JP7806364B2 - Air conditioning register - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to air conditioning registers.

An air conditioning register is known that includes a damper that adjusts the degree of opening and closing of a duct, a knob that adjusts the amount of operation of the damper, a variable resistor that changes its resistance value depending on the amount of operation of the knob, a light source that uses the variable resistor to change the brightness and color of its light depending on the amount of operation of the knob, and a light guide placed around the ventilation opening (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-104842

With conventional technology, the light-emitting area is limited to the area around the ventilation opening. For air-conditioning registers, there is a demand to expand the light-emitting area.

The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.
[Form 1] An air-conditioning register for use in a vehicle, comprising: a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall that defines a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at the downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage; a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface that is exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer-facing surface that faces the retainer opening and defines an air outlet between the retainer opening and the cover member; a light-emitting unit that emits light to illuminate the exposed surface; a light-emitting control unit that controls the light-emitting unit; and a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle in which the air-conditioning register is installed, wherein the exposed surface is configured to be able to emit light toward the outside of the cover member, and the light-emitting control unit causes the light-emitting unit to emit light in association with the vehicle information.
[Feature 2] An air conditioning register for use in a vehicle, comprising: a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall defining a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage;
a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface exposed from the retainer opening, and a retainer facing surface facing the retainer opening and defining an air outlet between the retainer opening and the exposed surface, the exposed surface being configured to be able to emit light toward the outside of the cover member, the retainer opening having one side and another side facing the one side, the retainer facing surface defining the air outlets as a first air outlet between the retainer opening and the one side, and a second air outlet between the retainer opening and the other side, the first air outlet and the second air outlet being configured such that the direction of the airflow blown out from the first air outlet and the direction of the airflow blown out from the second air outlet intersect each other, and further comprising: a first retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a first retainer inner wall that is continuous with the one side of the retainer opening, the first retainer ventilation passage communicating with the first air outlet; an air conditioning register comprising: a second retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a second retainer inner wall that is continuous with another side of the retainer opening, the second retainer ventilation passage communicating with the second air outlet; and a diverter section disposed inside the retainer for diverting the retainer ventilation passage into the first retainer ventilation passage and the second retainer ventilation passage, the cover member configured to be rotatable inside the retainer and switchable between a first rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage is increased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage is decreased, and a second rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage is decreased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage is increased; the air conditioning register further comprises a light-emitting section that emits light, the exposed surface of the light-emitting section being configured to allow the emitted light to transmit toward an outside of the cover member, the light-emitting section being fixed inside the cover member and rotating together with the rotation of the cover member.
[Mode 3] An air conditioning register for use in a vehicle, comprising: a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall that defines a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage; and a lid member provided inside the retainer, the lid member having an exposed surface that is exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer facing surface that faces the retainer opening and defines an air outlet between the retainer opening and the exposed surface, the exposed surface being configured to be able to emit light toward an outside of the lid member, the retainer opening having one side and another side facing the one side, the retainer facing surface defining the air outlets as a first air outlet between the one side of the retainer opening and a second air outlet between the other side of the retainer opening, the first air outlet and the second air outlet being configured to direct the air flow direction of the air blown out of the first air outlet and the air flow direction of the air blown out of the second air outlet. and the directions of airflow and ventilation intersect with each other, further comprising: a first retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a first retainer inner wall that is continuous with one side of the retainer opening and the first retainer inner wall, the first retainer ventilation passage communicating with the first air outlet; a second retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a second retainer inner wall that is continuous with the other side of the retainer opening and the second retainer ventilation passage; and a diverter portion disposed inside the retainer for diverting the retainer ventilation passage into the first retainer ventilation passage and the second retainer ventilation passage; and further comprising: a flat first fin provided in the first retainer ventilation passage and rotatable around a central axis that intersects the first retainer inner wall; and a flat second fin provided in the second retainer ventilation passage and rotatable around a central axis that intersects the second retainer inner wall.

(1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air-conditioning register for use in a vehicle. The air-conditioning register includes: a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall defining a retainer air passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer air passage; and a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer-facing surface facing the retainer opening and defining an air outlet between the exposed surface and the retainer opening. The exposed surface is configured to emit light toward an outside of the cover member.
According to this type of air-conditioning register, the exposed surface of the retainer opening is used as a light-emitting area, thereby expanding the light-emitting area and improving visibility and design.
(2) The air-conditioning register of the above aspect may further include a light-emitting portion that emits light to illuminate the exposed surface.
According to the air-conditioning register of this type, the exposed surface can be made to emit light with a simple configuration.
(3) In the air-conditioning register of the above form, the light-emitting unit may be arranged inside the cover member, and the exposed surface may be configured to allow the emitted light to pass through toward the outside of the cover member.
According to this type of air-conditioning register, by using the cover member as an area for arranging the light-emitting unit, it is possible to prevent the air-conditioning register from becoming larger in size due to the installation of the light-emitting unit.
(4) In the air-conditioning register of the above aspect, the exposed surface may have a light guide, and the light-emitting portion may be disposed at a position where the emitted light can be introduced into the light guide.
According to this type of air-conditioning register, the exposed surface can be made to emit light, thereby improving the visibility of the air-conditioning register.
(5) The air conditioning register of the above aspect may further include a light emission control unit that controls the light emitter, and an air conditioning information acquisition unit that acquires air conditioning information related to air conditioning. The light emission control unit may cause the light emitter to emit light in association with the air conditioning information.
According to this type of air conditioning register, by associating the light emitting process of the light emitting section with air conditioning information, the exposed surface can function as a display section that displays air conditioning information.
(6) In the air-conditioning register according to the above aspect, the air-conditioning information may include a wind direction of air blown out of the air outlet, and the light-emission control unit may cause the light-emitting unit to emit light in a light-emission direction associated with the wind direction.
According to the air-conditioning register of this type, the exposed surface can be used as a display unit that displays the wind direction.
(7) In the air conditioning register of the above aspect, the air conditioning information may include temperature information including at least one of an air conditioning temperature and an air temperature. The light emission control unit may cause the light emitting unit to emit light in a color associated with the temperature information.
According to this type of air-conditioning register, the exposed surface can function as a display unit that displays temperature information.
(8) The air-conditioning register of the above aspect may further include a light-emission control unit that controls the light-emitting unit, and a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to a vehicle in which the air-conditioning register is installed. The light-emission control unit may cause the light-emitting unit to emit light in association with the vehicle information.
According to this type of air conditioning register, the exposed surface can be used as a display unit that displays vehicle information.
(9) In the air-conditioning register according to the above aspect, the vehicle information may include a driving direction of the vehicle. The light-emission control unit may cause the light-emitting unit to emit light in a light-emission direction associated with the driving direction.
According to this type of air-conditioning register, the exposed surface can be used as a display unit that displays the direction in which the vehicle is traveling.
(10) In the air-conditioning register of the above aspect, the retainer opening may have one side and another side opposing the one side. The retainer opposing surface may define, as the air outlets, a first air outlet between the retainer opposing surface and the one side of the retainer opening, and a second air outlet between the retainer opposing surface and the other side of the retainer opening. The first air outlet and the second air outlet may be configured such that the direction of the airflow blown out from the first air outlet and the direction of the airflow blown out from the second air outlet intersect each other.
According to the air-conditioning register of this type, the flow direction of the airflow blown out from the air-conditioning register can be adjusted by the simple method of adjusting the balance of the airflow volume.
(11) The air conditioning register of the above configuration may further include a first retainer ventilation passage defined between a first retainer inner wall that is continuous with one side of the retainer opening and the cover member and communicating with the first air outlet; a second retainer ventilation passage defined between a second retainer inner wall that is continuous with the other side of the retainer opening and the cover member and communicating with the second air outlet; and a diversion section disposed inside the retainer for diverting the retainer ventilation passage into the first retainer ventilation passage and the second retainer ventilation passage.
According to the air-conditioning register of this aspect, the air can be diverted into the first retainer-air-passage passage and the second retainer-air-passage passage with a simple configuration.
(12) In the air-conditioning register of the above aspect, the cover member may be configured to be rotatable inside the retainer, and the rotation may be switchable between a first rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer-ventilation passage is increased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer-ventilation passage is decreased, and a second rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer-ventilation passage is decreased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer-ventilation passage is increased.
According to the air-conditioning register of this type, the flow direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register can be changed by the simple method of rotating the cover member.
(13) The air-conditioning register of the above aspect may further include a light-emitting unit that emits light. The exposed surface may be configured to allow the emitted light to pass through toward an outside of the cover member. The light-emitting unit may be fixed inside the cover member and may rotate together with the rotation of the cover member.
According to the air-conditioning register of this type, the direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register can be correlated with the position of the light emitted from the light-emitting portion by the simple method of rotating the cover member.
(14) In the air conditioning register of the above form, the diverter section may be switchable between a first diverter state in which the opening of the flow path communicating with the first retainer ventilation passage is reduced and the opening of the flow path communicating with the second retainer ventilation passage is increased, and a second diverter state in which the opening of the flow path communicating with the first retainer ventilation passage is increased and the opening of the flow path communicating with the second retainer ventilation passage is reduced.
According to the air-conditioning register of this configuration, the direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register can be switched by a simple configuration in which the flow rate is adjusted by the flow dividing section.
(15) The air conditioning register of the above configuration may further include a flat first fin provided in the first retainer ventilation passage and configured to be rotatable around a central axis that intersects with the inner wall of the first retainer, and a flat second fin provided in the second retainer ventilation passage and configured to be rotatable around a central axis that intersects with the inner wall of the second retainer.
According to the air-conditioning register of this aspect, the flow direction of air between the first air outlet and the second air outlet can be switched by the simple method of rotating the first fins and the second fins.
The present disclosure can also be realized in various forms other than air-conditioning registers, such as a method for manufacturing an air-conditioning register, a vehicle equipped with an air-conditioning register, an air-conditioning device, a vehicle control method, an air-conditioning device control method, an air-conditioning register control method, a computer program for implementing these control methods, a non-transitory recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, etc.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an air-conditioning register according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the air-conditioning register. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of each part of the air-conditioning register. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of each part of the lid member. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the air-conditioning register with the light-emitting unit turned on. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 2; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of air conditioning air inside the air conditioning register in a neutral state. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of air conditioning air in the air conditioning register in the first rotation state. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 9 . FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of air conditioning air in the air conditioning register in a neutral state. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of air in the air-conditioning register in the first flow division state. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the light-emitting unit emits light in a first current dividing state. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing other modes of light emission states of the light-emitting portion. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a light emitting portion of the air-conditioning register of the third embodiment is emitting light. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in FIG. 15 . FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of air conditioning air in the air conditioning register in a neutral state. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a simulation result of the flow velocity of the airflow in the air-conditioning register in the first flow division state. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a simulation result of the flow velocity of the airflow in the air-conditioning register in the second flow division state. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the air-conditioning register with the light-emitting unit turned on. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register according to a fifth embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an air-conditioning register 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior configuration of the air-conditioning register 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioning register 100 is mounted in the passenger compartment of a vehicle VH. In the example of FIG. 1, the air-conditioning register 100 is incorporated, for example, in an instrument panel 10 near the steering wheel 12 of the vehicle. The air-conditioning register 100 blows conditioned air supplied through an air duct from an air conditioning unit (not shown) provided in the vehicle VH into the passenger compartment. Note that X, Y, and Z shown in FIG. 1 and the subsequent figures represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are also referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. When specifying a direction, a positive direction is designated as "+" and a negative direction is designated as "-", and positive and negative signs are used in combination to indicate the direction, with the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure being the + direction and the opposite direction being the - direction. In the present disclosure, an example will be described in which the X direction coincides with the width direction of the vehicle, the +X direction coincides with the right direction when the vehicle is viewed from behind, the −X direction coincides with the left direction, the Y direction coincides with the traveling direction of the vehicle, the +Y direction coincides with the backward traveling direction, the −Y direction coincides with the forward traveling direction, the Z direction coincides with the vertical direction, the +Z direction coincides with the vertical downward direction, and the −Z direction coincides with the vertical upward direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioning register 100 includes a light-emitting unit 70 and a control device 90 that controls the light-emitting unit 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the air-conditioning register 100 also includes a retainer 30, a bezel 20, a cover member 60, an exposed surface 606, a first air outlet 101, and a second air outlet 102.

The light-emitting unit 70 is a light source that emits light to illuminate the exposed surface 606. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70 is a so-called LED lighting module in which multiple LED light-emitting elements 72 are arranged in a grid pattern on a reflective substrate. In the example of Figure 2, the multiple LED light-emitting elements 72 are arranged in three rows L1, L2, and L3 along the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 2, the light-emitting unit 70 is disposed inside the air-conditioning register 100, more specifically, inside the light-transmitting cover member 60.

The LED light-emitting element 72 is an element including a semiconductor that emits light when a voltage is applied. In this embodiment, the LED light-emitting element 72 is configured as a so-called full-color LED, which is a combination of LED elements capable of emitting red, green, and blue light. Various types of LED light-emitting elements 72 can be used, such as bullet-type and surface-mounted (SMD) types. The LED light-emitting element 72 emits light using various methods, such as on/off, dimming, and color adjustment, under the control of the light-emission control unit 922. Figure 2 shows a state in which all LED light-emitting elements 72 are off. Note that the LED light-emitting element 72 is not limited to those capable of emitting red, green, and blue light; LEDs that emit only a single color may also be used. The LED light-emitting element 72 may also be configured to emit light of a desired color by combining it with a fluorescent material or using an ultraviolet or near-ultraviolet LED.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 90 is a microcomputer or logic circuit having a CPU 92 as a central processing unit, memory 94 such as ROM or RAM, and an interface circuit 96. The memory stores programs for implementing the various functions provided in this embodiment, such as an illumination program 942 for implementing the illumination process of the light-emitting unit 70. The CPU loads these programs into RAM or the like and executes them to implement some or all of the functions of the illumination control unit 922, etc. The interface circuit 96 is connected to a vehicle information acquisition unit 98 for acquiring vehicle information used in the illumination process, and an air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 for acquiring air conditioning information used in the illumination process. In this embodiment, the illumination control unit 922 acquires the on/off status of the supply of conditioned air from an air conditioner (not shown) from the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99, and performs illumination processing to switch the illumination unit 70 on and off in accordance with the on/off state of the supply of conditioned air.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 98 is a variety of sensors provided in the vehicle VH, and acquires vehicle information related to the vehicle VH. The vehicle information acquisition unit 98 includes, for example, an acceleration sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a vehicle position sensor, and various ECUs provided in the vehicle VH. "Vehicle information" includes, for example, the driving direction of the vehicle VH. The vehicle information may further include the driving speed of the vehicle VH, position information of the vehicle VH, acceleration of the vehicle VH, yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle VH, and the driving mode of the vehicle VH. The driving mode of the vehicle VH includes, for example, information regarding whether the vehicle VH is in an autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode. "Autonomous driving" refers to driving in which all drive unit control, brake control, and steering angle control are performed automatically without the driver performing any driving operations. "Manual driving" means driving in which the driver performs operations for drive control (pressing the accelerator pedal), brake control (pressing the brake pedal), and steering angle control (turning the steering wheel).

The air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 is a set of various sensors installed in the air conditioning register 100 or an air conditioning unit (not shown) installed in the vehicle VH, and acquires air conditioning information related to air conditioning. The air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 includes, for example, a temperature sensor that acquires the cabin air temperature, a sensor that acquires the angle and orientation of the fins 66 (described later) installed in the air conditioning register 100, and various sensors and control devices installed in the air conditioning unit. "Air conditioning information" includes the on/off status of the supply of air for conditioning, the wind direction of the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100, humidity, and temperature information. "Temperature information" includes at least one of the air conditioning temperature and the air temperature inside the vehicle cabin. "Air conditioning temperature" may include, for example, the temperature of the air for conditioning blown out from the air conditioning register 100 and the set temperature of the air conditioning unit. The air conditioning information may also include information related to various settings of the air conditioning register 100 and the air conditioning unit, such as air volume and wind speed. In this embodiment, the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 acquires only the on/off status of the supply of air conditioning air as air conditioning information.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of each part of the air-conditioning register 100. As shown in Figure 3, the retainer 30 is a cylindrical structure with a retainer ventilation passage 30S formed therein. The retainer 30 can be formed using any material, such as a resin material, a metal material, or an inorganic material. The retainer 30 is configured to block visible light, for example, using a colored resin material. The retainer 30 has a first wall portion 302, a second wall portion 304, and a side wall portion 303.

The first wall portion 302 is the vertically upper wall surface that constitutes the retainer 30. The second wall portion 304 is the vertically lower wall surface. The side wall portion 303 is a wall surface that connects the first wall portion 302 and the second wall portion 304. As described below, the side wall portion 303 has a fitting hole 308 for fitting with a protrusion 646 provided on the cover member 60. The inner wall surface of the first wall portion 302 is also referred to as the "first retainer inner wall 302W," and the inner wall surface of the second wall portion 304 is also referred to as the "second retainer inner wall 304W." The inner wall surfaces of the wall portions 302, 303, and 304 are also collectively referred to as the "retainer inner wall 30W." The retainer inner wall 30W defines the retainer ventilation passage 30S.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a retainer opening 306 is formed at one end of the retainer 30, and an inlet 305 is formed at the other end. The inlet 305 receives air supplied from the vehicle's air conditioning system. The retainer opening 306 is located at the downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage 30S and faces the vehicle interior. The retainer opening 306 is connected to the inlet 305 via the retainer ventilation passage 30S. The retainer opening 306 has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated along the vehicle width direction. One of the long sides of the retainer opening 306 is also referred to as the "first side 306s1," and the other side is also referred to as the "second side 306s2." In this embodiment, the first side 306s1 is located on the vertically upper side and is continuous with the first retainer inner wall 302W of the retainer inner wall 30W. The second side 306s2 is located on the vertically lower side, facing the first side 306s1. The second side 306s2 is continuous with the second retainer inner wall 304W of the retainer inner wall 30W.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when the cover member 60 (described later) is housed inside the retainer 30, a slit-shaped first air outlet 101 is formed between the first edge 306s1 and the cover member 60, along the first edge 306s1, and a slit-shaped second air outlet 102 is formed between the second edge 306s2 and the cover member 60, along the second edge 306s2. As indicated by arrow AR in FIG. 2 , conditioned air supplied from an air conditioner (not shown) flows into the retainer ventilation passage 30S through the inlet 305 and is blown out into the vehicle cabin through the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102. Note that in this disclosure, a position closer to the air conditioner with respect to a predetermined reference position in the flow direction of the conditioned air may be referred to as "upstream" or "upstream side," and a position farther from the air conditioner may be referred to as "downstream," "downstream side," "front," or "front side."

The cover member 60 is a hollow structure through which air conditioning air can flow. In this embodiment, the cover member 60 is formed using a resin material such as polycarbonate, acrylic, or polyvinyl chloride, or a light-transmitting material such as glass. As shown in FIG. 3 , the cover member 60 is formed with a first slit 602 that communicates with the first air outlet 101 and a second slit 604 that communicates with the second air outlet 102. The cover member 60 has a generally cylindrical exterior shape and is disposed in the retainer ventilation passage 30S so that its axial direction coincides with the vehicle width direction. Note that all components of the cover member 60 may be light-transmitting, or, for example, only the area of the cover member 60 corresponding to the exposed surface 606, such as the front wall portion 62 described below, may be configured to be light-transmitting.

The lid member 60 is positioned in the retainer ventilation passage 30S near the retainer opening 306 so as to cover the retainer opening 306 from inside the retainer 30. By covering the retainer opening 306 with the lid member 60, the internal structure of the air-conditioning register 100 cannot be easily seen from the outside. Note that "the lid member 60 covers the retainer opening 306" means that the lid member 60 covers the retainer opening 306 to the extent that the internal structure of the air-conditioning register 100 cannot be seen from the outside, and allows flow paths for air-conditioning air, such as the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102, to be formed between the lid member 60 and the retainer opening 306.

The exposed surface 606 shown in FIG. 2 is the portion of the cover member 60 that is exposed through the retainer opening 306. The exposed surface 606 can be decorated, for example, to improve the design. "Decoration" means adding decorative elements. Decoration can include, for example, painting, plating, printing, coloring, surface treatment, surface processing, and the addition of decorative members. Decoration can be performed during the manufacture of the air conditioning register 100, or by the user of the vehicle or the air conditioning register 100.

The bezel 20 is a frame in which a bezel opening 206 is formed. The bezel opening 206 has a rectangular shape that is elongated in the vehicle width direction, and in this embodiment, is formed to roughly match the shape of the retainer opening 306. The bezel 20 is connected to the downstream end of the retainer 30 so that the bezel opening 206 overlaps the retainer opening 306, and the exposed surface 606 is exposed from the bezel opening 206. As a result, the bezel 20, together with the exposed surface 606, constitutes the design surface of the air conditioning register 100 when viewed from the front.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of each part of the cover member 60. As shown in Figure 4, the cover member 60 is formed by assembling a front wall portion 62, an upper wall portion 63, a lower wall portion 64, fins 66, and a diverter portion 68 together so as to accommodate the light-emitting portion 70 inside.

The front wall portion 62 functions as the front wall surface of the cover member 60. The front wall portion 62 has a front surface 626 and a concave shaft fitting portion 628. The shaft fitting portion 628 is provided on the back surface of the cover member 60, opposite the front surface 626, and the diverter portion 68 is fitted into the shaft fitting portion 628. The front surface 626 is configured as a curved surface that convexly faces the outside of the air-conditioning register 100. The front surface 626 has a straight edge 623 located at its upper end and a straight edge 624 located at its lower end. A portion of the front surface 626 is exposed from the retainer opening 306, and the remaining portion faces the retainer inner wall 30W. The surface of the front surface 626 exposed from the retainer opening 306 functions as the exposed surface 606. The surface of the cover member 60 that faces the retainer inner wall 30W is also referred to as the "retainer-facing surface."

The upper wall portion 63 functions as the upper wall surface of the lid member 60. The upper wall portion 63 comprises a top surface portion 632 and two side wall portions 634 connected to both ends of the top surface portion 632. The top surface portion 632 has the same number of fitting holes 638 formed therein as the number of fins 66 for fitting with the protrusions 662 provided on the fins 66. A linear edge 632E is formed on the front side of the top surface portion 632. When the lid member 60 is formed, the edge 632E is spaced apart from and faces the edge 623 of the front wall portion 62. As a result, a first slit 602 shown in Figure 3 is formed between the edge 632E and the edge 623.

The lower wall portion 64 functions as the lower wall surface of the lid member 60. The lower wall portion 64 has a lower surface portion 642 and two side wall portions 644 connected to both ends of the lower surface portion 642. The lower wall portion 64 has the same number of fitting holes 648 formed in it as the number of fins 66 for fitting with the protrusions 662 provided on the fins 66. A linear edge 642E is formed on the front side of the lower surface portion 642. When the lid member 60 is formed, the edge 642E is spaced apart from and faces the edge 624 of the front wall portion 62. As a result, a second slit 604 shown in Figure 3 is formed between the edge 642E and the edge 624.

The upper end 644T of each of the two side wall portions 644 is joined to the lower end 634B of the side wall portion 634 of the upper wall portion 63. Each upper end 644T is formed with a protrusion 646 that protrudes toward the outside of the cover member 60. The protrusion 646 has a generally cylindrical shape and fits into a fitting hole 308 formed in the side wall portion 303 of the retainer 30. This allows the cover member 60 to be rotatably supported around the central axis AX in the retainer ventilation passage 30S.

The fins 66 are housed inside the cover member 60 and switch the direction of the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 between left and right along the vehicle width direction. The fins 66 include a protrusion 662, a first fin 664, a second fin 665, a shaft 666, and a connecting portion 668.

The first fin 664 and the second fin 665 are generally flat plate-shaped members with an outer shape that corresponds to the shape of the flow path inside the lid member 60. The first fin 664 and the second fin 665 are attached to the shaft portion 666 so that they can rotate around the central axis AX2, which is the axial direction of the shaft portion 666. In this embodiment, the first fin 664 and the second fin 665 are integrally formed with one shaft portion 666 and connecting portion 668, and share the central axis AX2.

The protrusions 662 are located at the upper and lower ends of the shaft 666. The protrusions 662 have a generally cylindrical shape and fit into the fitting holes 638 of the upper wall 63 and 648 of the lower wall 64. This allows the fin 66 to be rotatable around the central axis AX2 of the shaft 666 inside the cover member 60. In this embodiment, the central axis AX2 coincides with the vertical direction. However, the central axis AX2 is not limited to the vertical direction and may be configured to be in any direction that intersects the first retainer inner wall 302W and the second retainer inner wall 304W.

The connecting portion 668 functions as a so-called link mechanism for rotating the shaft portion 666. In this embodiment, for example, the connecting portion 668 can be connected to the front wall portion 62. In this case, by moving the front wall portion 62 back and forth along the vehicle width direction, the connecting portion 668 moves along the vehicle width direction. The back and forth movement of the connecting portion 668 is transmitted to the shaft portion 666, causing the shaft portion 666 to rotate around the central axis AX2. The rotation of the shaft portion 666 switches the surface directions of the first fin 664 and the second fin 665. As a result, the flow direction of air inside the cover member 60 switches between left and right along the vehicle width direction. The connecting portion 668 may be connected to an operating lever (not shown) or the like instead of the front wall portion 62.

The light-emitting unit 70 is housed inside the cover member 60 when the front wall portion 62, upper wall portion 63, and lower wall portion 64 are joined. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the cover member 60 at a position closer to the front wall portion 62 than the fins 66. As a result, the light-emitting unit 70 can rotate around the central axis AX in synchronization with the rotation of the cover member 60.

As shown in Figure 4, the flow diverter 68 is a shaft member that is long in the vehicle width direction. The flow diverter 68 divides the flow path inside the cover member 60 into two directions. The flow diverter 68 includes a support recess 682 for rotatably supporting the shaft portion 666 of the fin 66, and a protrusion 684. The flow diverter 68 is fitted into the shaft fitting portion 628 of the front wall portion 62 with the shaft portion 666 inserted into the support recess 682.

The flow diverter 68 has two slopes, a first slope 683 and a second slope 685, which are connected to each other with the protrusion 684 at the apex. The protrusion 684 is located upstream of the retainer air passage 30S. As a result, the flow diverter 68 is located in the retainer air passage 30S protruding toward the inlet 305. By designing the flow diverter 68 to protrude upstream, the flow path can be diverted upward and downward while suppressing an increase in flow path resistance. The cross-sectional shape of the flow diverter 68 is not limited to a triangle, and may be various shapes such as a flat plate, circle, ellipse, or polygonal shape such as a square, hexagon, or octagon. In cases where the retainer air passage 30S has two flow paths corresponding to the first and second air outlets 101 and 102, respectively, and air conditioning air is supplied to the first and second air outlets 101 and 102 separately, the flow diverter 68 can be omitted. In the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the provision of the flow diverter 68 allows the flow path to be diverted to the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 with a simple configuration, without the need to provide a complex flow path in the retainer air passage 30S.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the exterior of the air-conditioning register 100 with the light-emitting unit 70 turned on. FIG. 5 shows the state in which all of the LED light-emitting elements 72 provided in the light-emitting unit 70 are turned on. As described above, the cover member 60 is formed using a light-transmitting material. Therefore, light 72L emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 disposed inside can pass through the cover member 60 toward the vehicle interior, i.e., the exterior of the cover member 60. In this embodiment, the cover member 60 is processed to have a low light transmittance so that the interior of the cover member 60 cannot be seen, i.e., to be semi-transparent. This configuration allows light 72L from the light-emitting unit 70 to pass through from the interior, while the internal structure is difficult to see even when the light-emitting unit 70 is turned off and not emitting light, providing an air-conditioning register 100 with a highly aesthetic design. Note that all of the cover member 60 may be light-transmitting, or, for example, only the front wall portion 62, or only the area of the cover member 60 corresponding to the exposed surface 606, may be light-transmitting.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. Figure 6 shows the air-conditioning register 100 in a neutral state. The "neutral state" refers to a state in which the internal structure of the air-conditioning register 100 is configured so that the flow rate of air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the flow rate of air blown out from the second air outlet 102 are approximately equal. In this embodiment, the internal structure of the air-conditioning register 100 can be switched by adjusting the orientation of the cover member 60 by rotating the cover member 60, as described below. Note that in Figure 6 and Figures 7 and 8 described below, the cross-sectional structures of the front wall portion 62 and the diverter portion 68 are simplified to facilitate understanding of the technology.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the neutral state is achieved by the internal structure of the air-conditioning register 100 being in a so-called mirror-symmetric state, where the internal structure is vertically symmetrical with respect to the Y direction including the central axis AX. The orientation of the cover member 60 in the neutral state is a direction DT1 that substantially coincides with the Y direction. The "orientation of the cover member 60" can be defined, for example, by a line DT connecting the midpoint CP of the front surface 626 of the cover member 60 and the central axis AX. The "midpoint CP of the front surface 626" can be defined, for example, by the position on the front surface 626 where the linear distance to the edge 623 and the linear distance to the edge 624 substantially coincide. The light-emitting unit 70 is fixed inside the cover member 60 so that the direction of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 is in a direction DT1 that is substantially the same as the orientation of the cover member 60.

As shown in FIG. 6, flow paths are formed inside and around the cover member 60 to guide the air conditioning air flowing in from the inlet 305 to the first outlet 101 and the second outlet 102. Specifically, a first internal flow path 601 is formed inside the cover member 60 between the first inclined surface 683 of the diverter section 68 and the upper surface 632, and a second internal flow path 603 is formed between the second inclined surface 685 and the lower surface 642. The first internal flow path 601 communicates with the first slit 602, and the second internal flow path 603 communicates with the second slit 604.

A first retainer ventilation passage 612 and a second retainer ventilation passage 614 are formed on the outside of the cover member 60. The first retainer ventilation passage 612 is a flow path defined between the first retainer inner wall 302W and the front surface 626 of the cover member 60, and the second retainer ventilation passage 614 is a flow path defined between the second retainer inner wall 304W and the front surface 626. The first retainer ventilation passage 612 connects the first slit 602 to the first air outlet 101, and the second retainer ventilation passage 614 connects the second slit 604 to the second air outlet 102.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first retainer inner wall 302W and the second retainer inner wall 304W are generally arc-shaped, corresponding to the cross-sectional outer shape of the cover member 60. This configuration allows the balance between the flow path length of the first retainer air passage 612 and the flow path length of the second retainer air passage 614 to be changed by rotating the cover member 60, while maintaining the flow path height of the first retainer air passage 612 and the flow path height of the second retainer air passage 614 at a substantially constant level. In other words, the balance between the flow path resistance of the first retainer air passage 612 and the flow path resistance of the second retainer air passage 614 can be changed by rotating the cover member 60. This configuration allows the balance between the flow rate and flow velocity of the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the air blown out from the second air outlet 102 to be easily adjusted by rotating the cover member 60.

Figure 6 schematically shows the blowing direction DS1 of air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the blowing direction DS2 of air blown out from the second air outlet 102. The "air blowing direction" refers to the macroscopic air flow direction at the air outlet. The air blowing direction DS1 can be determined, for example, using a tangent to the first edge 306s1 of the first retainer inner wall 302W in a cross-sectional view, or a tangent to the surface of the lid member 60 facing that position. The blowing direction DS2 can be determined, for example, using a tangent to the second edge 306s2 of the second retainer inner wall 304W, or a tangent to the surface of the lid member 60 facing that position. In this embodiment, the blowing direction DS1 and the blowing direction DS2 are configured to intersect at the intersection IS shown in Figure 6, thereby allowing the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the air blown out from the second air outlet 102 to merge near the front surface 626.

Figure 6 shows a state in which air from the air conditioning device is not being supplied to the air conditioning register 100. The light emission control unit 922 acquires air conditioning information from the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 that the supply of air conditioning air has been turned off, and switches off the LED light-emitting element 72 of the light-emitting unit 70. Therefore, in Figure 6, the light-emitting unit 70 is in an off state.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the flow direction of conditioned air inside the air-conditioning register 100 in the neutral state. When air from the air conditioning unit is supplied to the air-conditioning register 100, the conditioned air that flows into the retainer air passage 30S from the inlet 305 flows to the protrusion 684 of the diverter 68, as shown by arrows S11 and S21 in Figure 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, when air from the air conditioner is supplied to the air conditioning register 100, the light emission control unit 922 acquires from the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 that the supply of air conditioning air has been turned on, and switches on the LED light emitting elements 72 of the light emitting unit 70. As shown in FIG. 7, when the air conditioning register 100 is in the neutral state, all of the light LT1, LT2, and LT3 emitted from the LED light emitting elements 72 in rows L1, L2, and L3 passes through the exposed surface 606 and is emitted forward of the air conditioning register 100.

When the air supplied to the retainer ventilation passage 30S reaches the protrusion 684, it is diverted by the protrusion 684 into the first internal flow path 601 and the second internal flow path 603, as indicated by arrows S12 and S22. By rotating the shaft 666 by operating the fin 66 and switching the surface orientation of the first fin 664 and the second fin 665, the flow direction of the diverted air, as indicated by arrows S12 and S22, can be switched left and right along the vehicle width direction.

Air flowing through the first internal flow path 601 is sent out to the outside of the lid member 60 through the first slit 602 and flows through the first retainer ventilation passage 612 as indicated by arrow S13. Similarly, air flowing through the second internal flow path 603 is sent out to the outside of the lid member 60 through the second slit 604 and flows through the second retainer ventilation passage 614 as indicated by arrow S23.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air conditioning register 100 of this embodiment is configured so that in the neutral state, the flow path length W11 of the first retainer air passage 612 and the flow path length W21 of the second retainer air passage 614 are approximately the same. In other words, in the neutral state, the flow path resistance of the first retainer air passage 612 and the flow path resistance of the second retainer air passage 614 are approximately the same. As a result, in the neutral state, the flow rates, etc. of the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the air blown out from the second air outlet 102 can be made approximately the same.

As indicated by arrows S14 and S24, the air blown out of the retainer 30 from the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 flows over the surface of the front surface 626 due to the Coanda effect, and merges on the surface of the front surface 626 or at a position away from the surface of the front surface 626 due to separation. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the merged air, with approximately the same flow rate, etc., flows toward the front of the air conditioning register 100 in a substantially horizontal direction, as indicated by arrow S200.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the flow direction of air conditioning air inside the air conditioning register 100 in the first rotation state. In the air conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the direction of the air being blown out can be adjusted up and down along the vertical direction by rotating the cover member 60. A user can adjust the direction of the air by, for example, rotating the cover member 60 up and down by manually operating the exposed surface 606. The cover member 60 does not have to be rotated by manual operation of the exposed surface 606; it may also be rotated by an operating lever or the like via a link mechanism connected to the cover member 60.

As shown in Figure 8, when the cover member 60 is rotated upward as indicated by arrow D20, the orientation of the cover member 60 switches from direction DT1 shown in Figure 6 to direction DT2. As a result, the air-conditioning register 100 can be placed in the first rotation state shown in Figure 8. At this time, the light-emitting unit 70 fixed inside the cover member 60 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the cover member 60, and the emission direction of light LT1, LT2, and LT3 from the light-emitting unit 70 switches from direction DT1 to direction DT2.

In the first rotation state, the flow path length of the first retainer ventilation passage 612 is extended from flow path length W11 shown in FIG. 5 to flow path length W12 shown in FIG. 8, compared to the neutral state. Furthermore, the flow path length of the second retainer ventilation passage 614 is shortened from flow path length W21 to flow path length W22. In other words, the first rotation state is a state in which, compared to the neutral state, the flow path resistance is increased by the amount of the lengthened flow path length of the first retainer ventilation passage 612, and the flow path resistance is decreased by the amount of the shortened flow path length of the second retainer ventilation passage 614.

As shown by arrows S31 and S41 in FIG. 8 , the air conditioning air that flows into the retainer ventilation passage 30S from the inlet 305 flows to the protrusion 684 of the diverter 68. Then, as shown by arrows S32 and S42, the protrusion 684 divides the air into the first internal flow passage 601 and the second internal flow passage 603, and directs it to the first slit 602 and the second slit 604. The air flowing through the first internal flow passage 601 is discharged from the first slit 602 to the outside of the cover member 60, and as shown by arrow S33, flows through the first retainer ventilation passage 612, whose flow passage length has been extended. The air flowing through the second internal flow passage 603 is discharged from the second slit 604 to the outside of the cover member 60, and as shown by arrow S43, flows through the second retainer ventilation passage 614, whose flow passage length has been shortened.

In the first rotation state, the flow rate of air blown out from the second air outlet 102, indicated by arrow S44, is greater than in the neutral state due to a decrease in flow path resistance, and is also greater than the flow rate of air blown out from the first air outlet 101, indicated by arrow S34. Therefore, the confluence point of the air from the first air outlet 101 and the air from the second air outlet 102 is higher than in the neutral state. As a result, as indicated by arrow S202 in Figure 8, the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100 flows upward relative to the horizontal, i.e., at an elevation angle.

As shown in FIG. 8, air from the air conditioning unit is supplied to the air conditioning register 100, and the LED light-emitting elements 72 in rows L1, L2, and L3 are turned on. With the air conditioning register 100 in the first rotation state shown in FIG. 8, the LED light-emitting elements 72 in row L1 and portions of the LED light-emitting elements 72 in row L2 face the retainer inner wall 30W. As a result, the light LT1 emitted from row L1 and portions of the light LT2 emitted from row L2 are blocked by the retainer 30. In contrast, the light LT3 from the LED light-emitting elements 72 in row L3 and portions of the light LT2 from the LED light-emitting elements 72 in row L2 pass through the exposed surface 606 and are emitted into the vehicle cabin.

As the cover member 60 rotates, the light LT2 and LT3 are emitted upward, toward the vicinity of the first air outlet 101. Therefore, a user inside the vehicle visually perceives the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 as being biased toward the upper side of the exposed surface 606 compared to the neutral state. Therefore, with the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the air flow direction from the air-conditioning register 100 can be correlated with the position of the light emitted from the exposed surface 606 without acquiring information such as the amount of rotation of the cover member 60 or the air outlet direction from the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99, etc. Note that light LT1 and light LT2 may be configured to transmit through the retainer 30 and the bezel 20. Even in this case, by switching to the first rotation state, light LT1, LT2, and LT3 can be directed toward the upper side of the exposed surface 606 compared to the neutral state, thereby achieving the same effect.

Although not shown, in the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, by rotating the cover member 60 downward from the neutral state to a second rotation state, it is possible to direct the air blown from the air-conditioning register 100 into the vehicle cabin in a more downward direction than in the neutral state. The second rotation state can be achieved, for example, by rotating the cover member 60 to a state in which the first rotation state is upside down with respect to the direction DT1. In the second rotation state, the flow path resistance is reduced by the amount of the flow path length shortened in the first retainer air passage 612 compared to the neutral state, and the flow path resistance is increased by the amount of the flow path length length extended in the second retainer air passage 614. As a result, the air blown from the air-conditioning register 100 can be caused to flow downward, i.e., at a depression angle, relative to the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in the second rotation state, the emission direction of the light LT2 and LT3 is shifted downward as the cover member 60 is rotated, and the light is emitted toward the vicinity of the second air outlet 102. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 can be biased toward the lower side of the exposed surface 606 compared to the neutral state, and as with the first rotation state, the direction of the airflow from the air-conditioning register 100 can be correlated with the position of the emitted light displayed on the exposed surface 606.

As described above, the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment includes a retainer 30 and a lid member 60 disposed inside the retainer 30. The lid member 60 has an exposed surface 606 exposed from the retainer opening 306 and a retainer-facing surface that faces the retainer opening 306 and defines an air outlet between the retainer opening 306 and the exposed surface 606. The exposed surface 606 is configured to emit light toward the outside of the lid member 60. According to this embodiment, by providing the exposed surface 606 exposed from the inside of the retainer 30 through the retainer opening 306, it is possible to provide an air-conditioning register 100 in which the internal structure is not easily visible and which has a high level of design. Furthermore, by using the exposed surface 606 of the retainer opening 306 as a light-emitting area, the light-emitting area can be expanded, improving the visibility and design of the air-conditioning register 100.

The air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment further includes a light-emitting unit 70 that emits light to illuminate the exposed surface 606. Therefore, the exposed surface 606 can be illuminated with a simple configuration.

In the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70 is disposed inside the lid member 60, and the exposed surface 606 is configured to allow light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 to pass through to the outside of the lid member 60. Therefore, by using the lid member 60 of the retainer opening 306 as the placement area for the light-emitting unit 70, it is possible to prevent the air-conditioning register 100 from becoming larger due to the installation of the light-emitting unit 70.

The air conditioning register 100 of this embodiment further includes a light-emitting control unit 922 that controls the light-emitting unit 70, and an air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99 that acquires air-conditioning information. The light-emitting control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light in association with the on/off state of the air-conditioning air supply as air-conditioning information. By associating the light-emitting process of the light-emitting unit 70 with the air-conditioning information, the exposed surface 606 can function as a display unit that displays air-conditioning information. This makes it possible to omit components that allow the user to visually recognize air-conditioning information, such as an indicator that shows the on/off status of the air conditioner, and reduces the number of parts in the air-conditioning register 100 or instrument panel 10.

According to the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the retainer opening 306 has a first side 306s1 and a second side 306s2 opposing the first side 306s1. The front surface 626, which serves as the retainer-facing surface, defines a first air outlet 101 between the first side 306s1 and a second air outlet 102 between the second side 306s2. The first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 are configured so that the air outlet direction DS1 of the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the air outlet direction DS2 of the air blown out from the second air outlet 102 intersect at an intersection IS. By combining the air blown out from the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102, the flow direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100 can be adjusted by simply adjusting the balance of the air flow rates between the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102.

The air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment further includes a diverter 68 for diverting the retainer air passage 30S into the first retainer air passage 612 and the second retainer air passage 614. By including the diverter 68, it is possible to direct air to multiple outlets, the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102, with a simple configuration, without forming two separate flow paths that individually connect to the first retainer air passage 612 and the second retainer air passage 614, and without providing separate air conditioning air supply sources for the first retainer air passage 612 and the second retainer air passage 614.

In the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the cover member 60 is configured to be rotatable within the retainer 30. Rotation of the cover member 60 allows for switching between a first rotation state in which the flow resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage 612 is increased and the flow resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage 614 is decreased, and a second rotation state in which the flow resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage 612 is decreased and the flow resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage 614 is increased. Therefore, the flow direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100 can be switched by simply rotating the cover member 60. Furthermore, since the flow direction of the air can be adjusted by balancing the flow rate of the first air outlet 101 and the flow rate of the second air outlet 102, the flow direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100 can be adjusted over a wider range than with conventional techniques that use fins or the like.

In the air-conditioning register 100 of this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70 is fixed inside the lid member 60 and can rotate around the central axis AX in synchronization with the rotation of the lid member 60. This simple method allows the airflow direction from the air-conditioning register 100 to be correlated with the position of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 without acquiring information such as the amount of rotation of the lid member 60 or the air blowing direction.

The air conditioning register 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a flat first fin 664 that is provided in the first retainer ventilation passage 612 and is rotatable about an axis that intersects the first retainer inner wall 302W, and a flat second fin 665 that is provided in the second retainer ventilation passage 614 and is rotatable about an axis that intersects the second retainer inner wall 304W. By simply rotating the first fin 664 and the second fin 665, the air flow direction of the first air outlet 101 and the air flow direction of the second air outlet 102 can be switched between left and right in the vehicle width direction.

B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register 100b according to the second embodiment. The air-conditioning register 100b of the second embodiment differs from the air-conditioning register 100 of the first embodiment in that it includes a cover member 60b instead of the cover member 60 and in that it also includes an operating lever 40. The configuration is otherwise similar. In the first embodiment, the cover member 60 is rotatably supported within the retainer air passage 30S. In contrast, in this embodiment, the cover member 60b is fixed within the retainer air passage 30S. In this embodiment, the air flow rates of the first air outlet 101b and the second air outlet 102b are adjusted by operating the air diverter 68b using the operating lever 40, as described below.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the X-X line in Figure 9. Figure 10 shows the air-conditioning register 100b in a neutral state. As with the first embodiment, the neutral state of the air-conditioning register 100b is achieved by the internal structure being mirror-symmetrical with respect to the Y direction including the central axis AX.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the cover member 60b includes a front wall portion 62b, fins 66b, and a flow dividing portion 68b. The cover member 60b differs from the cover member 60 shown in the first embodiment in that it does not include an upper wall portion 63, a lower wall portion 64, a first slit 602, or a second slit 604. A first retainer ventilation passage 612b and a second retainer ventilation passage 614b are formed on the exterior of the cover member 60b. The flow path height of the first retainer ventilation passage 612b and the flow path height of the second retainer ventilation passage 614b are substantially the same, and the flow path length W31 of the first retainer ventilation passage 612b and the flow path length W41 of the second retainer ventilation passage 614b are substantially the same. In other words, the flow path resistances of the first retainer ventilation passage 612b and the second retainer ventilation passage 614b are configured to be substantially the same. The configurations of the first air outlet 101b and the second air outlet 102b are similar to those of the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 shown in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described further.

The front wall portion 62b is similar to the front wall portion 62 shown in the first embodiment in that it has a front surface 626 with a similar cross-sectional shape, but differs in that it does not have a shaft fitting portion 628. The front wall portion 62b is fixed to the retainer inner wall 30W by a fastener (not shown).

The light-emitting unit 70 is fixed inside the front wall portion 62b. The direction of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 70 is DT3, which is approximately the same as the orientation of the cover member 60. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70 is associated with the on/off of a switch for starting the vehicle VH, instead of the on/off of the supply of air-conditioning air. Furthermore, the light-emitting control unit 922 performs the light-emitting process for the light-emitting unit 70 using vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 98 and information on the on/off, wind direction, and temperature of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100 acquired by the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99, as described below.

The fins 66b rotate around the central axis AX2. The fins 66b differ in shape from the fins 66 shown in the first embodiment, but otherwise have the same function and configuration. The upper end protrusion 662 of the fins 66b is fitted into the fitting hole 302T of the first retainer inner wall 302W instead of the fitting hole 638 of the upper wall portion 63, and the lower end protrusion 662 is fitted into the fitting hole 304T of the second retainer inner wall 304W instead of the fitting hole 648 of the lower wall portion 64. In this embodiment, the rotation of the fins 66b can be adjusted, for example, by operating an operating lever (not shown). The amount of rotation of the fins 66b is acquired as air conditioning information indicating the transverse direction of the air blown out of the air conditioning register 100 by an air conditioning information acquisition unit 99, such as a variable resistor that acquires the amount of operation of the operating lever.

The diverting portion 68b is a plate-shaped member that is long and extends along the vehicle width direction. The upstream end of the diverting portion 68b functions as a protrusion 684, diverting the air in the retainer ventilation passage 30S upward and downward. In the example in Figure 10, the diverting portion 68b is positioned in the retainer ventilation passage 30S so that its surface direction is in the direction DT3, which is approximately aligned with the horizontal plane.

In this embodiment, a first internal flow path 601b is formed between the upper surface of the flow dividing section 68b and the first retainer inner wall 302W, and a second internal flow path 603b is formed between the lower surface of the flow dividing section 68b and the second retainer inner wall 304W. The first internal flow path 601b communicates with the first air outlet 101b via the first retainer ventilation passage 612b, and the second internal flow path 603b communicates with the second air outlet 102b via the second retainer ventilation passage 614b.

The diverter portion 68b is supported on the inner wall of the retainer 30 so as to be rotatable around a central axis AX set near the downstream end of the diverter portion 68b, as shown by arrow AG2 in FIG. 10. The diverter portion 68b is connected to the operating lever 40 shown in FIG. 9 by a link mechanism (not shown). By operating the operating lever 40 in the up or down direction shown by arrow AG1 in FIG. 9, the diverter portion 68b can be rotated around the central axis AX. This switches the diverter portion 68b between a first diverting state in which the protruding portion 684 is close to the first retainer inner wall 302W, and a second diverting state in which the protruding portion 684 is close to the second retainer inner wall 304W.

The first branch state is a state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601b, which communicates with the first retainer ventilation passage 612b, is reduced, and the opening of the second internal flow path 603b, which communicates with the second retainer ventilation passage 614b, is increased. The second branch state is a state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601b is increased, and the opening of the second internal flow path 603b is reduced. In this embodiment, the rotation amount of the branch portion 68b is acquired as air conditioning information indicating the vertical direction of the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100 by the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99, such as a variable resistor that acquires the operation amount of the operating lever 40.

Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the flow direction of air conditioning air inside the air conditioning register 100b in the neutral state. In the air conditioning register 100b in the neutral state, the opening degree of the first internal flow path 601b and the opening degree of the second internal flow path 603b caused by the flow diverter 68b are approximately the same. As shown by arrows S51 and S61 in Figure 12, the air conditioning air that flows from the inlet 305 into the retainer air passage 30S flows to the protrusion 684 of the flow diverter 68b, and then, as shown by arrows S52 and S62, is diverted by the protrusion 684 into the first internal flow path 601b and the second internal flow path 603b.

Air flowing through the first internal flow path 601b flows through the first retainer ventilation passage 612b, as shown by arrow S53. Air flowing through the second internal flow path 603b flows through the second retainer ventilation passage 614b, as shown by arrow S63. The flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage 612b and the second retainer ventilation passage 614b is approximately the same, and the flow rate of air blown out from the first outlet 101b and the flow rate of air blown out from the second outlet 102b are approximately the same.

As indicated by arrows S54 and S64, the air blown out of the retainer 30 from the first air outlet 101b and the second air outlet 102b flows over the surface of the front surface 626 due to the Coanda effect, and merges on the surface of the front surface 626 or at a position away from the surface of the front surface 626 due to separation. The merged air flows toward the front of the air conditioning register 100b in a substantially horizontal direction, as indicated by arrow S204.

When the air supply from the air conditioner is turned on, the light emission control unit 922 acquires the air conditioning information from the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99 and adjusts the brightness of the LED light emitting element 72 to increase the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit 70 compared to when the air supply from the air conditioner is turned off.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the air flow direction inside the air conditioning register 100b in the first flow diversion state. When the flow diversion section 68b is rotated upward as indicated by arrow D21 by operating the operating lever 40, the surface direction of the flow diversion section 68b is switched from direction DT3 to direction DT4. As a result, the first flow diversion state shown in Figure 12 can be achieved.

As indicated by arrows S71 and S81, air flowing into the retainer ventilation passage 30S reaches the protrusion 684 of the diverter 68b. The air that reaches the protrusion 684 flows into the first internal flow passage 601b at a reduced flow rate by the diverter 68b as indicated by arrow S32, and into the second internal flow passage 603b at an increased flow rate as indicated by arrow S42. As indicated by arrow S73, the air that flows into the first internal flow passage 601b flows through the first retainer ventilation passage 612b, and as indicated by arrow S83, the air that flows into the second internal flow passage 603b flows through the second retainer ventilation passage 614b.

In the first branch state, the flow rate of air sent into the second retainer ventilation passage 614b is greater than in the neutral state and is also greater than the flow rate of air sent into the first retainer ventilation passage 612b. Therefore, the flow rate of air blown out from the second air outlet 102b, indicated by arrow S84, is greater than the flow rate of air blown out from the first air outlet 101b, indicated by arrow S74. Therefore, the confluence point of the air from the first air outlet 101b and the air from the second air outlet 102b is higher than in the neutral state. As a result, as indicated by arrow S206 in FIG. 12, the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100b is directed more upward than in the neutral state.

Although not shown, in the air conditioning register 100b of this embodiment, by operating the operating lever 40 to rotate the diverter portion 68b downward from the neutral state to create a second diverter state, it is possible to direct the air blown from the air conditioning register 100b into the vehicle cabin in a more downward direction than in the neutral state. The second diverter state can be achieved, for example, by rotating the diverter portion 68b to create a state in which the first diverter state is upside down with respect to direction DT3. In the second diverter state, compared to the neutral state, the opening of the first internal flow path 601b is increased to increase the flow rate, and the opening of the second internal flow path 603b is decreased to decrease the flow rate. As a result, the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100 can be caused to flow downward relative to the horizontal, i.e., at a depression angle.

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the light-emitting unit 70 is emitting light in the first diversion state. In this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 acquires the vertical wind direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100b from the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99, and causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light according to the light-emitting direction associated with the acquired wind direction. "Light-emitting direction associated with wind direction" means that the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 70 has a directionality that allows the wind direction to be visually recognized by utilizing the on/off arrangement of the LED light-emitting elements 72, changes in light intensity, etc.

In this embodiment, as indicated by arrow S206, the wind direction is upward, so the light emission control unit 922 controls the light emission units 70 to emit light in such a way that the light intensity of the rows L1, L2, and L3 increases in order according to the wind direction, with the lowest light intensity of the row L3 being the smallest and the highest light intensity of the row L1 being the largest. Note that in this embodiment, the light emission control unit 922 adjusts the light intensity based on the number of LED light-emitting elements 72 emitting light in each of the rows L1, L2, and L3, but the light intensity may also be adjusted by dimming the LED light-emitting elements 72 individually for each of the rows L1, L2, and L3.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing another form of the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 70. In this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 further acquires the wind direction in the vehicle width direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100b from the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99, and causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light according to the light-emitting direction associated with the acquired wind direction in the vehicle width direction. In the example of Figure 14, the wind direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100b is directed to the right in the vehicle width direction, i.e., in the +X direction, due to the rotation of the fins 66b. Therefore, the light-emitting control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light so that the amount of light in the +X direction is increased, for example, by causing the LED light-emitting element 72 located at a position corresponding to the right side to emit light.

In this embodiment, the light-emission control unit 922 further acquires vehicle information from the vehicle information acquisition unit 98 and causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light in association with the acquired vehicle information. The light-emission control unit 922, for example, acquires the driving direction of the vehicle VH as vehicle information from the vehicle information acquisition unit 98 and causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light in accordance with the light-emission direction associated with the acquired driving direction. The "light-emission direction associated with the driving direction" means that the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 70 has a directionality that allows the driving direction of the vehicle VH to be visually recognized by utilizing the on/off arrangement of the LED light-emitting elements 72, changes in light intensity, etc. For example, when the vehicle VH is turning right, the light-emission control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light so that the light intensity in the +X direction is greater, as shown in FIG. 14 .

In the air-conditioning register 100b of this embodiment, the flow diverter 68b can be switched between a first flow diverting state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601b communicating with the first retainer ventilation passage 612b is reduced and the opening of the second internal flow path 603b communicating with the second retainer ventilation passage 614b is increased, and a second flow diverting state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601b is increased and the opening of the second internal flow path 603b is reduced. Instead of switching the flow path resistance within the air-conditioning register 100b, the direction of the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100b can be switched with the simple configuration of adjusting the flow rates of the first internal flow path 601b and the second internal flow path 603b using the flow diverter 68b.

In the air-conditioning register 100b of this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light in accordance with the light-emitting direction associated with the wind direction of the air blown out of the air-conditioning register 100b. Therefore, the air-conditioning register 100b can function as a display unit that displays the wind direction.

In the air conditioning register 100b of this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70 to emit light in association with vehicle information. Therefore, the air conditioning register 100b can function as a display unit that displays vehicle information.

According to the air conditioning register 100b of this embodiment, the light emission control unit 922 causes the light emitting unit 70 to emit light in accordance with the light emission direction associated with the driving direction of the vehicle VH. Therefore, the air conditioning register 100b can function as a display unit that displays the driving direction of the vehicle VH. This makes it possible to omit components that allow the user to visually recognize vehicle information, such as indicators that show the driving direction status of the vehicle VH, such as turn signals, and thereby reduce the number of parts in the vehicle VH.

C. Third embodiment:
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register 100c according to a third embodiment. The air-conditioning register 100c of the third embodiment differs from the air-conditioning register 100 of the first embodiment in that it includes a first air outlet 101c and a second air outlet 102c, a cover member 60c, a bezel 20c, and an light-emitting unit 70c instead of the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102, the cover member 60, the bezel 20, and the light-emitting unit 70. In this embodiment, the cover member 60c is fixed within the retainer air passage 30S, similar to the cover member 60b shown in the second embodiment. The air flow rate of the first air outlet 101c and the second air outlet 102c is adjusted by operating the diverter 68c. The light-emitting unit 70c differs from the light-emitting unit 70 in the number and arrangement of the LED light-emitting elements 72, but is otherwise similar in configuration to the light-emitting unit 70. The light-emitting unit 70c is fixed inside the cover member 60c and is smaller than the light-emitting unit 70 of each of the above embodiments so as to correspond to the size of the cover member 60c. Specifically, in the light-emitting unit 70c, the LED light-emitting elements 72 are arranged in two rows, rows L4 and L5.

Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the light-emitting unit 70c of the air-conditioning register 100c of the third embodiment in an illuminated state. The light-emitting unit 70c is fixed inside the cover member 60c, and light 72L emitted from the light-emitting unit 70c passes through the exposed surface 606 and is emitted to the front side of the air-conditioning register 100c. The light-emitting unit 70c can be switched on and off by the light-emission control unit 922 in synchronization with the on/off of the air-conditioning air supply, as in the first embodiment.

Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in Figure 15. Figure 17 shows the air conditioning register 100c in a neutral state. The neutral state of the air conditioning register 100c can be achieved by aligning the direction of the diverter portion 68c approximately with the Y direction. In this embodiment, the direction of the diverter portion 68c can be determined, for example, by a straight line DT5 connecting the tip of the protrusion 684 and the rotation axis AX5 of the diverter portion 68c.

As shown in FIG. 17, the lid member 60c includes a front wall portion 62c, fins 66c, and a flow dividing portion 68c. The lid member 60c differs from the lid member 60 shown in the first embodiment in that it does not include an upper wall portion 63, a lower wall portion 64, a first slit 602, or a second slit 604. A first retainer ventilation passage 612c and a second retainer ventilation passage 614c are formed on the outside of the lid member 60c.

The front wall portion 62c is the same as the front wall portion 62 shown in the first embodiment in that it has a front surface 626, but differs in that it does not have a shaft fitting portion 628. The front wall portion 62c is fixed to the retainer inner wall 30W by a fastener (not shown). A light-emitting portion 70c is fixed inside the front wall portion 62c.

The fin 66c is made up of a first fin 664 and a second fin 665, which are separate bodies, each with its own central axis AX3, AX4 as shown in Figure 17. The connecting portion 668c connects the first fin 664 and the second fin 665, synchronizing the rotational directions of each fin with each other.

The connecting portion 668c has a long, flat plate shape that extends in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 15, the connecting portion 668c extends to the outside of the air conditioning register 100c and is connected to an operating lever (not shown) outside the air conditioning register 100c. The first fin 664 and the second fin 665 rotate around the central axes AX3 and AX4 when the connecting portion 668c is slid along the vehicle width direction by the operating lever (not shown). As a result, the direction of the air blown out from the first air outlet 101c and the second air outlet 102c is switched left and right along the vehicle width direction. The first fin 664, the second fin 665, and the connecting portion 668c are arranged around the light-emitting portion 70c so as not to interfere with the light-emitting portion 70c.

The flow dividing section 68c has two slopes: a first slope 683 and a second slope 685. The first slope 683 and the second slope 685 are connected to each other with the tip of the protrusion 684 as their apex. The first slope 683 defines a first internal flow path 601c between itself and the first retainer inner wall 302W, and the second slope 685 defines a second internal flow path 603c between itself and the second retainer inner wall 304W. The first internal flow path 601c communicates with the first air outlet 101c via the first retainer ventilation passage 612c, and the second internal flow path 603c communicates with the second air outlet 102c via the second retainer ventilation passage 614c.

The diverter 68c is supported on the retainer inner wall 30W so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis AX5 located downstream of the diverter 68c, as shown by arrow AG3 in FIG. 17. The diverter 68c can be rotated around the rotation axis AX5, for example, by operating an operating lever (not shown). This allows the diverter 68c to switch the retainer ventilation passage 30S between a first diverter state in which the protrusion 684 is close to the first retainer inner wall 302W and a second diverter state in which the protrusion 684 is close to the second retainer inner wall 304W. The first diverter state is a state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601c is reduced and the opening of the second internal flow path 603c is increased. The second diverter state is a state in which the opening of the first internal flow path 601c is increased and the opening of the second internal flow path 603c is reduced. According to the air conditioning register 100c of this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the direction of the air blown out from the air conditioning register 100c can be changed by the simple method of adjusting the flow rate using the diverter 68c.

In the air-conditioning register 100c of this embodiment, the first retainer ventilation passage 612c and the second retainer ventilation passage 614c have a vertically asymmetric structure, and the internal structure is not mirror-symmetrical with respect to the Y direction. Specifically, the flow paths and the like within the air-conditioning register 100c have the following characteristics (1) to (3).

(1) The opening width of the first air outlet 101 c is set to be larger than the opening width of the second air outlet 102 c. Although not shown in the drawings, the first air outlet 101 c and the second air outlet 102 c are configured so that the air outlet directions intersect in front of the front surface 626.
(2) The total length W51 of the first internal flow path 601c and the first retainer-ventilation passage 612c is greater than the total length W61 of the second internal flow path 603c and the second retainer-ventilation passage 614c. That is, in the flow paths after the branching by the branching section 68c, the flow path to the first outlet 101c is longer than the flow path to the second outlet 102c.
(3) In the flow path after the branching by the branching portion 68c, the average value of the height 612h of the flow path to the first outlet 101c is greater than the average value of the height 614h of the flow path to the second outlet 102c.

The above features (1)-(3) are set values derived to make the flow path resistance of the flow path up to the first outlet 101c and the flow path up to the second outlet 102c approximately equal in the flow path after the flow is divided by the flow dividing section 68c. By having the above features (1)-(3), even when the air conditioning register 100c has an asymmetrical structure in the up and down direction, as in this embodiment, the flow rate of air blown out from the first outlet 101c and the flow rate of air blown out from the second outlet 102c in the neutral state can be made approximately equal.

The bezel 20c differs from the bezel 20 shown in the first embodiment in that it includes a flange 210. As shown in FIG. 15, the flange 210 is a portion that continues from the first side 306s1 of the retainer opening 306. The flange 210 has a shape that protrudes from the first side 306s1 toward the outside of the air conditioning register 100c. This configuration makes the first air outlet 101c less visible to users in the vehicle cabin. Therefore, even if the opening width of the first air outlet 101c is formed large as in this embodiment, the first air outlet 101c can be made less visible, and the internal structure of the air conditioning register 100c can be prevented from being seen by users. Note that the flange may be formed on the retainer 30 instead of the bezel 20c.

Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the flow direction of air conditioning air inside the air conditioning register 100c in the neutral state. In the air conditioning register 100c in the neutral state, the opening degree of the first internal flow path 601c and the opening degree of the second internal flow path 603c caused by the flow diverter 68c are approximately the same. As shown by arrows S91 and S101, the air conditioning air that flows from the inlet 305 into the retainer air passage 30S flows to the flow diverter 68c, and then, as shown by arrows S92 and S102, is diverted by the protrusion 684 into the first internal flow path 601c and the second internal flow path 603c.

Air flowing through the first internal flow path 601c is sent to the first retainer ventilation passage 612c as shown by arrow S93, and air flowing through the second internal flow path 603c is sent to the second retainer ventilation passage 614b as shown by arrow S103. The flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage 612c and the second retainer ventilation passage 614c are approximately the same, and the flow rate of air blown out from the first outlet 101c and the flow rate of air blown out from the second outlet 102c are approximately the same.

The air blown out from the second air outlet 102c flows over the surface of the front face 626 due to the Coanda effect, and merges with the air blown out from the first air outlet 101c on the surface of the front face 626 or at a position separated from the surface of the front face 626 due to separation. The merged air flows toward the front of the air conditioning register 100c in the Y direction, as shown by arrow S208 in Figure 18.

Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a simulation of the airflow velocity in the air-conditioning register 100c in the first diversion state. The first diversion state can be created by switching the direction of the diversion section 68c to direction DT6, which is higher than direction DT5. In the first diversion state, the flow rate from the second outlet 102c is greater than the flow rate from the first outlet 101c, so as shown by arrow S210 in Figure 19, the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100c flows more upward than in the neutral state.

Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a simulation of the airflow velocity in the air-conditioning register 100c in the second branch state. The second branch state can be created by switching the direction of the branch section 68c to direction DT7, which is lower than direction DT5. In the second branch state, the flow rate from the first outlet 101c is greater than the flow rate from the second outlet 102c, so that the air blown out from the air-conditioning register 100c flows more downward than in the neutral state, as shown by arrow S212 in Figure 19.

According to the air-conditioning register 100c of this embodiment, even if the register has a vertically asymmetric structure, the air blowing direction can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of air blown out from the first air outlet 101c and the flow rate of air blown out from the second air outlet 102c, just as in the second embodiment. The shape and position of the cover member 60c can be made vertically asymmetric, improving the design freedom of the cover member 60c and the exposed surface 606. Furthermore, with the air-conditioning register 100c of this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 70c can be disposed inside the cover member 60c, allowing the cover member 60c to be used as a light-emitting area, improving visibility and design.

D1. Fourth embodiment:
Fig. 21 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register 100d according to the fourth embodiment. The air-conditioning register 100d of the fourth embodiment differs from the air-conditioning register 100 of the first embodiment in that it includes a cover member 60d and a light-emitting unit 70d instead of the cover member 60 and the light-emitting unit 70, but otherwise has the same configuration. Note that Fig. 21 shows the air-conditioning register 100d with the light-emitting unit 70d turned off.

In this embodiment, the exposed surface 606 of the lid member 60d has a light guide. Specifically, the exposed surface 606 is formed from a so-called light guiding panel (LGP). A "light guide panel" is a plate-like member made of a resin material with high light transmittance, with processing such as printing or groove formation to achieve a desired light-emitting state. By forming the exposed surface 606 from a light guide panel, light incident on the exposed surface 606 can be diffused, causing the entire surface to emit light. The rest of the configuration of the lid member 60d is similar to that of the lid member 60 shown in the first embodiment. Note that "the exposed surface 606 has a light guide" includes cases where the exposed surface 606 is formed from a light guide, as in this embodiment, and cases where a light guide separate from the lid member 60d, such as a sheet-like light guide, is attached to the exposed surface 606.

The light-emitting unit 70d is an LED lighting module for emitting light onto the exposed surface 606, which serves as a light guide plate. The light-emitting unit 70d is arranged in contact with both ends of the exposed surface 606 in the vehicle width direction. The light-emitting unit 70d includes a plurality of LED light-emitting elements 72d whose size corresponds to the thickness of the light guide plate. Note that the light-emitting unit 70d does not necessarily have to be in contact with the exposed surface 606, and may be spaced apart from the exposed surface 606. The light-emitting unit 70d does not necessarily have to be arranged at both ends of the exposed surface 606, but may also be arranged at one end, or may be arranged in any position as long as the emitted light can be introduced into the exposed surface 606.

Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram showing the external appearance of the air-conditioning register 100d with the light-emitting unit 70d turned on. Light emitted from the LED light-emitting element 72d is introduced to the exposed surface 606, where it is refracted and diffused by the processed portion within the light guide. As a result, as shown in Figure 22, the entire exposed surface 606 can be illuminated. However, this is not limited to the entire exposed surface 606; any area of the exposed surface 606 may be illuminated, or any shape may be formed on the exposed surface 606.

In this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 can switch the light-emitting color of the exposed surface 606 in association with temperature information included in the air-conditioning information acquired from the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99. The light-emitting color of the exposed surface 606 can be switched by individually adjusting the light intensity of the LED elements corresponding to each of the RGB colors provided in the LED light-emitting element 72d. The light-emitting control unit 922 acquires the cabin air temperature as temperature information from the air-conditioning information acquisition unit 99, and causes the exposed surface 606 to emit a green color if the air temperature is within the optimum temperature range, a cool color such as blue if the air temperature is lower than the optimum temperature range, and a warm color such as red if the air temperature is higher than the optimum temperature range. The "optimum temperature range" is, for example, 25°C to 28°C. The optimum temperature range may be set arbitrarily by the user, or may be set for each season, such as 25°C to 28°C in summer and 18°C to 22°C in winter. Instead of the air temperature, the set temperature of the air conditioner or the air temperature set in the air-conditioning register 100d may be used.

As described above, according to the air-conditioning register 100d of this embodiment, the exposed surface 606 is made of a light guide, and the light-emitting unit 70d is positioned so that light emitted from the LED light-emitting element 72d can be introduced into the exposed surface 606, which serves as a light guide. The light guide plate allows the exposed surface 606 to emit light with a highly uniform amount of light, improving the visibility of the air-conditioning register 100d. Furthermore, by utilizing the surface emission of the exposed surface 606, it is possible to prevent the internal structure of the exposed surface 606 from being easily visible from the outside, even if the exposed surface 606 is made of a transparent material.

In the air conditioning register 100d of this embodiment, the light-emitting control unit 922 causes the light-emitting unit 70d to emit light in a color associated with temperature information. By associating the light-emitting process of the light-emitting unit 70d with temperature information, the exposed surface 606 can function as a display unit that displays temperature information. Furthermore, by associating the cabin temperature that can be felt by a user in the cabin with the emitted color of the exposed surface 606, the visibility of the exposed surface 606 can be improved.

D2. Other embodiments of the fourth embodiment:
23 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register 100d2 according to another embodiment of the fourth embodiment. In the air-conditioning register 100d according to the fourth embodiment, the exposed surface 606 is formed of a light guide plate. However, as shown in FIG. 23, a light guide other than a light guide plate, such as a light guide rod, may be used.

As shown in FIG. 23 , the air conditioning register 100d2 of this embodiment includes a cover member 60d2 and a light-emitting unit 70d2. The light-emitting unit 70d2 is an LED lighting module including multiple LED light-emitting elements 72d2 and a light guide rod 75. The light guide rod 75 is a light-transmitting member having any shape, such as a cylinder or a polygonal prism including a square prism, a hexagonal prism, or an octagonal prism. The light guide rod 75 can be made of any light-transmitting material, such as synthetic resins such as acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, silicone, and epoxy, or glass. The light guide rod 75 can internally reflect light incident from its end, causing the entire body to emit light. Note that the light guide rod 75 does not have to be colorless and transparent, and may be colored.

Through holes 606p are provided on the exposed surface 606 of the cover member 60d2 for inserting the light guide rods 75 along the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, three rows of through holes 606p, rows L6 to L8, are provided, and the light guide rods 75 are inserted through the through holes 606p in rows L6 to L8 and fixed to the exposed surface 606. Multiple LED light-emitting elements 72d2 are arranged in contact with both ends of the light guide rods 75 in each row, and introduce light into each light guide rod 75 in each row. With the air-conditioning register 100d2 configured in this manner, by illuminating the multiple light guide rods 75 arranged on the exposed surface 606, the exposed surface 606 can be illuminated in a manner that matches the arrangement and shape of the light guide rods 75, such as linear illumination.

E. Fifth embodiment:
24 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an air-conditioning register 100e according to the fifth embodiment. The air-conditioning register 100e of this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the air-conditioning register 100b shown in the second embodiment, but differs in that it includes a light-emitting unit 70e instead of the light-emitting unit 70. The light-emitting unit 70e has a configuration similar to that of the light-emitting unit 70 shown in the second embodiment, but differs in that it further includes a light diffusion sheet 77.

The light diffusion sheet 77 is, for example, a sheet-like resin material with a textured surface or with light-diffusing particles or materials incorporated therein, which transmits incident light in a diffused state. Light 72L emitted from the LED light-emitting elements 72 is diffused by the light diffusion sheet 77 and transmits from the exposed surface 606 with a substantially uniform light intensity. In the example of Figure 24, the LED light-emitting elements 72 of the light-emitting unit 70e emit light such that the light intensity increases in the order of rows L1, L2, and L3, as shown in Figure 13. Therefore, as shown in Figure 24, surface emission can be achieved so that the light intensity changes gradually from row L3 to row L1, further improving the visibility of the air-conditioning register 100e.

F. Other Embodiments:
(F1) In each of the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the LED light-emitting element 72 was used in the light-emitting unit 70. However, the light-emitting unit 70 is not limited to a configuration including only the LED light-emitting element 72, and various light sources such as an incandescent lamp or a fluorescent lamp may be used.

(F2) In the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the exposed surface 606 emits light from the light-emitting unit 70 equipped with the LED light-emitting element 72. However, the light-emitting unit 70 may be omitted, and the exposed surface 606 may be configured to emit light, for example, by forming the exposed surface 606 from a phosphorescent material.

(F3) In the above embodiments, the air-conditioning register 100 is shown to have two air outlets, the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102. However, for example, only one of the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102 may be provided. Even with this configuration, it is possible to provide an air-conditioning register 100 with improved design, in which the exposed surface 606 emits light.

(F4) In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the lid member 60 was cylindrical, or an example in which the exposed surface 606 was configured as a curved surface. In contrast, the lid member 60 is not limited to being cylindrical, and may be any cylindrical body such as a polygonal prism, or may be a sphere. If the lid member 60 is a polygonal prism, the exposed surface 606 may be any one of the planes of the polygonal prism, or may be two or more planes including corners.

(F5) In each of the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the outer shape of the retainer opening 306 was rectangular. However, the retainer opening 306 is not limited to a rectangle and may have any geometric shape, such as a circle, ellipse, or polygon. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, an example was shown in which the shape of the bezel opening 206 matches the shape of the retainer opening 306, but this is not limited to this, and the shapes of the bezel opening 206 and the retainer opening 306 may not match. In this case, the shape of the exposed surface 606 may be a shape that corresponds to the shape of the retainer opening 306.

(F6) In the above embodiments, examples have been described in which the first side 306s1 and the second side 306s2 of the retainer opening 306 are arranged along the vehicle width direction. In contrast, the air-conditioning register 100 may be arranged so that the first side 306s1 and the second side 306s2 of the retainer opening 306 are inclined at any angle, including perpendicular, to the vehicle width direction, such as being arranged so that they intersect with the vehicle width direction.

(F7) In the above embodiments, examples were shown in which the first side 306s1 and the second side 306s2 were straight, but they are not limited to being straight and may be various curves such as arcs, or may be various shapes such as wavy. The same applies to the first air outlet 101 and the second air outlet 102.

(F8) In the first embodiment described above, the light-emitting unit 70 was an example in which multiple LED light-emitting elements 72 were arranged in a grid pattern on a reflective substrate. However, the arrangement of the LED light-emitting elements 72 can be adjusted as desired depending on the desired light-emitting method of the exposed surface 606. Similarly, the light diffusion sheet 77, light guide rod 75, light guide plate, and processed portions for light diffusion on these materials are not limited to the above embodiments, and may be adjusted to any shape or position depending on the desired light-emitting method of the exposed surface 606.

(F9) In the above embodiments, the air conditioning register 100 includes a control device 90 that performs light emission processing. However, for example, if the light emission processing of the light-emitting unit 70 is not performed, the control device 90 may be omitted.

(F10) In the above fourth embodiment, an example was shown in which the light-emitting control unit 922 switched the light emission color of the exposed surface 606 in association with temperature information acquired from the air conditioning information acquisition unit 99. In contrast, the light-emitting control unit 922 may switch the light emission color of the exposed surface 606 in association with vehicle information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition unit 98. The light-emitting control unit 922 can, for example, switch the light emission color for each driving mode of the vehicle VH. Specifically, in the autonomous driving mode, the exposed surface 606 can be made to emit light in a greenish color to encourage relaxation of the occupants. In the manual driving mode, the exposed surface 606 can be made to emit light in a blueish color to increase the driver's concentration.

The control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium.

This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

10...instrument panel, 12...steering wheel, 20, 20c...bezel, 30...retainer, 30S...retainer ventilation passage, 30W...retainer inner wall, 40...operating lever, 60, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60d2...cover member, 62, 62b, 62c...front wall portion, 63...upper wall portion, 64...lower wall portion, 66, 66b, 66c...fins, 68, 68b, 68c...flow dividing portion, 70, 70c, 70d, 70d2, 70e...light emitting portion, 72, 72d, 72d2...LED light emitting element, 72L...light, 75...light guiding rod, 7 7...light diffusion sheet, 90...control device, 92...CPU, 94...memory, 96...interface circuit, 98...information acquisition unit, 99...air conditioning information acquisition unit, 100, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100d2, 100e...air conditioning register, 101, 101b, 101c...first air outlet, 102, 102b, 102c...second air outlet, 206...bezel opening, 210...flange portion, 302...first wall portion, 302T...fitting hole, 302W...first retainer inner wall, 303...side wall portion, 304...second wall portion, 304T... Fitting hole, 304W...second retainer inner wall, 305...inlet, 306...retainer opening, 306s1...first edge, 306s2...second edge, 308...fitting hole, 601, 601b, 601c...first internal flow path, 602...first slit, 603, 603b, 603c...second internal flow path, 604...second slit, 606...exposed surface, 606p...through hole, 612, 612b, 612c...first retainer ventilation path, 614, 614b, 614c...second retainer ventilation path, 623...edge, 624...edge, 626...front surface 628...shaft fitting portion, 632...upper surface portion, 632E...edge portion, 634...side wall portion, 634B...lower end, 638...fitting hole, 642...lower surface portion, 642E...edge portion, 644...side wall portion, 644T...upper end, 646...protrusion portion, 648...fitting hole, 662...protrusion portion, 664...first fin, 665...second fin, 666...shaft portion, 668, 668c...connecting portion, 682...support recess, 683...first inclined surface, 684...protrusion portion, 685...second inclined surface, 922...light-emitting control unit, 942...light-emitting program, CP...midpoint, VH...vehicle

Claims (10)

An air conditioning register for use in a vehicle,
a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall defining a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage;
a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer-facing surface facing the retainer opening to define an air outlet between the retainer opening and the exposed surface;
a light emitting unit that emits light to illuminate the exposed surface;
a light emission control unit that controls the light emission unit;
a vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring vehicle information relating to a vehicle in which the air conditioning register is installed;
Equipped with
the exposed surface is configured to be able to emit light toward an outside of the lid member ,
the light emission control unit causes the light emission unit to emit light in association with the vehicle information;
Air conditioning register. An air conditioning register for use in a vehicle,
a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall defining a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage;
a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer-facing surface facing the retainer opening to define an air outlet between the retainer opening and the exposed surface;
the exposed surface is configured to be able to emit light toward an outside of the lid member ,
the retainer opening has one side and another side opposite to the one side,
the retainer facing surface defines, as the air outlets, a first air outlet between the retainer facing surface and one side of the retainer opening, and a second air outlet between the retainer facing surface and another side of the retainer opening,
the first air outlet and the second air outlet are configured so that a direction of an airflow blown out from the first air outlet and a direction of an airflow blown out from the second air outlet intersect with each other,
a first retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a first retainer inner wall that is continuous with one side of the retainer opening and that communicates with the first air outlet;
a second retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a second retainer inner wall that is continuous with another side of the retainer opening and that communicates with the second air outlet;
a dividing portion disposed inside the retainer for dividing the retainer ventilation passage into the first retainer ventilation passage and the second retainer ventilation passage,
The cover member is
The retainer is configured to be rotatable within the retainer,
the rotation can switch between a first rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage is increased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage is decreased, and a second rotation state in which the flow path resistance of the first retainer ventilation passage is decreased and the flow path resistance of the second retainer ventilation passage is increased,
Further, a light emitting unit that emits light is provided,
the exposed surface is configured to allow the emitted light to transmit toward the outside of the lid member,
The light emitting unit
fixed to the inside of the lid member,
Rotates together with the rotation of the cover member.
Air conditioning register. An air conditioning register for use in a vehicle,
a cylindrical retainer having a retainer inner wall defining a retainer ventilation passage and a retainer opening provided at a downstream end of the retainer ventilation passage;
a cover member provided inside the retainer, the cover member having an exposed surface exposed from the retainer opening and a retainer-facing surface facing the retainer opening to define an air outlet between the retainer opening and the exposed surface;
the exposed surface is configured to be able to emit light toward an outside of the lid member ,
the retainer opening has one side and another side opposite to the one side,
the retainer facing surface defines, as the air outlets, a first air outlet between the retainer facing surface and one side of the retainer opening, and a second air outlet between the retainer facing surface and another side of the retainer opening,
the first air outlet and the second air outlet are configured so that a direction of an airflow blown out from the first air outlet and a direction of an airflow blown out from the second air outlet intersect with each other,
a first retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a first retainer inner wall that is continuous with one side of the retainer opening and that communicates with the first air outlet;
a second retainer ventilation passage defined between the cover member and a second retainer inner wall that is continuous with another side of the retainer opening and that communicates with the second air outlet;
a dividing portion disposed inside the retainer for dividing the retainer ventilation passage into the first retainer ventilation passage and the second retainer ventilation passage,
a first fin having a flat plate shape that is provided in the first retainer ventilation passage and is configured to be rotatable around a central axis that intersects with the first retainer inner wall;
a flat-plate-shaped second fin provided in the second retainer ventilation passage and configured to be rotatable around a central axis intersecting the second retainer inner wall,
Air conditioning register. The air conditioning register according to claim 1 ,
the light emitting unit is disposed inside the cover member,
The exposed surface is configured to allow the emitted light to transmit toward the outside of the lid member.
Air conditioning register. The air conditioning register according to claim 1 ,
the exposed surface has a light guide;
The light emitting unit is disposed at a position where the emitted light can be introduced into the light guide.
Air conditioning register. The air conditioning register according to claim 1 ,
a light emission control unit that controls the light emitting unit;
an air conditioning information acquisition unit for acquiring air conditioning information related to air conditioning,
the light emission control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light in association with the air conditioning information.
Air conditioning register. 7. The air conditioning register according to claim 6 ,
the air conditioning information includes a wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet,
the light emission control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light in accordance with a light emission direction associated with the wind direction;
Air conditioning register. 7. The air conditioning register according to claim 6 ,
the air conditioning information includes temperature information including at least one of an air conditioning temperature and an air temperature;
the light emission control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light in a color associated with the temperature information.
Air conditioning register. The air conditioning register according to claim 1 ,
the vehicle information includes a traveling direction of the vehicle;
The light emission control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light in accordance with a light emission direction associated with the traveling direction.
Air conditioning register. The air-conditioning register according to claim 2 or 3 ,
The diverter section is switchable between a first diverter state in which the opening degree of the flow path communicating with the first retainer ventilation passage is reduced and the opening degree of the flow path communicating with the second retainer ventilation passage is increased, and a second diverter state in which the opening degree of the flow path communicating with the first retainer ventilation passage is increased and the opening degree of the flow path communicating with the second retainer ventilation passage is reduced.
Air conditioning register.