Air conditioning register
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023081816
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-05-17
AI Technical Summary
【0031】 本発明によれば、空調用レジスタの体格の増大を抑えつつ、互いに異なる方向に可動する複数の可動部材を駆動させることができる。
Smart Images

Figure 0007913447000001 
Figure 0007913447000002 
Figure 0007913447000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an air-conditioning register.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wind direction adjusting device. This wind direction adjusting device includes an outer case having an air outlet that blows out air, and a rotation unit that is housed in the outer case and rotates relative to the outer case.
[0003] The rotation unit includes an inner case having an inner air outlet that blows out conditioned air, a left-right louver that changes the flow direction of air in the left-right direction, and an up-down louver that changes the flow direction of air in the up-down direction. The left-right louver is rotatably disposed at a position adjacent to the inner air outlet in the inner case. The up-down louver is fixed further inward than the left-right louver inside the inner case.
[0004] Further, the rotation unit includes a left-right drive motor that rotationally drives the left-right louver, and an up-down drive motor that rotationally drives the rotation unit. According to such an air conditioning apparatus, the left-right louver is rotationally driven by the left-right drive motor, thereby changing the left-right wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet. Further, the rotation unit is driven by the up-down drive motor, so that the inner air outlet of the inner case moves in the up-down direction relative to the air outlet of the outer case. Thereby, the angle of the up-down louver with respect to the air outlet is changed. That is, the up-down wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet is changed.
Prior Art Literature
Patent Literature
[0005]
Patent Literature 1
Summary of the Invention
Problem to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] Incidentally, in such wind direction adjustment devices, separate actuators such as motors are provided for adjusting the wind direction in the vertical and horizontal directions. As a result, the configuration of the wind direction adjustment device becomes complex, and its size increases. It should be noted that these problems are not limited to wind direction adjustment devices that have multiple actuators for adjusting the wind direction in the horizontal and vertical directions. For example, the same problems arise in wind direction adjustment devices that have multiple actuators for driving multiple movable members that move in different directions from each other. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] This document describes various embodiments of air conditioning registers that address the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] An air conditioning register comprising a retainer that forms an air passage for air conditioning air, wherein the register comprises a plurality of movable members attached to the retainer and movable in different directions from each other, an actuator that drives the plurality of movable members by rotating, and a plurality of conversion mechanisms that drive the plurality of movable members by converting the rotation of the actuator into motion in the direction in which each of the plurality of movable members moves.
[0008] According to the above configuration, the rotation of one actuator is converted by multiple conversion mechanisms into motion in the direction in which each of the multiple movable members moves, thereby driving multiple movable members. Therefore, compared to the case where multiple movable members are driven by multiple actuators, it is possible to drive multiple movable members that move in different directions while suppressing an increase in the size of the air conditioning register.
[0009] [Aspect 2] The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 1], wherein the plurality of conversion mechanisms include an intermittent drive mechanism comprising a driving gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator and a driven gear that is intermittently driven by the driving gear.
[0010] According to the above configuration, in a conversion mechanism including an intermittent drive mechanism, the rotation of the actuator is converted into motion in the direction of movement of the movable member via the driving gear and the driven gear. Therefore, one or more of the multiple movable members driven by the actuator can be driven intermittently.
[0011] [Aspect 3] The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the plurality of movable members include a plurality of fins that are rotatable in a first direction about a plurality of fin axes that extend parallel to each other within the air passage of the retainer, and the plurality of conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the first direction, the first conversion mechanism comprises a rack gear having a plurality of teeth that extends in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of fins and is slidably supported in the direction of the arrangement and is provided in the direction of the arrangement, and a plurality of pinion gears provided on each of the plurality of fins and meshing with the rack gear, and the air conditioning register according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2] is configured to rotate the plurality of fins in a first direction about each of the fin axes by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation of the plurality of pinion gears via the linear motion of the rack gear.
[0012] According to the above configuration, the first conversion mechanism converts the rotation of the actuator into the rotation of multiple pinion gears via the linear motion of the rack gear in the above-mentioned direction. As a result, multiple fins rotate in the first direction around their respective fin axes. Therefore, the airflow direction of the conditioned air blown out from the retainer can be easily changed by the driving force of the actuator.
[0013] [Aspect 4] The retainer has a through hole that penetrates from its outer surface toward the air passage, and a plurality of the movable members are supported so as to be slidable in a second direction different from the first direction relative to the retainer, and include a slide cover that opens and closes the through hole, and a plurality of the conversion mechanisms include a second conversion mechanism that drives the slide cover to slide from a closed position that closes the through hole to an open position that opens the through hole by converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the second direction, and the slide cover contains a liquor and has a housing portion that communicates with the air passage through the through hole when the slide cover is in the open position, the air conditioning register according to [Aspect 3].
[0014] According to the above configuration, the second conversion mechanism converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in a second direction, thereby driving the slide cover to slide in the second direction. As a result, the slide cover slides from the closed position to the open position. In the open position of the slide cover, the containment section for the chemical agent and the ventilation passage of the register are in communication through a through-hole. Therefore, the chemical agent flows into the ventilation passage through the through-hole. Consequently, various functions can be imparted to the air conditioning air blown out from the retainer by the chemical agent.
[0015] [Aspect 5] The first conversion mechanism includes an intermittent drive mechanism comprising: a driving gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator; and a driven gear that meshes with both the driving gear and the rack gear and is intermittently driven by the driving gear, thereby intermittently converting the rotation of the driving gear into the linear motion of the rack gear in the alignment direction; wherein, while the driving gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh to rotate a plurality of fins in the first direction, while the driving gear rotates from the second phase to the first phase The gear is configured such that the rotation of the plurality of fins is stopped by the driving gear and the driven gear not engaging while the gear rotates to the third phase on the opposite side, and the second conversion mechanism includes a restricting mechanism that restricts the slide cover from sliding from the closed position to the open position while the driving gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase, while allowing the slide cover to slide from the closed position to the open position while the driving gear rotates from the second phase to the third phase. The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 4].
[0016] According to the above configuration, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh while the driving gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator. As a result, the rotation of the driving gear is converted into linear motion of the rack gear in the direction of alignment via the driven gear. Consequently, multiple fins rotate in the first direction around their respective fin axes. At this time, in the second conversion mechanism, the rotation of the driving gear continues to be converted into linear motion in the second direction, while the regulating mechanism restricts the sliding cover from sliding from the closed position to the open position. Subsequently, while the driving gear rotates from the second phase to the third phase, the driving gear and the driven gear do not mesh, and therefore the rotation of the driven gear stops. As a result, the rotation of multiple fins stops. At this time, the sliding cover is allowed to slide from the closed position to the open position by the regulating mechanism of the second conversion mechanism. Therefore, a single actuator can independently drive multiple fins to change the airflow direction of the conditioned air from the retainer, and open the slide cover to impart various functions to the conditioned air using chemicals.
[0017] [Aspect 6] The number of teeth of the pinion gear is set such that the fins can rotate to a fin shut position in which adjacent fins in the direction of alignment come into contact with each other and overlap, and the first conversion mechanism is configured such that when the driving gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh together to rotate the plurality of fins from the fin shut position, as described in [Aspect 5].
[0018] According to the above configuration, when multiple fins are rotated to the fin-shut position, the air passage is blocked by the fins that come into contact with and overlap each other, thereby stopping the blowing of conditioned air from the retainer. Furthermore, when the drive gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, the multiple fins rotate in the first direction around their respective fin axes from the fin-shut position. As a result, the blowing of conditioned air from the retainer begins, and the direction of the airflow is changed. Therefore, it is possible to start blowing conditioned air from the retainer and change its direction, and to open the slide cover and impart various functions to the conditioned air with chemicals, separately.
[0019] [Aspect 7] The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 5] or [Aspect 6], wherein the second conversion mechanism is configured to drive the slide cover from the closed position to the open position by converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the second direction via the rotation of the driving gear.
[0020] According to the above configuration, the rotation of the actuator is transmitted to the second conversion mechanism via the driving gear of the first conversion mechanism, thereby converting it into linear motion in the second direction. This eliminates the need to provide a separate means for transmitting the rotation of the actuator to the second conversion mechanism by rotating in conjunction with the actuator's rotation. Therefore, the configuration of the second conversion mechanism can be simplified.
[0021] [Aspect 8] When the fin is an upstream fin and the fin axis is the first fin axis, The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 3], wherein the plurality of movable members are arranged downstream of the plurality of upstream fins in the air passage in the direction of the flow of the air conditioning air, and include a plurality of downstream fins that are rotatable in a second direction about a second fin axis extending in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of upstream fins, and the plurality of conversion mechanisms include a second conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of downstream fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the second direction.
[0022] According to the above configuration, the rotation of the actuator is converted into rotation in the second direction by the second conversion mechanism, whereby the plurality of downstream fins are rotated in the second direction about respective second fin axes extending in the arrangement direction. Therefore, the wind direction of the air-conditioning air blown out from the retainer can be more easily changed by the driving force of the actuator.
[0023] [Aspect 9] The air conditioning register according to [Aspect 8], wherein the second conversion mechanism includes an intermittent drive mechanism including: a driving gear that continuously rotates in conjunction with rotation of the actuator; an intermediate gear meshed with the driving gear; and a driven gear meshed with the intermediate gear and intermittently driven by the driving gear via the intermediate gear, and the driven gear is intermittently driven each time the intermediate gear rotates by a predetermined angle, thereby rotating the plurality of downstream fins in the second direction.
[0024] According to the above configuration, each time the intermediate gear rotates by a predetermined angle in conjunction with rotation of the actuator, the intermediate gear meshes with the driven gear. Thereby, the rotation of the intermediate gear is converted into rotation in the second direction via the driven gear. As a result, the plurality of downstream fins are rotated in the second direction about the respective second fin axes. Further, while the intermediate gear and the driven gear are not meshed with each other, the rotation of the driven gear stops. That is, the rotation of the plurality of downstream fins is stopped. On the other hand, the plurality of upstream fins are continuously rotated in the first direction while the actuator rotates, since the rotation of the actuator is continuously converted into rotation in the first direction by the first conversion mechanism. Therefore, with only one actuator, a mode of driving only the upstream fins and a mode of driving both the upstream fins and the downstream fins can be performed separately. Further, by adjusting the predetermined angle, the trajectory of the wind direction of the air-conditioning air while the driving gear rotates can be appropriately changed.
[0025] [Aspect 10] The air-conditioning register according to [Aspect 9], wherein the first conversion mechanism converts rotation of the actuator into linear motion of the rack gear in the arrangement direction via rotation of the driving gear, thereby being configured to rotate the plurality of upstream fins in the first direction about each of the first fin shafts.
[0026] According to the above configuration, rotation of the actuator is transmitted to the first conversion mechanism via the driving gear of the second conversion mechanism, and thus converted into rotation in the first direction. Accordingly, there is no need to individually provide, in the first conversion mechanism, a means for transmitting rotation of the actuator by interlocking with rotation of the actuator. Therefore, the configuration of the conversion mechanism can be simplified.
[0027] [Aspect 11] The air-conditioning register according to any one of [Aspect 8] to [Aspect 10], wherein: the actuator rotates in the first direction about an axis parallel to the first fin shaft; the second conversion mechanism comprises: a downstream fin drive mechanism including an arm portion rotatably supported by the retainer in the second direction, a plurality of drive gears connected to respective ends of the plurality of second fin shafts to rotate the plurality of downstream fins in the second direction, and a connecting portion provided at one end of the arm portion in an extension direction thereof and connecting the arm portion and the plurality of drive gears, and a rotation surface conversion mechanism including a first gear that rotates in the first direction in conjunction with rotation of the actuator, and a plate portion provided integrally with the first gear about a rotation axis of the first gear so as to be rotatable in the first direction together with the first gear; the other end of the arm portion in the extension direction is provided with an engaging convex portion extending parallel to the second fin shaft; and the plate portion is formed with an elongated hole that accommodates the engaging convex portion and is configured to rotate the downstream fin drive mechanism in the second direction by causing the engaging convex portion to slide when the plate portion rotates in the first direction in conjunction with rotation of the first gear.
[0028] According to the above configuration, the rotation of the actuator in the first direction is converted into rotation of the downstream fin drive mechanism in the second direction by the rotation of the plate portion having the elongated hole in the first direction and the resulting sliding of the engaging projection in the elongated hole. Therefore, the second conversion mechanism can be easily implemented by the rotation surface conversion mechanism and the downstream fin drive mechanism.
[0029] [Aspect 12] The retainer has a through hole that penetrates from its outer surface toward the ventilation passage, and a plurality of the movable members are slidably supported in a first direction relative to the retainer and include a slide cover that opens and closes the through hole, and a plurality of the conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the first direction to slide the slide cover from a closed position that closes the through hole to an open position that opens the through hole, and the slide cover contains a drug and has a housing portion that communicates with the ventilation passage through the through hole when the slide cover is in the open position. An air conditioning register according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2].
[0030] According to the above configuration, the first conversion mechanism converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in a first direction, thereby driving the slide cover to slide in the first direction. As a result, the slide cover slides from the closed position to the open position. In the open position of the slide cover, the containment section for the chemical agent and the ventilation passage of the register are in communication through a through-hole. Therefore, the chemical agent flows into the ventilation passage through the through-hole. Consequently, various functions can be imparted to the air conditioning air blown out from the retainer by the chemical agent. [Effects of the Invention]
[0031] According to the present invention, it is possible to drive multiple movable members that move in different directions from one another while suppressing an increase in the size of the air conditioning register. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0032] [Figure 1]This is a plan view showing a first embodiment of an air conditioning register. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of an air conditioning register, with the retainer shown in the center. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a plan view centered on the first conversion mechanism and upstream fin of the first embodiment, showing the state in which the driving gear is in the first phase. [Figure 6] This is a plan view corresponding to Figure 5, showing the state where the driving gear is in the second phase. [Figure 7] This is a plan view corresponding to Figure 5, showing the state where the driving gear is in the third phase. [Figure 8] This is a plan view centered on the driving gear, second conversion mechanism, and slide cover of the first embodiment, showing the state in which the driving gear is in the first phase. [Figure 9] This is a plan view corresponding to Figure 8, showing the state where the driving gear is in the second phase. [Figure 10] This is a plan view corresponding to Figure 8, showing the state where the driving gear is in the third phase. [Figure 11] This is a plan view showing a second embodiment of an air conditioning register. [Figure 12] This is a side view of the second conversion mechanism of the second embodiment, focusing on the rotating surface conversion mechanism and the downstream fin drive mechanism. [Figure 13] Figure 12 shows the downstream fin drive mechanism, focusing on the drive gear and connecting parts. [Figure 14] Figure 12 shows the downstream fin drive mechanism, focusing on the drive gear and connecting parts. [Figure 15] This is a plan view showing the first conversion mechanism and upstream fin of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 15 shows the state when the upstream fin is rotated. [Figure 17]This is a plan view showing the second conversion mechanism of the second embodiment in a state where the intermediate gear and the driven gear are meshed. [Figure 18] This is a plan view focusing on the rotating surface conversion mechanism and the downstream fin drive mechanism, and shows the state in which the rotating surface conversion mechanism has rotated compared to Figure 11. [Figure 19] Figure 18 is a side view showing the rotating surface conversion mechanism and the downstream fin drive mechanism. [Figure 20] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the downstream fins when the airflow direction of the air conditioner is changed. [Figure 21] Figure 11 shows the rotating surface conversion mechanism in the opposite direction to that shown in Figure 18. [Figure 22] This is a side view focusing on the rotating surface conversion mechanism and the downstream fin drive mechanism shown in Figure 21. [Figure 23] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the downstream fins when the airflow direction of the air conditioner is changed. [Figure 24] This figure shows an example of the trajectory of the airflow direction of the conditioned air for the air conditioning register of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0033] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment of the air conditioning register will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In this embodiment, the present invention is embodied as a vehicle air conditioning register 100, which is installed on the instrument panel of an automobile and changes the airflow direction of the conditioned air A flowing from the air conditioning unit into the passenger compartment.
[0034] <Basic configuration of the 100 air conditioning register> As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the air conditioning register 100 is equipped with a cylindrical retainer 10 that forms a flow path (hereinafter referred to as the air passage 10A) for the conditioned air A.
[0035] In the following explanation, the flow direction of the air conditioning air A flowing through the ventilation passage 10A will be referred to as flow direction X, and "upstream" and "downstream" in flow direction X will simply be described as "upstream" and "downstream." Furthermore, the direction of the thickness of the retainer 10 that approaches the ventilation passage 10A will be described as the "inside," etc., and the direction that moves away from the ventilation passage 10A will be described as the "outside," etc.
[0036] The air conditioning register 100 includes a plurality of upstream fins 40 and a plurality of downstream fins 50 provided in the air passage 10A, a slide cover 60 attached to the outside of the retainer 10, a motor M, a first conversion mechanism 70, and a regulating mechanism 80A.
[0037] In the first embodiment, the multiple upstream fins 40 and slide cover 60 correspond to the movable members according to the present invention. The motor M drives each of the above-mentioned movable members by rotating, and corresponds to the actuator according to the present invention.
[0038] The following provides a detailed explanation of each component. <Retainer 10> As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the retainer 10 has an upstream opening 11 located at the upstream end of the ventilation passage 10A and a downstream opening 12 located at the downstream end of the ventilation passage 10A.
[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the upstream opening 11 and the downstream opening 12 are rectangular when viewed from the front. More specifically, the upstream opening 11 is a rectangle with rounded corners. In the following description, the direction in which the pair of short sides 12b (11b) of the opening 12 (11) are aligned will be referred to as the longitudinal direction Y, and the direction in which the pair of long sides 12a (11a) are aligned will be referred to as the short direction Z.
[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the dimensions of the downstream opening 12 are larger than the dimensions of the upstream opening 11 in both the flow direction X and the longitudinal direction Y. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the retainer 10 comprises an upstream retainer 20 having an upstream opening 11, a downstream retainer 30 having a downstream opening 12, and a bezel 13 attached to the downstream opening 12.
[0041] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bezel 13 is a flat plate that forms a rectangular shape with rounded corners overall, and has a main body portion 13A that extends along the downstream opening 12 and a bezel opening 14 that is surrounded by the main body portion 13A. The downstream surface of the main body portion 13A constitutes the design surface of the register 100. The bezel opening 14 communicates with the downstream opening 12 and constitutes the air outlet for the conditioned air A in the register 100. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the bezel opening 14 are smaller than the dimensions of the downstream opening 12 in both the longitudinal direction Y and the short direction Z.
[0042] <Upstream retainer 20> As shown in Figure 3, the upstream retainer 20 has an upstream peripheral wall 21 that constitutes the upstream opening 11.
[0043] The upstream peripheral wall 21 has a pair of first wall portions 21a that constitute the long side 11a of the upstream opening 11, and a pair of second wall portions 21b that constitute the short side 11b. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, one of the pair of first wall portions 21a located on one side in the shorter direction Z (the upper side in the vertical direction of Figure 3) is provided with a mounting portion 22, a second guide projection 23, a first guide rail 24, a second guide rail 25, and a through hole 26.
[0044] The mounting portion 22 is for attaching the motor M, and the motor M is fixed to the mounting portion 22 by screwing a screw (not shown) into the screw hole 22a of the mounting portion 22 and the fastening hole M1 of the motor M. In this embodiment, three mounting portions 22 are provided on the first wall portion 21a.
[0045] The second guide projection 23 is for supporting the second rack gear 81, which will be described later, and protrudes from the first wall portion 21a on one side in the short direction Z (upper side in Figure 3). In this embodiment, there are two second guide projections 23, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction Y (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, the two second guide projections 23 are located in the center of the first wall portion 21a in both the longitudinal direction Y and the short direction Z.
[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the first guide rail 24 has an upstream rail 24a and a downstream rail 24b that are spaced apart from each other in the flow direction X. The upstream rail 24a protrudes from the first wall portion 21a on one side in the shorter direction Z (upper side in Figure 3) and is bent downstream.
[0047] The downstream rail 24b protrudes from the first wall portion 21a on one side in the shorter direction Z (upper side in Figure 3) and is bent upstream. Both the upstream rail 24a and the downstream rail 24b extend in the longitudinal direction Y.
[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the second guide rail 25 has an upstream rail 25a and a downstream rail 25b, and has the same structure as the first guide rail 24. The first guide rail 24 and the second guide rail 25 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction Y. Furthermore, the first guide rail 24 and the second guide rail 25 are positioned upstream of the pair of second guide protrusions 23. In this embodiment, the first guide rail 24 is located between the pair of second guide protrusions 23 in the longitudinal direction Y. The second guide rail 25 is positioned on one side of the pair of second guide protrusions 23 in the longitudinal direction Y (the right side in the left-right direction of Figure 1).
[0049] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the through-hole 26 is a hole that penetrates from the outer surface of the first wall portion 21a toward the ventilation passage 10A in the short direction Z. The through-hole 26 is located between the upstream rails 24a, 25a and the downstream rails 24b, 25b in the flow direction X, and between the first guide rail 24 and the second guide rail 25 in the longitudinal direction Y (see Figure 1).
[0050] <Downstream retainer 30> As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the downstream retainer 30 has an outer retainer 31 connected to the downstream side of the upstream retainer 20, and an inner retainer 36 positioned inside the outer retainer 31.
[0051] The outer retainer 31 has a connecting wall 32 that protrudes from the downstream outer surface of the upstream retainer 20, and a downstream peripheral wall 33 that bends and extends from the connecting wall 32 and forms part of the downstream opening 12.
[0052] The connecting wall 32 is provided along the entire circumferential direction of the upstream side circumferential wall 21. A pair of first outer wall portions 33a, aligned in the shorter direction Z of the downstream circumferential wall 33, extend further downstream than a pair of second outer wall portions 33b, aligned in the longer direction Y of the downstream circumferential wall 33, and constitute a pair of long sides 12a of the downstream opening 12.
[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the pair of first outer wall portions 33a, together with the connecting wall 32 and the main body portion 13A of the bezel 13, form spaces S1 and S2 within the downstream retainer 30. As shown in Figure 2, the register 100 is configured such that the interior of spaces S1 and S2 is concealed by the main body portion 13A of the bezel 13 when viewed from the front.
[0054] As shown in Figure 1, one of the pair of first outer wall portions 33a (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 1) is provided with an opening 35 that penetrates in the short direction Z and connects to a notch 34 of the connecting wall 32.
[0055] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the inner retainer 36 has a pair of first inner wall portions 37 aligned in the short direction Z, and a pair of second inner wall portions 38 aligned in the long direction Y, which form a pair of short sides 12b of the downstream opening 12.
[0056] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pair of first inner wall sections 37 are rectangular flat plates that are elongated in the longitudinal direction Y and are arranged within spaces S1 and S2 (see Figure 3). The pair of first inner wall sections 37 are connected to the second inner wall section 38 at both ends in the longitudinal direction Y (see Figure 1).
[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the first inner wall portion 37A located within the space S1 is provided with a plurality of axial holes 37a and a plurality of first guide protrusions 37c. Multiple axial holes 37a penetrate the first inner wall portion 37A in the short direction Z. In this embodiment, 10 axial holes 37a are arranged at equal intervals from one another in the long direction Y.
[0058] As shown in Figure 3, the first inner wall portion 37B, which is located in space S2, is provided with an axial hole 37b. The axial hole 37b is aligned with the axial hole 37a on the same axis extending in the short direction Z.
[0059] Multiple first guide protrusions 37c project from one side in the short direction Z (upper side in Figure 3) downstream of multiple axial holes 37a. In this embodiment, 10 first guide protrusions 37c are arranged at intervals from each other in the longitudinal direction Y.
[0060] As shown in Figure 1, among the multiple first guide protrusions 37c, those located at positions corresponding to the opening 35 are positioned downstream of the other first guide protrusions 37c. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the second inner wall portion 38 has a pair of first notches 38a, 38b and a pair of second notches 38c, 38d that are cut out along the short direction Z from both ends in the short direction Z.
[0061] The pair of second notches 38c and 38d are located upstream of the pair of first notches 38a and 38b. <Upstream Fin 40> As shown in Figures 1 and 3, each upstream fin 40 has a first fin shaft 41 extending in the short direction Z and a flat plate-shaped fin body 42 integrally provided on the first fin shaft 41.
[0062] As shown in Figure 3, one end 41a of the first fin shaft 41 is inserted through the shaft hole 37a of the first inner wall portion 37A. The other end 41b of the first fin shaft 41 is inserted through the shaft hole 37b of the first inner wall portion 37B. As a result, the upstream fin 40 is supported so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1 around the first fin shaft 41 within the ventilation passage 10A. In this embodiment, the rotational direction R1 corresponds to the first direction according to the present invention.
[0063] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, ten upstream fins 40 are arranged at equal intervals from each other in the longitudinal direction Y. More specifically, the fin bodies 42 of the ten upstream fins 40 are arranged so that they extend parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction Y corresponds to the direction of fin arrangement according to the present invention.
[0064] Here, as shown in Figure 5, in the rotation direction R1, the position where each upstream fin 40 has rotated until the fin bodies 42 of adjacent upstream fins in the longitudinal direction Y come into contact with and overlap each other is defined as the fin shut position of the upstream fin 40.
[0065] <Downstream Fin 50> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the multiple downstream fins 50 are positioned downstream of the multiple upstream fins 40 within the ventilation passage 10A.
[0066] Each of the downstream fins 50 has a pair of first downstream fins 51, 52 and a pair of second downstream fins 53, 54. The first downstream fins 51 and 52 have a second fin axis 51a and 52a extending in the longitudinal direction Y, and a flat plate-shaped fin body 51b and 52b extending downstream from the second fin axis 51a and 52a.
[0067] Both ends of the second fin shaft 51a are inserted through the first notches 38a formed in each of the pair of second inner wall portions 38. As a result, the first downstream fin 51 is supported so as to be able to rotate in the rotational direction R2 around the second fin shaft 51a within the ventilation passage 10A.
[0068] Both ends of the second fin shaft 52a are inserted through the first notches 38b formed in each of the pair of second inner wall portions 38. As a result, the first downstream fin 52 is supported so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R2 around the second fin shaft 51a within the ventilation passage 10A.
[0069] As shown in Figure 4, both fin bodies 51b and 52b have the same shape and form a rectangular shape that is long in the longitudinal direction Y. As shown in Figure 3, the first downstream fins 51 and 52 are positioned facing each other in the short direction Z.
[0070] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second downstream fins 53 and 54 have second fin axes 53a and 54a extending in the longitudinal direction Y, and flat fin bodies 53b and 54b extending downstream from the second fin axes 53a and 54a.
[0071] Both ends of the second fin shaft 53a are inserted through second notches 38c provided in each of the pair of second inner wall portions 38. As a result, the second downstream fin 53 is supported so as to be able to rotate in the rotational direction R2 around the second fin shaft 53a within the ventilation passage 10A.
[0072] Both ends of the second fin shaft 54a are inserted through second notches 38d provided in each of the pair of second inner wall portions 38. As a result, the second downstream fin 54 is supported so as to be able to rotate in the rotational direction R2 around the second fin shaft 54a within the ventilation passage 10A.
[0073] As shown in Figure 4, both fin bodies 53b and 54b have the same shape and form a rectangular shape that is long in the longitudinal direction Y. As shown in Figure 3, the second downstream fins 53 and 54 are positioned facing each other in the short direction Z.
[0074] The second downstream fin 53 is positioned upstream of the first downstream fin 51. The second downstream fin 54 is also positioned upstream of the first downstream fin 52. The first downstream fin 51 and the second downstream fin 53 are housed in the space S1 of the downstream retainer 30. The first downstream fin 52 and the second downstream fin 54 are housed in the space S2 of the downstream retainer 30.
[0075] <Slide Cover 60> As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the slide cover 60 has a flat cover body 61 and a housing portion 62 that protrudes from the cover body 61.
[0076] The cover body 61 is rectangular in plan view and extends in the longitudinal direction Y (see Figure 1). The cover body 61 has both end edges 61a in the flow direction X inserted between the first guide rail 24 and the first wall portion 21a, and between the second guide rail 25 and the first wall portion 21a. As a result, the slide cover 60 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction Y relative to the upstream retainer 20. In the first embodiment, the longitudinal direction Y corresponds to the second direction according to the present invention.
[0077] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the storage section 62 houses the fragrance F as a pharmaceutical agent, and the overall structure is a box shape with an opening 63 on one side in the shorter direction Z (the upper side in Figure 3).
[0078] The storage section 62 has a vertical wall section 64 that forms the opening 63 and a bottom wall 65 that faces the opening 63. The vertical wall section 64 is configured so that the fragrance F can be inserted into and removed from the storage section 62 through the opening 63.
[0079] As shown in Figure 1, the bottom wall 65 has a so-called grid pattern and has multiple gaps 66 that extend in the flow direction X and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction Y. The width of each gap 66 in the longitudinal direction Y is set to be smaller than the air freshener F.
[0080] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the slide cover 60 is configured to slide from a position where the cover body 61 covers the entire through-hole 26 in the short direction Z, to a position where the bottom wall 65 of the housing 62 covers the entire through-hole 26 in the short direction Z, as shown in Figure 10.
[0081] Here, as shown in Figures 1 and 8, the position in which the cover body 61 covers the entire through-hole 26 in the short-side direction Z is defined as the closed position that closes the through-hole 26. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the bottom wall 65 of the housing 62 is positioned to cover the entire through-hole 26 in the short-side direction Z, the inside of the housing 62 and the inside of the ventilation passage 10A are in communication via the gap 66 and the through-hole 26. For this reason, from now on, this position will be referred to as the open position where the through-hole 26 is open.
[0082] <First Conversion Mechanism 70> As shown in Figure 1, the first conversion mechanism 70 is a mechanism that converts the rotation of the motor M into rotational motion R1 of each of the multiple upstream fins 40. The rotation axis P1 of the motor M rotates in the rotational direction R1.
[0083] As shown in Figures 1 and 5 to 7, the first conversion mechanism 70 includes an intermittent drive mechanism 71 with a driving gear 72 and a driven gear 75, a first rack gear 76, and a plurality of pinion gears 77.
[0084] The driving gear 72 is connected to the pivot shaft P1 and rotates continuously around the pivot shaft P1 in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the driving gear 72 has a gear body 72A, a notched disc 73, and a first pin 74.
[0085] The gear body 72A has a plurality of teeth 72a arranged in the circumferential direction (rotational direction R1). The chipped disc 73 is a disc with a smaller diameter than the gear body 72A and is integrally formed coaxially with the gear body 72A.
[0086] The chipped disc 73 has a concave surface 73a on its outer surface and a general surface 73b which is the portion other than the concave surface 73a. The first pin 74 protrudes from the gear body 72A toward one side in the shorter direction Z (towards the viewer in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 5).
[0087] The first pin 74 is positioned radially outward from the chipped disc 73. More specifically, the first pin 74 is located radially corresponding to the concave surface 73a of the chipped disc 73.
[0088] The concave surface 73a and the first pin 74 are positioned on the opposite side of the gear body 72A from the multiple teeth 72a, with the pivot axis P1 in between. The driven gear 75 meshes with the driving gear 72 and is intermittently driven by the driving gear 72.
[0089] The driven gear 75 is housed within the opening 35 of the downstream retainer 30 (see Figure 1) and is configured to rotate in the rotational direction R1 around a pivot axis P2 that extends parallel to the pivot axis P1. The shape of the driven gear 75 will be described in more detail below.
[0090] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the outer circumferential surface of the driven gear 75 has a first convex surface 75a, a second convex surface 75b, a pair of third convex surfaces 75c, a first groove 75d and a second groove 75e, a pair of first concave surfaces 75f and a pair of second concave surfaces 75g.
[0091] The second convex surface 75b is located on the opposite side of the pivot axis P2 from the first convex surface 75a. The second convex surface 75b is located radially further from the pivot axis P2 than the first convex surface 75a.
[0092] The pair of third convex surfaces 75c are located between the first convex surface 75a and the second convex surface 75b in the circumferential direction. The first groove 75d extends from the tip of the first convex surface 75a toward the pivot axis P2.
[0093] The second groove 75e extends from the tip of the second convex surface 75b toward the pivot axis P2. The pair of first concave surfaces 75f are located between the first convex surface 75a and the pair of third convex surfaces 75c.
[0094] The pair of second concave surfaces 75g are located between the second convex surface 75b and the pair of third convex surfaces 75c. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the driven gear 75 is configured such that the first pin 74 of the driving gear 72 is housed in the first groove 75d, and the first pin 74 slides within the first groove 75d when the driving gear 72 rotates, thereby rotating around the pivot axis P2.
[0095] As shown in Figure 6, the concave surface 73a of the driving gear 72 functions to allow the first convex surface 75a to move out of the way when the driven gear 75 rotates. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the driven gear 75 is configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the driven gear 72, because, while the first pin 74 is not housed in the first groove 75d, one of the pair of first concave surfaces 75f slides along the general surface 73b.
[0096] In the following, the first phase will be described as the period during which the drive gear 72 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M from the position shown by the solid line in Figure 5 to one side of the rotation direction R1 to the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 (the position where the drive gear 72 and the driven gear 75 begin to mesh). The second phase will be described as the period during which the drive gear 72 and the driven gear 75 mesh, as shown in Figure 6. The third phase will be described as the period during which the drive gear 72 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M from the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 7 (the position where the drive gear 72 and the driven gear 72 finish meshing) to one side of the rotation direction R1 to the position shown by the solid line in Figure 7.
[0097] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the first rack gear 76 is a flat plate extending in the longitudinal direction Y and is housed between the first outer wall portion 33a of the outer retainer 31 and the first inner wall portion 37A of the inner retainer 36.
[0098] The first rack gear 76 has a gear body 76A, a first guide hole 76b, and a second pin 76c. The gear body 76A has a plurality of teeth 76a arranged in the longitudinal direction Y at the upstream edge in the flow direction X.
[0099] The first guide hole 76b is a hole that is elongated in the longitudinal direction Y. The first guide holes 76b are provided one at a position corresponding to each of the multiple first guide projections 37c, and accommodate the first guide projections 37c. As a result, the first rack gear 76 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction Y relative to the first inner wall 37A.
[0100] The second pin 76c protrudes from the gear body 76A on one side in the shorter direction Z (upper side in Figure 3). The second pin 76c is positioned in a location corresponding to the opening 35 (see Figure 1). As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the first rack gear 76 is configured such that its second pin 76c is housed in the second groove 75e, and the second pin 76c slides within the second groove 75e when the driven gear 75 rotates, thereby causing it to move linearly in the longitudinal direction Y.
[0101] As shown in Figures 1 and 5 to 7, the pinion gear 77 is housed between the first outer wall portion 33a of the outer retainer 31 and the first inner wall portion 37A of the inner retainer 36, and has multiple teeth 77a that mesh with multiple teeth 76a of the first rack gear 76.
[0102] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pinion gear 77 is attached to each of the multiple upstream fins 40. More specifically, the pinion gear 77 is integrally formed with one end 41a of the first fin shaft 41. As a result, when the first rack gear 76 moves linearly in the longitudinal direction Y, the multiple pinion gears 77 and the multiple upstream fins 40 rotate in the rotational direction R1 around their respective first fin shafts 41.
[0103] The number of teeth on the multiple teeth 77a of the pinion gear 77 is set so that the fin body 42 of the multiple upstream fins 40 can rotate between the fin shut position shown in Figure 5 and the inclined position shown in Figure 7.
[0104] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first conversion mechanism 70 is configured such that the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 mesh as the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase, thereby rotating the multiple upstream fins 40 from the fin shut position in the rotational direction R1.
[0105] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first conversion mechanism 70 is configured such that the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 do not mesh while the driving gear 72 rotates from the second phase to the third phase, thereby stopping the rotation of the multiple upstream fins 40.
[0106] <Regulatory body 80A> As shown in Figures 1 and 8 to 10, the regulating mechanism 80A includes a second rack gear 81 and a torsion coil spring 82.
[0107] The second rack gear 81 has a gear body 81A and a second guide hole 81b. The gear body 81A has a plurality of teeth 81a arranged in the longitudinal direction Y at its downstream edge in the flow direction X.
[0108] Multiple teeth 81a mesh with multiple teeth 72a of the drive gear 72. The second guide hole 81b is a hole that is elongated in the longitudinal direction Y. The second guide holes 81b are provided one at a position corresponding to each of the pair of second guide projections 23, and accommodate the second guide projections 23. As a result, the second rack gear 81 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction Y relative to the first wall 21a.
[0109] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the torsion coil spring 82 has a coil portion 83 and a first arm portion 84 and a second arm portion 85 extending from the coil portion 83. The tip 84a of the first arm 84 is connected to the second rack gear 81. More specifically, the tip 84a is connected to the central part of the gear body 81A in the longitudinal direction Y.
[0110] The tip 85a of the second arm 85 is connected to the slide cover 60. More specifically, the tip 85a is connected to the other side of the cover body 61 in the longitudinal direction Y (the left side in the left-right direction of Figures 8 to 10).
[0111] The regulating mechanism 80A is configured such that, as the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase, the second rack gear 81 slides to one side in the longitudinal direction Y (the right side in Figures 8 to 10), and a load is applied to the torsion coil spring 82 in the winding direction of the coil portion 83.
[0112] Here, as shown in Figure 9, when a load is applied to the torsion coil spring 82 in the winding direction, the angle θ between the first arm portion 84 and the second arm portion 85 is reduced from the angle θ1 in the free state by the amount of the torsion angle θ2. Also, while the torsion coil spring 82 is wound up to a predetermined torsion angle θ2, the coil portion 83 accumulates elastic force in the unwinding direction.
[0113] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the restricting mechanism 80A is configured to restrict the sliding of the slide cover 60 from the closed position to the open position by utilizing the characteristics of the torsion coil spring 82 described above and accumulating elastic force in the torsion coil spring 82 until the angle θ2 reaches a predetermined angle.
[0114] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, the regulating mechanism 80A is configured to allow the slide cover 60 to slide from the closed position to the open position due to the action of the elastic force when the angle θ2 becomes a predetermined torsional angle.
[0115] The regulating mechanism 80A is configured such that the angle θ2 becomes the predetermined angle while the drive gear 72 is rotated from the second phase to the third phase. In this embodiment, a second conversion mechanism 80 is configured by the regulating mechanism 80A and the multiple teeth 72a of the driving gear 72, which convert the rotation of the motor M into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y that drives the slide cover 60.
[0116] Next, the effects and advantages of the first embodiment will be described. (1-1) The air conditioning register 100 includes a first conversion mechanism 70 that converts the rotation of the motor M into rotational motion R1 of a plurality of upstream fins 40, and a second conversion mechanism 80 that converts the rotation of the motor M into longitudinal motion Y of the slide cover 60.
[0117] With this configuration, the rotation of one motor M is converted by the first conversion mechanism 70 and the second conversion mechanism 80 into motion in the rotational direction R1 and motion in the longitudinal direction Y, thereby driving multiple upstream fins 40 and slide covers 60. Therefore, compared to the case where multiple motors M drive multiple upstream fins 40 and slide covers 60, the increase in the size of the air conditioning register 100 can be suppressed.
[0118] (1-2) The first conversion mechanism 70 includes an intermittent drive mechanism 71 which comprises a driving gear 72 that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, and a driven gear 75 that is intermittently driven by the driving gear 72.
[0119] With this configuration, in the first conversion mechanism 70 including the intermittent drive mechanism 71, the rotation of the motor M is converted into motion in the rotational direction R1 via the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75, causing the multiple upstream fins 40 to rotate. Therefore, the multiple upstream fins 40 can be driven intermittently.
[0120] (1-3) The first conversion mechanism 70 comprises a first rack gear 76 and a plurality of pinion gears 77 provided on each of the plurality of upstream fins 40 and meshing with the first rack gear 76. The first conversion mechanism 70 is configured to rotate the plurality of upstream fins 40 in the rotational direction R1 by converting the rotation of the motor M into the rotation of the plurality of pinion gears 77 via the linear motion of the first rack gear 76. With this configuration, the rotation of the motor M is converted by the first conversion mechanism 70 into the rotation of multiple pinion gears 77 via the linear motion of the first rack gear 76 in the longitudinal direction Y. As a result, the multiple upstream fins 40 are rotated in the rotational direction R1 around their respective first fin axes 41. Therefore, the airflow direction of the conditioned air A blown out from the retainer 10 can be easily changed by the driving force of the motor M.
[0121] (1-4) The retainer 10 has a through hole 26. The second conversion mechanism 80 converts the rotation of the motor M into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y, thereby sliding the slide cover 60 from a closed position that closes the through hole 26 to an open position that opens the through hole 26. The slide cover 60 contains the fragrance F as a chemical agent and has a housing portion 62 that communicates with the ventilation passage 10A through the through hole 26 when the slide cover 60 is in the open position.
[0122] With this configuration, the rotation of the motor M is converted into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y by the second conversion mechanism 80, thereby driving the slide cover 60 to slide in the longitudinal direction Y. As a result, the slide cover 60 slides from the closed position to the open position. In the open position of the slide cover 60, the housing portion 62 that houses the fragrance F and the ventilation passage 10A are in communication via the gap portion 66 and the through hole 26. Therefore, the fragrance of the fragrance F flows into the ventilation passage 10A through the through hole 26. Consequently, the fragrance of the fragrance F can be imparted to the air conditioning air A blown out from the retainer 10.
[0123] (1-5) The first conversion mechanism 70 is configured such that the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 mesh while the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase, thereby rotating the multiple upstream fins 40 in the rotational direction R1. On the other hand, the first conversion mechanism 70 is configured such that the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 do not mesh while the driving gear 72 rotates from the second phase to the third phase, which is opposite to the first phase, thereby stopping the rotation of the multiple upstream fins 40. The restricting mechanism 80A of the second conversion mechanism 80 restricts the slide cover 60 from sliding from the closed position to the open position while the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase. On the other hand, the restricting mechanism 80A allows the slide cover 60 to slide from the closed position to the open position while the driving gear 72 rotates from the second phase to the third phase.
[0124] In this configuration, the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 mesh as the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M. As a result, the rotation of the driving gear 72 is converted into linear motion of the first rack gear 76 in the longitudinal direction Y via the driven gear 75. Consequently, the multiple upstream fins 40 rotate in the rotational direction R1 around their respective first fin axes 41. At this time, in the second conversion mechanism 80, the rotation of the driving gear 72 continues to be converted into linear motion of the second rack gear 81 in the longitudinal direction Y, while the torsion coil spring 82 restricts the sliding drive of the slide cover 60 from the closed position to the open position.
[0125] Next, while the driving gear 72 rotates from the second phase to the third phase, the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 do not mesh, and therefore the rotation of the driven gear 75 stops. As a result, the rotation of the multiple upstream fins 40 stops. At this time, the slide cover 60 is allowed to slide from the closed position to the open position by the regulating mechanism 80A.
[0126] Therefore, a single motor M can independently drive multiple upstream fins 40 to change the airflow direction of the conditioned air A from the retainer 10, and open the slide cover 60 to impart the fragrance of the air conditioner A to the conditioned air A.
[0127] (1-6) The number of teeth on the pinion gear 77 is set so that the upstream fins 40 can rotate up to the fin-shut position. The first conversion mechanism 70 is configured such that when the driving gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, the driving gear 72 and the driven gear 75 mesh together, causing the multiple upstream fins 40 to rotate from the fin-shut position.
[0128] With this configuration, when the multiple upstream fins 40 are rotated to the fin shut position, the fins come into contact with each other and overlap, blocking the air passage 10A, and thus stopping the blowing of conditioned air A from the retainer 10. Furthermore, when the drive gear 72 rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, the multiple upstream fins 40 are rotated from the fin shut position in the rotational direction R1 around their respective first fin axes 41. As a result, the blowing of conditioned air A from the retainer 10 is started and the airflow direction of the air A is changed. Therefore, the blowing of conditioned air A from the retainer 10 and the change in its airflow direction can be performed separately from the opening of the slide cover 60 to impart the fragrance of the air conditioner A to the conditioned air A.
[0129] (1-7) The second conversion mechanism 80 is configured to drive the slide cover 60 from the closed position to the open position by converting the rotation of the motor M into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y via the rotation of the drive gear 72.
[0130] With this configuration, the rotation of the motor M is transmitted to the second conversion mechanism 80 via the driving gear 72 of the first conversion mechanism 70, thereby converting it into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y. As a result, there is no need to provide a separate means for transmitting the rotation of the motor M to the second conversion mechanism 80 by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M. Therefore, the configuration of the second conversion mechanism 80 can be simplified.
[0131] <Second Embodiment> Next, with reference to Figures 11 to 24, a second embodiment of the air conditioning register will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, for configurations that are the same as or corresponding to those in the first embodiment, the reference numeral "1**" is added to each reference numeral "**" in the first embodiment, thereby omitting redundant explanations.
[0132] <Basic configuration of the 200-unit air conditioning register> As shown in Figure 11, the air conditioning register 200 includes a first conversion mechanism 270 and a second conversion mechanism 280, which are mounted on the outside of the retainer 110.
[0133] In the second embodiment, the multiple upstream fins 140 and the multiple downstream fins 150 correspond to the movable members according to the present invention. The following describes each component.
[0134] <First conversion mechanism 270> As shown in Figure 11, the first conversion mechanism 270 includes a Scotch yoke mechanism 271, a first rack gear 176, and a plurality of pinion gears 177.
[0135] The Scotch yoke mechanism 271 has a gear section 272 and a U-shaped rod section 275 housed within the opening 135 of the downstream retainer 130. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the gear section 272 rotates in the rotational direction R1 around a rotation axis P3 that extends parallel to the rotation axis P1, and has a gear body 272A, a disc section 273, and a first guide projection 274.
[0136] The gear body 272A has a plurality of teeth 272a arranged on its outer circumferential surface in the circumferential direction (rotational direction R1). The plurality of teeth 272a are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the gear body 272A over the entire circumferential direction.
[0137] The disc portion 273 is a disc with a larger diameter than the gear body 272A and is integrally formed coaxially with the gear body 272A. The first guide projection 274 protrudes from the disc portion 273 toward the other side in the short direction Z (towards the back in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figures 15 and 16).
[0138] As shown in Figure 11, the rod portion 275 has a guide hole 276 extending in the flow direction X. The opening 276a of the rod portion 275 connected to the downstream side of the guide hole 276 is closed by the opening 135.
[0139] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the guide hole 276 accommodates the first guide projection 274 of the gear portion 272. The pair of downstream tip portions 275a of the rod portion 275 are both integrally connected to the gear body 176A of the first rack gear 176. More specifically, the tip portions 275a are integrally connected to one side of the first rack gear 176 in the short direction Z (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figures 15 and 16).
[0140] The Scotch yoke mechanism 271 is configured such that a first guide projection 274 is housed within a guide hole 276, and as the gear portion 272 rotates, the first guide projection 274 slides within the guide hole 276, causing the rod portion 275 to move linearly in the longitudinal direction Y.
[0141] <Second Conversion Mechanism 280> As shown in Figure 11, the second conversion mechanism 280 is a mechanism that converts the rotation of the motor M in rotation direction R1 into the rotational motion of each of the multiple downstream fins 150 in rotation direction R2. In the second embodiment, rotation direction R2 corresponds to the second direction according to the present invention.
[0142] The second conversion mechanism 280 includes an intermittent drive mechanism 281 comprising a driving gear 282, an intermediate gear 283, and a driven gear 286, a downstream fin drive mechanism 290, and a rotating surface conversion mechanism 287.
[0143] As shown in Figures 11 and 17, the driving gear 282 is a gear connected to the pivot shaft P1 and rotates continuously around the pivot shaft P1 in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the driving gear 282 meshes with multiple teeth 272a of the gear portion 272.
[0144] As shown in Figures 11 and 17, the intermediate gear 283 is supported so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1 around a pivot axis P4 that extends parallel to the pivot axis P1. The intermediate gear 283 has a gear body 283a, a disc portion 283b, a notched disc 284, and a pair of pins 285.
[0145] The gear body 283a, the disc portion 283b, and the notched disc 284 are formed integrally on the same axis. The gear body 283a is a gear with a smaller diameter than the drive gear 282 and meshes with the drive gear 282.
[0146] Both the disc portion 283b and the missing disc 284 are discs with a larger diameter than the gear body 283a. The chipped disc 284 has a pair of concave surfaces 284a and a pair of general surfaces 284b other than the pair of concave surfaces 284a on its outer circumferential surface. One of the concave surfaces 284a is located on the opposite side from the other concave surface 284a, with the pivot axis P4 in between. That is, the pair of concave surfaces 284a are located 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction.
[0147] The pair of pins 285 protrude from the disc portion 283b toward the other side in the short direction Z (towards the back in Figure 11). Each of the pins 285 is positioned radially corresponding to each of the pair of concave surfaces 284a of the chipped disc 284. That is, the pair of pins 285 are positioned 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction.
[0148] As shown in Figures 11 and 17, the driven gear 286 is intermittently driven by the driving gear 282 via the intermediate gear 283. The driven gear 286 is supported so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1 about a pivot axis P5 that extends parallel to the pivot axis P1.
[0149] The driven gear 286 has a first gear section 286A and a second gear section 286B. The first gear section 286A meshes with the intermediate gear 283 and has a plurality of convex surfaces 286a, radial grooves 286b, and a plurality of concave surfaces 286c.
[0150] Multiple convex surfaces 286a are arranged at equal intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the first gear portion 286A in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, six convex surfaces 286a are provided. The radial grooves 286b extend from each of the protruding ends of the multiple convex surfaces 286a toward the pivot axis P5.
[0151] Multiple concave surfaces 286c are located between adjacent convex surfaces 286a in the circumferential direction. The second gear section 286B is a gear with a smaller diameter than the first gear section 286A and is integrally formed coaxially with the first gear section 286A.
[0152] As shown in Figure 17, the driven gear 286 is configured such that the pin 285 of the intermediate gear 283 is housed in the radial groove 286b, and when the intermediate gear 283 rotates, the pin 285 slides within the radial groove 286b, causing it to rotate around the pivot axis P5.
[0153] Furthermore, the pair of concave surfaces 284a of the intermediate gear 283 function to allow the multiple convex surfaces 286a to move out of the way when the driven gear 286 rotates. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, the driven gear 286 is configured not to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the intermediate gear 283, because the concave surface 286c slides along the general surface 284b while the pin 285 is not seated in the radial groove 286b.
[0154] In this embodiment, the intermittent drive mechanism 281 is configured such that the driven gear 286 rotates 60 degrees in the rotational direction R1 each time the intermediate gear 283 rotates half a turn in the rotational direction R1. <Downstream fin drive mechanism 290> Next, the downstream fin drive mechanism 290 of the second conversion mechanism 280 will be described.
[0155] As shown in Figure 12, the downstream fin drive mechanism 290 comprises an arm portion 291, a pair of first drive gears 293, 294, a pair of second drive gears 295, 296, and a connecting portion 297.
[0156] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the arm portion 291 is supported on the second outer wall portion 133b of the outer retainer 131 so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R2 about the pivot axis P7. The arm portion 291 has an engaging projection 292.
[0157] The engaging projection 292 protrudes from the upstream end 291a of the arm portion 291 toward the other side in the longitudinal direction Y (the left side in the left-right direction of Figure 11). Note that the end 291a corresponds to the other end in the extending direction of the arm portion according to the present invention.
[0158] As shown in Figures 11 and 12-14, a pair of first drive gears 293 and 294 rotate the first downstream fins 151 and 152 in the rotational direction R2 and are fixed to the ends of the second fin shafts 151a and 152a.
[0159] A pair of second drive gears 295 and 296 rotate the second downstream fins 153 and 154 in the rotational direction R2 and are fixed to the ends of the second fin shafts 153a and 154a. The first drive gear 293 and the second drive gear 296 are meshed with each other (see Figure 14).
[0160] The first drive gear 294 and the second drive gear 295 are meshed with each other (see Figure 13). The pair of second drive gears 295 and 296 are provided with protrusions 295a and 296a. Projections 295a and 296a protrude toward one side in the longitudinal direction Y (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 12).
[0161] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the connecting portion 297 is fixed to the downstream end 291b of the arm portion 291. Note that the end 291b corresponds to one end of the arm portion in the extending direction according to the present invention.
[0162] As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the connecting portion 297 has a pair of second guide holes 297a and 297b. The pair of second guide holes 297a and 297b accommodate projections 295a and 296a, respectively. In this way, the connecting portion 297 connects the arm portion 291 to a pair of second drive gears 295 and 296.
[0163] <Rotational surface conversion mechanism 287> Next, the rotating surface conversion mechanism 287 of the second conversion mechanism 280 will be described. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rotating surface conversion mechanism 287 has a sector gear 288 and a plate portion 289.
[0164] The sector gear 288 is supported so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1 around a pivot axis P6 parallel to the pivot axis P1. The sector gear 288 meshes with the second gear portion 286B of the driven gear 286. The sector gear 288 corresponds to the first gear according to the present invention.
[0165] The plate portion 289 is provided so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1, integrally with the sector gear 288, around the pivot axis P6. The plate portion 289 has a support portion 289a and a plate body 289b.
[0166] The support portion 289a supports the plate body 289b and extends from the pivot shaft P6 to the side opposite to the sector gear 288. The plate body 289b is connected to the tip of the support portion 289a. The plate body 289b is curved along the rotational direction R1 (see Figure 11).
[0167] As shown in Figure 12, the plate body 289b is provided with an elongated hole 289c. The elongated hole 289c extends along a diagonal (not shown) of the pair of diagonals of the plate body 289b that is inclined so that the upstream side in the flow direction X is located on one side in the shorter direction Z (the upper side in the vertical direction of Figure 12).
[0168] The elongated hole 289c accommodates the engaging projection 292 of the arm portion 291. As shown in Figures 12, 19, and 22, the elongated hole 289c is configured to cause the arm portion 291 to rotate in the rotational direction R2 around the rotation axis P7 by sliding the engaging projection 292 when the plate portion 289 rotates in the rotational direction R1 in conjunction with the rotation of the sector gear 288.
[0169] In this embodiment, when the components of the second conversion mechanism 280 are in the positions shown in Figures 11 to 14, the multiple downstream fins 150 are assumed to be in the neutral position shown in Figure 3. Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described.
[0170] As the drive gear 282 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, the gear portion 272 of the Scotch yoke mechanism 271 of the first conversion mechanism 270, which meshes with the drive gear 282, rotates in the rotational direction R1. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, as the gear portion 272 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive gear 282, the rod portion 275 slides in the longitudinal direction Y. Here, the tip portion 275a of the rod portion 275 is integrally connected to the gear body 176A of the first rack gear 176. Therefore, the first rack gear 176 slides in the longitudinal direction Y together with the rod portion 275. In other words, the rotation of the drive gear 282 is converted into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y of the first rack gear 176 by the Scotch yoke mechanism 271. As a result, the multiple upstream fins 140 rotate in the rotational direction R1 around their respective first fin axes 141. As a result, the airflow direction of the conditioned air A blown out from the retainer 110 is changed in the longitudinal direction Y (left-right direction in Figures 15 and 16).
[0171] On the other hand, in the second conversion mechanism 280, when the driving gear 282 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, the driven gear 286 rotates via the intermediate gear 283, causing the sector gear 288 to rotate. For example, as shown in Figures 11 and 18, when the sector gear 288 rotates to one side of the rotation direction R1, as shown in Figure 19, the engaging projection 292 of the arm portion 291 slides from the intermediate position shown in Figure 12 towards one end within the elongated hole 289c. As a result, the arm portion 291 rotates to one side of the rotation direction R2 around the rotation axis P7. At this time, the projection 295a of the second drive gear 295 is pressed toward the other side of the short direction Z (the lower side in Figures 12 and 19) by the inner circumferential surface of one side of the short direction Z (the upper side in the vertical direction of Figures 12 and 19) of the second guide hole 297a. Therefore, the second drive gear 295 is rotated around the second fin shaft 153a to one side of the rotational direction R2, from the position shown in Figure 13 to the position shown in Figure 19. Also, the first drive gear 294, which meshes with the second drive gear 295, is rotated around the second fin shaft 152a to the other side of the rotational direction R2. As a result, the first downstream fin 152 and the second downstream fin 153 are rotated from the neutral position to the inclined position shown in Figure 20. Consequently, the airflow direction of the conditioned air A blown out from the retainer 110 is changed to one side of the short-side direction Z (upper side in the vertical direction of Figure 20).
[0172] Furthermore, in the second conversion mechanism 280, for example, as shown in Figures 11 and 21, when the sector gear 288 rotates to the other side of the rotation direction R1, as shown in Figure 22, the engaging projection 292 of the arm portion 291 slides from the intermediate position shown in Figure 12 towards the other end within the elongated hole 289c. As a result, the arm portion 291 rotates to the other side of the rotation direction R2 around the pivot axis P7. At this time, the projection 296a of the second drive gear 296 is pressed toward one side of the short direction Z (the upper side in Figures 12 and 22) by the inner circumferential surface of the second guide hole 297b on the other side of the short direction Z (the lower side in the vertical direction of Figures 12 and 22). As a result, the second drive gear 296 rotates to the other side of the rotation direction R2 around the second fin axis 154a from the position shown in Figure 14 to the position shown in Figure 22. Furthermore, the first drive gear 293, which meshes with the second drive gear 296, is rotated on one side of the rotational direction R2 around the second fin shaft 151a. As a result, the first downstream fin 151 and the second downstream fin 154 are rotated from the neutral position to the inclined position shown in Figure 23. Consequently, the airflow direction of the conditioned air A blown out from the retainer 110 is changed to the other side of the short direction Z (the downward side in the vertical direction of Figure 23).
[0173] Next, the effects of the second embodiment will be described. (2-1) The air conditioning register 200 has a plurality of downstream fins 150 as movable members. The second conversion mechanism 280 drives the plurality of downstream fins 150 by converting the rotation of the motor M into rotation in the rotation direction R2.
[0174] With this configuration, the second conversion mechanism 280 converts the rotation of the motor M into rotation in the rotation direction R2, causing the multiple downstream fins 150 to rotate in the rotation direction R2. Therefore, the airflow direction of the conditioned air A blown out from the retainer 10 can be changed more easily using the driving force of the motor M.
[0175] (2-2) The second conversion mechanism 280 includes an intermittent drive mechanism 281 comprising a driving gear 282 that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, an intermediate gear 283, and a driven gear 286 that is intermittently driven by the driving gear 282 via the intermediate gear 283. The second conversion mechanism 280 is configured to rotate a plurality of downstream fins 150 in the rotational direction R2 by intermittently driving the driven gear 286 each time the intermediate gear 283 is rotated by a predetermined angle.
[0176] In this configuration, each time the intermediate gear 283 rotates by a predetermined angle in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, the intermediate gear 283 and the driven gear 286 mesh. As a result, the rotation of the intermediate gear 283 is converted into rotation in the rotation direction R2 via the driven gear 286. Consequently, the multiple downstream fins 150 are rotated in the rotation direction R2. Furthermore, while the intermediate gear 283 and the driven gear 286 are not meshed, the rotation of the driven gear 286 stops. That is, the rotation of the multiple downstream fins 150 stops.
[0177] On the other hand, the multiple upstream fins 140 are continuously rotated in the rotation direction R1 by the first conversion mechanism 270 while the motor M is rotating.
[0178] Therefore, using only one motor M, it is possible to perform two separate modes: one in which only the upstream fin 140 is driven (drive mode 1), and another in which both the upstream fin 140 and the downstream fin 150 are driven (drive mode 2).
[0179] Figure 24 shows an example of the trajectory L drawn by the air conditioning air A blown from the retainer 110 into the passenger compartment, based on the drive modes described above, with the passenger C inside the passenger compartment as the reference point. In drive mode 1, a trajectory L1 extending in the longitudinal direction Y is drawn. On the other hand, in drive mode 2, a trajectory L2 inclined with respect to trajectory L1 is drawn. In the air conditioning register 200 of this embodiment, while the driving gear 282 rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M, trajectories L1 and L2 are repeated alternately to draw a series of trajectories L.
[0180] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the timing of the switch between drive mode 1 and drive mode 2 is changed by changing the predetermined angle. Therefore, the trajectory L of the airflow direction of the air conditioning air A while the drive gear 282 is rotating can be appropriately changed.
[0181] (2-3) The first conversion mechanism 270 is configured to rotate a plurality of upstream fins 140 in the rotational direction R1 by converting the rotation of the motor M into the linear motion of the first rack gear 176 in the longitudinal direction Y via the rotation of the driving gear 282.
[0182] With this configuration, the rotation of the motor M is converted into linear motion of the first rack gear 176 in the longitudinal direction Y via the driving gear 282 of the second conversion mechanism 280. As a result, multiple pinion gears 177 are rotated, and multiple upstream fins 140 are rotated in the rotation direction R1. Consequently, there is no need to individually provide means in the first conversion mechanism 270 to transmit the rotation of the motor M by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M. Therefore, the configuration of the first conversion mechanism 270 can be simplified.
[0183] (2-4) The second conversion mechanism 280 includes a downstream fin drive mechanism 290 comprising an arm portion 291, a plurality of drive gears 293, 294, 295, 296 for rotating a plurality of downstream fins 150 in the rotational direction R2, and a connecting portion 297. The second conversion mechanism 280 also includes a rotating surface conversion mechanism 287 having a sector gear 288 and a plate portion 289 provided integrally with the sector gear 288 so as to be rotatable in the rotational direction R1. The arm portion 291 is provided with an engaging projection 292. The plate portion 289 has an elongated hole 289c formed therein, which is configured to rotate the downstream fin drive mechanism 290 in the rotational direction R2 when the engaging projection 292 slides against it.
[0184] With this configuration, the rotation of the motor M in rotational direction R1 is converted into rotation of the downstream fin drive mechanism 290 in rotational direction R2 by the rotation of the plate portion 289 having the elongated hole 289c in rotational direction R1 and the resulting sliding of the engaging projection 292 in the elongated hole 289c. Therefore, the second conversion mechanism 280 can be easily implemented using the rotational surface conversion mechanism 287 and the downstream fin drive mechanism 290.
[0185] <Example of changes> The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.
[0186] The air conditioning register 200 may be configured such that when an occupant C selects any point on the trajectory L as an image displayed on a touch sensor panel inside the vehicle, the motor M rotates to change the airflow direction to a point on the actual trajectory L corresponding to the selected point.
[0187] The first conversion mechanism 270 may also have a separate gear between the drive gear 282 and the gear section 272 that meshes with the gear section 272 and rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the drive gear 282 (Modification 1).
[0188] The first conversion mechanism 270 is not limited to one in which the gear section 272 meshes with the driving gear 282 of the second conversion mechanism 280. The first conversion mechanism 270 may also have separate means for converting the rotation of the motor M into the rotation of the gear section 272 by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M.
[0189] The first gear according to the present invention is not limited to the sector gear 288 exemplified in the second embodiment, and its shape may be appropriately modified within the range applicable to the rotation surface conversion mechanism 287. The intermittent drive mechanism 281 is not limited to being composed of a driving gear 282, an intermediate gear 283, and a driven gear 286. For example, one or more additional gears may be provided between the driving gear 282 and the intermediate gear 283. Furthermore, if multiple gears are provided, these multiple gears may include gears that rotate continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the driving gear 282 and gears that are intermittently driven by that gear.
[0190] With this configuration, the arrangement of motor M can be appropriately changed by combining it with modification 1 above. The intermittent drive mechanism 281 does not have to be such that the driven gear 286 rotates 60 degrees each time the intermediate gear 283 rotates 180 degrees, as illustrated in the second embodiment. The timing of the meshing of the two gears can be changed by changing the number of pins 285 on the intermediate gear 283 and the number of radial grooves on the driven gear 286.
[0191] With this configuration, the timing of the switch between orbit L1 and orbit L2 can be arbitrarily changed. In the second embodiment, multiple upstream fins 140 and multiple downstream fins 150 were exemplified as multiple movable members driven by the motor M, but the multiple movable members provided by the air conditioning register 200 are not limited to these. For example, by driving the second rack gear 81 exemplified in the first embodiment via the drive gear 282, a slide cover can also be included as one of the multiple movable members driven by the motor M.
[0192] The second conversion mechanism 280 does not necessarily have to include the intermittent drive mechanism 281. The multiple downstream fins 50 may be driven by a motor M, as shown in the second embodiment, or they may be manually driven by providing an operating knob or the like.
[0193] The second conversion mechanism 80 may also have a separate gear between the drive gear 72 and the second rack gear 81 that meshes with the second rack gear 81 and rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the drive gear 72 (modification 2).
[0194] The second conversion mechanism 80 is not limited to one in which the second rack gear 81 meshes with the drive gear 72 of the first conversion mechanism 70. The second conversion mechanism 80 may also have separate means for converting the rotation of the motor M into linear motion in the longitudinal direction Y of the second rack gear 81 by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the motor M.
[0195] The intermittent drive mechanism 71 is not limited to being composed of a driving gear 72 and a driven gear 75. For example, one or more gears may be provided separately between the gear connected to the pivot shaft P1 and rotating around the pivot shaft P1 and the driven gear 75. In this case, the shape of the gear that meshes with the driven gear may be the same as that of the driving gear 72. Also, if multiple gears are provided, the multiple gears may include a gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator and a gear that is intermittently driven by that gear.
[0196] With this configuration, the arrangement of motor M can be changed as appropriate when combined with modification 2 above. • The multiple upstream fins 40 do not necessarily have to be able to rotate to a fin-shut position where adjacent fin bodies 42 overlap each other.
[0197] The agent according to the present invention is not limited to the fragrance F exemplified in the first embodiment, but may also be a deodorant, insect repellent, or the like. The first conversion mechanism 70 does not necessarily have to include the intermittent drive mechanism 71.
[0198] The actuator according to the present invention is not limited to a motor M having a pivot axis that rotates in the rotation direction R1 as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, it may be a motor having a pivot axis that rotates in the rotation direction R2. Furthermore, any actuator other than a motor may be used as long as it is within the scope applicable to the present invention.
[0199] The multiple movable members according to the present invention are not limited to the combination of the multiple upstream fins 40 and slide cover 60 exemplified in the first embodiment, or the multiple upstream fins 140 and multiple downstream fins 150 exemplified in the second embodiment. For example, they can also be embodied by a combination of a slide cover that is slidably supported in the longitudinal direction Y relative to a retainer and opens and closes a through hole, and a multiple downstream fins that are rotatably provided in the rotational direction R2 about a second fin axis. In this case, the longitudinal direction Y corresponds to the first direction according to the present invention, and the rotational direction R2 corresponds to the second direction according to the present invention.
[0200] The present invention can be applied to any air conditioning register having two or more types of movable members. In this case, a conversion mechanism corresponding to each movable member should be provided. In this case, an intermittent drive mechanism may be included for any of the multiple conversion mechanisms. Examples of movable members other than those exemplified in the above embodiment include a shut damper for adjusting the amount of conditioned air blown out from the air outlet. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0201] A...Air for air conditioning M...motor 10,110…Retainer 10A…Ventilation path 40,140…Upstream fins 50,150…downstream fin 60... Slide cover 62...Detention Unit 70...First Conversion Mechanism 71... Intermittent drive mechanism 80...Second Conversion Mechanism 80A... Regulatory body 100,200... Air conditioning registers 270...First Conversion Mechanism 280...Second Conversion Mechanism 281... Intermittent drive mechanism 287... Rotating surface conversion mechanism 290… Downstream fin drive mechanism
Claims
1. An air conditioning register equipped with a retainer that forms an air passage for air conditioning air, Multiple movable members attached to the retainer and movable in different directions from each other, An actuator that drives multiple movable members by rotating, The system includes a plurality of conversion mechanisms that drive the plurality of movable members by converting the rotation of the actuator into motion in the direction in which each of the plurality of movable members moves, The retainer has a through hole that penetrates from the outer surface toward the ventilation passage, The plurality of movable members include a plurality of fins that are rotatable in a first direction around a plurality of fin axes that extend parallel to each other within the air passage of the retainer, and a slide cover that is slidably supported in a second direction different from the first direction relative to the retainer and opens and closes the through hole, The plurality of conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the first direction, and a second conversion mechanism that slides the slide cover from a closed position that closes the through hole to an open position that opens the through hole by converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the second direction. The first conversion mechanism comprises a rack gear having multiple teeth arranged in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of fins, extending in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of fins and supported so as to be slidable in the direction of the arrangement, and a plurality of pinion gears provided on each of the plurality of fins and meshing with the rack gear, and is configured to rotate the plurality of fins in the first direction about each of the fin axes by converting the rotation of the actuator into the rotation of the plurality of pinion gears via the linear motion of the rack gear. The slide cover contains a portion for housing the drug and, when the slide cover is in the open position, has a portion that communicates with the ventilation passage through the through hole. Air conditioning register.
2. The first conversion mechanism includes an intermittent drive mechanism comprising: a driving gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator; and a driven gear that meshes with both the driving gear and the rack gear and is intermittently driven by the driving gear, thereby intermittently converting the rotation of the driving gear into the linear motion of the rack gear in the direction of alignment; and is configured such that, while the driving gear rotates from a first phase to a second phase, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh to rotate the plurality of fins in the first direction, while while the driving gear rotates from a second phase to a third phase opposite to the first phase, the driving gear and the driven gear do not mesh to stop the rotation of the plurality of fins. The second conversion mechanism includes a restricting mechanism that restricts the slide cover from sliding from the closed position to the open position while the drive gear is rotated from the first phase to the second phase, while allowing the slide cover to slide from the closed position to the open position while the drive gear is rotated from the second phase to the third phase. The air conditioning register according to claim 1.
3. The number of teeth of the pinion gear is set such that the fins can rotate to a fin-shut position where adjacent fins in the direction of alignment come into contact with each other and overlap. The first conversion mechanism is configured such that when the driving gear rotates from the first phase to the second phase in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh together, thereby rotating the plurality of fins from the fin shut position. The air conditioning register according to claim 2.
4. The second conversion mechanism is configured to drive the slide cover from the closed position to the open position by converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the second direction via the rotation of the driving gear. The air conditioning register according to claim 2.
5. An air conditioning register comprising a retainer that forms an air passage for air conditioning air, Multiple movable members attached to the retainer and movable in different directions from each other, An actuator that drives multiple movable members by rotating, The system includes a plurality of conversion mechanisms that drive the plurality of movable members by converting the rotation of the actuator into motion in the direction in which each of the plurality of movable members moves, The plurality of movable members include a plurality of upstream fins that are rotatable in a first direction about a plurality of first fin axes that extend parallel to each other within the air passage of the retainer, and a plurality of downstream fins that are positioned downstream of the plurality of upstream fins in the direction of the air conditioning airflow within the air passage, and are rotatable in a second direction about a second fin axis that extends in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of upstream fins. The actuator rotates in the first direction about an axis parallel to the first fin axis, The plurality of conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of upstream fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the first direction, and a second conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of downstream fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the second direction. The first conversion mechanism comprises a rack gear having multiple teeth that extend in the direction of alignment and are slidably supported in the direction of alignment and arranged in the direction of alignment, and a plurality of pinion gears provided on each of the plurality of upstream fins and meshing with the rack gear, and is configured to rotate the plurality of upstream fins in the first direction about each of the first fin axes by converting the rotation of the actuator into the rotation of the plurality of pinion gears via the linear motion of the rack gear. The second conversion mechanism comprises a downstream fin drive mechanism having an arm portion supported so as to be rotatable in the second direction relative to the retainer, a plurality of drive gears connected to each end of the plurality of second fin shafts to rotate the plurality of downstream fins in the second direction, and a connecting portion provided at one end of the arm portion in the extending direction to connect the arm portion and the plurality of drive gears, and a rotation surface conversion mechanism having a first gear that rotates in the first direction in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, and a plate portion provided so as to be rotatable in the first direction integrally with the first gear about the axis of rotation of the first gear, The other end of the arm portion in the extending direction is provided with an engaging projection that extends parallel to the second fin axis. The plate portion has an elongated hole formed therein, which accommodates the engaging projection and is configured such that when the plate portion rotates in the first direction in conjunction with the rotation of the first gear, the engaging projection slides, thereby causing the downstream fin drive mechanism to rotate in the second direction. Air conditioning register.
6. The second conversion mechanism includes an intermittent drive mechanism comprising a driving gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, an intermediate gear that meshes with the driving gear, and a driven gear that meshes with the intermediate gear and is intermittently driven by the driving gear via the intermediate gear, and is configured such that the driven gear is intermittently driven each time the intermediate gear is rotated by a predetermined angle, thereby rotating a plurality of the downstream fins in the second direction. The air conditioning register according to claim 5.
7. The first conversion mechanism is configured to rotate a plurality of upstream fins in a first direction around their respective first fin axes by converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion of the rack gear in the alignment direction via the rotation of the driving gear. The air conditioning register according to claim 6.
8. An air conditioning register comprising a retainer that forms an air passage for air conditioning air, Multiple movable members attached to the retainer and movable in different directions from each other, An actuator that drives multiple movable members by rotating, The system includes multiple conversion mechanisms that drive multiple movable members by converting the rotation of the actuator into motion in the direction in which each of the multiple movable members moves. The retainer has a through hole that penetrates from the outer surface toward the ventilation passage, The multiple movable members are supported so as to be slidable in a first direction relative to the retainer and include a slide cover that opens and closes the through hole. The plurality of conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion in the first direction, thereby sliding the slide cover from a closed position that closes the through hole to an open position that opens the through hole. The slide cover contains a portion for housing the drug and, when the slide cover is in the open position, has a portion that communicates with the ventilation passage through the through hole. Air conditioning register.
9. An air conditioning register comprising a retainer that forms a passage for air conditioning air, Multiple movable members attached to the retainer and movable in different directions from each other, An actuator that drives multiple movable members by rotating, The system includes a plurality of conversion mechanisms that drive the plurality of movable members by converting the rotation of the actuator into motion in the direction in which each of the plurality of movable members moves, The plurality of movable members include a plurality of fins that are rotatable in a first direction about a plurality of fin axes that extend parallel to each other within the air passage of the retainer, The plurality of conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that drives the plurality of fins by converting the rotation of the actuator into rotation in the first direction, The first conversion mechanism comprises a rack gear having multiple teeth arranged in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of fins, extending in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of fins and supported so as to be slidable in the direction of the arrangement, a plurality of pinion gears provided on each of the plurality of fins and meshing with the rack gear, and an intermittent drive mechanism, and is configured to rotate the plurality of fins in the first direction about each of the fin axes by converting the rotation of the actuator into the rotation of the plurality of pinion gears via the linear motion of the rack gear. The intermittent drive mechanism comprises a driving gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, and a driven gear that meshes with both the driving gear and the rack gear and is intermittently driven by the driving gear, thereby intermittently converting the rotation of the driving gear into linear motion of the rack gear in the direction of alignment. The first conversion mechanism is configured such that, while the driving gear rotates from a first phase to a second phase, the driving gear and the driven gear mesh together, causing the plurality of fins to rotate in the first direction, while while the driving gear rotates from a second phase to a third phase opposite to the first phase, the driving gear and the driven gear do not mesh together, thereby stopping the rotation of the plurality of fins. Air conditioning register.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Air outlet and vehicle comprising same
CN114801661A
Shifting device for direction of air
JP1991260547A
Door control device for air conditioner
JP2001138727A
Air blowout device for vehicle
JP2017013613A
Wind direction adjustment device
JP2017222248A