Register and register device

Abstract

To provide a register and a register device that are able to rotate a plurality of fins in different directions with fewer driving sources.SOLUTION: A register 11 includes: first and second fin groups 23, 24 rotatably supported by a retainer 21; an eccentric cam 25; a first slide member 26; and a second slide member 27. A first cam groove 111 and a second cam groove 112 are formed in the eccentric cam 25. The first slide member 26 engages a first engagement portion 86A with the first cam groove 111 and rotates the first fin group 23 by sliding in accordance with a rotation of the eccentric cam 25. The second slide member 27 engages the second engagement portion 86B with the second cam groove 112, rotates the second fin group 24 by sliding in accordance with a rotation of the eccentric cam 25, and rotates the second fin group 24 in an air blowing direction 33 different from that of the first fin group 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a register and a register device having multiple fins. [Background technology]

[0002] Various registers equipped with multiple fins have been proposed in the past. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes an airflow direction adjustment device equipped with two sets of rear louvers. The two sets of rear louvers in Patent Document 1 are connected to each other by a swing link, and by rotating, change the direction of air blown into the vehicle cabin from the air outlet. Each of the two swing links is provided with a cam pin that engages with an eccentric cam. The airflow direction adjustment device also includes a DC electric motor (rotation drive means) as a drive source for rotating the eccentric cam. When the eccentric cam is rotated by the DC electric motor, the two sets of rear louvers rotate in conjunction with the swing link. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-066839 A (Figs. 5 and 6) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the airflow direction adjustment device of Patent Document 1, when the eccentric cam is rotated, the two sets of rear louvers rotate in the same direction, changing the airflow direction in unison. However, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, if it is desired to point the two sets of rear louvers in different directions, an eccentric cam or DC electric motor is required to rotate each of the two sets of rear louvers.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a register and a register device that can rotate multiple fins in different directions with a small number of driving sources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure discloses a register comprising: a retainer having a ventilation passage formed therein for air flow; a first fin rotatably supported relative to the retainer and changing the blowing direction of air blown out from the retainer; a second fin rotatably supported relative to the retainer and changing the blowing direction of air blown out from the retainer; an eccentric cam having a first cam groove and a second cam groove formed therein; a first slide member that engages with the first cam groove and slides in response to rotation of the eccentric cam to rotate the first fin; and a second slide member that engages with the second cam groove and slides in response to rotation of the eccentric cam to rotate the second fin and rotate the second fin in a blowing direction different from that of the first fin.

[0007] Furthermore, the contents of the present disclosure are not limited to implementation as a register, but are also extremely useful when implemented as a register device including a register and a motor that rotates an eccentric cam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the register and register device of the present disclosure, it is possible to rotate a plurality of fins in different directions with a small number of drive sources. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a register device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the register device 10 as seen from the upper right. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a cash register device 10 as seen from the lower right, and a diagram showing the configuration of a car navigation system. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the register device 10. [Figure 7]FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first connecting fin 42. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first connecting fin 42. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the retainer 21 as seen from the lower right. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the register 11, with the eccentric cam 25 made transparent. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the register 11 seen from the lower right, showing a state in which the eccentric cam 25 and the motor 12 have been removed. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the register 11 with the eccentric cam 25 removed. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, in which each member is transparent when viewed from above. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first slide member 26 as viewed from the upper left. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first slide member 26 as viewed from the lower right. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a top view of the first slide member 26 and the second slide member 27. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first cap member 95 as seen from the lower right. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first cap member 95 as seen from the upper left. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the eccentric cam 25 seen from above. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the eccentric cam 25 as seen from below. [Figure 23] FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 16 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 15, showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. [Figure 25] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 26] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 27]4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 28] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 29] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 30] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 31] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 32] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 33] 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the fins. FIG. [Figure 34] 25 is a front view of the register 11 when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation position of FIG. 24. [Figure 35] 31 is a front view of the register 11 when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation position of FIG. 30. [Figure 36] 34 is a front view of the register 11 when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation position of FIG. 33. [Figure 37] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 and the first and second slide members 26, 27 are displaced in accordance with the rotation of the eccentric cam 25. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the register device of the present disclosure, which is embodied in a register device mounted on an automobile, will be described with reference to the drawings. The register device 10 of this embodiment is attached to an instrument panel located at the front of the automobile's passenger compartment and blows conditioned air conditioned by an air conditioner into the passenger compartment. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the downstream side (i.e., the passenger compartment side) of the register 11 of the register device 10 of this embodiment in the airflow direction 33 (see FIG. 6) is referred to as the front, and the upstream side (i.e., the air conditioner side) of the airflow direction 33 is referred to as the rear. In the following description, the up-down and left-right directions are defined and explained from the perspective of a user facing the register 11 in front of the register 11. Also, FIGS. 1 to 5 show a state in which the first fin group 23 and the second fin group 24 are oriented (states) parallel to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions, and the blowing direction of the conditioned air is not changed (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the neutral state). Furthermore, when first fin group 23 and second fin group 24 are described using FIGS. 1 to 5, the description will be based on the direction in the neutral state.

[0011] (Configuration of Register Device 10) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the register device 10 includes a register 11 and a motor 12. The motor 12 is, for example, a servo motor driven by three-phase AC and functions as a drive source for driving the register 11. The motor 12 is controlled by a control device 13 (see FIG. 5). An output gear 6 is attached to an output shaft 5 (see FIG. 6) of the motor 12. Two threaded portions 31 are provided on a lower side wall 21B of a retainer 21 (described later). Two screws 7 are inserted into the motor 12, and the inserted screws 7 are threaded into the threaded portions 31, thereby fixing the motor 12 to the lower side wall 21B of the retainer 21. The motor 12 receives power from a vehicle battery or the like, and rotates the output shaft 5, thereby rotating the output gear 6. The motor 12 is not limited to a servo motor, and may be another type of motor, such as a stepping motor.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 5, control device 13 is, for example, a control device for a car navigation system, and is connected to motor 12. Control device 13 is, for example, connected to motor 12 via amplifier circuit 14, which supplies three-phase AC current to motor 12. Encoder 15 attached to motor 12 outputs encoder information, such as the rotational position of motor 12, to amplifier circuit 14. For example, amplifier circuit 14 performs feedback control of motor 12 based on a target speed, a target torque, and the like input from control device 13 and encoder information acquired from encoder 15. Amplifier circuit 14 controls the rotational position, rotation direction, rotation speed, and the like of motor 12 by controlling the frequency, etc., of the three-phase AC current supplied to motor 12. This allows control device 13 to control the operation of motor 12 via amplifier circuit 14. As a result, first fin group 23 and second fin group 24 (described later) can be rotated in any direction (rotation angle) to change the blowing direction 33 of conditioned air (see FIG. 6). The control device 13 is not limited to a car navigation control device, but may be a control device dedicated to the register device 10, or may be another control device mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the register device 10 may be configured to include a control device 13 dedicated to controlling the register device 10, separate from the car navigation control device.

[0013] The control device 13 is connected to a touch panel 17 of the car navigation system. The control device 13 controls the motor 12 in response to operational inputs received from the occupant via the touch panel 17. The control device 13 is also connected to a storage device 18 of the car navigation system. The storage device 18 includes, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, a HDD, an SDD, and the like. The storage device 18 stores pattern data 19 that associates, for example, a plurality of airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 (FIGS. 22 to 33) in which the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are combined in different directions with information on the rotational position of the motor 12 (the rotational position of an eccentric cam 25, described later) when the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotated in the directions of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7. As will be described later, when control device 13 receives a selection of air-blowing patterns PT1 to PT7 via touch panel 17, control device 13 detects information about the rotational position corresponding to the selected air-blowing pattern PT1 to PT7 from pattern data 19, and controls motor 12 to achieve the detected rotational position (FIGS. 22 to 33). This allows first and second fin groups 23, 24 to automatically rotate in the direction of air-blowing pattern PT1 to PT7 selected by the occupant.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the register 11 includes a retainer 21, a first fin group 23, a second fin group 24, an eccentric cam 25, a first slide member 26, a second slide member 27, and a bezel 29. Except for some components such as the motor 12 and the screws 7, the register 11 is made of synthetic resin (such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or ABS resin). The retainer 21 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction and thin in the up-down direction. The retainer 21 has a ventilation passage 32 (FIG. 6) that penetrates it in the front-rear direction, and is cylindrical in shape and extends in the front-rear direction. The retainer 21 is surrounded by four walls: an upper side wall 21A located on the upper side, a lower side wall 21B located on the lower side, a left side wall 21C located on the left side, and a right side wall 21D located on the right side. The cross section of retainer 21 (air passage 32) taken along a plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-to-right direction. The rear end of retainer 21 is connected to an air conditioner (not shown) via air passage 32, and is supplied with conditioned air from the air conditioner. In the neutral state, retainer 21 blows the conditioned air supplied from the air conditioner in air blowing direction 33 (see FIG. 6) that is parallel to the front-to-rear direction.

[0015] The first fin group 23 has, for example, eight first fins 41 and one first connecting fin 42, for a total of nine fins. The second fin group 24 has, for example, eight second fins 43 and one second connecting fin 44, for a total of nine fins. The second fin group 24 has the same configuration as the first fin group 23. For this reason, the following description will mainly focus on the first fin group 23, and the description of the second fin group 24 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0016] The fins of the first fin group 23 are aligned side by side in the left-right direction and spaced apart at equal intervals. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the first fin 41 includes a fin main body 51, fin shafts 52 and 53, and a connecting pin 54. In the neutral state, the fin main body 51 has planes parallel to the up-down and front-to-rear directions and has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction. The length of the fin main body 51 in the up-down direction is longer at the front side than at the rear side. The fin shafts 52 and 53 are located approximately in the center of the fin main body 51 in the front-to-rear direction. The fin shaft 52 protrudes upward from the upper end of the fin main body 51. The fin shafts 52 and 53 are generally cylindrical and extend along the same rotation axis 55, causing the first fin 41 to rotate around the rotation axis 55.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 6, the cash register 10 has two fin support members 61 and 62. An opening 35 is formed at the front end of the retainer 21. The opening 35 is a rectangular hole that is long in the left-right direction and is surrounded by the upper sidewall 21A, the lower sidewall 21B, the left sidewall 21C, and the right sidewall 21D. The retainer 21 is longer in the up-down direction at the portion where the opening 35 is formed. The ventilation passage 32 expands in the up-down direction at the portion where the opening 35 is formed. The retainer 21 is formed with a recess 36 (see FIG. 11) on the inside of the upper sidewall 21A at the front end (the portion where the opening 35 is formed) for attaching the fin support member 61. The retainer 21 is also formed with a recess 37 (see FIG. 6) on the inside of the lower sidewall 21B at the front end for attaching the fin support member 62. The fin support members 61 and 62 are inserted into the recesses 36 and 37, respectively, from the front of the retainer 21, and the positions of the fin support members 61 and 62 relative to the retainer 21 are fixed by attaching the bezel 29 to the retainer 21.

[0018] The fin support member 61 is short in the front-rear direction and long in the left-right direction. The fin support member 61 has a thin, box-like shape with a bottom and an opening formed on the top surface. A plurality of bearing holes 63 are formed in the bottom of the fin support member 61. The plurality of bearing holes 63 are circular holes that penetrate the bottom of the fin support member 61 in the up-down direction. The plurality of bearing holes 63 is equal to the number of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 (18 in this embodiment). The bearing holes 63 are formed at positions corresponding to the positions of each fin. The fin shafts 52 of each of the eight first fins 41 are inserted into the bearing holes 63 from below and are rotatably supported by the fin support member 61.

[0019] The fin support member 62 is plate-shaped and short in the front-rear direction and long in the left-right direction. The fin support member 62 has a plurality of bearing holes 64. Each bearing hole 64 is a circular hole that penetrates the fin support member 62 in the up-down direction. The number of bearing holes 64 is equal to the number of first fins 41 in the first fin group 23 and second fins 43 in the second fin group 24 (16 in this embodiment). The bearing holes 64 are formed at positions corresponding to the positions of each fin. The fin shafts 53 of the eight first fins 41 are inserted from above into the eight bearing holes 64 on the left side and are rotatably supported by the fin support member 62. Therefore, the first fins 41 rotate about a rotation axis 55 that is parallel to the up-down direction, with the fin shafts 52 rotatably supported by the retainer 21 via the fin support member 61 and the fin shafts 53 rotatably supported by the retainer 21 via the fin support member 62.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the upper end of the fin main body 51 is recessed downward behind the fin shaft 52. Therefore, the vertical length of the fin main body 51 is shorter behind the fin shaft 52. The connecting pin 54 protrudes upward from the upper end of the portion of the fin main body 51 where the vertical length is shorter. As shown in FIG. 6 , the register 11 includes two link members 65 and 66. Nine connecting holes 65A are formed in the link member 65, and nine connecting holes 66A are formed in the link member 66. The connecting pins 54 are inserted into the connecting holes 65A of the eight first fins 41, and the eight first fins 41 are connected to each other by the link member 65. As a result, when any one of the eight first fins 41 rotates, the other first fins 41 also rotate in conjunction with it.

[0021] 9 and 10, the first connecting fin 42 has a fin main body 71, fin shafts 72 and 73, a connecting pin 74, and a connecting portion 75. The fin main body 71, fin shaft 72, and connecting pin 74 of the first connecting fin 42 have the same configuration as the fin main body 51, fin shaft 52, and connecting pin 54 of the first fin 41. Therefore, in describing the first connecting fin 42, descriptions of parts having the same configuration as the first fin 41 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0022] The first connecting fin 42 has a fin shaft 72 inserted into a bearing hole 63 of the fin support member 61, and is rotatably supported by the fin support member 61. The connecting pin 74 is inserted into a connecting hole 65A of the link member 65. Therefore, the eight first fins 41 and the first connecting fins 42, i.e., the first fin group 23, are connected to each other by the link member 65 and rotate in unison. The length of the fin shaft 73 in the up-down direction is longer than the length of the fin shaft 53 in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 6 , the fin support member 62 has an axial recess 67 into which the fin shaft 73 can be inserted. The fin support member 62 has two axial recesses 67: one for the first connecting fin 42 and one for the second connecting fin 44. The axial recess 67 has an opening at the rear and is a groove formed by cutting the fin support member 62 from rear to front. The fin shaft 73 is inserted into the axial recess 67 from the rear and is rotatably supported by the axial recess 67. Fin shafts 72 and 73 are supported by fin support members 61 and 62, respectively, and rotate about a rotation axis 76 shown in FIG.

[0023] The first connecting fin 42 is the second from the right of the nine fins included in the first fin group 23. Therefore, in the fin support member 62, bearing holes 64 for seven first fins 41 are formed to the left of the shaft recess 67 for the first connecting fin 42, and a bearing hole 64 for one first fin 41 is formed to the right of the shaft recess 67. Similarly, the second connecting fin 44 is the second from the left of the nine fins included in the second fin group 24. Therefore, in the fin support member 62, bearing holes 64 for seven second fins 43 are formed to the right of the shaft recess 67 for the second connecting fin 44, and a bearing hole 64 for one second fin 43 is formed to the left of the shaft recess 67. Then, to the left of the bearing hole 64 for this one second fin 43, a bearing hole 64 for the one first fin 41 is formed.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the connecting portion 75 is attached to the lower end of the fin shaft 73. The connecting portion 75 includes a base 77 and a first link 78. The base 77 is a plate-like member that is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 76. The base 77 is a plate-like member that has a predetermined thickness in the up-down direction. An upper surface 77A and a lower surface 77B of the base 77 have flat surfaces that are parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions. The long sides of the base 77, i.e., the longitudinal direction, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 76, are linear, and the short sides in the lateral direction are arc-shaped. The fin shaft 73 is connected to the upper surface 77A at an end of the base 77 (the front end in FIGS. 9 and 10 ). The fin shaft 73 is formed along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 77A. The first link 78 is connected to the lower surface 77B at an end of the base 77 opposite the fin shaft 73 (the rear end in FIGS. 9 and 10 ). The first link 78 is a cylindrical member and is formed along a direction perpendicular to the lower surface 77B. Therefore, as the first connecting fin 42 rotates, the first link 78 moves on a circumference whose center is the rotation axis 76 and whose radius is the line segment connecting the center of the first link 78 and the rotation axis 76 (see FIG. 37). In other words, the first connecting fin 42 rotates about the rotation axis 76 as the first link 78 is moved.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6 , the second fin group 24 has the same configuration as the first fin group 23. More specifically, the second fin 43 has the same shape as the first fin 41. The second connecting fin 44 has the same shape as the first connecting fin 42. In the following description of the second fin group 24, components without reference numerals may be described using the reference numerals of the same configuration as those of the first fin group 23. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 are arranged on the same line parallel to the left-right direction. The rotation axes 55, 76 of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are all arranged on the same line parallel to the left-right direction. The eight second fins 43 and second connecting fins 44 are arranged in symmetrical order in the left-right direction with the eight first fins 41 and first connecting fins 42. Therefore, the first connecting fin 42 is arranged second from the inside of the first fin group 23 (on the side of the second fin group 24), and the second connecting fin 44 is arranged second from the inside of the second fin group 24.

[0026] Second fin group 24 is rotatably supported by retainer 21 via fin support members 61 and 62. Second fin group 24 is connected by link member 66, with connecting pin 54 (see FIG. 7) of second fin 43 and connecting pin 74 (see FIG. 9) of second connecting fin 44 inserted into connecting hole 66A of link member 66. Therefore, when any one of the nine fins included in second fin group 24 rotates, the other fins also rotate in conjunction.

[0027] The second connecting fin 44 has a second link 79, similar to the first link 78 of the first connecting fin 42. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 11, two grooves 38, 39 are formed in the opening 35 of the retainer 21. The grooves 38, 39 are formed in the portion of the lower sidewall 21B where the recess 37 is formed. The grooves 38, 39 have openings at their front ends and are formed by cutting the lower sidewall 21B from front to rear. The grooves 38, 39 are formed at symmetrical positions with respect to the center of the retainer 21 in the left-right direction. The groove 38 is formed to the left of the groove 39. The fin shaft 73 of the first connecting fin 42 is inserted into the groove 38 through the opening at the front end. The base 77 of the first connecting fin 42 is disposed below the groove 38 (see FIGS. 5 and 13). With the fin shaft 73 inserted into the groove 38, the first connecting fin 42 rotates the base 77 and the first link 78 below the groove 38. Similarly, the fin shaft 73 of the second connecting fin 44 is inserted into the groove 39 from the opening at the front end. With the fin shaft 73 inserted into the groove 39, the second connecting fin 44 rotates the base 77 and the first link 78 below the groove 39.

[0028] The bezel 29 is attached to the front surface of the retainer 21 and has a rectangular frame shape that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The bezel 29 is formed with a rectangular air outlet 29A that is elongated in the left-right direction. Conditioned air blown through an opening 35 of the retainer 21 is blown to the outside through the air outlet 29A. The blowing direction 33 of the conditioned air blown through the air outlet 29A is changed left-right depending on the orientation (rotation angle) of the first and second fin groups 23, 24. A plurality of engagement portions 29B are formed on the upper and lower parts of the bezel 29. In addition, a plurality of claw portions 21E are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper side wall 21A and the lower side wall 21B of the retainer 21. The bezel 29 is attached to the retainer 21 by engaging the plurality of claw portions 21E of the retainer 21 with the respective engagement holes of the plurality of engagement portions 29B.

[0029] As described above, the bezel 29 is attached to the retainer 21 with the first and second fin groups 23, 24, to which the fin support members 61, 62 and link members 65, 66 are attached, inserted into the opening 35 (recesses 36, 37). Furthermore, the bezel 29 is attached to the retainer 21 with the fin shaft 73 of the first connecting fin 42 inserted into the groove 38 and the fin shaft 73 of the second connecting fin 44 inserted into the groove 39. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotatably supported by the retainer 21.

[0030] Furthermore, the first fin group 23 can rotate in a direction different from that of the second fin group 24. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11 to 15, a first slide groove 81 and a second slide groove 82 are provided on the underside of the retainer 21. The first slide member 26 is housed in the first slide groove 81 and is slidable in a first slide direction 83 (see FIG. 15) parallel to the left-right direction. The second slide member 27 is housed in the second slide groove 82 and is slidable in a second slide direction 84 (see FIG. 15) parallel to the left-right direction. Therefore, the second slide direction 84 is parallel to the first slide direction 83. The first and second slide grooves 81, 82 are provided at symmetrical positions across the center of the retainer 21 in the left-right direction. The first slide groove 81 is located to the left of the second slide groove 82. The second slide groove 82 is provided at a position offset from the first slide groove 81 in the front-rear direction.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 11 , the first slide groove 81 has a front wall 81A and a rear wall 81B. A first notch 81C is formed in the front wall 81A. Similarly, the second slide groove 82 has a front wall 82A and a rear wall 82B. A second notch 82C is formed in the front wall 82A. The second slide groove 82 has the same configuration as the first slide groove 81. For this reason, in the following explanation, the first slide groove 81 will be mainly explained, and explanation of the second slide groove 82 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0032] The front wall 81A and the rear wall 81B are flat plate-shaped members. The front wall 81A is disposed in front of the rear wall 81B, with a predetermined gap between them in the front-rear direction. The front wall 81A is disposed opposite the rear wall 81B in the front-rear direction. The length in the up-down direction of the portion of the front wall 81A where the first notch 81C is not formed is the same as the length in the up-down direction of the rear wall 81B. The length in the left-right direction of the front wall 81A is slightly longer than the length in the left-right direction of the rear wall 81B. The front wall 81A extends slightly wider on both sides in the left-right direction than the rear wall 81B. The front wall 81A and the rear wall 81B are disposed with their planes parallel to the left-right and up-down directions. The first slide groove 81 is sandwiched between the front wall 81A and the rear wall 81B in the front-rear direction and has a groove with its bottom surface aligned with the outer circumferential surface (lower surface) of the lower side wall 21B. The first slide groove 81 has a constant width in the front-rear direction and forms a groove along a first sliding direction 83. Both ends of the first slide groove 81 in the left-right direction are open. The second slide groove 82 is sandwiched between the front wall 82A and the rear wall 82B in the front-rear direction and has a groove with its bottom surface aligned with the outer circumferential surface of the lower side wall 21B. The second slide groove 82 has a constant width in the front-rear direction and forms a groove along a second sliding direction 84. The groove widths of the first slide groove 81 and the second slide groove 82 are the same. The front wall 82A is formed at a position where it contacts the back surface of the portion of the retainer 21 where the opening 35 is formed and the lower side wall 21B bulges downward. The front wall 81A is provided at a position between the front wall 82A and the rear wall 82B in the front-rear direction. The rear wall 81B is provided at a position rearward of the rear wall 82B in the front-rear direction.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the first slide member 26 has a slide main body 85A, a first engagement portion 86A, and a first bifurcated portion 87A. Similarly, the second slide member 27 has a slide main body 85B, a second engagement portion 86B, and a second bifurcated portion 87B. The second slide member 27 differs from the first slide member 26 in the position of the second engagement portion 86B and the length of the second bifurcated portion 87B, but the other configurations are the same. For this reason, the following description will mainly focus on the first slide member 26. Furthermore, description of the second slide member 27 that is the same as that of the first slide member 26 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0034] The slide body 85A is a substantially plate-like member having a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction. When viewed from the front, the slide body 85A has a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. Planes parallel to the left-right and up-down directions are formed on the front and back surfaces of the slide body 85A. The first engagement portion 86A is formed on the upper surface of the slide body 85A and is located to the left of the center in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the slide body 85A. On the other hand, the second engagement portion 86B is formed on the upper surface of the slide body 85B and is located to the right of the center in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the slide body 85B. The first engagement portion 86A is located symmetrically (opposite) to the second engagement portion 86B in the left-right direction. The first and second engagement portions 86A and 86B have a cylindrical shape that is parallel to the up-down direction. The length of the first engagement portion 86A in the up-down direction is the same as the length of the second engagement portion 86B in the up-down direction.

[0035] A pair of protrusions 88A is formed on the upper surface of the sliding body 85A. Each of the pair of protrusions 88A is formed on both front-rear edge portions of the upper surface of the sliding body 85A. The pair of protrusions 88A is formed along the edge portion of the upper surface of the sliding body 85A, i.e., along the left-right direction. Therefore, both ends of the upper surface of the sliding body 85A in the front-rear direction are raised. As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of protrusions 88A contact the inside of the first cap member 95 that closes the first slide groove 81, thereby reducing the contact area between the first slide member 26 and the first cap member 95. This allows the first slide member 26 to move smoothly in the first sliding direction 83. Similarly, a pair of protrusions 88B is formed on the upper surface of the sliding body 85B.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, a pair of protrusions 89A and an opening of a recess 90A are formed on the underside of the slide body 85A. Like the pair of protrusions 88B, each of the pair of protrusions 89A is formed along the edges of both sides in the front-rear direction on the underside of the slide body 85A. The recess 90A is recessed upward and is located between the pair of protrusions 89A, extending to almost both ends of the underside of the slide body 85A along the left-right direction. The pair of protrusions 89A contact the outer peripheral surface of the lower sidewall 21B (the bottom of the first slide groove 81), thereby reducing the contact area between the first slide member 26 and the first slide groove 81. This allows the first slide member 26 to move smoothly in the first sliding direction 83. Similarly, a pair of protrusions is formed on the underside of the slide body 85B. The formation of the recess 90A contributes to reducing the weight of the slide body 85A. Similarly, a recess is formed in the slide body 85B.

[0037] The first bifurcated portion 87A has a pair of pins 91A. The pair of pins 91A have a rectangular prism shape and are formed on the front surface of the slide body 85A. The pair of pins 91A are formed along a direction perpendicular to the front surface, i.e., along a direction parallel to the front-rear direction. The pair of pins 91A are formed with a predetermined gap between them in the left-right direction and are formed along directions parallel to each other. The base ends of the pair of pins 91A are connected by a reinforcing rib 92A formed between them in the left-right direction. In addition, triangular reinforcing ribs 93B are formed on the outer sides of the pair of pins 91A in the left-right direction, respectively. The reinforcing rib 93A extends outward from the pin 91A and forms a right-angled triangle that tapers from the base end of the pin 91A toward the tip end. The first link 78 is inserted between the pair of pins 91A. The reinforcing ribs 92A and 93A formed on the first bifurcated portion 87A suppress rattle when the first link 78 is sandwiched between them and slides. Similarly, the second bifurcated portion 87B is formed with a pair of pins 91B and reinforcing ribs 92B and 93B. The second link 79 is inserted between the pair of pins 91B.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 18, a first length L1 of the first bifurcated portion 87A (pin 91A) in a direction perpendicular to the first sliding direction 83 (the front-to-rear direction in this embodiment) is longer than a second length L2 of the second bifurcated portion 87B (pin 91B) in a direction perpendicular to the first sliding direction 83. Note that Fig. 18 illustrates the positions of the slide bodies 85A and 85B aligned so that the difference in length can be seen. The difference between the first length L1 and the second length L2 is the same as the distance between the first slide groove 81 and the second slide groove 82 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0039] 6, the register 11 includes a first cap member 95 and a second cap member 96. The second cap member 96 has a structure that is symmetrical to the first cap member 95 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the first cap member 95. In describing the second cap member 96, a description of the same configuration as the first cap member 95 will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 19, and 20, the first cap member 95 has a flat plate portion 97A and four engaged portions 98A. The first cap member 95 is a flat plate parallel to the left-right and front-rear directions and has a rectangular plate shape that is elongated in the left-right direction. A first slit 99A is formed in the first cap member 95. The first slit 99A is formed from approximately the center of the flat plate portion 97A toward the right end. The first slit 99A has a length corresponding to the sliding range of the first slide member 26 (first engaging portion 86A) in the first sliding direction 83. A second slit 99B is formed in the flat plate portion 97B of the second cap member 96. The second slit 99B has a length corresponding to the sliding range of the second slide member 27 (second engaging portion 86B) in the second sliding direction 84. In this embodiment, the length of the first slit 99A is the same as the length of the second slit 99B.

[0041] The four engaged portions 98A are formed at each of the four corners of the flat plate portion 97A. The engaged portions 98A are plate-shaped members formed downward from the flat plate portion 97A. A total of four claw portions 81D are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of each of the front wall 81A and the rear wall 81B of the first slide groove 81 (see FIG. 11). Holes that engage with the claw portions 81D are formed at the tip ends of the engaged portions 98A. The first cap member 95 is attached to the first slide groove 81 by engaging each of the four engaged portions 98A with the four claw portions 81D. Similarly, the second cap member 96 is attached to the second slide groove 82 by engaging each of the four engaged portions 98B with the four claw portions 82D of the second slide groove 82.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the first slide member 26 is attached to the retainer 21 with the slide body 85A housed between the front wall 81A and the rear wall 81B of the first slide groove 81. The first bifurcated portion 87A is inserted into the first notch 81C. The first cap member 95 is attached to the first slide groove 81 from below with the first engagement portion 86A inserted into the first slit 99A from above, thereby closing the opening (lower opening) of the first slide groove 81. The first slide member 26 is attached with the protrusion 88A in contact with the flat plate portion 97A from the back side (upper side). The first slide member 26 is attached with the protrusion 89A in contact with the bottom (lower side wall 21B) of the first slide groove 81, or with a small gap between the protrusion 89A and the bottom. The first slide member 26 is held by the first slide groove 81 and the first cap member 95 in a state in which it can slide in the first slide direction 83 .

[0043] Similarly, the second slide member 27 is held by the second slide groove 82 and the second cap member 96 with the second bifurcated portion 87B inserted into the second cutout portion 82C and the second engagement portion 86B inserted into the second slit 99B. The second slide member 27 is held by the second slide groove 82 and the second cap member 96 in a state in which it is slidable in the second slide direction 84.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, eccentric cam 25 has cam plate 101, shaft portion 102, wall portion 103, and gear portion 104. Cam plate 101 is disk-shaped. Shaft portion 102 is formed at the center of upper surface 101A of cam plate 101. Shaft portion 102 is cylindrical and formed along a direction perpendicular to upper surface 101A. Eccentric cam 25 has a through-hole 105 that penetrates cam plate 101 and shaft portion 102. Retainer 21 is provided with bearing portion 107 (see FIG. 11). Bearing portion 107 is provided at a position that is the midpoint between the right end of first slide groove 81 and the left end of second slide groove 82 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 15). Eccentric cam 25 is rotatably held by bearing portion 107 with screws 109 (see FIG. 6).

[0045] The screw 109 has a head, a body having a smaller outer diameter than the head, and a tip having a smaller outer diameter than the body. The screw 109 is inserted into the through-hole 105 from an opening on the lower surface 101B side of the cam plate 101, and the tip is inserted into the bearing portion 107 to be fixed. The body of the screw 109 is narrower than the inner diameter of the through-hole 105, and the head of the screw 109 has an outer diameter longer than the inner diameter of the through-hole 105. As a result, the eccentric cam 25 is rotatably supported with respect to the retainer 21 by the screw 109.

[0046] Wall portion 103 is formed along the circular outer periphery of cam plate 101, and is formed on part of the outer periphery of cam plate 101. Wall portion 103 is formed downward in the vertical direction from the edge of the outer periphery of lower surface 101B. Therefore, wall portion 103 has a predetermined width in the vertical direction and is formed in an arc shape. In other words, wall portion 103 is formed in an area defined by two points on the circumference of cam plate 101, and is a wall along the circumference.

[0047] The gear portion 104 is formed at the lower end of the wall portion 103. The gear portion 104 has a plurality of teeth. Each of the plurality of teeth protrudes radially outward and is formed at predetermined intervals along the lower end of the wall portion 103, and is formed over the entire area of the wall portion 103. The wall portion 103 and the gear portion 104 are formed, for example, within a range of 170 degrees along the circumference of the outer periphery of the cam plate 101, starting from any circumferential point on the starting point. The gear portion 104 is in mesh with the output gear 6 of the motor 12. Therefore, the eccentric cam 25 rotates based on the rotation of the motor 12, and rotates within a range of 0 degrees to 170 degrees.

[0048] Additionally, protrusions 101C are formed along the outer periphery of upper surface 101A of cam plate 101. Cam plate 101 is arranged so that protrusions 101C contact the underside of flat plate portions 97A and 97B, or so that a small gap is provided between protrusions 101C and the underside of each flat plate portion 97A and 97B. Protrusions 101C reduce the contact area between cam plate 101 and flat plate portions 97A and 97B, allowing cam plate 101 to rotate smoothly.

[0049] The cam plate 101 is also formed with a first cam groove 111 and a second cam groove 112. The first and second cam grooves 111, 112 are slits (grooves) that penetrate the cam plate 101 in the up-down direction and are curved at a predetermined angle. The first cam groove 111 is not connected to the second cam groove 112 and has a different shape from the second cam groove 112. The first engagement portion 86A protruding from the first slit 99A is inserted into the first cam groove 111 from above. The second engagement portion 86B protruding from the second slit 99B is inserted into the second cam groove 112 from above. As shown in FIG. 5, the tips of the first and second engagement portions 86A, 86B protrude slightly downward from the first and second cam grooves 111, 112.

[0050] When the first engagement portion 86A moves within the first cam groove 111 in accordance with the rotation of the eccentric cam 25, the first slide member 26 moves in the first sliding direction 83. The first slide member 26 slides with the first link 78 sandwiched between the first bifurcated portion 87A. The first connecting fin 42 rotates as the first link 78 moves in accordance with the movement of the first slide member 26. Therefore, the orientation of the first fin group 23 changes in accordance with the rotation of the eccentric cam 25, that is, in accordance with the position of the first engagement portion 86A moving within the first cam groove 111.

[0051] Similarly, when the second engagement portion 86B moves within the second cam groove 112 in accordance with the rotation of the eccentric cam 25, the second slide member 27 moves in the second sliding direction 84. The second slide member 27 slides with the second link 79 sandwiched between the second bifurcated portions 87B. The second connecting fin 44 rotates as the second link 79 moves in accordance with the movement of the second slide member 27. Therefore, the orientation of the second fin group 24 changes depending on the position of the second engagement portion 86B moving within the second cam groove 112.

[0052] As will be described later, when the first engaging portion 86A is disposed at the first end 111A of the first cam groove 111 and the second engaging portion 86B is disposed at the first end 112A of the second cam groove 112, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 close the air outlet 29A (see FIG. 24). When the first engaging portion 86A is disposed at the second end 111B of the first cam groove 111 and the second engaging portion 86B is disposed at the second end 112B of the second cam groove 112, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 face outward in the left-right direction (see FIG. 33).

[0053] First cam groove 111 extends circumferentially from first end 111A, curves radially inward, extends in a direction substantially parallel to the radial direction, then bulges radially outward, and then gradually curves inward toward second end 111B. Second cam groove 112 extends circumferentially from first end 112A, curves radially outward, then is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of cam plate 101, and then gradually curves radially inward toward second end 112B.

[0054] In this embodiment, first end 111A of first cam groove 111 is formed at a position radially outward of second end 111B of second cam groove 112. Second end 111B of first cam groove 111 is formed at a position substantially coincident with first end 112A of second cam groove 112 in the radial direction, and is formed at a position opposing first end 112A with a gap provided therebetween in the circumferential direction.

[0055] (Regarding the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24) Next, the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientations of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 will be described. Similar to FIG. 15, FIGS. 24 to 33 are views viewed from above, showing the relationship between the rotational position of the eccentric cam 25 and the orientations of the first and second fin groups 23, 24. FIGS. 24 to 33 also show the positions and rotational positions of each component, such as the eccentric cam 25, the first and second fin groups 23, 24, and the first and second slide members 26, 27. Also, FIGS. 24 to 33 are top views of each component, showing the eccentric cam 25 in a transparent state. In the following explanation, the orientations of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 will be described using the rotational direction as viewed from above shown in FIGS. 24 to 33. That is, the clockwise rotation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 refers to the direction in which the fin main bodies 51, 71 rotate clockwise when the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are viewed from above.

[0056] When the eccentric cam 25 is rotated 170 degrees counterclockwise from the rotation position shown in FIG. 24 to the rotation position shown in FIG. 33, the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 changes to the orientation of one of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7. The control device 13 of the register device 10 controls the motor 12 to change the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 to any of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7. As described above, the memory device 18 shown in FIG. 5 stores pattern data 19 that associates the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 with information on the rotation position of the motor 12. The control device 13 accepts the selection of the airflow pattern PT1 to PT7 from the occupant on the touch panel 17 of the car navigation system. For example, the control device 13 displays an image showing the fin orientation of each of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 on the touch panel 17, associating the image with the number of the airflow pattern PT1 to PT7, and accepts the selection from the displayed image. The control device 13 detects information about the rotational position corresponding to the selected airflow pattern PT1 to PT7 from the pattern data 19. The control device 13 controls the motor 12 to achieve the detected rotational position, thereby automatically changing the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 to the orientation desired by the occupant. Note that the selection of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 may be received by a device such as a switch other than the car navigation system.

[0057] The register device 10 may also continuously switch among the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 in response to an operation by the occupant. For example, the register device 10 may rotate the eccentric cam 25 at a constant rotational speed while a specific button on the touch panel 17 is pressed and held. This allows the occupant to change the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 to an orientation other than that of the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 (such as the orientation while the airflow pattern is being switched). The register device 10 may also execute control to switch among the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 at regular intervals (automatic swing control).

[0058] Alternatively, the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 may be manually changed by an occupant. For example, the register 11 may be provided with an operation knob for manually changing the orientation of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 on one of the fins of the first fin group 23 or the second fin group 24. In this case, it may be possible to perform both manual operation and orientation change using the motor 12. Alternatively, the register device 10 may be configured so that the orientation of the fins can be changed only manually. In this case, the register device 10 does not need to be provided with the motor 12.

[0059] First, assume that eccentric cam 25 is positioned at the rotational position of airflow pattern PT1 shown in FIG. 24. In airflow pattern PT1, first engagement portion 86A is positioned at first end 111A of first cam groove 111, and second engagement portion 86B is positioned at first end 112A of second cam groove 112. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 are oriented such that the planes of fin main bodies 51, 71 are aligned substantially along the left-right direction, thereby closing airflow outlet 29A. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 34, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are oriented such that portions (both ends of fin main bodies 51, 71 in the left-right direction) of their fins (first fin 41, first connecting fin 42, second fin 43, second connecting fin 44) overlap front to back, thereby closing airflow outlet 29A and opening 35 of retainer 21. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 limit or stop the blowing of conditioned air into the vehicle compartment.

[0060] If the rotational position of eccentric cam 25 shown in FIG. 24 is a rotational angle of "0 degrees," rotating eccentric cam 25 counterclockwise by 20 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 24 will result in a rotational position for air blowing pattern PT2 shown in FIG. 25. First engagement portion 86A moves along first cam groove 111 from first end 111A toward second end 111B, moving slightly inward in the radial direction. First slide member 26 moves rightward along first slide direction 83. Second engagement portion 86B moves along second cam groove 112 from first end 112A toward second end 112B, moving slightly outward in the radial direction. Second slide member 27 moves rightward along second slide direction 84. As eccentric cam 25 rotates counterclockwise, first and second fin groups 23, 24 gradually rotate clockwise from the orientation closing air outlet 29A shown in FIG. 24. For example, the fins rotate in direct proportion to the change in the rotation angle of eccentric cam 25. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotated clockwise by approximately 45 degrees from the rotation angle shown in Figure 24, changing the air blowing direction 33 diagonally forward to the right. Therefore, when eccentric cam 25 rotates counterclockwise by 20 degrees, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 rotate clockwise by approximately 45 degrees.

[0061] Furthermore, when eccentric cam 25 is rotated counterclockwise by 40 degrees as in air blowing pattern PT3 shown in Fig. 26, first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotated clockwise by approximately 90 degrees from the rotation angle shown in Fig. 24, and air blowing direction 33 is changed to a forward direction. In other words, first and second fin groups 23, 24 are in a neutral state. Note that in the explanations of Figs. 26 to 33, explanations of content that is the same as the explanations of Figs. 24 and 25 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0062] 27, when eccentric cam 25 is rotated counterclockwise by 60 degrees, first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotated clockwise by approximately 135 degrees from the rotation angle shown in FIG. 24, changing air blowing direction 33 diagonally forward and left. Also, as shown in FIG. 28, while eccentric cam 25 rotates counterclockwise from 60 degrees to 75 degrees, first and second fin groups 23, 24 maintain an orientation that guides air blowing direction 33 diagonally forward and left. In other words, in this rotation angle range from 60 degrees to 75 degrees, although eccentric cam 25 rotates, the positions of first and second slide members 26, 27 do not change, and the orientations of first and second fin groups 23, 24 do not change.

[0063] In this embodiment, the range of rotation angles (rotatable range) of each of the first and second fin groups 23, 24 ranges from "0 degree" shown in Fig. 24 to approximately 135 degrees shown in Figs. 27 and 28. In other words, the rotation position facing diagonally forward left shown in Figs. 27 and 28 is the position where the fins are rotated to the left to their maximum swing amplitude. Furthermore, the first and second sliding members 26, 27 move within a sliding range with the position shown in Fig. 24 as the left end and the position shown in Figs. 27 and 28 as the right end.

[0064] FIG. 29 also shows an airflow pattern PT5 in which the eccentric cam 25 is rotated 95 degrees counterclockwise. The first fin group 23 rotates 45 degrees counterclockwise from the position facing diagonally forward and left shown in FIG. 28 to a neutral state. Meanwhile, the second fin group 24 remains facing diagonally forward and left while the eccentric cam 25 rotates from the 60-degree rotation position shown in FIG. 27 to the 95-degree rotation position shown in FIG. 29. In the airflow pattern PT5, the first fin group 23 on the left side blows conditioned air forward, and the second fin group 24 on the right side blows conditioned air to the left. For example, if the register 11 is located diagonally forward and right of the passenger seat, conditioned air can be concentrated toward the passenger seat.

[0065] 30 and 35 show airflow pattern PT6 in which eccentric cam 25 is rotated counterclockwise by 115 degrees. First fin group 23 changes from the neutral position shown in FIG. 29 to a position facing diagonally forward right (a position tilted at approximately 45 degrees), as in FIG. 25. Meanwhile, second fin group 24 does not rotate while rotating from the 95-degree rotation position shown in FIG. 29 to the 115-degree rotation position shown in FIG. 30. Therefore, second fin group 24 does not change its orientation, remaining facing diagonally forward left, while eccentric cam 25 rotates from the 60-degree rotation position to the 115-degree rotation position. First and second fin groups 23 and 24 rotate in directions that bring the downstream ends (front ends) of fin main bodies 51 and 71 closer to each other, causing the conditioned air to merge. Airflow pattern PT6 allows conditioned air to be blown farther.

[0066] 31, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 do not change orientation while the eccentric cam 25 rotates from 115 degrees to 130 degrees. Therefore, the orientation of the second fin group 24 does not change between FIGS. 27 and 31, as the second engagement portion 86B moves along the outer periphery of the second cam groove 112. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 32, when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated counterclockwise from 130 degrees to 150 degrees, the first fin group 23 rotates clockwise by 45 degrees, and the second fin group 24 rotates counterclockwise by 45 degrees. The first and second fin groups 23, 24 are in a neutral state.

[0067] FIG. 33 also shows airflow pattern PT7 in which eccentric cam 25 is rotated 170 degrees counterclockwise. First engagement portion 86A reaches second end 111B, and second engagement portion 86B reaches second end 112B. Counterclockwise rotation of eccentric cam 25 is restricted. As shown in FIGS. 33 and 36, first fin group 23 rotates 45 degrees clockwise from the rotation position shown in FIG. 32 and faces diagonally forward left, while second fin group 24 rotates 45 degrees counterclockwise and faces diagonally forward right. First and second fin groups 24 rotate in directions that separate the downstream ends of fin main bodies 51 and 71 (outward in the left-right direction), blowing conditioned air outward. This allows the conditioned air to be diffused more widely.

[0068] FIG. 37 shows how the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 and the first and second slide members 26, 27 are displaced in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25. As shown in FIG. 37, the first link 78 of the first connecting fin 42 and the second link 79 of the second connecting fin 44 move on a circumference whose center is the rotation axis 76 and whose radius is the base 77 in response to the sliding movement of the first and second slide members 26, 27, i.e., the rotation of the eccentric cam 25. The first slide groove 81 is located rearward of the second slide groove 82 in the front-rear direction. Meanwhile, the front ends of the first and second bifurcated portions 87A, 87B (pins 91A, 91B) are at the same position in the front-rear direction. The first and second bifurcated portions 87A, 87B slide while sandwiching (inserting) the first and second links 78, 79, which move in the front-rear direction.

[0069] The rotation axis 76 of the first connecting fin 42 and the rotation axis 76 of the second connecting fin 44 are arranged on the same straight line parallel to the left-right direction. Furthermore, when the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 have the same rotation angle (direction), the first and second links 78, 79 are arranged on the same straight line parallel to the left-right direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18 , the first length L1 of the first bifurcated portion 87A (pin 91A) in the front-rear direction is longer than the second length L2 of the second bifurcated portion 87B (pin 91B). Therefore, the first slide groove 81 is located rearward of the second slide groove 82 by the difference between the first length L1 and the second length L2. This allows the first and second links 78, 79 to be held in the same manner in the front-rear direction.

[0070] 24 to 33 are merely examples. The shapes and positions of the first and second cam grooves 111 and 112 may be changed to increase or decrease the ranges of the slide and rotation. The combination of the orientations of the first and second fin groups 23 and 24 is also an example. For example, an airflow pattern may be provided in which the first fin group 23 faces diagonally forward to the right and the second fin group 24 faces forward (neutral state), opposite to the orientation shown in FIG. 29.

[0071] Incidentally, the correspondence between the terms used in this embodiment and those described in the claims will be explained below. The first connecting fin 42 and the first fin group 23 of this embodiment are examples of first fins. The second connecting fin 44 and the second fin group 24 are examples of second fins. The rotational positions in FIGS. 29, 30, 31, and 33 are examples of the first rotational position of the present disclosure. The rotational positions in FIGS. 25, 26, 27, 28, and 32 are examples of the second rotational position of the present disclosure. The rotational position in FIG. 24 is an example of the third rotational position of the present disclosure.

[0072] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved. (1) The register 11 of this embodiment includes a retainer 21 having an air passage 32 formed therein for flowing conditioned air, a first fin group 23 rotatably supported relative to the retainer 21 and changing the air flow direction 33 of the conditioned air blown out from the retainer 21, a second fin group 24 rotatably supported relative to the retainer 21 and changing the air flow direction 33 of the conditioned air blown out from the retainer 21, an eccentric cam 25 having a first cam groove 111 and a second cam groove 112 formed therein, a first slide member 26 that engages with the first cam groove 111 and slides in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25 to rotate the first fin group 23, and a second slide member 27 that engages with the second cam groove 112 and slides in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25 to rotate the second fin group 24 and rotate the second fin group 24 in a different air flow direction 33 from that of the first fin group 23.

[0073] According to this, first slide member 26 engages with first cam groove 111 provided in eccentric cam 25 and rotates first fin group 23 while sliding in response to the rotation of eccentric cam 25, thereby changing airflow direction 33 of conditioned air blown out from retainer 21. Meanwhile, second slide member 27 engages with second cam groove 112 provided in eccentric cam 25 and rotates second fin group 24 while sliding in response to the rotation of eccentric cam 25, and rotates second fin group 24 in a direction (rotation angle) of airflow direction 33 different from that of first fin group 23. In other words, two cam grooves provided in one eccentric cam 25 rotate first and second fin groups 23, 24 in different directions. Therefore, multiple fins can be rotated in different directions with a small number of drive sources.

[0074] (2) The first cam groove 111 is not connected to the second cam groove 112 and has a different shape from the second cam groove 112. This allows the first and second cam grooves 111, 112 to be formed as cam grooves that are independent of each other and have different shapes. Each cam groove can be formed depending on the direction in which the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are desired to rotate.

[0075] (3) When the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation positions shown in FIGS. 29, 30, 31, and 33, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are oriented in different airflow directions 33. Furthermore, when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation positions shown in FIGS. 25, 26, 27, 28, and 32, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are oriented in the same airflow direction 33. Furthermore, when the eccentric cam 25 is rotated to the rotation position shown in FIG. 24, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are oriented so that portions of the fins overlap each other and close the opening 35 of the retainer 21. This not only allows the first and second fin groups 23, 24 to be oriented in different directions to change the airflow direction 33, but also allows the two fins to be oriented in the same direction to blow air. Furthermore, the first and second fin groups 23, 24 can be overlapped to stop the airflow.

[0076] (4) The first slide member 26 has a first engagement portion 86A that engages with the first cam groove 111 and slides in the first slide direction 83 in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25. The second slide member 27 has a second engagement portion 86B that engages with the second cam groove 112 and slides in the second slide direction 84 in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25. The second slide direction 84 is parallel to the first slide direction 83. This allows the first and second slide members 26 and 27 to be positioned at different slide positions in response to the rotation of the eccentric cam 25, and the first and second fin groups 23 and 24 to rotate in different directions. By changing the slide positions and the shapes of the first and second cam grooves 111 and 112, the air blowing directions of the first and second fin groups 23 and 24 can be adjusted.

[0077] (5) Retainer 21 has first slide groove 81 that holds first slide member 26 slidably in first slide direction 83, and second slide groove 82 that holds second slide member 27 slidably in second slide direction 84. Second slide groove 82 is provided at a position offset from second slide groove 82 in a direction perpendicular to first slide direction 83 (see FIG. 15 ).

[0078] When the first and second fin groups 23, 24 are rotated in different directions by the first and second cam grooves 111, 112 provided on one eccentric cam 25, increasing the swing width (rotation range) of the fins may result in the positions at which the two cam grooves are formed overlapping. Therefore, measures such as increasing the radius of the eccentric cam 25 are required to prevent the first and second cam grooves 111, 112 from connecting (colliding) with each other. By providing the first and second slide grooves 82 at positions offset from each other in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (front-rear direction), the positions at which the first and second cam grooves 111, 112 are formed on the eccentric cam 25 can be offset. As a result, the eccentric cam 25 can be made smaller without connecting the two cam grooves.

[0079] (6) The rotation axis of eccentric cam 25 is located between first slide groove 81 and second slide groove 82 in first slide direction 83 (left-right direction). By locating the rotation axis of eccentric cam 25 between first and second slide grooves 81, 82, eccentric cam 25 can be positioned close to first and second slide grooves 81, 82 in a balanced manner. This allows the lengths of first and second slide grooves 81, 82 and the outer diameter of eccentric cam 25 to be reduced.

[0080] (7) The first slide member 26 has a first bifurcated portion 87A that sandwiches and holds the first link 78 provided on the first connecting fin 42. The second slide member 27 has a second bifurcated portion 87B that sandwiches and holds the second link 79 provided on the second connecting fin 44. A first length L1 of the first bifurcated portion 87A in the front-rear direction is longer than a second length L2 of the second bifurcated portion 87B in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 18 ). As shown in FIG. 37 , when the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 are oriented in the same direction (at the same rotation angle), the position at which the first bifurcated portion 87A holds the first link 78 is the same position at which the second bifurcated portion 87B holds the second link 79. In other words, when the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 are oriented in the same direction (at the same rotation angle), the first and second links 78, 79 are arranged on the same straight line parallel to the left-right direction.

[0081] This allows the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 to be arranged on the same straight line even when the first slide groove 81 and the second slide groove 82 are provided at positions offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the first slide direction 83. That is, the first and second connecting fins 42, 44 can be arranged along a straight line parallel to the first slide direction 83. The blowing direction 33 of the conditioned air can be changed appropriately.

[0082] (8) The register 11 includes a first cap member 95 that closes the first slide groove 81 and a second cap member 96 that closes the second slide groove 82. The first slide groove 81 has a first notch portion 81C that is cut out to match the range in which the first bifurcated portion 87A slides in the first slide direction 83. The second slide groove 82 has a second notch portion 82C that is cut out to match the range in which the second bifurcated portion 87B slides in the second slide direction 84. The first slide member 26 is stored in the first slide groove 81 with the first bifurcated portion 87A inserted into the first notch portion 81C. The second slide member 27 is housed in the second slide groove 82 with the second bifurcated portion 87B inserted into the second cutout portion 82C. The first cap member 95 has a first slit 99A, and closes the first slide groove 81 with the first engagement portion 86A inserted into the first slit 99A. The second cap member 96 has a second slit 99B, and closes the second slide groove 82 with the second engagement portion 86B inserted into the second slit 99B.

[0083] According to this, the first bifurcated portion 87A is inserted into the first notch portion 81C, and the second bifurcated portion 87B is inserted into the second notch portion 82C. The sliding range of the first and second slide members 26, 27 is restricted by the first and second notch portions 81C, 82C, thereby preventing the first and second slide members 26, 27 from falling off the first and second slide grooves 81, 82, respectively. Furthermore, by blocking the first and second slide grooves 81, 82 with the first and second cap members 95, 96, the first and second slide members 26, 27 can be further prevented from falling off the first and second slide grooves 81, 82, respectively. Furthermore, by providing first and second slits 99A and 99B in the first and second sliding directions 83 and 84 in the first and second cap members 95 and 96, respectively, and inserting the first and second engagement portions 86A and 86B into the slits, the sliding range of the first and second slide members 26 and 27 can be defined. The first and second engagement portions 86A and 86B can be smoothly moved within the first and second cam grooves 111 and 112. In other words, by restricting the first and second engagement portions 86A and 86B from moving in directions other than the first and second sliding directions 83 and 84, the eccentric cam 25 can be smoothly rotated.

[0084] (9) Register device 10 includes register 11 and motor 12 that rotates eccentric cam 25. Rotation of motor 12 is controlled by control device 13. Control device 13 acquires an arbitrary air-blowing pattern from among a plurality of air-blowing patterns PT1 to PT7 that combine the orientations of first and second fin groups 23, 24, controls the rotation of motor 12 in accordance with the acquired air-blowing pattern PT1 to PT7, and changes the rotation angle of first and second fin groups 23, 24 to the orientation of the acquired air-blowing pattern PT1 to PT7. In this way, for register 11, whose orientation can be changed in a wide variety of directions, the orientation of first and second fin groups 23, 24 can be changed to a desired orientation simply by selecting air-blowing pattern PT1 to PT7.

[0085] It should be noted that the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present application. For example, the configuration, number of components, shape of each component, etc. of the register 11 in the above embodiment are merely examples. For example, in the above embodiment, the first fin group 23 is used as the first fin of the present disclosure, but this is not limited to this. The register may be configured to include only one first connecting fin 42 as the first fin. Similarly, the register may be configured to include only one second connecting fin 44 as the second fin. Furthermore, three or more fin groups may be rotated by the eccentric cam 25. Furthermore, the first cam groove 111 and the second cam groove 112 may have the same shape (an inverted shape or a similar shape), or the first cam groove 111 and the second cam groove 112 may be connected. Although the register 11 includes fins parallel to the vertical direction as the first and second fins of the present disclosure, it may also include fins parallel to the left-right direction. It may also include both vertical fins parallel to the vertical direction and horizontal fins parallel to the left-right direction. Furthermore, the air in the present disclosure is not limited to conditioned air conditioned by an air conditioner. For example, the register 11 may be a device that takes in outside air. The register 11 may be configured to be rotatable in at least two directions among the airflow patterns PT1 to PT7. The number of airflow patterns PT1 to PT7 is not limited to seven, and may be any other number. Furthermore, the first sliding direction 83 and the second sliding direction 84 do not have to be parallel to each other. The first slide groove 81 and the second slide groove 82 may be provided at the same position in the front-rear direction. The bearing portion 107 may be provided at a position shifted from the position between the first and second slide grooves 81, 82 in the front-rear direction. The first and second cap members 95, 96 may not be provided, the openings of the first and second slide grooves 81, 82 may be closed by the eccentric cam 25, and the first and second slide members 26, 27 may be supported directly from below by the eccentric cam 25.

[0086] The register device 10 may not have the bezel 29. The register device 10 does not necessarily have to include a driving device such as the motor 12, the control device 13, the encoder 15, and the like. In the above embodiment, the register device 10 and the register 11 are applied to an air conditioning system for a vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the register device 10 and the register 11 may be applied to an air conditioning system for a building or an air conditioner, or an air conditioning system for other vehicles.

[0087] The contents of the disclosure of this application are not limited to the dependent relationships of each claim. For example, this specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the register according to claim 1 or claim 2" in claim 4 to "the register according to any one of claims 1 to 3." This specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the register according to claim 5" in claim 6 to "the register according to claim 4 or claim 5." This specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the register according to claim 5" in claim 7 to "the register according to any one of claims 4 to 6." This specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the register according to claim 1 or claim 2" to "the register according to any one of claims 1 to 8" in claim 9. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10 register device, 11 register, 12 motor, 13 control device, 21 retainer, 23 first fin group (first fin), 24 second fin group (second fin), 25 eccentric cam, 26 first slide member, 27 second slide member, 32 ventilation passage, 33 air flow direction, 35 opening, 41 first fin, 42 first connecting fin (first fin), 43 second fin, 44 second connecting fin (second fin), 78 first link, 79 second link, 81 first slide groove, 81C first notch portion, 82 second slide groove, 82C second notch portion, 83 first slide direction, 84 second slide direction, 86A first engagement portion, 86B second engagement portion, 87A first bifurcated portion, 87B second bifurcated portion, 95 first cap member, 96 second cap member, 99A first slit, 99B Second slit, 111 first cam groove, 112 second cam groove, L1 first length, L2 second length, PT1 to PT7 air flow pattern.

Claims

1. a retainer having a ventilation passage formed therein for allowing air to flow; a first fin that is rotatably supported relative to the retainer and changes the direction of air blown out from the retainer; a second fin that is rotatably supported relative to the retainer and changes the blowing direction of the air blown out from the retainer; an eccentric cam in which a first cam groove and a second cam groove are formed; a first slide member that engages with the first cam groove and slides in response to rotation of the eccentric cam to rotate the first fin; a second slide member that engages with the second cam groove, slides in response to rotation of the eccentric cam, and rotates the second fins in a direction of the air blowing direction different from that of the first fins; A register comprising:

2. The first cam groove is The register of claim 1 , wherein the first cam groove is not connected to the second cam groove and has a different shape from the second cam groove.

3. Each of the first fin and the second fin comprises: When the eccentric cam is rotated to a first rotation position, the air blowing directions are different from each other, When the eccentric cam is rotated to a second rotation position different from the first rotation position, the air blowing direction is the same, The register of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when the eccentric cam is rotated to a third rotational position different from both the first rotational position and the second rotational position, portions of the fins overlap and are oriented to close the opening of the retainer.

4. The first slide member is a first engaging portion that engages with the first cam groove, and that slides in a first sliding direction in response to rotation of the eccentric cam; The second slide member is a second engaging portion that engages with the second cam groove and slides in a second sliding direction in response to rotation of the eccentric cam; The second sliding direction is The register of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding direction is parallel to the first sliding direction.

5. The retainer is a first slide groove that holds the first slide member slidably in the first slide direction; a second slide groove that holds the second slide member slidably in the second slide direction; and The second slide groove is The register according to claim 4 , wherein the register is provided at a position offset from the second slide groove in a direction perpendicular to the first slide direction.

6. The rotation axis of the eccentric cam is The register according to claim 5 , wherein the register is provided at a position between the first slide groove and the second slide groove in the first slide direction.

7. The first slide member is a first bifurcated portion that sandwiches and holds a first link provided on the first fin; The second slide member is a second bifurcated portion that sandwiches and holds a second link provided on the second fin, A first length of the first bifurcated portion in a direction perpendicular to the first sliding direction is longer than the second length of the second bifurcated portion in a direction perpendicular to the first sliding direction, The position where the first bifurcated portion holds the first link is The register according to claim 5 , wherein when the first fin and the second fin are oriented in the same direction, the second bifurcated portion is at the same position as the position at which the second link is held in a direction perpendicular to the first sliding direction.

8. a first cap member that closes the first slide groove; a second cap member that closes the second slide groove; Furthermore, The first slide groove is a first notch portion that is cut out in accordance with a range in which the first bifurcated portion slides in the first sliding direction; The second slide groove is a second notch portion that is cut out in accordance with a range in which the second bifurcated portion slides in the second sliding direction, The first slide member is the first bifurcated portion is inserted into the first notch portion and is housed in the first slide groove; The second slide member is the second bifurcated portion is inserted into the second notch portion and is housed in the second slide groove; The first cap member is a first slit extending along the first sliding direction, the first sliding groove being closed when the first engaging portion is inserted into the first slit; The second cap member is The register according to claim 7 , further comprising a second slit extending along the second sliding direction, and wherein the second slide groove is closed when the second engagement portion is inserted into the second slit.

9. a register according to claim 1 or claim 2; a motor that rotates the eccentric cam; Equipped with The motor The rotation is controlled by a control device, The control device A register device that selects any one of a plurality of air flow patterns that combine the orientations of the first fin and the second fin, controls the rotation of the motor according to the selected air flow pattern, and changes the rotation angle of the first fin and the second fin to the orientation of the selected air flow pattern.

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