Inside/outside air switching device with rotary door

Details Inside/outside air switching device with rotary door Inside/outside air switching device with rotary door

2001-06-26

2002-12-31

Fox, John (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

Systems

Multi-way valve unit

C454S139000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06499508

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-196546 filed on Jun. 29, 2000, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inside/outside air switching device using a rotary door. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure for preventing a freeze lock of the rotary door due to rainwater introduced from an outside of the inside/outside air switching device.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional inside/outside air switching device of a vehicle air conditioner described in JP-A-9-188124, a rotary door
113
shown in
FIG. 6
is used for opening and closing inside and outside air introduction ports. That is, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the rotary door
113
includes a rotation shaft
113
c
, a circumference wall
113
a
provided at an upper side of the rotation shaft
113
c
to extend in a rotational direction of the rotary door
113
, both fan-like side plates
113
b
connecting the rotation shaft
113
c
and the circumference wall
113
a
at both sides in an axial direction of the rotation shaft
113
c
, and protrusion walls
113
d
,
113
e
protruding toward outside from outer peripheral portions of the circumference wall
113
a
and the side plates
113
b
. In addition, packing members
114
,
115
are provided on face and back surfaces of the protrusion walls
113
d
,
113
e
, respectively.
However, in the rotary door
113
, the rotation shaft
113
c
is provided at a lower side of the circumference wall
113
a
through the fan-like side plates
113
b
, and seal surfaces of an inside/outside air switching box are tilted downwardly toward the rotation shaft
113
c
to contact the packing member
115
. Accordingly, rainwater introduced from the outside air introduction port readily stays between the seal surfaces of the inside/outside air switching box and lower parts of the packing member
115
proximate to the rotation shaft
113
c
. Thus, the rotary door
113
may be frozen in a cold season due to rainwater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inside/outside air switching device with a rotary door, which prevents a freeze of the rotary door due to rainwater.
According to the present invention, in an inside/outside air switching device, a rotary door for selectively opening and closing an inside air introduction port and an outside air introduction port includes a rotation shaft disposed rotatably, a circumference wall provided at an upper side of the rotation shaft to extend in a rotation direction, both fan-like side plates connecting the circumference wall and the rotation shaft at both sides in an axial direction of the rotation shaft, a protrusion wall provided along an entire periphery of the circumference wall and the side plates to protrude an outside of the rotary door, and a packing member made of an elastic member, and provided at both surface sides of the protrusion wall. An inside/outside air switching case has seal surfaces provided around both the ports to contact the packing member, at least one of both the first and second ports has a circumference opening provided to opposite to the circumference wall, and the rotary door is disposed in the case to form a clearance between the protrusion wall around a lower side of the rotation shaft and the seal surface. In addition, the clearance has a size equal to or larger than a predetermined dimension for preventing a water storage in the clearance. Accordingly, it can prevent rainwater from staying in the clearance, and it can prevent a freeze of the rotary door due to rainwater.
The rotation shaft is disposed at the lowest position in the rotary door. In this case, rainwater introduced from the outside air introduction port readily stays in the clearance lower than the rotation shaft. However, in the present invention, the clearance has a size equal to or larger than the predetermined dimension, rainwater introduced into the clearance readily flows downwardly.
Preferably, the packing member is separated around the lower side of the rotation shaft, and the clearance is defined at least by the protrusion wall on the lower side of the rotation shaft and the seal surface. Therefore, regardless a rotation position of the rotary door, rainwater introduced from the outside air introduction port moves along the side plates and the seal surface, and it can accurately prevent rainwater from staying under the rotation shaft.
Preferably, the seal surface for defining the clearance has a taper portion tilted downwardly in the case, at a position around the lower side of the rotation shaft. Therefore, rainwater introduced into the clearance can be effectively discharged downwardly, and it can effectively prevent a freeze of the rotary door due to rainwater.


REFERENCES:
patent: 926115 (1909-06-01), Hallowell et al.
patent: 5720657 (1998-02-01), Kamiya et al.
patent: 6428409 (2002-08-01), Egami et al.
patent: 6435960 (2002-08-01), Sato
patent: A-9-188124 (1997-07-01), None
patent: A-11-91342 (1999-04-01), None

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