Wind direction adjustment device

Abstract

To provide a wind direction adjustment device that can reduce the noise generated by the operation of fins. [Solution] The wind direction adjustment device comprises an operating unit 12 arranged to move back and forth, and a fin 10 that changes the wind direction of the air passage by rotating in accordance with the direction of movement of the operating unit 12. The operating unit 12 has an operating unit body 22 and a clamping unit 23 that protrudes from the operating unit body 22 and clamps a part of the fin 10, linking the movement of the operating unit 12 with the rotation of the fin 10. The clamping unit 23 has a portion that extends in a direction different from the direction of extension at the base end between its base end and its tip end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wind direction adjustment device that adjusts the wind direction by rotating fins according to the moving direction of an operation unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, a wind direction adjustment device that changes the direction of conditioned air introduced from a duct of an air conditioner according to the rotation of fins is known. As the fins, for example, a plurality of vertical fins along the vertical direction and a plurality of horizontal fins along the horizontal direction are set. The vertical fins are arranged in the air passage, and the horizontal fins are arranged at the air outlet on the downstream side thereof. An operation knob, which is an operation unit, is attached to any one of the horizontal fins so as to be linearly movable along the horizontal fin. And, a fork portion, which is a clamping portion extending upstream from the operation knob, clamps the downstream side of any one of the vertical fins, so that the vertical fin is configured to rotate according to the moving direction of the operation knob (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] While the operation knob moves linearly, the vertical fin connected to the fork portion rotates. Therefore, as the rotation angle of the vertical fin increases from the central position of rotation, so-called the neutral position, to the maximum rotation position, the angular velocity of the vertical fin with respect to the movement of the operation knob gradually increases. Therefore, in the case where the vertical fins overlap each other at the maximum rotation position and block the air passage, there is a possibility that the hitting sound when the vertical fins overlap each other becomes large, which may impair the high-class feeling or give discomfort to the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of these points, and aims to provide a wind direction adjustment device that can reduce the noise generated by the operation of fins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a wind direction adjustment device comprising: an operating unit arranged to be reciprocally movable; and a fin that changes the wind direction of an air passage by rotating in accordance with the direction of movement of the operating unit, wherein the operating unit has an operating unit body and a clamping unit that protrudes from the operating unit body and clamps a part of the fin, thereby linking the movement of the operating unit with the rotation of the fin, and the clamping unit has a portion that extends from its base end to its tip in a direction different from the direction of extension at the base end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the sound generated by the operation of the fins can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a wind direction adjustment device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the neutral position of the fins of the wind direction adjustment device shown above. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the fins of the wind direction adjustment device shown above rotated by a predetermined angle in one direction. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the fins of the wind direction adjustment device shown above rotated to their maximum extent in one direction. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example of the same wind direction adjustment device. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a wind direction adjustment device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the shape of the clamping portion of the operating section of the wind direction adjustment device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In Figure 5, 1 is a wind direction adjustment device. The wind direction adjustment device 1 is also called an air outlet, ventilator, register, etc., and adjusts the direction of airflow from an air conditioning system, etc. To clarify the explanation below, the wind direction adjustment device 1 is defined as having a front side, front side, or near side on the leeward side from which the air is blown out, and a rear side, back side, or far side on the opposite side, i.e., the windward side from which the air is received. The directions are defined as the left-right direction or width direction and the up-down direction when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, the wind direction adjustment device 1 is applied to an air conditioning system for a vehicle such as an automobile. The wind direction adjustment device 1 may be placed in any position, but in the drawing, the arrow FR side is the front side, the arrow RR side is the rear side, the arrow U side is the upper side, and the arrow D side is the lower side. Based on the direction from the rear to the front, the arrow L side is the left side and the arrow R side is the right side. These directions are illustrated as examples only and may be changed as appropriate depending on the installation position and orientation of the wind direction adjustment device 1.

[0011] The airflow adjustment device 1 includes a case body 3. The case body 3 is also called a duct. The case body 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the case body 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction. In the illustrated example, the case body 3 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. The ventilation passage 5 is enclosed inside by the case body 3. The direction parallel to the central axis of the case body 3 is the ventilation direction of the ventilation passage 5. In this embodiment, the ventilation direction of the ventilation passage 5 is in the front-rear direction, and air is vented from the rear to the front. That is, in the ventilation passage 5, the rear side is the upstream side in the ventilation direction, and the front side is the downstream side in the ventilation direction.

[0012] An inlet 6 is formed at the rear end of the case body 3 to receive air, i.e., conditioned air, into the ventilation passage 5, and an outlet 7 is formed at the front end of the case body 3 to discharge the conditioned air from the ventilation passage 5. The ventilation passage 5 is formed between the inlet 6 and the outlet 7, connecting them. The conditioned air passes from the inlet 6 to the outlet 7. The case body 3 may be formed as a single unit, or it may be formed by combining multiple members.

[0013] Fins 10 are rotatably arranged inside the case body 3, i.e., in the ventilation passage 5. Fins 10, also called louvers, rotate relative to the case body 3 to adjust the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet 7. Fins 10 are formed in a plate shape with one main surface and the other main surface being a flow-straightening surface. Fins 10 are so-called vertical fins, having a rotation axis 11 along the vertical direction, and are rotatable in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the rotation axis 11 of the fin 10 is located near the center of the fin 10 in the flow-straightening direction of the fin 10. That is, the rotation axis 11 is located at a distance from the furthest downstream and furthest upstream of the fin 10.

[0014] The fins 10 may be singular or plural, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, a fin shut structure is shown in which multiple fins, for example three fins 10a, 10b, and 10c are set in a row in the left-right direction and rotate in the same direction in conjunction with each other via links, and these fins 10a, 10b, and 10c overlap each other at the maximum rotation position in one direction to close the air passage 5. That is, within a predetermined rotation angle range in the left-right direction, for example a rotation angle range of about 40° to the left and 40° to the right and

[0015] Fin 10a is a fin connected to the operating part 12, which will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, it is located in the central part of the ventilation passage 5 in the left-right direction. A link shaft portion 15, which is connected to the operating part 12, is formed on fin 10a as a columnar shape parallel or substantially parallel to the rotation axis 11, at a position located in front of the rotation axis 11, i.e., downstream. The link shaft portion 15 is formed, for example, as a cylinder. A notch portion 16 is also formed on fin 10a adjacent to the rear side, i.e., upstream side of the link shaft portion 15 to avoid interference with the operating part 12. Fin 10b is located on one side of fin 10a, the left side in the illustrated example. A recess portion 18 is formed on fin 10b to avoid interference with the operating part 12 at the position where it closes the ventilation passage 5. Fin 10c is located on the opposite side of fin 10b from fin 10a, i.e., the other side of fin 10a, the right side in the illustrated example. These fins 10a, 10b, and 10c have their respective rotation axes 11 at equal or approximately equal positions in the front-rear direction, for example, and are spaced equally or approximately equally apart in the left-right direction.

[0016] The operating section 12 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is also called an operating knob or similar, and in this embodiment, it is shown as being operated manually by a user such as an occupant. The operating section 12 is attached to a mounting section 20 that extends linearly in the left-right direction facing the air outlet 7, and is arranged to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction along the mounting section 20. As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the mounting section 20 is shown as a fin (lateral fin) having an axial direction in the left-right direction and being able to rotate in the up-down direction, but it is not limited to this, and may be a grille or the like fixedly arranged on a part of the case body 3 that forms the air outlet 7. Alternatively, the configuration may include multiple lateral fins including the mounting section 20.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the operating unit 12 integrally comprises an operating unit body 22 and a clamping portion 23 extending from the operating unit body 22 toward the fin 10 side, i.e., the upstream side.

[0018] The operation unit main body 22 is the portion through which the attachment unit 20 is inserted. The operation unit main body 22 is exposed from the air outlet 7 (shown in FIG. 5) and can be directly picked up by the user.

[0019] The clamping part 23, also called a fork part or the like, includes paired clamping pieces 23a, 23a. Between these clamping pieces 23a, 23a, a part of the fin 10, in this embodiment, the link shaft part 15 of the fin 10a is clamped, which is a part that interlocks the movement of the operation part 12 and the rotation of the fin 10. That is, the clamping part 23 is the contact part between the operation part 12 and the fin 10. The clamping pieces 23a, 23a are positioned at a constant or substantially constant distance apart left and right, and sandwich the link shaft part 15 with substantially no gap left and right. Also, the clamping pieces 23a, 23a have a length of a predetermined value or more in the front - rear direction so as to maintain the clamping of the link shaft part 15 throughout the entire left - right rotation angle range of the fin 10.

[0020] And the clamping part 23 has a portion that extends in a direction different from the extending direction on the base end part side, that is, the operation unit main body 22 side, from the base end part, that is, the operation unit main body 22 side, to the tip end part, that is, the end part opposite to the operation unit main body 22. That is, the clamping part 23 is bent or curved at least at a position between the base end part and the tip end part.

[0021] In this embodiment, the clamping part 23 integrally has, at the clamping pieces 23a, 23a, a first part 25 that protrudes with respect to the operation unit main body 22, and a second part 26 that extends from the tip end part of this first part 25 in a direction intersecting with this first part 25.

[0022] [[ID=@15]] The first part 25 is a part that functions as a wind direction adjustment member for the fin 10 within a predetermined rotation angle range in the left - right direction. In the illustrated example, the first part 25 extends linearly in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the operation unit main body 22.

[0023] The second portion 26 is a part that allows the fin 10 to function as an airflow adjustment member in one direction beyond a predetermined angular range, in this embodiment to the left, and also functions as a closure member at the end of that angular range. In the illustrated example, the second portion 26 is connected to the tip of the first portion 25 via a bent portion 27 and extends linearly in a direction intersecting the first portion 25. That is, the tangential direction of the second portion 26 intersects the tangential direction of the first portion 25. Preferably, the second portion 26 is inclined with respect to the first portion 25 along the inclination direction of the fin 10 when closing the air passage 5. That is, the second portion 26 is inclined with respect to the first portion 25 toward the rotation axis 11 side of the fin 10a when closing the air passage 5, i.e., toward the direction of movement of the operating part 12 for rotating the fin 10a. In this embodiment, the second portion 26 extends so as to be inclined to the right when viewed from the tip of the first portion 25. The inclination angle θ of the second portion 26 with respect to the direction from the base end to the tip of the first portion 25 is acute. For example, this inclination angle θ is set to be equal to or approximately equal to the rotation angle of the fin 10 when the link shaft portion 15 of the fin 10 is located at the bent portion 27, which in this embodiment is 40°.

[0024] In the neutral position shown in Figure 2, the fins 10 are parallel or nearly parallel to each other, and by rectifying the conditioned airflow along their respective rectifying surfaces, the conditioned air is blown out in a straight line from the outlet 7 into the vehicle interior.

[0025] When the operating unit 12 is moved left or right along the mounting unit 20 from a neutral position, the link shaft 15, which is clamped in the left-right direction by the first portion 25 of the clamping pieces 23a, 23a of the clamping unit 23, is pressed in the direction of movement of the operating unit 12, causing the downstream end of the fin 10a to move toward the direction of movement of the operating unit 12. As a result, the fin 10a, and the fins 10b and 10c connected to the fin 10a via links, rotate around the rotation axis 11, controlling the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet 7 to the direction in which its rectifying surface is inclined. Figure 3 shows the state in which the fin 10 is rotated to the left by moving the operating unit 12 to the left.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by operating the operating unit 12 together with the mounting unit 20 in the vertical direction, the mounting unit 20 rotates in the vertical direction, and the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 7 can be arbitrarily set in the vertical, horizontal, or vertical directions by controlling the direction of the fins 10 and the mounting unit 20.

[0027] When closing the ventilation passage 5 to prevent conditioned air from being blown out of the outlet 7, the operating unit 12 is operated further to the left, causing the fin 10 to rotate further to the left. At this time, the link shaft 15 moves further across the bent portion 27 between the clamping pieces 23a, 23a of the clamping portion 23 of the operating unit 12, causing the second portion 26 to move further. Here, as the operating unit 12 moves linearly to the left while the fin 10 rotates, the link shaft 15 moves away from the operating unit body 22, and the component of its movement in the rearward direction increases as the operating unit 12 moves away to the left from the rotation axis 11 of the fin 10a, that is, as the fin 10 rotates a large amount from its neutral position. At this time, in the clamping portion 23 of the operating portion 12, the second portion 26 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, so that the amount of rearward movement of the link shaft portion 15 in relation to the movement of the operating portion 12 is suppressed compared to the case where the clamping portion 23 is linear in the front-rear direction, that is, the angular velocity of rotation of the fin 10 is suppressed. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the ends of the multiple fins 10 come into contact with each other and overlap, and as a whole block the ventilation passage 5 in the left-right direction intersecting the ventilation direction. The clamping portion 23 of the operating portion 12 is inserted into the recessed portion 18.

[0028] Thus, according to the first embodiment, in the operating unit 12 for rotating the fin 10, the clamping portion 23 that clamps a part of the fin 10 has a portion that extends in a direction different from the extending direction at the base end between the base end and the tip end. As a result, the angular velocity of rotation of the fin 10 is suppressed, and the impact noise that occurs when the fins 10 overlap and block the air passage 5 is suppressed. Therefore, the sound generated by operating the fin 10 can be easily reduced with a simple configuration without having to take measures to reduce impact noise, such as attaching nonwoven fabric to the contact parts of the fins 10. In addition, compared to a configuration in which the operating unit 12 and the fin 10 are connected by gears or the like, the airflow resistance is reduced, and natural airflow direction control becomes possible.

[0029] In this embodiment, the clamping portion 23 includes a first portion 25 that extends linearly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main body portion 22 of the operating portion, and a second portion 26 that extends linearly in a direction intersecting the first portion 25. Therefore, even if the rotation angle of the fin 10 increases, the link shaft portion 15 moves according to the inclination of the second portion 26, preventing a sudden increase in the angular velocity of the rotation of the fin 10. This allows the angular velocity of the rotation of the fin 10 in relation to the movement of the operating portion 12 to be controlled according to the inclination of the second portion 26.

[0030] In particular, since the second part 26 is inclined relative to the first part 25 along the inclination direction of the fin 10 when the ventilation passage 5 is closed, the angular velocity of the rotation of the fin 10 in relation to the movement of the operating part 12 can be kept substantially constant over the entire range in which the link shaft part 15 is located in the second part 26.

[0031] Furthermore, regarding the inclination angle θ of this second part 26, a larger θ reduces the tactile feel of the operating part 12 when the link shaft 15 moves over the bent part 27, but it can suppress the angular velocity of the fin 10 when the link shaft 15 moves over the second part 26. In other words, by changing the characteristics of the inclination angle θ of the second part 26, it is possible to adjust the angular velocity of the fin 10, and there is a negative correlation between the angular velocity of the fin 10 and the tactile feel of the operating part 12, where improving one reduces the other.Therefore, in the first embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the second part 26 was set to be equal to or approximately equal to the rotation angle of the fin 10 when the link shaft 15 is located at the bent part 27, but it is not limited to this, and as in the second embodiment shown in Figure 6, by making the inclination angle θ larger than the rotation angle of the fin 10 when the link shaft 15 is located at the bent part 27, the angular velocity of the fin 10 when the link shaft 15 moves over the bent part 27 over the second part 26 can be gradually reduced as the rotation angle of the fin 10 increases. Therefore, the inclination angle θ of the second part 26 may be set arbitrarily according to the angular velocity of the fin 10 and the feel of operation when crossing the bent part 27.

[0032] Furthermore, the clamping portion 23 is not limited to a configuration in which the first portion 25 and the second portion 26 are formed in a straight line via a bent portion 27. For example, as shown in the third embodiment in Figure 7, it may be formed in a curved shape that is curved in an arc or the like over its entire length from the base end to the tip end. By having a shape in which the clamping portion 23 does not have a bent portion 27, when the operating portion 12 is moved, the link shaft portion 15 can move continuously and smoothly from one of the first portion 25 and the second portion 26 to the other, thereby improving the feel of operation. In addition, compared to the case in which the clamping portion 23 has a straight portion, it becomes less likely to cause a so-called deadlock, in which the link shaft portion 15 becomes immobile relative to the clamping portion 23 and the fin 10 becomes unable to rotate.

[0033] Furthermore, the first part 25 is not limited to protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main body of the operating unit 22, but may also extend in an arc shape relative to the main body of the operating unit 22.

[0034] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the wind direction adjustment device 1 is not limited to those for automobiles, but may be used for any other purpose. [Industrial applicability]

[0035] The present invention can be suitably used, for example, as an airflow direction adjustment device for the air conditioning system of an automobile. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Wind direction adjustment device 5. Ventilation channel 10 fins 12 Control section 22 Main body of the control unit 23 Clamping part 25 The first part 26. Second part

Claims

1. An operating unit positioned to move back and forth, This unit includes a fin that rotates in accordance with the direction of movement of the control unit to change the airflow direction of the ventilation passage, The operating unit comprises an operating unit body and a clamping portion that protrudes from the operating unit body and clamps a part of the fin, thereby linking the movement of the operating unit with the rotation of the fin. The clamping portion has a portion extending in a direction different from the extending direction at the base end, between the base end and the tip end. A wind direction adjustment device characterized by the following features.

2. The clamping portion comprises a first portion extending linearly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main body of the operating portion, and a second portion extending linearly in a direction intersecting the first portion. The wind direction adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a wind direction adjustment device.

3. Multiple fins are provided, and they can overlap each other at their maximum rotational position in one direction to block the air passage. The second part is inclined relative to the first part along the direction of inclination of the fin when the ventilation passage is blocked. The wind direction adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that it is as described above.

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