JP7307436B2 - Air conditioning register and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air-conditioning register for changing the direction of air-conditioning air sent from an air conditioner and blown into a room, and a manufacturing method thereof.

For example, an instrument panel of a vehicle incorporates an air-conditioning register that blows air for air-conditioning sent from an air conditioner into the vehicle interior. The air conditioning register has a retainer with passages for air conditioning air. As shown in FIG. 10, a downstream fin (not shown) and a plurality of upstream fins 72 and 73 are arranged in the ventilation path from downstream to upstream in the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1. An operation knob 71 is slidably attached to the downstream fin. Each of the upstream fins 72 and 73 is tiltably supported on the retainer by an upstream fin shaft 74 . The air conditioning register further includes a drive mechanism 75 for tilting the upstream fins 72 and 73 in conjunction with the sliding of the operation knob 71 .

The drive mechanism 75 includes a transmission mechanism 76 for transmitting the slide of the operation knob 71 to the upstream fins 72 and an interlocking mechanism 77 for tilting the upstream fins 73 in synchronization with the upstream fins 72 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 10 in Patent Document 1, the transmission mechanism 76 includes a fork 78 provided on the operation knob 71, and a transmission shaft portion 79 and a notch portion 81 provided on the upstream fin 72. there is The fork 78 is bifurcated and sandwiches the transmission shaft portion 79 from both sides in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins 72 and 73 .

The interlocking mechanism 77 includes a connecting pin 82 formed at a location separated from the upstream fin shaft 74 for each of the upstream fins 72 and 73 and a connecting rod 83 connecting all the connecting pins 82 .
In the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 1, when the operation knob 71 is slid in the arrangement direction, the fork 78 presses the transmission shaft portion 79 in the same direction. By this pressing, the upstream fin 72 is tilted about the upstream fin shaft 74 as a fulcrum. The tilting motion of the upstream fins 72 is transmitted to each upstream fin 73 via the connecting rod 83 and the connecting pin 82 . As a result, each upstream fin 73 is tilted in synchronization with the upstream fin 72, and the direction of the air conditioning air A1 is changed.

By the way, in the molding process for molding the upstream fins 72 and 73 in the manufacturing process of the air-conditioning register, a mold device 84 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is used. The upstream fins 72 and 73 are arranged between the closed first molding die 85 and the second molding die 86 so that the side surfaces of all the upstream fins 72 and 73 are positioned substantially on the same plane. molded. In this case, since the upstream fin 72 has the transmission shaft portion 79 and the notch portion 81 on the downstream side of the upstream fin shaft 74 , the first molding die 85 and the second molding die 86 are placed on the side surfaces of the upstream fins 72 and 73 . It is difficult to relatively move in the direction along the Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the first molding die 85 and the second molding die 86 are moved relative to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fins 72 and 73, thereby closing and opening the mold device 84 to the upstream side. Fins 72, 73 are molded. Therefore, it is unavoidable to increase the size of the mold device 84 in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins 72 and 73, that is, in the horizontal direction in FIGS.

Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 2, a drive gear 87 and a driven gear 88 are used as the transmission mechanism 76, as shown in FIGS. A drive gear 87 is provided in place of the fork 78 and is formed at the upstream end of the operation knob 71 in the flow direction. A driven gear 88 is provided in place of the transmission shaft portion 79 and the notch portion 81 . The driven gear 88 is attached to an attachment portion 89 formed on the upstream fin 72 and is meshed with the driving gear 87 .

The reason why the driven gear 88 is made of a member separate from the upstream fin 72 is that it is difficult to integrally form the upstream fin 72 and the driven gear 88 .
13 to 16, the same components as those of the air conditioning register shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2, when the operation knob 71 is slid, the meshing position of the driving gear 87 with the driven gear 88 changes, and the upstream fin 72 is tilted with the upstream fin shaft 74 as a fulcrum. . The tilting motion of the upstream fins 72 is transmitted to each upstream fin 73 via the connecting rod 83 and the connecting pin 82 . As a result, each upstream fin 73 is tilted in synchronization with the upstream fin 72 . Therefore, also in this case, the direction of the air-conditioning air A1 can be changed by operating the operation knob 71. FIG.

JP-A-2000-225839 JP 2011-148455 A

According to the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2, in the molding process of the upstream fins 72 and 73, as shown in FIG. Between the molds 92, all the upstream fins 72, 73 are molded in a state of being arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction. In this case, the first molding die 91 and the second molding die 92 are relatively moved along the side surfaces of the upstream fins 72 and 73, that is, vertically in FIG. The upstream fins 72, 73 are formed by pressing. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the mold device 90 in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins 72 and 73, that is, in the horizontal direction in FIG.

However, in the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2, the connecting rod 83 that connects the connecting pin 82 is provided separately from the upstream fins 72 and 73, and the driven gear 88 is provided separately from the upstream fin 72. Since it is provided, there is a problem that the number of parts constituting the drive mechanism 75 increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air-conditioning register capable of reducing the size of a mold apparatus and constructing a drive mechanism with a small number of parts, and manufacturing the same. It is to provide a method.

An air-conditioning register that solves the above problems includes a retainer in which a ventilation passage for air-conditioning air is formed, a downstream fin arranged in the ventilation passage and supported by the retainer so as to be tiltable, and a slidable member on the downstream fin. and a plurality of upstream fin bodies arranged upstream of the downstream fins in the air-conditioning air flow direction, and each upstream fin body is tiltable to the retainer by an upstream fin shaft. A plurality of supported upstream fins and a drive mechanism for tilting each upstream fin in conjunction with the sliding operation of the operation knob, wherein the drive mechanism tilts from the upstream fin axis of each upstream fin in the flow direction. Provided in a state of being connected to the upstream fin body so as to extend parallel to the upstream fin axis at a location separated from each upstream fin body and separated from each other in the same direction in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body. and a rod that is connected to all of the connecting shafts and moves in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins by transmitting the slide of the operation knob via a transmission mechanism.

According to the above configuration, when the operation knob is slid, the movement of the operation knob is transmitted to the rod via the transmission mechanism in the drive mechanism, and the rod moves in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins. Movement of the rod is transmitted to all upstream fin bodies via the connecting shaft for each upstream fin in the drive mechanism. The connecting shaft of each upstream fin extends parallel to the upstream fin shaft at a location away from the upstream fin shaft in the air-conditioning air flow direction. Therefore, each upstream fin is tilted in the same direction with its own upstream fin axis as a fulcrum in a mutually synchronized state. Conditioning air flowing through the air passages is redirected by flowing along each upstream fin.

In this way, the transmission mechanism and the rod in the drive mechanism transmit the slide of the operation knob to the connecting shaft of each upstream fin, and tilt all the upstream fins in a synchronized manner. Therefore, unlike Patent Documents 1 and 2, in which a specific upstream fin is tilted to synchronize other upstream fins with the specific upstream fin, a connecting rod that connects the connecting pin for each upstream fin is not required. . Accordingly, the number of parts constituting the drive mechanism is reduced.

In addition, the connecting shafts of the upstream fins are positioned apart from the respective upstream fin bodies in the same direction in the thickness direction of the upstream fin bodies. Therefore, in the molding process that forms a part of the manufacturing process of the air-conditioning register, when all the upstream fins are molded by the molding apparatus, the first molding die and the second molding die face each other in the direction along the side surface of the upstream fin main body. Move to close and open the mold device. By doing so, it becomes possible to form all the upstream fins in a state of being arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body. As a result, by relatively moving the first molding die and the second molding die in the thickness direction to close and open the mold device, all the upstream fins are arranged such that the side surfaces of the upstream fin bodies are substantially coplanar. The size of the mold device in the direction in which the upstream fins are arranged becomes smaller than when molding is performed in a state in which they are arranged so as to be positioned upward.

In the above-described air-conditioning register, each upstream fin has a support projection projecting from the upstream fin body in the same direction in the thickness direction, and the connecting shaft extends to the upstream fin body via the support projection. preferably connected.

According to the above configuration, when the rod moves in the direction in which the upstream fins are arranged in response to the sliding operation of the operation knob, the movement of the rod is transferred to each upstream fin main body via the connecting shaft and supporting projection for each upstream fin. transmitted.

Further, the support protrusions of each upstream fin protrude from the upstream fin main body in the same direction in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body. Therefore, by relatively moving the first molding die and the second molding die in the direction along the side surface of the upstream fin main body to close and open the mold device, all the upstream fins are mutually moved in the thickness direction. It is possible to mold them in a parallel arrangement.

In the air-conditioning register, among the upstream fins in the intermediate portion in the arrangement direction and the upstream fins at both ends in the same arrangement direction, the connecting shaft is not positioned between the adjacent upstream fins. , the upstream fin body of the targeted upstream fin is formed with a notch extending upstream from a downstream end in the flow direction, and at least an upstream portion of the rod in the flow direction is preferably inserted into the cutout for each of the upstream fins.

According to the above configuration, when the operation knob is slid, the movement of the operation knob is transmitted to the rod via the transmission mechanism, and the rod moves in the direction in which the upstream fins are arranged. In this case, at least part of the upstream part of the rod in the flow direction moves in the cutout in the targeted upstream fin.

In the above air-conditioning register, shaft support portions for supporting the connecting shafts are formed at a plurality of locations of the rods in the arrangement direction, and the upstream end surfaces of the rods in the flow direction and the shaft support portions communicate with each other. and the dimension in the arrangement direction at the narrowest point of the communicating part is set smaller than the dimension at the point where the dimension of the connecting shaft in the thickness direction is the largest. is preferred.

According to the above configuration, when the rod is attached to the plurality of upstream fins, the rod is brought closer to the plurality of arranged upstream fins along the flow direction, thereby connecting the connecting shafts of the upstream fins. enters into the shaft support portion through the communicating portion. Therefore, when the connecting shaft is engaged with the shaft support portion by bringing the rod having the shaft support portion formed by the hole closer to the upstream fin along the axial direction of the connection shaft and the shaft support portion without forming the communicating portion. Compared to , the assembling property of the rod with respect to the upstream fin is improved.

When the connecting shaft is engaged with the shaft supporting portion, the narrowest portion of the communicating portion overlaps the portion of the connecting shaft having the largest dimension in the thickness direction in the same thickness direction. This wrap portion restricts the connecting shaft from slipping out of the shaft support portion.

In the air-conditioning register, the transmission mechanism includes a plate-shaped first rib projecting upstream in the flow direction from the operation knob and a plate-shaped second rib projecting downstream in the flow direction from the rod. Preferably, one of the first rib and the second rib extends parallel to each other in the flow direction and sandwiches the other from both sides in the arrangement direction.

Here, in the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2, a large structure having a driven gear is positioned as a drive mechanism in the central portion of the ventilation passage. This large structure may interfere with the flow of air for air conditioning, resulting in increased pressure loss and noise. In addition, when the air-conditioning register is viewed from the downstream side, the large structure can be seen in the central portion of the ventilation passage, so there is also the problem of poor appearance.

In this regard, according to the above configuration, both the first rib and the second rib constituting the transmission mechanism are plate-shaped and extend in the flow direction. The transmission mechanism is smaller than a transmission mechanism composed of a drive gear and a driven gear. Therefore, the first rib and the second rib are less likely to obstruct the flow of air for air conditioning. Therefore, pressure loss and noise are reduced as compared with the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 above. Also, from the downstream side of the air-conditioning register, for the same reason as above, the first rib and the second rib are difficult to see, and the appearance is improved.

A method for manufacturing an air-conditioning register that solves the above problems is a method for manufacturing an air-conditioning register according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of upstream fins are formed in a first mold and a first molding die. A molding step of molding with a mold device having two molds, wherein the mold device includes a plurality of upstream molds between the closed first mold and the second mold. A method is used in which the fins are formed in a state of being parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body, and in the forming step, the first forming die and the second forming die form the upstream fin body. The upstream fins are formed by closing and opening the mold device by relatively moving in the direction along the side surface.

According to the above method, the molding step is performed in manufacturing the air-conditioning register according to any one of claims 1-5. In the molding process, the mold device is closed and opened by relatively moving the first molding die and the second molding die in a direction along the side surface of the upstream fin body. A cavity, which is a molding space for molding a plurality of upstream fins arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body, is provided between the closed first molding die and the second molding die. is formed. Molten resin is filled into these cavities and cured to form upstream fins having connecting shafts.

As described above, since the first mold and the second mold are closed and opened in the direction along the side surface of the upstream fin body that is molded in a state of being parallel to each other in the thickness direction, It is possible to reduce the size of the mold device in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins.

According to the air-conditioning register and the manufacturing method thereof, it is possible to reduce the size of the mold apparatus and to configure the drive mechanism with a small number of parts.

3 is an exploded perspective view of an operation knob, a rod and a plurality of upstream fins in an air conditioning register of one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view showing a plurality of upstream fins, downstream fins, operation knobs and rods in a neutral state in an air conditioning register of one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a front view showing a plurality of upstream fins together with rods in an air conditioning register of one embodiment; (a) is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a connecting portion between a connecting shaft of an upstream fin and a rod in an air-conditioning register of one embodiment; (b) is a state before the rod is connected to the connecting shaft; 2 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a plurality of upstream fins in an air conditioning register of one embodiment together with a mold device; FIG. 4 is a front view showing an intermediate molded product in which a plurality of upstream fins are connected by connecting portions in an air conditioning register of one embodiment; FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing a downstream fin, an operation knob, a rod, and a plurality of upstream fins when the operation knob is slid rightward from the neutral state of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the downstream fin, the operation knob, the rod, and the plurality of upstream fins when the operation knob is slid rightward from the state of FIG. 7 ; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a downstream fin, an operation knob, a rod, and a plurality of upstream fins when the operation knob is slid leftward from the neutral state of FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an operation knob, a plurality of upstream fins, and a connecting rod in a conventional air-conditioning register corresponding to Patent Document 1; Explanation showing the relationship between the upstream fins and the mold device when the mold device is used to mold the plurality of upstream fins shown in FIG. figure. FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing the relationship between some upstream fins and the mold device in FIG. 10; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an operation knob, a driven gear, a plurality of upstream fins, and a connecting rod in a conventional air-conditioning register corresponding to Patent Document 2; FIG. 14 is a front view of a plurality of upstream fins in FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is an exploded plan cross-sectional view of the operating knob, driven gear, plurality of upstream fins, and connecting rod in FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a plurality of upstream fins in FIG. 13 together with a mold device;

An embodiment of an air-conditioning register incorporated in a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the air-conditioning register will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG.
In the following description, the traveling direction of the vehicle is defined as the front, the backward direction is defined as the rear, and the height direction is defined as the vertical direction. In addition, the vehicle width direction, that is, the lateral direction, is defined with reference to the case where the vehicle is viewed from the rear.

In the passenger compartment, an instrument panel (not shown) is provided in front of the front seats of the vehicle, and an air conditioning register is incorporated in the central portion, side portions, and the like in the left-right direction. The main function of this air-conditioning register is to change the direction of the air-conditioning air sent from the air conditioner and blown into the passenger compartment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air conditioning register comprises a retainer 10, downstream fins 15, an operating knob 21, upstream fins 26 and a drive mechanism 35. As shown in FIG. A plurality of downstream fins 15 and upstream fins 26 are provided. Next, the configuration of each of these units will be described.

<Retainer 10>
The retainer 10 is for connecting an air duct (not shown) of the air conditioner and an opening provided in the instrument panel. The retainer 10 is composed of a plurality of members made of a resin material and has a tubular shape with both ends opened. The internal space of the retainer 10 constitutes a flow path (hereinafter referred to as "ventilation path 11") for air conditioning air A1 sent from the air conditioner. Here, regarding the flow direction of the air-conditioning air A1, the side closer to the air conditioner is called "upstream", and the side farther from the air conditioner is called "downstream". A downstream end of the ventilation passage 11 constitutes an outlet 12 for the air conditioning air A1.

<Downstream fin 15>
The plurality of downstream fins 15 are arranged in the air passage 11 upstream of the outlet 12 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The downstream fin 15 includes a plate-like downstream fin main body 16 , a pair of downstream fin shafts 17 and a downstream connecting pin 18 . Each downstream fin body 16 has a plate shape elongated in the vertical direction and in the lateral direction relative to the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1. Both downstream fin shafts 17 of each downstream fin 15 extend in the left-right direction at both left and right end portions of the downstream fin main body 16 . Each downstream fin 15 is supported by the vertical wall portion 13 of the retainer 10 at both downstream fin shafts 17 and is vertically tiltable with both downstream fin shafts 17 as fulcrums. The downstream connecting pin 18 is provided on the right end surface of each downstream fin main body 16 at a location away from the downstream fin shaft 17 upstream. Like the downstream fin shafts 17, the downstream connecting pins 18 extend in the left-right direction.

A downstream connecting pin 18 for each downstream fin 15 is connected to each other by a downstream connecting rod 19 extending substantially vertically. Therefore, when a specific downstream fin 15 to which the operation knob 21 is attached is tilted about the downstream fin shaft 17, the tilt is transmitted to the other downstream fins 15 via the downstream connecting pin 18 and the downstream connecting rod 19. be. Other downstream fins 15 are tilted synchronously with the specific downstream fin 15 .

<Operation Knob 21>
The operation knob 21 is a member operated by the occupant when changing the direction of the air-conditioning air A1 blown out from the blow-out port 12. The operation knob 21 is a member operated by a passenger to change the direction of the air-conditioning air A1 blown out from the blow-out port 12. It is mounted so that it can slide in any direction.

<Upstream fin 26>
The plurality of upstream fins 26 are arranged upstream of the downstream fins 15 of the ventilation passage 11 and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. This direction is a direction crossing the flow direction and the arrangement direction of the downstream fins 15 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each upstream fin 26 has a plate-like upstream fin body 27 and a pair of upper and lower upstream fin shafts 28 . Each upstream fin body 27 has a plate shape extending in the vertical direction, which is a direction crossing the flow direction and the downstream fin body 16 .

Both upstream fin shafts 28 of each upstream fin 26 extend vertically at both upper and lower end portions of the upstream fin body 27 . Each upstream fin 26 is supported by a lateral wall portion (not shown) of the retainer 10 at both upstream fin shafts 28, and is tiltable in the left-right direction with both upstream fin shafts 28 as fulcrums.

<Drive Mechanism 35>
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 (a) and (b), the drive mechanism 35 is a mechanism for tilting each upstream fin 26 in conjunction with the sliding operation of the operation knob 21 . The drive mechanism 35 includes a connecting shaft 36 , a rod 41 and a transmission mechanism 51 provided for each upstream fin 26 . The connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 has a cross-sectional shape in which the dimension in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body 27 becomes smaller toward the downstream side.

The connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 is provided at a location that satisfies the following conditions.
- The location is separated from the upstream fin shaft 28 of each upstream fin 26 in the flow direction of the air conditioning air A1.

- They are separated from each upstream fin body 27 in the same thickness direction of the same upstream fin body 27 .
In the present embodiment, a location that satisfies the above conditions is set downstream of the upstream fin shaft 28 of the upstream fin body 27 and away from the upstream fin body 27 to the left.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A and 4B, each connecting shaft 36 is connected to the upstream fin body 27 so as to extend parallel to the upstream fin shaft 28 . More specifically, each upstream fin 26 has a pair of upper and lower support protrusions 37 protruding from the upstream fin body 27 in the same thickness direction. A connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 is bridged between both supporting protrusions 37 . The connecting shaft 36 and both supporting protrusions 37 are formed integrally with the upstream fin body 27 . In this manner, the connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 is connected to the upstream fin main body 27 via the pair of upper and lower support protrusions 37 .

Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a notch 29 is formed in the upstream fin main body 27 of the upstream fin 26 positioned at the intermediate portion in the left-right direction among the plurality of upstream fins 26 . Of the upstream fins 26 located at both ends in the left-right direction, the upstream fin body 27 whose connecting shaft 36 is not located between the adjacent upstream fins 26 (in this embodiment, the upstream fin body 27 at the left end) is also provided with a notch 29. is formed. The notch 29 is not formed in the upstream fin body 27 on the right end. Each notch 29 extends upstream from the downstream end of the upstream fin body 27 at the same height position as the connecting shaft 36 .

The rod 41 has a plate-shaped rod body 42 extending in the left-right direction. Axial support portions 43 are formed at a plurality of locations in the upstream portion of the rod body 42 and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4(a) and (b), each shaft support portion 43 is formed at a location slightly away from the upstream end surface of the rod body 42 toward the downstream side, and has a substantially arc shape. It has an inner wall surface. The rod 41 is formed with a communicating portion 44 that communicates between the upstream end surface of the rod 41 and each shaft support portion 43 . Each communicating portion 44 has a pair of guide surfaces 45 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each guide surface 45 is inclined with respect to the flow direction so that the distance D1 between both guide surfaces 45 becomes smaller toward the downstream side.

The dimension M1 in the horizontal direction at the boundary between each communicating portion 44 and each shaft support portion 43 is set larger than the dimension M2 in the thickness direction at the downstream end of each connecting shaft 36 . The dimension M1 is set smaller than the dimension M3 in the thickness direction at the upstream end of each connecting shaft 36 . The dimension M1 corresponds to the dimension in the lateral direction of the narrowest portion of the communicating portion 44 . The dimension M3 corresponds to the dimension of the connection shaft 36 at the point where the dimension in the thickness direction is the largest.

The rods 41 are connected to all of the connecting shafts 36 by engaging the connecting shafts 36 of the upstream fins 26 with the respective shaft support portions 43 . In this state, a portion of the upstream portion of rod 41 is inserted into notch 29 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmission mechanism 51 is a mechanism for transmitting the slide of the operation knob 21 to the rod 41 to move the rod 41 in the left-right direction. It is provided in two places in . Each transmission mechanism 51 is provided downstream of a portion of the shaft support portion 43 . Each transmission mechanism 51 has the same configuration as each other and includes a first rib 52 and a second rib 53 . The first rib 52 of each transmission mechanism 51 protrudes upstream from both left and right ends of the operation knob 21 . A second rib 53 for each transmission mechanism 51 protrudes downstream from the rod body 42 . One first rib 52 is provided for each transmission mechanism 51 , while a pair of second ribs 53 is provided for each transmission mechanism 51 . The pair of second ribs 53 of each transmission mechanism 51 extend parallel to each other in the flow direction while being close to each other in the left-right direction. Each of the first rib 52 and the second rib 53 has a plate-like shape whose horizontal dimension is smaller than its vertical dimension. The pair of second ribs 53 for each transmission mechanism 51 sandwiches the corresponding first rib 52 from both sides in the left-right direction. The dimensions of the first ribs 52 and the second ribs 53 in the flow direction are set so that they overlap in the flow direction when the rod 41 is positioned anywhere in the left-right direction.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. In addition, effects caused by the action will also be described.
First, among the manufacturing processes of the air-conditioning register, a molding process for molding the plurality of upstream fins 26 in a form similar to the form incorporated in the retainer 10 will be described. 6, a plurality of upstream fin bodies 27 are arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction, and the upper upstream fin shaft 28 of each upstream fin 26 is the upper connecting portion. 55 , and the lower upstream fin shaft 28 of each upstream fin 26 is connected by a lower connecting portion 55 .

In the molding process, as shown in FIG. 5, a mold device 60 having a first mold 61 and a second mold 62 is used. Then, the mold device 60 is closed by relatively moving the first mold 61 and the second mold 62 in the direction along the side surface of each upstream fin body 27, that is, in the vertical direction in FIG. Between the closed first mold 61 and second mold 62, all the upstream fins 26 are arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body 27, that is, in the left-right direction in FIG. A cavity 63 that is a molding space for molding is formed.

Molten resin is filled into each cavity 63 through runners and gates (not shown). By curing the molten resin, in each cavity 63, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of upstream fins 26 each having an upstream fin main body 27, both upstream fin shafts 28, a connecting shaft 36, and both supporting protrusions 37 are formed. molded. Further, by curing the molten resin in the runners and gates, upper connecting portions 55 connecting the plurality of upper upstream fin shafts 28 and lower connecting portions 55 connecting the plurality of lower upstream fin shafts 28 are formed. and are molded. In this manner, an intermediate molded product 56 is formed by connecting a plurality of upstream fins 26 arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction by connecting portions 55 .

Next, the first molding die 61 and the second molding die 62 in FIG. 5 are relatively moved in the up-down direction along the side surface of the upstream fin body 27, thereby opening the mold device 60. The intermediate molded product 56 is removed from the mold device 60 .

As described above, in the forming process, all the upstream fins 26 are formed in a state in which they are arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body 27 . The first mold 61 and the second mold 62 are closed and opened in the direction along the side surface of the upstream fin body 27 . Therefore, compared to the case where all the upstream fins 72 and 73 are formed so that their side surfaces are positioned substantially on the same plane, the mold apparatus 60 can be arranged in the left-right direction, which is the direction in which the upstream fins 26 are arranged. can be reduced to reduce the size of the mold device 60 in the same direction.

The intermediate molded product 56 shown in FIG. 6, which is removed from the mold device 60 as described above, is attached to a predetermined portion of the retainer 10. As shown in FIG. At this time, the plurality of upstream fins 26 are arranged inside the retainer 10 and both connecting portions 55 are arranged outside the retainer 10 . Each upstream fin shaft 28 is tiltably supported with respect to the retainer 10 .

Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4(a), (b), rods 41 are assembled to the plurality of upstream fins 26 in the retainer 10. As shown in FIG. That is, each connecting shaft 36 enters the corresponding communicating portion 44 by moving the rod 41 closer to the plurality of upstream fins 26 from the downstream side toward the upstream side. In this embodiment, each connecting shaft 36 has a shape in which the dimension in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body 27 becomes smaller toward the downstream side. Therefore, the connecting shaft 36 easily enters the communicating portion 44 .

When the rod 41 is brought closer to the upstream fin 26 while each connecting shaft 36 is in the communicating portion 44, each connecting shaft 36 passes through the boundary portion between the communicating portion 44 and the shaft support portion 43, It is inserted into portion 43 . By this insertion, each connecting shaft 36 is engaged with the corresponding shaft support portion 43 .

In this embodiment, the dimension M1 at the narrowest point of each communicating portion 44 is larger than the dimension M2 at the downstream end, which is the smallest dimension of each connecting shaft 36 . Therefore, the downstream end of each connecting shaft 36 can easily pass through the boundary portion of each communicating portion 44 .

Also, the pair of guide surfaces 45 in each communicating portion 44 is inclined with respect to the flow direction so that the distance D1 becomes smaller toward the downstream side. Therefore, when the rod 41 is brought closer to the upstream fin 26 , each connecting shaft 36 is guided into the shaft support portion 43 by the guide surface 45 . Each connecting shaft 36 can be smoothly inserted into the corresponding shaft support portion 43 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by bringing the rod 41 closer to the plurality of upstream fins 26 in the retainer 10 along the flow direction, the connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 is connected to each shaft support portion. 43 can be engaged. Therefore, by moving the rod 41 in which the communicating portion 44 is not formed and the shaft supporting portion 43 is formed by a hole along the axial direction of the connecting shaft 36 and the shaft supporting portion 43, the connecting shaft 36 is moved to the shaft supporting portion. As compared with the case where the rods 41 are engaged with the fins 43, the ease of assembly of the rods 41 to the plurality of upstream fins 26 can be improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the dimension M1 is smaller than the dimension M3 at the upstream end, which is the largest dimension in each connecting shaft 36 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4( a ), when each connecting shaft 36 is inserted into each shaft support portion 43 , the boundary portion between each communicating portion 44 and the shaft supporting portion 43 is located upstream of each connecting shaft 36 . The ends are wrapped in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body 27 . This wrap portion restricts the connecting shaft 36 from slipping out of the shaft support portion 43 .

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2, the downstream fin 15 to which the operation knob 21 is attached is connected with the downstream connecting rod 19 to the downstream connecting pin 18 together with the other downstream fins 15, and the retainer 10 is moved to a predetermined position. be assembled to. By this assembly, each of the plurality of downstream fins 15 is tiltably supported by the retainer 10 on both downstream fin shafts 17 . Also, at this time, the first rib 52 for each transmission mechanism 51 protruding upstream from the operation knob 21 is paired for each transmission mechanism 51 protruding downstream from the rod main body 42 on the upstream side of the first rib 52. It is inserted between the second ribs 53 .

Incidentally, as described above, each connecting portion 55 in the intermediate molded product 56 assembled to the retainer 10 is separated from the upstream fin shaft 28 at an appropriate timing. After that, the desired air-conditioning register is obtained by assembling other parts. This air-conditioning register is incorporated into the instrument panel of the vehicle.

By the way, FIG. 2 shows the state of the upstream fins 26 and the like in the air-conditioning register incorporated in the instrument panel when the operation knob 21 is positioned substantially in the center of the movable range of the downstream fin body 16 in the left-right direction. showing. In this state, each upstream fin body 27 is substantially parallel to the central axis CL of the ventilation passage 11 (hereinafter referred to as "neutral state"). Therefore, the air-conditioning air A1 flows straight downstream along the upstream fin body 27 of each upstream fin 26 .

When the operation knob 21 is slid rightward from the neutral state, the movement of the operation knob 21 is transmitted to the rod 41 via the transmission mechanism 51, as shown in FIG. That is, the first rib 52 moves to the right along with the slide operation. Of the pair of second ribs 53 sandwiching the first rib 52 from both left and right sides, the one positioned on the right side is pushed rightward by the first rib 52 , and a rightward force is applied to the rod 41 . The rod 41 is connected to the connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 at the shaft support portion 43 . On the other hand, each connecting shaft 36 moves along an arc centered on the upstream fin shaft 28 . Further, as described above, each connecting shaft 36 is engaged with the shaft support portion 43 and is restricted from coming out of the coaxial support portion 43 . Therefore, the rod 41 follows the connecting shaft 36 of each upstream fin 26 and moves to the right along an arc-shaped path gently curving so as to expand downstream.

At this time, part of the upstream portion of the rod 41 moves within the notch 29 of each upstream fin 26 . Also, the pair of second ribs 53 of each transmission mechanism 51 moves with respect to the first ribs 52 while being lapped in the flow direction.

The movement of the rod 41 is simultaneously transmitted to all the upstream fin main bodies 27 via the connecting shaft 36 and the supporting protrusion 37 for each upstream fin 26 . The connecting shaft 36 for each upstream fin 26 extends parallel to the upstream fin shaft 28 at a location downstream from the upstream fin shaft 28 and at a location spaced apart from the upstream fin body 27 in the thickness direction. Therefore, each upstream fin 26 is tilted in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 with its own upstream fin shaft 28 as a fulcrum in a mutually synchronized state. The direction of the air-conditioning air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 11 is changed diagonally to the right by flowing along each upstream fin 26 .

When the operation knob 21 is further slid to the right from the state shown in FIG. 7, each upstream fin 26 further tilts counterclockwise as shown in FIG. Of the adjacent upstream fins 26, the one positioned on the rear side in the tilting direction, i.e., the upstream part of the one positioned on the right side in FIG. 7 is downstream of the one positioned on the front side in the tilting direction, i. part is superimposed. The ventilation passage 11 is closed by the plurality of upstream fins 26, and the flow of the air conditioning air A1 to the downstream side of the upstream fins 26 is blocked.

On the other hand, when the operation knob 21 is slid leftward from the neutral state in FIG. 2, the movement of the operation knob 21 is transmitted to the rod 41 via the transmission mechanism 51 as shown in FIG. The rod 41 moves to the left along an arc-shaped path gently curving so as to expand downstream. At this time, part of the upstream portion of the rod 41 moves within the notch 29 in the upstream fin 26 . The movement of the rod 41 is simultaneously transmitted to all the upstream fin main bodies 27 via the connecting shaft 36 and the supporting protrusion 37 for each upstream fin 26 . Each upstream fin 26 is tilted in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 with its own upstream fin shaft 28 as a fulcrum in a mutually synchronized state. The direction of the air-conditioning air A1 flowing through the ventilation passage 11 is changed diagonally to the left by flowing along each upstream fin 26. - 特許庁

As described above, according to this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 51 and the rod 41 in the drive mechanism 35 transmit the slide of the operation knob 21 to the connecting shaft 36 of each upstream fin 26 to synchronize all the upstream fins 26. Tilt in the state Therefore, unlike Patent Document 2, in which a specific upstream fin 72 is tilted to synchronize other upstream fins 73 with the upstream fin 72, the connecting rod 83 that connects the connecting pin 82 for each of the upstream fins 72, 73 is unnecessary. becomes. Accordingly, the number of parts constituting the driving mechanism 35 can be reduced.

According to this embodiment, the following effects are obtained in addition to the above.
・In the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a transmission mechanism 76 having a driven gear 88 and an attachment portion 89 is positioned as a large structure in the central portion of the ventilation passage. . This large structure may hinder the flow of the air conditioning air A1, resulting in an increase in pressure loss and noise. In addition, when the air-conditioning register is viewed from the downstream side, the above structure can be seen in the central portion of the ventilation passage 11, so there is also the problem of poor appearance.

In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, both the first rib 52 and the second rib 53 constituting the transmission mechanism 51 are plate-shaped and extend along the flow direction. there is This transmission mechanism 51 is smaller than the transmission mechanism 76 . Therefore, the first rib 52 and the second rib 53 are less likely to obstruct the flow of the air conditioning air A1. Therefore, in the air-conditioning register of this embodiment, pressure loss and noise are reduced as compared with the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 above. For the same reason as above, the first rib 52 and the second rib 53 are difficult to see from the downstream side of the air-conditioning register of the present embodiment, and the appearance is improved.

・As shown in FIG. 4(a), when each connecting shaft 36 is engaged with each shaft supporting portion 43, the narrowest part of the communicating portion 44 is located in the connecting shaft 36 in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body 27. It is lapped in the same thickness direction with respect to the largest dimension. Therefore, even if vibrations or the like of the vehicle are transmitted to the air-conditioning register assembled to the vehicle, the wrap portion can prevent the connecting shaft 36 from slipping out of the shaft support portion 43 .

It should be noted that the above-described embodiment can also be implemented as a modified example in which this is changed as follows. The above embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other within a technically consistent range.

- The relationship between the number of the first ribs 52 and the number of the second ribs 53 for each transmission mechanism 51 may be changed so as to be opposite to the relationship in the above embodiment. That is, the number of first ribs 52 for each transmission mechanism 51 may be changed to two, and the number of second ribs 53 may be changed to one. In this case, in each transmission mechanism 51, the pair of first ribs 52 of the operation knob 21 sandwiches the second rib 53 of the rod 41 from both sides in the left-right direction.

- The number of transmission mechanisms 51 may be changed to one or three or more.
- The position of the transmission mechanism 51 in the arrangement direction may be changed to a position between the adjacent shaft support portions 43 . In this case, the entire rod 41 in said flow direction may be inserted into the notch 29 .

- In the above embodiment, the dimension M2 at the downstream end of each connecting shaft 36 may be set equal to or slightly larger than the dimension M1 at the narrowest point of each communicating portion 44 .
- Each connecting shaft 36 may be formed in a shape in which the dimensions M2 and M3 are the same in the flow direction.

- Only one guide surface 45 in the communicating portion 44 may be inclined with respect to the flow direction.
- Both guide surfaces 45 may be formed in parallel so that the distance D1 is constant in the flow direction.

- The shape of the connecting shaft 36 may be changed to a shape different from that of the above embodiment, for example, a cylindrical shape.
- One of the pair of support protrusions 37 may be omitted.

- A notch 29 may also be formed in the upstream fin body 27 on the right end in the arrangement direction. That is, notches 29 may be formed in all upstream fin bodies 27 .
- The air-conditioning register may be incorporated in a location different from the instrument panel in the passenger compartment.

The above-mentioned air-conditioning register can be widely applied not only to vehicles but also to vehicles as long as the direction of the air-conditioning air sent from the air conditioner and blown into the room can be adjusted by the fins.

The downstream fin body 16 may be one that extends in the vertical direction and the flow direction, and the upstream fin body 27 may be one that extends in the left-right direction and the flow direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Retainer, 11... Ventilation path, 15... Downstream fin, 21... Operation knob, 26... Upstream fin, 27... Upstream fin main body, 28... Upstream fin shaft, 29... Notch, 35... Drive mechanism, 36... Connection shaft , 37... Support protrusion, 41... Rod, 43... Shaft support part, 44... Communication part, 51... Transmission mechanism, 52... First rib, 53... Second rib, 60... Mold device, 61... First molding Mold 62...Second mold, A1... Air conditioning air, M1, M2, M3... Dimensions.

Claims (5)

a retainer in which a ventilation path for air-conditioning air is formed;
a downstream fin disposed in the air passage and tiltably supported by the retainer;
an operation knob slidably attached to the downstream fin;
a plurality of upstream fin bodies arranged upstream of the downstream fins in the flow direction of the air-conditioning air, each upstream fin body being tiltably supported by the retainer by an upstream fin shaft; ,
a drive mechanism for tilting each upstream fin in conjunction with the slide operation of the operation knob;
The drive mechanism is
Parallel to the upstream fin axis at a location away from the upstream fin axis of each upstream fin in the flow direction and at a location away from each upstream fin body in the same direction in the thickness direction of the upstream fin body. a connecting shaft provided in a state of being connected to the upstream fin body so as to extend to
a rod that is connected to all of the connecting shafts and moves in the arrangement direction of the upstream fins by transmitting the slide of the operation knob via a transmission mechanism ;
Among the upstream fins on both ends in the arrangement direction, when the connecting shaft is not positioned between itself and the adjacent upstream fins and the upstream fins in the middle part in the same arrangement direction are targeted, the upstream fin body of the targeted upstream fin is formed with a notch extending upstream from a downstream end in the flow direction;
Shaft support portions for supporting the connecting shafts are formed at a plurality of locations of the rods in the arrangement direction,
An air-conditioning register, wherein at least an upstream portion of the rod in the flow direction where the shaft support portion is not formed is inserted into the notch of each of the targeted upstream fins. 2. Each of the upstream fins has supporting projections projecting in the same direction in the thickness direction from the upstream fin body, and the connecting shaft is connected to the upstream fin body via the supporting projection. air-conditioning registers described in . Shaft support portions for supporting the connecting shafts are formed at a plurality of locations of the rods in the arrangement direction, and communication portions are formed for communicating upstream end faces of the rods in the flow direction with the shaft support portions. and
3. The air-conditioning unit according to claim 1 , wherein the dimension in the arrangement direction at the narrowest point of the communicating portion is set smaller than the dimension at the point where the dimension of the connecting shaft in the thickness direction is the largest. register. The transmission mechanism is
a plate-shaped first rib projecting upstream in the flow direction from the operation knob;
a plate-shaped second rib protruding downstream in the flow direction from the rod; one of the first rib and the second rib extends in the flow direction in parallel with each other; The air-conditioning register according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is sandwiched from both sides in the arrangement direction. A method for manufacturing an air-conditioning register according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A molding step of molding the plurality of upstream fins with a mold apparatus having a first mold and a second mold,
In the molding step, as the mold device, between the closed first mold and the second mold, the plurality of upstream fins are arranged parallel to each other in the thickness direction of the upstream fin main body. It is used to mold in a state of being placed in
In the molding step, the first molding die and the second molding die are moved relative to each other in a direction along the side surface of the upstream fin body, whereby the mold device is closed and opened to form the upstream fin. A method of manufacturing a molded air conditioning register.

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