FR2762889A1 - Motor vehicle air distributor with two rotary shutters - Google Patents

Abstract

The distributor, comprises a housing containing two rotary shutters (28, 20) and two air intakes (14, 16), one between the shutters and the other to one side. It incorporates a third air intake (18) situated opposite the second intake (16). The second and third air intakes (16, 18) are set at an angle to the first one (14), and the shutters are able to pivot about parallel adjacent axes (32, 34) and are able to move between one position in which they meet to cover the first intake (14) and a second position where they move apart and cover the other two intakes (16, 18). At least one of the shutters has a lock (76, 80, 86) to immobilise the shutters relative to the housing when they are in the closed position. The lock is connected to a control and the two shutters are linked by a transmission. (62, 62).

Description

Air distribution device with pivoting shutters Dour motor vehicle
The invention relates to an air distribution device suitable for being part of a motor vehicle heating / air conditioning installation.

It relates more particularly to an air distribution device of the type comprising a box provided with a first air inlet and a second air inlet, as well as two flaps rotatably mounted inside the box for controlling selectively the first air inlet and the second air inlet.

Already known from EP-A-0 678 410, a device of this kind, in which the two flaps have respective walls with a spherical surface and are mounted for rotation about a common axis, these two walls being able to s '' nest one in the other and take different positions to selectively control the first and second air intake.

In this known device, the air inlets are used respectively for admitting outside air taken from outside the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and for recirculated air taken from inside this passenger compartment.

The known feature of this known device is in particular that its two air inlets have respective limited sections compared to the dimensions of the housing, which limits the flow rate of the air flow likely to pass through the housing.

Consequently, if it is desired to increase the cross section of the two air inlets of the housing, the dimensions of the housing must be increased, which increases the space requirement.

In addition, this known device is essentially suitable for shutters having walls with a spherical surface.

In addition, the flaps do not always guarantee an optimal seal, especially when they have to oppose a high speed air flow.

The object of the invention is in particular to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

To this end, it offers an air distribution device of the type defined in the introduction, which further comprises a third air inlet such that the second air inlet and the third air inlet occupy respective angular positions. and on the other side of the first air inlet, in which the two flaps are pivotally mounted around adjacent parallel axes and are movable between a close position where they jointly seal the first air inlet and a distant position where they seal respectively the second air inlet and the third air inlet, and in which at least one of the flaps comprises locking means for immobilizing it relative to the housing when the two flaps are in the close position.

Thus, the device of the invention comprises three air inlets which can be controlled by the two flaps, the latter being pivotally mounted around adjacent parallel axes and being able to approach or move away from one another.

As a result, the total air intake section offered by the housing of the device of the invention is greater than that of the device of the prior art.

In addition, the flaps do not overlap one another, which in particular simplifies the means ensuring their control.

Furthermore, the flaps are perfectly immobilized in the close position and can thus remain in this position, even if they are subjected to significant air pressure from an air flow at high speed.

The locking means advantageously comprise a locking lever carried by one of the shutters, or leading shutter, which is coupled to control means and which is connected to the other shutter, or driven shutter, by transmission means.

Thus, the locking of the driving shutter is automatically transmitted to the driven shutter.

Advantageously, the locking lever is elastically deformable and is terminated by a head resiliently biased towards a locking position to cooperate with a fixed stop secured to the housing and suitable for being moved in the opposite direction to an unlocking position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the head of the lever is moved away from the axis of rotation of the shutter in the locked position and brought closer to the axis of rotation of the shutter in the unlocked position.

Preferably, the head of the lever is movable from one to the other from the locking position and from the unlocking position in a substantially radial direction relative to the axis of rotation of the flap.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixed stop extends by a curved ramp against which the head of the lever can rub, when the flap is moved from one to the other from the locking position and from the position of unlocking.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the head is connected to the control means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control means are capable of acting on the head of the lever in a chosen orientation, so that they tend to move the head of the lever towards the locking position when they act to bring the flaps in the close position and vice versa they tend to move the head of the lever towards the unlocking position when they act to bring the flaps in the remote position.

Advantageously, the control means comprise a cable, one end of which is connected to the head of the lever so as to move this head towards the locking position when the cable is moved in thrust towards the unlocking position when the cable is moved in traction.

The locking lever is advantageously made in one piece with the flap by molding a plastic material.

The two flaps of the device of the invention preferably have walls shaped as shells.

The invention applies very particularly to the case where the box is an air box for a heating and / or air conditioning device of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, the first air inlet being suitable for being supplied by a flow of outside air taken from outside the passenger compartment, while the second and third air inlets are adapted to be both supplied by a flow of recirculated air taken from inside the cockpit.

In the following description, given by way of example, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which - FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an air distribution device according to the invention associated with a blower air from a heating / air conditioning system of a motor vehicle; - Figure 2 is a detail on an enlarged scale of Figure 1 showing the flaps in the close position; and - Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 showing the flaps in the distant position.

First of all, reference is made to FIG. 1 which shows an air distribution device 10 according to the invention comprising a box 12 of generally circular semi-cylindrical shape provided with a first inlet 14, with a second inlet 16 and a third inlet 18. The inlets 16 and 18 occupy respective symmetrical angular positions, on either side of the first inlet 14. The inlet 14 is used to admit an external air flow AE taken from the exterior of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, while the inputs 16 and 18 are used for the admission of a recirculated air flow AR taken from the interior of said passenger compartment.

The housing 12 comprises an air outlet 20 which is disposed opposite the air inlet 14 and which communicates with an axial inlet 22 of an air blower 24 comprising a scroll-shaped housing 26 intended housing a turbine (not shown). The blower 24 is part of a heating / air conditioning installation (not shown) comprising air treatment and distribution means, known per se.

The housing 12 internally houses two flaps 28 and 30 pivotally mounted around adjacent parallel axes 32, 34.

The air inlet 14 extends over an angular interval which occupies a central position of the housing 12 and which corresponds approximately to twice the angular interval of the air inlet 16 or the air inlet 18 , these last two entries having equal angular intervals.

In the example, the inputs 16 and 18 extend over an angular interval of approximately 45, while the input 14 extends over an angular interval of approximately 90 ". It follows that the input of air 14 has an inlet section which corresponds practically to the total inlet section of the combined air inlets 16 and 18.

The flaps 28 and 30 are generally identical and each extend over an angular interval A of approximately 45 ". The flaps 28 and 30 can be moved between a close position (flaps shown in solid lines in FIG. 1) in which the shutters jointly seal the first inlet 14 and a remote position (shutters shown in broken lines in FIG. 1) in which they respectively shut off the second air inlet 16 and the third air inlet 18.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the flap 28 comprises two flanges 36 having the form of angular sectors and connected to each other by a closure wall 38 having the form of a circular cylindrical portion (FIGS. 1 and 3) . The flap 28 is advantageously produced by molding a plastic material and further comprises two pivots 40 defining the aforementioned axis 32.

The flap 30 is produced in a similar manner and comprises two flanges 42 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 1) connecting a closure wall 44 having the shape of a circular cylindrical portion.

It will be understood that the flanges 36 and 42 each extend over an angular interval A substantially equal to 45 ".

The flaps 28 and 30 have respective first stops 46 and 48 capable of coming into mutual support when the two flaps are in the close position, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1.

Furthermore, the flaps 28 and 30 have respective second stops 50 and 52. These second stops are adapted to come into abutment against edges 54 and 56 of the housing when the flaps are in close position and against edges 58 and 60 of the housing when the flaps are in the remote position.

The device of the invention further comprises control means for ensuring the movement of the flaps 28 and 30, in a coordinated manner, from moon to other from the close position and the distant position. In the close position, the air inlet 14 is closed while the two inlets 16 and 18 are open, while in the remote position, the air inlet 14 is open, while the air inlets 16 and 18 are both closed.

The flaps 28 and 30 respectively comprise gear wheels 62 and 64 of the same diameter wedged respectively on the axes 32 and 34. These gears cooperate mutually and define a transmission ratio equal to 1. It follows that the rotational displacements of the flaps 28 and 30 are coordinated, these displacements being made in opposite directions, with the same angular speed, and over equal angular strokes.

The gear wheels 62 and 64, which can be toothed sectors, are preferably molded with the flaps 28 and 30. These gear wheels can be located either inside or outside the flaps or housing.

In the example, the shutter 30 constitutes a leading shutter and the shutter 28 a driven shutter. Indeed, the flap 30 is moved under the action of a cable 66 passing through a sheath 68 and having a free end 70 connected to the flap 30 and an opposite end connected to means 72 for remote control.

The shutter 30 comprises a radial flange 74 which extends radially from the axis of rotation 34 and which is integral in rotation with the shutter. Advantageously, this flange 74 is made in one piece with the flap 30 by molding a plastic material. The flange 74 has the general shape of an angular sector which carries at its periphery a lever 76 connected to the rest of the flange by a bridge of material 78. The lever 76 has the shape of an arc of a circle centered on the axis 34 and terminated by a head 80 capable of moving in a substantially radial direction relative to the axis 34.

It is on this head 80 that the end 70 of the cable 66 is anchored.

The lever 76 is elastically deformable and capable of pivoting in one direction or the other with respect to the material bridge 78. The movement of the head 80 is limited, in both directions, by a protective part 82 having the form d 'A C which is an integral part of the flange 74 and which is located opposite to the material bridge 78. By its elastic properties, the lever 76, called "locking lever", tends to deviate from the axis 34. This means that the head 80 tends to move away from the axis 34 to come into a locking position as shown in FIG. 2.

The head 80 has a portion 84 forming a shoulder which is capable of cooperating with a stop 86 made fixed on the housing. When the two flaps are in the close position (FIG. 2), the head 80 is naturally biased towards a radial position distant from the axis where it comes to cooperate with the stop 86, which immobilizes the flap 30 and, consequently, the flap 28, in the close position of FIG. 2.

The fixed stop 86 is extended by a curved ramp 88 having the shape of a circular arc centered with respect to the axis of rotation 34. When the flaps 28 and 30 move from one to the other from the position locking and unlocking position, the head 80 rubs against the inside of the ramp 88 as shown in FIG. 3.

As indicated previously, the head 80 can move in a radial direction R (FIGS. 2 and 3) passing through the axis 34. When the flap pivots from one to the other of the two positions, the direction R moves d 'an angular movement A close to 45 "(Figure 3).

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cable 78 is capable of acting on the head 80 of the lever 76 by making a chosen orientation. This means that the angle formed by the cable with the abovementioned direction R is always less than 90 ". When the cable 66 is moved in push to move the flaps from the remote position (FIG. 3) to the close position (FIG. 2 ), the free end 70 of the cable acts on the head 80 in a direction which tends to move the head 80 away from the axis 34 and to urge it radially outwards, that is to say towards the Locking position As a result, during all of the movement, the head 80 comes to rub against the ramp 88 and that, as soon as the flaps arrive in the close position (FIG. 2), the head 80 automatically locks behind the stop 86. I1 follows that the flap 30 and, therefore, the flap 28, are both immobilized in this position.

Consequently, even if these two flaps are subjected to a high pressure from the outside air flow AE (for example when the vehicle is traveling at high speed), these two flaps cannot deviate from one of the other and allow even a small proportion of outside air flow inside the housing.

When it is desired to move the flaps from the close position (FIG. 2) to the remote position (FIG. 3), the cable 66 is moved in traction and acts on the head 80 of the locking lever 76 with an orientation as shown in Figure 2. As the cable then makes with the radial direction R an angle less than 90, this results in a radial component which tends to urge the head 80 towards the axis 34 and therefore to move it away from the stop 86, which automatically moves the head 80 to the unlocked position. Thus, pulling the cable first causes the unlocking and then the movement of the flaps to their distant position.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of example and extends to other variants.

Thus, the control means of the device of the invention are susceptible of numerous variants.

In addition, the invention is not limited to the case of a housing serving for the admission of an external air flow and a recirculated air flow, as described previously by way of example.

Claims (12)

Claims 1. An air distribution device for a motor vehicle, of the type comprising a housing provided with a first air inlet and a second air inlet, as well as two flaps mounted for rotation inside the housing for selectively controlling the first air inlet and the second air inlet, characterized in that it further comprises a third air inlet (18) such as the second air inlet (16) and the third air inlet 'air (18) occupy respective angular positions on either side of the first air inlet (14), in that the two flaps (28, 30) are pivotally mounted around adjacent parallel axes (32, 34) and are movable between a close position where they jointly seal the first air inlet (14) and a distant position where they respectively seal the second air inlet (16) and the third air inlet (18), and in that at least one (30) of the flaps (28, 30) comprises means for locking (76, 80, 86) to immobilize it relative to the housing (12) when the two flaps are in the close position. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking means comprise a locking lever (76) carried by one (28) of the two flaps, or leading flap, which is coupled to control means (66 ) and which is connected to the other flap (28), or driven flap, by transmission means (62, 64). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking lever (76) is elastically deformable and is terminated by a head (80) resiliently biased towards a locking position to cooperate with a fixed stop (86) integral with the housing (12) and suitable for being moved in the opposite direction to an unlocked position. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the head (80) of the locking lever (76) is remote from the axis of rotation (34) of the flap (30) in the locking position and brought closer to the axis of rotation (34) of the flap (30) in the unlocked position. 5. Device according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the head (80) of the locking lever (76) is movable from one to the other from the locking position to the unlocking position in a direction (R) substantially radial relative to the axis of rotation (34) of the flap. 6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the fixed stop (86) is extended by a curved ramp (88) against which can rub the head (80) of the locking lever (76) when the flap is moved from one to the other from its locked position and its unlocked position. 7. Device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the head (80) is connected to the control means (66). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the control means (66) are capable of acting on the head (80) of the locking lever (76) in a chosen orientation, so that they tend to move the head (80) of the locking lever (76) towards the locking position when they act to bring the flaps into the close position and, conversely, they tend to move the head (80) of the locking lever (76) towards the unlocking position when they act to bring the flaps to the distant position. 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the control means comprise a cable (66), one end (70) of which is connected to the head (80) of the locking lever (76) so as to move the head towards the locking position when the cable is moved in thrust and towards the unlocking position when the cable is moved in traction. 10. Device according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the locking lever (76) is made in one piece with the flap (30) by molding a plastic material. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the two flaps have walls shaped as shells. 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the housing (12) is produced in the form of an air inlet housing for a heater and / or air conditioning of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and in that the first air inlet (14) is suitable for being supplied by an outside air flow (AE) taken from outside the passenger compartment while the second air inlet (16) and the third air inlet (18) are adapted to both be supplied by a recirculated air flow (AR) taken from inside the passenger compartment.