U.S. patent number 3,835,759 [Application Number 05/345,273] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-17 for ventilating nozzle including a universally swivellable nozzle member.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Clear Hooters Limited. Invention is credited to Jeffrey Neil Lloyd.
United States Patent |
3,835,759 |
Lloyd |
September 17, 1974 |
VENTILATING NOZZLE INCLUDING A UNIVERSALLY SWIVELLABLE NOZZLE
MEMBER
Abstract
A ventilating nozzle in which a tubular nozzle member is
swivellable universally in a tubular housing. The nozzle member
contains an obturating member adjustable to vary the effective flow
of air through the nozzle member. A sleeve mounted on the nozzle
member for relative rotation therebetween but restrained by the
housing from rotational movement about its axis is connected by
gearing to the obturating member, whereby rotational movement of
the nozzle member within the sleeve will effect opening or closing
of the obturating member according to the direction of the
rotational movement.
Inventors: |
Lloyd; Jeffrey Neil (Bedworth,
EN) |
Assignee: |
Clear Hooters Limited
(Bedworth, Warwickshire, EN)
|
Family
ID: |
10056804 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/345,273 |
Filed: |
March 27, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 4, 1972 [GB] |
|
|
15309/72 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
454/154;
251/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60H
1/3442 (20130101); F24F 13/065 (20130101); B64D
2013/003 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60H
1/34 (20060101); F24F 13/06 (20060101); F24F
13/065 (20060101); F24f 013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;98/4A
;251/340,351,352X |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wayner; William E.
Assistant Examiner: Tapolcai, Jr.; W. E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hauke, Gifford, Patalidis &
Dumont
Claims
What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by letters Patent
of the United States is:
1. A ventilating nozzle comprising a tubular housing arranged to be
connected at its upstream end to a source of ventilating air and a
tubular nozzle member mounted in the housing and having an outer
surface in the shape of a zone of a sphere, whereby the nozzle
member is swivellable universally in the housing, the nozzle member
comprising a tubular body, an obturating member positioned within
said tubular body and adjustable to vary the effective flow of air
through the housing. a sleeve mounted on the body for relative
rotation therebetween but restrained by the housing from rotational
movement about the axis of the body and gearing connecting the
sleeve to the obturating member, wereby rotational movement of the
body about its axis within the sleeve will effect movement of the
obturating member in accordance with the direction of said
rotational movement.
2. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1 in which the obturating member
comprises at least one flap valve member mounted for pivoting about
an axis extending transversely of the tubular body of the nozzle
member, a pivot for said flap valve member, said gearing comprising
a gear member carried on said pivot and a toothed rack meshing with
said gear member and extending circumferentially of the inner
surface of the sleeve.
3. A nozzle as claimed in claim 2 in which the housing includes a
rubbing ring extending around an inner surface thereof and engaging
the sleeve, thereby to hold the sleeve from turning about the axis
of the housing while permitting the nozzle member to be swivelled
as a whole universally in the housing.
4. A nozzle as claimed in claimed in claim 3 including a spring
strip of non-circular shape located in a gallery extending around
the inner wall of the housing, the spring strip engaging said
rubbing ring and holding it from rotation in the housing.
5. A nozzle member for use in a ventilating nozzle comprising a
tubular body in which an obturating member is adjustable to vary
the effective flow of air through the nozzle member, a sleeve
mounted on the body for relative rotation therebetween and gearing
connecting the sleeve to the obturating member, whereby rotational
movement of the body about its axis within the sleeve will effect
movement of the obturating member according to the direction of
said rotational movement.
6. A nozzle member as claimed in claim 5 in which the obturating
member comprises at least one flap valve member mounted for
pivoting about an axis extending transversely of the tubular body
of the nozzle member, a pivot for said flap valve member said
gearing comprising a gear member carried on said pivot and a
toothed rack meshing with said gear member and extending
circumferentially of the inner surface of the sleeve.
Description
The invention relates to a ventilating nozzle of the kind including
a universally swivellable nozzle member and an adjustable flow
control valve positioned within the nozzle member. Nozzles of this
kind are particularly, but not exclusively, used for the
ventilation and/or heating of the interiors of motor vehicles.
According to the invention, a ventilating nozzle comprises a
tubular housing arranged to be connected at its upstream end to a
source of ventilating air and a tubular nozzle member mounted in
the housing and having an outer surface in the shape of a zone of a
sphere, whereby the nozzle member is swivellable universally in the
housing, the nozzle member comprising a tubular body in which an
obturating member is adjustable to vary the effective flow of air
through the housing, a sleeve mounted on the body for relative
rotation therebetween but restrained by the housing from rotational
movement about the axis of the body and gearing connecting the
sleeve to the obturating member, whereby rotational movement of the
body about its axis within the sleeve will effect opening or
closing of the obturating member according to the direction of said
rotational movement.
Conveniently the obturating member comprises at least one flap
valve member mounted for pivoting about an axis extending
diametrically of or chordwise of the tubular body of the nozzle
member on a pivot carrying a gear member meshing with a toothed
rack extending circumferentially of the inner surface of the
sleeve.
The invention also includes the nozzle member for co-operation with
the tubular housing of a ventilating nozzle in accordance with
either of the two immediately preceding paragraphs.
By way of example, a nozzle member in accordance with the
immediately preceding paragraph is now described with reference to
the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is an axial section through the nozzle;
FIG. 2 is an end view of the nozzle as seen from the right side of
FIG. 1, and
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle.
Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the nozzle member
comprises a tubular body 1 having substantially cylindrical inner
and outer surfaces 2 and 3. One end (the downstream end in use) of
the body 1 has an integral outwardly-extending annular flange 4 and
is also provided with a pair of crossed reinforcing ribs 5 by which
the nozzle member can be swivelled in its housing, as later
explained. The ribs 5 are shown in FIG. 2. The other end of the
body is provided with outwardly-directed lip portions 6 provided on
circumferentially spaced end portions of the body separated by
short axial cuts to enable these end portions of the body to be
slightly deformed inwardly and for a sleeve 7 to be fitted over
them and held from axial movement between the lip portions 6 and
the flange 4 when the end portions have been released. When the
sleeve 7 has been fitted in position it is freely rotatable
relatively to the body 1. The outer periphery 8 of the sleeve 7 is
in the form of a zone of a sphere and the periphery of the flange 4
is a continuation of this part-spherical surface to enable the
whole nozzle member to be swivelled in a tubular housing comprising
a rear portion 20 and a front portion or bezel 21. The rear portion
20 has an integral spigot 22 to which an air delivery pipe from a
blower is attached and the bezel 21 has integral lugs 23 by which
the nozzle is supported from a facia or dash-board. An annular
gallery 24 is formed around the sleeve 7 of the nozzle member
between the portions 20 and 21 of the housing and this gallery
contains a spring-strip 25 bent to a non-circular shape extending
around the gallery and supporting a length of felt strip 26 which
extends around the gallery in a ring and is held by the
spring-strip 25 against the part-spherical surface of the sleeve 7
and from turning about the axis of the housing. The felt strip 26
acts to prevent leakage of air between the nozzle member and the
inner surface of the housing portions 20 and 21 and also exerts a
drag on the sleeve 7 to hold it from rotation in the housing when
the body 1 is turned about its axis, while permitting universal
swivelling of the nozzle member as a whole in the housing.
The sleeve has an inwardly directed flange 9 at its upstream end,
adjacent the lip portions 6. The axially inner face of the flange 9
is formed with a circumferentially-extending rack portion 10 over
part of its circumferential length. An elliptical butterfly valve
flap 12 is mounted on diametral pivots inserted in the
circumferential wall of the body 1 and is pivotable between a fully
open position in which it extends edge-on in alignment with one of
the ribs 5 and a closed position in which it lies obliquely to the
longitudinal axis of the body 1 and completely closes the flow-path
through the body. In this position the flap 12 abuts against an
elliptical shoulder 13 formed in the inner peripheral surface 2 of
the body 1. One of the diametral pivots of the flap 12 has a gear
quadrant or pinion 14 formed or mounted on it and located in an
annular space 15 between the body 1 and the sleeve 7 where it is in
mesh with the rack portion 10.
In use, the nozzle member is fitted between the two portions 20 and
21 of the tubular housing to which a stream of ventilating air is
to be supplied through the spigot 22 at the upstream end of the
housing. The air stream will issue from the nozzle member under the
control of the flap 12 and in a direction according to the
inclination of the nozzle member. The outer periphery 8 of the
sleeve co-operates with the tubular housing to permit universal
swivelling of the whole nozzle member when the user grips the
thicker of the two ribs 5. The sleeve 7 is held from turning about
the longitudinal axis of the nozzle member by the felt strip 26 and
thus when the user turns the body 1 in the direction of either of
arrows X in FIG. 2 by gripping the thicker rib 5, the body 1 will
turn relatively to the sleeve 7 and so the flap 12 will be swung
from its open to closed position or vice versa in the direction of
one of the arrows Y in FIG. 1. The fully-closed position of the
flap 12 is determined by the flap engaging the shoulder 13 and the
fully-open position of the flap 12 is determined by the flap
engaging a protuberance 16 extending from one of the ribs 5.
The nozzle member and the housing portions are conveniently made of
a synthetic plastics material.
Instead of the crossed ribs 5, a single diametral rib, a plurality
of parallel ribs or a grid structure of ribs may be provided. The
rib or ribs may incorporate a knob to be gripped by the
operator.
* * * * *