Vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

This suppresses the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins being visible through the air outlet. [Solution] The vehicle air conditioning system 13 comprises a retainer 16, a barrel 41, and fixed fins 61. The barrel 41 comprises a plurality of barrel fins 44 arranged in opposing directions, extending at least in both the axial and depth directions. Of the plurality of barrel fins 44, those located at both ends in the opposing directions are composed of a pair of end fins 45, 46. The fixed fins 61 are positioned within the retainer 16 at a location that is at least one outside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the air outlet in the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1. The fixed fins 61 are positioned at a location that is in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the movable region of the end fins 46 located on the same side as the fixed fins 61.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that changes the direction of air for air conditioning sent from an air conditioner and blown into a vehicle interior.

Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle air conditioner including a retainer and a barrel, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 9, the retainer 101 in the vehicle air conditioner 100 described in Patent Document 1 has a cylindrical shape and has a ventilation passage 102 for air for air conditioning A1. The retainer 101 is incorporated in an instrument panel (not shown) disposed in the vehicle interior. The ventilation passage 102 has a blowout port 103 facing the vehicle interior at the downstream end in the flow direction of the air for air conditioning A1. Further, the ventilation passage 102 has a blowout port upstream region 104 at a location adjacent to the upstream side of the blowout port 103. The barrel 105 is disposed inside the retainer 101 and is tiltably supported by the retainer 101 by a barrel shaft 106.

[0003] Here, as shown in FIG. 10, in the barrel 105, the direction in which the barrel shaft 106 extends (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is taken as the axial direction. With respect to the axial direction, one of two directions perpendicular to each other in a perpendicular state is taken as the facing direction, and the other is taken as the depth direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the retainer 101, the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the central axis CL of the ventilation passage 102 is taken as the axis perpendicular direction.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 10, the barrel 105 includes a plurality of barrel fins 107 extending in both the axial direction and the depth direction in a state of being arranged in the facing direction. Among the plurality of barrel fins 107, those located at both ends in the facing direction are constituted by a pair of end fins 108.

[0005] Then, as the barrel 105 is tilted about the barrel axis 106, the inclination of the multiple barrel fins 107 with respect to the central axis CL is changed. The conditioned air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 102 has its flow direction adjusted as it passes through the barrel 105 and flows along the barrel fins 107. The conditioned air A1 that has passed through the barrel 105 is blown out from the outlet 103. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-28228 [Overview of the initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Here, as shown in Figure 9, the barrel 105 is defined as the barrel neutral position when its depth direction is parallel to the central axis CL. In the conventional vehicle air conditioning system 100 described above, when the barrel 105 is in the barrel neutral position, both of the end fins 108 are located outside the upstream region 104 of the air outlet in the direction perpendicular to the axis (upper and lower sides in Figure 9). When a vehicle occupant views the vehicle air conditioning system 100 from the downstream side in the flow direction, the pair of end fins 108 are not visible or are difficult to see through the air outlet 103, resulting in a good appearance for the vehicle air conditioning system 100.

[0008] However, in the conventional vehicle air conditioning system 100 described above, when the barrel 105 is tilted from the barrel neutral position as shown in Figure 10, the downstream portion of the rear (upper in Figure 10) end fin 108 in the tilting direction enters the air outlet 103 and the air outlet upstream region 104. Also, the upstream portion of the front (lower in Figure 10) end fin 108 in the tilting direction enters the air outlet upstream region 104. When the vehicle air conditioning system 100 is viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction, the end fins 108 are visible through the air outlet 103, thus reducing the appearance of the vehicle air conditioning system 100. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This section describes various embodiments of vehicle air conditioning systems that address the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] A cylindrical retainer having an air passage for air conditioning air, wherein the air passage has an outlet facing the passenger compartment at its downstream end in the direction of the air conditioning air flow, and has an outlet upstream region adjacent to the outlet on the upstream side, and a barrel disposed within the retainer and tiltably supported by the retainer by a barrel shaft, wherein the direction in which the barrel shaft extends is defined as the axial direction, and with respect to the axial direction, one of two mutually orthogonal directions, each perpendicular to the other, is defined as the opposing direction and the other as the depth direction, and in the retainer, the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the central axis of the air passage is defined as the orthogonal direction, A vehicle air conditioning device comprising a barrel having a plurality of barrel fins arranged in the opposing directions, extending at least in the axial direction and the depth direction, wherein the plurality of barrel fins located at both ends in the opposing directions are composed of a pair of end fins, wherein within the retainer, a fixed fin extending in the axial direction is arranged at a location that is on the outside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region of the air outlet in the flow direction, and the fixed fin is arranged at a location that is on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the movable region of the end fin located on the same side as the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0010] According to the above configuration, due to the tilting of the barrel around the barrel axis, at least a portion of the end fins located on the same side as the fixed fins in the direction perpendicular to the axis may be located outside the fixed fins in the same direction. In this case, the fixed fins cover the portion of the end fins that is located outside the fixed fins in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Therefore, when the vehicle air conditioning system is viewed from the downstream side in the direction of the airflow for the air conditioner, the portion of the end fins covered by the fixed fins is hidden by the fixed fins and is therefore not visible. Compared to a configuration without fixed fins, the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins being visible through the air outlets is suppressed.

[0011] [Aspect 2] When the barrel is positioned in a barrel neutral position when the depth direction of the barrel is parallel to the central axis of the air passage, the fixed fins are arranged so as to be on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to at least a portion of the end fins in the depth direction when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position, the vehicle air conditioning device according to [Aspect 1].

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position, the fixed fins cover at least a portion of the end fins in the depth direction from the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis. When the vehicle air conditioning system is viewed from the downstream side in the direction of the airflow for the air conditioner, the portion of the end fins covered by the fixed fins is hidden by the fixed fins and is therefore not visible. As a result, even when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position, the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins being visible through the air outlet is suppressed.

[0013] [Aspect 3] The vehicle air conditioning system according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the fixed fin is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the central axis, at least on the downstream side in the flow direction, such that the downstream side is closer to the central axis.

[0014] According to the above configuration, among the air conditioning air flowing through the ventilation passage, the air flowing near the fixed fins flows along the inclined section, thereby changing the direction of flow to a direction along the inclined section, that is, a direction inclined with respect to the central axis, so that the downstream side approaches the central axis.

[0015] [Aspect 4] The inclined portion is flat, and the end fin that moves outside the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis as the barrel tilts is curved so as to bulge outward in the opposing direction, and the fixed fin has an upstream portion adjacent to the upstream side of the inclined portion in the flow direction that is curved so as to bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The vehicle air conditioning device according to [Aspect 3].

[0016] According to the above configuration, among the conditioned air flowing through the ventilation passage, the air flowing near the curved upstream section of the fixed fins has its flow direction changed along the upstream section to a direction toward the inclined section. This conditioned air has its flow direction changed by the inclined section. As a result, it is possible to direct more conditioned air toward the inclined section than in the case where an upstream section is not provided.

[0017] Furthermore, the upstream section, like the end fins that move outside the fixed fins in the direction perpendicular to the axis, is curved to bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Therefore, as the barrel tilts, the end fins can move near the outside of the fixed fins in the direction perpendicular to the axis, while avoiding interference with the fixed fins.

[0018] [Aspect 5] The vehicle air conditioning system according to [Aspect 3] or [Aspect 4], wherein the fixed fin has an upstream portion located upstream of the inclined portion in the flow direction, and the downstream end of the fixed fin in the flow direction is spaced apart from the peripheral portion of the air outlet in the retainer via a gap.

[0019] According to the above configuration, when the end fin moves downstream on the outside of the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis as the barrel tilts, or after the movement, if the downstream end of the fixed fin is in contact with the peripheral part of the outlet in the retainer, the following phenomenon may occur: the directivity of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet decreases. This is thought to be because the conditioned air flowing near the fixed fin changes its flow direction by flowing along a limited area of ​​the fixed fin in the flow direction, such as the inclined part.

[0020] In this regard, the above configuration is thought to suppress the reduction in directivity in the following way. That is, if the downstream end of the fixed fin in the flow direction is spaced apart from the surrounding part of the outlet in the retainer via a gap, some of the conditioned air flowing near the fixed fin will flow outside the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis. This conditioned air will pass through the gap and be blown out from the outlet. As a result, the conditioned air flowing outside the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis will exert a force that tries to draw the conditioned air that is trying to flow inside the fixed fin in the same direction outwards. Due to this force, the conditioned air that is trying to flow inside the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis will flow along a wider area of ​​the fixed fin in the flow direction. More conditioned air will flow along the fixed fin. As a result, the directivity of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet is thought to be improved.

[0021] [Aspect 6] The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 5], wherein the barrel is in a neutral position when the depth direction of the barrel is parallel to the central axis of the air passage, and the positions of both ends of the barrel in its tilting range are each in their maximum tilt positions, the retainer is provided with a pair of end fin housing chambers at a location adjacent to the downstream portion of the upstream region of the outlet in the flow direction, on the outside in the direction perpendicular to the axis, and when the barrel is in the neutral position, the pair of end fins are located in the pair of end fin housing chambers, and when the barrel is in either of the maximum tilt positions, at least a portion of each of the pair of end fins is located in the end fin housing chamber.

[0022] In this case, if the end fins are located in the upstream region of the outlet, the end fins will create airflow resistance, leading to increased pressure loss. In this regard, according to the above configuration, when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position, both end fins are located in the end fin accommodation chamber. The end fin accommodation chamber is located outside the upstream region of the air outlet in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Since the end fins do not enter the upstream region of the air outlet, it is difficult to cause ventilation resistance and increase in pressure loss. Also, when the vehicle air conditioner is viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction of the air for air conditioning, neither end fin can be seen through the air outlet, or if visible, it is only slightly visible. Therefore, the deterioration of the appearance due to the end fins being visible through the air outlet is suppressed.

[0023] Also, when the barrel is in any of the maximum inclination positions, at least a part of each of the pair of end fins is located in the end fin accommodation chamber. The amount by which the end fins enter the upstream region of the air outlet is less than when the end fin accommodation chamber is not provided. Therefore, compared to the case where the end fin accommodation chamber is not provided, the ventilation resistance due to the end fins is small, and the increase in pressure loss is suppressed. Also, when the vehicle air conditioner is viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction of the air for air conditioning, for each end fin, the portion visible through the air outlet is small. Therefore, the deterioration of the appearance due to the end fins being visible through the air outlet is suppressed.

[0024] [Aspect 7] The fixed fin is arranged only in one of the end fin accommodation chambers. Among the pair of end fins, the end fin located on the opposite side of the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis extends in both the axial direction and the depth direction, and in a state of extending in the axial direction, protrudes outward in the facing direction from the fin body portion. When the barrel is tilted to one of the maximum inclination positions so that the end fin including the fin body portion and the protrusion is located on the upstream side in the flow direction, the tip of the protrusion in the end fin is located in the end fin accommodation chamber. The vehicle air conditioner according to [Aspect 6].

[0025] For the direction orthogonal to the axis, the air for air conditioning flowing near the end fin located on the opposite side of the fixed fin tends to flow separately to the inside and outside of the fin main body in the opposing direction. If the end fin does not have a protrusion, the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside will merge with the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside after passing through the fin main body. At the time of this merging, the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside interferes with the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside. Due to this interference, the directivity of the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside is affected, and there is a risk that the directivity of the air for air conditioning blown out from the air outlet will decrease.

[0026] In this regard, according to the above configuration, the protrusion located outside the fin main body in the opposing direction prevents the air for air conditioning from flowing outside the fin main body in the opposing direction. Therefore, the amount of the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside decreases. The air for air conditioning that has passed through the protrusion joins the air for air conditioning that has flowed inside the fin main body. However, as described above, since the amount of the air for air conditioning passing through the protrusion decreases, the degree of interference of the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside with the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside decreases. The directivity of the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside is less affected by the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside. As a result, the directivity of the air for air conditioning blown out from the air outlet is improved compared to the case where the protrusion is not provided.

[0027] Furthermore, when the barrel is located at any maximum inclination position, in the end fin located on the upstream side in the flow direction, the tip of the protrusion is located inside the end fin accommodation chamber. Since the gap between the tip of the protrusion and the wall surface of the end fin accommodation chamber in the direction orthogonal to the axis is small, the amount of the air for air conditioning flowing through that gap decreases. Accordingly, the amount of the air for air conditioning flowing outside the fin main body in the opposing direction decreases. The degree of interference of the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside with the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside further decreases. The directivity of the air for air conditioning flowing on the inside is even less affected by the air for air conditioning flowing on the outside. Therefore, the effect of improving the directivity of the air for air conditioning blown out from the air outlet is further enhanced.

[0028] [Aspect 8] The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 7], wherein the retainer is assembled to the instrument panel located in the passenger compartment such that the direction perpendicular to the axis is vertical, and the fixed fins are positioned on the lower side of the downstream portion of the upstream region of the air outlet in the flow direction.

[0029] According to the above configuration, when a vehicle occupant views a vehicle air conditioning system, with the retainer mounted on the instrument panel, from the downstream side in the direction of airflow, the occupant will be looking diagonally downwards at the air outlet. Therefore, the occupant can see the part of the vehicle air conditioning system's components located upstream of the lower end of the air outlet more easily than other parts.

[0030] In this regard, according to the above configuration, the fixed fins are positioned on the underside of the downstream portion of the upstream region of the air outlet. When the barrel tilts and at least a portion of the end fins are positioned below the fixed fins, the fixed fins cover the portion of the end fins that is positioned below the fixed fins from above. When an occupant looks down at the vehicle's air conditioning system from diagonally above and behind, the portion of the lower end fins covered by the fixed fins is hidden by the fixed fins and therefore not visible through the air outlet. As a result, the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins being visible through the air outlet is suppressed compared to a case where fixed fins are not provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins being visible through the air outlet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an air conditioning register in an air conditioning system for a vehicle according to one embodiment, and is a perspective view of the air conditioning register with the barrel in the barrel neutral position. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of a vehicle air conditioning system, with the air conditioning registers shown in Figure 1 installed, as seen from the downstream side in the direction of airflow for air conditioning. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning register along line 3-3 in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioning register along line 4-4 in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioning register in the above embodiment, where the barrel is located in the first maximum inclination position. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioning register in the above embodiment, where the barrel is located at the second maximum inclination position. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified air conditioning register with a pair of fixed fins. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified air conditioning register in which a pair of fixed fins are provided, and each fixed fin is composed of an inclined portion and an extended portion. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the prior art, and is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle air conditioning system in which the barrel is in the barrel-neutral position. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the prior art, and is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle air conditioning system in which the barrel is tilted from the barrel neutral position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] An embodiment of a vehicle air conditioning system will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the following description, the direction of travel (forward direction) of vehicle 10 will be referred to as "front," the direction of reverse direction as "rear," and the height direction as "up and down." Furthermore, the direction of the vehicle width direction (left and right direction) will be defined based on the view of vehicle 10 from the rear.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an instrument panel 12 is provided in front of the front seats (driver's seat and passenger seat) of the vehicle 10 within the passenger compartment 11, and air conditioning registers 15 are incorporated into the central and side portions of the instrument panel. The main function of these air conditioning registers 15 is to change the direction of the conditioned air A1 that is sent from the air conditioning unit and blown into the passenger compartment 11. Thus, an instrument panel 12 with air conditioning registers 15 incorporated into it corresponds to the vehicle air conditioning unit 13 of this embodiment.

[0035] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the air conditioning register 15 comprises a retainer 16, a barrel 41 positioned within the retainer 16 and tiltably supported by the barrel shaft 43, a fixed fin 61, and a plurality of upstream fins 51. Next, the details of each part constituting the air conditioning register 15 will be described.

[0036] <Retainer 16> The retainer 16 connects the ventilation duct (not shown) of the air conditioning unit to an opening (not shown) provided in the instrument panel 12. The retainer 16 comprises an outer retainer portion 17, an inner retainer portion 21, and a bezel 27, and is assembled to the instrument panel 12. The internal space of the retainer 16 constitutes a flow path for the air conditioning air A1 (hereinafter referred to as the "ventilation passage 35").

[0037] Here, regarding the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1, the direction closer to the air conditioning unit is referred to as "upstream," etc., and the direction further away from the air conditioning unit is referred to as "downstream," etc. Also, when explaining the positional relationship of each part of the air conditioning register 15, among the thickness directions of the retainer wall portions 37 and 38 of the retainer 16, which will be described later, the direction approaching the ventilation passage 35 is referred to as "inward," "inside," etc. Among the above thickness directions, the direction moving away from the ventilation passage 35 is referred to as "outward," "outside," etc.

[0038] Furthermore, the direction in which the barrel shaft 43 extends is defined as the "axial direction," and the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the central axis CL of the ventilation passage 35 is defined as the "orthoaxial direction." The central axis CL is a hypothetical line in the ventilation passage 35 that passes through the central part in the axial direction and the central part in the orthoaxial direction. In this embodiment, the axial direction corresponds to the left-right direction, and the orthoaxial direction corresponds to the up-down direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the retainer 16 is assembled to the instrument panel 12 such that the orthoaxial direction is the up-down direction. The outer retainer portion 17 and the inner retainer portion 21 are open at their upstream and downstream ends and are cylindrical in shape, with the axial dimension being larger than the orthoaxial dimension. The inner retainer portion 21 is located inside the outer retainer portion 17. The open upstream end of the outer retainer portion 17 constitutes the inlet 18 for the conditioned air A1 sent from the air conditioning unit via the air supply duct.

[0039] The bezel 27 is a component that constitutes the downstream end of the retainer 16. The bezel 27 is positioned adjacent to the downstream end of the outer retainer portion 17 and the downstream end of the inner retainer portion 21 on the downstream side. The bezel 27 has an air outlet 31 for the air conditioning air A1. The air outlet 31 is located at the downstream end of the ventilation passage 35 and faces the passenger compartment 11.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the ventilation passage 35 has an upstream region 36 adjacent to the upstream side of the air outlet 31. The downstream end face of the bezel 27 constitutes the design surface 28 of the air conditioning register 15.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air outlet 31 consists of a pair of short sides 32 that face each other in the axial direction, and a pair of long sides 33 that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis and are longer than each of the short sides 32. Due to the two short sides 32 and the two long sides 33, the air outlet 31 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that is more axially elongated than perpendicular to the axis.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ventilation passage 35 is surrounded by four retainer walls of the retainer 16. These four retainer walls consist of a pair of retainer walls 37 that face each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis, and a pair of retainer walls 38 that face each other in the axial direction.

[0043] As shown in Figure 4, in the inner retainer section 21, the downstream portions of each of the parts constituting the pair of retainer wall sections 37 are composed of bulging wall sections 22 and 24 that bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis relative to the outlet upstream region 36. The bulging wall section 22 has a curved section 22a on its upstream side that curves to bulge outward (upward) on one side in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The space between the bulging wall section 22 and the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 constitutes the end fin housing chamber 23. The end fin housing chamber 23 is adjacent to the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The bulging wall section 24 has a curved section 24a on its upstream side that curves to bulge outward (downward) on the other side in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The space between the bulging wall section 24 and the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 constitutes the end fin housing chamber 25. The end fin housing chamber 25 is adjacent to the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 in a direction perpendicular to the axis. The end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are located on the outer sides of the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Each end fin housing chamber 23 and 25 is located adjacent to the outlet 31 on the upstream side in the flow direction.

[0044] <Barrel 41> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the barrel 41 is for changing the vertical direction of the conditioned air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 and is positioned as a downstream fin within the retainer 16. The barrel 41 has a pair of barrel wall portions 42 that face each other and are spaced apart in the axial direction.

[0045] The barrel shafts 43 described above are provided in pairs. The pair of barrel shafts 43 protrude outward in the axial direction from the pair of barrel wall portions 42. The pair of barrel shafts 43 are rotatably supported by the pair of retainer wall portions 38 of the retainer 16.

[0046] Here, in the barrel 41, one of the two mutually orthogonal directions, each perpendicular to the axial direction, is designated as the "opposing direction," and the other as the "depth direction." As shown in Figure 4, the barrel 41 is provided with a plurality of barrel fins 44 that are arranged in the opposing directions and extend at least in the axial and depth directions. Of the plurality of barrel fins 44, those located at both ends in the opposing directions are composed of a pair of end fins 45, 46. Each end fin 45, 46 is spanned between the two barrel walls 42. In other words, the pair of end fins 45, 46 are connected by a pair of barrel walls 42. In this embodiment, the plurality of barrel fins 44 are composed only of the pair of end fins 45, 46.

[0047] Here, as shown in Figure 4, the position of the barrel 41 when its depth direction is parallel to the central axis CL of the ventilation passage 35 is defined as the "barrel neutral position". Also, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the two positions at both ends of the barrel 41's tilting range are defined as the "maximum tilt positions". To distinguish between the two maximum tilt positions, as shown in Figure 5, the maximum tilt position when one (upper) end fin 45 is located upstream and the other (lower) end fin 46 is located downstream of the end fin 45 is defined as the "first maximum tilt position". As shown in Figure 6, the maximum tilt position when the other (lower) end fin 46 is located upstream and the one (upper) end fin 45 is located downstream of the end fin 46 is defined as the "second maximum tilt position".

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the pair of end fins 45 and 46 have different shapes. One of the end fins, the upper end fin 45 in this embodiment, comprises a fin body portion 47 and a projection portion 48. This end fin 45 is the end fin of the pair of end fins 45 and 46 that is located on the opposite side from the fixed fin 61, which will be described later, in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The fin body portion 47 extends in both the axial direction and the depth direction. The fin body portion 47 is bent in the middle portion in the depth direction so as to protrude outward (upward) in the opposing direction. The downstream end 47b of the fin body portion 47 in the depth direction constitutes the downstream end of the end fin 45.

[0049] The projection 48 extends axially and protrudes outward in the opposing direction from the downstream end 47b of the fin body 47. As shown in Figure 4, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the projection 48 of this embodiment is inclined in both the depth direction and the opposing direction such that the tip 48b is located slightly upstream of the base end 48a.

[0050] In contrast, the other end fin, the lower end fin 46 in this embodiment, is curved to bulge outward (downward) in the opposing direction. This curved portion corresponds to the fin body portion 47 of the end fin 45. Unlike the end fin 45, the end fin 46 does not have a portion corresponding to the projection 48.

[0051] The pair of barrel shafts 43 are positioned at the same location as the downstream ends 47b of the end fin 45 and 46b of the end fin 46 in the barrel 41 in the barrel neutral position, or downstream of the downstream ends 46b and 47b, and upstream of the outlet 31. In this embodiment, the pair of barrel shafts 43 are positioned at the former location (same location). The same location is defined as the position on the imaginary line connecting the downstream end 47b of the end fin 45 and the downstream end 46b of the end fin 46.

[0052] Furthermore, in the air conditioning register 15, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, each or all of the one (upper) end fin 45 is located at the following locations. The entire end fin 45 is located within the end fin housing chamber 23.

[0053] The upstream end 47a of the fin body 47 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall 22 in the direction of flow and perpendicular to the axis. The downstream end 47b of the fin body 47 is located near the center of the end fin housing chamber 23 in the flow direction.

[0054] The tip 48b of the projection 48 is located slightly inward from the bulging wall 22 in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Furthermore, in the air conditioning register 15, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, each or all of the other (lower) end fin 46 is located at the following locations.

[0055] The entire end fin 46 is located within the end fin housing chamber 25. The entire end fin 46 is located in a position close to the bulging wall portion 24 in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0056] The upstream end 46a of the end fin 46 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall portion 24 in the flow direction described above. The downstream end 46b of the end fin 46 is located near the center of the end fin housing chamber 25 in the flow direction.

[0057] In the air conditioning register 15, as shown in Figure 5, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum tilt position, the end fins 45 and 46 are located in the following positions. The upstream end 47a of the fin body 47 of the end fin 45 is located slightly upstream of the upstream end of the bulging wall 22 in the flow direction. Consequently, the entire fin body 47 is located on one side (upper side) of the outlet upstream region 36 in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0058] The upstream end 47a of the fin body 47 is located on or near the central axis CL in the direction perpendicular to the axis, that is, in the central part of the upstream region 36 of the outlet. The tip 48b of the projection 48 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall 22 in both the flow direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0059] The entire end fin 46 is located outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis compared to the fixed fin 61. The downstream end 46b of the end fin 46 is located close to the bezel 27. The upstream end 46a of the end fin 46 is located near the center of the end fin housing chamber 25 in the flow direction, and is downstream of the upstream end 63a of the upstream portion 63 of the fixed fin 61.

[0060] In the air conditioning register 15, as shown in Figure 6, when the barrel 41 is in the second maximum tilt position, the end fins 45 and 46 are located in the following positions. Except for the downstream end 47b of the fin body 47, most of the end fins 45 are located within the end fin housing chamber 23. The downstream end 47b of the fin body 47 is located in a place that extends into the upstream region 36 of the outlet.

[0061] The upstream end 47a of the fin body 47 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall portion 22 in the flow direction. The upstream end 46a of the end fin 46 is located in a position that enters the upstream region 36 of the outlet from below, in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0062] The downstream end 46b of the end fin 46 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall 24 in both the flow direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis. As described above, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum inclination position or the second maximum inclination position, at least a portion of each end fin 45, 46 is located in the end fin housing chambers 23, 25.

[0063] <Fixed fin 61> As shown in Figure 4, the fixed fins 61 are positioned within the retainer 16 at the following locations.

[0064] - A location that is on the outside of at least one side in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the air outlet. Regarding the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1, this is the location adjacent to the outlet 31 on the upstream side.

[0065] • A location that is perpendicular to the axis and is on the inside of the movable range of the end fin 46, which is located on the same side as the fixed fin 61, in a direction perpendicular to the axis. - When the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, at least a portion of the end fin 46 in the depth direction is located on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0066] In this embodiment, the fixed fin 61 is positioned on the lower side of the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the air outlet. In other words, the fixed fin 61 is positioned only in the lower end fin housing chamber 25. The fixed fin 61 extends in the axial direction. The cross-sectional shape of the fixed fin 61 is uniform in the axial direction.

[0067] The fixed fin 61 is fixed to the retainer 16. This fixing is achieved, for example, by coupling both axial ends of the fixed fin 61 to the retainer wall 38 of the retainer 16.

[0068] The fixed fin 61 has a flat, inclined portion 62 on its downstream side that is inclined with respect to the central axis CL, such that it approaches the central axis CL as it moves downstream. The angle that the inclined portion 62 makes with respect to the central axis CL is the same at any point in the flow direction.

[0069] The fixed fin 61 has an upstream portion 63 adjacent to the upstream side of the inclined portion 62, which curves outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis, similar to the end fin 46. The upstream end 63a of the upstream portion 63 constitutes the upstream end of the fixed fin 61.

[0070] The fixed fin 61 is provided with an extension 64 that extends axially and in the flow direction at a location adjacent to the downstream side of the inclined portion 62. The downstream end of the extension 64 constitutes the downstream end of the fixed fin 61. The downstream end of the fixed fin 61 is located in the peripheral part of the bezel 27 around the outlet 31 and is spaced apart from the end of the outlet 31 (the lower long side portion 33) in the direction perpendicular to the axis, via a gap 65. This gap 65 is smaller than the gap between the fixed fin 61 and the bezel 27 if the extension 64 is not provided, by the amount of the extension 64.

[0071] <Upstream Fin 51> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the multiple upstream fins 51 are positioned upstream of the barrel 41 in the air passage 35. Each upstream fin 51 is composed of a plate-like body extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis within the air passage 35. The multiple upstream fins 51 are positioned spaced apart from each other in the axial direction.

[0072] In the flow direction described above, each upstream fin 51 is provided with a fin shaft 52 in the middle portion, which is on both outer sides in the direction perpendicular to the axis and protrudes in opposite directions from one another. Each fin shaft 52 is supported in the inner retainer portion 21 by the portion that constitutes a pair of retainer wall portions 37. Each upstream fin 51 is tiltable in the axial direction about both fin shafts 52.

[0073] <Sim 54, 55> As shown in Figure 3, the air conditioning register 15 is equipped with a pair of plate-shaped shims 54 and 55. The pair of shims 54 and 55 are located on the axial side of the pair of barrel wall portions 42 and outside the outlet 31 in the same direction. The pair of shims 54 and 55 are attached to the retainer 16, covering the pair of barrel wall portions 42 from the axial side. More specifically, each shim 54 and 55 has an upstream mounting portion 56 extending upstream at its upstream end. The upstream mounting portion 56 of each shim 54 and 55 is inserted into the barrel 41 outside the outlet 31 in the axial direction. The upstream mounting portion 56 of each shim 54 and 55 is attached to the retainer wall portion 38 upstream of the barrel 41.

[0074] In this embodiment, a pair of shims 54 and 55 are used, each having a different shape in the intermediate portion in the flow direction. The intermediate portion of one shim 54 (the one on the right in Figure 3) in the flow direction extends straight along the central axis CL. In contrast, the intermediate portion of the other shim 55 (the one on the left in Figure 3) in the flow direction is curved so as to bulge inward in the axial direction. The downstream end 55b of the curved portion of the shim 55 is located further out in the axial direction than the upstream end 55a. This is because, when the flow direction of the conditioned air A1 is changed to the left by the upstream fin 51, the Coanda effect is used to direct the conditioned air A1 to flow along the curved portion of the shim 55. This allows the conditioned air A1 to be blown out from the outlet 31 to a wider area to the left in the axial direction.

[0075] <Operation of this embodiment> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the conditioned air A1 sent from the air conditioning unit to the inlet 18 of the air conditioning register 15 flows through the ventilation passage 35. In the ventilation passage 35, the conditioned air A1 passes through the upstream fins 51 and the barrel 41 in sequence. As the conditioned air A1 passes through the upstream fins 51, it flows along the upstream fins 51, thereby adjusting its flow direction in the axial direction (left-right direction). As the conditioned air A1 passes through the barrel 41, it flows along the end fins 45 and 46, thereby adjusting its flow direction in the direction perpendicular to the axis (up-down direction). After passing through the upstream fins 51 and the barrel 41, the conditioned air A1 is blown out from the outlet 31.

[0076] As shown in Figure 4, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the entire end fin 45 is located within the end fin housing chamber 23. The entire end fin 46 is located within the end fin housing chamber 25. Most of the end fin 46, except for the upstream end 46a, is located between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24. The upstream end 46a is exposed upstream from between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24.

[0077] Most of the conditioned air A1 that has passed through the upstream fin 51 flows between the pair of end fins 45 and 46. Most of the conditioned air A1 is blown straight downstream from the outlet 31 without its flow direction being changed in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0078] Here, if at least a portion of the end fins 45 and 46 are located in the upstream region 36 of the outlet, the end fins 45 and 46 will act as airflow resistance, leading to an increase in pressure loss. This can result in a decrease in the strength of the air conditioning air A1 blown from the outlet 31, or a shortening of the reach of the air conditioning air A1.

[0079] In this respect, in the barrel neutral position, both end fins 45 and 46 are housed within the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25. The end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are located outside the outlet upstream region 36 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Since the end fins 45 and 46 do not enter the outlet upstream region 36, they do not create airflow resistance and do not easily lead to an increase in pressure loss.

[0080] Furthermore, the amount to which the end fins 45 and 46 extend into the upstream region 36 of the air outlet affects the appearance of the air conditioning register 15 when viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction. As the amount of extension increases, more of the end fins 45 and 46 are visible, thus reducing the appearance. In this embodiment, where both end fins 45 and 46 are housed within the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25, the end fins 45 and 46 do not extend into the upstream region 36 of the air outlet. Therefore, when viewing the air conditioning register 15 from the downstream side, neither of the end fins 45 and 46 are visible through the air outlet 31, or only a small portion is visible.

[0081] In particular, when an occupant of a vehicle 10 views the vehicle air conditioning unit 13, with the retainer 16 assembled to the instrument panel 12, from the downstream side in the flow direction of the conditioned air A1, the occupant will be looking down at the air outlet 31 at an angle. Therefore, among the components of the vehicle air conditioning unit 13, the part of the lower end (long side portion 33) of the air outlet 31 that is located upstream in the flow direction is more visible to the occupant than other parts.

[0082] In this embodiment, the fixed fin 61 is positioned below the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the outlet. The fixed fin 61 covers the portion of the end fin 46 located below the fixed fin 61 from above. When the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, most of the end fin 46, excluding its upstream end 46a, is located between the bulging wall portion 24 and the fixed fin 61. Most of the end fin 46, excluding its upstream end 46a, is covered from above by the fixed fin 61. The fixed fin 61 is positioned between most of the end fin 46, excluding its upstream end 46a, and the occupant's eyes. Most of the end fin 46, excluding its upstream end 46a, is hidden by the fixed fin 61.

[0083] Therefore, when an occupant looks down at the vehicle air conditioning unit 13 from the downstream side in the flow direction of the conditioned air A1, most of the end fins 46 are not visible except for the upstream end 46a. The upstream end 46a of the end fins 46 is exposed between the fixed fins 61 and the bulging wall portion 24. However, since the upstream end 46a is exposed upstream of the fixed fins 61, it is less conspicuous than if it were exposed downstream. The exposure of the upstream end 46a has only a slight impact on the appearance.

[0084] When the barrel 41 is tilted, for example, from the neutral position to the first maximum tilt position, the end fin 45 moves upstream and inward in the direction perpendicular to the axis, tilting so that the fin body 47 is positioned more inward in the direction perpendicular to the axis as it moves upstream. This movement causes the fin body 47 to enter the upstream region 36 of the outlet from above. In addition, the tip 48b of the projection 48 moves upstream and inward in the direction perpendicular to the axis along the bulging wall 22.

[0085] Furthermore, as the barrel 41 tilts as described above, the end fin 46 moves downstream between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24. As shown in Figure 5, when the barrel 41 is tilted to the first maximum inclination position, the entire fin body portion 47 of the end fin 45 enters the upstream region 36 of the outlet. The tip 48b of the projection 48 is located close to the bulging wall portion 22. The entire end fin 46 is located between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24.

[0086] Of the air conditioning air A1, the air flowing near the inclined portion 62 of the fixed fin 61 can change its flow direction diagonally upward and backward by flowing along the inclined portion 62. Furthermore, of the conditioned air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 35, the portion that flows near the upstream portion 63 of the fixed fin 61 changes its flow direction towards the inclined portion 62 by flowing along the upstream portion 63. This conditioned air A1 has its flow direction changed by the inclined portion 62. As a result, more conditioned air A1 flows along the inclined portion 62 than would in a case where the upstream portion 63 is not provided, and is subsequently blown out from the outlet 31 in the same direction.

[0087] Furthermore, the upstream section 63 is curved to bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis, similar to the end fin 46 which moves outside the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis as the barrel 41 tilts. Therefore, as the barrel 41 tilts to the first maximum tilt position, the end fin 46 can move while staying close to the outside of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis, while avoiding interference with the fixed fin 61.

[0088] Furthermore, the conditioned air A1 flowing near the end fin 45 tends to split and flow both inside and outside the fin body 47 in opposing directions. If the end fin 45 does not have a projection 48, the conditioned air A1 that flows outside the fin body 47 will merge with the conditioned air A1 that flows inside the fin body 47 after passing through the fin body 47. The conditioned air A1 that flows outside the fin body 47 will interfere with the conditioned air A1 that flows inside the fin body 47. This interference will affect the directivity of the conditioned air A1 that flows inside the fin body 47. As a result, the directivity of the conditioned air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 may decrease.

[0089] In this regard, the end fin 45 of this embodiment includes a projection 48 that protrudes outward from the fin body 47 in the opposite direction, in addition to the fin body 47. The projection 48 attempts to prevent the conditioned air A1 from flowing outside the fin body 47. As a result, the amount of conditioned air A1 flowing outside the fin body 47 is reduced. The conditioned air A1 that has passed through the projection 48 is added to the conditioned air A1 that has flowed inside the fin body 47. However, as described above, since the amount of conditioned air A1 that passes through the projection 48 is reduced, the degree to which the conditioned air A1 that has flowed outside the fin body 47 interferes with the conditioned air A1 that has flowed inside the fin body 47 is reduced. The directivity of the conditioned air A1 that has flowed inside the fin body 47 is less affected by the conditioned air A1 that has flowed outside.

[0090] In particular, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum inclination position, the tip 48b of the projection 48 is located close to the bulging wall 22. Because the gap between the tip 48b and the bulging wall 22 is small, the conditioned air A1 has difficulty passing through the gap. The amount of conditioned air A1 flowing through the gap is small. The degree to which the conditioned air A1 flowing outside the fin body 47 interferes with the conditioned air A1 flowing inside the fin body 47 is further reduced. The influence of the conditioned air A1 flowing outside the fin body 47 on the directivity of the conditioned air A1 flowing inside the fin body 47 is further reduced.

[0091] This situation also occurs when the barrel 41 is tilting from the barrel neutral position towards the first maximum tilt position. This is because the barrel 41 tilts while the tip 48b of the projection 48 is approaching the bulging wall 22.

[0092] Furthermore, when the barrel 41 tilts from the neutral position toward the first maximum tilt position, or after tilting, if the downstream end of the fixed fin 61 is in contact with the peripheral area of ​​the outlet 31 on the bezel 27, the following phenomenon may occur: the directivity of the conditioned air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 decreases. This is because the conditioned air A1 flowing near the fixed fin 61 comes into contact with a limited area of ​​the fixed fin 61, such as the inclined portion 62. This is thought to be because the conditioned air A1 changes its flow direction by flowing along the narrow area of ​​the fixed fin 61.

[0093] In this embodiment, where the downstream end of the fixed fin 61 is separated from the bezel 27 via a gap 65, the reduction in directivity is thought to be suppressed in the following way. A portion of the conditioned air A1 flowing near the fixed fin 61 flows on the outside (bottom) of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. This conditioned air A1 passes through the gap 65 and is blown out from the outlet 31. As a result, the conditioned air A1 flowing on the outside of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis exerts a force that tries to draw the conditioned air A1 flowing on the inside of the fixed fin 61 in the same direction outwards. Due to this force, the conditioned air A1 that tries to flow on the inside of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis flows along a wider area of ​​the fixed fin 61 in the flow direction. As a result, the directivity of the conditioned air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 is thought to be improved.

[0094] Furthermore, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum inclination position, at least a portion of the end fin 45 (projection 48) is located in the end fin housing chamber 23. The entire end fin 46 is located in the end fin housing chamber 25. The amount that the end fins 45 and 46 enter the upstream region 36 of the air outlet is less than when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided. Therefore, the ventilation resistance due to the end fins 45 and 46 is smaller and the increase in pressure loss is suppressed compared to when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided. Also, when the vehicle air conditioning system 13 is viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1, the portion of each end fin 45 and 46 visible through the air outlet 31 is smaller than when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided.

[0095] Furthermore, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum tilt position, the entire end fin 46 is positioned below and outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis compared to the fixed fin 61. The fixed fin 61 covers the entire end fin 46 from above. The fixed fin 61 is positioned between the end fin 46 and the occupant's eyes. The entire end fin 46 is hidden by the fixed fin 61. Therefore, when the occupant looks down at the air outlet 31 of the vehicle air conditioning unit 13, which is located diagonally in front and below, the end fin 46 is not visible.

[0096] Conversely, when the barrel 41 is tilted, for example, from the neutral position of the barrel toward the second maximum tilt position, the end fin 45 moves downstream and toward the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis, tilting so that the fin body portion 47 is located more inward in the direction perpendicular to the axis as it moves downstream. In addition, the tip 48b of the projection 48 moves downstream and toward the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis as it tilts. Furthermore, a part of the end fin 46 enters the upstream region 36 of the outlet from below.

[0097] As shown in Figure 6, when the barrel 41 is tilted to the second maximum inclination position, most of the fin body portion 47 of the end fin 45 is located within the end fin housing chamber 23, and a portion of the fin body portion 47 (downstream end 47b) is positioned above the upstream region 36 of the outlet. The upstream end 47a of the fin body portion 47 is located close to the bulging wall portion 22. The tip 48b of the projection 48 is located close to both the downstream end of the bulging wall portion 22 and the bezel 27. The fin body portion 47 as a whole is inclined with respect to the central axis CL such that it is lower towards the downstream side.

[0098] Furthermore, the entire end fin 46 is located upstream of the region between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24. The entire end fin 46 is located upstream of the fixed fin 61 in the flow direction. Also, a portion (upper part) of the end fin 46 is located in the lower part of the outlet upstream region 36 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The downstream end 46b of the end fin 46 is located close to the upstream end of the bulging wall portion 24.

[0099] The end fins 46 attempt to obstruct the flow of the conditioned air A1 through the lower part of the air passage 35. As a result, the conditioned air A1 flows through the air passage 35 above the end fins 46.

[0100] As shown by the arrows in Figure 6, the conditioned air A1 flowing over the upper part of the ventilation passage 35 flows along the inclined fin body portion 47 of the end fin 45, thereby changing its flow direction diagonally downward and rearward, and is then blown out from the outlet 31 in the same direction.

[0101] Furthermore, the upstream portion 63 of the fixed fin 61 is curved to bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the coaxial direction, similar to the end fin 46 which moves outside the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis as the barrel 41 tilts. Therefore, as the barrel 41 tilts to the second maximum tilt position, the end fin 46 can move near the outside of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis without interfering with the fixed fin 61.

[0102] Furthermore, when the barrel 41 is in the second maximum inclination position, at least a portion of each of the pair of end fins 45 and 46 is located in the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25. The amount that the end fins 45 and 46 enter the upstream region 36 of the air outlet is less than when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided. Therefore, the ventilation resistance due to the end fins 45 and 46 is smaller and the increase in pressure loss is suppressed compared to when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided. Also, when the vehicle air conditioning system 13 is viewed from the downstream side in the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1, the portion of each end fin 45 and 46 visible through the air outlet 31 is smaller than when the end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 are not provided. Therefore, the deterioration in appearance due to the end fins 45 and 46 being visible through the air outlet 31 is suppressed.

[0103] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) As shown in Figure 4, within the retainer 16, a fixed fin 61 extending in the axial direction is positioned on one outer (lower) side in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the outlet in the flow direction. The fixed fin 61 is positioned in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the movable region of the end fin 46 which is located on the same side as the fixed fin 61.

[0104] Therefore, when the tilting of the barrel 41 causes at least a portion of the end fin 46 to be located outside the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis, that portion can be covered by the fixed fin 61. This occurs when the barrel 41 tilts from the barrel neutral position toward the first maximum tilt position. At this time, most of the end fin 46 can be hidden by the fixed fin 61, thus suppressing the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fin 46 being visible through the outlet 31.

[0105] (2) As shown in Figure 4, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the fixed fin 61 is positioned on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to at least a portion of the end fin 46 in the depth direction (excluding the upstream end 46a).

[0106] Therefore, the aforementioned portion of the end fin 46 can be hidden by the fixed fin 61. Consequently, even when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fin 46 being visible through the outlet 31 can be suppressed.

[0107] (3) As shown in Figure 4, the fixed fin 61 is provided with an inclined portion 62 at its downstream end that is inclined with respect to the central axis CL, so that it gets closer to the central axis CL as it moves downstream. Therefore, by directing the conditioned air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 35 along the inclined section 62, the flow direction can be changed to a direction inclined with respect to the central axis CL, such that the downstream side approaches the central axis CL.

[0108] (4) The inclined portion 62 is flat. As the barrel 41 tilts, the end fin 46 moves outside the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis, and is curved so as to bulge outwards in the opposite direction. The fixed fin 61 has an upstream portion 63 adjacent to the upstream side of the inclined portion 62 that is curved so as to bulge outwards in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

[0109] Therefore, more conditioned air A1 can be flowed along the inclined section 62 than in the case where the upstream section 63 is not provided. Furthermore, when the barrel 41 is tilted to the first maximum tilt position and when it is tilted to the second maximum tilt position, the end fin 46 can be moved near the outside of the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis, while avoiding interference with the fixed fin 61.

[0110] (5) As shown in Figure 5, the downstream end of the fixed fin 61 is spaced apart from the peripheral portion of the long side 33 of the outlet 31 in the bezel 27 via a gap 65. Therefore, the directivity of the air conditioning air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 can be improved.

[0111] (6) The retainer 16 is provided with a pair of end fin housing chambers 23, 25 located adjacent to the downstream portion of the outlet upstream region 36 in the flow direction, on the outside in the direction perpendicular to the axis. As shown in Figure 4, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the pair of end fins 45, 46 are located within the pair of end fin housing chambers 23, 25. Also, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the barrel 41 is in the first maximum inclination position or the second maximum inclination position, at least a portion of each of the pair of end fins 45, 46 is located within the end fin housing chambers 23, 25.

[0112] Therefore, regardless of whether the barrel 41 is in the neutral position, the first maximum tilt position, or the second maximum tilt position, the increase in pressure loss due to the end fins 45 and 46 can be suppressed. In addition, the deterioration in appearance due to the end fins 45 and 46 being visible through the outlet 31 can be suppressed.

[0113] (7) As shown in Figure 4, the fixed fin 61 is positioned in only one (lower) end fin housing chamber 25. Of the pair of end fins 45, 46, the end fin 45 located on the opposite side (upper side) from the fixed fin 61 in the direction perpendicular to the axis comprises a fin body portion 47 and a projection portion 48. When the barrel 41 is tilted to the first maximum inclination position such that this end fin 45 is positioned on the upstream side as shown in Figure 5, the tip 48b of the projection portion 48 on the end fin 45 is located inside the end fin housing chamber 23.

[0114] Therefore, by reducing the amount of conditioned air A1 flowing outside the fin body 47 in the opposing direction, the directivity of the conditioned air A1 blown out from the outlet 31 can be further improved.

[0115] (8) As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in a vehicle air conditioning unit 13 in which the retainer 16 is assembled to the instrument panel 12 such that the direction perpendicular to the axis is vertical, the fixed fins 61 are positioned on the lower side of the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the air outlet.

[0116] Therefore, when the crew looks down at the air vent 31 from diagonally above and behind, the portion of the end fin 46 covered by the fixed fin 61 can be hidden by the fixed fin 61. This suppresses the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fin 46 being visible through the air vent 31.

[0117] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0118] (Matters concerning retainer 16) In Figure 4, one or both of the pair of end fin housing chambers 23 and 25 may be omitted.

[0119] (Matters concerning Barrel 41) In Figure 4, the position of the barrel axis 43 in the flow direction may be changed. The barrel axis 43 may be positioned downstream of the downstream ends 47b and 46b of the end fins 45 and 46 in the barrel 41 located in the barrel neutral position. Alternatively, the barrel axis 43 may be positioned upstream of the downstream ends 47b and 46b of the end fins 45 and 46 in the barrel 41 located in the barrel neutral position. In this way, even if the position of the barrel axis 43 is changed, the end fins 46 can be hidden by the fixed fins 61, so the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0120] The barrel 41 may have one or more additional fins extending axially and in depth between the pair of end fins 45, 46. The position of the projection 48 of the end fin 45 in the depth direction may be changed. That is, the projection 48 may protrude outward in the opposite direction from a point upstream of the downstream end 47b of the fin body 47.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the projection 48 may protrude from the fin body 47 in a direction perpendicular to the axis when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position. In this case, the base end 48a and the tip end 48b are located at the same location in the depth direction.

[0122] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, when the barrel 41 is tilted to the first maximum tilt position, not only the upstream end 47a of the fin body 47 in the depth direction, but also the tip 48b of the projection 48 may be located in the upstream region 36 of the outlet.

[0123] As shown in Figure 4, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, at least one of the pair of end fins 45, 46 may have a portion of it, more precisely the inner portion in the opposing direction, extending into the outlet upstream region 36.

[0124] (Matters concerning fixed fins 61) As shown in Figures 7 and 8, fixed fins 61 may be arranged within the retainer 16 at locations that are on both the outer sides in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region 36 of the air outlet.

[0125] In this modification example, the shape of one (upper) end fin 45 on the barrel 41 may be changed to the same shape as the other (lower) end fin 46. That is, the projection 48 is omitted on one (upper) end fin 45. This end fin 45 is curved so as to bulge outward (upward) in the opposing direction.

[0126] According to this modification, when the crew looks down at the air vent 31 from diagonally above and behind, as well as when they look up at it from diagonally below and behind, the portion of the upper end fin 45 covered by the fixed fin 61 can be hidden by the fixed fin 61. When the air vent 31 is looked up at from diagonally below and behind, the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fin 45 being visible through the air vent 31 can be suppressed.

[0127] As shown in Figure 4, the fixed fin 61 may be positioned on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis, covering a portion of the end fin 46 in the depth direction, but in a smaller area in the depth direction than in the above embodiment, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position. According to this modification, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, a larger portion of the end fin 46 is exposed between the fixed fin 61 and the bulging wall portion 24, but a portion of the end fin 46 can be hidden by the fixed fin 61. Therefore, similar to the above embodiment, the effect of suppressing the deterioration of appearance due to the end fin 46 being visible through the outlet 31 can be obtained.

[0128] Furthermore, the fixed fins 61 may be positioned so that, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, they are located on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis relative to the entire end fins 46 in the depth direction. In this case, when the barrel 41 is in the barrel neutral position, the entire end fins 46 can be hidden by the fixed fins 61. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the deterioration in appearance caused by the end fins 46 being visible through the outlet 31 can be enhanced compared to the above embodiment.

[0129] From the viewpoint of the directivity of the conditioned air A1, it is preferable that the fixed fin 61 has an inclined portion 62 at least on the downstream side in the flow direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the upstream portion 63 may be omitted from the fixed fin 61, and the fixed fin 61 may be composed of an inclined portion 62 and an extension portion 64. Although not shown, the extension portion 64 may also be omitted. In these modified examples, as in the above embodiment, the flow direction can be changed to a direction along the inclined portion 62 by directing the conditioned air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 35 that flows near the fixed fin 61 to flow along the inclined portion 62. In addition, a portion of the end fins 45 and 46 can be covered by the fixed fin 61.

[0130] The upstream section 63 does not necessarily have to be curved in a way that bulges outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The downstream end of the fixed fin 61 in the flow direction may be in contact with the peripheral portion of the outlet 31 in the bezel 27.

[0131] (Matters concerning Sim 54 and 55) In Figure 3, at least one of the pair of shims 54 and 55 may be omitted. In Figure 3, the shapes of the pair of shims 54 and 55 may be changed to shapes that are symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane passing through the central axis CL.

[0132] (others) The above-described vehicle air conditioning system is also applicable to vehicle air conditioning systems that have an air outlet whose dimension in the direction perpendicular to the axis is longer than its dimension in the axial direction.

[0133] Furthermore, the above-mentioned vehicle air conditioning system is also applicable to vehicle air conditioning systems in which the axial direction (or direction perpendicular to the axis) is inclined with respect to both the horizontal and vertical planes. The vehicle air conditioning system can also be applied to vehicle air conditioning systems installed in locations other than the instrument panel 12 within the passenger compartment 11, such as on the dashboard. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0134] 11...Vehicle compartment 12…Instrument panel 13…Vehicle air conditioning system 16…Retainer 23, 25… End Fin Containment Chambers 31…Air outlet 35...Ventilation duct 36…Air outlet upstream area 41… Barrel 43... Barrel axis 44… Barrel Fin 45, 46… End fins 47...Fin main body 48...Protrusion 48b...tip 61…Fixed fins 62…Slope part 63…Upstream 65...Gap A1...Air for air conditioning CL…Center axis line

Claims

1. A cylindrical retainer having an air passage for conditioned air, wherein the air passage has an outlet facing the passenger compartment at its downstream end in the direction of the conditioned air flow, and has an outlet upstream region adjacent to the outlet on the upstream side, and a barrel disposed within the retainer and tiltably supported by the barrel shaft within the retainer, In the barrel, the direction in which the barrel axis extends is defined as the axial direction, and with respect to the axial direction, one of two mutually orthogonal directions, each perpendicular to the other, is defined as the opposing direction, and the other as the depth direction. In the retainer, the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the central axis of the ventilation passage is defined as the orthogonal direction. The barrel comprises a plurality of barrel fins arranged in the opposing direction, extending at least in the axial direction and the depth direction, In a vehicle air conditioning system, among the plurality of barrel fins, those located at both ends in the opposing direction are configured as a pair of end fins, Within the retainer, fixed fins extending in the axial direction are arranged at a location that is on the outer side in the direction perpendicular to the axis, with respect to the downstream portion of the upstream region of the outlet in the flow direction. The fixed fin is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the axis, on the inside of the movable area of ​​the end fin located on the same side as the fixed fin, with respect to the direction perpendicular to the axis of the vehicle air conditioning system.

2. When the barrel's position is defined as the barrel's neutral position, such that the depth direction of the barrel is parallel to the central axis of the ventilation passage, The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed fins are positioned so as to be on the inside in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to at least a portion of the end fins in the depth direction when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position.

3. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed fin is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the central axis, at least on the downstream side in the flow direction, such that the downstream side is closer to the central axis.

4. The inclined portion is flat, As the barrel tilts, the end fin, which moves outside the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis, is curved so as to bulge outward in the opposing direction. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the fixed fin has an upstream portion adjacent to the upstream side of the inclined portion in the flow direction, which is curved to bulge outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

5. The fixed fin has an upstream portion located upstream of the inclined portion in the flow direction, The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the downstream end of the fixed fin in the flow direction is spaced apart from the peripheral portion of the air outlet in the retainer via a gap.

6. When the barrel's depth direction is parallel to the central axis of the ventilation passage, the barrel's neutral position is defined as the barrel's neutral position, and the positions of both ends of the barrel's tilting range are defined as the maximum tilt positions, The retainer is provided with a pair of end fin housing chambers at a location adjacent to the downstream portion of the upstream region of the outlet in the flow direction, on the outside in the direction perpendicular to the axis, The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein when the barrel is in the barrel neutral position, the pair of end fins are located within the pair of end fin housing chambers, and when the barrel is in either of the maximum inclination positions, at least a portion of each of the pair of end fins is located within the end fin housing chambers.

7. The fixed fin is positioned only in one of the end fin housing chambers. Of the pair of end fins, the end fin located on the opposite side from the fixed fin in the direction perpendicular to the axis comprises a fin body portion extending in both the axial direction and the depth direction, and a projection portion extending in the axial direction, which protrudes outward from the fin body portion in the opposing direction. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 6, wherein when the barrel is tilted to one of the maximum inclination positions such that the end fin, which has the fin body and the projection, is located on the upstream side in the flow direction, the tip of the projection on the end fin is located in the end fin housing chamber.

8. The retainer is assembled to the instrument panel located in the vehicle compartment such that the direction perpendicular to the axis is vertical. The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fixed fins are arranged on the lower side of the downstream portion of the upstream region of the air outlet in the flow direction.

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