Register

Abstract

To provide a register that can eliminate the excess or deficiency of tilting of a damper.SOLUTION: A transmission shaft 65 and a dial operation knob 21 of a register 10 are connected to each other through a universal joint, and the transmission shaft 65 and a boss member 73 are connected to each other through a universal joint. Rotation of the dial operation knob 21 is transmitted to a damper 19 through the transmission shaft 65, the boss member 73 and the cam member 75. A case member 74 holds the boss member 73 and the cam member 75 rotatably. A boss shaft 74F of the boss member 73 is deviated from a cam shaft 75B of the cam member 75, in a direction which is orthogonal to an axial direction of the boss shaft 74F. This enables the cam member 75 to rotate with a center of rotation which is eccentric to the boss member 73 in response to rotation of the boss member 73 to open and close the damper 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a register used in an air outlet for ventilation or air conditioning, and to a damper for opening and closing an air passage. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, one type of register used for an air outlet is a register that is provided in the instrument panel of a vehicle and blows out conditioned air sent from an air conditioner. The register in Patent Document 1 below has an air outlet, horizontal fins, vertical fins, and a damper arranged in that order from downstream to upstream of the ventilation duct. This register includes a transmission shaft that transmits the rotation of an operating knob to the damper, and a rotation conversion mechanism that is connected to the transmission shaft and opens and closes the damper. The transmission shaft and the operating knob, and the transmission shaft and the rotation conversion mechanism are each connected by a joint mechanism such as a universal joint or a ball joint. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] DE 102015101116 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a register using the above-mentioned coupling mechanism, if the angle of intersection between the axis of the operation knob and the transmission shaft or the angle of intersection between the axis of the transmission shaft and the rotation conversion mechanism becomes large, there is a risk of a large rotational misalignment occurring between the operation knob and the rotation conversion mechanism. For this reason, for example, even if the operation knob is rotated in a direction to close the ventilation passage, the damper may not tilt to the closed position and the ventilation passage may not be closed, or the damper may tilt too far and interfere with the retainer. Also, when the operation knob is rotated in a direction to open the ventilation passage, the damper may not tilt appropriately due to the above-mentioned rotational misalignment.

[0005] The present application has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a register that can eliminate excess or deficiency in the tilting movement of the damper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present application provides a damper drive mechanism for tilting a damper between an open position that opens a ventilation passage and a closed position that closes the ventilation passage, the damper drive mechanism changing the direction of rotation of an operation knob transmitted from an operation knob via a transmission shaft and transmitting the rotation to the damper to tilt the damper between the open position and the closed position, the damper drive mechanism including a boss member connected to the operation knob via the transmission shaft, and a case member that holds the boss member rotatably about a boss axis; A cam member; Equipped with the case member has a bearing portion, the cam member has a cam shaft, is housed in the case member, the cam shaft is inserted into the bearing portion and is held by the case member so as to be rotatable about the cam shaft, the cam member and the boss member are connected with the case member sandwiched therebetween, and the cam member rotates in response to rotation of the boss member to tilt the damper, The present invention discloses a register in which the transmission shaft and the operating knob, and the transmission shaft and the boss member are each connected by a coupling mechanism, the case member holds the cam shaft at a position shifted in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the boss shaft from a straight line along the axial direction of the boss shaft, and the cam member is rotated by the eccentric cam shaft in response to rotation of the boss member. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the register of the present application, when the rotation of the operating knob is transmitted to the damper via the transmission shaft, the boss member, and the cam member, the cam member is rotated around the cam shaft that is held at a position offset from the boss shaft that is the rotation center of the boss member. In this way, by rotating the cam member around the shaft that is eccentric with respect to the boss member, the rotational state of the cam member relative to the boss member can be adjusted, and excess or deficiency in the tilting of the damper can be eliminated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a register according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2A is a front view of a dial operation knob and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing some components of a register. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing some components of a register. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dial operation knob, the transmission shaft, etc., as viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the damper support member with each member attached thereto, as viewed from the downstream side. [Figure 7] 3 corresponds to FIG. 2, and is a front view showing the dial operation knob rotated 90 degrees, and a cross-sectional view showing the damper in a closed position. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a perspective view of the damper drive mechanism attached to the retainer member as viewed from the downstream side. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a side view of the damper drive mechanism assembled to the retainer member as viewed from the left side. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cam member as viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] 3A is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cross section taken along line CC in FIG. 2, showing the state in which the dial operation knob is in the open position. [Figure 22]22(a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which the transmission shaft is rotated 40 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] 22(a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which the transmission shaft is rotated by 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 21. [Figure 24] 22(a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which the transmission shaft is rotated by 100 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the register of the present application is embodied in a register 10 that is disposed in an instrument panel disposed in the front of a vehicle interior of an automobile or the like and that blows out conditioned air conditioned by an air conditioner into the vehicle interior will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that some of the drawings used in the description are conceptually illustrated, and the shapes of the various parts may not be exact. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the downstream side of the register 10 in the air blowing direction (i.e., the vehicle interior side) of the register 10 of this embodiment is described as the front, and the upstream side of the air blowing direction (i.e., the air conditioner side) is described as the rear. In the following description, the up-down direction and the left-right direction are defined and described using the viewpoint of a user facing the register 10 in front of the register 10. Also, FIG. 1 shows a state in which the downstream fin group 15 is aligned along the up-down direction and the upstream fin group 17 is aligned along the left-right direction, and the blowing direction of the conditioned air is not changed (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a neutral state). Also, FIG. 1 shows a state in which the dial operation knob 21 is arranged in an open position that opens the damper 19.

[0010] An instrument panel (not shown) is provided in the vehicle interior, for example, in front of the front seats (driver's seat and passenger seat) of the vehicle. The register 10 is attached to the center or side of the instrument panel in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). The register 10 changes the direction of conditioned air sent from an air conditioner (not shown) using downstream fin group 15 and upstream fin group 17, and blows the air into the vehicle interior from air outlet 13A. The register 10 also adjusts the amount of conditioned air blown out by damper 19. In this application, adjusting the amount of air blown out is a concept that includes closing damper 19 to block the air blowing out.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the register 10 includes a retainer 11, a bezel 13, a downstream fin group 15, an upstream fin group 17, a damper 19, and a dial operation knob 21. The register 10 is made of, for example, synthetic resin (polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or ABS resin) except for some parts such as a leaf spring 62 described later. The retainer 11 is tubular and extends in the front-rear direction. An air passage 23 is formed inside the retainer 11. The rear end of the retainer 11 is connected to an air conditioner via the air passage 23. In the neutral state, conditioned air blown from the air conditioner is blown through the air passage 23 in an air blowing direction 25 along the front-rear direction. The air passage 23 has a shape that is substantially rectangular and long in the up-down direction when cut by a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The air passage 23 is surrounded by four side walls of the retainer 11. These four walls are a pair of side walls 27 opposed to each other in the left-right direction and a pair of side walls opposed to each other in the up-down direction.

[0012] The bezel 13 is attached to the lower end of the retainer 11. The bezel 13 is formed with an air outlet 13A that is substantially rectangular and long in the vertical direction. The downstream end face of the bezel 13, which is around the air outlet 13A, forms the design surface of the register 10. The retainer 11 communicates with the air outlet 13A and blows conditioned air to the air outlet 13A along the air blowing direction 25. In the following description, the air conditioner side in the air blowing direction 25 is referred to as "upstream," and the bezel 13 side or the front of the bezel 13 is referred to as "downstream."

[0013] (Downstream fins 15) FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of some of the components of the register (the downstream fin group 15 and the upstream fin group 17). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the downstream fin group 15 is disposed inside the connection portion between the bezel 13 and the retainer 11. The downstream fin group 15 has two downstream fins 31 and a downstream fin 32 disposed between the two downstream fins 31 in the left-right direction. The downstream fin 32 has the same configuration as the downstream fin 31 except for the mounting hole 33 and the regulating pin 32D described later. The downstream fins 31, 32 are disposed side by side while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The downstream fin 31 has a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction and is a substantially rectangular plate that is long in the up-down direction. The downstream fin 32 is formed into a substantially rectangular plate shape on both sides in the up-down direction, and a mounting hole 33 is formed in the center in the up-down direction. The downstream fin 32 is thicker in the left-right direction at the portion where the mounting hole 33 is formed, and is bulged (widened) toward the downstream fin 31 side. The downstream fins 31, 32 have downstream fin shafts 31A, 32A respectively held by bearing members 35 attached to the pair of side walls 27, and are rotatably held relative to the retainer 11. The downstream fins 31, 32 rotate about a rotation axis along the up-down direction.

[0014] Further, the downstream fins 31, 32 are connected to each other via the regulating pins 31B, 32B by a link bar 37. Therefore, of the two downstream fins 31 and 32, the remaining downstream fin rotates in synchronization with the rotation of any one of the downstream fins. In the downstream fin group 15, the downstream fins 31, 32 rotate left and right in response to the operation of moving the dial operation knob 21 attached to the downstream fin 32 left and right, thereby changing the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 13A left and right.

[0015] The dial operation knob 21 is supported by the downstream fin 32 and is capable of sliding up and down within the mounting hole 33. In addition, a restricting pin 32D is provided at the upper end of the downstream fin 32, which is inserted into a restricting hole (not shown) of the upper bearing member 35. The rotation range of the downstream fin 32 is restricted by inserting the restricting pin 32D into the restricting hole. As a result, the left-right rotation range of the downstream fin group 15 is restricted to a predetermined range.

[0016] (Upstream fin group 17) The upstream fin group 17 is provided in the retainer 11 on the upstream side of the downstream fin group 15. The upstream fin group 17 has a plurality of (five in this embodiment) upstream fins 39 and an auxiliary fin member 41. The five upstream fins 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 are arranged side by side while being spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. Three upstream fins 39 are arranged above the auxiliary fin member 41, and two upstream fins 39 are arranged below it. The upstream fin 39 has a predetermined thickness in the up-down direction and is in the form of a substantially rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction. When viewed from the front, the auxiliary fin member 41 has a rectangular cylindrical shape that is long in the left-right direction, and a through hole 41A that penetrates in the front-rear direction is formed. The through hole 41A has a shape that is long in the left-right direction when cut by a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The upstream fin 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 have upstream fin shafts 39A, 41B held by bearing members 45 provided on each of the pair of side walls 27, and are rotatably held relative to the retainer 11. The upstream fin 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0017] In addition, the upstream fin 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 are connected to each of the regulating pins 39B, 41D by a link bar 47. Therefore, the remaining fins rotate in synchronization with the rotation of any one of the five upstream fins 39 and auxiliary fin members 41. When the dial operation knob 21 of the downstream fin 32 is moved vertically, the operation of the dial operation knob 21 is transmitted to the annular member 49 of the auxiliary fin member 41 via a transmission shaft 65 (see FIG. 4) described later, and the upstream fin 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 rotate vertically. The wall portions that form the through hole 41A of the auxiliary fin member 41 and face each other in the vertical direction are thin plate-shaped and function as fins that change the flow of the conditioned air. The upstream fin group 17 rotates the upstream fin 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 vertically to change the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 13A to the vertical direction.

[0018] (Dial operation knob 21, etc.) As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the dial operation knob 21 has a dial plate 51, a dial portion 52, a dial cover 55, an attachment plate 57, a connecting shaft 59, etc. The dial plate 51 is attached to the front of the cylindrical dial portion 52 and rotates together with the dial portion 52. The dial plate 51 is provided with a position mark 51A that indicates the rotation position of the dial operation knob 21. The dial portion 52 is cylindrical in shape. The outer peripheral surface of the dial portion 52 is processed (for example, knurled) to prevent the fingers operating the dial operation knob 21 from slipping.

[0019] The dial cover 55 has an extension portion 55B that extends from a cylindrical main body portion 55A on both sides in the up-down direction, and four slits 55C are formed between the main body portion 55A and the extension portion 55B in the circumferential direction. A portion that constitutes the mounting hole 33 of the downstream fin 32 is inserted from the upstream side into each of the four slits 55C. This allows the dial operation knob 21 to slide parallel to the axial direction (up-down direction) of the downstream fin 32 with a portion of the mounting hole 33 inserted into the slit 55C.

[0020] The mounting plate 57 is a thin plate having a predetermined width in the left-right direction and elongated in the up-down direction, with a through hole 57A formed in the center in the up-down direction. The mounting plate 57 also has engagement portions 57B on both sides of the through hole 57A in the up-down direction. Each of the pair of engagement portions 57B is rod-shaped and protrudes toward the downstream side. The connecting shaft 59 has a rod-shaped shaft portion 59A and a disk portion 59B provided at the upstream end of the shaft portion 59A. The shaft portion 59A extends perpendicular to the downstream surface of the disk portion 59B.

[0021] The mounting plate 57 is engaged by inserting an engagement claw 55D provided at the upstream end (tip) of the extension portion 55B of the dial cover 55, and is fixed to the dial cover 55. The connecting shaft 59 is inserted into the dial cover 55 from the upstream side through a through hole 57A of the mounting plate 57. The dial portion 52 is fixed to the downstream end (tip) of the shaft portion 59A. The dial plate 51, the dial portion 52, and the connecting shaft 59 are held by the dial cover 55 so as to be rotatable about an axis along the front-rear direction. The engaging portion 57B of the mounting plate 57 is inserted into the mounting hole 33 from the upstream side. As a result, the engaging portion 57B restricts the left-right movement of the dial operation knob 21 relative to the downstream fin 32. The dial operation knob 21 can be slid up and down stably relative to the downstream fin 32.

[0022] The disk portion 59B of the connecting shaft 59 is engaged with a pair of claws 57D provided on the upstream surface of the mounting plate 57 to regulate the axial position of the shaft portion 59A. Meanwhile, the disk portion 59B is supported rotatably with respect to the mounting plate 57 around the axial direction of the shaft portion 59A when engaged with the claws 57D. The connecting shaft 59 rotates integrally with the dial plate 51 and the dial portion 52. In addition, a leaf spring 62 is attached to the upstream surface of the mounting plate 57. The leaf spring 62 gives a clicking sensation to the dial operation knob 21. For example, a convex portion provided on the leaf spring 62 can be inserted into a concave portion provided on the disk portion 59B by elastic force. For example, when the dial operation knob 21 (dial portion 52) is rotated to an open position to open the damper 19 or a closed position to close the damper 19, the convex portion fits into the concave portion by elastic force. This allows the finger of the user operating the dial operation knob 21 to feel an appropriate clicking sensation in accordance with the opening or closing action of the damper 19. In addition, the rotational position of the dial operation knob 21 can be maintained when the damper 19 is in the open or closed position, and rattling of the connecting shaft 59 can be suppressed.

[0023] The mounting plate 57 is attached to the downstream fin 32 with a load-applying member 63 attached to its downstream surface. When the dial operation knob 21 is slid, the load-applying member 63 slides against the downstream fin 32 and applies an appropriate load by friction. As a result, the load-applying member 63 provides an appropriate operational feel to the fingers of the user operating the dial operation knob 21, and can suppress wobbling of the sliding position of the dial operation knob 21 relative to the mounting hole 33.

[0024] A transmission shaft 65 is attached to the upstream surface of the disk portion 59B. A bifurcated swinging connection portion 65A is provided at the downstream end of the transmission shaft 65. A swinging connection member 67 is rotatably attached to the inside of the bifurcated portion of the swinging connection portion 65A. The swinging connection member 67 is journaled by the swinging connection portion 65A so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the transmission shaft 65. The swinging connection member 67 is rotatably fitted (journaled) into a shaft portion 59D provided on the upstream side surface of the disk portion 59B. The swinging connection member 67 is journaled by the shaft portion 59D so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the transmission shaft 65 and perpendicular to the axial direction journaled by the swinging connection portion 65A. As a result, the transmission shaft 65 is connected to the connecting shaft 59 (dial operation knob 21) by a universal joint (joint mechanism), and the shaft portion 59A of the connecting shaft 59 and the transmission shaft 65 can rotate and swing in all directions perpendicular to each other's axes, and can transmit rotational force around the axis of the shaft portion 59A (dial operation knob 21).

[0025] Furthermore, a universal joint engaging portion 69 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is provided at the upstream end of the transmission shaft 65. The universal joint engaging portion 69 is provided with pins 69A on each of its outer circumferential surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the transmission shaft 65. The pair of pins 69A protrude outward in a direction perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface of the universal joint engaging portion 69 (a direction perpendicular to the axis of the transmission shaft 65). The rotation of the transmission shaft 65, i.e., the rotation of the dial operation knob 21, is transmitted to the damper 19 via a damper driving mechanism 71, which will be described later. The universal joint engaging portion 69 is inserted into a boss member 73 of the damper driving mechanism 71.

[0026] A cylindrical portion 73A is provided on the downstream side of the boss member 73. Four grooves 73B are formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 73A along the axial direction of the cylindrical shape. Each of the four grooves 73B is provided at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction and is formed along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 73A from the opening of the cylindrical portion 73A to the bottom. A pair of pins 69A of the universal joint engagement portion 69 is inserted into two of the four grooves 73B, engages with the grooves 73B, and is movable along the grooves 73B. With the pins 69A inserted into the grooves 73B, the transmission shaft 65 is able to swing relative to the boss member 73. As will be described later, the boss member 73 is able to rotate around an axis along the front-rear direction relative to the case member 74. A convex portion 69D is provided on the upstream surface of the universal joint engagement portion 69 to reduce the contact area with the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 73A. The convex portion 69D is provided, for example, on the upstream surface of the universal joint engaging portion 69, and is formed as a cross-shaped rib perpendicular to the axial direction of the transmission shaft 65, with the intersection protruding upstream. The protruding height of the cross rib of the convex portion 69D decreases as it moves away from the intersection (goes outward). As a result, the transmission shaft 65 is also connected to the boss member 73 by the universal joint (joint mechanism), and can rotate and swing in all directions perpendicular to the axes of the transmission shaft 65 and the cylindrical portion 73A of the boss member 73, and can transmit the rotational force around the axis of the transmission shaft 65 to the boss member 73. Therefore, the transmission shaft 65 is connected to the boss member 73 so as to be tiltable while transmitting its own rotation, which rotates in response to the dial operation knob 21, to the boss member 73. Furthermore, by providing the convex portion 69D, the rotational force can be transmitted while reducing the frictional resistance between the transmission shaft 65 and the cylindrical portion 73A.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, an annular member 49 is attached to the inside of the auxiliary fin member 41. The annular member 49 is annular with a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is rotatable by a support shaft 41E that is parallel to the upstream fin shaft 41B of the auxiliary fin member 41. The transmission shaft 65 is attached in a state inserted into the annular member 49. The sliding movement of the dial operation knob 21 in the vertical direction is transmitted to the auxiliary fin member 41 via the transmission shaft 65 and the annular member 49. The five upstream fins 39 rotate in synchronization with the auxiliary fin member 41 by the link bar 47. As a result, the upstream fins 39 and the auxiliary fin member 41 rotate in the vertical direction in response to the sliding movement of the dial operation knob 21. Therefore, the upstream fin group 17 changes the blowing direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 13A to the vertical direction in response to the vertical movement of the dial operation knob 21.

[0028] (Damper 19, etc.) As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 6, the damper 19 has a first damper plate 81 and a second damper plate 82. The first and second damper plates 81, 82 are flat and arranged so that their flat surfaces overlap each other in the closed position (see Figure 2). For example, the first damper plate 81 has a plurality of protrusions 81D formed on its outer periphery on a flat surface that faces the second damper plate 82 in the closed position. The protrusions 81D bring the first and second damper plates 81, 82 into point contact in the closed position.

[0029] The damper 19 is journaled by a bearing portion 83A of a damper support member 83. The damper 19 is rotatably supported by the damper support member 83 in a state in which the convex damper shaft portion 81A of the first damper plate 81 is inserted into the concave damper shaft portion 82A of the second damper plate 82, and is journaled so as to be rotatable about the same axis. The damper support member 83 is held by a retainer member 85 fixed to the retainer 11. Therefore, the damper 19 is rotatably held at a predetermined position in the ventilation passage 23 via the retainer member 85 and the damper support member 83.

[0030] The retainer member 85 is provided between the upstream fin group 17 and the damper 19 in the air blowing direction 25. The retainer member 85 has a main body portion 85A and a pair of pillar portions 85B. The main body portion 85A is formed in an annular shape, and the cylindrical portion 73A of the boss member 73 is inserted from the upstream side. The main body portion 85A is formed with a through hole corresponding to the size of the outer peripheral shape of the cylindrical portion 73A. A plurality of bead portions 73D are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 73A along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 73A. When the cylindrical portion 73A is inserted into the main body portion 85A, the bead portions 73D are rotatably held in a state in which they are in contact with or slightly separated from the inner wall of the main body portion 85A. In other words, the main body portion 85A is formed with a through hole corresponding to the size of the cylindrical portion 73A and the bead portions 73D.

[0031] The pair of pillars 85B are plate-shaped with flat surfaces parallel to the left-right and front-rear directions, with one end connected to the outer circumferential surface of the main body 85A and the other end connected to the inner wall of the retainer 11. As a result, the main body 85A is fixed by the pair of pillars 85B at a predetermined position in the air blowing direction 25. The damper support member 83 has a cylindrical main body 83B in the center in the up-down direction. The bearing portion 83A that supports the damper 19 is formed at the upstream end of four plates 83D fixed to the main body 83B.

[0032] The damper support member 83 is fixed to the retainer member 85 in a state where the main body portion 85A is inserted into the main body portion 83B. The damper support member 83 is engaged with the engaged portion 83E by the claw portion 85D provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 85A. The damper support member 83 is attached to the retainer member 85 in a state where the column portion 85B is inserted into the notch portion of the main body portion 83B. The outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 85A is formed with a positioning member 85E protruding from the outer peripheral surface. The damper support member 83 is formed with an insertion hole into which the positioning member 85E is inserted. This allows the user to assemble the damper support member 83 to the retainer member 85 using the positioning member 85E as a marker when attaching the damper support member 83 to the retainer member 85, thereby suppressing the occurrence of an incorrect assembly direction.

[0033] A damper side gear portion 81B is formed at the center of the downstream end of the first damper plate 81. A damper side gear portion 82B is formed at the center of the downstream end of the second damper plate 82. The damper side gear portion 81B is formed along the outer peripheral surface of the damper shaft portion 81A so as to wrap around from the downstream end of the first damper plate 81 to the left side surface. The damper side gear portion 82B is formed along the outer peripheral surface of the damper shaft portion 82A so as to wrap around from the downstream end of the second damper plate 82 to the right side surface. Therefore, each of the damper side gear portions 81B, 82B is formed at the end portion on the damper drive mechanism 71 (gear member 76) side (downstream side, front side) of each of the first and second damper plates 81, 82. The damper 19 is assembled to the damper support member 83 with each of the damper side gears 81B, 82B meshed with a gear member 76 of the damper drive mechanism 71 described later. The damper 19 opens and closes with the rotation of the gear member 76. The first and second damper plates 81, 82 rotate from an open position shown in FIG. 2 in which the ventilation passage 23 is opened in a direction away from each other (a direction spreading in the left-right direction) with the rotation of the dial operation knob 21. The rotation of the dial operation knob 21 is transmitted to the damper 19 via the transmission shaft 65 and the damper drive mechanism 71. For example, when the dial operation knob 21 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2, the first and second damper plates 81, 82 are in a closed position shown in FIG. 7. Each of the first and second damper plates 81, 82 spreads in the left-right direction and brings the outer peripheral edge into contact with the inner wall of the retainer 11 to close the ventilation passage 23.

[0034] (Damper drive mechanism 71) As shown in Fig. 4, damper drive mechanism 71 has, in that order from the downstream side, boss member 73, case member 74, and cam member 75. Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 show a state in which damper drive mechanism 71 is assembled to a retainer member 85. Boss member 73 and retainer member 85 are inserted into main body portion 83B of damper support member 83 from the downstream side in the state shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the case member 74 has a main body portion 74A and a wall portion 74B. The main body portion 74A has a cylindrical shape having a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction. When the main body portion 74A is viewed from one side in the front-rear direction, it has an elliptical shape. A boss recess 74D is formed in a portion facing the downstream side of the main body portion 74A. The boss recess 74D is formed by recessing toward the upstream side along the front-rear direction. A boss shaft 74F that axially supports the boss member 73 is provided in a bottom portion 74E of the boss recess 74D. The boss recess 74D is a cylindrical hole whose cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the boss shaft 74F has a circular shape. The boss shaft 74F is provided in the center of the circular bottom portion 74E.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the boss member 73 has a cylindrical portion 73A extending in the front-rear direction. A bottom portion 73E of the cylindrical portion 73A is circular. A boss bearing hole 73F is formed in the center of the upstream surface of the bottom portion 73E. The boss bearing hole 73F penetrates the bottom portion 73E in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 73A, i.e., in the front-rear direction. The cross-sectional shape of the boss bearing hole 73F is circular. The end of the boss member 73 including the upstream bottom portion 73E is inserted into the boss recess 74D of the case member 74, and the boss shaft 74F is inserted into the boss bearing hole 73F. The boss member 73 rotates relative to the fixed case member 74 around the boss shaft 74F along the front-rear direction.

[0037] As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the wall portion 74B is formed along the outer peripheral shape of the main body portion 74A, and is an arc-shaped wall protruding downstream (front side). The wall portion 74B is formed with a claw portion 74G that engages with an engagement hole of the main body portion 83B of the damper support member 83. The case member 74 is fixed in a relative position with respect to the damper support member 83 by engaging the claw portion 74G with the main body portion 83B (see Fig. 6). The wall portion 74B is also formed with an engagement hole 74H that engages with an engagement claw 85F (see Fig. 6) of the retainer member 85. The case member 74 is fixed in a relative position with respect to the retainer member 85 by engaging the engagement claw 85F with the engagement hole 74H. As a result, the case member 74 is fixed in a relative position with respect to the retainer 11.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, a flange portion 73G is formed on the cylindrical portion 73A of the boss member 73. The flange portion 73G has a disk shape formed from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 73A toward the outside in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Each of the four bead portions 73D described above is formed in a portion excluding the flange portion 73G in the axial direction (a position sandwiching the flange portion 73G in the front-rear direction). The bead portion 73D downstream of the flange portion 73G contacts the inner wall of the main body portion 85A of the retainer member 85, thereby reducing the contact area between the boss member 73 and the retainer member 85. The bead portion 73D upstream of the flange portion 73G contacts the inner wall of the boss recess 74D of the case member 74, thereby reducing the contact area between the boss member 73 and the case member 74. This allows the boss member 73 to come into point contact with the retainer member 85 and the case member 74 , allowing the boss member 73 to rotate smoothly relative to the retainer member 85 and the case member 74 .

[0039] The flange portion 73G is formed at a predetermined height 91 from the bottom portion 73E in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 73A. The flange portion 73G is formed to extend further outward than the bead portion 73D. As shown in FIG. 9, the boss member 73 is attached in a state in which the flange portion 73G is sandwiched between the main body portion 74A and the main body portion 85A in the front-rear direction. A plurality of (for example, four) bead portions 74J are formed on the end surface of the main body portion 74A on the flange portion 73G side. The four bead portions 74J are formed on the downstream end surface of the main body portion 74A at approximately 90 degree intervals (see FIG. 11). In addition, a plurality of (for example, four) bead portions 85G are formed on the end surface of the main body portion 85A on the flange portion 73G side. The four bead portions 85G are formed on the upstream end surface of the main body portion 85A at 90 degree intervals. The case member 74 and the retainer member 85 each have the bead portions 74J, 85G in point contact with the flange portion 73G not only in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction but also in the axial direction (front-rear direction), so that the boss member 73 can rotate more smoothly with respect to the retainer member 85 and the case member 74. When the cylindrical portion 73A upstream of the flange portion 73G is inserted into the boss recess 74D, the boss member 73 is in a state where the bead portion 74J is in contact with the upstream side surface of the flange portion 73G, or the upstream side surface of the flange portion 73G and the bead portion 74J are slightly spaced apart. In other words, the height 91 (see FIG. 13) forming the flange portion 73G is a height where the upstream side surface of the flange portion 73G is in contact with or slightly spaced apart from the bead portion 74J when the cylindrical portion 73A is inserted into the boss recess 74D.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, an insertion hole 74K is formed in the bottom 74E. The insertion hole 74K is formed in an arc shape along the edge of the bottom 74E (the inner wall of the boss recess 74D) with a predetermined radius and a predetermined angle range centered on the boss axis 74F. The predetermined angle range in which the insertion hole 74K is formed is, for example, about 120 degrees to about 150 degrees. Also, as shown in Fig. 13, a boss pin 73H is formed on the upstream surface of the bottom 73E. The boss pin 73H has, for example, a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter larger (thicker) than the inner diameter of the boss bearing hole 73F, and is formed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the bottom 73E, that is, along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 73A. The boss pin 73H is formed, for example, on the edge of the upstream side surface of the bottom 73E, which is circular. With the boss member 73 attached to the case member 74, the boss pin 73H is inserted into the insertion hole 74K, and the tip of the boss pin 73H protrudes upstream from the insertion hole 74K. The groove width of the insertion hole 74K is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the boss pin 73H. The boss pin 73H moves within the insertion hole 74K in response to the rotation of the dial operation knob 21.

[0041] As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, a cam recess 74L is formed in a portion of the main body 74A facing the upstream side. The cam recess 74L is formed by being recessed toward the downstream side along the front-rear direction. A cam bearing hole 74N that supports the cam member 75 is formed in a bottom 74M of the cam recess 74L. The bottom 74M is formed on the back surface of the downstream bottom 74E. The bottom 74M is a cylindrical hole whose cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction is circular. The cam bearing hole 74N is provided in the center of the circular bottom 74M, penetrates the bottom 74M, and communicates between the upstream bottom 74M and the downstream bottom 74E.

[0042] The upstream cam recess 74L and the downstream boss recess 74D are provided at positions offset in the front-rear direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the boss shaft 74F. For example, the cam bearing hole 74N is provided at a position offset by a offset width 93 from the boss shaft 74F in the vertical direction of FIG. 12 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the offset direction 95). The offset width 93 is, for example, 3 mm. Therefore, the circular bottom 74E is offset from the bottom 74M by the offset width 93 in the offset direction 95. The cam bearing hole 74N is offset from the center of the bottom 74E, i.e., the boss shaft 74F, by the offset width 93. Conversely, the boss shaft 74F is offset from the center of the bottom 74M, i.e., the cam bearing hole 74N, by the offset width 93. Therefore, when the main body 74A is viewed from one of the front-rear directions, the main body 74A has an elliptical shape that is expanded in the offset direction 95. The cam member 75 of the present embodiment is configured to be eccentric about a rotation axis that is offset from that of the boss member 73 .

[0043] The insertion hole 74K is formed from a position opposite the boss shaft 74F with the cam bearing hole 74N therebetween in the displacement direction 95 along the outer periphery of the bottom portion 74E to a position slightly higher than the boss shaft 74F in the displacement direction 95 (a position farther away from the cam bearing hole 74N in the displacement direction 95). The wall portion 74B is provided at an end portion opposite the boss shaft 74F with the cam bearing hole 74N therebetween in the displacement direction 95. One bead portion 74J described above is formed at the circumferential center of the wall portion 74B on the inner peripheral side (see FIG. 11).

[0044] As shown in Figs. 15 to 18, the cam member 75 has a disk shape having a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction, and has a camshaft 75B on the downstream side surface 75A. The camshaft 75B is formed in the center of the circular downstream side surface 75A, and protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the downstream side surface 75A. The cam member 75 is housed in the cam recess 74L with the camshaft 75B inserted into the cam bearing hole 74N of the case member 74. The cam member 75 is housed in a portion surrounded by the case member 74 and the main body portion 83B of the damper support member 83 in the axial direction of the camshaft 75B (see Figs. 2 and 7). The cam member 75 is housed in the cam recess 74L in a state in which it can rotate around the camshaft 75B.

[0045] Further, the downstream side surface 75A is formed with a cam insertion portion 75D into which the boss pin 73H of the boss member 73 is inserted. The cam insertion portion 75D has a first insertion portion 75E, a second insertion portion 75F, and a connecting portion 75G that connects the first and second insertion portions 75E, 75F. The first insertion portion 75E is a position into which the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the open position (see FIG. 2). The second insertion portion 75F is a position into which the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the closed position (see FIG. 7). When the downstream side surface 75A is viewed from above, the cam insertion portion 75D is bent at the connecting portion 75G to form a substantially L-shape.

[0046] The bent corner 75H of the connecting portion 75G is provided on the opposite side of the second insertion portion 75F with respect to a straight line 97 connecting the camshaft 75B and the first insertion portion 75E. The first insertion portion 75E is formed at the outer peripheral end of the downstream side surface 75A. The connecting portion 75G is formed in a direction inclined toward the corner 75H side from the straight line 97 (radial direction) in a path from the first insertion portion 75E toward the corner 75H, and in a direction approaching the camshaft 75B. In addition, the cam insertion portion 75D is formed in a direction intersecting the straight line 97 in a path from the corner 75H toward the second insertion portion 75F. The second insertion portion 75F is located close to the camshaft 75B.

[0047] In addition, the tip of the boss pin 73H protruding upstream through the insertion hole 74K of the case member 74 is inserted into the cam insertion portion 75D of the cam member 75. As described above, the boss pin 73H moves in the insertion hole 74K in response to the rotation operation of the dial operation knob 21. For example, the boss pin 73H moves from a first insertion position 98 to a second insertion position 99 shown in FIG. 11. The first insertion position 98 is a position where the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the open position, and is a position on the boss shaft 74F side of the insertion hole 74K in the shift direction 95. The second insertion position 99 is a position where the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the closed position, and is a position on the opposite side of the boss shaft 74F with the cam bearing hole 74N in between in the shift direction 95. When the boss pin 73H moves from the first insertion position 98 to the second insertion position 99 in the insertion hole 74K in response to rotation of the dial operation knob 21, the boss pin 73H engages with the cam insertion portion 75D, causing the cam member 75 to rotate. The boss pin 73H moves from the first insertion portion 75E to the second insertion portion 75F via the connecting portion 75G while moving in the insertion hole 74K. When the boss pin 73H is disposed at the second insertion position 99, it is inserted into the second insertion portion 75F.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 15, when the cam member 75 is viewed in a plan view, a first distance L1 between the first insertion portion 75E and the cam shaft 75B is longer than a second distance L2 between the second insertion portion 75F and the cam shaft 75B. More specifically, a part of the first insertion portion 75E is formed along the circular outer periphery of the cam member 75. The second insertion portion 75F is formed at a position close to the cam shaft 75B. The first distance L1 is, for example, the distance between the outer peripheral end portion (the portion that becomes the outer peripheral end portion of the downstream side surface 75A) of the first insertion portion 75E and the cam shaft 75B. The second distance L2 is, for example, the distance between the end portion (the end portion farthest from the connecting portion 75G) of the second insertion portion 75F in the moving direction of the boss pin 73H and the cam shaft 75B. In this case, the first and second distances L1 and L2 are the distances between the cam shaft 75B and both ends of the cam insertion portion 75D, and the first distance L1 is longer than the second distance L2.

[0049] Further, a gear member 76 is provided on the upstream side of the cam member 75. A pair of gear engagement portions 75K are formed on an upstream side surface 75J of the cam member 75. Each of the pair of gear engagement portions 75K has a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the upstream side surface 75J. The pair of gear engagement portions 75K are erected on the upstream side surface 75J such that their planes are parallel to each other. The base end sides between the pair of gear engagement portions 75K are connected to each other by a base portion 75L. The pair of gear engagement portions 75K are inserted into the gear member 76.

[0050] As shown in Figs. 19 and 20, the gear member 76 is substantially disk-shaped, and teeth 76A are formed at predetermined intervals along the outer periphery. The teeth 76A are inclined toward the upstream side. As a result, the gear member 76 meshes with each of the damper-side gear parts 81B, 82B of the damper 19, and transmits a rotational force in a state in which the rotation axes of the gear member 76 and the damper 19 are in a vertical direction (the rotation axis of the gear member 76 and the rotation axis of the damper 19 are perpendicular to each other), that is, in a so-called bevel gear-like meshing state. A gear insertion hole 76B into which a pair of gear engagement parts 75K are inserted is formed penetrating the center of the gear member 76. A claw part 75M is formed at the tip part of each of the pair of gear engagement parts 75K. The gear member 76 is attached by making the tip part of each of the pair of gear engagement parts 75K protrude upstream from the gear insertion hole 76B, and engaging the claw part 75M with the periphery of the gear insertion hole 76B (see Fig. 9).

[0051] Further, at the base end of the pair of gear engagement parts 75K, on ​​the outer side in the direction in which they face each other, a gear engagement part 75N having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed. Further, at the downstream side of the gear insertion hole 76B, a pair of recesses 76D recessed to match the shape of the pair of gear engagement parts 75N are formed. The cam member 75 inserts the pair of gear engagement parts 75K into the gear insertion hole 76B, while inserting the pair of gear engagement parts 75N into each of the pair of recesses 76D. This allows the rotation of the cam member 75 to be efficiently transmitted to the gear member 76. Furthermore, the gear engagement parts 75N indicate the rotation position when the gear member 76 is attached to the cam member 75, improving the ease of assembly.

[0052] 2, the gear member 76 is attached with a downstream portion inserted into a through hole 83F provided in the bottom of the main body portion 83B of the damper support member 83. A bead portion 83G is formed in an annular shape on the downstream side of the bottom of the main body portion 83B so as to surround the opening of the through hole 83F. Also, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, a plurality of (for example, four) bead portions 75P are formed on the upstream side of the case member 74. The case member 74 is held so as to be smoothly rotatable relative to the damper support member 83 by being in point contact with the bottom of the main body portion 83B by the bead portions 83G and 75P, thereby reducing the contact area.

[0053] (Opening and closing operation of damper 19) Next, the opening and closing operation of the damper 19 will be described. FIG. 21(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 21(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line CC. In order to show the relative positional relationship of the members, FIG. 21(a) shows the cylindrical portion 73A with a broken line. FIG. 21(a) and FIG. 21(b) show a state in which the dial operation knob 21 is in a position for opening the damper 19. In this state, for example, the position mark 51A of the dial operation knob 21 is in the upper position (the 12 o'clock position) as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The damper 19 is gradually tilted to close the ventilation passage 23 by rotating the dial operation knob 21 clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 1. For example, when the position mark 51A is rotated clockwise by 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 1, the damper 19 is in a closed position in which the ventilation passage 23 is completely closed as shown in FIG. 7.

[0054] When the user closes the damper 19, the user rotates the dial operation knob 21 in a clockwise direction. FIG. 22(a) and FIG. 22(b) show a state in which the transmission shaft 65 is rotated 40 degrees via the dial operation knob 21 from the positions shown in FIG. 21(a) and FIG. 21(b). As shown in FIG. 22(a) and FIG. 22(b), the boss pin 73H moves from the first insertion position 98 toward the second insertion position 99 along the arc shape of the insertion hole 74K. In addition, since the boss pin 73H is also inserted into the cam insertion portion 75D, it engages with the cam insertion portion 75D to rotate the cam member 75. Since the boss shaft 74F is provided at a position offset from the cam shaft 75B as described above, the cam member 75 rotates around the cam shaft 75B, which is eccentric to the boss shaft 74F of the boss member 73. Due to differences in the center of rotation, radius of rotation, and trajectory of rotation, the boss pin 73H moves from the first insertion portion 75E to the connecting portion 75G while engaging with the insertion hole 74K and the cam insertion portion 75D.

[0055] 23(a) and (b) show a state where the transmission shaft 65 is rotated by 90 degrees from the positions shown in each of FIGS. 21(a) and (b). As shown in FIGS. 23(a) and (b), the boss pin 73H moves in the insertion hole 74K and reaches the second insertion position 99. The boss pin 73H also moves in the cam insertion portion 75D from the first insertion portion 75E to the second insertion portion 75F. The cam insertion portion 75D rotates to the second insertion position 99, and the second insertion portion 75F overlaps with the second insertion position 99 in the front-rear direction. When the cam insertion portion 75D is in the position shown in FIG. 23(a), the cam member 75 rotates the damper 19 to the closed position via the gear member 76. The ventilation passage 23 is closed by the first and second damper plates 81 and 82 (see FIG. 7). In addition, the boss pin 73H is in a state where a gap is provided between the end portion on the second insertion position 99 side and the insertion hole 74K. In addition, the boss pin 73H is in a state where a gap is provided between the end portion on the second insertion portion 75F side and the insertion hole 74K.

[0056] 24(a) and (b) show a state in which the transmission shaft 65 is rotated by 100 degrees from the positions shown in each of FIGS. 21(a) and (b). As shown in FIGS. 24(a) and (b), the boss pin 73H advances by 10 degrees in the clockwise direction in the insertion hole 74K. The boss pin 73H is in contact with or in close proximity to the end of the second insertion position 99 side in the insertion hole 74K. The boss pin 73H also advances further in the cam insertion portion 75D toward the end of the second insertion portion 75F side. However, the cam insertion portion 75D does not rotate (its posture is not changed) from the closed position of the damper 19 shown in FIG. 23(a). That is, the cam member 75 does not rotate. 23 and 24, the area where the boss pin 73H has advanced in the insertion hole 74K and the cam insertion portion 75D functions as a surplus area 101 where no rotational force is applied to the cam member 75 (the cam member 75 is allowed to run freely) (see FIG. 23). In other words, the cam insertion portion 75D is provided with a surplus area 101 that allows the boss pin 73H to advance toward the second insertion portion 75F side so that the boss pin 73H can move further inside the cam insertion portion 75D from a state where the cam member 75 is arranged at the closed position of the damper 19. Similarly, the surplus area 101 that allows the boss pin 73H to advance toward the second insertion position 99 side so that the boss pin 73H can move further inside the insertion hole 74K from a state where the insertion hole 74K and the cam member 75 are arranged at the closed position of the damper 19. This allows the boss pin 73H to advance in the insertion hole 74K and the cam insertion portion 75D without rotating the cam member 75.

[0057] Here, in the register 10 of this embodiment, the transmission shaft 65 is connected by a coupling mechanism to transmit the rotation of the dial operation knob 21. In this configuration, if the intersection angle between the axis of the dial operation knob 21 and the transmission shaft 65 or the intersection angle between the axis of the transmission shaft 65 and the damper drive mechanism 71 (boss member 73) becomes large, there is a risk that the rotational deviation occurring between the dial operation knob 21 and the boss member 73 will become large. For example, the dial operation knob 21 is operated to move the downstream fin group 15 until it is fully swung left, and move the upstream fin group 17 until it is fully swung up. When the fins are rotated to such a movable limit position, even if the dial operation knob 21 is rotated only 90 degrees, the angle at which the boss member 73 rotates does not reach 90 degrees, and the amount of rotation is insufficient, so that the cam member 75 does not rotate to the closed position and the damper 19 does not close. Conversely, depending on the structure of the register 10, if the intersecting angle between the axis of the dial operation knob 21 and the transmission shaft 65 or the intersecting angle between the axis of the transmission shaft 65 and the boss member 73 becomes large, the boss member 73 may rotate more than 90 degrees as shown in Fig. 24 even though the dial operation knob 21 is rotated 90 degrees. In other words, there is a risk of excessive rotation. In this case, there is a risk of the damper 19 coming into contact and interfering with the inner wall of the retainer 11 more than necessary, causing abnormal noise.

[0058] In contrast, in the register 10 of this embodiment, the difference in the amount of rotation of the two members can be adjusted by rotating the cam member 75 on an axis that is eccentric to the boss member 73. In the configuration of this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 24(a) and 24(b), the rotation radius R2 of the cam insertion portion 75D that moves (rotates) can be made larger than the rotation radius R1 of the boss pin 73H that moves (rotates) in response to the rotation of the dial operation knob 21. That is, the cam member 75 can be rotated more than the boss member 73. The difference between the rotation radii R1 and R2 can be changed by adjusting, for example, the shapes and positions of the insertion hole 74K and the cam insertion portion 75D, the offset width 93 between the boss shaft 74F and the cam shaft 75B, the positional relationship between the boss pin 73H and the cam shaft 75B, and the like. Therefore, by adjusting the positional relationship between the boss pin 73H and the cam shaft 75B, it is also possible to make the rotation radius R2 through which the cam insertion portion 75D moves (rotates) smaller than the rotation radius R1 through which the boss pin 73H moves (rotates) in response to the rotation of the dial operation knob 21. In other words, the rotation of the cam member 75 can be reduced compared to the boss member 73. This makes it possible to eliminate insufficient or excessive rotation of the cam member 75 and properly close the damper 19.

[0059] Furthermore, by providing the surplus area 101 described above, even if the intersection angle becomes large and the rotation angle of the boss member 73 exceeds 90 degrees, the boss pin 73H can be made to run freely to absorb the surplus rotation amount. In other words, by providing such surplus area 101, the rotation amount of the boss member 73 can be permitted to reach angles of 90 degrees or more. This also makes it possible to eliminate insufficient rotation of the cam member 75 and to more reliably close the damper 19. Note that, although only the operation of closing the damper 19 has been described in the above, insufficient rotation and excessive rotation can also be eliminated in the operation of rotating the dial operation knob 21 in the direction of opening the ventilation passage 23.

[0060] Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the downstream fin group 15 and the upstream fin group 17 are an example of fins. The dial operation knob 21 is an example of an operation knob. The boss pin 73H is an example of a boss convex portion. The cam recess 74L is an example of a first recess. The boss recess 74D is an example of a second recess. The retainer member 85 is an example of an attachment portion. The bead portion 85G is an example of a retainer side bead portion. The bead portion 74J is an example of a cover side bead portion. The damper side gear portion 81B is an example of a first damper side tooth portion. The damper side gear portion 82B is an example of a second damper side tooth portion. The tooth portion 76A is an example of a cam side tooth portion.

[0061] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved. (1) In the register 10 of this embodiment, the transmission shaft 65 and the dial operation knob 21 are connected to the transmission shaft 65 and the boss member 73 by a joint mechanism (for example, a universal joint). The case member 74 holds the cam shaft 75B at a position shifted in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the boss shaft 74F (shift direction 95) from a straight line along the axial direction of the boss shaft 74F, and rotates the cam member 75 by the eccentric cam shaft 75B in response to the rotation of the boss member 73. According to this, when the dial operation knob 21 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the boss member 73 of the damper drive mechanism 71 via the joint mechanism. The boss pin 73H of the boss member 73 is inserted into the cam member 75, and rotates around the cam shaft 75B in response to the rotation of the boss member 73. The cam member 75 tilts the damper drive mechanism 71 between the open position and the closed position in response to the rotation.

[0062] Here, if the camshaft 75B is disposed on the axis of the boss shaft 74F and the cam member 75 rotates coaxially with the boss member 73, the rotational deviation between the dial operation knob 21 and the cam member 75 becomes large, for example, when the crossing angle between the axis of the dial operation knob 21 and the transmission shaft 65 is large. In response to this, the case member 74 holds the camshaft 75B at a position offset from the boss shaft 74F, and rotates the cam member 75 at an eccentric position in response to the rotation of the boss member 73. The cam member 75 rotates around the camshaft 75B in an eccentric positional relationship with the boss member 73, and rotates in conjunction with the boss member 73. In this configuration, for example, the difference between the rotational radii R1 and R2 can be changed by adjusting the shape of the insertion hole 74K or the cam insertion portion 75D, the offset width 93, etc. Therefore, the amount of swing of the damper 19 can be adjusted, and the excess or deficiency of the tilting of the damper can be eliminated.

[0063] (2) In addition, the boss pin 73H moves within the insertion hole 74K as the boss member 73 rotates about the boss axis 74F, and moves within the cam insertion portion 75D while engaging with the cam insertion portion 75D. By configuring the boss pin 73H to be movable relative to both the case member 74 and the cam member 75, it is possible to prevent the boss pin 73H from coming into contact with both the case member 74 and the cam member 75 and having its movement restricted. Therefore, in the boss member 73 and cam member 75 that rotate eccentrically, the rotation of the boss member 73 can be smoothly transmitted to the cam member 75.

[0064] (3) The insertion hole 74K is cut into an arc shape centered on the boss shaft 74F. When viewed from the axial direction of the cam shaft 75B, the cam shaft 75B is provided between the insertion hole 74K and the boss shaft 74F. This allows the cam insertion portion 75D (cam member 75) to rotate about the cam shaft 75B disposed between the insertion hole 74K and the boss shaft 74F. The cam insertion portion 75D can be rotated in an arc-shaped trajectory that follows the shape of the insertion hole 74K.

[0065] (4) The cam insertion portion 75D has a first insertion portion 75E into which the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the open position, and a second insertion portion 75F into which the boss pin 73H is inserted when the damper 19 is in the closed position. The first distance L1 between the first insertion portion 75E and the camshaft 75B is longer than the second distance L2 between the second insertion portion 75F and the camshaft 75B (see FIG. 15). This allows the second insertion portion 75F to be positioned closer to the camshaft 75B, and allows the boss pin 73H to be positioned closer to the camshaft 75B when the damper 19 is in the closed position.

[0066] (5) The cam insertion portion 75D has a connecting portion 75G that connects the first insertion portion 75E and the second insertion portion 75F, and is bent at the connecting portion 75G. The bent corner 75H of the connecting portion 75G is provided on the opposite side of the second insertion portion 75F with respect to the straight line 97 that connects the cam shaft 75B and the first insertion portion 75E (see FIG. 15). With this, when closing the damper 19, the boss pin 73H can be moved toward the second insertion portion 75F by the bent corner 75H while approaching the cam shaft 75B. By inserting the boss pin 73H into the second insertion portion 75F at the bent end, it is possible to prevent the boss pin 73H from moving toward the first insertion portion 75E without the operation of the dial operation knob 21, that is, to prevent the damper 19, which has been closed, from opening by itself. Conversely, by inserting the boss pin 73H into the first insertion portion 75E in the open position, the damper 19, once opened, can be prevented from closing by itself.

[0067] (6) In addition, the cam insertion portion 75D forms an excess area 101 into which the boss pin 73H is inserted when the dial operation knob 21 rotates even when the damper 19 is in the closed position (a position where the damper 19 comes into contact with the register 10 and movement is restricted) at the end of the movement path on the closed position side of the damper 19 when the damper 19 tilts between the open position and the closed position. With this, when the downstream fin group 15 and the upstream fin group 17 are swung to a certain position, if the transmission shaft 65 (boss member 73) turns 90 degrees or more due to a deviation in the intersection angle, the boss pin 73H can be inserted into the excess area 101 and allowed to run freely. Excessive interference between the damper 19 and the retainer 11 and the generation of abnormal noise can be suppressed.

[0068] (7) The case member 74 also has a cam recess 74L having a circular cross section and accommodating the cam member 75, and a boss recess 74D having a circular cross section and accommodating the bottom 73E of the boss member 73. The bottom 74M of the cam recess 74L is formed at a position offset from the bottom 74E of the boss recess 74D along the direction (offset direction 95) connecting the cam shaft 75B and the boss shaft 74F when viewed from the axial direction of the cam shaft 75B. This allows the cam recess 74L and the boss recess 74D to be disposed in the offset direction 95 in which the cam shaft 75B and the boss shaft 74F are offset, and allows the cam member 75 and the boss member 73 to be accommodated. The overall size of the case member 74 can be made as small as possible, for example, to have an overall elliptical outer shape.

[0069] (8) In addition, the retainer 11 has a boss member 73 attached to the retainer member 85. The boss member 73 has a flange portion 73G that is sandwiched between the retainer member 85 and the case member 74 in the axial direction of the boss shaft 74F. The retainer member 85 has a plurality of bead portions 85G that protrude toward the flange portion 73G. The case member 74 has a plurality of bead portions 74J that protrude toward the flange portion 73G. The boss member 73 is supported rotatably relative to the retainer member 85 and the case member 74 with the flange portion 73G sandwiched between the bead portions 74J and 85G from both sides in the axial direction. This can reduce the contact area between the retainer member 85 and the boss member 73, and between the case member 74 and the boss member 73. The boss member 73 can be smoothly rotated relative to the retainer member 85 and the case member 74.

[0070] (9) The damper 19 also has a first damper plate 81 having a damper side gear portion 81B and a second damper plate 82 having a damper side gear portion 82B. The cam member 75 has a gear member 76 that meshes with both of the damper side gear portions 81B, 82B to tilt both of the first and second damper plates 81, 82 in directions away from each other to close the ventilation passage 23. The gear member 76 has teeth 76A along the circular outer periphery and rotates around a straight line along the axial direction of the cam shaft 75B with the rotation of the cam member 75. The damper side gear portion 81B meshes with the teeth 76A in a state where it is supported rotatably around the damper shaft portions 81A, 82A along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cam shaft 75B (the up-down direction in this embodiment). The damper side gear portion 82B meshes with the tooth portion 76A while being supported rotatably around the damper shaft portions 81A, 82A, and is provided on the opposite side of the damper side gear portion 81B with the gear member 76 sandwiched therebetween in the direction along the damper shaft portions 81A, 82A (the vertical direction in this embodiment). Each of the damper side gear portions 81B, 82B is formed at the end portion of the gear member 76 side (downstream side, front side) of each of the first and second damper plates 81, 82. By providing the damper side gear portions 81B, 82B at the end portions of each of the first and second damper plates 81, 82, it becomes unnecessary to provide a member for connecting the damper drive mechanism 71 to the flat plate portion of the first and second damper plates 81, 82. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to form a hole for arranging a connecting mechanism (engaging arm, groove, etc.) in the connecting portion of the first and second damper plates 81, 82 as in the conventional connecting mechanism. When the first and second damper plates 81, 82 are opened (set to the closed position), it is possible to prevent the conditioned air from leaking through the gap at the connecting portion of the damper 19. The damper 19 can more reliably stop the conditioned air.

[0071] Incidentally, the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present application. For example, in the above embodiment, the flat downstream fin group 15 is arranged along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the air outlet 13A, and the flat upstream fin group 17 is arranged along the left-right direction, but these can be modified as appropriate. The downstream fin group 15 may be arranged in the left-right direction, and the upstream fin group 17 may be arranged in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the air outlet 13A may be shaped to be elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the vehicle occupant. In the above embodiment, boss member 73 is provided with boss pin 73H, and cam member 75 is provided with cam insertion portion 75D, but this is not limited to the above. For example, cam member 75 may be provided with a protrusion (such as a pin), and boss member 73 may be provided with a groove or through hole into which the protrusion is inserted. The number, shape, position, etc. of the members of the register 10 in the above embodiment are merely examples. For example, the downstream fin group 15 is not limited to three, but may be one, two, or four or more. The register 10 may be configured to include only one of the downstream fin group 15 or the upstream fin group 17. The cam shaft 75B does not have to be disposed between the insertion hole 74K and the boss shaft 74F when viewed from the axial direction of the cam shaft 75B. The bent shape of the cam insertion portion 75D is not limited to an L-shape, and may be a shape with an acute angle or an obtuse angle greater than L. The cam insertion portion 75D may be an arc shape connecting the first insertion portion 75E and the second insertion portion 75F. The boss shaft 74F may be provided in the boss member 73, and the boss bearing hole 73F may be provided in the case member 74. The cam shaft 75B may be provided in the case member 74, and the cam bearing hole 74N may be provided in the cam member 75.

[0072] The joint mechanism of the present application is not limited to a universal joint, but may be another joint mechanism such as a ball joint. The boss protrusion of the present invention is not limited to a columnar shape like the boss pin 73H, but may be another shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first insertion portion 75E may be disposed at a position closer to the camshaft 75B than the second insertion portion 75F. The number, shape, and position of the bead portions 73D, 74J, and 85G are merely examples. For example, five or more bead portions 73D may be provided. Also, a bead portion that makes point contact with the cylindrical portion 73A may be provided on the inner wall of the boss recess 74D. The resistor of the present invention is not limited to a resistor for an automobile, but may be a resistor for use in air conditioning or ventilation in a building. The mechanism for connecting the damper 19 and the damper drive mechanism 71 is not limited to a gear mechanism such as the gear member 76, but may be a structure using an arm and a groove, a structure using a rack mechanism, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 register, 11 retainer, 19 damper, 21 dial operation knob (operation knob), 23 ventilation passage, 25 airflow direction, 65 transmission shaft, 71 damper drive mechanism, 73 boss member, 73E bottom portion, 73G flange portion, 73H boss pin (boss convex portion), 74 case member, 74D boss recess (second recess), 74F boss shaft, 74J bead portion (cover side bead portion), 74K insertion hole, 74L cam recess (first recess), 74E, 74M bottom portion, 75 cam member, 75B cam shaft, 75D cam insertion portion, 75E first insertion portion, 75F second insertion portion, 75G connection portion, 76 gear member, 76A tooth portion (cam side tooth portion), 81 first damper plate, 81B Damper side gear portion (first damper side tooth portion), 82 second damper plate, 82B damper side gear portion (second damper side tooth portion), 85 retainer member (mounting portion), 85G bead portion (retainer side bead portion), 97 straight line, 101 excess area.

Claims

1. a damper drive mechanism for changing a direction of rotation of an operation knob transmitted from an operation knob via a transmission shaft to a damper that tilts between an open position that opens a ventilation passage and a closed position that closes the ventilation passage, and transmitting the rotation to the damper to tilt the damper between the open position and the closed position; The damper drive mechanism includes: a boss member connected to the operation knob via the transmission shaft; a case member that holds the boss member rotatably around a boss axis; A cam member; Equipped with The case member is A bearing portion is provided. The cam member is a camshaft is included, the camshaft is inserted into the bearing portion, and the camshaft is supported by the case member so as to be rotatable around the camshaft; The cam member and the boss member are The case member is sandwiched between the case member and the case member. The cam member is The boss member rotates in response to the rotation of the boss member to tilt the damper, The transmission shaft and the operation knob, and the transmission shaft and the boss member are Each is connected by a joint mechanism, The case member is A register that holds the cam shaft at a position offset in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the boss shaft from a straight line along the axial direction of the boss shaft, and rotates the cam member with the eccentric cam shaft in response to the rotation of the boss member.

2. The boss member is A boss protrusion is provided. The case member is an insertion hole into which the boss protrusion is inserted, The cam member is a cam insertion portion into which the boss protrusion is inserted through the insertion hole, The boss protrusion is 2. The register according to claim 1, wherein the boss member moves within the insertion hole as the boss member rotates about the boss axis, and moves within the cam insertion portion while engaging with the cam insertion portion.

3. The insertion hole is The boss has a shape cut into an arc shape around the boss axis, The camshaft is The register according to claim 2 , wherein the register is provided between the insertion hole and the boss shaft when viewed in an axial direction of the camshaft.

4. The cam insertion portion is a first insertion portion into which the boss protrusion is inserted when the damper is in the open position; a second insertion portion into which the boss protrusion is inserted when the damper is in the closed position; and having A first distance between the first insertion portion and the camshaft is The register of claim 3 , wherein the register is greater than a second distance between the second insert and the camshaft.

5. The cam insertion portion is A connecting portion is provided to connect the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion, and the connecting portion is bent. The bent corner of the connecting portion is The register according to claim 4 , wherein the register is provided on an opposite side to the second insertion portion with respect to a straight line connecting the camshaft and the first insertion portion.

6. The air conditioner further includes a fin for changing the direction of air blown out from the register. The fin is The operation knob rotates in response to an operation on the operation knob, The cam insertion portion is 6. The register according to claim 2, wherein an excess area into which the boss protrusion is inserted is formed at the closed position side end of a moving path along which the boss protrusion moves when the damper tilts between the open position and the closed position when the operating knob is rotated even when the damper is in the closed position.

7. The boss member is a circular bottom portion having the boss protrusion, The cam member is It has a disk shape. The case member is a first recess having a circular cross section and accommodating the cam member; a second recess having a circular cross-sectional shape and accommodating the bottom portion of the boss member; having The bottom of the first recess is The register according to any one of claims 3 to 6, which is formed at a position offset from the bottom of the second recess along a direction connecting the cam shaft and the boss axis when viewed from the axial direction of the cam shaft.

8. a retainer having the ventilation passage and having an attachment portion to which the boss member is attached, The boss member is a flange portion that is sandwiched between the mounting portion and the case member in the axial direction of the boss shaft, The mounting portion is a plurality of retainer side bead portions protruding toward the flange portion; The case member is a plurality of cover-side bead portions protruding toward the flange portion; The boss member is The register according to claim 1 , wherein the flange portion is sandwiched between a plurality of the retainer side bead portions and a plurality of the cover side bead portions on both sides in the axial direction of the boss shaft, and is rotatably supported relative to the mounting portion and the case member.

9. The damper is a first damper plate having a first damper side tooth portion; a second damper plate having a second damper side tooth portion; having The cam member is a gear member that meshes with both the first damper side tooth portion and the second damper side tooth portion to tilt the first damper plate and the second damper plate in a direction away from each other to close the ventilation passage, The gear member is a cam-side tooth portion along a circular outer periphery, the cam-side tooth portion rotating about a straight line along the axial direction of the camshaft as the cam member rotates; The first damper side tooth portion is the damper is supported rotatably about a damper axis that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the camshaft and engages with the cam-side tooth portion; The second damper side tooth portion is a gear member that meshes with the cam-side tooth portion while being supported rotatably around the damper shaft, and that is provided on the opposite side to the first damper-side tooth portion with the gear member interposed therebetween in a direction along the damper shaft, The first damper side tooth portion is a first damper plate provided at an end portion of the first damper plate facing the gear member; The second damper side tooth portion is The register according to claim 1 , wherein the register is formed at an end of the second damper plate on a side of the gear member.

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