AIR CONTROL APPARATUS

Abstract

An air control apparatus for an air conditioning system may include a housing defining at least one duct and at least one flap. The at least one flap may comprise a shaft having at least one projecting wing. At least one longitudinal end of the shaft may be rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation on a wall of the housing via a bearing opening. The bearing opening may include an offset region and a bearing region. The offset region may have a larger inner diameter than the bearing region. A sealing contour may be disposed on the at least one wing and a counter-sealing contour may be disposed on the associated wall.

Claims

1. An air control apparatus for an air conditioning system comprising: a housing defining at least one duct configured to conduct an air flow, the housing having at least one flap configured to control the air flow in the duct, the at least one flap arranged in the housing about an axis of rotation to open and close the duct; wherein the at least one flap comprises a shaft having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end and at least one projecting wing, wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation on a wall of the housing, the wall having a bearing opening defined in the wall configured to accommodate at least a portion of the shaft; wherein an inner circumference of the bearing opening has a cylindrical inner bearing surface arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation; wherein the bearing opening includes an offset region and a bearing region, the offset region having a larger inner diameter than the bearing region; wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end includes a first shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the offset region of the bearing opening, and a second shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the bearing region of the bearing opening; wherein a sealing contour is disposed on the at least one wing and a counter-sealing contour is disposed on the wall, the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour extending up to the first shaft section and configured so that when the at least one flap is closed the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour lie tightly against one another; and wherein the offset region and the bearing region of the bearing opening and the first shaft section and the second shaft sections are configured so that when the at least one flap is in a closed state the first shaft section is at least partly guided in the offset region and the second shaft section is at least partly in the bearing region and the sealing contour lies tightly against the counter-sealing contour.

2. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first shaft section is arranged with an axial clearance to the bearing region of the bearing opening.

3. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour comprises an elastic sealing lip.

4. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a region of the second shaft section of the shaft is defined as a hollow shaft having an engagement contour.

5. The air control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an electric motor configured to adjust the flap, the electric motor having a driveshaft, wherein the driveshaft is connected to the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

6. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing opening is one of an open hole or a blind hole opening.

7. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flap comprises exactly two wings having a wing angle of 180 in a circumferential direction.

8. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the at least one wing comprises at least two wings, the at least two wings being different in size radially to the axis of rotation; and the flap comprises a plastic injection moulded part.

9. An air conditioning system for a vehicle for air conditioning a vehicle interior comprising: a housing defining at least one duct configured to conduct an air flow, the housing having at least one flap configured to control the air flow in the duct, the at least one flap arranged in the housing about an axis of rotation to open and close the duct; wherein the at least one flap comprises a shaft having at least one projecting wing and a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation on a wall of the housing, the wall having a bearing opening defined in the wall configured to accommodate at least a portion of the shaft; wherein an inner circumference of the bearing opening has a cylindrical inner bearing surface arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation; wherein the bearing opening includes an offset region and a bearing region, the offset region having a larger inner diameter than the bearing region; wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end includes a first shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the offset region of the bearing opening, and a second shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the bearing region of the bearing opening; wherein a sealing contour is disposed on the at least one wing and a counter-sealing contour is disposed on the wall, the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour extending up to the first shaft section and configured so that when the at least one flap is closed the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour lie tightly against one another; wherein the offset region and the bearing region of the bearing opening and the first shaft section and the second shaft section are configured so that when the at least one flap is in a closed state the first shaft section is at least partly guided in the offset region and the second shaft section is at least partly in the bearing region and the sealing contour lies tightly against the counter-sealing contour; and wherein at least one of: the at least one flap is configured to adjust a mixing ratio between circulating air and fresh air; the at least one flap is configured to adjust a mixing ratio between warm air and cold air; and the at least one flap is configured to adjust a volumetric flow of the air flow in the respective duct.

10. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flap comprises the plastic injection moulded part and the plastic injection moulded part is a one-piece plastic injection moulded part with the shaft, the at least one wing, and the sealing contour.

11. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour extend up to the first shaft section and are configured so that when the at least one flap is closed the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour overlap one another.

12. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engagement contour comprises an internal polygon profile.

13. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electric motor configured to adjust the flap, the electric motor having a driveshaft, and wherein the driveshaft is connected to the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

14. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing opening is an open hole opening.

15. The air control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing opening is a blind hole opening.

16. The air conditioning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one flap is configured to adjust a mixing ratio between circulating air and fresh air.

17. The air conditioning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one flap is configured to adjust a mixing ratio between warm air and cold air.

18. The air conditioning system of claim 9, wherein the at least one flap is configured to adjust a volumetric flow of the air flow in the respective duct.

19. An air control apparatus for an air conditioning system comprising: a housing defining at least one duct configured to conduct an air flow, the housing having at least one flap configured to control the air flow in the duct, the at least one flap arranged in the housing about an axis of rotation to open and close the duct; wherein the at least one flap comprises a shaft having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end and at least one projecting wing, wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation on a wall of the housing, the wall having a bearing opening defined in the wall configured to accommodate at least a portion of the shaft; wherein an inner circumference of the bearing opening has a cylindrical inner bearing surface arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation; wherein the bearing opening includes an offset region and a bearing region, the offset region having a larger inner diameter than the bearing region; wherein at least one of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end includes a first shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the offset region of the bearing opening, and a second shaft section having an outer diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the bearing region of the bearing opening; wherein a sealing contour comprising an elastic sealing lip is disposed on the at least one wing and a counter-sealing contour comprising an elastic sealing lip is disposed on the associated wall, the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour extending up to the first shaft section and configured so that when the at least one flap is closed the sealing contour and the counter-sealing contour lie tightly against one another; wherein the offset region and the bearing region of the bearing opening and the first shaft section and the second shaft section are configured so that when the at least one flap is in a closed state the first shaft section is at least partly guided in the offset region and the second shaft section is at least partly in the bearing region and the sealing contour lies tightly against the counter-sealing contour; and wherein an axial clearance is defined between the first shaft section and the bearing region of the bearing opening.

20. The air control apparatus according to claim 19, wherein at least a region of the second shaft section defines a hollow shaft having an engagement contour comprising an internal polygon profile.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Here it shows, in each case schematically,

[0022] FIG. 1 an exploded representation of an air control apparatus according to the invention in the region of a flap and an associated bearing opening,

[0023] FIG. 2 a representation according to FIG. 1, however with installed flap,

[0024] FIG. 3 a detail representation from FIG. 2,

[0025] FIG. 4 an axial view onto the flap and the bearing opening,

[0026] FIG. 5 a sectional representation along the section plane A-A from FIG. 4,

[0027] FIG. 6 a detail view of the flap in the region of its shafts with first and second shaft section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] According to FIG. 1, an air control apparatus 1 for an air conditioning system 2 in a vehicle 3 which is not shown in more detail comprises a housing 4 for forming at least one duct 5 for conducting an air flow 6. The air control apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises at least one flap 7 for controlling the air flow 6 in the duct 5, which is rotatably arranged or mounted on the housing 4 about an axis of rotation 8 for opening and closing the duct 5. The flap 7 has a shaft 9 from which at least one wing 10 projects. Here, the shaft 9 obviously need not be formed continuously through the flap 7 but can also be connected to the flap 7 at a respective axial longitudinal end of the same. At least at one of its longitudinal ends, the shaft 9 is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation 8 on a wall 11 of the housing 4 serving as support structure. In the wall 11 or in the support structure, a bearing opening 12 (see also FIGS. 2 to 5) is provided, into which the shaft 9 projects or through which the shaft 9 projects. Here, the bearing opening 12 has a cylindrical inner bearing surface 18 on its inner circumference which is arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation 8.

[0029] According to the invention, the bearing opening 12 now has an offset region 14 and a bearing region 15, wherein the bearing region 15 forms the inner bearing surface 13. The shaft 9 in turn has a first shaft section 16 at least at one of its longitudinal ends, the outer diameter of which substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the offset region 14 of the bearing opening 12, and a second shaft section 17, the outer diameter of which substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the bearing region 15, i.e. to the inner diameter of the inner bearing surface 13 of the bearing opening 12. On at least one wing 10, a sealing contour 18 is additionally arranged, while on the associated wall 11 a counter-sealing contour 19 is provided, both of which are extended up to the first shaft section 16 of the shaft 9 and which, with closed flap 7, tightly lie against one another, i.e. overlap one another.

[0030] The offset region 14 and the bearing region 15 of the bearing opening 12 as well as the two associated shaft sections 16, 17 of the shaft 9 are additionally dimensioned in such a manner that the flap 7 in the closed state is guided with the first shaft section 16 at least partly in the offset region 14 and with the second shaft section 17 at least partly in the bearing region 15 and the sealing contour 18 lies tightly against the counter-sealing contour 19, i.e. overlaps the same. The first shaft section 16 and the associated offset region 14 serve primarily for sealing, so that an annular clearance of for example approximately 0.1 mm can be determined as tolerance. The second shaft section 17 and the bearing region 15 by contrast serve for mounting the shaft 9 so that the dimensions in this case are furnished with a closer tolerance and an annular clearance is correspondingly smaller, e.g. only 0.05 mm.

[0031] With the mounting of the flap 7 in the bearing opening 12 according to the invention it is possible for the first time to absorb production-induced dimensional tolerances of the flap 7, in particular in the axial direction of the shaft 9, i.e. in the direction of the axis of rotation 8, without having to make use of elaborate sealing geometries or seals, such as for example sealing tulips in this region as in the past. Depending on manufacturing-induced dimensional tolerance, the shaft 9 with its respective shaft sections 16, 17 engages in the associated regions 14, 15 of the bearing opening 12 to different depths, wherein however with closed flap 7 the sealing contours 18 tightly lie against the counter-sealing contours and through the at least partial engaging of the first shaft section 6 in the associated offset region 14 of the bearing opening 12 and of the second shaft section 17 in the associated bearing region 15 both a sealing of the bearing opening 12 and also a reliable mounting of the flap 7 can be achieved. The offset region 14 in this case serves as sealing region. By way of the sealing contour 18 and counter-sealing contour 19 extended up to the first shaft section 16, an undesirable leakage flow can be almost entirely avoided in this region. The sealing contour 18 and/or the counter-sealing contour 19 can additionally have a serrated edge 26 in order to prevent in particular an undesirable noise development, for example by way of whistling, when closing the flap 7.

[0032] With the air control apparatus 1 according to the invention, a simple, tolerance absorbing and robust mounting of the flap 7 can thus be made possible, which neither requires additional lubricating, for example greases, nor elaborate seals. In addition, the flap 7 can be mounted comparatively easily, in particular even blind, since the second shaft section 7 forms a kind of insertion bevel. Purely theoretically, providing a genuine bevel 25 is even conceivable (see FIG. 3). With the mounting according to the invention, the axial tolerance offset is possible practically without limits. In addition, the solution according to the invention can be employed both with split and also with non-split housing parts, just as with flaps 7 that are mounted merely on one side or on both sides. Because of this, a long lifespan of the flap 7 and a cost-effective tool can be achieved.

[0033] Looking at the representation according to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is evident that the first shaft section 16 is arranged with axial clearance b relative to the bearing region 15 of the bearing opening 12 so that the step 20 between the first shaft section 16 and the second shaft section 17 of the shaft 9 independently of the production-related dimensional tolerances, never abuts the associated state step 20 in the axial direction 21 between the offset region 14 and the bearing region 15 of the bearing opening 12 and because of this could for example result in a jamming of the flap.

[0034] The sealing contour 18 and the counter-sealing contour 19 can be formed for example as sealing lips which are either subsequently arranged on the wing 10 of the flap 7 or on the wall 11 of the housing 4. Alternatively, it is also conceivable in particular with the flap 7 that the sealing contour 9 provided there is injection moulded together with the same and thus produced comparatively easily.

[0035] Looking at in particular the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 it is evident that the shaft 9, at least in the region of the second shaft section 17, but usually obviously also in the first shaft section 16 is formed as a hollow shaft with an engagement contour 22 that is formed in particular as an internal polygon profile. For adjusting the flap 7, an actuating device, for example an electric motor 23 (see FIG. 2) can be provided, the driveshaft 24 of which is connected to the shaft 9 in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular subject to a form-fit engaging in the engagement contour 22. Through the form-fit yet longitudinally displaceable coupling transmitting torque of the driving device, for example of the electric motor 23 to the shaft 9 of the flap 7, production-induced dimensional tolerances can be comparatively easily offset as well.

[0036] Looking at the bearing opening 12 according to the FIGS. 1 to 5 it is evident that the same are designed open wherein it is obviously also clear that the same is closed on the opposite side, i.e. can be formed as a blind hole opening.

[0037] The flap 7 usually comprises at least two wings 10 which, at different circumferential sections of the shaft 9, project from the same. In the present case, the flap 7 comprises two wings 10 which lie in a plane and because of this project from the shaft 9 offset by 180. The wings 10 can be different in size radially to the axis of rotation 8, but also identical in size.

[0038] By means of the air conditioning system 2, in which the air control apparatus 1 according to the invention is arranged, a mixing ratio between circulating air and fresh air and/or a mixing ratio between warm air and cold air and/or the adjusting of a volumetric flow of the air flow 6 in the respective duct 5 can be accomplished in particular, in each case dependent on the pivot position of the flap 7.

[0039] With the air control apparatus 1 according to the invention it is thus possible for the first time to mount an associated flap 7 despite production-induced dimensional tolerances of the same or of a housing 4 in the housing 4 in such a manner that these tolerances can be offset and the flap 7 always seals tightly in the closed state. This can be achieved in particular through the mounting according to the invention which is extremely simple in design and thus also cost-effective, which in particular no longer depends on the elaborate seals that have been required in this region up to now.