries at its free end a segment gear11for driving the gear wheel10(cf.FIG.3). Thus, via the segmental gear11, the pivoting movement of the actuating element is transmitted to a flow directing element, in particular a horizontal louver, in the vertical direction. In other embodiments, multiple flow directing elements arranged parallel to each other may also be provided. The elements referred to can be seen in a longitudinal section inFIG.5.

InFIG.4, a light source15is schematically indicated inside the cylinder13, which can be formed by a light-emitting diode, for example. By way of example,FIG.5schematically shows a light source15aoutside the cylinder, from which light can be irradiated into the cylinder13and into its cavity13a. For example, the light can be irradiated directly through an opening or introduced into the cylinder13through an optical fiber. Here, the light can have different colors, for example red, green or blue, or a mixture of colors or a color dependent on environmental or operating conditions. The light beam24propagates in the direction of the axis16in the cavity13a, which is best seen inFIG.5and which may, for example, be cylindrical within the cylinder13. At the level of the actuating knob1, the light beam falls on a reflection surface17, which in the example ofFIG.5is formed by a boundary surface of the transparent material of the actuating knob1. In this case, the light beam enters the material of the actuating knob on the side facing the light source15athrough a light incidence surface (cf.FIG.6) and is reflected on its rear side at the reflection surface17toward the operating side and the illumination surface1a. For this purpose, the material of the actuating knob1has a projection18which projects into the light beam24. The transparent material of the actuating knob1can, for example, be inserted as a cone-shaped insert1bin a non-optically transparent receiving part1cof the actuating knob, where it can be glued in place, for example. This prevents unwanted ambient light from entering the transparent part1bof the actuating knob1from the side.

The light incidence surface of the actuating knob1is formed by the light incidence surface18ain the case of the example shown inFIGS.4and5. It will be shown below with reference toFIG.7that a light incidence surface of an actuating knob can also be designed in a different way.

InFIG.4and inFIG.5, light beams19are shown schematically inside the actuating knob1, which can expand in a fan-like manner in the material of the actuating knob towards the operating side and the illumination surface1ain order to illuminate the entire illumination surface1a.

FIG.6again shows an enlarged cross-section through the actuating knob1, which has on its side opposite the operating side and the illumination surface1athe rod-shaped projection18with the light incidence surface18afor introducing and deflecting the light beam24which is irradiated along the axis16. In this variant of the actuating knob, the light beam first enters the material of the actuating knob and is reflected at its rear reflection surface17toward the illumination surface1a.

FIG.7shows a variant in which the reflection surface17ais formed as a mirror provided outside the transparent material of the cone1bof the actuating knob1. The reflection surface17ais thus part of a mirror body20that projects into the light path of the light beam propagating along the axis16. The light is reflected into the interior of the cone-shaped body1bby the reflection surface17a, wherein a boundary surface21of the cone-shaped body1bmay be curved to form an entrance lens that may cause the light beam to expand toward the illumination surface1a. In this constellation, the reflection surface17aacts as a light incidence surface.

In addition, light scattering bodies22,23are exemplarily drawn inFIG.7within the transparent material of the cone1b, through which the light can be scattered on its way to the illumination surface1ain such a way that the illumination surface is uniformly illuminated. Such light-diffusing elements can of course also be provided in the variant of the actuating knob shown inFIG.6. Such scattering centers can also be generated, for example, by air bubbles within the transparent material of the actuating knob.

FIG.8shows the drive of a horizontal louver HV, which forms a flow directing element for pivoting an air flow in vertical direction. The louver HV is rotatable about the axis9by driving the segment gear10through the gear11. This is done by a pivoting movement of the lever11a, which is connected to the pipe12. The pipe12is connected to the rail31, which moves along with a pivoting movement of the profile12b, which is slidable on the rail31. The profile12bis connected to the actuating element1,12aand may also be part of the actuating element.

The embodiment of an actuating knob for a ventilation outlet according to the disclosure permits illumination of the actuating knob in a simple and less complex manner, whereby the illumination can be ensured to a large extent independently of the respective position of the actuating knob.

In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments may be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. The scope of the embodiments should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.