US 11,912,108 B2
Vehicle air vent system
Marcos Ahuizotl Fragoso Iñiguez, Neza (MX); Fernando Mayorga Basilio, Gustavo A. Madero (MX); and Juan Pablo Jiménez de la Rosa, Coyoacan (MX)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 11, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/118,895.
Prior Publication US 2022/0185074 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. B60H 1/34 (2006.01); B60H 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 1/3428 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00564 (2013.01); B60H 1/00871 (2013.01); B60H 1/00985 (2013.01); B60H 2001/3471 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle air vent system, comprising:
a duct defining an outlet that directs air into an interior compartment;
an air register assembly operably coupled to the duct proximate to the outlet, wherein the air register assembly comprises:
a frame;
a vane rotatably coupled to the frame;
a guide assembly coupled to the frame and extending upstream from the frame proximate to the vane, wherein the guide assembly includes guide features fixed to the frame, and wherein the guide features include a first guide feature disposed centrally to the frame and fixed to a bottom side of the frame via a support feature and a second guide feature disposed centrally to the frame and proximate a top side of the frame, wherein the first guide feature is spaced from and operably coupled to the second guide feature and each of the first guide feature and the second guide feature is configured to rotate with the frame;
a vane position indicator disposed on an opposing side of the frame relative to the vane, wherein the vane position indicator rotates with rotation of the vane, and wherein the vane position indicator includes a body that tapers towards a protrusion at an end of the vane position indicator, the protrusion extending towards the vane;
a variable resistor operably coupled to the frame; and
an indicator light coupled to a downstream edge of the vane;
a user interface having a display; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the user interface and the variable resistor, wherein the controller receives a signal from the variable resistor and determines a position of the air register assembly in response to the signal, wherein the indicator light is activated by the controller when the vane is disposed at an angle that directs an airflow at a user-defined position.