Servo locking snap feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214074-B2
Application number	US-201314057240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle HVAC system that provides for installation, serviceability, or replacement of at least one actuator servo without removal of the HVAC assembly from the vehicle. As due to the tight space limitations, the present invention provides for at least one fastener-less mounting element of the servo assembly to be attached to the HVAC assembly, without the need for additional fasteners which would require additional space to access with a tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive HVAC assembly comprising:
an HVAC housing having an internal side and an external side, at least one controllable door located on the internal side and at least one door linkage and at least one servo assembly attachment position located on the external side;
a servo assembly attached to the external side of the HVAC housing, the servo assembly having a servo motor, a servo arm for actuating the linkage, and an attachment means for attaching the servo assembly to the HVAC housing, wherein;
the attachment means comprises at least first and second attachment ears which detachably attach in a locking manner to deflectable locking tabs of a servo assembly attachment structure to prevent further rotational, vertical, or horizontal movement of the servo assembly with respect to the HVAC housing.

2. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein each locking tab is positioned above a recess in the HVAC housing which receives a lower portion of each fastener-less attachment ear in a locking engagement.

3. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 2 , wherein said locking tabs are generally J-shaped, and are oriented generally coplanar to the surface of the HVAC housing.

4. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 2 , wherein said at least first and second fastener-less attachment ears are rotatably received within the at least two locking tabs.

5. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 4 , wherein said servo assembly further comprises a pivot pin extending through the servo arm, the pivot pin being received in a pivot pin recess in the attachment position of the HVAC housing prior to the first and second attachment ears being rotatably received within the locking tabs.

6. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 2 , wherein said attachment position further comprises at least one ramp on the HVAC housing proximal each locking tab which guides each attachment ear under each locking tab.

7. The HVAC assembly set forth in claim 1 , wherein said servo assembly comprises a third attachment ear, the third attachment ear attaching to the HVAC housing with a fastener after the first and second attachment ears are received within the locking tabs.

8. A method of attaching a servo assembly to an external side of a HVAC housing without additional fasteners comprising;
providing an HVAC housing having at least one external door linkage and one servo assembly attachment structure located on the external side, the attachment structure having at least one locking tab and one pivot pin recess defining a pivot axis;
providing a servo assembly for attaching to the attachment structure, the servo assembly having a pivot pin positioned through a servo arm having a servo arm pin, and the servo assembly further having at least one attachment ear, the attachment ear having a lower portion extending downward towards the HVAC housing; and
inserting the pivot pin into the pivot pin recess, inserting the servo arm pin into the door linkage, and rotating the servo assembly around the pivot axis coplanar to the external side of the HVAC housing until the at least one attachment ear is received and locked into position within the at least one locking tab.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Mazzocco Nicholas
• Okray Daniel
• Wisniewski Christopher
• Schulz Kurt

Classifications

• B60H1/00521 Primary

  Mounting or fastening of components in housings, e.g. heat exchangers, fans, electronic regulators · CPC title

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title