A ventilator for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A ventilator comprising: a hollow body for defining a duct (3) suitable for directing a flow of air (F) to an output opening (4); a first set (6) of deflector blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D) pivotably fitted inside said duct (3) along parallel axes and rotatably integral; a shutter valve (11) pivotably fitted in said duct (3) upstream of said first set (6) of deflector blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D) between a maximum opening position and a closed position; a gear mechanism (15, 18) operated by a single drive roller (12), configured so that rotation of said drive roller (12) over a first portion (Ci) of its angular travel enables control of rotation of said deflector blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D), and so that rotation of said drive roller (12) over a second remaining portion of its angular travel enables control of rotation of said shutter valve (11).

Description

[0001] This invention claims priority to French application 2101667, filed on February 22, 2021, the contents of which (text, drawings and claims) are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a ventilator for dispersing air from the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems of a motor vehicle into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] Such ventilators, as known from French patent application FR2956065, typically include:

[0004] - A hollow body defining a duct, the duct being adapted to direct airflow to an output opening leading into a vehicle compartment;

[0005] - At least a first set of deflecting blades, said deflecting blades being pivotally mounted inside the pipe along a parallel axis between two extreme angular positions, said deflecting blades being rotatably connected to each other by means of at least one connecting member; and

[0006] - An actuating member, the actuating member being used to ensure rotational manipulation of at least the first set of blades via a control mechanism.

[0007] This type of ventilator also includes an occultation component designed to, in a particular configuration, prevent the airflow guided in the duct from being discharged through the outlet opening as much as possible.

[0008] According to a first solution well-known in the prior art, these shielding components consist of a set of deflecting blades adapted to occupy a closed configuration in which the deflecting blades partially cover each other to close the conduit.

[0009] Using this type of shielding blades ensures both directional and shielding functions. The main drawback is that the directionality of these blades consequently modifies the airflow entering the carriage, making it difficult for users to find a good compromise when adjusting these blades.

[0010] According to a second solution also well known in the prior art, the shielding component consists of a single shielding valve, which is pivotally mounted in the duct upstream of one or more sets of blades, between a maximum open position and a closed position that prevents the guided airflow from being discharged through the output opening.

[0011] Therefore, the rotational control of the valve is ensured by a roller that is accessible from the front of the hollow body and connected to the second control mechanism.

[0012] However, the main drawback of this solution is that it requires two different control mechanisms, which are operated by two different actuating components, resulting in additional manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Therefore, the present invention aims to improve this situation.

[0014] Therefore, the present invention provides a ventilator for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, the ventilator comprising:

[0015] - A hollow body defining a duct, the duct being adapted to direct airflow to an output opening leading to the vehicle's passenger compartment.

[0016] - At least a first set of deflecting blades, pivotally mounted inside the pipe along a parallel axis between two extreme angular positions, the first set of deflecting blades being rotatably connected to each other by means of at least one connecting member.

[0017] - A shielding valve, in a position between maximum open and closed to prevent the directed airflow from exiting through the output opening, is pivotally mounted in the duct upstream of the first set of blades;

[0018] The ventilator is characterized by including a gear mechanism operated by a single drive roller, the mechanism being configured such that rotation of the roller in a first portion of its angular travel controls rotation of the first set of blades between its two extreme angular positions, and that rotation of the roller in a second remaining portion of its angular travel controls rotation of the valve between its maximum open position and its closed position.

[0019] Because the directionality of the airflow can be controlled sequentially and by means of a single roller via the rotation of conventional deflector blades, and the shielding of the duct can be controlled by the rotation of a valve, the ventilator according to the invention can ensure optimal user comfort while limiting cost.

[0020] Furthermore, the advantage of this fan is that when the fan is equipped with a second set of blades arranged downstream of the first set of blades, it avoids relying on a slider (curseur) slidably mounted on one of the second set of blades to ensure the orientation adjustment of the two sets of blades, and also prevents the application of any decorative coating on these identical blades (the repeated friction between the actuator and the blades it is mounted on causes the coating to gradually disappear and thus negatively affects the quality level perceived by the user).

[0021] Preferred features of the ventilator according to the invention:

[0022] - The roller includes a first arcuate external tooth that meshes with a second arcuate external tooth on a rotating assembly wheel. The wheel has a first guide finger that travels in a first cam path on at least one connecting rod to drive displacement of the connecting rod during rotation of the roller in a first portion of its angular travel, the displacement causing the first set of blades to pivot gradually between its two extreme angular positions.

[0023] - The profile of the first cam path is arranged such that the rotation of the roller on the second remaining portion of its stroke does not drive any displacement of the connecting rod, so as to avoid further pivoting of the first set of blades;

[0024] - The wheel includes a third arcuate external tooth adapted to engage with a fourth arcuate external tooth during rotation of the roller in the second remaining portion of its stroke, the fourth arcuate external tooth being centered on the pivot axis of the valve and disposed on a drive plate rigidly connected to the valve, so as to drive the valve to gradually pivot between its maximum open position and its closed position during rotation of the roller in the second remaining portion of its stroke;

[0025] - The wheel has a second guide finger, which is adapted to engage with a second cam path disposed on the plate during the rotation of the roller on the second remaining portion of its stroke, so as to allow fully synchronized meshing without the third tooth striking the fourth tooth;

[0026] - The roller has an outer coating on an angular sector that extends in the opposite direction to the first external tooth and is at least equal to the angular sector of the first external tooth, the outer coating having a plurality of gripping notches;

[0027] - The mechanism is arranged such that a first portion of the roller's travel extends over an angle sector larger than the second remaining portion of the travel;

[0028] - The first portion of the roller's travel extends over an angle sector that is at least twice the angle sector of the second remaining portion of the travel; and / or

[0029] The ventilator further includes a second set of deflecting blades, which are pivotally mounted inside the duct downstream of the first set of blades and along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first set of blades.

[0030] A second aspect of the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one such ventilator. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following detailed description of embodiments given as illustrative rather than limiting, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] - Figure 1 A three-quarter perspective view of a ventilation fan for a motor vehicle according to the present invention is shown;

[0033] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Bottom and three-quarters rear perspective view of a ventilation fan used in motor vehicles;

[0034] - Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A partial perspective view of a ventilation fan, the hollow body of which is not shown to allow for a better view of the gear control mechanism and rollers;

[0035] - Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A simplified top view of the ventilator in the first configuration, wherein the roller is at the start of the stroke, the first set of blades occupies its first limit angle position, and the valve occupies its maximum open position;

[0036] - Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A simplified top view of the ventilator in the second configuration, wherein the roller has traveled the first portion of its stroke, while the first set of blades occupies its second limit angle position, and the valve occupies its maximum open position; and

[0037] - Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A simplified top view of the fan in the third configuration, where the roller has traveled its full stroke, the first set of blades occupies its second limit angle position, and the valve occupies its closed position. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The attached diagram defines an orthogonal coordinate system XYZ, which includes three mutually perpendicular axes:

[0039] - Axis X, which defines the longitudinal direction and is substantially parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis.

[0040] - The Y-axis defines the horizontal direction and, together with the X-axis, defines the horizontal plane XY.

[0041] - The axis Z defines the vertical direction and is perpendicular to the horizontal plane XY.

[0042] Figures 1 to 6A ventilator 1 is shown, which is used to install in the dashboard (not shown) of a motor vehicle to diffuse compressed air from the ventilation and / or air conditioning system into the vehicle's passenger compartment.

[0043] The ventilator 1 includes: a body 2 defining a duct 3 having a generally rectangular shape and adapted to guide an airflow F to an output opening 4 leading into a vehicle compartment; and two sets of vertical deflecting blades 5 and 6 housed inside the duct 3 for deflecting the airflow F.

[0044] In the following description, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” used to characterize the location of certain components of the fan 1 are considered relative to the direction of airflow F in the duct 3.

[0045] The group 5 located near the output opening 4 of the pipe 3 consists of six transverse blades 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F, which are distributed at regular intervals along the entire height of the pipe 3, one above the other.

[0046] These transverse blades, pivotally assembled along parallel transverse axes, are rotatably connected by a connecting rod 7, which links these transverse blades together and... Figure 3 As can be seen above.

[0047] Rotational control of the transverse blades 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F of group 5 is ensured by gripping member 8, which is rigidly connected to one of these blades (blade 5C in the illustration, located at approximately half the height of the fan 1) so that rotational displacement of the gripping member by the user, either upward or downward, drives the combination of these transverse blades to pivot and causes a modification to the vertical orientation of the airflow exiting from the duct 3 through the output opening 4.

[0048] The gripping component in this case consists of an excroissance 8, which is molded from a single part with blade 5C and protrudes longitudinally downstream of the blade to facilitate user manipulation.

[0049] Group 6, located upstream of group 5 and output opening 4, consists of four vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D. These four vertical blades are distributed at regular intervals along the width of pipe 3, with one blade on each side.

[0050] These vertical blades, which are pivotally assembled along parallel vertical axes, are also rotatably connected to each other by means of two connecting rods, namely the first connecting rod 9 connecting the lower ends of blades 6B, 6C, and 6D and the second connecting rod 10 connecting the upper ends of blades 6A and 6B.

[0051] It should be noted that the presence of the second connecting rod 10 is determined by the specific geometry of the pipe 3, which causes the blade 6A to be shortened, and the lower end of the blade 6A is raised relative to the lower ends of the blades 6B, 6C, and 6D.

[0052] In the variant, based on the geometry of the pipes and vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, it will be understood that a single connecting rod may be necessary to ensure that the combination of these vertical blades is rotatably connected as a whole.

[0053] The ventilator 1 also includes a shielding valve 11, in the maximum open position ( Figures 2 to 5 ) and the closed position that prevents the guided airflow F from being discharged through the output opening 4 ( Figure 6 Between these two sets of longitudinal and transverse blades 5 and 6, the shielding valve is pivotally mounted in pipe 3 about a vertical axis upstream of the two sets of longitudinal and transverse blades 5 and 6.

[0054] In such Figures 2 to 5 In its maximum open position, as shown, the valve 11 extends along a vertical plane substantially parallel to the inner lateral wall of the pipe 3 in order to minimize interference with the guided airflow F passing through the pipe.

[0055] In such Figure 6 In its closed position, each of its two lateral ends abuts against its respective inner edge at a location on the corresponding lateral wall of the duct 3, so as to close the duct 3 and prevent the guided airflow F from being discharged through the output opening 4 as much as possible.

[0056] Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the valve 11 is advantageously covered by an elastically deformable lip 11A made of an elastomeric material, which enables excellent fit of the valve against the inner contour of the pipe 3 and a near-complete seal of the air passage.

[0057] According to the present invention, the rotational control of the vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D group 6 and the rotational control of the shielding valve 11 are ensured by a gear control mechanism operated by a drive roller 12, which is rotatably mounted below the pipe 3 about a vertical axis and partially protrudes downstream of the output opening 4.

[0058] For example, the roller 12, which is rotatably displaceable over a predetermined angular travel between 80° and 100°, includes a first arc-shaped external tooth 14 that extends in an angular sector corresponding to the travel of the roller 12 and meshes with a second arc-shaped external tooth 16 having the same angular sector on a wheel 15, which is also rotatably mounted below the pipe 3 about a vertical axis.

[0059] The wheel 15 has a first vertical guide finger 17 (in... Figure 3 As can be seen above, the first vertical guide finger travels in the first cam path 18 provided on the connecting rod 9 so that during the rotation of the roller 12 on the first portion C1 of its stroke (as shown above), Figure 5 (As shown) The displacement of the connecting rod 9 causes the vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D to pivot between their two extreme angular positions.

[0060] Wheel 15 also includes a third arcuate external tooth 19, which extends offset from tooth 16 in a predetermined angular sector and is adapted to rotate during the second remaining portion C2 of the roller 12's stroke (as shown in the image). Figure 6 (As shown) engages with a fourth arcuate external tooth 20, which is centered on the vertical pivot axis of the valve 11 and disposed on a drive plate 21 extending below the pipe 3 and rigidly connected to the valve 11, so as to drive the valve 11 to gradually pivot between its maximum open position and its closed position during the rotation of the roller 12 on the second remaining portion C2 of its stroke, the closed position being reached at the end of the stroke of the roller 12.

[0061] It should be noted that the profile of the first cam path 18 is arranged such that the rotation of the roller 12 (and therefore the guide finger 17) on the second remainder of its stroke C2 does not drive any displacement of the connecting rod 9, so as to avoid further pivoting of the vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D of group 6.

[0062] The gear mechanism is arranged such that the first portion C1 of the travel of the roller 12 extends over an angle sector that is larger (preferably at least twice as large) than the second remaining portion C2 of the travel, so as to simultaneously allow fine adjustment of the orientation of the vertical blades 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and rapid opening or closing of the shut-off valve 11.

[0063] Furthermore, wheel 15 advantageously has a second vertical guide finger 22 (in Figure 3 As can be seen above, the second vertical guide finger extends from the peripheral auxiliary 24 located near the fourth tooth and is adapted to engage with the second cam path 23 disposed on the plate 21 during the rotation of the roller 12 on the second remaining portion C2 of its stroke to ensure clearance compensation, which allows for fully synchronized meshing without the impact of the third tooth 19 on the fourth tooth 20.

[0064] Advantageously, the roller 12 has an outer coating 25 on an angular sector that extends in the opposite direction to the first external tooth 14 and is at least equal to the angular sector of the first external tooth (e.g., between 150° and 180°), the outer coating having a plurality of notches for easy gripping by the user.

[0065] According to the implementation variant not shown, the gear mechanism for rotating the blades of control group 6 and valve 11 can be configured differently.

[0066] Depending on other implementation variations, the number of blades in at least one of the two groups is different.

[0067] In other embodiments, the fan may consist of only a single blade group 6, which is controlled by roller 12 (group 5 is not present).

[0068] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but also covers all implementation variations that are accessible to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A ventilator (1) for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, the ventilator comprising: - A hollow body (2) defining a duct (3) adapted to guide an airflow (F) to an output opening (4) in the compartment leading to the vehicle. - At least a first set (6) of deflecting blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D), the first set of deflecting blades being pivotally mounted inside the pipe (3) along a parallel axis between two extreme angular positions, the first set of deflecting blades being rotatably connected to each other by means of at least one connecting rod. - A shielding valve (11), in a maximum open position and a closed position that prevents the guided airflow (F) from being discharged through the output opening (4), is pivotally mounted in the duct (3) upstream of the first set (6) deflecting blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D); The ventilator also includes a gear mechanism (15, 18, 21) operated by a single drive roller (12), the gear mechanism being configured such that rotation of the roller (12) on a first portion (C1) of its angular travel controls rotation of the first set (6) of deflecting blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D) between its two extreme angular positions, and that rotation of the roller (12) on a second remaining portion (C2) of its angular travel controls rotation of the shielding valve (11) between its maximum open position and its closed position. The roller (12) is characterized in that it includes a first arcuate external tooth (14) that meshes with a second arcuate external tooth (16) on a rotating assembly wheel (15), the wheel (15) having a first guide finger (17) that travels in a first cam path (18) on at least one connecting rod (9) to drive a displacement of the connecting rod (9) during rotation of the roller (12) on a first portion (C1) of its angular travel, the displacement causing the first set (6) of deflecting blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D) to gradually pivot between their two extreme angular positions.

2. The ventilator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The profile of the first cam path (18) is arranged such that the rotation of the roller (12) on the second remaining portion (C2) of its stroke does not drive any displacement of the connecting rod (9) in order to prevent the continued pivoting of the first set (6) deflector blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D).

3. The ventilator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The wheel (15) includes a third arcuate external tooth (19) adapted to engage with a fourth arcuate external tooth (20) during rotation of the roller (12) on the second remaining portion (C2) of its stroke. The fourth arcuate external tooth is centered on the pivot axis of the shielding valve (11) and disposed on a drive plate (21) rigidly connected to the shielding valve (11) so as to drive the shielding valve (11) to gradually pivot between its maximum open position and its closed position during rotation of the roller (12) on the second remaining portion (C2) of its stroke.

4. The ventilator according to claim 3, characterized in that, The wheel has a second guide finger (22) adapted to engage with a second cam path (23) disposed on the drive plate (21) during the rotation of the roller (12) on the second remaining portion (C2) of its stroke, so as to allow fully synchronized engagement without the impact of the third arcuate external tooth (19) on the fourth arcuate external tooth (20).

5. The ventilator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The roller (12) has an outer coating (25) on an angular sector that extends in the opposite direction to the first arc-shaped outer tooth (14) and is at least equal to the angular sector of the first arc-shaped outer tooth, the outer coating having a plurality of gripping notches.

6. The ventilator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The gear mechanism is arranged such that the first portion (C1) of the travel of the roller (12) extends over an angle sector that is larger than the angle sector of the second remaining portion (C2) of the travel.

7. The ventilator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first portion (C1) of the travel of the roller (12) extends over an angle sector that is at least twice the angle sector of the second remaining portion (C2) of the travel.

8. The ventilator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The ventilator also includes a second set (5) of deflecting blades (5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F), which are pivotally mounted inside the duct (3) downstream of the first set (6) of deflecting blades (6A, 6B, 6C, 6D) and along a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first set of deflecting blades.

9. A motor vehicle, characterized in that, The motor vehicle includes at least one ventilator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images