Vehicle Ventilation Device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular vent device that can improve sealability in a vehicle during travelling of a vehicle to improve quietness in the vehicle, and facilitates opening and closing of a vehicular door while enabling the vehicular vent device mounted on a vehicle body to save a space.SOLUTION: A vehicular vent device, which has opening parts communicating a vehicle-inside with a vehicle-outside formed on a side surface or a rear surface at a rear part of a vehicle body, comprises: a vent duct comprising a vent hole communicating the vehicle-outside with the vehicle-inside; a flap, mounted on the vent duct turnably, which enables the vent hole to be freely opened and closed: a power transmission part, connected to a base end part of the flap, which has a rotating shaft for turning the flap; a driving part having a driving shaft for turning the power transmission part; and a control part that controls the driving part in tandem with opening and closing of the vehicular door, where the rotating shaft of the power transmission part is arranged in parallel with the driving shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle vent device for adjusting the pressure inside and outside the vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a vehicle vent device configured to communicate the inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle vent device is installed in the vehicle body and functions to suppress the increase in the pressure inside the vehicle by putting the inside and outside of the vehicle in a communicating state.

[0003] Conventionally, as a vehicle vent device, there is a configuration including a vent duct that communicates the inside and outside of the vehicle, a butterfly such as a flap or a fin that opens and closes the vent duct, an opening / closing device that controls the rotation of the butterfly, and a control device that controls the operation of the opening / closing device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a vehicle vent device, as shown in FIG. 9, a butterfly 120 for switching the continuous state between the inside and outside of the vehicle is provided inside the vent duct 110. The butterfly 120 is controlled in conjunction with the opening / closing state of the vehicle door. When the vehicle door is open, the butterfly 120 is rotationally fixed so that the vent duct 110 is in an open state to put the inside and outside of the vehicle in a communicating state. When the vehicle door is closed, the butterfly 120 is rotationally fixed so that the vent duct 110 is in a closed state to close the vent duct 110. Thereby, the vehicle vent device 100 can maintain the open state of the vent duct 110 until immediately before the vehicle door is closed, put the inside and outside of the vehicle in a continuous state, and function so that no pressure difference occurs between the inside and outside of the vehicle. That is, the conventional vehicle vent device 100 maintains a state in which the inside and outside of the vehicle communicate and air can flow until immediately before the vehicle door is closed, suppresses the increase in the pressure inside the vehicle, and eliminates the possibility that the vehicle door is difficult to close.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the conventional vehicle vent device 100 as described above, the butterfly 120 is controlled to open and close by the opening and closing device 130. As shown in FIG. 9, the opening and closing device 130 includes a rotatable butterfly 120 pivotally supported on a rotation shaft 122, a stroke pin 123 provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in a direction orthogonal to the butterfly 120 fixed in the open state, a sliding frame 124 provided at the tip of the stroke pin 123, a rotation lever 125 having a tip connected to the sliding frame 124, a solenoid 126 that allows the stroke pin 123 to advance and retreat in its axial direction, and a biasing member 127 such as a coil spring that biases the stroke pin 123 to advance in the axial direction.

[0006] In a non-energized state of the solenoid 126, the stroke pin 123 advances in the axial direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 127. As a result, the butterfly 120 rotates the rotation lever 125 to the left side in FIG. 9 and is fixed in a state where the vent duct 110 is closed.

[0007] Also, in an energized state of the solenoid 126, the stroke pin 123 retreats in the axial direction by the action of the solenoid 126. As a result, the butterfly 120 rotates the rotation lever 125 to the right side in FIG. 9 and is fixed in a state where the vent duct 110 is open.

[0008] In this way, the conventional vehicle vent device 100 controls the open / closed state of the vent duct 110 by switching the energized state and non-energized state of the solenoid 126 in conjunction with the open / closed state of the vehicle door. As a result, the vehicle vent device 100 solves the problem that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle when closing the vehicle door is reduced and the vehicle door cannot be closed or is difficult to close. In addition, the vehicle vent device 100 also eliminates the possibility that the closing sound of the vehicle door deteriorates due to reducing the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle when closing the vehicle door.

[0009] However, in the vehicle vent device 100 of Patent Document 1, since the stroke pin 123 for rotating the butterfly 120 can only move linearly, a large installation space for the forward and backward movement of the stroke pin 123 is required.

[0010] In recent years, in luxury cars, the requirements for the sealing performance of the vehicle interior related to the closing sound generated when the door is closed and the quietness during vehicle travel have been increasing.

[0011] The conventional vehicle vent device 100 is configured with an opening / closing device 130 as an opening / closing means for the vent duct 110, which is composed of an urging member 127 including a solenoid 126 and a coil spring. The urging force acting on the stroke pin 123 varies according to the elongation length during use and the number of uses of the urging member 127. That is, the urging force of the urging member 127 decreases during use, making it difficult to fix the butterfly 120 so as to close the vent duct 110, resulting in a problem of poor sealing performance inside the vehicle.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and aims to provide a vehicle vent device that improves the sealing performance inside the vehicle during vehicle travel to improve quietness, saves space for the vehicle vent device attached to the vehicle body, facilitates the opening and closing of the vehicle door, and improves the closing sound of the vehicle door.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle vent device according to the present invention is a vehicle vent device installed on a vehicle body and having an opening for communicating the inside and outside of the vehicle, and includes a vent duct having a vent for communicating the outside and inside of the vehicle, a flap rotatably attached to the vent duct to open and close the vent, a power transmission unit having a rotary shaft connected to the base end portion of the flap for rotating the flap, a drive unit having a drive shaft for rotating the power transmission unit, and a control unit for controlling the drive unit in conjunction with the opening and closing state of the vehicle door, and is configured such that the rotary shaft of the power transmission unit and the drive shaft are arranged in parallel.

[0014] In the second aspect of the present invention, the power transmission unit has a driven gear fixed to one end of the rotating shaft, the drive unit has a driving gear connected to the drive shaft, and the driven gear and the driving gear are meshed with each other.

[0015] In the third aspect of the present invention, the flap is composed of a flap body for opening and closing the vent duct and an elastic body provided at the peripheral edge of the flap body.

[0016] In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the vent duct has a plurality of plate bodies erected at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, and the plate bodies are configured such that an elastic body is attached to the front end surface.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle vent device installed on a vehicle body and having an opening for communicating the inside and outside of the vehicle, the vent device including a vent duct having a vent for communicating the outside and inside of the vehicle, a flap rotatably attached to the vent duct to open and close the vent, a power transmission unit having a rotating shaft connected to the base end of the flap for rotating the flap, a drive unit having a drive shaft for rotating the power transmission unit, and a control unit for controlling the drive unit in conjunction with the opening and closing state of the vehicle door. By arranging the rotating shaft of the power transmission unit and the drive shaft in parallel, the entire vehicle vent duct device can be formed in a compact form, and the closing sound of the vehicle door can be improved.

[0018] In particular, by arranging the rotating motor for rotating the flap for opening and closing the vent of the vent duct and the rotating shaft connected to the flap in parallel, the protruding space from the outside surface of the vehicle body to the inside of the vehicle compartment on the vent duct side, that is, can be reduced, and the installation space of the entire vent duct device can be reduced. Further, due to the configuration of controlling the opening and closing of the vent of the vent duct in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the vehicle door, the vehicle door can be closed without reducing the angular velocity, and the closing sound of the vehicle door can be improved.

[0019] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the power transmission unit has a driven gear fixed to one end of the rotating shaft, and the driving unit has a driving gear connected to the driving shaft. By meshing the driven gear and the driving gear, the power generated on the driving shaft can be transmitted to the flap via both gears to reliably switch between the open state and the closed state. Further, since the rotational movement of the flap is transmitted to the driving shaft via the rotating shaft, the driven gear, and the driving gear, when the vehicle is running, even if the pressure outside the vehicle is lower than the pressure inside the vehicle and the flap tries to rotate outward, the rotation is restricted by each gear, and the airtightness inside the vehicle can be maintained, and the quietness inside the vehicle can be maintained.

[0020] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the flap is composed of a flap main body for closing the vent duct and an elastic body provided at the peripheral edge of the flap main body. By this configuration, when the flap is closed, the contact sound when the flap contacts the vent duct can be reduced as much as possible, and the possibility that the closing sound when the flap main body is closed affects the door closing sound can be reduced as much as possible. Further, by attaching an elastic body to the peripheral edge of the flap, when the flap is closed, the elastic body contacts and deforms the inner wall surface (left and right side wall surfaces and lower wall surface) of the vent duct and is fixed. Thereby, when the vehicle is running, the possibility that the flap rotates outward unintentionally can be eliminated, and the airtightness inside the vehicle can be maintained and the quietness inside the vehicle can be maintained.

[0021] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the vent duct has a plurality of plate bodies erected at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction. By attaching an elastic body to the front end surface of the plate body, the strength of the vent duct is improved so that the vent duct does not deform due to the impact when the flap is closed, and the airtightness of the vent duct can be maintained. Further, by attaching an elastic body to the front end surface of the plate body, the contact sound between the flap and the front end surface when the vent hole of the vent duct is closed by the flap is reduced, and the possibility of affecting the door closing sound of the vehicle is reduced as much as possible, and the door closing sound of the vehicle can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In this embodiment, the "front-rear direction" is the depth direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 3) when the vehicle vent device 1 is observed with the front facing the outside of the vehicle, and the "left-right direction" is the left-right direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 5) when the vehicle vent device 1 is observed with the front facing the outside of the vehicle. Also, the vehicle vent device 1 of this embodiment is to be mounted on an opening provided in the vehicle body V, but in this embodiment, the state of being mounted on the rear part of the vehicle body V will be described as an example.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2(a), (b), and 4, the vehicle ventilation device 1 includes a ventilation duct 10 mounted in an opening provided on the rear side surface of the vehicle body V, a flap 20 that closes the ventilation port 14 of the ventilation duct 10, a power transmission unit 30 for rotating the flap 20, a drive unit 40 for controlling the power transmission unit 30, and a control unit 50 for controlling the drive unit 40 in conjunction with the open / closed state of the vehicle door.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), (b), the ventilation duct 10 is a pressure adjustment unit inside the vehicle that functions to keep the vehicle interior and exterior in a continuous state so that no pressure difference occurs between the vehicle interior and exterior.

[0026] The ventilation duct 10 includes a frame body 11 having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, a plurality of plate bodies 12, 12... erected at a certain distance from the lower wall surface 11B of the frame body 11 along the longitudinal direction of the frame body 11, reinforcing ribs 13 erected between the plurality of plate bodies 12, 12..., and a plurality of ventilation ports 14, 14... formed between the inner side surface of the frame body 11 and the plate body 12 and between the plate body 12 and the reinforcing rib 13.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2(a), (b), 3, and 5, the frame body 11 is a rectangular cylindrical body having openings on both the front and rear sides, and includes a frame body main body 11a having a substantially inverted trapezoidal shape in side view where the upper wall surface 11A constituting the frame body 11 is longer in the front-rear direction than the lower wall surface 11B, and a flange portion 11b extending along the peripheral edge of the front end portion of the frame body main body 11a.

[0028] A plurality of substantially square support openings 11c are formed along the longitudinal direction of the frame body main body 11a at the rear end portion of the upper wall of the frame body 11, that is, at the rear end portion of the upper wall surface 11A of the frame body main body 11a. A plurality of plate bodies 12 are erected along the longitudinal direction of the frame body main body 11a on the lower wall surface 11B of the frame body main body 11a.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 3, the plate body 12 is a member having a substantially right-angled triangular shape in side view with a constant thickness in the left-right direction, and functions as a reinforcing member for the frame body 11. The plate body 12 is erected on the lower wall surface 11B of the frame body main body 11a, and its upper part is connected to the inner surface of the upper wall surface 11A of the frame body main body 11a. That is, the plate body 12 is integrally formed by connecting the upper and lower ends to the frame body main body 11a. Further, the plate body 12 is formed in an inclined state such that the lower end of the front end surface 12a facing the outside of the vehicle is arranged on the outside of the vehicle with respect to the upper end. An elastic body 12b is attached to the front end surface 12a.

[0030] The elastic body 12b is composed of an elastic body having a rectangular cross-section with a contact surface with the front end surface 12a having substantially the same area as the front end surface 12a, and is attached to the front end surface 12a with an adhesive or the like. Note that the elastic body 12b may be composed of a material that absorbs the impact when the flap 20 described later comes into contact and is less likely to generate impact noise. For example, it is composed of butyl rubber or an elastomer.

[0031] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a reinforcing rib 13 is horizontally provided between the plate bodies 12, 12 provided near the left and right ends and between the plate body 12 and the left and right side wall surfaces 11C, 11C of the frame body main body 11a. The reinforcing rib 13 is a solid cylindrical member and is connected to the side surface of the plate body 12 near the front end surface 12a at a position that trisects the plate body 12 in the vertical direction. Thereby, when a load is generated on the front end surface 12a via the elastic body 12b, the load is dispersed to the other plate body 12 or the frame body main body 11a through the reinforcing rib 13, and the possibility of the load concentrating on any one of the plate bodies 12 is reduced, thereby preventing deformation of the plate body 12.

[0032] A ventilation port 14 is provided between the frame body main body 11a, the plate body 12, and the reinforcing rib 13 configured as described above. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ventilation port 14 is an opening provided so that the space inside the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle are continuous, and functions to prevent a pressure difference from occurring between the inside and outside of the vehicle by allowing air to flow out from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle when the pressure inside the vehicle rises.

[0033] By configuring the plate body 12 in this way, when the flap 20 is rotated to close the vent 14 of the vent duct 10, the contact sound when the flap 20 contacts the front end face 12a is reduced as much as possible by the elastic body 12b. That is, by reducing the contact sound between the flap 20 and the front end face 12a, the possibility that the contact sound affects the closing sound of the vehicle door can be reduced as much as possible. Specifically, the elastic body 12b absorbs the impact caused by the contact between the flap 20 and the front end face 12a, so that the contact sound generated when the flap 20 contacts the front end face 12a can be reduced from being recognized as an unpleasant sound mixed with the closing sound when the vehicle door is closed.

[0034] Also, on the front surface of the plate body 12, the flap 20 is disposed so as to close the vent 14 formed inside the frame body main body 11a.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 2(a), (b), FIG. 3, and FIGS. 6(a), (b), the flap 20 is disposed so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction along the inner wall of the frame body main body 11a, and functions as an opening / closing member for opening and closing the vent 14.

[0036] The flap 20 has a flap main body 21 that is substantially rectangular plate-shaped when viewed from the front, elastic bodies 22 extending from the left and right edge portions and the lower edge portion of the flap main body 21, and a rotation support portion 23 extending upward from the upper edge portion of the flap main body 21.

[0037] The flap main body 21 is a member having a substantially rectangular plate shape when viewed from the front and having an area larger than the opening surrounded by the inner wall of the frame body main body 11a. The flap main body 21 is disposed in an inclined shape inside the frame body main body 11a along the front end face 12a of the plate body 12. The flap main body 21 has elastic bodies 22 extending from the left and right edge portions 21a, 21a and the lower edge portion 21b, and a plurality of rotation support portions 23, 23... extending from the upper edge portion 21c.

[0038] The elastic body 22 is composed of a polymer having a substantially rectangular cross-section and elasticity. Note that the elastic body 22 may be composed of any member as long as it is a member capable of elastic deformation, such as natural rubber or an elastomer.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the flap body 21 is fixed in a state where the elastic body 22 disposed at the peripheral edge of the flap body 21 is in contact with the left and right side wall surfaces 11C, 11C and the lower wall surface 11B of the frame body 11. At this time, the elastic body 22 is deformed and fixed in a substantially "L" shape with its tip protruding outward of the vehicle. Thereby, the flap body 21 can increase the contact area with the inner wall surface of the frame body 11, and can reduce the possibility of swinging due to vibrations during vehicle travel or the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle during vehicle travel as much as possible.

[0040] Specifically, when the vehicle is running, the pressure outside the vehicle decreases and becomes a negative pressure state compared to the pressure inside the vehicle due to the air flow near the vehicle body during running. At this time, a rotational force that tries to rotate outward of the vehicle is generated in the flap body 21. However, the elastic body 22 is deformed and fixed in a substantially "L" shape to the left and right side wall surfaces 11C, 11C and the lower wall surface 11B of the frame body main body 11a. Thereby, when the flap body 21 tries to rotate outward of the vehicle, it can rotate outward of the vehicle after compressing and deforming the elastic body 22 between the lower edge portion 21b of the flap body 21 and the lower wall surface 11B. The compression deformation of the elastic body 22 inhibits the outward rotation of the flap body 21, and the flap body 21 is maintained in a state of closing the ventilation port 14 of the frame body main body 11a.

[0041] The rotation support portion 23 is a portion that extends from the upper edge portion of the flap body 21 and is substantially T-shaped in a front view, and a plurality of them are extended at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the flap body 21.

[0042] Each rotation support portion 23 is inserted through a support opening 11c formed in the upper wall surface 11A of the frame body 11 and protrudes to the outside of the frame body 11, and the tip thereof is fixed to the rotation shaft 31 of the power transmission portion 30.

[0043] As a result, the flap 20 can freely rotate in the vehicle interior and exterior directions in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft 31. That is, the flap 20 can easily switch between the closed state and the open state of the ventilation port 14 by the rotation of the rotation shaft 31.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the power transmission unit 30 has a rotation shaft 31 connected to the rotation support portion 23 of the flap 20 and a driven gear 32 connected to the rotation shaft 31.

[0045] The rotation shaft 31 is a member formed in a solid cylindrical shape, with its axial direction being the left - right direction, and is pivotally supported by a support structure (not shown) so that it can rotate while maintaining a horizontal state. Also, a driven gear 32 is disposed near either the left or right end of the rotation shaft 31. In this embodiment, the driven gear 32 is disposed on the right side of the rotation shaft 31.

[0046] The driven gear 32 is a spur gear having cogs on its circumferential surface, and its diameter is formed larger than that of the rotation shaft 31. The driven gear 32 is engaged with the rotation shaft 31 and can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation shaft 31. Also, the cogs provided on the circumferential surface of the driven gear 32 mesh with the cogs of the drive gear 42 of the drive unit 40.

[0047] The drive unit 40 is a part that generates power for rotating the flap 20, and is disposed parallel to the power transmission unit 30 behind the rotation shaft 31 and the driven gear 32 of the power transmission unit 30, that is, inside the vehicle relative to the vent duct 10. The drive unit 40 has a rotary motor 41 as a drive source for generating power, a rotation shaft 41a which is a drive shaft protruding from the rotary motor 41, and a drive gear 42 connected to the rotation shaft 41a. The rotary motor 41 is provided in a direction where the axial direction of the rotation shaft 41a is the left - right direction.

[0048] In this way, the rotating shaft 31 of the power transmission unit 30 and the rotating shaft 41a of the rotating motor 41 are arranged in parallel. That is, the power transmission unit 30 and the drive unit 40 are provided such that the axial directions of the rotating shaft 31 and the rotating shaft 41a of the rotating motor 41 are parallel to each other.

[0049] The rotating motor 41 is composed of a stepping motor that can accurately control the rotation angle and rotation speed by a pulse signal, and can easily change the rotation direction according to the input pulse signal. The rotating motor 41 is connected to the control unit 50 via a signal line, and controls the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 41a of the rotating motor 41 according to the control signal of the control unit 50.

[0050] Thereby, the rotating motor 41 rotates the rotating shaft 41a by a predetermined amount according to the input pulse signal, and rotates the driven-side gear 32 through the drive-side gear 42, so that the flap 20 connected to the rotating shaft 31 of the driven-side gear 32 can be rotated to open the ventilation port 14. Also, by inverting the positive and negative of the pulse signal input to the rotating motor 41, the flap 20 can be rotated to the vehicle interior side to close the ventilation port 14. The pulse signal input to such a rotating motor 41 is controlled by the control unit 50.

[0051] The control unit 50 is electrically connected to the courtesy switch 60. The courtesy switch 60 is a sensor switch that outputs a signal according to the open / closed state of the vehicle door. Specifically, the courtesy switch 60 outputs a close signal when the vehicle door is in the closed state, and outputs an open signal when the vehicle door is in the open state. The output signal of the courtesy switch 60 is transmitted to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 determines whether the vehicle door is in the closed state or the open state based on the signal of the courtesy switch 60.

[0052] The control unit 50 performs energization control of the rotary motor 41 based on the above-described open / closed state of the vehicle door. Specifically, when a close signal is input from the courtesy switch 60, the control unit 50 determines that the vehicle door is in a closed state, and controls the rotary motor 41 to operate in a direction to close the ventilation port 14 by the flap 20, thereby maintaining the closed state of the ventilation port 14. Further, when an open signal is input from the courtesy switch 60, the control unit 50 determines that the vehicle door is in an open state, and controls the rotary motor 41 to operate in a direction to open the ventilation port 14 by the flap 20, thereby maintaining the open state of the ventilation port 14.

[0053] As described above, the drive-side gear 42 is a spur gear having a cog portion on its circumferential surface, and the cog portion on the circumferential surface meshes with the cog portion of the driven-side gear 32. Note that the drive-side gear 42 is formed to have a larger radius of rotation than the driven-side gear 32. By configuring the drive unit 40 in this manner, the rotational power of the rotary motor 41 is transmitted to the flap 20 by meshing with the cog portion of the drive-side gear 42, which also has a cog portion on its circumferential surface and is formed of a spur gear, so that the switching between the open state and the sealed state of the ventilation port 14 can be reliably controlled. Further, by controlling the drive unit 40 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the vehicle door, when closing the vehicle door, the ventilation port 14 can be opened to make the inside and outside of the vehicle continuous, and the vehicle door can be closed without reducing the angular velocity. Thereby, the closing sound of the vehicle door when the vehicle body contacts the vehicle door can be improved.

[0054] Further, after the vehicle door is closed, the rotation of the flap 20 can be inhibited by meshing the driven-side gear 32 of the power transmission unit 30 with the drive-side gear 42 of the drive unit 40. That is, in order to rotate the flap 20 outward of the vehicle, it is necessary to rotate the rotary shaft 31 connected to the rotation support portion 23, the driven-side gear 32 provided at one end of the rotary shaft 31, and the drive-side gear 42 meshed with the driven-side gear 32. The rotary shaft 31, the driven-side gear 32, and the drive-side gear 42 are configured such that the rotation radius increases in order. Thereby, the vehicle ventilation device 1 is configured to be difficult to rotate with the rotational power from the flap 20, and is configured to be easily rotatable with the rotational power from the rotary motor 41.

[0055] By configuring the vehicle ventilation device 1 in this way, the possibility of the flap 20 rotating during vehicle travel can be reduced, and the possibility of communication between the outside and inside of the vehicle can be reduced as much as possible.

[0056] Further, since the power transmission unit 30 and the drive unit 40 are arranged in parallel and the power of the rotary motor 41 is transmitted by spur gears, the vehicle ventilation device 1 can be arranged without protruding the power unit of the flap 20 for opening and closing the ventilation port 14 of the ventilation duct 10 into the vehicle interior, and the vehicle interior space can be utilized as widely as possible.

[0057] (Regarding the closing sound) Here, the closing sound of the vehicle door generated when the vehicle door contacts the vehicle body will be described. The closing sound refers to the sound heard near the peripheral edge of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is closed, particularly near the vehicle door when the vehicle door is fixed to the vehicle body by the latch and striker of the vehicle door.

[0058] The closing sound varies depending on the rigidity of the vehicle door, the structure of the latch, the size of the vehicle door, the mass of the vehicle door, and the angular velocity when the vehicle door is closed, and the quality of the sound is judged according to the magnitude of the sound pressure generated when the vehicle door is closed.

[0059] Generally, the quality of sound is such that high-frequency sounds tend to be recognized as unpleasant, while low-frequency sounds tend to be recognized as comfortable. The greater the sound pressure in the low-frequency range, the more comfortable the sound is recognized.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the opening area of the opening A (see FIG. 3) between the lower edge portion 21b of the flap 20 and the front end portion of the frame body 11a, the sound pressure, and the sound quality of the closing sound of the vehicle door. As shown in FIG. 7, as the flap 20 is rotated outward to increase the opening area of the opening A, the sound pressure of the closing sound at the time of closing the vehicle door increases. This is because when the opening area of the opening A is increased, the air pushed into the vehicle interior when the vehicle door rotates passes through the ventilation port 14 and is easily discharged to the outside of the vehicle, and no pressure difference is generated between the outside and the inside of the vehicle. That is, by not generating a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the vehicle when the vehicle door is closed, the air resistance that inhibits the rotation of the vehicle door can be reduced, and thus the opening of the vehicle body can be closed without reducing the angular velocity of the vehicle door. In this way, since the angular velocity of the vehicle door does not decrease, the contact impact between the vehicle door and the vehicle body increases, and accordingly, the closing sound of the vehicle door generated when the vehicle door and the vehicle body come into contact also increases.

[0061] Conversely, when the opening area of the opening A is reduced, as the vehicle door approaches the vehicle body, the air located on the trajectory of the vehicle door is pushed into the vehicle interior, and the pressure inside the vehicle increases. Along with this, the rotational movement of the vehicle door is inhibited by the air pushed into the vehicle interior as the vehicle door approaches the vehicle body, and the angular velocity decreases, and the impact when the vehicle door and the vehicle body come into contact becomes smaller. As a result, the closing sound generated between the vehicle door and the vehicle body also becomes smaller.

[0062] The sound pressure of these closing sounds and the angular velocity when the vehicle door is closed can be expressed by the following relational expression. Let the sound pressure of the closing sound be P, the weight of the door be m, the distance from the door hinge to the center of gravity of the door be r, and the angular velocity when the door is closed be ω. Then, the sound pressure P related to the closing sound of the vehicle door can be expressed as follows. P ∝ mrω2 ····(1) As represented by this formula (1), the sound pressure P of the closing sound of the vehicle door is proportional to the weight of the door, the position of the center of gravity of the door, and the square of the angular velocity. That is, the angular velocity of the vehicle door is the most important factor in improving the closing sound of the vehicle door.

[0063] As described above, when the vehicle door is closed, it rotates while pushing aside the air on the rotation locus of the vehicle door. Therefore, air resistance due to the air located on the rotation locus is generated on the vehicle door during rotation. Also, as the vehicle door approaches the opening of the vehicle body, the air pressed against the vehicle door is pushed into the vehicle interior, increasing the pressure inside the vehicle interior. As a result, the angular velocity of the vehicle door decreases as it approaches the state of closing the vehicle body opening. Therefore, in order to maintain the angular velocity when closing the vehicle door, it is necessary to eliminate the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle.

[0064] In the present embodiment, as described above, the opening and closing state of the flap 20 is controlled by the courtesy switch 60 provided on the vehicle body, and when the vehicle door is opened, the flap 20 is rotated to the outside of the vehicle to open the ventilation port 14. As a result, the air pushed into the vehicle interior by the vehicle door is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the ventilation port 14, suppressing the increase in the pressure inside the vehicle interior, maintaining the angular velocity of the vehicle door, and improving the closing sound of the vehicle door. Also, when the vehicle door is in the closed state, the flap 20 is rotated to the inside of the vehicle and closes the ventilation port 14 while pressing the elastic body 12b. As a result, the flow of air between the outside and inside of the vehicle can be blocked by the flap 20, maintaining the airtight state inside the vehicle.

[0065] Regarding the vehicle ventilation device 1 using the vent duct 10 configured as described above, the opening and closing operation of the flap 20 will be described with reference to the control flow of FIG. 8.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 8, in the control unit 50, first, it is determined whether the courtesy switch 60 is in the pressed state or the non-pressed state (S10).

[0067] In step S10, when the vehicle door is opened and the courtesy switch 60 is in a non-pressed state (S10, NO), the courtesy switch 60 outputs an open signal to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 that receives the open signal of the courtesy switch 60 controls the rotation motor 41 to rotate the flap 20 outward to maximize the opening area of the opening A (flap open S11). Note that the control unit 50 maintains the fully open state of the flap 20 until a close signal is input from the courtesy switch 60 and maintains the state where the area of the opening A is maximized (flap open S11).

[0068] On the other hand, in step S10, when the vehicle door is closed and the courtesy switch 60 is in a pressed state (S10, YES), the courtesy switch 60 outputs a close signal to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 that receives the close signal of the courtesy switch 60 controls the rotation motor 41 to rotate the flap 20 inward to minimize the opening area of the opening A to 0 (flap closed S12).

[0069] After rotating the flap 20 so that the opening area of the opening A is minimized to 0 (flap closed S12), a drive signal of the air conditioner installed in the vehicle is transmitted to the control unit 50, and it is determined whether the air conditioner is in a driving state or a non-driving state (S20).

[0070] In step S20, when the air conditioner is in a driving state (S20, YES), the control unit 50 performs an operation of rotating the flap 20 outward from the state where the opening A is closed, and sets the opening A to a slightly open state (flap slightly open S21). Note that the control unit 50 constantly detects the operating state of the air conditioner and maintains the state where the opening A is slightly open (flap slightly open S21) until the air conditioner becomes non-driving.

[0071] On the other hand, in step S20, when the air conditioner is in a non-driven state (S20, NO), the control unit 50 controls the rotary motor 41 to rotate the flap 20 toward the inside of the vehicle to set the opening area of the opening A to the minimum value of 0 (flap closed S22). In step S20, when the air conditioner has never been driven, since the opening A is already in a state of being blocked by the flap 20 (flap closed S12), the control unit 50 maintains the blocked state of the opening A by the flap 20 (flap closed S12) without sending any control signal to the rotary motor 41 and shifts to the blocked state of the opening A (flap closed S22).

[0072] By controlling the opening and closing operation of the flap 20 according to the opening and closing state of the vehicle door and the driving state of the air conditioner in this way, the closing sound of the vehicle door can be improved, and the airtightness and quietness inside the vehicle can be improved.

[0073] Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the flap 20 in the present embodiment may be configured to open and close the ventilation port 14 in conjunction with the operation of the air conditioner. That is, when the air conditioner inside the vehicle is driven, in addition to the close signal of the vehicle door, a drive signal (ON signal) of the air conditioner is transmitted to the control unit 50. At this time, the control unit 50 transmits a signal for rotating the flap 20 outward to the drive unit 40 to create a gap between the flap 20 and the front end of the frame body 11a, that is, in the opening A.

[0074] This suppresses the increase in the pressure inside the vehicle caused by driving the air conditioner, and the interior of the vehicle can be easily controlled to a predetermined temperature. That is, the air heated (or cooled) to a predetermined temperature discharged from the air outlet of the air conditioner into the vehicle interior pushes the air outside the predetermined temperature staying inside the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, making it easier to change the temperature inside the vehicle to the predetermined temperature. At this time, when the flap 20 is rotated outward to the fully open state, the road noise outside the vehicle easily enters the vehicle interior, and the quietness of the vehicle interior cannot be maintained. In the present embodiment, the rotary motor 41 that rotates the flap 20 is configured as a stepping motor capable of controlling its rotation amount according to the number of input pulse signals, and the opening A can be formed with an arbitrary opening area. Thereby, while forming the opening area of the opening A to an optimal opening area for the operation of the air conditioner, the quietness of the vehicle interior can also be maintained.

[0075] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the vehicle vent device 1 of the present embodiment particularly has the following features in its configuration.

[0076] In the present embodiment, by arranging the rotating shaft 31 and the rotary motor 41 constituting the vehicle vent device 1 in parallel, the vehicle vent device 1 can be formed compactly, and the vehicle vent device 1 can be mounted on the vehicle body V without changing the layout of the components inside the vehicle body.

[0077] Also, in the present embodiment, the transmission of the rotational force is performed via the drive-side gear 42 connected to the rotating shaft 41a of the rotary motor 41, the driven-side gear 32 connected to the rotating shaft 31, and the rotating shaft 31. Since the rotational force of the rotary motor 41 is transmitted using gears in this way, the opening and closing operation of the flap 20 can be surely performed.

[0078] In addition, with the configuration in which the driven-side gear 32 and the driving-side gear 42 are engaged, when the flap 20 is in the open state or the closed state, the engaged portion of each gear functions as a stopper that restricts the rotation of the flap 20, and it is possible to prevent the flap 20 from changing from the current state. Thereby, when the vehicle is running, the opening A is reliably closed by the flap 20 to maintain the quietness in the vehicle interior, and when the vehicle door is opened, the open state of the opening A is maintained until the vehicle door is closed, suppressing the occurrence of a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle interior, and maintaining the angular velocity when the vehicle door is closed to improve the closing sound of the vehicle door.

[0079] In addition, in the present embodiment, since the elastic body 22 is extended to the peripheral edge portion of the flap body 21, when the vehicle is running, the flap 20 is inhibited from rotating outward of the vehicle, and the closed state of the flap 20 can be maintained, and the airtight state inside the vehicle can be maintained. Further, the elastic body 12b disposed on the front end surface 12a of the plate body 12 can reduce the contact sound between the flap 20 and the plate body 12 when the flap 20 is closed, and can reduce the possibility of affecting the closing sound of the vehicle door as much as possible.

[0080] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes configurations in which the respective configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments are mutually replaced or combined, configurations in which the known inventions and the respective configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments are mutually replaced, and the like. Further, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and extends to the matters described in the claims and their equivalents.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0081] 1 Vehicle ventilation device 10 Vent duct 11 Frame body 12 Plate body 13 Reinforcing rib 14 Ventilation port 20 Flap 21 Flap body 22 Elastic body 23 Rotation support portion 30 Power transmission portion 31 Rotation shaft 32 Driven-side gear 40 Driving unit 41 Rotation motor 41a Rotation shaft 42 Driving-side gear 50 Control unit 60 Courtesy switch A Opening V Vehicle body

Claims

1. A vehicle vent device installed on a vehicle body and having an opening that communicates between the inside and outside of the vehicle, a vent duct having a vent opening that communicates between the outside and inside of the vehicle, a flap rotatably attached to the vent duct to open and close the vent opening, a power transmission unit having a rotating shaft connected to the base end portion of the flap for rotating the flap, a drive unit having a drive shaft for rotating the power transmission unit, a control unit for controlling the drive unit in conjunction with the open / closed state of a vehicle door, and comprising, wherein the rotating shaft of the power transmission unit and the drive shaft of the drive unit are arranged in parallel, the vent duct has a plurality of plate bodies erected at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, and an elastic body is attached to the front end surface of the plate body, characterized in that it is a vehicle vent device.

2. The power transmission unit has a driven-side gear fixed to one end portion of the rotating shaft, the drive unit has a drive-side gear connected to the drive shaft, and the vehicle vent device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the driven-side gear and the drive-side gear are meshed with each other.

3. The flap is composed of a flap body for opening and closing the vent duct and an elastic body provided at the peripheral edge of the flap body, characterized in that it is the vehicle vent device according to Claim 1 or 2.

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