JP3866220B2 - Passage switching device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a path switching device that switches paths by opening and closing an opening.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in an air conditioner mounted on a vehicle, an evaporator that cools air by using an endothermic phenomenon accompanying evaporation of refrigerant and a heater core that heats air by using heat of engine cooling water are arranged in a duct. It is configured to perform switching processing between cooling and heating by switching the position of the passage switching door provided in the duct.
[0003]
By the way, the passage switching door conventionally switches the passage by swiveling around the pivotally supported end, and the air conditioner becomes large in order to secure the turning range of the passage switching door. was there.
[0004]
Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, an air conditioner 8 configured to switch between the heating passage 4 and the cooling passage 6 by sliding the passage switching door 2 in the direction of the arrow has been proposed (for example, , See Patent Document 1). That is, in this air conditioner 8, the cooling passage 6 in the duct 9 is closed by the passage switching door 2, and the air taken in from the air intake 10 is passed through the evaporator 12 and the heater core 14, the defroster port 16, the face port 18 or Heating is performed by guiding to the foot port 20, and the passage switching door 2 is slid to the heater core 14 side to close the heating passage 4, and the air taken in from the air intake 10 is directly connected to the defroster port via the evaporator 12. 16. Cooling is performed by guiding to the face port 18 or the foot port 20.
[0005]
In this case, when the heating passage 4 or the cooling passage 6 is switched, the passage switching door 2 is guided by a guide groove (not shown), and the heating passage 4 and the cooling passage 6 are switched as shown in FIG. It moves along the partition wall 22 at the periphery of the opening.
[0006]
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, a path switching device 25 using a path switching door 24 having a circular cross section is proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The passage switching device 25 forms arcuate guide grooves 32 and 34 in the vicinity of the openings of the cooling passage 28 and the heating passage 30 in the duct 26, and the passage switching door 24 is formed in each guide groove 32 and 34. By engaging the shaft members 36 and 38 disposed on the side portions of the main body and moving the passage switching door 24 along the guide grooves 32 and 34, switching between the cooling passage 28 and the heating passage 30 is performed. It is configured.
[0007]
The passage switching door 24 is moved by rotating a pinion 42 that meshes with a rack 40 formed along the curved surface of the passage switching door 24. In this case, the height of the teeth of the rack 40 is set to gradually increase on the shaft members 36 and 38 side. Further, the height of the teeth of the pinion 42 is also set according to the height of the teeth of the rack 40. On the other hand, the guide grooves 32 and 34 with which the shaft members 36 and 38 are engaged are configured such that both end portions are curved toward the opening side of the cooling passage 28 and the heating passage 30. Accordingly, in FIG. 10, when the passage switching door 24 moves to the upper end portion or the lower end portion due to the rotation of the pinion 42, the passage switching door 24 is displaced toward the opening side along the guide grooves 32 and 34 so that the contact is made. Airtightness will be ensured.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-71222 (FIGS. 1 and 2)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-10-217749 (FIG. 1)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the case of the prior art shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it can contribute to downsizing of the air conditioner 8, but when switching between the heating passage 4 and the cooling passage 6, the passage switching door 2 is changed to the partition wall 22. Since the sliding is always performed in a contact state, a large driving force is required to move the passage switching door 2 against the sliding resistance. In addition, noise generated during sliding is also a problem. Further, the passage switching door 2 is worn by sliding friction, and there is a possibility that a problem of lowering airtightness may occur.
[0010]
On the other hand, in the prior art shown in FIG. 10, the passage switching door 24 does not slide while in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening at the time of switching, so that the problems of driving force and noise can be avoided. . However, when the passage switching door 24 moves to the upper end portion or the lower end portion and is displaced to the opening portion side, the driving torque necessary for the rotation of the pinion 42 is remarkably increased. As described above, when a large driving force is required, the rack 40, the pinion 42, and the like must be configured to have a large size, which causes an adverse effect on the downsizing of the product.
[0011]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can achieve both reduction in driving force and securing sufficient airtightness, and no noise is generated at the time of switching, which is extremely simple. An object of the present invention is to provide a passage switching device having a simple structure.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is configured in a loop shape, and a shielding sheet that opens and closes an opening disposed in a passage,
A frame member that holds the shielding sheet in a shape that closes the opening;
A support member disposed on the frame member and supporting the shielding sheet in a state of being circulated along the frame member;
A moving mechanism for moving the frame member in a state in which the shielding sheet is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening;
It is characterized by providing.
[0013]
In this case, when the frame member is moved by the moving mechanism, the shielding sheet supported by the support member circulates along the frame member in a state of being in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the opening portion. There is no sliding resistance between the frame member and the frame member and the shielding sheet, and the passage is switched.
[0014]
In addition, by fixing a part of the shielding sheet to the end of the opening, the shielding sheet can be reliably circulated along the frame member, and the passage can be switched without causing sliding resistance.
[0015]
By providing the frame member with an abutting member that abuts the shielding sheet on the peripheral edge of the opening, the airtightness of the opening can be ensured. Further, if the support member that supports the shielding sheet is a support roller that is rotatable with respect to the frame member, the shielding sheet can be circulated more smoothly. Furthermore, the friction between a contact roller and a shielding sheet can be reduced by using the contact member as a contact roller.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of an air conditioner 50 to which a passage switching device of the present invention is applied.
[0017]
The air conditioner 50 is mounted on a vehicle, for example, similarly to the air conditioner 8 shown in FIG. 8, and an evaporator that cools the air taken in from the air intake 54 in the housing 52 constituting the air passage. 56 and a heater core 58 that heats the air that has passed through the evaporator 56 are disposed. Note that the air whose temperature is adjusted by the evaporator 56 and / or the heater core 58 is supplied into the vehicle via the defroster port 59, the face port 61, or the foot port 63.
[0018]
The downstream side of the evaporator 56 inside the housing 52 is separated into a heating passage 60 in which the heater core 58 is disposed and a cooling passage 62 through which the air cooled by the evaporator 56 passes as it is. The inlet of the passage 60 becomes the first opening 66, and the inlet on the cooling passage 62 side becomes the second opening 68. The first opening 66 and the second opening 68 are switched by a path switching door 70 constituting the path switching device of the present invention.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the passage switching door 70 includes a frame member 72 that is configured to be slightly larger than the rectangular first opening 66 and the second opening 68. The frame member 72 includes side plates 74a and 74b extending vertically and connecting ribs 76a and 76b having a truss structure that connects the upper and lower portions of the side plates 74a and 74b.
[0020]
Support plates 78a and 78b are integrally formed on the side portions of the side plates 74a and 74b on the first opening 66 and second opening 68 sides, and the first opening 66 and the first openings of the support plates 78a and 78b are formed. Sealing materials 80a and 80b made of an elastic member are disposed on the surface on the second opening 68 side (see FIGS. 3 to 5). Further, racks 82a and 82b are formed on the side portions of the side plates 74a and 74b opposite to the side portions where the support plates 78a and 78b are formed. Further, guide convex portions 84a and 84b extending along the longitudinal direction of the side plates 74a and 74b are formed on the outer side portions of the side plates 74a and 74b.
[0021]
Rollers 86a and 86b (support members, support rollers) are rotatably supported between the upper end portions and the lower end portions of the side plates 74a and 74b. The support shafts 88a and 88b of the rollers 86a and 86b are disposed on the same straight line as the guide convex portions 84a and 84b, and project in the lateral direction of the side plates 74a and 74b. In this case, the housings 52 on both sides of the first opening 66 and the second opening 68 are formed with groove portions 90a and 90b extending in the vertical direction, and the guide convex portions are formed in these groove portions 90a and 90b. 84a, 84b and support shafts 88a, 88b are engaged.
[0022]
Between the rollers 86a and 86b, a shielding sheet 92 that is freely deformable and blocks air flow is stretched. The shielding sheet 92 is configured in a loop shape in which short sides of a long rectangular sheet are bonded to each other, and a protruding portion 94 that protrudes the bonded portion outwardly is a first opening 66 and a second opening. It fixes to the fixing | fixed part 96 between the parts 68 (refer FIG. 1). Both side portions of the shielding sheet 92 are pressed by seal members 80a and 80b (contact members) disposed on the support plates 78a and 78b, and partition walls constituting the peripheral portions of the first opening 66 and the second opening 68. 98 abuts.
[0023]
On the other hand, the racks 82a and 82b formed on the side plates 74a and 74b constituting the frame member 72 mesh with the pinions 102a and 102b disposed between the first opening 66 and the second opening 68. A motor 104 that rotates the pinions 102a and 102b is connected to the rotary shaft 100 that connects the pinions 102a and 102b. Note that the racks 82a and 82b, the pinions 102a and 102b, and the motor 104 constitute a moving mechanism.
[0024]
The air conditioner 50 of this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described next.
[0025]
First, the heating state in which the passage switching door 70 is disposed at the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 will be described. In this case, the upper part of the shielding sheet 92 stretched around the frame member 72 of the passage switching door 70 is pressed by the partition wall 98 above the second opening 68 by the roller 86a, and the lower part is pressed by the roller 86b. 68 is pressed against the lower partition wall 98. Further, both side portions of the shielding sheet 92 are pressed against the partition walls 98 on both side portions of the second opening 68 by the sealing materials 80a and 80b disposed on the support plates 78a and 78b. Therefore, the second opening 68 is closed by the shielding sheet 92 in a state where airtightness is ensured.
[0026]
Therefore, in the above state, the air taken in from the air intake 54 is introduced into the heating passage 60 from the first opening 66 via the evaporator 56, heated by the heater core 58, and then the selected defroster port. 59, supplied from the face port 61 or the foot port 63 into the vehicle.
[0027]
Next, a case where the cooling state is selected will be described. When the motor 104 is driven and the pinions 102a and 102b rotate via the rotary shaft 100, the passage switching door 70 starts moving toward the first opening 66 via the racks 82a and 82b meshing with the pinions 102a and 102b. (See FIG. 3).
[0028]
In this case, the projecting portion 94 of the loop-shaped shielding sheet 92 is fixed to the fixing portion 96 between the first opening 66 and the second opening 68. When the frame member 72 constituting the passage switching door 70 starts to move toward the first opening 66, the shielding sheet 92 positioned below the protrusion 94 passes along the partition wall 98 of the first opening 66 via the roller 86b. In contact with each other. On the other hand, the shielding sheet 92 positioned on the upper portion of the protruding portion 94 is sequentially separated from the partition wall 98 of the first opening 66 via the roller 86a (see FIG. 4).
[0029]
Here, when the passage switching door 70 is moved, the shielding sheet 92 is merely in contact with the partition wall 98 of the first opening 66 without being slidably contacted. There will never be a situation where this occurs. Further, since the rollers 86a and 86b rotate with the movement of the shielding sheet 92, the friction between the rollers 86a and 86b and the shielding sheet 92 is only rolling friction, so that the driving force can be kept low. . The shielding sheet 92 is pressed against the partition wall 98 via the sealing materials 80a and 80b disposed on the frame member 72 in order to ensure airtightness. However, the sealing material 80a and 80b is made of a material with little friction. By selecting, the sliding resistance generated in this portion can be kept small.
[0030]
FIG. 5 shows a state where the passage switching door 70 has moved to the lower end of the air conditioner 50 and the first opening 66 is completely closed as described above. In this case, the shielding sheet 92 stretched around the frame member 72 of the passage switching door 70 is pressed by the upper partition wall 98 of the first opening 66 by the roller 86a, and the lower portion is pressed by the roller 86b. 66 is pressed by a partition wall 98 at the bottom of 66. Further, both side portions of the shielding sheet 92 are pressed against the partition walls 98 on both side portions of the first opening 66 by the sealing materials 80 a and 80 b disposed on the frame member 72. Therefore, the first opening 66 is closed in a state where airtightness is ensured by the shielding sheet 92.
[0031]
Therefore, in the above state, the air taken in from the air intake 54 is introduced into the cooling passage 62 from the second opening 68 through the evaporator 56, and then selected defroster port 59, face port 61 or Supplied from the foot opening 63 into the vehicle.
[0032]
In the above-described embodiment, the protruding portion 94 of the shielding sheet 92 is fixed to the fixing portion 96. However, if an appropriate frictional force is set between the shielding sheet 92 and the partition wall 98, it is not always necessary. There is no need to fix.
[0033]
FIG. 6 shows a configuration of the passage switching door 106 according to another embodiment. In addition, the same reference numeral is given to the same component as the passage switching door 70 of the embodiment described above, and the description thereof is omitted.
[0034]
In this passage switching door 106, instead of the support plates 78a and 78b and the sealing materials 80a and 80b provided on the passage switching door 70, a plurality of rollers 108a and 108b (contact rollers) are provided on the inner side portions of the side plates 74a and 74b. Be supported. The rollers 108a and 108b press the shielding sheet 92 against the partition wall 98 as shown in FIG.
[0035]
The passage switching door 106 configured as described above is airtight when the shielding sheet 92 is pressed against the partition wall 98 by the rollers 108a and 108b. Further, since the rollers 108a and 108b rotate when the passage switching door 106 moves along the partition wall 98, the frictional force between the rollers 108a and 108b and the shielding sheet 92 is extremely small. Therefore, the driving force of the motor 104 can be further reduced.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the shielding sheet circulates and moves along the peripheral edge of the opening, the frictional resistance during movement is extremely small, and the driving force can be kept low. In addition, the passage can be easily switched without generating noise due to friction. Furthermore, since the driving force can be kept low, it is possible to set the size of the moving mechanism constituted by a rack, a pinion, and the like, which can save space. Furthermore, since the frictional resistance is small, it is possible to provide an inexpensive path switching device that has high durability, ensures stable operation over a long period of time, and has a very simple configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of an air conditioner of an embodiment.
2 is a structural perspective view of a passage switching door disposed in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is an operation explanatory view of a passage switching door provided in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is an operation explanatory view of a passage switching door disposed in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is an operation explanatory view of a passage switching door provided in the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a configuration perspective view of a passage switching door disposed in an air conditioner of another embodiment.
7 is an operation explanatory view of the passage switching door shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a conventional technique.
9 is an operation explanatory view of the passage switching door shown in FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of a path switching device according to another prior art.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Air conditioner 56 ... Evaporator 58 ... Heater core 66 ... 1st opening part 68 ... 2nd opening part 70, 106 ... Passage switching door 72 ... Frame member 76a, 76b ... Connecting rib 80a, 80b ... Sealing material 82a, 82b ... Rack 86a, 86b, 108a, 108b ... roller 92 ... shielding sheet 94 ... projection 96 ... fixed part 98 ... partition walls 102a, 102b ... pinion 104 ... motor

Claims (5)

A shielding sheet configured in a loop shape to open and close an opening disposed in the passage;
A frame member that holds the shielding sheet in a shape that closes the opening;
A support member disposed on the frame member and supporting the shielding sheet in a state of being circulated along the frame member;
A moving mechanism for moving the frame member in a state in which the shielding sheet is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening;
A passage switching device comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
A part of the shielding sheet is fixed to an end of the opening. The apparatus of claim 1.
A passage switching device, comprising: an abutting member disposed on the frame member and abutting the shielding sheet against a peripheral edge of the opening. The apparatus of claim 1.
The path switching device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is configured to be rotatable with respect to the frame member and includes a support roller. The apparatus of claim 1.
A path switching device comprising a plurality of abutting rollers disposed on the frame member and abutting the shielding sheet against a peripheral edge of the opening.

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