Patent ID: 7950444
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
1. An automotive air conditioning system comprising: a case forming an air path in which air flows in a direction toward the interior of compartments; a heating heat exchanger arranged in the case for heating the air; a defroster opening and a foot opening arranged downstream of the heating heat exchanger in the air flow in the case; and a blowout mode switching rotary door for opening/closing the defroster opening and the foot opening; wherein the rotary door includes rotary shafts and a door surface adapted to rotate integrally with each of the rotary shafts at a position diametrically outward from the center of each rotary shaft, the case is formed with a seal rib forming an opening edge portion of the foot opening, upon rotation of the rotary door to a foot mode position which opens the foot opening, a gap is formed between a first circumferential end of the door surface and the seal rib, and the foot opening communicates with the defroster opening through the gap, upon rotation of the rotary door to a defroster mode position which opens the defroster opening, a second circumferential end portion of the door surface comes into contact with the seal rib and closes the gap so that the door surface closes the foot opening, the case includes a face opening downstream of the heating heat exchanger in the direction of the air flow, the rotary door is configured to open/close a path between the foot opening and a communication path communicating with the defroster opening and the face opening, the defroster opening and the face opening can be opened/closed by a door other than the rotary door, the face opening has a center face opening and a side face opening arranged on each of left and right sides of the center face opening, a profile of the rotary door is so shaped that communication paths communicating with the side face openings always communicate with a downstream side of the heating heat exchanger in the direction of the air flow at all rotational positions of the rotary door, a communication path of the defroster opening and the center face opening is arranged as a first communication path at a central portion in the case, the communication paths communicating with the side face openings are arranged as second communication paths on left and right sides of the first communication path in the case, partitioning walls for defining the first communication path and the second communication paths are arranged on the left and right sides of the first communication path in the case, the door surface of the rotary door constitutes a central door surface located between left and right partitioning walls, and the rotary door is formed with left and right door surfaces located on left and right sides, respectively, of the central door surface, the size of the left and right door surfaces is smaller than that of the central door surface, so that the boundary between the central door surface and the left and right door surfaces is stepped, and the stepped boundary and end surfaces of the left and right partitioning walls combine to form a labyrinth structure.