IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,500,527
Granted Patent B2
US 8,500,527 · App. 12/301,920 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Air outlet structure for air conditioner

Inventor: Kimio Sakakibara (Nishio, JP)
Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,500,527
App. No.
12/301,920
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An air outlet structure for an air conditioner, which can provide a sufficient volume and speed of air conditioning airflow, which has excellent directivity, and which has a thin air outlet directed to the interior of a vehicle. In the air outlet structure ( 10 ) for an air conditioner, a movable flow path member ( 14 ) provided in a case ( 12 ) can be deformed to a triangle and to a pentagon according to operation of a left-right adjustment knob ( 44 ), and this changes the shape of a flow path in the case ( 12 ). Accordingly, the flow path in the case ( 12 ) does not require fins for changing the direction of the left and right. As a result, the flow path in the case ( 12 ) can have a sufficient effective cross-sectional area to provide a sufficient volume and speed of air conditioning airflow. Further, changing the shape of the flow path itself within the case ( 12 ) enables control of the direction of air conditioning airflow from an air outlet ( 74 ), and as a result, air conditioning airflow having excellent directivity can be obtained. Also, since the flow in the case ( 12 ) has the sufficient effective cross-sectional area, the air outlet ( 74 ) for the vehicle interior is thinner in the vertical or left-right direction of the vehicle.

Claims (15)

1. An air outlet structure for an air conditioner, comprising:

a flow path member having a downstream end that is open to serve as an air outlet configured to blow an air conditioning airflow to a vehicle interior; and

a movable flow path member that is provided inside the flow path member, which changes a shape of a flow path in the flow path member by receiving a control force and is displaced in a direction orthogonal to a direction of flow of the flow path member while deforming, and causes the air conditioning airflow to blow from the air outlet in a direction corresponding to the shape of the flow path,

wherein the movable flow path member causes the air conditioning airflow to blow in a first direction when disposed at one end side in the direction orthogonal to the direction of flow of the flow path member, causes the air conditioning airflow to blow in a second direction when disposed at another end side in the direction orthogonal to the direction of flow of the flow path member, and divides the flow path in the flow path member in two in the direction orthogonal to the direction of flow when disposed at an intermediate position in the direction orthogonal to the direction of flow of the flow path member.

2. An air outlet structure for an air conditioner, comprising:

a flow path member having a downstream end that is open to serve as an air outlet configured to blow an air conditioning airflow to a vehicle interior; and

a movable flow path member that is provided inside the flow path member, which changes a shape of a flow path in the flow path member by receiving a control force and is displaced in a direction orthogonal to a direction of flow of the flow path member while deforming, and causes the air conditioning airflow to blow from the air outlet in a direction corresponding to the shape of the flow path,

wherein the movable flow path member is provided with:

a first wall portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to a direction of flow of the flow path member, receives the control force and is slid in the direction orthogonal to the direction of flow of the flow path member;

a pair of second wall portions that are respectively turnably joined to a different one of two sliding direction end sides of the first wall portion; and

a pair of third wall portions, respectively having one end side turnably joined to a side of a different one of the pair of second wall portions that is opposite to respective joining portions with the first wall portion, with another end side of each of the pair of third wall portions being turnably joined to one another,

the movable flow path member being configured to form:

a first state, in which a triangle is formed, respective sides of which are configured by the first wall portion together with the pair of second wall portions, and each of the pair of third wall portions; and

a second state, in which a pentagon is formed by the first wall portion, each of the pair of second wall portions, and each of the pair of third wall portions; and

the air outlet structure includes a switching unit that switches the movable flow path member between the first state and the second state in accordance with a sliding position of the first wall portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2008
From: SAKAKIBARA, KIMIO
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 021875/0843 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2006-143055 · May 23, 2006 · national
JP 2007-004229 · Jan 12, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100261422A1 · Oct 14, 2010