Patent Application
20190308488
This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a new and improved apparatus, in the form of an outlet shutoff mechanism, having a compact design adapted for use in a constrained space, as well as to a climate control system incorporating that outlet shutoff mechanism.
Electrical energy and fuel energy savings are very important considerations in the development of a climate control system for a motor vehicle. Toward this end, new methods of controlling the air flow of a climate control system have been developed including one sometimes referred to as “driver only mode.” This mode of air flow is defined as controllability at the hands of the driver to shut off air flow through the passenger side outboard vent register and potentially through the passenger side inboard registers at the push of a button. This document relates to a new and improved outlet shutoff mechanism and climate control system that may be utilized to enable driver only mode even in the most package constrained instrument panel environment.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a new and improved apparatus is provided. That apparatus comprises an outlet shutoff mechanism including a housing having a guideway and a first air discharge outlet. The outlet shutoff mechanism further includes a flexible door having an elongated body with a barrier section at a first end and a drive section at a second end. The flexible door is displaceable along the guideway between a first position wherein the first air discharge outlet is open and a second position wherein the first air discharge outlet is closed. Further, the outlet shutoff mechanism includes an actuator feature to displace the flexible door between the first position and the second position.
The actuator feature may include a drive motor connected to a drive shaft. A first pinion may be carried on that drive shaft. Further, the actuator feature may include a first rack. That first rack may be carried on the drive section of the flexible door. The first rack may be engaged by that first pinion. The first rack may comprise a first line of apertures provided in the drive section of the flexible door.
The guideway may include a curve along an intermediate section of the guideway. That curve may have an arc defining an acute included angle. The guideway may include a first guide track and a second guide track opposed to the first guide track. More specifically, the housing may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first guide track may be carried on the first sidewall. The second guide track may be carried on the second sidewall. The flexible door may have a first margin received in and sliding along the first guide track and a second margin received in and sliding along the second guide track. In one or more of the possible embodiments of the apparatus, the actuator feature may include a second pinion carried on the drive shaft and a second rack on the drive section engaged by the second pinion. That second rack may comprise a second line of apertures provided in the drive section in a direction parallel to the first line of apertures.
In one or more of the many possible embodiments of the apparatus, the housing may include a bottom wall extending between the first sidewall and the second wall. Further, the housing may include a second air discharge outlet. In one or more of the many possible embodiment, the first air discharge outlet may lead to a downstream outboard front passenger side air register. The second air discharge outlet may direct an airstream to a downstream inboard front passenger side air register.
In one or more of the many possible embodiments of the apparatus, the barrier section of the flexible door may be continuous and rackless.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a climate control system is provided. That climate control system comprises an outlet shutoff mechanism and an HVAC plenum delivering conditioned air to the outlet shutoff mechanism. Further, the climate control system is characterized by the outlet shutoff mechanism including a) a first air discharge outlet connected to a downstream outboard front passenger side air register and b) a flexible door displaceable along a guideway between a first position wherein the first discharge outlet is open and a second position wherein the first discharge outlet is closed. In the second position a greater volume of conditioned air is directed by the climate control system toward a driver of a motor vehicle.
The flexible door may have an elongated body including a barrier section at a first end and a drive section at a second end. In addition, the outlet shutoff system may further include an actuator feature to displace the flexible door between the first position and the second position. That actuator feature may include a drive motor connected to a drive shaft, at least one pinion carried on the drive shaft and at least one rack carried on the flexible door. That at least one rack may comprise at least one line of apertures in the flexible door that are engaged by teeth by the at least one pinion.
The guideway of the outlet shutoff mechanism may include a curve along an intermediate section of the guideway. That curve may have an arc that defines an acute included angle which functions to minimize the space requirements for the outlet shutoff mechanism thereby adapting that mechanism to a constrained package space such as found beneath the instrument panel in many of today's motor vehicles.
In accordance with yet another aspect, an apparatus is provided that comprises a housing, including a guideway and a first air discharge outlet, and a flexible door displaceable along that guideway between a first position opening a first air discharge outlet and a second position closing the first air discharge outlet. That guideway includes a curve having an arc defining an acute included angle so that the guideway and the flexible door fold back slightly on themselves in order to minimize the space occupied by the apparatus.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the apparatus and the climate control system. As it should be realized, the apparatus and the climate system are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the apparatus and climate control system as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the apparatus and climate control system and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the apparatus and climate system, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
More specifically, the outlet shutoff mechanism 12 includes a housing 16 having a first sidewall 18, a second sidewall 20, a bottom wall 22 and a removable cover 24. The removable cover 24 is exploded away from the first sidewall 18, second sidewall 20 and bottom wall 22 in
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 16 includes a guideway, generally designated by reference numeral 28. That guideway 28 comprises a first guide track 30 carried on the first sidewall 18 and a second guide track 32 carried on the second sidewall 20 opposed to the first guide track. See
The outlet shutoff mechanism 12 also includes a flexible door 38 having an elongated body with a barrier section 40 at a first end a drive section 42 at a second end. The flexible door 38 is displaceable along the guideway 28 between a first position wherein the first air discharge outlet 34 is open and a second position wherein the first air discharge outlet is closed. More specifically, the flexible door includes a first edge margin 44 that is received in and slides along the first guide track 30 and a second edge margin 46 that is received in and slides along the second guide track 32.
An actuator feature 48 functions to displace the flexible door 38 between the first position and the second position in a manner described in greater detail below. The actuator feature 48 includes a drive motor 50 which is fixed to the first sidewall 18 in the illustrated embodiment. The drive motor 50 is connected to a drive shaft 52. A first pinion 54 and a second pinion 56 are keyed to the drive shaft 52. See
The actuator feature 48 also includes a first rack 58 and a second rack 60 carried on the drive section 42 of the flexible door 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the first rack 58 comprises a first line of spaced apertures 62 while the second rack 60 comprises a second line of spaced apertures 64. As best illustrated in
While not illustrated, the outlet shutoff mechanism 12 may be utilized to control the flow of conditioned air through any of the vent registers 72, 74, 76, 78 that may be provided downstream from the first air discharge outlet 34 through which airflow may be cut off by closing off the flexible door 38. Thus, for example, in a possible alternative embodiment both the passenger side inboard vent register 76 and the passenger side outboard vent register 78 may be provided downstream of the first air discharge outlet 34 and controlled by the flexible door 38.
As noted above, the guideway 28 of the outlet shutoff mechanism 12 of the illustrated embodiment includes a curve along an intermediate section thereof that defines an acute included angle A. Since the flexible door 38 slides along this guideway 28, it should be appreciated that the flexible door is partially folded back upon itself by the guideway when the flexible door is displaced from the open position to the closed position. Advantageously, this minimizes space requirements for the outlet shutoff mechanism 12 of the climate control system 10 thereby allowing the outlet shutoff mechanism to be utilized in climate control system applications wherein significant package restraints exist within the instrument panel 70 of the motor vehicle. Of course, it should be appreciated that the curvature of the guideway 28 may define a different angle including for example, an obtuse angle where a particular application and existing package constraints require such design.
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
