GB2158205A - Slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated units - Google Patents

Abstract

A slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated regulating members, more especially for controlling the ventilator flaps of heating and air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles, comprising a manually controlled slide member (2) serving as a setting member, which is guided linearly in a housing (1) and is connected to the regulating member by means of a mechanical power transmitting member (13, 14). A toothed wheel (5) and a toothed pinion (6), rigidly connected to the toothed wheel (5), are provided between the slide member (2) and the mechanical power transmitting member (13, 14) and are rotatably disposed on the slide member (2) on a common axle (8), the toothed wheel (5) being in engagement with a toothed rail (9) secured to the housing (1), and the toothed pinion (6) being in engagement with a toothed driver (10) which is guided parallel to the toothed rail (9) and serves as an adjusting means. The mechanical power transmitting member is formed by a Bowden cable (13) having a wire (14) attached to the toothed driver (10). The toothed driver (10) is linearly guided in guide grooves (12) by means of slide pins or slide rollers (11), said grooves (12) being provided in the toothed rail (9) secured to the housing (1). A light button (15) is disposed in the slide member (2) and is illuminated by a flexible light conductor (16) located in the housing (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated units The present invention relates to a slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated regulating members, more especially for controlling the ventilator flaps of heating and airconditioning systems in motor vehicles, comprising a manually controlled slide member serving as a setting member which is linearly guided in a housing and is connected to the regulating member by means of a mechanical power transmitting member.

In known slide regulators of this type, the slide member and the regulating member are connected by means of a mechanical lever system which, on the one hand, serves to transmit the setting power to the regulating member, such power having been introduced at the slide member, and, on the other hand, serves to achieve a smooth and delicately sensitive regulation of the directional stepdown movement. These known arrangements have a number of serious disadvantages. Each of the individual levers of the lever system must, in consequence, be given the required pivotal space, with the result that considerable space is required for such a structural arrangement and in many cases it is difficult to provide such space.This often leads to the slide member and the regulating member being given unfavourable positions relative to each other, which is an additional disadvantage to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the lever system is an open system which is prone, therefore, to damage and wear.

However, the major disadvantages of known slide regulators involve the operation thereof. It is particularly disadvantageous, therefore, that, by utilising a lever system as a power transmitting means, an undesirable inconstancy between the step-up and step-down movements relative to the adjustment path of the slide member is introduced into the regulating path, thereby causing the regulating member to be adjusted in an increasingly diminishing and progressive manner, respectively, relative to identical adjustment paths of the slide member. A further disadvantage of known regulators resides also in the fact that the power transmitting member, for ensuring that the slide member operates smoothly, has to be made and kept as free as possible from bearing friction.As a consequence thereof, reactions occur from the regulating member to the regulating path in such a manner that the system is undesirably reset automatically, closed in the case of the heating system, when high restoring forces are produced because of the system; this occurs, for example when the heating system is set at a high ventilator output and, in consequence, when an increased restoring force is exerted upon the ventilator flap.

The present invention seeks to provide a slide regulator of the above-described type which ensures that the regulating member is adjusted in a linear-proportional manner in dependence upon the adjustment path of the slide member, said regulator preventing the regulating member from reacting to the slide member.

According to the present invention there is provided a slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated regulating members, more especially for controlling the ventilator flaps of heating and air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles, comprising a manually controlled slide member serving as a setting member, which is linearly guided in a housing and is connected to the regulating member by means of a mechanical power transmitting member, a toothed wheel, and a toothed pinion, rigidly connected to the toothed wheel, provided between the slide member and the mechanical power transmitting member and rotatably disposed on the slide member on a common axle, the toothed wheel being in engagement with a toothed rail secured to the housing, and the toothed pinion being in engagement with a toothed driver which is guided parallel to the toothed rail and serves as an adjustment member.

The invention provides a slide regulator which ensures constancy between the step-up and step-down movements and, in consequence, ensures that the regulating member is adjusted in a linear-proportional manner in dependence upon the adjustment path of the slide member. Such a slide regulator also prevents the regulating member from reacting to the slide member, having regard to the selflocking forces of the toothed drive or toothed rotor rail and pinion gear. In such a case, the step-up ratio or the step-down ratio, respectively, and hence the sensitive regulation within broad limits may be adapted to the particular requirements of the case.A further, substantial advantage of the arrangement according to the invention also resides in the fact that the entire regulating path may be a system which is totally closed towards the outside, so that this arrangement is not prone to interference and wear, as was a disadvantageous feature of known arrangements.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mechanical power transmitting member may be formed by a Bowden cable having a push-and-pull wire which is attached to the toothed driver, thereby permitting the setting member to be connected to the regulating member in a simple and space-saving manner, even when such members are in highly unfavourable positions relative to each other.

In a further preferred development of the arrangement according to the invention, a light button may be disposed in the slide member, such button being illuminated by a flexible light conductor located in the housing.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a slide regulator in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I of Fig. 1.

A slide regulator is shown in the drawings for controlling mechanically regulated regulating members and comprises a housing 1, in which a manually controlled slide member 2, serving as a setting member, is guided by means of a slide ring 4 which is guided in grooves 3. The slide member 2 is connected to the regulating member (not shown), for example, the ventilator flap of a heating or airconditioning system in a motor vehicle, by means of a mechanical power transmitting member 1 3. A toothed wheel 5 and a toothed pinion 6, rigidly connected to the toothed wheel 5, are rotatably disposed on the projection member 7, provided on the slide member 2, on a common axle 8, the toothed wheel 5 being in engagement with a toothed rail 9 fixed to the housing, and the toothed pinion 6 being in engagement with a toothed driver 10 which is guided parallel to the toothed rail 9 and serves as an adjustment member. The toothed driver 10 is linearly guided in guide grooves 1 2 by means of slide pins or slide rollers 11, said grooves 1 2 being provided in the toothed rail 9 fixed to the housing. The mechanical power transmitting member 1 3 is formed by a Bowden cable having a wire 14 attached to the toothed driver 10. A light button 1 5 is disposed in the slide member and is illuminated by a flexible light conductor located in the housing 1.

Since the toothed wheel 5 engages in the toothing of the toothed rail 9, the toothed wheel 5 and hence, simultaneously, the toothed pinion 6 are set in rotation on their common axle when the slide member 2 is operated. This also causes the pinion 6 to travel in the toothing of the toothed driver 10, whereby, however, a rolling path is produced at the pinion 6, which path is considerably shorter than at the toothed wheel 5 because of a step-down reduction in the toothed assembly 5, 6. The difference between the rolling paths corresponds to the linear displacement of the toothed driver 10, guided in the guide groove 12, relative to the toothed rail 9.

In the present case, wherein the pinion 6 has substantially fewer teeth than the toothed wheel 5, a considerable step-down adjustment is achieved. A step-up adjustment may also be achieved by reversing the teeth ratio. In each case, total proportionality of adjustment is achieved over the entire adjustment path. In addition, because the toothed gears have a high degree of self-locking, the regulating member is prevented from reacting to the setting member, and a very smooth movement is ensured.

Claims (5)

1. A slide regulator for operating mechanically regulated regulating members, more especially for controlling the ventilator flaps of heating and air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles, comprising a manually controlled slide member serving as a setting member, which is linearly guided in a housing and is connected to the regulating member by means of a mechanical power transmitting member, a toothed wheel and a toothed pinion, rigidly connected to the toothed wheel, provided between the slide member and the mechanical power transmitting member and rotatably disposed on the slide member on a common axle, the toothed wheel being in engagement with a toothed rail secured to the housing, and the toothed pinion being in engagement with a toothed driver which is guided parallel to the toothed rail and serves as an adjustment member.

2. A slide regulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical power transmitting member is formed by a Bowden cable having a wire attached to the toothed drive.

3. A slide regulator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the toothed driver is linearly guided in guide grooves by means of slide pins or slide rollers, said grooves being provided in the toothed rail fixed to the housing.

4. A slide regulator as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a light button is disposed in the slide member and is illuminated by a flexible light conductor located in the housing.

5. A slide regulator substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.