Device for manipulating an actuator, in particular in the form of a throttle or closure flap, of an air vent, an air vent comprising such a device as well as a method for manipulating an actuator, in particular in the form of a throttle or closure flap, of an air vent

A method for manipulating an actuator, in the form of a throttle valve or closure flap, of an air vent, wherein the actuator is designed as an air-directing element or as part of a package of air-directing elements, and wherein the method comprises the following method steps:

• i) outputting a command for activating or starting a motor-operated drive, which is or can be mechanically coupled to the actuator in such a way that the actuator can be adjusted relative to the housing of the air vent by activating the motor-operated drive, and direct sensing of a real actual position of the actuator relative to the housing of the air vent with the aid of a sensor system, wherein the motor-operated drive is located within a drive housing, wherein an output shaft is coupled to the motor-operated drive and extends from a first side of the drive housing, wherein the actuator is coupled to be driven by the output shaft, wherein the sensor system comprises a Hall sensor element mounted on an outer portion of the first side of the drive housing and positioned alongside the output shaft to detect a rotational position of the output shaft and thus the real actual position of the actuator coupled to the output shaft;
• ii) interrogating a setpoint position of the actuator relative to the housing of the air vent from a memory device which is assigned to the control apparatus;
• and
• iii) comparing the sensed actual position of the actuator relative to the housing of the air vent with the interrogated setpoint position of the actuator relative to the housing of the air vent,
• wherein, in that in step iii) a number of possibly still necessary motor steps of the motor-operated drive is calculated on the basis of the result of the comparison of the sensed actual position of the actuator with the interrogated setpoint position of the actuator, in order to make the actual position of the actuator correspond to the setpoint position of the actuator, or correspond at least substantially thereto, wherein the calculated number of possibly still necessary motor steps is subsequently output as a signal to the motor-operated drive, in order to manipulate the actuator correspondingly.

A device for manipulating first and second actuators, each in the form of a throttle valve or closure flap, of an air vent, wherein the device comprises:

• a motor-operated drive, which is or can be coupled mechanically to each of the first actuator and the second actuator in such a way that each of the first actuator and the second actuator can be adjusted relative to a housing of the air vent by activating the motor-operated drive;
• and
• a sensor system for sensing a real actual position of each of the first actuator and the second actuator relative to the housing of the air vent;
• and
• an apparatus for performing functional monitoring of the motor-operated drive, which apparatus is configured to interrupt actuation of the motor-operated drive or to cancel actuation of the motor-operated drive or to act on actuation of the motor-operated drive if the actual position of the first actuator or the second actuator sensed by the sensor system does not correspond to a predefined or definable setpoint position or does not fall within in a predefined or definable tolerance range around the setpoint position;
• wherein the motor-operated drive is located within a drive housing, wherein a first output shaft is coupled to the motor-operated drive and extends through a first side of the drive housing, wherein the first actuator is coupled to be driven by the first output shaft, wherein a second output shaft is coupled to the motor-operated drive and extends through a second side of the drive housing, wherein the second actuator is coupled to be driven by the second output shaft
• wherein the sensor system comprises (i) a first Hall sensor element mounted on an outer surface of the first side of the drive housing and positioned alongside the first output shaft to detect a rotational position of the first output shaft and thus the real actual position of the first actuator and (ii) a second Hall sensor element mounted on an outer surface of the second side of the drive housing and positioned alongside the second output shaft to detect a rotational position of the second output shaft and thus the real actual position of the second actuator.