Wind direction adjustment device

Abstract

To provide a wind direction adjustment device capable of adjusting a wind direction with a simple configuration while improving appearance.SOLUTION: A wind direction adjustment device 1 includes a cylindrical case body 3 in which one end side is reduced in a predetermined direction and air passes from the other end side to the one end side. The wind direction adjustment device 1 includes a cylindrical wind direction adjustor 26 arranged so as to be movable at least in a predetermined direction in the inside of the one end side of the case body 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wind direction adjusting device that adjusts the direction of wind. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioners used in vehicles such as automobiles include air direction adjustment devices that adjust the direction of air being blown out. Air direction adjustment devices are also called air conditioning air outlets, air vents, registers, etc., and are installed in various parts of the vehicle, such as the instrument panel or center console, to contribute to improving comfort through heating and cooling.

[0003] Typically, airflow direction adjustment devices have multiple rotatable fins set near the air outlet, and are configured to change the airflow direction by rotating the fins. In this case, depending on the number of fins, the opening dimensions of the air outlet must be large. Also, because the fins are visible from the user's side, there are restrictions on the design of the airflow direction adjustment device and its surroundings.

[0004] Therefore, there are airflow direction adjustment devices that can adjust the airflow direction without using fins near the air outlet. For example, a device is known in which the inside of the main body is divided into multiple flow paths, and an airflow blocking member is placed in each of the divided flow paths, and the airflow direction is adjusted by switching the flow path open and closed using the airflow blocking member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-86659 A (pages 5-8, Figures 1-11) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of the above-mentioned airflow direction adjustment device, since it is necessary to link multiple airflow blocking members together to adjust the airflow direction, a complex mechanism is required for mechanical linking. Also, compared to adjusting the airflow direction by rotating fins, intuitive airflow direction adjustment is not as easy.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide a wind direction adjusting device that can adjust the wind direction with a simple configuration while improving the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The airflow direction adjusting device according to claim 1 comprises a cylindrical case body whose one end is contracted in a predetermined direction and through which air passes from the other end to the one end, and an inside of the one end of the case body. Distributed to Placed and a flow path through which air passes is formed between the case body and the air passage on one side and the other side of the predetermined direction. A cylindrical airflow direction adjusting body is provided. The airflow direction adjusting body has one end side contracted in at least the same direction as the one end side of the case body, and is movable in parallel with the case body at least in the predetermined direction so that the axial direction thereof remains substantially parallel to the axial direction of the case body. It is something.

[0009] request request 2 The airflow direction adjusting device described in claim 1 The described airflow direction adjustment device is provided with fins arranged inside the case body upstream of the airflow direction relative to the airflow adjustment body, and which are rotatable in a direction intersecting the airflow direction inside the case body and the movement direction of the airflow adjustment body.

[0010] Claim 3 The wind direction adjusting device described in claim 1 or 2 The described airflow direction adjustment device includes an operating unit that is movably arranged outside the case body, and the airflow direction adjustment body is arranged to be movable along the movement direction of the operating unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the airflow direction adjusting device of claim 1, the distance between the airflow direction adjusting body and the case body is adjusted in accordance with the direction and amount of movement of the airflow direction adjusting body inside the case body. Flow path of The airflow direction can be adjusted by changing the ratio of the amount of air passing through the case and blowing out from one end of the case in the direction along the narrowing of the case. At the same time, the flow speed of the conditioned air that passes through the airflow direction adjusting body and blows out straight from one end side of the airflow direction adjusting body can be increased, and the directionality of the conditioned air that blows out in a direction along the narrowing from one end side of the flow path between the airflow direction adjusting body and the case body can be increased. The wind direction can be adjusted by moving the cylindrical wind direction adjusting body with a simple configuration while improving the appearance.

[0012] request request 2 According to the wind direction adjusting device described in claim 1 In addition to the effects of the described wind direction adjustment device, in addition to adjusting the wind direction by moving the wind direction adjustment body, the wind direction can be adjusted by rotating the fins in a direction intersecting the direction in which the wind direction can be adjusted, thereby improving the freedom of wind direction adjustment.

[0013] Claim 3 According to the wind direction adjusting device described above, claim 1 or 2 In addition to the effects of the airflow direction adjustment device described above, the operating direction of the operating part and the airflow direction adjustment direction by the airflow direction adjustment body coincide or nearly coincide, so that the airflow direction can be intuitively controlled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a neutral state of an airflow direction adjusting body of an airflow direction adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the airflow direction of the airflow direction adjusting body of the same airflow direction adjusting device. FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is a cross-sectional view of the airflow direction adjusting device, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of FIG. 1A. [Figure 4] 1A is a side view showing the operating part of the airflow direction adjusting device when the airflow direction adjusting body is in a neutral state, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing the operating part when the airflow direction adjusting body has moved to a wind distribution state. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a neutral state of an airflow direction adjusting body of the airflow direction adjusting device according to the reference technique of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the airflow direction of the airflow direction adjusting body of the same airflow direction adjusting device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, the present invention one An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] In FIG. 6 , reference numeral 1 denotes a wind direction control device. The wind direction control device 1 is also called an air outlet, ventilator, register, or the like, and controls the direction of airflow from an air conditioner or the like. Hereinafter, for clarity, the windward side of the wind direction control device 1, from which air flows, is referred to as the front side, front side, or near side, and the opposite side, i.e., the windward side from which air flows, is referred to as the rear side, back side, or far side. The two-way direction, or width direction, as viewed from the front, and the up-down direction are defined. In this embodiment, the wind direction control device 1 is applied to an air conditioner for a vehicle such as an automobile. The wind direction control device 1 may be disposed in any position, but in the drawings, it is disposed so that the arrow FR side is the front side, the arrow RR side is the rear side, the arrow L side is the left side, the arrow R side is the right side, the arrow U side is the top side, and the arrow D side is the bottom side. These directions are shown merely as examples and may be changed as appropriate depending on the installation location and orientation of the wind direction control device 1.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 5, the airflow direction adjustment device 1 includes a case body 3. The case body 3 is also called a duct. The case body 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the case body 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction. In the example shown, the case body 3 is formed in a square cylindrical shape. An air passage 5 is enclosed inside the case body 3. The direction parallel to the central axis of the case body 3 is the ventilation direction of the air passage 5. In this embodiment, the ventilation direction of the air passage 5 is the front-rear direction, and air is ventilated from the rear to the front. That is, in the air passage 5, the rear side is the upstream side in the ventilation direction, and the front side is the downstream side in the ventilation direction.

[0018] The case body 3 has a predetermined length in the direction of airflow of the air passage 5. In this embodiment, the case body 3 is flat in the vertical direction and elongated in the horizontal direction, i.e., horizontally elongated. Therefore, the airflow direction control device 1 is formed as a thin, horizontal type. The case body 3 integrally includes a pair of end walls 6 that face each other across the central axis of the air passage 5, i.e., the central axis, and a pair of side walls 7 that connect the pair of end walls 6. The pair of end walls 6 face each other in the vertical direction, and the pair of side walls 7 face each other in the horizontal direction. The rear ends of the pair of end walls 6, 6 and the pair of side walls 7, 7 surround an inlet 8 that receives air, i.e., conditioned air, into the air passage 5, and the front ends of the pair of end walls 6, 6 and the pair of side walls 7, 7 surround an outlet 9 that discharges the conditioned air from the air passage 5. That is, the rear end of the case body 3 is an inlet 8 that receives conditioned air into the ventilation path 5, and the front end of the case body 3 is an outlet 9 that discharges the conditioned air from the ventilation path 5. An air path 5 is formed between the inlet 8 and the outlet 9 to communicate these. The conditioned air passes from the inlet 8 to the outlet 9. The inlet 8 and the outlet 9 are both long horizontally.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 , the case body 3 may be formed integrally or may be formed by combining multiple components. In this embodiment, the case body 3 is formed by combining one case member 11 and another case member 12. The one case member 11 is formed by constituting one end wall portion 6. The other case member 12 is formed by constituting the other end wall portion 6 and side wall portions 7, 7. In the illustrated example, one locking portion 11a is formed on the one case member 11, and another locking portion 12a is formed on the upper part of the other case member 12. These one locking portion 11a and the other locking portion 12a are locked to each other, thereby forming the case body 3 in a cylindrical shape. For example, one of the one locking portion 11a and the other locking portion 12a is formed as a hole portion and the other as a claw portion. In this embodiment, the one locking portion 11a is a hole portion and the other locking portion 12a is a claw portion.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , the case body 3 is narrowed at one end thereof, namely, the downstream side in the airflow direction, on the discharge port 9 side. The front end of the case body 3, which is the discharge port 9 side, is narrowed in a predetermined direction, in the vertical direction, which is the short side direction of the discharge port 9 in this embodiment. That is, a downstream narrowing section 14, which is (one) narrowing section, is formed at the front end, which is the downstream end of the case body 3. The downstream narrowing section 14 is located forward and spaced apart from the center of the case body 3 in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the downstream narrowing section 14 is defined vertically by downstream air guide sections 15, which are (one) air guide sections, formed at the front end of each end wall section 6, and is defined horizontally by the side wall sections 7. The discharge port 9 is surrounded by the pair of downstream air guide sections 15 and the pair of side wall sections 7.

[0021] The downstream airflow guidance section 15 has a downstream inclined section 15a, which is a (one) inclined section. The downstream inclined section 15a is inclined toward the central axis of the case body 3 as it faces forward. That is, the downstream inclined section 15a of the upper downstream airflow guidance section 15 is inclined downward as it faces forward, and the downstream inclined section 15a of the lower downstream airflow guidance section 15 is inclined upward as it faces forward. In the illustrated example, the downstream inclined sections 15a are inclined symmetrically or approximately symmetrically with each other in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, a downstream non-inclined section 15b, which is a (one) non-inclined section, is integrally formed, connected to the front end of the downstream inclined section 15a. The downstream non-inclined section 15b is a portion that extends forward from the front end of the downstream inclined section 15a. In the illustrated example, the downstream non-inclined section 15b is formed parallel or approximately parallel to the axial direction of the case body 3. In this embodiment, downstream non-inclined portion 15b is formed to be shorter in the front-to-rear direction than downstream inclined portion 15a. Downstream non-inclined portion 15b constitutes the front end portion of downstream air guidance portion 15. Downstream non-inclined portion 15b is not an essential component.

[0022] In this embodiment, the case body 3 is narrowed at the other end, that is, the inlet 8 side, i.e., the upstream side in the airflow direction. The rear end of the case body 3, which is the inlet 8 side, is narrowed in a predetermined direction, which in this embodiment is the up-down direction, which is the short direction of the inlet 8. That is, an upstream narrowed section 17, which is a (other) narrowed section, is formed at the rear end, which is the upstream end of the case body 3. The upstream narrowed section 17 is located rearward of the center of the case body 3 in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the upstream narrowed section 17 is defined above and below by upstream air guide sections 18, which are (other) air guide sections, formed at the rear end of each end wall section 6, and is defined on the left and right by the side wall sections 7. The inlet 8 is surrounded by the pair of upstream air guide sections 18 and the pair of side wall sections 7.

[0023] The upstream contraction section 17 has an upstream inclined section 18a, which is another inclined section. The upstream inclined section 18a is inclined toward the central axis of the case body 3 as it faces rearward. That is, the upstream inclined section 18a of the upper upstream air guide section 18 is inclined downward as it faces rearward, and the upstream inclined section 18a of the lower upstream air guide section 18 is inclined upward as it faces rearward. In the illustrated example, the upstream inclined sections 18a are inclined symmetrically or approximately symmetrically with each other in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, an upstream non-inclined section 18b, which is another non-inclined section, is integrally formed and connected to the rear end of the upstream inclined section 18a. The upstream non-inclined section 18b is a portion that extends rearward from the rear end of the upstream inclined section 18a. In the illustrated example, the upstream non-inclined section 18b is formed parallel or approximately parallel to the axial direction of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the upstream non-inclined section 18b is formed longer in the front-rear direction than the upstream inclined section 18a. The upstream non-inclined portion 18b constitutes the rear end portion of the upstream air guide portion 18. The upstream non-inclined portion 18b is not an essential component.

[0024] In the case body 3, the section between the downstream reduced section 14 and the upstream reduced section 17 is the general section 20. That is, the downstream reduced section 14 is connected to the front of the general section 20, and the upstream reduced section 17 is connected to the rear of the general section 20. The general section 20 is a non-reduced section that does not reduce in the axial direction of the case body 3. In the general section 20, the cross-sectional area of ​​the air passage 5 is constant or approximately constant.

[0025] In addition, a panel 23 constituting a design part is attached to the front end of the case body 3 on the exhaust port 9 side. The panel 23 is also called a finisher, and forms part of the design of the installation position of the airflow direction adjustment device 1. The panel 23 protrudes outward in a flange-like shape from the front end of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the panel 23 is formed to be long in the left-right direction and short in the up-down direction. In other words, the panel 23 is formed to be long horizontally. The panel 23 is formed with an air outlet 24 that communicates with the exhaust port 9. The air outlet 24 is the part from which the conditioned air that has passed through the air passage 5 is blown out. The air outlet 24 is formed to have approximately the same shape as the exhaust port 9. In other words, the air outlet 24 is formed to be long in the left-right direction, that is, long horizontally.

[0026] An air direction adjuster 26 is disposed inside the case body 3, i.e., in the air passage 5, for adjusting the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 24 in accordance with movement relative to the case body 3. The air direction adjuster 26 is also referred to as a housing. The air direction adjuster 26 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the air direction adjuster 26 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the front-to-rear direction. In the example shown in the figure, the air direction adjuster 26 is formed in a square cylindrical shape. The air direction adjuster 26 is disposed with its axial direction in the front-to-rear direction. The interior of the air direction adjuster 26 communicates with the air passage 5.

[0027] In this embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster 26 is flat in the vertical direction in accordance with the shape of the case body 3 and elongated in the horizontal direction, i.e., horizontally elongated. The airflow direction adjuster 26 integrally includes a pair of end walls 28 that face each other across a central axis and a pair of side walls 29 that connect the pair of end walls 28. The pair of end walls 28 face each other in the vertical direction, and the pair of side walls 29 face each other in the horizontal direction. The pair of end walls 28 extend longitudinally in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the length of the airflow direction adjuster 26 in the vertical direction, i.e., the direction intersecting or perpendicular to the axial direction (ventilation direction), is set to be shorter than the vertical length of the air passage 5. Therefore, flow paths 30 through which conditioned air can pass are defined within the air passage 5 between the pair of end walls 28 and the pair of end wall portions 6 of the case body 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the pair of side walls 29 are located close to the pair of side wall portions 7 of the case body 3, and no flow path through which the air conditioning air passes is formed between the pair of side walls 29 and the pair of side wall portions 7.

[0028] 1 to 3, the length of the airflow direction adjuster 26 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the axial direction, is less than half of the axial length of the case body 3, approximately one-quarter in the illustrated example. The pair of end walls 28 and the pair of side walls 29 form the airflow direction adjuster 26 in a rectangular frame shape. The rear ends of the pair of end walls 28, 28 and the pair of side walls 29, 29 surround an inlet 31 that receives conditioned air into the airflow direction adjuster 26, and the front ends of the pair of end walls 28, 28 and the pair of side walls 29, 29 surround an outlet 32 ​​that discharges the conditioned air. The inlet 31 and the outlet 32 ​​are both horizontally elongated. In this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the inlet 31 is set to be equal to or greater than half the cross-sectional area of ​​the air passage 5. Preferably, the opening area of ​​the inlet 31 is set to be equal to or less than three-quarters of the cross-sectional area of ​​the air passage 5.

[0029] Preferably, the airflow direction adjuster 26 has one end, the outlet 32 ​​side, i.e., the downstream side in the airflow direction, reduced in the same direction as at least the exhaust port 9 side, which is one end of the case body 3, i.e., the downstream side. That is, in this embodiment, the front end of the airflow direction adjuster 26, which is on the outlet 32 ​​side, is reduced in the up-down direction, which is the short direction of the outlet 32. That is, an adjuster reduction section 33 is formed at the front end, which is the downstream end, of the airflow direction adjuster 26. In this embodiment, the adjuster reduction section 33 is defined vertically by adjuster air guide sections 34, 34 formed at the front ends of the end walls 28, 28, and is defined horizontally by the side walls 29, 29. The outlet 32 ​​is surrounded by the adjuster air guide sections 34, 34 and the side walls 29, 29.

[0030] The airflow guide sections 34 of the airflow direction adjuster 26 are inclined toward the central axis thereof as they extend forward. That is, the upper airflow guide section 34 of the airflow direction adjuster 26 is inclined downward as they extend forward, and the lower airflow guide section 34 of the airflow direction adjuster 26 is inclined upward as they extend forward. In the illustrated example, the airflow guide sections 34 of the airflow adjuster 26 are inclined symmetrically or approximately symmetrically to each other in the up-down direction. The inclination of the airflow guide sections 34 of the airflow adjuster 26 is parallel or approximately parallel to the downstream inclined section 15a of the case body 3.

[0031] The airflow direction adjuster 26 is disposed inside the front end side, which is one end side, of the case body 3. The airflow direction adjuster 26 is disposed such that at least the front end side of the adjuster airflow guidance section 34 is located inside the downstream reduced section 14 of the case body 3, and the other general section is located inside the general section 20 of the case body 3.

[0032] Therefore, the flow path 30 between the airflow direction adjuster 26 and the case body 3 has an upstream side located within the general part 20 of the case body 3 that is linearly inclined in the front-to-rear direction, and due to the inclination of the adjuster airflow guidance part 34 of the airflow direction adjuster 26 and the downstream inclined part 15a of the case body 3, the downstream end of the upper flow path 30 is inclined downward and the downstream end of the lower flow path 30 is inclined upward.

[0033] Furthermore, the airflow direction adjuster 26 is disposed relative to the case body 3 so as to be movable at least in a direction intersecting the airflow direction, which in this embodiment is the vertical direction. That is, the airflow direction adjuster 26 is disposed so as to be movable in a predetermined direction in which the downstream narrowing section 14 is narrowed. As shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), and 5, in this embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster 26 is slidably held by the receiving portion 36, and the receiving portion 36 is fixed to the case body 3, so that the airflow direction adjuster 26 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the case body 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ratio of the airflow rates (opening areas) between one flow path 30 and the other flow path 30 changes depending on the direction and amount of movement of the airflow direction adjuster 26. This changes the ratio of the airflow rates blown in the direction in which the downstream narrowing section 14 is narrowed, i.e., in the direction along the inclination of the downstream inclined portion 15a of the downstream air guide section 15, thereby changing the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 24.

[0034] The receiving portion 36 shown in Figure 3(b) is also called a spacer. The receiving portion 36 holds both longitudinal ends of the airflow direction adjusting unit 26, both the left and right ends in this embodiment. The receiving portion 36 has a guide portion 39 that guides a sliding contact portion 38 formed on the side wall 29 of the airflow direction adjusting unit 26 so that it can slide. One of the sliding contact portion 38 and the guide portion 39 is a concave portion, and the other is a convex portion. In this embodiment, the sliding contact portion 38 is a convex portion, and the guide portion 39 is a linear rail-shaped groove portion, i.e., a concave portion.

[0035] The receiving portion 36 is attached to and fixed to an attachment portion 41 formed on the side wall portion 7 of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the attachment portion 41 is a groove formed in the vertical direction on the inner surface of the side wall portion 7 of the case body 3, i.e., on the surface on the air passage 5 side. In the example shown, the attachment portion 41 is formed as a groove that continues to the upper end of the side wall portion 7 of the other case member 12. Therefore, the receiving portion 36 is inserted and fitted into the attachment portion 41 of the other case member 12 by sliding from above, and when one case member 11 is fixed to the other case member 12, the upper end of the attachment portion 41 is closed, thereby holding the receiving portion 36 in the case body 3 and preventing it from coming off.

[0036] In this embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster 26 can be operated by an operation unit 43 movably disposed outside the case body 3. The operation unit 43 is, for example, a rotationally operated operation dial. As shown in FIGS. 4( a) and 4(b), the operation unit 43 has a knob 45. The knob 45 is a portion that a user, such as a passenger, grips to rotate the operation unit 43. An operation unit main body 46, which serves as the rotation center of the operation unit 43, is formed behind the knob 45. Furthermore, a stopper 47 is formed behind the operation unit main body 46. Furthermore, a link hole 48, which is connected to the airflow direction adjuster 26, is formed on an imaginary line L1 connecting the center of the operation unit main body 46, i.e., the rotation center, and the knob 45. In this embodiment, the link hole 48 is an elongated hole that extends along the imaginary line L1 connecting the center of the operation unit main body 46, i.e., the rotation center, and the knob 45.

[0037] 5, the operation unit 43 has an operation unit main body 46 rotatably attached to a side of the case body 3. In the example shown, the operation unit 43 has the operation unit main body 46 coaxially attached to a boss-shaped operation unit attachment portion 50 formed on the outer surface of one side wall portion 7 of the case body 3 by a fixing member 52 such as a tapping, via a cylindrical bushing 51. The operation unit attachment portion 50 is disposed rearward of the attachment portion 41 on one side wall portion 7 of the case body 3.

[0038] 3(a), when the operating unit 43 is attached to the case body 3, the knob 45 is located on the front side and the stopper 47 is located on the rear side. The knob 45 is inserted into an exposed opening 54 formed on the panel 23 at the side of the air outlet 24, and protrudes forward from the panel 23. The stopper 47 is located below an abutment 55 formed on the outer surface of one side wall 7 of the case body 3, and when the operating unit 43 rotates, the stopper 47 abuts against the abutment 55, thereby restricting the rotation angle of the operating unit 43.

[0039] 3(b), a link portion 57 formed in the airflow direction adjuster 26 is inserted into the link hole 48 of the operation unit 43. The link portion 57 protrudes from one side wall 29 of the airflow direction adjuster 26. In this embodiment, the link portion 57 is a shaft protruding laterally from the front end portion of one side wall 29 of the airflow direction adjuster 26. The link portion 57 is inserted into an insertion hole 58 formed in one side wall 7 of the case body 3, led out to the outside of the air passage 5, i.e., the outside of the case body 3, and inserted into the link hole 48. The insertion hole 58 is formed along the movement direction of the airflow direction adjuster 26 relative to the case body 3. In this embodiment, the insertion hole 58 is formed in an elongated hole shape in the vertical direction.

[0040] Furthermore, preferably, fins 60 are disposed inside the case body 3, i.e., in the air passage 5, upstream of the airflow direction adjuster 26, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The fins 60 are also called louvers. In this embodiment, the fins 60 are positioned rearward of the airflow direction adjuster 26 and disposed inside the general section 20 of the case body 3. The fins 60 are formed in a plate shape and rotate in directions intersecting the airflow direction and the movement direction of the airflow direction adjuster 26, thereby adjusting the airflow direction in this rotation direction. In this embodiment, the fins 60 are disposed in the air passage 5 with their main surfaces, which serve as flow-regulating surfaces, facing left and right, allowing the airflow direction to be adjusted left and right. In other words, the fins 60 are supported by the case body 3 so as to be rotatable left and right. The fins 60 have rotating portions 62, which are held by rotation receiving portions 63 formed on each end wall portion 6 of the case body 3, allowing them to rotate left and right. One of the rotating portion 62 and the rotation receiving portion 63 is a shaft portion, and the other is a hole or a recess.

[0041] 3(a) and 5, a plurality of fins 60 are provided in this embodiment. These fins 60 are connected to each other by links 65 so that they rotate in the same direction in unison. The links 65 are rotatably connected to link receiving portions 66 formed on the fins 60 at positions separated from the rotating portions 62. In the example shown, the link receiving portions 66 are formed on the upper part of the rear end portion of the fins 60.

[0042] In this embodiment, the fin 60 can be operated by a fin operation unit 68 arranged outside the case body 3. The fin operation unit 68 is, for example, an operation knob that is operated by sliding. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the fin operation unit 68 has a fin operation unit main body 70. The fin operation unit main body 70 is formed in an elongated shape. In this embodiment, the fin operation unit main body 70 is formed in an elongated shape in the left-right direction, which is the sliding direction of the fin operation unit 68 or the rotation direction of the fin 60. A knob 72 is formed on the front of the fin operation unit main body 70. The knob 72 is a portion that a user, such as a passenger, grips to slide the fin operation unit 68.

[0043] Another fin operation unit main body 74 is connected to the rear of one fin operation unit main body 70, i.e., on the opposite side to the knob 72. The other fin operation unit main body 74 moves integrally with the first fin operation unit main body 70.

[0044] A connecting portion 75 is formed behind the other fin operation unit main body 74, i.e., on the opposite side from the one fin operation unit main body 70. A connecting body 77 is connected to the connecting portion 75. The connecting body 77 is a direction conversion portion that converts the sliding of the one fin operation unit main body 70 into the rotation of the fin 60. A connecting receiving portion 78 that is connected to the connecting portion 75 is formed on the connecting body 77. The connecting receiving portion 78 is rotatably connected to the connecting portion 75. One of the connecting receiving portion 78 and the connecting portion 75 is a shaft portion, and the other is a hole portion or a recess portion. In this embodiment, the connecting receiving portion 78 is a shaft portion, and the connecting portion 75 is a hole portion. In addition, a fin connecting portion 79 that is connected to the fin 60 is formed on the connecting body 77. The fin connecting portion 79 is connected to the rotating portion 62 of the fin 60. In this embodiment, the fin connecting portion 79 is connected to the rotating portion 62 of one of the multiple fins 60. In the illustrated example, the fin connecting portion 79 is connected to the rotating portion 62 of the fin 60 that is located in the center in the left-right direction among the multiple fins 60. One of the fin connecting portion 79 and the rotating portion 62 is a shaft portion, and the other is a hole or a recess. In this embodiment, the fin connecting portion 79 is a shaft portion, and the rotating portion 62 is a hole or a recess.

[0045] The fin operation unit 68 has one fin operation unit main body 70 and another fin operation unit main body 74 attached to a fin operation unit attachment portion 81 formed on the end wall 6 of the case body 3, and a connecting body 77 rotatably attached to an attachment hole 82 formed in the end wall 6 of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the fin operation unit attachment portion 81 and the attachment hole 82 are formed in the lower end wall 6.

[0046] The fin operation unit attachment part 81 is a guide part that guides the fin operation unit 68 in the sliding direction. The fin operation unit attachment part 81 is formed like a rail that is elongated in the left-right direction, which is the sliding direction of the fin operation unit 68 or the rotation direction of the fins 60. The fin operation unit attachment part 81 is attached so that one fin operation unit main body part 70 and another fin operation unit main body part 74 sandwich it from the front and back.

[0047] The mounting hole 82 is formed in place of one of the rotation receiving portions 63 of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the fin connecting portion 79 of the connecting body 77 is inserted into the mounting hole 82 and extends into the air passage 5, and the rotation portion 62 of one of the fins 60 is connected to the fin connecting portion 79.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the fin operating unit 68 is attached to the case body 3, the knob portion 72 is positioned on the front side and is inserted into an exposed opening 84 formed below the air outlet 24 in the panel 23, protruding forward from the panel 23.

[0049] The airflow direction adjustment device 1 is disposed with the inlet 8 connected to the air conditioner. The conditioned air from the air conditioner passes through the air passage 5 from the inlet 8, is distributed by the fins 60 and the airflow direction adjustment body 26, and is blown out from the air outlet 24.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1, when the air direction adjuster 26 is in the neutral position, the majority of the conditioned air flows straight through the air direction adjuster 26 from the vertical center of the air passage 5 through the inlet 31 along the upstream non-inclined portion 18b of the upstream air guide section 18 of the upstream contraction section 17, and passes through the outlet 32 ​​with its wind speed (pressure) increased by the adjuster air guide section 34 of the adjuster contraction section 33 (main flow W1), while the remainder is guided up and down within the air passage 5 along the upstream inclined portion 18a of the upstream air guide section 18 of the upstream contraction section 17, passes through the upper and lower flow paths 30 of the air direction adjuster 26, and passes between the adjuster air guide section 34 of the adjuster contraction section 33 and the downstream inclined portion 15a of the downstream air guide section 15 of the downstream contraction section 14 of the case body 3 (secondary flow W2). Therefore, the air direction of the conditioned air is dominated by the air conditioning air (main stream W1) blowing out in a straight line from the outlet 32 ​​of the air direction adjusting body 26, and the air conditioning air is blown out from the outlet 24 in the front direction along the axial direction of the case body 3, i.e., the ventilation direction of the air passage 5.

[0051] In addition, when changing the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 24, a user such as a passenger pinches the knobs 45, 72 and operates the operating part 43 or the fin operating part 68 to operate the air direction adjusting body 26 or the fin 60.

[0052] For example, to distribute air in the vertical direction, when knob 45 is pinched and operation unit 43 is moved or rotated in the vertical direction, airflow direction adjuster 26, which is connected to operation unit 43 by link 57, moves up and down in accordance with the rotation direction of operation unit 43. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when operation unit 43 rotates, link hole 48 of operation unit 43 moves up and down as viewed from the center of operation unit main body 46. Then, when an external force is applied in the vertical direction to link 57 inserted into link hole 48, airflow direction adjuster 26 having link 57 moves while being guided in the vertical direction along guide 39 of receiver 36 so that sliding contact portion 38 slides in contact with guide 39. At this time, the air direction adjustment body 26 moves linearly in the vertical direction, while the operating part 43 rotates, so the link part 57 and the link hole part 48 are misaligned in the front-to-back direction, that is, in the radial direction of the rotation of the operating part 43. However, because the link hole part 48 is formed as an elongated hole in the radial direction of the rotation of the operating part 43, this misalignment is absorbed by the link part 57 moving within the link hole part 48.

[0053] 2 shows the state in which the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward to its maximum extent. When the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward, the flow path 30 below the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is reduced and the flow path 30 above is expanded in accordance with the amount of movement of the airflow direction adjusting body 26. This increases the volume of conditioned air blown downward from the air outlet 24 along the slope of the downstream end of the upper flow path 30, and decreases the volume of air blown upward from the air outlet 24 along the slope of the downstream end of the lower flow path 30. When the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward to its maximum extent, the flow path 30 below the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is blocked or nearly blocked. Therefore, the airflow direction of the conditioned air is dominated by the conditioned air blown downward from the upper passage (secondary flow W2). This conditioned air collides with the conditioned air blown through the air outlet 24 (main flow W1), and the conditioned air blown downward is adjusted in accordance with the amount of movement of the airflow direction adjusting body 26.

[0054] When the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung upward, the up and down movement is simply reversed from when it is swung downward, so illustrations and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the airflow direction adjuster 26 is swung to its maximum downward or upward position, the entire outlet 32 ​​of the airflow direction adjuster 26 is located within the projection range of the airflow direction of the air outlet 24. In other words, throughout the entire movement range of the airflow direction adjuster 26, the entire outlet 32 ​​is located within the projection range of the airflow direction of the air outlet 24. Furthermore, because the axial direction of the airflow direction adjuster 26 remains parallel or approximately parallel to the axial direction of the case body 3, the downstream contraction section 14 of the case body 3 is not located on the projection of the airflow direction of the airflow adjuster 26, i.e., the blow-out direction of the conditioned air from the outlet 32. Therefore, the conditioned air (main flow W1) blown forward from the outlet 32 ​​of the airflow direction adjuster 26 hits the downstream inclined portion 15a of the downstream air guide section 15 of the downstream contraction section 14 of the case body 3 and travels straight forward from the air outlet 24 without generating turbulence.

[0056] Regarding left-right air distribution, when a user such as a passenger pinches the knob 72 and slides the fin operation unit 68 left or right, the fins 60 connected to the fin operation unit 68 by the connectors 77 are rotated left or right in accordance with the sliding direction of the fin operation unit 68. More specifically, when the fin operation unit 68 is slid left or right, one fin operation unit main body 70 and the other fin operation unit main body 74 move left or right, and the connector 77, which is connected to the connector 75 of the other fin operation unit main body 74 via the connector receiving portion 78, rotates left or right. Thus, the fin 60, whose rotating portion 62 is connected to the fin connector 79 of the connector 77, rotates in accordance with the rotation of the connector 77, and the other fins 60 connected to this fin 60 by the links 65 rotate in the same direction. Thus, the conditioned air passing through the air passage 5 is redirected left or right along the rectifying surfaces of the fins 60 and is blown out from the air outlet 24.

[0057] In this way, by combining the vertical airflow distribution by the airflow direction adjuster 26 and the horizontal airflow distribution by the fins 60, it is possible to blow conditioned air in any direction.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the airflow direction adjuster 26 is disposed inside the downstream side of the cylindrical case body 3, one end of which, i.e., the downstream side, is tapered in a predetermined direction. This arrangement allows the airflow direction to be adjusted by changing the ratio of the volume of the conditioned air that passes through the flow path 30 between the airflow direction adjuster 26 and the case body 3 in the air passage 5 and is blown from the downstream side of the case body 3 in a direction that follows the tapered portion, depending on the direction and amount of movement of the airflow direction adjuster 26 inside the case body 3. Therefore, there is no need to arrange multiple fins near the air outlet 24, allowing the opening dimension of the air outlet 24 to be reduced and the actual opening area to be easily ensured. Furthermore, there is no need to use a complex mechanism, allowing for a reduced number of parts with a simple configuration. This reduces layout and design constraints, improving appearance, and allows the airflow direction to be adjusted by moving the cylindrical airflow direction adjuster 26 with a simple configuration. This also increases the design freedom of the installation position of the instrument panel or the like near the air outlet 24.

[0059] By narrowing the downstream side, which is one end of the airflow direction adjusting body 26, in at least the same direction as the downstream side of the case body 3, the flow rate of the conditioned air (main flow W1) that passes through the airflow direction adjusting body 26 and blows out straight from the downstream side of the airflow direction adjusting body 26 can be increased, while the directionality of the conditioned air (secondary flow W2) that blows out at an angle in the narrowed direction from the downstream side of the flow path 30 between the airflow direction adjusting body 26 and the case body 3 can be increased, thereby improving the airflow direction adjustment function. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air direction adjusting body 26 is movable in the vertical direction, so that even when the air direction adjusting body 26 is moved, the direction of the conditioned air (main flow W1) blown out from the outlet 32 ​​of the air direction adjusting body 26 does not change, and the inclination of the adjuster air guide section 34 of the adjuster contraction section 33 of the air direction adjusting body 26 and the inclination of the downstream inclined section 15a of the downstream air guide section 15 of the downstream contraction section 14 of the case body 3 can be kept parallel or approximately parallel to each other, thereby reliably increasing the directionality of the conditioned air (secondary flow W2) blown out at an incline along the contracting direction from the downstream side of the flow path 30 between the air direction adjusting body 26 and the case body 3.

[0060] By arranging the fins 60 inside the case body 3 upstream of the airflow direction relative to the airflow direction adjuster 26 so that they can rotate in a direction intersecting the airflow direction inside the case body 3 and the movement direction of the airflow direction adjuster 26, in addition to adjusting the airflow direction by moving the airflow direction adjuster 26, it becomes possible to adjust the airflow direction by rotating the fins 60 in a direction intersecting the direction in which the airflow direction can be adjusted, thereby improving the freedom of airflow direction adjustment.

[0061] Since the wind direction adjusting body 26 can move along the direction of movement of the operating unit 43, which is movably arranged outside the case body 3, in this embodiment along the rotation direction, the operating direction of the operating unit 43 and the wind direction adjustment direction by the wind direction adjusting body 26 coincide or approximately coincide, making it possible to intuitively operate the wind direction.

[0062] next, Reference technology This will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. one The same configurations and functions as those of the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] Book Reference technology The airflow direction adjuster 26 is arranged to be rotatable relative to the case body 3. Reference technology In the example shown, the support portion 86 of the airflow direction adjuster 26 is rotatably supported by the case body 3. In the example shown, the support portion 86 is formed on the side wall 29 of the airflow direction adjuster 26. As an example, the support portion 86 is formed at a position that protrudes rearward from the rear portion of the side wall 29. The support portion 86 is rotatably supported by the side wall portion 7 of the case body 3. Reference technology The wind direction adjusting body 26 is rotatable in the vertical direction, i.e., in the direction in which the downstream reduction section 14 on the downstream side, which is one end side of the case body 3, is reduced, i.e., in the inclination direction of the downstream inclined section 15a of the downstream wind guidance section 15.

[0064] In this configuration, the operating part 43 may be directly connected to the support part 86, and the airflow direction adjusting body 26 may be directly rotated by rotating the operating part 43.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, when the air direction adjuster 26 is in the neutral position, the majority of the air conditioning air flows straight through the air direction adjuster 26 from the vertical center of the air passage 5 through the inlet 31 along the upstream non-inclined portion 18b of the upstream air guide section 18 of the upstream contraction section 17, and passes through the outlet 32 ​​with its wind speed (pressure) increased by the adjuster air guide section 34 of the adjuster contraction section 33 (main flow W1), while the remainder is guided vertically within the air passage 5 along the upstream inclined portion 18a of the upstream air guide section 18 of the upstream contraction section 17, passes through the upper and lower flow paths 30 of the air direction adjuster 26, and passes between the adjuster air guide section 34 of the adjuster contraction section 33 and the downstream inclined portion 15a of the downstream air guide section 15 of the downstream contraction section 14 of the case body 3 (secondary flow W2). Therefore, the air direction of the conditioned air is dominated by the air conditioning air (main stream W1) blowing out in a straight line from the outlet 32 ​​of the air direction adjusting body 26, and the air conditioning air is blown out from the outlet 24 in the front direction along the axial direction of the case body 3, i.e., the ventilation direction of the air passage 5.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, vertical air distribution can be adjusted by rotating the operating unit 43 up and down to rotate the airflow direction adjuster 26 up and down.

[0067] 8 shows the state in which the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward to its maximum extent. When the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward in this way, the direction of the conditioned air (main flow W1) blown out from the outlet 32 ​​of the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is directed downward depending on the amount of movement of the airflow direction adjusting body 26, and the flow path 30 below the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is narrowed and the flow path 30 above is widened, increasing the volume of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet 24 in the downward direction along the slope of the downstream end of the upper flow path 30, and decreasing the volume of the air blown out from the outlet 24 in the upward direction along the slope of the downstream end of the lower flow path 30. When the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is swung downward to its maximum extent, the flow path 30 below the airflow direction adjusting body 26 is blocked or nearly blocked. Therefore, the direction of the conditioned air is adjusted downward according to the amount of movement of the air direction adjusting body 26, as the conditioned air (main stream W1) passing through the air direction adjusting body 26 flows downward and the conditioned air (secondary stream W2) flowing downward from the upper passage becomes dominant.

[0068] In this way, by arranging the cylindrical airflow direction adjusting body 26 inside the downstream side, which is one end side of the case body 3, so that it can rotate at least in the direction along the contraction, it is possible to adjust the airflow direction by moving the cylindrical airflow direction adjusting body 26 with a simple configuration while improving the appearance, one It is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the embodiment.

[0069] Furthermore, by configuring airflow direction adjuster 26 to rotate, swinging airflow direction adjuster 26 changes the direction of the conditioned air (main stream W1) blowing out from outlet 32 ​​of airflow direction adjuster 26, thereby further strengthening the directionality of the airflow. Furthermore, by using rotatable operating unit 43, there is no need for a mechanism for sliding airflow direction adjuster 26, and airflow direction adjuster 26 can be easily rotated with a simpler configuration, thereby further reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs.

[0070] In addition, the above one Embodiment and reference technology In the above, the airflow direction adjustment device 1 is of a horizontal type, but it can also be configured in the same way as a vertical type with the longitudinal direction being the up-down direction. In that case, by reducing the downstream side, which is one end side of the case body 3, at least in the left-right direction and making the airflow direction adjustment body 6 movable at least in the left-right direction, the above one Embodiment and reference technology It is possible to achieve the same effect as above.

[0071] Furthermore, the airflow direction adjustment device 1 is not limited to being used in automobiles, and may be used for any other purposes. [Industrial Applicability]

[0072] The present invention can be suitably used as, for example, a wind direction adjusting device for an air conditioner in an automobile. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 Wind direction adjustment device 3 Case body 26 Wind direction adjustment body 30 flow path 43 Operation section 60 Fin

Claims

1. a cylindrical case body whose one end is contracted in a predetermined direction and through which air passes from the other end to the one end; a cylindrical airflow direction adjusting body that is disposed inside one end of the case body and forms a flow path between the case body and the airflow direction adjusting body on one side and the other side of the predetermined direction, The airflow direction adjuster has one end side contracted in at least the same direction as the one end side of the case body, and is movable in parallel with the case body at least in the predetermined direction so that its axial direction remains substantially parallel to the axial direction of the case body. A wind direction adjustment device characterized by:

2. Fins are provided inside the case body, on the upstream side of the airflow direction relative to the airflow direction adjuster, and are rotatable in a direction intersecting the airflow direction inside the case body and the movement direction of the airflow direction adjuster.

2. The airflow direction adjusting device according to claim 1.

3. An operating unit is provided that is movably disposed outside the case body, The airflow direction adjusting body is disposed so as to be movable along the movement direction of the operating unit.

3. The airflow direction adjusting device according to claim 1 or 2.

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