JP7601581B2 - Wind direction adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wind direction adjustment device equipped with a wind direction adjustment body that can change the angle relative to the ventilation direction.

Conventionally, air conditioners used in vehicles such as automobiles include air direction adjustment devices that adjust the direction of the air being blown out. Air direction adjustment devices are also called air conditioner air outlet devices, air outlets, ventilators, registers, etc., and are installed in various parts of the vehicle, such as the instrument panel or center console, and contribute to improving comfort performance through heating and cooling.

In the case of a thin airflow adjustment device with a low height ventilation passage, the number of vertical airflow adjustment blades is limited, making it difficult to properly adjust the airflow direction. Therefore, a configuration is known in which an auxiliary airflow adjustment blade is separately arranged on the rear side of the finisher, which is a panel having an air outlet that is an opening (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this configuration, although the auxiliary airflow direction adjustment blades are difficult to see from the air outlet, there is a large gap between the airflow direction adjustment blades located at the air outlet and the airflow direction adjustment blades located on the rear side of the finisher, which is detrimental to airflow direction adjustment.

In addition, in a wind direction adjustment device capable of closing an air outlet with multiple wind direction adjustment blades, a device is known in which the shaft of each wind direction adjustment blade is offset from the wind direction changing surface of the plate-shaped blade body (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

However, with this configuration, the offset direction of the shaft is the same for all airflow direction adjustment blades, so it does not contribute to improving airflow direction adjustment.

JP 2011-51385 A (pages 5-10, Figures 1-6) JP 2014-221631 A (pages 5-8, Figures 1-3)

As mentioned above, there is a demand for a wind direction adjustment device that improves wind direction adjustment functionality while maintaining a good appearance.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a wind direction adjustment device that improves wind direction adjustment function while maintaining a good appearance.

The airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 1 comprises a case including a side wall and an air passage surrounded by the side wall for guiding air in a predetermined ventilation direction, a panel including an opening communicating with the air passage through which air blows out and provided on the downwind end side of the air passage, and a pair of airflow direction adjustment blades disposed in the air passage on opposite sides separated from each other with respect to a center of the air passage in a direction intersecting the ventilation direction, the pair of airflow direction adjustment blades being movably supported by the case so that their angles can be changed with respect to the ventilation direction, each of the airflow direction adjustment blades including a plate-shaped blade main body, a protruding portion protruding from the blade main body to the rear side of the center of the air passage, and a shaft portion supported by the case, The shaft portion is formed on the protrusion and is located relative to the blade main body portion on the downwind end side behind the center of the air passage, and also on the downwind end or the downwind side of the air passage, outwardly relative to the projection of the air passage in the air flow direction of the opening, and each of the air direction adjustment blades is respectively arranged on the rear side of the panel, and when the angle is changed, at least a part of the blade main body portion of the air direction adjustment blade that rotates toward the center of the air passage is exposed in the opening and the downwind end approaches the downwind side of the edge of the opening, and the downwind end of the blade main body portion of the air direction adjustment blade that rotates opposite the center of the air passage moves away from the upwind side of the edge of the opening.

The airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 2 is the airflow direction adjustment device according to claim 1 , further comprising another airflow direction adjustment blade that is arranged in the center of the air passage and is linked to the paired airflow direction adjustment blade.

According to the airflow direction adjustment device described in claim 1, the airflow direction adjustment blade can be positioned so that the downwind end of the blade main body does not fall inside the projection of the air flow direction of the opening at any swing angle, and so that the wind does not collide with the edge of the opening when the blade is swung.In addition, at least a part of the blade main body is exposed inside the opening , so that the appearance is maintained while the airflow adjustment function is improved.

According to the wind direction adjustment device of claim 2 , in addition to the effects of the wind direction adjustment device of claim 1 , the wind direction can be adjusted by a pair of wind direction adjustment blades and another wind direction adjustment blade, and when the pair of wind direction adjustment blades are swung, the distance between one of the wind direction adjustment blades and the other wind direction adjustment blade is narrowed, thereby reducing the amount of wind blowing between the wind direction adjustment blade and the other wind direction adjustment blade, thereby further improving the wind direction performance.

1A is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a wind direction adjustment device of the present invention, in which (a) shows the neutral wind direction adjustment position of the wind direction adjustment blade of the same wind direction adjustment device, (b) shows the wind direction adjustment position in one direction of the same wind direction adjustment device, and (c) shows the wind direction adjustment position in the other direction of the same wind direction adjustment device. FIG. FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, 10 is a wind direction adjustment device. The wind direction adjustment device 10 is also called an air outlet, a ventilator, etc., and adjusts the direction of wind blowing from an air conditioner or the like. In the following, to make the explanation clearer, the wind direction adjustment device 10 defines the left-right direction or width direction as seen from the front side as well as the up-down direction as seen from the front side as the downwind side from which the wind blows out as the front side, the front side, or the near side, and the opposite side, that is, the upwind side from which the wind is received as the rear side, the back side, or the far side, and specifies the both sides or width direction as seen from the front side as well as the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the wind direction adjustment device 10 is applied to an air conditioner for a vehicle such as an automobile. The wind direction adjustment device 10 may be disposed in any position, but in the drawings, it is disposed so that the side indicated by the arrow FR is the front side, the side indicated by the arrow RR is the rear side, the side indicated by the arrow L is the left side, the side indicated by the arrow R is the right side, the side indicated by the arrow U is the upper side, and the side indicated by the arrow D is the lower side. These directions are merely illustrated as examples, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the installation position and installation direction of the wind direction adjustment device 10.

The airflow direction adjustment device 10 has a main body 12. The main body 12 has a case 14, which is a duct portion serving as a structural member. In this embodiment, the main body 12 also has a panel 15, which is a design member attached to the case 14.

As shown in Figures 1(a) to 1(c) and 2, the case 14 has side walls 16, which enclose an air passage 17 inside. One end of the case 14, the rear end, is an inlet 18 that receives air into the air passage 17, and the other end of the case 14, the front end, is an outlet 19 that blows air out of the air passage 17. In other words, an air passage 17 is formed between the inlet 18 and the outlet 19, connecting them. In this embodiment, a panel 15 is attached to the outlet 19.

The side wall 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction. In the illustrated example, the side wall 16 is formed in a square cylindrical shape. The direction parallel to the central axis of the side wall 16 is the ventilation direction of the ventilation passage 17. In this embodiment, the ventilation direction of the ventilation passage 17 is the front-rear direction, and air is ventilated from the rear to the front. That is, in the ventilation passage 17, the rear side is the upstream side in the ventilation direction, and the front side is the downstream side in the ventilation direction.

The side wall 16 has a predetermined length in the ventilation direction of the ventilation passage 17. In this embodiment, the side wall 16 is flat in the vertical direction and elongated in the horizontal direction, that is, horizontally long. Therefore, the airflow direction adjustment device 10 is formed in a horizontal thin shape. The side wall 16 integrally has a pair of end wall portions 16a that face each other across the center of the ventilation passage 17, i.e., the central axis of the side wall 16 or the case 14, and a pair of side wall portions 16b that connect the pair of end wall portions 16a. The pair of end wall portions 16a face each other in the vertical direction, and the pair of side wall portions 16b face each other in the horizontal direction. The entrance 18 is surrounded by the rear ends of the pair of end wall portions 16a, 16a and the pair of side wall portions 16b, 16b, and the exit 19 is surrounded by the front ends of the pair of end wall portions 16a, 16a and the pair of side wall portions 16b, 16b.

The panel 15 is also called a finisher. The panel 15 is formed in a plate shape. An air outlet 21, which is an opening that communicates with the outlet 19, is formed in the panel 15. In this embodiment, the air outlet 21 is formed in a rectangular shape. In the illustrated example, the air outlet 21 is formed long in the left-right direction, that is, horizontally long. In the illustrated example, the opening direction of the air outlet 21 is the front-rear direction.

As shown in Fig. 1(a) to Fig. 1(c), a wind direction adjustment body 23 is arranged in the air passage 17 inside the case 14 facing the air outlet 21. That is, the wind direction adjustment body 23 is located on the downstream side of the air passage 17, on the outlet 19 side of the air passage 17 in this embodiment. The wind direction adjustment body 23 has a pair of (one) wind direction adjustment blades 25. The wind direction adjustment blades 25 are also called louvers. Each wind direction adjustment blade 25 has (one) blade main body part 27. The blade main body part 27 is formed in a plate shape. At least one of the main surfaces of the blade main body part 27 is (one) guide surface 28 that guides the wind. In addition, each wind direction adjustment blade 25 has (one) shaft part 29. Each wind direction adjustment blade 25 is arranged in the case 14 so that the angle of the guide surface 28 with respect to the air flow direction can be changed by the shaft part 29. In the illustrated example, each airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is supported by the case 14 so that the guide surface 28 can rotate around the shaft 29 from a direction parallel or approximately parallel to the airflow direction to a direction intersecting the airflow direction at an acute angle. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, each airflow direction adjustment blade 25 has (one) connecting shaft 31. The connecting shaft 31 of each of the multiple airflow direction adjustment blades 25 is connected to a link 32, which is a connecting rod, and the guide surfaces 28 are configured to rotate in the same direction while remaining parallel or approximately parallel to each other.

In this embodiment, the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is set in pairs. That is, in this embodiment, the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is set to a first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and a second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b. As shown in Figures 1 (a) to 1 (c), the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b are arranged on opposite sides of the center of the air passage 17 in a direction intersecting the ventilation direction, that is, the center axis of the side wall 16 or the case 14. That is, the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b are biased to one side and the other side with the center of the air passage 17 as a reference. In addition, the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b are arranged close to the edge of the air outlet 21. Furthermore, the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b are located on the opposite side of the center of the air outlet 21, that is, on the outside, with respect to the edges 21a and 21b of the air outlet 21.

In this embodiment, the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is biased upward with respect to the center of the air passage 17, and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is biased downward with respect to the center of the air passage 17. The downwind end of the blade main body 27 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is located at a predetermined distance from the upper edge 21a of the air outlet 21 on the windward side, which is the upstream side in the airflow direction, relative to the upper edge 21a of the air outlet 21, and the downwind end of the blade main body 27 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is located at a predetermined distance from the lower edge 21b of the air outlet 21 on the windward side, which is the upstream side in the airflow direction. In the illustrated example, the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b are in the neutral air distribution position shown in FIG. 1(a), that is, in the position where they guide air along the ventilation direction of the air passage 17, when viewed from the front of the air outlet 21, the guide surface 28 is flush with the edges 21a, 21b of the air outlet 21, or is in a position hidden by the edges 21a, 21b. The first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a has the guide surface 28 only on the lower side of the blade main body 27, and the upper side of the blade main body 27 does not basically contribute to guiding the air. Similarly, the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b has the guide surface 28 only on the upper side of the blade main body 27, and the lower side of the blade main body 27 does not basically contribute to guiding the air. In this embodiment, the edges 21a, 21b of the air outlet 21 are inclined so as to gradually expand the air outlet 21 in the direction of air blowing from the air outlet 21, that is, toward the front side, which is the downstream side.

The shaft portion 29 is offset from the blade body portion 27 toward the rear side of the center of the air passage 17, and is offset from the leeward end (front end) or the leeward side of the leeward end of the air passage 17. That is, the shaft portion 29 is located on the rear side of the blade body portion 27, that is, on the opposite side to the guide surface 28. The shaft portion 29 is also located at a position that overlaps with an imaginary line in a direction perpendicular to the ventilation direction of the leeward end of the blade body portion 27 (on the extension of the front edge of the leeward end), or at a position that protrudes further forward from the leeward end. In this embodiment, the shaft 29 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is disposed at a position protruding upward (downstream in the airflow direction) from the downwind end of the blade main body 27, and the shaft 29 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is disposed at a position protruding downward (downstream in the airflow direction) from the downwind end of the blade main body 27. In this embodiment, the shaft 29 is formed on a protrusion 33 protruding from the blade main body 27.

The shaft portion 29 is formed on both sides of the blade main body portion 27. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 29 is rotatably supported by a spacer 35 that forms a part of the case 14. The spacer 35 is attached to the side wall 16 of the case 14. The spacer 35 is formed so as to gradually incline toward the center of the air passage 17 toward the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 2, the spacer 35 is formed with a bearing portion 36 into which the shaft portion 29 is rotatably inserted. In this embodiment, the spacer 35 is set with a first spacer 35a and a second spacer 35b. The first spacer 35a rotatably supports the shaft portion 29 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a, and the second spacer 35b rotatably supports the shaft portion 29 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b. The first spacer 35a is arranged across the upper end wall portion 16a of the side wall 16 of the case 14 and the back side, i.e., the rear side, of the panel 15. The second spacer 35b is disposed across the lower end wall portion 16a of the side wall 16 of the case 14 and the rear side, i.e., the back side, of the panel 15.

The connecting shaft portion 31 is formed at a position away from the shaft portion 29 with respect to the blade main body portion 27. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft portion 31 is located at the end side of the blade main body portion 27 opposite to the shaft portion 29. The connecting shaft portion 31 is offset from the blade main body portion 27 toward the rear side of the center of the air passage 17, and is offset from the windward end (rear end) of the air passage 17 toward the leeward side (overhanging). In other words, the connecting shaft portion 31 is located on the rear side of the blade main body portion 27, that is, on the opposite side to the guide surface 28. The connecting shaft portion 31 is located at a position that overlaps with a virtual line in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction of the windward end of the blade main body portion 27 (on the extension line of the rear end edge of the windward end), or at a position that protrudes forward from the windward end. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft portion 31 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is disposed above the windward end of the blade main body 27 (downstream side in the airflow direction), and the connecting shaft portion 31 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is disposed below the windward end of the blade main body 27 (downstream side in the airflow direction). The imaginary line connecting the central axis of the connecting shaft portion 31 and the central axis of the shaft portion 29 is parallel or approximately parallel to the guide surface 28. That is, the connecting shaft portion 31 and the shaft portion 29 are at equal or approximately equal distances from the guide surface 28, and are located away from the main surface of the blade main body 27 opposite to the guide surface 28, behind the center of the air passage 17. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft portion 31 is formed on the bearing protrusion 37 protruding from the blade main body 27. The connecting shaft portion 31 is formed on one side of the blade main body 27. The connecting shaft portion 31 is formed parallel or approximately parallel to the shaft portion 29. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting shaft portion 31 is supported by being loosely fitted rotatably in the connecting bearing portion 38 formed in the link 32. The connecting bearing portion 38 is formed in a round hole shape.

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 1(a) to 1(c) and 2, in this embodiment, the airflow direction adjustment body 23 is provided with another airflow direction adjustment blade 41. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is also called a central louver. In the illustrated example, the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is arranged between the pair of airflow direction adjustment blades 25, preferably overlapping the central part of the air passage 17. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is provided with another blade main body part 43. The other blade main body part 43 is formed in a plate shape. The main surfaces of the other blade main body part 43 are (other) guide surfaces 45, 46 that guide the wind. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is also provided with another shaft part 47. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is arranged in the case 14 so that the angle of the guide surfaces 45, 46 with respect to the airflow direction can be changed by the other shaft part 47. In the illustrated example, the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is supported by the case 14 so that the guide surfaces 45, 46 can rotate around the other shaft 47 from a direction parallel or approximately parallel to the airflow direction to a direction intersecting the airflow direction at an acute angle. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 also has another connecting shaft 49. The other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is configured so that the other connecting shaft 49 is connected to the link 32 and is linked to the paired airflow direction adjustment blade 25 and rotates in the same direction as the paired airflow direction adjustment blade 25.

The other shaft portion 47 is located in the center of the thickness direction of the other blade body portion 43. The other shaft portion 47 is located near the leeward end of the other blade body portion 43. In this embodiment, the other shaft portion 47 is located downstream in the ventilation direction from the shaft portion 29, that is, on the front side. The other shaft portion 47 is formed on both sides of the other blade body portion 43. In this embodiment, the other shaft portion 47 is rotatably supported on the side wall portion 16b (FIG. 2) of the side wall 16 of the case 14. And, when the other shaft portion 47 is supported on the side wall portion 16b (FIG. 2) of the side wall 16 of the case 14, the leeward end of the other blade body portion 43 is on the opening surface of the air outlet 21 or in a rear position upstream of the opening surface in the ventilation direction.

The other connecting shaft portion 49 is formed at a position away from the other shaft portion 47 with respect to the other blade main body portion 43. In the illustrated example, the other connecting shaft portion 49 is located at the center of the thickness direction of the other blade main body portion 43. The other connecting shaft portion 49 is formed on one side of the other blade main body portion 43. The other connecting shaft portion 49 is formed parallel or approximately parallel to the other shaft portion 47. The other connecting shaft portion 49 is rotatably inserted and supported in the other connecting bearing portion 51 formed in the link 32, as shown in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is formed with an operation knob 53 that allows the occupant or the like to manually operate the rotation direction of the airflow direction adjustment body 23. In this embodiment, the operation knob 53 is integrally provided on the downwind end of the other blade main body portion 43 and is exposed to the air outlet 21.

When assembling the wind direction adjustment device 10, the wind direction adjustment body 23, which is made up of the first wind direction adjustment blade 25a, the second wind direction adjustment blade 25b, and the other wind direction adjustment blades 41 axially connected by the link 32, has the shaft portion 29 of the first wind direction adjustment blade 25a and the shaft portion 29 of the second wind direction adjustment blade 25b rotatably supported by the bearing portion 36 of the first spacer 35a and the bearing portion 36 of the second spacer 35b. Next, the wind direction adjustment body 23 and the first spacer 35a and the second spacer 35b are assembled inside the case 14, and the other shaft portion 47 of the other wind direction adjustment blade 25 is rotatably supported on the side wall 16 of the case 14. Then, the panel 15 is assembled to the case 14 to form the wind direction adjustment device 10.

Figure 1(a) shows the neutral air distribution position, Figure 1(b) shows the upward air distribution position, and Figure 1(c) shows the downward air distribution position. In each position, the air passing through the air passage 17 is guided by the guide surface 28 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the guide surface 45 of the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41, and is also guided by the guide surface 28 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the guide surface 46 of the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41, passing between the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41, and between the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41, and is blown out from the air outlet 21.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), in the neutral air distribution position, the guide surface 28 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the guide surface 28 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b do not extend into the inside of the airflow outlet 21 relative to the edges 21a, 21b of the airflow outlet 21 when viewed from the front side of the airflow outlet 21. In other words, in the neutral air distribution position, the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is not visible on the airflow outlet 21 side. Therefore, from the user's side, such as a passenger, it appears as if only the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 are arranged at the airflow outlet 21, resulting in an improved appearance of the airflow direction adjustment device 10.

When a user such as a passenger grips the operating knob 53 from this neutral air distribution position and operates the airflow direction adjustment body 23 to the upward air distribution position, for example as shown in FIG. 1(b), the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 rotates around the other shaft 47, and the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 connected to the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 via the link 32 rotates around the shaft 29. At this time, the shaft 29 of the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is offset toward the outside, that is, the case 14 side, and downstream side with respect to the blade main body 27, so that in the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a, the blade main body 27 advances around the shaft 29 to the center of the air passage 17, and the windward end side is exposed inside the air outlet 21, and at the same time, the leeward end side protrudes and moves downstream downward, that is, approaching the rear surface of the panel 15 and the edge 21a of the air outlet 21.

In the neutral air distribution position, the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 has a gap of a predetermined distance between the downwind end of the blade body 27 of the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 and the panel 15, so that even if the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a protrudes toward the air outlet 21 as described above, it does not interfere with the panel 15, and the gap between the downwind end of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the edge 21a of the air outlet 21 is small, resulting in a good appearance. In particular, when the airflow direction adjustment device 10 is disposed above the viewpoint of the occupants, such as on the roof of the vehicle cabin, the gap between the blade body 27 of the upper first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the edge 21a of the air outlet 21 is minimized, resulting in a good appearance. In addition, the guide surface 28 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is flush or approximately flush with the edge 21a of the air outlet 21, so the air flowing along the guide surface 28 does not collide with the edge 21a of the air outlet 21 and scatter. Furthermore, the distance between the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 that rotate in the same direction as the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is narrowed, and the upstream side of the guide surface 28 is lowered relative to the projection of the ventilation direction onto the air outlet 21, and the distance between the guide surfaces 28 and 45 is narrowed, so that the amount of air passing through between the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 is reduced. In addition, in the upward swing air distribution position, the protruding portion 33 of the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a is parallel or approximately parallel to the panel 15.

In addition, in the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b, the blade body 27 moves away from the center of the air passage 17 around the shaft 29, and at the same time, the downwind end moves upstream, that is, away from the back surface of the panel 15 and the edge 21b of the air outlet 21, and approaches the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 relatively, narrowing the gap between the guide surfaces 28, 46. Thus, along these guide surfaces 28, 46, the wind at the bottom of the air passage 17 can be guided from below toward the air outlet 21. Although the gap between the blade body 27 of the lower second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the edge 21b of the air outlet 21 widens, it is difficult to see from the passenger's viewpoint, and the appearance is unlikely to be a problem, especially when the airflow direction adjustment device 10 is located above the passenger's viewpoint, such as on the roof of the vehicle cabin.

On the other hand, when a user such as a passenger grips the operating knob 53 from the neutral air distribution position and operates the airflow direction adjustment body 23 to the downward air distribution position, for example as shown in FIG. 1(c), the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 rotates around the other shaft 47, and the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 connected to the other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 via the link 32 rotates around the shaft 29. At this time, since the shaft 29 of the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is offset to the outside, which is the case 14 side, and downstream side with respect to the blade main body 27, in the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b, the blade main body 27 advances around the shaft 29 to the center of the air passage 17, and the windward end side is exposed inside the air outlet 21, and at the same time, the leeward end side moves upward downstream, that is, protruding so as to approach the back surface of the panel 15 and the edge 21b of the air outlet 21.

In the neutral air distribution position, the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 has a gap of a predetermined distance between the downwind end of the blade body 27 of the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 and the panel 15, so that even if the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b protrudes toward the air outlet 21 as described above, it does not interfere with the panel 15, and the gap between the downwind end of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the edge 21b of the air outlet 21 is small, resulting in a good appearance. In particular, when the airflow direction adjustment device 10 is disposed below the viewpoint of the occupants, such as on the instrument panel in the vehicle cabin, the gap between the blade body 27 of the lower second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the edge 21b of the air outlet 21 is minimized, resulting in a good appearance. In addition, the guide surface 28 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is flush or approximately flush with the edge 21b of the air outlet 21, so the air flowing along the guide surface 28 does not collide with the edge 21b of the air outlet 21 and scatter. Furthermore, the distance between the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 that rotate in the same direction as the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is narrowed, and the distance between the guide surfaces 28 and 46 is narrowed, so that the amount of air passing through between the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b and the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41 is reduced. In addition, in the downward air distribution position, the protrusion 33 of the second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b is parallel or approximately parallel to the panel 15.

In the first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a, the blade body 27 moves away from the center of the air passage 17 around the shaft 29, and at the same time, the leeward end moves downward on the upstream side, that is, away from the rear surface of the panel 15 and the edge 21a of the air outlet 21. The upstream side of the guide surface 28 also rises relatively to the projection of the airflow direction onto the air outlet 21, and moves relatively closer to the other airflow direction adjustment blades 41, narrowing the gap between the guide surfaces 28, 45. Thus, the wind at the upper part of the air passage 17 can be guided from above toward the air outlet 21 along these guide surfaces 28, 45. Although the gap between the blade body 27 of the upper first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and the edge 21a of the air outlet 21 widens, it is difficult to see from the passenger's viewpoint, and the appearance is unlikely to be a problem, especially when the airflow direction adjustment device 10 is located below the passenger's viewpoint, such as on the instrument panel in the passenger compartment.

Thus, according to one embodiment, the shafts 29 of the pair of airflow direction adjustment blades 25 arranged in the air passage 17 on opposite sides of the center of the air passage 17 are arranged behind the blade body 27 and at the leeward end or leeward side of the center of the air passage 17. This means that the airflow direction adjustment blades 25 (first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b) can be arranged in a position where the leeward end of the blade body 27 does not enter the inside of the air outlet 21 at any swing angle and where wind does not collide with the edges 21a, 21b of the air outlet 21 when the blade is swung. This improves the airflow direction adjustment function while maintaining the appearance.

In addition, compared to a configuration in which the swing angle of the wind direction adjustment blade 25 is controlled by multiple links or the like, it is possible to improve wind direction performance while maintaining the appearance without increasing the number of parts, i.e., without increasing costs.

Furthermore, when the angle of each airflow direction adjustment blade 25 (first airflow direction adjustment blade 25a and second airflow direction adjustment blade 25b) is not changed (neutral air distribution position), the airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is not exposed from the air outlet 21, ensuring a good appearance, and when the angle is changed, part of the blade body 27 is exposed inside the air outlet 21, allowing the airflow direction to be adjusted more effectively.

In addition, by arranging another wind direction adjustment blade 41 linked to the paired wind direction adjustment blade 25 in the center of the air passage 17, the wind direction can be adjusted by the paired wind direction adjustment blade 25 and the other wind direction adjustment blade 41, and when the paired wind direction adjustment blade 25 is swung, the distance between one of the wind direction adjustment blades 25 and the other wind direction adjustment blade 41 is narrowed, thereby reducing the amount of wind blowing between the wind direction adjustment blade 25 and the other wind direction adjustment blade 41, further improving wind direction performance.

Furthermore, only one other airflow direction adjustment blade 41 is exposed at the air outlet 21, and the paired airflow direction adjustment blade 25 is hidden behind the panel 15, resulting in an airflow direction adjustment device 10 with a neat appearance.

The present invention can be suitably used, for example, as a wind direction adjustment device for automotive air conditioning.

10 Wind direction adjustment device
14 cases
15 Panel
16 Sidewall
17 Ventilation Channel
21 Air outlet, which is an opening
21a, 21b Edge
25 Wind direction adjustment blade
27 Blade body
29 Shaft
41 Other wind direction control blades

Claims (2)

A case including a side wall and an air passage surrounded by the side wall and guiding air in a predetermined ventilation direction;
A panel provided on a leeward end side of the air passage , the panel having an opening communicating with the air passage and through which air blows out;
a pair of airflow direction adjustment vanes arranged in the air passage on opposite sides of a center of the air passage in a direction intersecting the airflow direction and movably supported on the case such that an angle of the vane with respect to the airflow direction can be changed;
Each of the airflow direction adjustment blades is
A plate-shaped blade main body;
a protrusion protruding from the blade body to a rear side of a center portion of the air passage;
and a shaft portion supported by the case side,
the shaft portion is formed on the protruding portion and is located, with respect to the blade body portion, on a leeward end side of a rear side of a central portion of the air passage, and on the leeward end or on the leeward side of the air passage, and is located on an outer side with respect to a projection of the opening in the air passage direction,
The air direction adjustment blades are each arranged on the rear side of the panel, and when the angle is changed, at least a part of the blade main body of the air direction adjustment blade that rotates toward the center of the air passage is exposed within the opening and the downwind end approaches the downwind side of the edge of the opening , and the downwind end of the blade main body of the air direction adjustment blade that rotates opposite the center of the air passage moves away from the upwind side of the edge of the opening . 2. The airflow direction adjusting device according to claim 1 , further comprising another airflow direction adjusting blade arranged in a central portion of the air passage and linked with the paired airflow direction adjusting blade.

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