HVAC system having linkage rod with mid-point movement control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272740-B2
Application number	US-201414337976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

The present teachings provide for a vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) assembly including a drive member, a driven member, a connecting member, a guide member, a first door, and a second door. The connecting member can be rotatably coupled to the drive member and the driven member and can be configured to be moved by the drive member to rotate the driven member. The guide member can be in cooperation with the connecting member and configured to restrict movement of the connecting member as the connecting member is moved by the drive member. The first door can be configured to be rotated by the drive member between a first position and a second position. The second door can be configured to be rotated by the driven member between a third position and a fourth position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) assembly comprising:
a drive member;
a driven member;
a connecting member rotatably coupled to said drive member and said driven member and configured to be moved by said drive member to rotate said driven member, the connecting member is a rigid, linear rod;
an arcuate groove defined by the connecting member;
a guide member received within said arcuate groove and configured to restrict movement of said connecting member in a direction perpendicular to a path of the arcuate groove as said connecting member is moved by said drive member, the guide member is spaced apart from, and between, the drive member and the driven member;
a pin extending through the arcuate groove and into cooperation with the guide member to prevent the connecting member from bending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the connecting member;
a first door configured to be rotated by said drive member between a first position and a second position;
a second door configured to be rotated by said driven member between a third position and a fourth position; and
a housing, the first and second doors are disposed within the housing, the guide member extends from the housing and is received within the arcuate groove, the guide member restricts movement of the connecting member to a path defined by the groove.

2. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 1 , wherein said drive member has a first end and a second end, said first end being rotatably coupled to said housing and non-rotatably coupled to said first door, said second end being rotatably coupled to said connecting member.

3. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 2 , wherein said driven member has a third end and a fourth end, said fourth end being rotatably coupled to said housing and non-rotatably coupled to said second door, said third end being rotatably coupled to said connecting member.

4. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first door is configured to allow airflow through a first flue while preventing airflow through a second flue when in said first position, and configured to prevent airflow through said first flue while allowing airflow through said second flue when in said second position.

5. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 4 , wherein said second door is configured to allow airflow through said first flue when in said third position, and configured to prevent airflow through said first flue when in said fourth position.

6. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 5 , wherein said first flue is configured to route air through a heat exchanger.

7. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 4 , wherein said second door is configured to allow airflow through a third flue while preventing airflow through a fourth flue when in said third position, and configured to prevent airflow through said third flue while allowing airflow through said fourth flue when in said fourth position.

8. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 7 , wherein said first and third flues are configured to route air through a heat exchanger, said first and second flues are configured to route air to a first zone of the vehicle, and said third and fourth flues are configured to route air to a second zone of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) assembly comprising:
a drive member;
a driven member;
a connecting member rotatably coupled to said drive member and said driven member and configured to be moved by said drive member to rotate said driven member, the connecting member is a rigid, linear rod;
an arcuate groove defined by the connecting member;
a guide member received within said arcuate groove and configured to restrict movement of said connecting member in a direction perpendicular to a path of the arcuate groove as said connecting member is moved by said drive member, the guide member is spaced apart from, and between, the drive member and the driven member;
a pin extending through the arcuate groove and into cooperation with the guide member to prevent the connecting member from bending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the connecting member;
a first flue set;
a second flue set;
a first door configured to be rotated by said drive member between a first position and a second position;
a second door configured to be rotated by said driven member between a third position and a fourth position; and
a housing, the first and second doors are disposed within the housing, the guide member extends from the housing and is received within the arcuate groove, the guide member restricts movement of the connecting member to a path defined by the groove;
wherein:
when said first door is in said first position and said second door is in said third position, air is permitted to flow through said first flue set and restricted from flowing through said second flue set; and
when said first door is in said second position and said second door is in said fourth position, air is restricted from flowing through said first flue set and permitted to flow through said second flue set.

10. The HVAC assembly of claim 9 , wherein said first flue set is configured to route air through a heat exchanger and said second flue set is configured to direct air around said heat exchanger.

11. The HVAC assembly of claim 9 , wherein said first flue set includes a first flue and a second flue, and said second flue set includes a third flue and a fourth flue, said first and second flues configured to route air through a heat exchanger, said third and fourth flues configured to direct air around said heat exchanger, and wherein said first and third flues are configured to route air to a first zone of the vehicle, and said second and fourth flues are configured to route air to a second zone of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 9 , wherein said drive member has a first end and a second end, said first end being rotatably coupled to said housing and non-rotatably coupled to said first door, said second end being rotatably coupled to said connecting member.

13. The vehicle HVAC assembly of claim 12 , wherein said driven member has a third end and a fourth end, said fourth end being rotatably coupled to said housing and non-rotatably coupled to said second door, said third end being rotatably coupled to said connecting member.

14. A vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) assembly comprising:
a heat exchanger;
an evaporator;
a housing defining a first flue set and a second flue set, said first flue set configured to direct air received from said evaporator through said heat exchanger, said second flue set configured to direct air received from said evaporator to bypass said heat exchanger;
a flue door mechanism including:
a drive member rotatably coupled to said housing;
a driven member rotatably coupled to said housing at a location spaced apart from said drive member;
a connecting rod having a first end rotatably coupled to said drive member, a second end rotatably coupled to said driven member, and a mid-section extending between said first and second ends;
an arcuate groove defined by the mid-section of the connecting rod;
a first door disposed within said housing and coupled for rotation with said drive member between a first position and a second position; and
a second door disposed within said housing and coupled for rotation with said driven member between a third position and a fourth position;

a guide member extending from the housing and received within said arcuate groove, the guide member restricts movement of the connecting rod to a

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Mazzocco Nicholas
• Belanger Brian
• Stander James

Classifications

• B60H1/00857 Primary

  characterised by the means connecting the initiating means, e.g. control lever, to the damper door · CPC title

• B60H2001/00707

  Details of pivots of damper doors · CPC title

• B60H1/00678

  the axis of rotation being in the door plane, e.g. butterfly doors · CPC title