Link mechanism

Abstract

To provide a link mechanism which transmits a driving force from a driving unit to a driven member and which can move the driven member by an appropriate amount dependent on a scene.SOLUTION: A link mechanism includes a driving unit, a driven member, a first power transmission mechanism 10, a second power transmission mechanism 15 and a transmission path switching unit 90. A drive motor 5 as the driving unit generates a driving force. A face door 50 as the driven member moves via an action of the driving force generated at the drive motor 5. The first power transmission mechanism 10 transmits the driving force generated at the drive motor 5 to the face door 50 at a preset reduction ratio. The second power transmission mechanism 15 transmits the driving force generated at the drive motor 5 to the face door 50 at a reduction ratio which is different from that of the first power transmission mechanism 10. The transmission path switching unit 90 switches a transmission path of the driving force heading for the face door 50 from the drive motor 5 to either of the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a link mechanism that transmits a driving force from a driving part to a driven member. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a vehicle air conditioner, a driving force generated by a driving unit such as a servo motor is transmitted to operate a door as a driven member to control the opening degree of an air passage. As a technology related to a link mechanism used in such a vehicle air conditioner, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] The technology described in Patent Document 1 applies a link mechanism to a vehicle air conditioner, and drives multiple doors that make up the vehicle air conditioner with a single servo motor. This reduces the number of servo motors, thereby reducing the cost of the vehicle air conditioner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-120544 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, since the multiple doors acting as driven members are displaced by the driving force of a single driving unit, the transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force becomes complicated, and the accuracy of the movement of the driven members may decrease due to the influence of tolerances of the components of the transmission mechanism. Since the operation of the driven members is performed in a low-precision state, it is conceivable that the operation of the driven members may not be suitable for the situation. In addition, since the number of components of the transmission mechanism increases, it is difficult to meet the demand for a compact vehicle air conditioner.

[0006] In consideration of the above points, the present disclosure relates to a link mechanism that transmits a driving force from a driving unit to a driven member, and aims to provide a link mechanism that can move the driven member by an appropriate amount depending on the scene. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure First aspect The link mechanism according to the present invention has a drive unit (5), a driven member (50), a first power transmission mechanism (10), a second power transmission mechanism (15), and a transmission path switching unit (90). The drive unit generates a driving force. The driven member moves due to the action of the driving force generated by the drive unit. The first power transmission mechanism transmits the driving force generated by the drive unit to the driven member at a predetermined reduction ratio. The second power transmission mechanism transmits the driving force generated by the drive unit to the driven member at a reduction ratio different from that of the first power transmission mechanism. The transmission path switching unit switches the transmission path of the driving force from the drive unit to the driven member between either the first power transmission mechanism or the second power transmission mechanism. The first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism have a plurality of mechanism parts (16) that transmit a driving force toward a driven member, and the number of mechanism parts constituting the first power transmission mechanism is different from the number of mechanism parts constituting the second power transmission mechanism. Of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, the one with a larger reduction ratio includes, as mechanism parts, a link plate (25), a lever (31), and a plurality of gears (30, 35) that transmit a driving force by rotation. The link plate has a link groove (26, 27) formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, and rotates by the driving force. The lever has a link pin (32) that fits inside the link groove and is supported rotatably. In the second aspect of the present disclosure, the one with a smaller reduction ratio of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism includes, as mechanism parts, a link plate (20) and a lever (41). The link plate has a link groove (21) formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, and rotates by the driving force. The lever has a link pin (42) that is fitted into the link groove and is supported rotatably. In a third aspect of the present disclosure, the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism each include a lever (31, 41) that has a link pin (32, 42) and is supported rotatably as a mechanical component. The first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism each have a first link groove (84) and a second link groove (85, 86) as a mechanical component, and a common link plate (83) that rotates by a driving force. The first link groove is formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, and is configured to allow the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism to be fitted therein. The second link groove is formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, and is configured to allow the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism to be fitted therein. When transmitting the driving force to the driven member via the first power transmission mechanism, the transmission path switching unit brings the second link groove into contact with the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism without bringing the first link groove into contact with the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism. When transmitting the driving force to the driven member via the second power transmission mechanism, the transmission path switching unit brings the first link groove into contact with the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism without bringing the second link groove into contact with the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism.

[0008] Therefore, according to the link mechanism, the transmission path of the driving force from the drive unit to the driven member can be switched by the transmission path switching unit between the transmission path through the first power transmission mechanism and the transmission path through the second power transmission mechanism. Since the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism transmit the driving force to the driven member at different reduction ratios, the link mechanism can realize two different operation modes (e.g., movement amount) of the driven member due to the action of the driving force. As a result, the link mechanism can move the driven member by an appropriate movement amount according to the scene by selectively using the two movement modes.

[0009] In addition, the reference symbols in parentheses for each means described in this column and in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle air conditioner equipped with a link mechanism according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a normal drive mode of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a high-precision drive mode of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment when in a face mode. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of mechanism components when the link mechanism according to the first embodiment is in a face mode. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of mechanism components when the link mechanism according to the first embodiment is in a foot mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of link grooves and link pins when the link mechanism according to the first embodiment is in a foot mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of mechanism components when the link mechanism according to the first embodiment is in a defroster mode. [Figure 10] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of link grooves and link pins when the link mechanism according to the first embodiment is in a defroster mode. FIG. [Figure 11] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between drive modes and blowing modes of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first state during mode transition of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second state during mode transition of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a third state during mode transition of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth state during mode transition of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16]FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a link mechanism according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a link mechanism according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a link mechanism according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a link mechanism according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a top view of a link mechanism according to a fifth embodiment in a face mode. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of mechanism components when the link mechanism according to the fifth embodiment is in a face mode. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXII-XXII in FIG. 20. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of mechanism components when a link mechanism according to a fifth embodiment is in a foot mode. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of link grooves and link pins when the link mechanism according to the fifth embodiment is in a foot mode. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of mechanism components when the link mechanism according to the fifth embodiment is in a defroster mode. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of link grooves and link pins when the link mechanism according to the fifth embodiment is in a defroster mode. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a link mechanism according to a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals may be used to designate parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other embodiments described previously may be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically indicated as being possible in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not indicated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0012] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, a link mechanism 1 according to the present disclosure is employed as a mechanism for realizing the operation of a plurality of doors (e.g., a face door 50, etc.) in a vehicle air conditioner 100.

[0013] First, the configuration of a vehicle air conditioner 100 to which the link mechanism 1 is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle air conditioner 100 according to a first embodiment. The up, down, front, and rear arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the up and down directions and the front and rear directions when the device is mounted on a vehicle. The front and back sides of the paper in Fig. 1 correspond to the left and right directions when the device is mounted on a vehicle.

[0014] The vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment is mounted below an instrument panel in a vehicle interior to condition the interior of the vehicle, which is a space to be air-conditioned. The vehicle air conditioner 100 has an interior air conditioning unit 105 for supplying conditioned air whose temperature has been adjusted by a refrigeration cycle.

[0015] The interior air conditioning unit 105, together with a blower unit (not shown), constitutes the ventilation system of the vehicle air conditioner, and is disposed in the approximate center in the left-right direction of the vehicle below the instrument panel inside the vehicle cabin. The blower unit (not shown) is disposed offset from the center to the passenger seat side inside the instrument panel below the vehicle cabin, and is composed of an inside / outside air switching box and a blower that draws in air through the inside / outside air switching box and blows it.

[0016] The inside / outside air switching box is formed with an outside air inlet for introducing outside air (i.e., air outside the vehicle cabin) and an inside air inlet for introducing inside air (i.e., air inside the vehicle cabin). The outside air inlet and the inside air inlet are opened and closed by an inside / outside air switching door and driven by an electric actuator.

[0017] The blower constituting the blower unit is composed of a centrifugal fan, a drive motor, and a scroll case. More specifically, the blower has two sets of centrifugal fans and scroll cases, and the blower unit is switchable among an outside air mode for blowing only outside air, an inside air mode for blowing only inside air, and an inside / outside air two-layer mode for blowing both outside air and inside air separately.

[0018] The vehicle air conditioner 100 incorporates an evaporator 115 (i.e., a heat exchanger for cooling) and a heater core 120 (i.e., a heat exchanger for heating) in a common air conditioning case 110. The air conditioning case 110 is a molded product made of a resin (e.g., polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.

[0019] Specifically, the air conditioning case 110 is composed of a plurality of separate cases. After accommodating devices such as an evaporator 115 and a heater core 120, the separate cases are joined together by fastening means such as metal spring clips or screws. As a result, the separate cases constitute the interior air conditioning unit 105 of the vehicle air conditioner 100.

[0020] Although not shown, two air inlets are formed on the side surface of the air conditioning case 110 at the portion closest to the front of the vehicle. The two air inlets correspond to two scroll cases arranged in the blower unit. That is, in the outside air mode, outside air flows into both of the two air inlets, and in the inside air mode, inside air flows into both of the two air inlets. In the inside / outside air two-layer mode, outside air flows into one of the two air inlets from one scroll case, and inside air flows into the other of the two air inlets from the other scroll case.

[0021] 1, a partition plate 111 is formed inside the air conditioning case 110 so as to extend across the entire area in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The partition plate 111 is molded integrally with the air conditioning case 110, and divides an air passage 121 inside the air conditioning case 110 into two in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0022] The air passage above the partition plate 111 is configured so that air flowing in from one of the two air inlets flows through it. The air passage below the partition plate 111 is configured so that air flowing in from the other of the two air inlets flows through it. In the inside / outside air two-layer mode, outside air flows through the air passage above the partition plate 111, and inside air flows through the air passage below the partition plate 111.

[0023] An evaporator 115 is disposed immediately behind the air inlet in the air conditioning case 110. The evaporator 115 is disposed substantially parallel to the vehicle up-down direction across the entire area in the up-down direction in the air conditioning case 110. Although not shown in the drawings, the width dimension of the evaporator 115 in the vehicle left-right direction is formed to be substantially the same as the width dimension of the air conditioning case 110.

[0024] The evaporator 115 is a cooling heat exchanger that cools the conditioned air by absorbing the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant from the conditioned air in the refrigeration cycle of the vehicle air conditioner 100. The evaporator 115 is disposed so as to pass through a through hole provided in the partition plate 111.

[0025] Therefore, the upper part of the evaporator 115 is located in the air passage above the partition plate 111, and the lower part of the evaporator 115 is located in the air passage below the evaporator 115. This allows the upper part of the evaporator 115 to cool the air flowing in the air passage above the partition plate 111, and the lower part of the evaporator 115 to cool the air flowing in the air passage below the partition plate 111.

[0026] Further, on the air flow downstream side of the evaporator 115 (i.e., the rear side of the vehicle), the heater core 120 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the evaporator 115. Although not shown in the drawings, the width dimension of the heater core 120 in the left-right direction of the vehicle is formed to be approximately the same as the width dimension of the air conditioning case 110.

[0027] The heater core 120 is a heat exchanger for heating the blown air that has been cooled by passing through the evaporator 115. The heater core 120 is composed of a plurality of tubes (e.g., flat tubes) through which a high-temperature heat medium (e.g., a heat medium in a high-temperature side heat medium circuit or engine coolant) passes, and corrugated fins joined to the tubes.

[0028] 1, the heater core 120 is also disposed so as to pass through a through hole provided in the partition plate 111. Therefore, the upper part of the heater core 120 is located inside the air passage above the partition plate 111, and the lower part of the heater core 120 is located inside the air passage below the partition plate 111. As a result, the upper part of the heater core 120 heats the air flowing through the air passage above the partition plate 111, and the lower part of the heater core 120 heats the air flowing through the air passage below the partition plate 111.

[0029] A cold air bypass passage 122 is formed above the heater core 120 in the air passage above the partition plate 111. The cold air bypass passage 122 is a passage through which air cooled above the evaporator 115 flows, bypassing the heater core 120. By bypassing the heater core 120 through the cold air bypass passage 122, the air that has passed above the evaporator 115 flows downstream while remaining cooled.

[0030] A cold air bypass passage 122 is formed below the heater core 120 in the air passage below the partition plate 111. Below the partition plate 111, the cold air bypass passage 122 is a passage through which air cooled below the evaporator 115 flows, bypassing the heater core 120. By bypassing the heater core 120 through the cold air bypass passage 122, the air that has passed below the evaporator 115 flows downstream while remaining cooled.

[0031] An air mix door 125 is disposed between the evaporator 115 and the heater core 120 at the upper portion inside the air conditioning case 110. The air mix door 125 is a sliding door that slides approximately parallel to the front surface of the heater core 120, and although not shown in the figure, is configured by integrating a plate-shaped door main body portion and a rack.

[0032] Both widthwise ends of the door body of the air mix door 125 (both ends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) are inserted into guide grooves formed on the side surface of the air conditioning case 110. The guide grooves are formed by a pair of opposing walls protruding from the side surface of the air conditioning case 110 toward the inside of the air conditioning case 110, and extend in a substantially vertical direction substantially parallel to the air inflow surface of the heater core 120. The guide grooves serve to guide the operating direction (i.e., the sliding direction) of the air mix door 125 in a substantially vertical direction substantially parallel to the air inflow surface of the heater core 120.

[0033] The rack of the air mix door 125 is disposed to mesh with a pinion formed on a shaft 125a. Here, the shaft 125a extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) and is rotatably supported on the side surface of the air conditioning case 110. One end of the shaft 125a penetrates the side wall of the air conditioning case 110 and is connected to an electric actuator (not shown) outside the air conditioning case 110.

[0034] Therefore, by driving the shaft 125a to rotate with an electric actuator, the rotational motion of the shaft 125a is converted into a sliding motion of the air mix door 125, and the sliding position of the air mix door 125 above the partition plate 111 is adjusted.

[0035] A hot air passage 123 is formed above the partition plate 111 on the downstream side (rear side of the vehicle) of the blown air flow of the heater core 120. The hot air passage 123 is an air passage through which hot air heated by the heater core 120 flows. Furthermore, above the partition plate 111, an air mixing section 124 is formed on the downstream side of the blown air flow of the cold air bypass passage 122 and the hot air passage 123. In the air mixing section 124, the hot air that has flowed through the hot air passage 123 and the cold air that has flowed through the cold air bypass passage 122 are mixed.

[0036] As described above, by adjusting the sliding position of the air mix door 125, it is possible to adjust the ratio of the air volumes between the hot air heated at the top of the heater core 120 and the cold air bypassing the top of the heater core 120 through the cold air bypass passage 122. The hot air from the top of the heater core 120 and the cold air from the cold air bypass passage 122 join together in the air mixing section 124 above the partition plate 111, so that air at a desired temperature can be produced in the air mixing section 124.

[0037] 1, an air mix door 125 is also disposed between the evaporator 115 and the heater core 120 below the partition plate 111. The air mix door 125 below the partition plate 111 is also a sliding door that slides in a predetermined direction on the front side of the heater core 120, and is configured by integrating a plate-shaped door main body and a rack, although not shown. That is, the air mix door 125 below the partition plate 111 is also configured to be slidable in the same manner as the above-mentioned upper side of the partition plate 111.

[0038] A hot air passage 123 is formed below the partition plate 111 on the downstream side of the blown air flow of the heater core 120. The hot air passage 123 is an air passage through which hot air heated by the heater core 120 flows. Furthermore, an air mixing section 124 is formed below the partition plate 111 on the downstream side of the blown air flow of the cold air bypass passage 122 and the hot air passage 123. In the air mixing section 124, the hot air that has flowed through the hot air passage 123 and the cold air that has flowed through the cold air bypass passage 122 are mixed.

[0039] As a result, by adjusting the slide position of the air mix door 125, it is possible to adjust the ratio of the air volumes of the hot air heated at the top of the heater core 120 and the cold air bypassing the top of the heater core 120 through the cold air bypass passage 122, even below the partition plate 111. The hot air from the top of the heater core 120 and the cold air from the cold air bypass passage 122 join together in the air mixing section 124 below the partition plate 111, so that air at a desired temperature can be produced in the air mixing section 124.

[0040] 1, a defroster opening 160 is opened at a position adjacent to the air mixing section 124 on the upper side of the air conditioning case 110. The defroster opening 160 is connected to a defroster outlet via a defroster duct (not shown), and is configured so that appropriately adjusted conditioned air flows in from the air mixing section 124. The conditioned air that flows in from the defroster opening 160 is blown out toward the inner surface of the vehicle front windshield via the defroster outlet.

[0041] A defroster door 60 is disposed in the defroster opening 160. The defroster door 60 is configured to be movable by a driving force transmitted from a single drive motor 5, and adjusts the opening area of ​​the defroster opening 160. A link mechanism 1 according to the present disclosure is used to transmit the driving force to the defroster door 60.

[0042] Furthermore, a face opening 150 is open on the upper surface of the air conditioning case 110, on the vehicle rear side of the defroster opening 160. The face opening 150 is connected to a face outlet disposed above the instrument panel via a face duct (not shown), and is configured so that appropriately adjusted conditioned air flows in from the air mixing section 124. The conditioned air that flows in from the face opening 150 is blown out through the face outlet toward the heads of passengers in the front seats inside the vehicle cabin.

[0043] A face door 50 configured as a sliding door is attached to the face opening 150. The face door 50 is configured by integrating a plate-shaped door main body and a rack, and is attached so as to slide along a guide groove formed along the opening edge of the face opening 150. Therefore, the face door 50 can move back and forth along the opening edge of the face opening 150 according to the movement path determined by the guide groove.

[0044] The rack of the face door 50 is disposed to mesh with a pinion formed on a door shaft 51. The door shaft 51 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle and is rotatably supported on a side surface of the air-conditioning case 110. One end of the door shaft 51 passes through a shaft hole 110a formed in a side wall of the air-conditioning case 110 and is located outside the air-conditioning case 110.

[0045] 1, a link mechanism 1 is attached to the outside of the air conditioning case 110, and is configured so that the driving force of a drive motor 5 constituting the link mechanism 1 can be transmitted to a door shaft 51, etc. The specific configuration of the link mechanism 1 will be described in detail later.

[0046] Therefore, by transmitting a driving force to the door shaft 51 via the link mechanism 1, the rotational motion of the door shaft 51 is converted into a sliding motion of the face door 50, and the sliding position of the face door 50 is adjusted to any position along the guide groove. The face door 50 corresponds to an example of a driven member in the present disclosure. In addition, the face door 50 can seal the passage by being pressed against a sealing wall surface formed in the air conditioning case 110 by wind pressure.

[0047] A foot opening 170 is opened in the vehicle rear portion of the air conditioning case 110 so as to be adjacent to the air mixing section 124 below the partition plate 111. The foot opening 170 is a portion into which the conditioned air flows from the air mixing section 124 below the partition plate 111, and opens on both the left and right side surfaces of the air conditioning case 110. Therefore, the foot opening 170 can blow out the conditioned air to the feet of the front seat occupants via the front seat foot outlets arranged on both the left and right sides.

[0048] A foot door 70 is disposed on the opening edge of the foot opening 170 inside the air conditioning case 110. The foot door 70 is supported rotatably about a rotation axis disposed in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and is connected to a link mechanism 1 described below. Therefore, the foot door 70 is configured to open and close the foot opening 170 by rotating due to a driving force transmitted via the link mechanism 1.

[0049] 1, the partition plate 111 extends to the vehicle rear side wall surface of the air conditioning case 110, and also plays a role of dividing the air mixing section 124 into an upper air mixing section 124 and a lower air mixing section 124. A communication port 180 is formed at the vehicle rear side end of the partition plate 111, which communicates with the two air mixing sections 124 located above and below via the partition plate 111.

[0050] A communication port door 80 is disposed on the opening edge of the communication port 180. The communication port door 80 is supported rotatably about a rotation axis disposed in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and is connected to a link mechanism 1 described below. Therefore, the communication port door 80 is configured to open and close the communication port 180 by rotating due to a driving force transmitted via the link mechanism 1.

[0051] Next, a schematic configuration of the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. Figs. 2 and 3 are schematic configuration diagrams of the link mechanism according to the first embodiment. In Figs. 2 and 3, the type of lines drawn between the mechanical components 16 constituting the link mechanism 1 indicates the mode of transmission of driving force. In a configuration in which a link pin and a link groove are used to transmit driving force, a solid line indicates a state in which the link pin and the link groove are in contact, and a dashed line indicates a state in which the link pin and the link groove are not in contact. Also, a double line indicates a state in which gear portions formed on the mechanical components mesh with each other to transmit driving force.

[0052] The link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment is disposed on an outer wall surface of the air conditioning case 110 in the above-mentioned vehicle air conditioning device 100, and is configured to transmit the driving force generated by one drive motor 5 to multiple doors including the face door 50. Specifically, the link mechanism 1 is configured to distribute and transmit the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 to four driven members, namely, the face door 50, the defroster door 60, the foot door 70, and the communication door 80.

[0053] The vehicle air conditioner 100 can realize a plurality of types of blowing modes by controlling the opening and closing of four doors via the link mechanism 1. The plurality of types of blowing modes include a face mode, a bi-level mode, a foot mode, a defroster mode, and a foot defroster mode.

[0054] The face mode is an outlet mode in which the face opening 150 is fully opened and air is blown out from the face outlet toward the upper body of the vehicle occupant. The bi-level mode is an outlet mode in which both the face opening 150 and the foot opening 170 are opened and air is blown out toward the upper body and feet of the vehicle occupant. The foot mode is an outlet mode in which the foot opening 170 is fully opened and the defroster opening 160 is only slightly opened and air is mainly blown out from the foot outlet.

[0055] The defroster mode is an outlet mode in which the defroster opening 160 is fully opened and air is blown out from the defroster outlet onto the inner surface of the windshield. The foot / defroster mode is an outlet mode in which the foot opening 170 and the defroster opening 160 are opened to the same extent and conditioned air is blown out from both the foot outlet and the defroster outlet.

[0056] 2 and 3, the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment has a plurality of mechanism components 16 for transmitting a driving force from a driving motor 5 serving as a driving source. The driving motor 5 is configured by a so-called servo motor, and generates a driving force based on a control signal from a control unit of the vehicle air conditioner 100.

[0057] The multiple mechanical components 16 include a first link plate 20 and a second link plate 25. The first link plate 20 is attached to a first plate support shaft 20a formed on the outside of the air conditioning case 110, and rotates by the driving force generated by the drive motor 5.

[0058] 2 and 3, a part of the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the foot door 70 and the communication door 80 via the first link plate 20. Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 100, the foot door 70 and the communication door 80 are opened and closed via the link mechanism 1.

[0059] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, a first link groove 21 constituting a part of the transmission path switching section 90 is formed in the first link plate 20 on a surface facing the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110. The first link groove 21 is formed in a groove shape that describes a semicircle centered on the first plate support shaft 20a, and both ends are open. The first link groove 21 is configured so that a link pin 42 of a third face gear 40 described later can enter therein, and the driving force transmitted to the first link plate 20 is transmitted to the third face gear 40 by contacting the link pin 42 inside the first link groove 21.

[0060] The second link plate 25 is rotatably supported on a second plate support shaft 25a formed in the air conditioning case 110, and is attached so that a gear portion of the second link plate 25 meshes with a gear portion of the first link plate 20. Therefore, when a driving force is input to the first link plate 20, the driving force is transmitted to the second link plate 25 via the gear portion, and the second link plate 25 rotates around the second plate support shaft 25a.

[0061] 2 and 3, a part of the driving force transmitted via the first link plate 20 is transmitted to the defroster door 60 via the second link plate 25. Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 100, the defroster door 60 is opened and closed via the link mechanism 1.

[0062] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the second link plate 25 has a second link groove 26 and a third link groove 27 which constitute a part of the transmission path switching section 90, formed on a surface facing the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110. The second link groove 26 is formed in a groove shape that describes an arc centered on the second plate support shaft 25a, with one end side open and the other end side closed. The third link groove 27, like the second link groove 26, is formed in a groove shape that describes an arc centered on the second plate support shaft 25a, with one end side open and the other end side closed.

[0063] Both the second link groove 26 and the third link groove 27 are configured so that a link pin 32 of a first face gear 30 described later can enter therein. Then, the driving force transmitted to the second link plate 25 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by contacting the link pin 32 inside the second link groove 26 and the third link groove 27. As shown in FIG. 6, the open side of the second link groove 26 and the open side of the third link groove 27 are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween. Therefore, the link pin 32 that moves from the inside to the outside of either the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 moves a predetermined distance and then moves into the inside of the other link groove.

[0064] The link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment has a first power transmission mechanism 10 and a second power transmission mechanism 15 for transmitting the driving force of the drive motor 5 to the face door 50 to operate it. The first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 each have a plurality of mechanism components 16 for transmitting the driving force.

[0065] Specifically, the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 have a first face gear 30, a second face gear 35, a third face gear 40, and a fourth face gear 45 as a plurality of mechanism components 16.

[0066] The first face gear 30 is rotatably supported on a gear shaft 30a formed on the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110, and has a lever portion 31 and a link pin 32. As shown in Fig. 5, the lever portion 31 extends so as to protrude in a direction away from the gear shaft 30a of the first face gear 30 at a position different from the gear portion of the first face gear 30.

[0067] A link pin 32 is formed at the tip of the lever portion 31 of the first face gear 30. The link pin 32 is provided so as to extend toward the second link plate 25, and is formed so as to be able to fit into the second link groove 26 and the third link groove 27. Therefore, when the link pin 32 comes into contact with the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27, and a driving force is transmitted from the second link plate 25, the first face gear 30 rotates about the gear shaft 30a.

[0068] The second face gear 35 is formed to be rotatable about a gear shaft 35a formed on the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110, and has two gear portions formed at different positions. One of the gear portions of the second face gear 35 is configured to mesh with the gear portion of the first face gear 30. Therefore, the second face gear 35 rotates about the gear shaft 35a by the driving force transmitted from the first face gear 30.

[0069] The other gear portion of the second face gear 35 is configured to mesh with the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45. Therefore, the driving force transmitted to the second face gear 35 is transmitted to the fourth face gear 45.

[0070] The third face gear 40 is rotatably supported on a gear shaft 40a formed on the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110, and has a lever portion 41 and a link pin 42. As shown in Fig. 5, the lever portion 41 extends so as to protrude in a direction away from the gear shaft 40a of the third face gear 40 at a position different from the gear portion of the third face gear 40.

[0071] A link pin 42 is formed at the tip of the lever portion 41 of the third face gear 40. The link pin 32 is provided so as to extend toward the first link plate 20, and is formed so as to be able to fit inside the first link groove 21. Therefore, when the driving force is transmitted from the first link plate 20 by contact between the first link groove 21 and the link pin 42, the third face gear 40 rotates around the gear shaft 40a.

[0072] The gear portion of the third face gear 40 is configured to mesh with the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45. Therefore, the driving force transmitted to the third face gear 40 is transmitted to the fourth face gear 45.

[0073] The fourth face gear 45 is attached to the end of the door shaft 51 disposed to pass through the shaft hole 110a, and is configured to rotate together with the door shaft 51. As described above, the door shaft 51 is connected to the rack and pinion disposed inside the air conditioning case 110 via the shaft hole 110a, so that the rotational motion of the fourth face gear 45 and the door shaft 51 is converted into the sliding movement of the face door 50.

[0074] In the link mechanism 1 configured in this manner, when transmitting the driving force of the drive motor 5 to the face door 50, there are two power transmission paths: when the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used, and when the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used.

[0075] When the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used, the driving force is transmitted in the following order: driving motor 5, first link plate 20, second link plate 25, first face gear 30, second face gear 35, fourth face gear 45, door shaft 51, and face door 50.

[0076] On the other hand, when the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used, the driving force is transmitted through the driving motor 5, the first link plate 20, the third face gear 40, the fourth face gear 45, the door shaft 51, and the face door 50 in this order.

[0077] Therefore, it can be seen that the number of mechanical parts 16 constituting the transmission path of the driving force is different between the case where the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used and the case where the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used. Specifically, when the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used, the driving force is transmitted to the face door 50 with fewer mechanical parts 16 than when the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used. Therefore, even if the driving force is affected by the tolerances of the respective mechanical parts 16, by using the second power transmission mechanism 15, the sliding movement of the face door 50 can be controlled with higher accuracy than when the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used.

[0078] Moreover, the gear ratio of the mechanism parts 16 constituting the second power transmission mechanism 15 is configured to be smaller than the gear ratio of the mechanism parts 16 constituting the first power transmission mechanism 10. Specifically, the gear ratio of the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, and the door shaft 51 is made larger than the gear ratio of the third face gear 40 and the door shaft 51. The reduction ratio in the second power transmission mechanism 15 is set to be larger than the reduction ratio in the first power transmission mechanism 10.

[0079] Therefore, the amount of sliding movement of the face door 50 due to a given driving force is smaller when the driving force is transmitted to the face door 50 using the second power transmission mechanism 15 than when the driving force is transmitted to the face door 50 using the first power transmission mechanism 10. As a result, when the driving force is transmitted by the second power transmission mechanism 15, fine adjustments can be made regarding the sliding movement of the face door 50, and movement control of the face door 50 can be realized with high stopping accuracy. In other words, when the driving force is transmitted by the first power transmission mechanism 10, the amount of movement of the face door 50 relative to the input driving force can be made larger than when the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used.

[0080] Hereinafter, the case where the face door 50 is operated largely using the first power transmission mechanism 10 is referred to as the normal drive mode, and the case where the face door 50 is operated finely using the second power transmission mechanism 15 is referred to as the high-precision drive mode.

[0081] 2 and 3, the normal drive mode and the high-precision drive mode can be selectively used by switching the drive force transmission path to either the first power transmission mechanism 10 or the second power transmission mechanism 15 using a link pin and a link groove. This allows the face door 50 to move in an appropriate manner by selectively using the normal drive mode and the high-precision drive mode according to the operation mode of the face door 50 required for a plurality of blowing modes.

[0082] Next, the state of each mechanism component 16 in the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment will be described for each type of blowing mode with reference to the drawings. First, the initial state of the link mechanism 1 will be described. The initial state of the link mechanism 1 refers to a state in which the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is inserted in the second link groove 26 of the second link plate 25, and the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is not inserted in the first link groove 21 or the third link groove 27.

[0083] First, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the face mode will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. In the initial state described above, when the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is input from the first plate support shaft 20a, the first link plate 20 rotates in a predetermined direction, and the driving force input to the first link plate 20 is transmitted to the second link plate 25 via the gear portion.

[0084] The second link plate 25 rotates around the second plate support shaft 25a due to the transmitted driving force. At this time, because the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is inserted inside the second link groove 26, the driving force of the second link plate 25 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by contact between the second link groove 26 and the link pin 42. That is, in the face mode, the first power transmission mechanism 10 is selected as the transmission path of the driving force.

[0085] 5, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their gear portions mesh with each other. Therefore, the driving force input to the first face gear 30 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the second face gear 35, the third face gear 40, and the door shaft 51. In other words, the normal driving of the face door 50 is achieved by using the first power transmission mechanism 10.

[0086] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the third face gear 40, causing it to rotate about the gear shaft 40a.

[0087] 6, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is not inserted into the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20. For this reason, the rotation of the third face gear 40 is not hindered by the first link plate 20, etc., but is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45, and the position of the link pin 42, etc. is adjusted.

[0088] Thus, according to the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, in the face mode in which the face door 50 is opened widely, the driving force of the drive motor 5 can be transmitted in the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. As a result, the sliding movement of the face door 50 can be controlled by an amount of movement corresponding to the large door opening degree.

[0089] Incidentally, since the bi-level mode is a blowing mode in which the face door 50 is opened widely, the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10 is adopted, as in the face mode.

[0090] When the driving force of the driving motor 5 is input from the face mode state shown in Figs. 4 to 6 to rotate the first link plate 20 further in a predetermined direction, a mode transition state occurs from the face mode to the foot mode.

[0091] Since the second link plate 25 rotates due to the driving force transmitted during the mode transition, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 moves relatively toward the outside of the second link groove 26 and is no longer in contact with the second link groove 26. At the same time, the first link plate 20 also rotates due to the action of the driving force, and the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 moves relatively toward the inside of the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20. However, the link pin 42 does not come into contact with the first link groove 21.

[0092] Therefore, during mode transition, the driving force is used to move the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25, and is not transmitted to the driven member, the face door 50. At this time, the face door 50 is subject to the sliding resistance generated between it and the guide groove formed in the air conditioning case 110, wind pressure, and its own weight, so it will not move even when the driving force is not being transmitted.

[0093] When the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 further rotate in the predetermined direction, the link pin 32 is positioned outside the second link groove 26, and at the same time, the link pin 42 is positioned inside the first link groove 21. At this time, the link pin 42 contacts the first link groove 21 inside the first link groove 21. As a result, the driving force transmitted to the first link plate 20 is transmitted to the third face gear 40 via the first link groove 21 and the link pin 42.

[0094] Next, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the foot mode will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In the foot mode, the mode is switched to a high-precision drive mode using the second power transmission mechanism 15, and as shown in Figure 8, the link pin 32 is positioned outside the second link groove 26, and at the same time, the link pin 42 is positioned inside the first link groove 21.

[0095] In this case, the first link plate 20 further rotates in a predetermined direction due to the input driving force, and the driving force is transmitted to the second link plate 25 via the gear portion. At this time, since the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is in contact with the first link groove 21 inside the first link plate 20, the driving force is transmitted from the first link plate 20 to the third face gear 40.

[0096] The third face gear 40 and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their gear portions mesh with each other, so that part of the driving force of the first link plate 20 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the third face gear 40, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51. In other words, the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used to achieve high-precision driving of the face door 50.

[0097] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the second face gear 35 and the first face gear 30, causing the second face gear 35 and the first face gear 30 to rotate.

[0098] 8, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is not inside either the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25, and is not in contact with either the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27. For this reason, the rotation of the first face gear 30 and the second face gear 35 is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45 without being hindered by the second link plate 25, etc., and the position of the link pin 32, etc. is adjusted.

[0099] Thus, according to the link mechanism 1 of the first embodiment, in the foot mode in which the door opening angle of the face door 50 is small and precise control of the opening angle is required, the driving force of the drive motor 5 can be transmitted in the high-precision drive mode using the second power transmission mechanism 15. As a result, precise control of the opening angle of the face door 50 can be achieved.

[0100] When the driving force of the drive motor 5 is input from the foot mode state shown in Figs. 7 and 8 to rotate the first link plate 20 further in a predetermined direction, a mode transition state is made from the foot mode to the defroster mode.

[0101] Since the first link plate 20 rotates due to the driving force transmitted during the mode transition, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 moves relatively toward the outside of the first link groove 21 and is no longer in contact with the first link groove 21. At the same time, the second link plate 25 also rotates due to the action of the driving force, and the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 moves relatively toward the inside of the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25. However, the link pin 32 does not come into contact with the third link groove 27.

[0102] Therefore, during mode transition, the driving force is used to move the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25, and is not transmitted to the driven member, the face door 50. At this time, the face door 50 is subject to the sliding resistance generated between it and the guide groove formed in the air conditioning case 110, wind pressure, and its own weight, so it will not move even when the driving force is not being transmitted.

[0103] When the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 further rotate in the predetermined direction, the link pin 42 is positioned outside the first link groove 21, and at the same time, the link pin 32 is positioned inside the third link groove 27. At this time, the link pin 32 contacts the third link groove 27 from inside the third link groove 27. As a result, the driving force transmitted to the second link plate 25 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 via the third link groove 27 and the link pin 32.

[0104] Next, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the defroster mode will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In the defroster mode, the mode is switched to the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10, and as shown in Figure 10, the link pin 42 is positioned outside the first link groove 21, and at the same time, the link pin 32 is positioned inside the third link groove 27.

[0105] In this case, the first link plate 20 is further rotated in a predetermined direction by the input driving force, and the driving force is transmitted to the second link plate 25 via the gear portion. At this time, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is positioned outside the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20 and is not in contact with the first link groove 21. Therefore, the driving force input to the first link plate 20 is not transmitted to the third face gear 40.

[0106] The second link plate 25 rotates around the second plate support shaft 25a by the driving force transmitted from the first link plate 20. At this time, since the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is inserted inside the third link groove 27, the driving force of the second link plate 25 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by the contact between the third link groove 27 and the link pin 42. That is, in the defroster mode, the first power transmission mechanism 10 is selected as the transmission path of the driving force.

[0107] 9, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their gear portions mesh with each other. Therefore, the driving force input to the first face gear 30 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the second face gear 35, the third face gear 40, and the door shaft 51. In other words, the normal driving of the face door 50 is achieved by using the first power transmission mechanism 10.

[0108] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the third face gear 40, causing it to rotate about the gear shaft 40a.

[0109] As described above, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is not inserted inside the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20. For this reason, the rotation of the third face gear 40 is not hindered by the first link plate 20, etc., but is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45, and the position of the link pin 42, etc. is adjusted.

[0110] Thus, according to the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, in the defroster mode in which the movement amount of the face door 50 is large and high door stopping accuracy is not required, the driving force of the drive motor 5 can be transmitted in the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. As a result, the sliding movement of the face door 50 can be controlled with appropriate door stopping accuracy and in response to the large movement amount.

[0111] In addition, since the foot defroster mode is an outlet mode in which the movement amount of the face door 50 is large and high door stopping accuracy is not required, the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10 is adopted, as in the defroster mode.

[0112] In the link mechanism 1, the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20, the second link groove 26 and the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30, and the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 constitute a transmission path switching section 90.

[0113] Next, the relationship between the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment and the blowing mode and the driving mode will be described with reference to FIG.

[0114] 4 to 6, in the face mode and bi-level mode, the link mechanism 1 is switched to a normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. At this time, the first link groove 21 of the first link plate is not in contact with the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40, and the second link groove 26 of the second link plate 25 is in contact with the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30.

[0115] As a result, the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the first link plate 20, the second link plate 25, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51. That is, when the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used, the number of mechanism parts 16 also increases. In addition, since the first power transmission mechanism 10 is configured to have a large gear ratio and a small reduction ratio, the face door 50 can be slid a large distance, and appropriate movement control of the face door 50 corresponding to the face mode and the bi-level mode can be realized.

[0116] 7 and 8, in the foot mode, the link mechanism 1 is switched to a high-precision drive mode using the second power transmission mechanism 15. At this time, neither the second link groove 26 nor the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25 is in contact with the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30, and the first link groove 21 of the first link plate is in contact with the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40.

[0117] As a result, the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the first link plate 20, the third face gear 40, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51. That is, when the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used, the number of mechanism parts 16 is reduced, and the effect of the tolerances of the mechanism parts 16 is also reduced. In addition, since the second power transmission mechanism 15 is configured to have a small gear ratio and a large reduction ratio, the face door 50 can be slid finely, and delicate movement control of the face door 50 corresponding to the foot mode can be realized.

[0118] 9 and 10, in the defroster mode and foot defroster mode, the link mechanism 1 is switched to the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. At this time, the first link groove 21 of the first link plate is not in contact with the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40, and the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25 is in contact with the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30.

[0119] As a result, the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the first link plate 20, the second link plate 25, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51. That is, when the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used, the number of mechanism parts 16 also increases. In addition, since the first power transmission mechanism 10 is configured to have a large gear ratio and a small reduction ratio, the face door 50 can be slid a large distance, and appropriate movement control of the face door 50 corresponding to the defroster mode and the foot defroster mode can be realized.

[0120] 11, during mode transition, link pin 32 and link pin 42 are not in contact with the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20, nor with the second link groove 26 or third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25. To complete the mode transition, link pin 32 or link pin 42 needs to come into contact with a link groove inside any of the link grooves.

[0121] The detailed operation of each mechanical component 16 during mode transition of the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. Figures 12 to 15 chronologically show the states of each mechanical component 16 when the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment transitions from face mode to foot mode.

[0122] Fig. 12 shows the state of the link mechanism 1 in the face mode as a first state during mode transition from the face mode to the foot mode. Fig. 13 shows the state in which the first link plate 20 has been rotated in a predetermined direction from the state in Fig. 12 as a second state during mode transition from the face mode to the foot mode. Fig. 14 shows the state in which the first link plate 20 has been further rotated in a predetermined direction from the state in Fig. 13 as a third state during mode transition from the face mode to the foot mode. Fig. 14 shows the state in which the first link plate 20 has been rotated in a predetermined direction from the state in Fig. 13 to transition to the foot mode as a fourth state during mode transition from the face mode to the foot mode.

[0123] 12, in the face mode, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is in contact with the second link groove 26 of the second link plate 25 within the second link groove 26. Also, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is located outside the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20.

[0124] Therefore, the driving force transmitted from the first link plate 20 to the second link plate 25 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by the contact between the link pin 32 and the second link groove 26. The driving force transmitted to the first face gear 30 is then transmitted to the face door 50 via the second face gear 35, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51.

[0125] 12 to 14, the second link plate 25 rotates due to the driving force, and the first face gear 30 rotates about the gear shaft 30a. Due to the rotation of the second link plate 25 and the first face gear 30, the link pin 32 moves so as to come out of the second link groove 26.

[0126] Here, a gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with a gear portion of the third face gear 40, and the link pin 42 is located outside the first link groove 21. The third face gear 40 is rotated about the gear shaft 40a by a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45. As a result, the link pin 32 of the third face gear 40 moves from the open end of the first link groove 21 toward the inside of the first link groove 21.

[0127] That is, according to the link mechanism 1, a part of the driving force for operating the face door 50 can be distributed at the fourth face gear 45 to link the operation of the link pin 32 side with the operation of the link pin 42 side. In the case shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 15, by transmitting the driving force from the fourth face gear 45 to the third face gear 40, the link pin 42 can be moved toward the inside of the first link groove 21 as the link pin 32 comes out of the second link groove 26.

[0128] 12 to 15, both ends of first link groove 21 of first link plate 20 are open to allow link pin 32 to pass through, and have wide portions 21w. Wide portions 21w are formed to be wider than the width of the central portion of first link groove 21.

[0129] Further, one end of second link groove 26 and third link groove 27 in second link plate 25 is open to allow link pin 42 to pass through, and has wide portion 26w and wide portion 27w, respectively. Wide portion 26w is formed so as to be wider than the width of the middle portion of second link groove 26. Wide portion 27w is formed so as to be wider than the width of the middle portion of third link groove 27.

[0130] Since wide portion 26w and wide portion 27w are formed at the ends of second link groove 26 and third link groove 27, link pin 32 can be prevented from getting caught in the open portion when link pin 32 enters second link groove 26 or third link groove 27. Furthermore, since wide portion 21w is formed at the end of first link groove 21, link pin 42 can be prevented from getting caught in the open portion when link pin 42 enters first link groove 21.

[0131] In other words, by forming a wide portion in the open portion of each link groove, the link mechanism 1 can smoothly perform mode transition between the normal drive mode and the high-precision drive mode, thereby achieving reliable mode transition.

[0132] 12 to 15 show the operation at the time of mode transition from face mode to foot mode, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the same effect can be achieved at the time of mode transition from foot mode to defroster mode, from foot mode to face mode, and from defroster mode to foot mode.

[0133] As described above, the link mechanism 1 of the first embodiment is applied to a vehicle air conditioning system 100, and is used to transmit the driving force of the drive motor 5 to the face door 50 to slide the face door 50.

[0134] According to the link mechanism 1 of the first embodiment, the transmission path of the driving force from the drive motor 5 to the face door 50 can be switched by the transmission path switching unit 90 between the transmission path through the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the transmission path through the second power transmission mechanism 15. Since the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 transmit the driving force to the face door 50 at different reduction ratios, the link mechanism 1 can realize two different operation modes (e.g., movement amount) of the face door 50 due to the action of the driving force. As a result, the link mechanism 1 can move the face door 50 by an appropriate movement amount according to the scene by using the two operation modes selectively.

[0135] 2 to 11, the number of mechanism parts 16 constituting the second power transmission mechanism 15 is different from the number of mechanism parts 16 constituting the first power transmission mechanism 10, and is less than that of the first power transmission mechanism 10. This makes it possible to make the influence of the tolerance of each mechanism part 16 on the transmission of driving force different between the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15. In other words, the precision regarding the operation control of the face door 50 can be made to differ between the case where the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used and the case where the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used.

[0136] As shown in Figs. 2 to 10, the reduction ratio small The first power transmission mechanism 10 has two or more gears, such as the first face gear 30 and the second face gear 35, as the mechanical components 16. As a result, when attempting to achieve high-precision driving with the second power transmission mechanism 15, there is no choice but to employ one gear, such as the third face gear 40. In other words, high-precision driving can be achieved by the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 with a configuration of fewer mechanical components.

[0137] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, 9 and 10, in the face mode or the defroster mode in which the movement amount of the face door 50 is large, the link mechanism 1 realizes the sliding movement of the face door 50 by using the first power transmission mechanism 10 having a small reduction ratio through the transmission path switching unit 90. Then, in the foot mode in which the movement amount of the face door 50 is small, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the link mechanism 1 realizes the sliding movement of the face door 50 by using the second power transmission mechanism 15 having a large reduction ratio through the transmission path switching unit 90. Therefore, the link mechanism 1 can switch between the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 by the transmission path switching unit 90 in a manner required by the blowing mode or the like.

[0138] In the link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, the reduction ratio is small The first power transmission mechanism 10 has, as mechanism components 16, a plurality of gears including a second link plate 25, a first face gear 30 having a lever portion 31 and a link pin 32, and a second face gear 35. This ensures that the driving force transmitted to the second link plate 25 can be transmitted to the face door 50 reliably.

[0139] In addition, the reduction ratio is big The second power transmission mechanism 15 has, as mechanism components 16, a first link plate 20 and a third face gear 40 having a lever portion 41 and a link pin 42. Therefore, the driving force transmitted to the second link plate 25 can be reliably transmitted to the face door 50, and delicate operation control of the face door 50 can be realized.

[0140] When the driving force is transmitted using the first power transmission mechanism 10, the link pin 42 is brought into contact with the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25 without contacting the link pin 32 with the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20. On the other hand, when the driving force is transmitted using the second power transmission mechanism 15, the link pin 32 is brought into contact with the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20 without contacting the link pin 42 with the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25. This allows the transmission path switching unit 90 of the link mechanism 1 to selectively use the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 as the transmission path of the driving force.

[0141] 12 to 15, when the driving force is transmitted via the first power transmission mechanism 10, a part of the driving force transmitted to the face door 50 can be distributed to the third face gear 40 by the fourth face gear 45. This allows the link pin 32 to move toward the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20 as the link pin 42 comes out of the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25. In other words, the transmission path switching unit 90 can reliably realize the mode transition in the link mechanism 1.

[0142] When the driving force is transmitted via the second power transmission mechanism 15, a portion of the driving force transmitted to the face door 50 can be distributed by the fourth face gear 45 to the second face gear 35 and the first face gear 30. As a result, as the link pin 32 comes out of the first link groove 21 of the first link plate 20, the link pin 42 can be moved toward either the second link groove 26 or the third link groove 27 of the second link plate 25. That is, the transmission path switching unit 90 can reliably achieve mode transition in the link mechanism 1 even in this case.

[0143] 4 to 15, wide portions 21w are formed at both ends of first link groove 21. Wide portion 26w is formed at one end of second link groove 26, and wide portion 27w is formed at one end of third link groove 27. This makes it possible to prevent the link pin from getting caught when it enters the inside of the link groove, and makes it possible to more reliably achieve mode transition.

[0144] The link mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment is applied to a vehicle air conditioner 100, and transmits a driving force to a face door 50 provided as a sliding door for adjusting the opening area of ​​a face opening 150. The appropriate opening degree of the face door 50 differs depending on the type of blowing mode in the vehicle air conditioner 100. That is, by using the link mechanism 1 to control the sliding movement amount of the face door 50, it is possible to realize appropriate control of the opening degree of the face opening 150 according to the blowing mode.

[0145] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. The second embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment in the manner in which the driving force of the driving motor 5 is transmitted to the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0146] 16, in the link mechanism 1 according to the second embodiment, the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is input to a transmission link plate 81. The first link plate 20 according to the second embodiment is attached so that its gear portion meshes with the gear portion of the transmission link plate 81. Moreover, the second link plate 25 according to the second embodiment is attached at a position different from the first link plate 20 so that its gear portion meshes with the gear portion of the transmission link plate 81.

[0147] Therefore, the driving force of the drive motor 5 is transmitted to each of the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 via the transmission link plate 81. The transmission path of the driving force transmitted to the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25, including the operation of the transmission path switching unit 90, is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0148] As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 of the second embodiment, even when a transmission link plate 81 is disposed between the drive motor 5 and the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the above-described embodiment.

[0149] Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment, which is different from the above-mentioned embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 17. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in the manner in which the driving force of the driving motor 5 is transmitted to the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiments, so repeated description will be omitted.

[0150] 17, in the link mechanism 1 according to the third embodiment, the driving force of the drive motor 5 is input to a transmission link plate 81. The first link plate 20 according to the third embodiment is attached so that its gear portion meshes with the gear portion of the transmission link plate 81.

[0151] Here, the second link plate 25 according to the third embodiment is arranged so that the gear portion meshes with the gear portion of the first link plate 20, similarly to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the link mechanism 1 according to the third embodiment, the same operation as in the first embodiment is performed, except that the driving force of the drive motor 5 is input to the first link plate 20 via the transmission link plate 81. For this reason, a description of the points similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0152] As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 of the third embodiment, even if the driving force of the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the first link plate 20 via the transmission link plate 81, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0153] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment, which is different from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 18. In the fourth embodiment, the manner in which the driving force is transmitted from the first link plate 20 to the second link plate 25 differs from that of the above-described embodiments. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0154] 18, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the driving force of the drive motor 5 is input to the first link plate 20, similar to the first embodiment. Here, a connecting link plate 82 is disposed between the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25. The gear portion of the connecting link plate 82 is disposed so as to mesh with the gear portion of the first link plate 20, and at the same time, is disposed so as to mesh with the gear portion of the second link plate 25.

[0155] Therefore, the driving force transmitted to the first link plate 20 is input to the second link plate 25 via the connecting link plate 82. Therefore, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the same operation as in the above-mentioned embodiment is performed, except that the driving force is transmitted between the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 via the connecting link plate 82. For this reason, a description of the points similar to those in the above-mentioned embodiment will be omitted.

[0156] As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 of the fourth embodiment, even if the driving force is transmitted between the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 via the connecting link plate 82, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0157] Fifth embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment, which is different from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Figures 19 to 25. The fifth embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that a shared link plate 83 is used instead of the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25. Other basic configurations are similar to those of the above-described embodiments, so repeated description will be omitted.

[0158] 19 to 26, the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment has a first face gear 30, a second face gear 35, a third face gear 40, a fourth face gear 45, a door shaft 51, and a face door 50, similar to the above-described embodiments. These mechanism components 16 have the same configuration as those in the above-described embodiments.

[0159] In the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, a shared link plate 83 is disposed between the drive motor 5 and the first and third face gears 30 and 40. As shown in Fig. 19, the shared link plate 83 is a link plate to which the driving force of the drive motor 5 is input, whether the first power transmission mechanism 10 or the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used. The shared link plate 83 transmits the driving force input from the drive motor 5 to the first face gear 30 constituting the first power transmission mechanism 10 or the third face gear 40 constituting the second power transmission mechanism 15.

[0160] 20, the common link plate 83 is disposed so as to face the mechanism components 16 (first face gear 30 to fourth face gear 45) attached to the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110. The common link plate 83 is attached to a plate support shaft 83a formed on the outside of the air conditioning case 110, and rotates by the driving force generated by the drive motor 5.

[0161] As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the common link plate 83 has a first link groove 84, a second link groove 85, and a third link groove 86 formed on the surface facing the outer surface of the air conditioning case 110.

[0162] The first link groove 84 is formed in a groove shape that describes a semicircle centered on the plate support shaft 83a, and both ends are open. The first link groove 84 is configured so that the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 can enter therein, and contacts the link pin 42 inside the first link groove 84, thereby transmitting the driving force transmitted to the common link plate 83 to the third face gear 40.

[0163] The second link groove 85 is formed in a groove shape that describes an arc centered on the plate support shaft 83a, with one end open and the other end closed. The third link groove 86, like the second link groove 85, is formed in a groove shape that describes an arc centered on the plate support shaft 83a, with one end open and the other end closed.

[0164] The second link groove 85 and the third link groove 86 are disposed at a position closer to the plate support shaft 83a than the first link groove 84. The distance between the second link groove 85 and the plate support shaft 83a is disposed so as to be approximately equal to the distance between the third link groove 86 and the plate support shaft 83a.

[0165] The second link groove 85 and the third link groove 86 are both configured so that the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 can enter into them through the open ends. The driving force transmitted to the common link plate 83 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by contacting the link pin 32 inside the second link groove 85 and the third link groove 86. As shown in FIG. 22, the open side of the second link groove 85 and the open side of the third link groove 86 are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween. Therefore, the link pin 32 that moves from the inside to the outside of either the second link groove 85 or the third link groove 86 moves a predetermined distance and then moves into the inside of the other link groove.

[0166] Therefore, in the link mechanism 1 of the fifth embodiment, the driving force transmitted from the drive motor 5 via the shared link plate 83 can be transmitted to the face door 50 via either the first power transmission mechanism 10 or the second power transmission mechanism 15.

[0167] Both ends of the first link groove 84 are open so that the link pin 32 can pass through, and have a wide portion 84w. The wide portion 84w is formed to be wider than the width of the middle portion of the first link groove 84. One ends of the second link groove 85 and the third link groove 86 are open so that the link pin 42 can pass through, and have a wide portion 85w and a wide portion 86w, respectively. The wide portion 85w is formed to be wider than the width of the middle portion of the second link groove 85. The wide portion 86w is formed to be wider than the width of the middle portion of the third link groove 86. Therefore, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the wide portions 84w to 86w allow smooth operation during mode transition.

[0168] Next, the state of each mechanism component 16 in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment will be described for each type of blowing mode with reference to the drawings.

[0169] First, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the face mode will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 22. In the same initial state as in the first embodiment described above, when the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is input from the plate support shaft 83a, the common link plate 83 rotates in a predetermined direction.

[0170] At this time, because the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is inserted into the second link groove 85, the driving force of the shared link plate 83 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by contact between the second link groove 85 and the link pin 42. That is, in the face mode, the first power transmission mechanism 10 is selected as the driving force transmission path.

[0171] 21, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their gear portions mesh with each other. Therefore, the driving force input to the first face gear 30 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the second face gear 35, the third face gear 40, and the door shaft 51. That is, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the first power transmission mechanism 10 is used to realize normal driving of the face door 50.

[0172] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the third face gear 40, causing it to rotate about the gear shaft 40a.

[0173] 22, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is not inserted inside the first link groove 84. For this reason, the rotation of the third face gear 40 is not hindered by contact between the first link groove 84 and the link pin 42, and is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45, and the position of the link pin 42, etc. is adjusted.

[0174] In this way, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, in the face mode in which the face door 50 is in a wide door opening position, the driving force of the driving motor 5 can be transmitted in the normal driving mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. As a result, the sliding movement of the face door 50 can be controlled by an amount of movement corresponding to the wide door opening position.

[0175] Next, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the foot mode will be described with reference to Figures 23 and 24. In the foot mode, the mode is switched to a high-precision drive mode using the second power transmission mechanism 15, and as shown in Figure 24, the link pin 32 is positioned outside the second link groove 85 and the third link groove 86, and at the same time, the link pin 42 is positioned inside the first link groove 84.

[0176] In this case, the common link plate 83 further rotates in the predetermined direction due to the input driving force. At this time, since the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is in contact with the first link groove 84 inside the first link groove 84, the driving force is transmitted from the common link plate 83 to the third face gear 40.

[0177] Since the third face gear 40 and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their respective gear portions mesh with each other, part of the driving force of the shared link plate 83 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the third face gear 40, the fourth face gear 45, and the door shaft 51. In other words, the second power transmission mechanism 15 is used to realize high-precision driving of the face door 50.

[0178] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the second face gear 35 and the first face gear 30.

[0179] 24, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is not inside either the second link groove 85 or the third link groove 86, and is not in contact with either the second link groove 85 or the third link groove 86. For this reason, the rotation of the first face gear 30 and the second face gear 35 is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45 without being hindered by the link pin 32 and the second link groove 85, etc., and the position of the link pin 32, etc. is adjusted.

[0180] Thus, in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, in the foot mode in which the face door 50 has a small door opening angle and precise control of the opening angle is required, the driving force of the drive motor 5 can be transmitted in the high-precision drive mode using the second power transmission mechanism 15. As a result, precise control of the opening angle of the face door 50 can be achieved.

[0181] Next, the state of the link mechanism 1 in the defroster mode will be described with reference to Figures 25 and 26. In the defroster mode, the mode is switched to the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10, and as shown in Figure 26, the link pin 42 is positioned outside the first link groove 84, and at the same time, the link pin 32 is positioned inside the third link groove 86.

[0182] In this case, the common link plate 83 further rotates in the predetermined direction due to the input driving force. At this time, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is positioned outside the first link groove 84 and is not in contact with the first link groove 84. Therefore, the driving force input to the common link plate 83 is not transmitted to the third face gear 40.

[0183] On the other hand, since the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30 is inserted inside the third link groove 86, the driving force of the shared link plate 83 is transmitted to the first face gear 30 by contact between the third link groove 86 and the link pin 42. That is, in the defroster mode, the first power transmission mechanism 10 is selected as the driving force transmission path.

[0184] 25, the first face gear 30, the second face gear 35, and the fourth face gear 45 are arranged so that their gear portions mesh with each other. Therefore, the driving force input to the first face gear 30 is transmitted to the face door 50 via the second face gear 35, the third face gear 40, and the door shaft 51. In other words, the normal driving of the face door 50 is achieved by using the first power transmission mechanism 10.

[0185] At this time, the gear portion of the fourth face gear 45 meshes with the gear portion of the third face gear 40. Therefore, a part of the driving force transmitted to the fourth face gear 45 is transmitted to the third face gear 40, causing it to rotate about the gear shaft 40a.

[0186] As described above, the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 is not inserted inside the first link groove 84. For this reason, the rotation of the third face gear 40 is not hindered by contact between the first link groove 84 and the link pin 42, and is performed by the driving force transmitted from the fourth face gear 45, and the position of the link pin 42, etc. is adjusted.

[0187] In this way, even in the link mechanism 1 according to the fifth embodiment, in the defroster mode in which the movement amount of the face door 50 is large and high door stopping accuracy is not required, the driving force of the drive motor 5 can be transmitted in the normal drive mode using the first power transmission mechanism 10. As a result, the sliding movement of the face door 50 can be controlled with appropriate door stopping accuracy and in response to the large movement amount.

[0188] In the link mechanism 1 of the fifth embodiment, the first link groove 84, the second link groove 85, and the third link groove 86 of the shared link plate 83, the link pin 32 of the first face gear 30, and the link pin 42 of the third face gear 40 constitute a transmission path switching section 90.

[0189] As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 of the fifth embodiment, even when a shared link plate 83 is adopted instead of the first link plate 20 and the second link plate 25 of the above-mentioned embodiment, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0190] Sixth embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment, which is different from the above-mentioned embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 27. The sixth embodiment differs from the above-mentioned fifth embodiment in the manner in which the driving force of the driving motor 5 is transmitted to the common link plate 83. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned fifth embodiment, so repeated description will be omitted.

[0191] 27, in the link mechanism 1 according to the sixth embodiment, the driving force generated by the drive motor 5 is input to a transmission link plate 81. A common link plate 83 according to the sixth embodiment is attached so that its gear portion meshes with the gear portion of the transmission link plate 81, and is supported rotatably.

[0192] Therefore, the driving force of the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the shared link plate 83 via the transmission link plate 81. The transmission path of the driving force transmitted to the shared link plate 83, including the operation of the transmission path switching unit 90, is the same as in the fifth embodiment.

[0193] As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 of the sixth embodiment, even when a transmission link plate 81 is disposed between the drive motor 5 and the shared link plate 83, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0194] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the means disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined within the scope of feasibility.

[0195] (a) In the above-described embodiment, the link mechanism 1 is applied to the vehicle air conditioner 100, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The link mechanism 1 can be applied to various devices as long as it is configured to transmit the driving force generated in a drive unit to move a driven member.

[0196] (b) In the above embodiment, the face door 50 for adjusting the opening degree of the face opening 150 in the vehicle air conditioner 100 is used as the driven member, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The driven member may be any member that is operated by the driving force from the drive unit (drive motor 5), and is not limited to a sliding door such as the face door 50.

[0197] (c) The types of the mechanical components 16 constituting the first power transmission mechanism 10 and the second power transmission mechanism 15 in the link mechanism 1 are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment. Any components capable of transmitting driving force can be used as the mechanical components 16.

[0198] (d) The shapes and arrangements of the first to third link grooves in the above-described embodiment are merely examples and are not limited to this embodiment. The shapes and arrangements of the first to third link grooves can be appropriately set according to the required movement of the driven member (face door 50). [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 1 Link mechanism 5 Drive motor 10 First power transmission mechanism 15 Second power transmission mechanism 50 Face Door 90 Transmission path switching section

Claims

1. A drive unit (5) that generates a driving force; A driven member (50) that moves due to the action of the driving force generated by the driving section; a first power transmission mechanism (10) that transmits the driving force generated in the driving portion to the driven member at a predetermined reduction ratio; a second power transmission mechanism (15) that transmits the driving force generated in the drive unit to the driven member at a reduction ratio different from that of the first power transmission mechanism; a transmission path switching unit (90) that switches a transmission path of the driving force from the driving unit to the driven member to either the first power transmission mechanism or the second power transmission mechanism, Furthermore, the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism each have a plurality of mechanism components (16) that transmit the driving force toward the driven member, the number of the mechanical components constituting the first power transmission mechanism is different from the number of the mechanical components constituting the second power transmission mechanism, Of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, the one having the larger reduction ratio is configured as the mechanical part, a link plate (25) having a link groove (26, 27) formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, the link plate (25) rotating by the driving force; a lever (31) having a link pin (32) inserted into the link groove and supported rotatably; and a plurality of gears (30, 35) that transmit the driving force by rotation.

2. A drive unit (5) that generates a driving force; A driven member (50) that moves due to the action of the driving force generated by the driving section; a first power transmission mechanism (10) that transmits the driving force generated in the driving portion to the driven member at a predetermined reduction ratio; a second power transmission mechanism (15) that transmits the driving force generated in the drive unit to the driven member at a reduction ratio different from that of the first power transmission mechanism; a transmission path switching unit (90) that switches a transmission path of the driving force from the driving unit to the driven member to either the first power transmission mechanism or the second power transmission mechanism, Furthermore, the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism each have a plurality of mechanism components (16) that transmit the driving force toward the driven member, the number of the mechanical components constituting the first power transmission mechanism is different from the number of the mechanical components constituting the second power transmission mechanism, Of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, the one having the smaller reduction ratio is a link plate (20) having a link groove (21) formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, the link plate (20) rotating by the driving force; a link pin (42) that is fitted into the inside of the link groove, and a lever (41) that is rotatably supported.

3. The first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism include, as the mechanical components, a link plate (20, 25) having a link groove (21, 26, 27) formed in a groove shape with at least one end open, the link plate (20, 25) rotating by the driving force; and a lever (31, 41) having a link pin (32, 42) that is fitted into the link groove and supported rotatably, The transmission path switching unit is When the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the first power transmission mechanism, the link groove and the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism are brought into contact with each other without bringing the link groove and the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism into contact with each other, 3. The link mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the second power transmission mechanism, the link groove and the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism are brought into contact with each other without bringing the link groove and the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism into contact with each other.

4. The transmission path switching unit is When the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the first power transmission mechanism, a part of the mechanical components of the second power transmission mechanism distributes a part of the driving force transmitted to the driven member, 4. The link mechanism according to claim 3, wherein as the link pin in the first power transmission mechanism comes out of the link groove, the link pin in the second power transmission mechanism moves toward the inside of the link groove.

5. The transmission path switching unit is When the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the second power transmission mechanism, a part of the mechanical components of the first power transmission mechanism distributes a part of the driving force transmitted to the driven member, 5. The link mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the link pin in the first power transmission mechanism is moved toward the inside of the link groove as the link pin in the second power transmission mechanism comes out of the link groove.

6. 6. The link mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the end portions of the link groove are formed with wide portions (21w, 26w, 27w) that are wider than an intermediate portion of the link groove.

7. 7. The link mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a transmission link plate (81) for transmitting the driving force generated in the driving section to the link plate is disposed between at least one of the link plate of the first power transmission mechanism and the link plate of the second power transmission mechanism and the driving section.

8. 7. A link mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a connecting link plate (82) is disposed between the link plate of the first power transmission mechanism and the link plate of the second power transmission mechanism, the connecting link plate forming a transmission path for the driving force transmitted from one of the link plate of the first power transmission mechanism and the link plate of the second power transmission mechanism to the other.

9. A drive unit (5) that generates a driving force; A driven member (50) that moves due to the action of the driving force generated by the driving section; a first power transmission mechanism (10) that transmits the driving force generated in the driving portion to the driven member at a predetermined reduction ratio; a second power transmission mechanism (15) that transmits the driving force generated in the drive unit to the driven member at a reduction ratio different from that of the first power transmission mechanism; a transmission path switching unit (90) that switches a transmission path of the driving force from the driving unit to the driven member to either the first power transmission mechanism or the second power transmission mechanism, Furthermore, the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism each have a plurality of mechanism components (16) that transmit the driving force toward the driven member, the number of the mechanical components constituting the first power transmission mechanism is different from the number of the mechanical components constituting the second power transmission mechanism, The first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism include, as the mechanical components, Each of the levers includes a link pin and a pivotally supported lever, a first link groove (84) having at least one end formed as a groove with an open shape and into which the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism can be fitted, and a second link groove (85, 86) having at least one end formed as a groove with an open shape and into which the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism can be fitted, and a common link plate (83) which rotates by the driving force, The transmission path switching unit is When the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the first power transmission mechanism, the second link groove is brought into contact with the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism without bringing the first link groove into contact with the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism, A link mechanism that, when the driving force is transmitted to the driven member via the second power transmission mechanism, brings the first link groove into contact with the link pin of the second power transmission mechanism without bringing the second link groove into contact with the link pin of the first power transmission mechanism.

10. 10. The link mechanism according to claim 9, further comprising a transmission link plate (81) disposed between the shared link plate and the drive section for transmitting the driving force generated in the drive section to the shared link plate.

11. A link mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, the one having the larger reduction ratio has two or more gears (30, 35) as a mechanical component that transmits the driving force to the driven member.

12. The transmission path switching unit is When the amount of movement of the driven member is large, the driving force is transmitted to the driven member using one of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, which has a smaller reduction ratio; and 12. A link mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when the amount of movement of the driven member is small, the driving force is transmitted to the driven member using one of the first power transmission mechanism and the second power transmission mechanism, which has the larger reduction ratio.

13. 13. The link mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the driven member is a sliding door (50) that adjusts the opening degree of an air passage by sliding along a movement path formed in the air passage through which air flows toward a space to be air-conditioned due to the action of the driving force.

Images