WO2008069740A1

WO2008069740A1 - Air nozzle

Info

Publication number: WO2008069740A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/050898
Authority: WO
Inventors: Magnus Hagberg; Erik GÖRAS
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2006-12-06
Filing date: 2007-11-26
Publication date: 2008-06-12
Also published as: SE530624C2; SE0602605L

Abstract

An air nozzle (10) with a nozzle aperture for leading an air flow into a vehicle space. To provide the air flow with good heat transfer capacity, the nozzle (10) has a plurality of the elements (40) which cause turbulence in the air flow outside the nozzle aperture (20).

Description

Air nozzle

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an air nozzle with a nozzle aperture for leading an air flow into a vehicle space.

BACKGROUND

The air flow from such a nozzle is usually at least partly of a laminar type. It is known that a more turbulent air flow can increase the heat transfer to the surroundings, e.g. to a windscreen. It would therefore be desirable to provide a turbulent air flow from the air nozzle.

A practice known from FR 2 803 258 Al is to direct the air flow towards the windscreen in such a way that a turbulent region conducive to defrosting is formed at the windscreen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to propose an alternative solution for creating a turbulent air flow from an air nozzle of the kind indicated in the introduction with a view to giving the air flow leaving the nozzle a good heat transfer capacity. According to a version of the invention, the nozzle has a plurality of the elements arranged at the nozzle aperture to cause turbulence in the air flow. The turbulence is thus generated by the nozzle itself and is therefore not dependent on the interaction of the air flow with a windscreen.

According to an embodiment, the elements may be arranged movably at the nozzle aperture, which makes it possible for them to be set for optimum generation of turbulence at different air flow velocities.

If the turbulence elements are movable out from and back into the nozzle aperture, they can be concealed within the nozzle when the air flow is shut off or when it is desired for other reasons to put them out of action. The turbulence elements may be supported by elongate elements. If the elements are elastically flexible, they may be set in motion by the air flow in order thereby to increase the turbulence generated. The nozzle may be connected to a bearer for the turbulence elements, which bearer may be movable along the nozzle. The arrangement comprising the turbulence elements may thus constitute an integrated unit connected to the nozzle.

The nozzle may have an adjustable direction of flow, in which case the turbulence elements may be adapted to accompanying the nozzle when the direction of flow is being set.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention are indicated in the claims and the description of embodiment examples set out below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts schematically, with cutaway portions, a vehicle space with an air nozzle with protruded turbulence elements according to the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a nozzle according to FIG. 1 with retracted turbulence elements; FIG. 3 depicts on a larger scale a cutaway portion of the nozzle according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A depicts an integrally configured turbulation unit of the nozzle according to the invention; and

FIG. 4B depicts on a larger scale a cutaway portion of an alternatively configured turbulation unit according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT EXAMPLES The embodiment example in FIG. 1 depicts an air nozzle 10 according to the invention arranged in a space 60 in a vehicle. In this example, the nozzle is a defroster nozzle 10 fitted in a conventional manner close to a windscreen 62 of the vehicle. The nozzle 10 is connected in a known manner not depicted in more detail to an outflow duct of an air conditioning installation in the vehicle so that it can direct a conditioned (e.g. heated and dehumidified) air flow out from a nozzle aperture 20 through a grille 18 towards the windscreen 60 in order to remove frost and condensation from the windscreen 60. In the example depicted, the air nozzle 10 comprises a pipe section 12 which supports inside it a movable turbulation unit 30 (FIG. 4A). The pipe section 12 may be divisible by a butt joint 14 for fitting the turbulation unit 30. The turbulence elements 40 of the turbulation unit 30 are intended to disturb the air flow to such an extent that the air flow outside the nozzle 10 becomes as turbulent as possible, i.e. so that laminar air flow from the nozzle aperture 20 is prevented, thereby also making possible a desirable increase in the heat transfer between the air flow and the windscreen. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the turbulation unit 30 comprises a bearer 32, which is supported movably in a body 12, for a plurality of elongate elements 42 which themselves support the turbulence elements 40.

The function of the bearer 32 is to keep the turbulating elements 40 in the air flow without unnecessarily hindering the air flow. The bearer 32 has an open structure with minimum turbulence generation in order to present as little flow resistance as possible within the nozzle 10. In the example depicted, the bearer 32 takes the form of a plurality of thin radial bars 34, 36 made of, for example, injection-moulded plastic. One pair 34, 34 of the thin bars 34, 36 are longer than the others and extend as spigots through guide slits 16 in the pipe section 12. This makes it possible for the bearer 32 to move forward and back along the nozzle 10 so that the turbulence elements 40 can protrude from and be drawn back into the nozzle 10. This movement may be effected by an undepicted mechanism, e.g. a screw mechanism, arranged on top of the pipe section 12 and possibly driven by an electric motor. Alternatively, the turbulation unit 30 may be pushed forward to the position in FIG. 1 by the air flow and returned to the position in FIG. 2 by gravity and/or an undepicted spring.

In the embodiments depicted, the elongate elements 42 each comprise an elastically readily flexible wire, fibre or pin 42 which has its lower end connected firmly, e.g. by permanent moulding, to a relating bar 34, 36 of the bearer 32. The upper end of the element 42 supports a turbulence element 40. The geometry of the turbulence elements 40 is such that they do as effectively as possible break up or convert laminar flow components of the air flow to turbulent flow components. Such geometry can but need not necessarily entail a possibly sharp-edged irregular contour (not depicted). Such an irregular contour may with advantage cause the air flow to impart to the turbulence elements 40 a fluttering motion which may further increase the turbulence. As illustrated by the drawings, the turbulence elements 40 may also, both transversely and longitudinally, be arranged randomly, irregularly or asymmetrically in the air flow in order to provide the desired utmost possible turbulence in the air flow.

As further illustrated in FIG. 3, the direction of flow of the nozzle 10 may be settable, e.g. the nozzle 10 may be pivotable about a first axis 70 and about a second axis 72 in order to guide the air flow in different directions. It should be noted that the turbulation unit 30 together with the turbulence elements 40 will then accompany the setting of the nozzle 10 so that the turbulence-generating function remains unaltered.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example of increasing the number of the turbulence elements by causing the elongate elements 42 to extend in pairs obliquely upwards from the outsides of the bars 34, 36.

Many variations are possible. The elements 42 need not be supported by a bearer within the nozzle 10. The elements 42 may for example extend in an undepicted manner radially inwards from the periphery of the nozzle aperture 20 so that the turbulence elements supported by the pins, wires or fibres are raised from the aperture 20 by the air flow to an effective turbulence-generating position outside the aperture 20. Another undepicted possibility is for the turbulence elements to be united as nodes in a possibly elastic network which, like a dome, is raised by the air flow or otherwise from the aperture 20. The network may then possibly replace the grille 18.

The description set out above is primarily intended to facilitate comprehension, and no limitations of the invention are to be inferred therefrom. The modifications which will be obvious to one skilled in the art from perusing the description can be implemented without departing from the concept of the invention or the scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. An air nozzle (10) with a nozzle aperture (20) for leading an air flow into a vehicle space (60), characterised by a plurality of elements (40) arranged at the nozzle aperture (20) in order to cause turbulence in the air flow.

2. A nozzle according to claim 1 , whereby the turbulence elements (40) are movable at the nozzle aperture (20).

3. A nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, whereby the turbulence elements (40) are movable out from and back into the nozzle aperture (20).

4. A nozzle according to any one of the foregoing claims, whereby the turbulence elements (40) are movable by the air flow.

5. A nozzle according to any one of the foregoing claims, whereby the turbulence elements (40) are supported by elongate elements (42).

6. A nozzle according to claim 5, whereby the elongate elements (42) are elastically flexible.

7. A nozzle according to any one of the foregoing claims, comprising a bearer (32) for the turbulence elements (40) which is connected to the nozzle (10).

8. A nozzle according to claim 7, whereby the bearer (32) is movable along the nozzle (10).

9. A nozzle according to claim 8, whereby the bearer (32) is movably guided by slits (16) in the nozzle (10).

10. A nozzle according to any one of the foregoing claims, whereby the nozzle (10) has a settable direction of flow and the turbulence elements (40) are adapted to accompanying the nozzle during setting of the direction of flow.