Apparatus for operating auto-shutter in air-conditioner

• US 7,399,222 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Winia Mando Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Winia Mando Incorporated
• Inventors: Park, Jun Hyung, Jung, Hyoung Bok, Moon, Kwang Oh, Kim, Jun Woo, Bae, Joung Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister; Steven B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Samantha A
• Application Number:
  US11/318,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 454/16, 454/156, 454/286, 454/154, 454/233, 454/236, 454/277
• US Class Current: 454/277
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0011 characterised by air outlets
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/005 mounted on the floor; standing on the floor
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means

Abstract

An apparatus for operating an auto-shutter in an air-conditioner having an external casing includes a louver frame having an air exit installed in the external casing, an auto-shutter movable between an opened position opening the exit and a closed position closing the exit, and a shutter driver driving the auto-shutter. The shutter driver includes a driving motor which is rotatably mounted in the casing for tilting forwardly and backwardly, a screw-rod rotationally coupled with the driving motor, a bushing coupled with the rotational rod which ascends and descends along with the rotational rod when rotated, a slider, one end of which is coupled with the auto-shutter and the other end of which is coupled with the bushing. The frame and shutter include cooperating surfaces defining to guide the auto-shutter and cause the driving motor and the rotational rod to tilt by a predetermined angle as the auto-shutter moves from the opened position to the closed position.

Claims

1. An auto-shutter operating apparatus for use in an air-conditioner having an external casing including a first side having an air exit opening therein, the auto-shutter operating apparatus comprising:

a louver frame, having an exit opening therein, mounted in said casing with the exit opening of the casing and louver frame in alignment;

an auto shutter movably mounted in said frame for movement between an opened position opening the exit opening of the louver frame and a closed position closing the exit opening of the louver frame; and

shutter driving means for driving the auto-shutter between said open and closed positions,

said shutter driving means comprises;

a drive motor having a housing and means for rotatably mounting said housing to allow the motor to tilt forwardly and backwardly relative to said first side;

a rotational rod having a screw thread formed along its outer surface and being coupled to said driving motor for rotation along its longitudinal axis by said motor;

a bushing coupled with said rotational rod for reciprocal movement therealong in response to the rod being rotated by said motor in either a first or second rotational direction;

a slider having a first end pivotally coupled with the auto-shutter and a second end coupled to said bushing;

a rotational rod guider mounted in said frame which guides and supports rotation of the rotational rod;

guide rails formed on opposed surfaces of said louver frame adjacent said exit opening therein; and

means on said auto-shutter engaged with said guide rails for guiding movements of the auto-shutter, said guide rails having a predetermined shape defining a path of travel for the auto-shutter to cause said motor and rotational rod to tilt toward and away from said first side as said auto-shutter approaches and leaves said closed position thereof.

2. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for rotatably mounting the drive motor housing includes:

a pair of opposed pins on the surface of the driving motor housing;

a pair of pin blocks for receiving said pins; and

fixing means for securing the pin blocks to the first side of said casing.

3. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotational rod guider comprises:

a fixing plate which is fixed along the horizontal direction in the area of the exit opening of the louver frame and having an elongated hole formed therein for receiving the end of the rotational rod opposite said motor to guide the rod as it is tilted.

4. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means on the auto-shutter engaged with said guide rails comprises a plurality of protrusions which are extended outwards on the side surfaces of the auto-shutter into engagement with said guide rails, and said guide rails having vertical sections and horizontal guide sections which are horizontally extended from certain portions of the vertical sections, respectively, to guide the auto-shutter towards and away from the exit opening.

5. An auto-shutter operating apparatus for use in an air-conditioner having an external casing including a first side having an air exit opening therein, said auto-shutter operating apparatus comprising:

a louver frame having an exit opening formed therein mounted in the the upper end of said casing with the exit openings of the casing and louver frame in alignment;

an auto-shutter movably mounted in said frame for movement between an opened position opening the exit opening of the louver frame and a closed position closing the exit opening of the louver frame; and

shutter driving means for driving the auto-shutter between said open and closed positions;

said shutter driving means comprises;

a drive motor having a housing and means for rotatably mounting said housing to allow the motor to tilt forwardly and backwardly towards and away from said first side;

a rotational rod having a screw thread formed along its surface and being coupled to the driving motor for rotation along its longitudinal axis;

a bushing coupled with said rotational rod for reciprocal movement therealong in response to the rod being rotated by said motor in either a first or a second rotational direction;

a slider having a first end pivotally coupled with the auto-shutter and a second end coupled with said bushing; and

guide rail means formed on both side walls in the louver frame for guiding movement of the auto-shutter toward and away from the exit opening of said frame during operation of said motor.

6. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said rotational rod has a circular rod shaped shaft structure having truncated surfaces formed thereon parallel to its longitudinal axis thereby truncating the circular screw-rod shaped shaft axially and symmetrically left and right, said screw thread being formed in the overall surface of the rotational rod except for the truncated surface and having rounded curved surfaces formed at a start point of each part of the screw threads adjacent the truncated portions, and wherein said bushing has screw threads which correspond to and are engaged with the screw threads of the rotational rod, on the inner circumferential surface of the bushing, and curved surfaces corresponding to the curved surfaces of the rotational rod, in the screw threads.

7. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of spiral oil grooves are formed in the rotational rod at predetermined intervals separately from the screw threads, and oil grooves additionally formed in the inner circumferential surface of the bushing at equi-intervals, separately from the screw threads.

8. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a shield film is located along the lower circumference of the rotational rod adjacent the motor, in order to prevent oil from being introduced into the driving motor, and said driving motor being coupled at the lower side of the shield film.

9. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a coupler whose cross-section is reduced in comparison with the body of the rotational rod is formed at the lower end of the shield film of the rotational rod, a coupling hole with which the rotational shaft of the driving motor is coupled is formed at the center of the coupler, and a number of reinforced ribs are formed axially at certain intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the coupler.

10. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein one end of the slider is formed as a rectangular body having left and right sides on which hinge pins are located, said slider having another end coupled with the bushing including a link portion of a shaft-shaped form integrally extended from the rectangular body, a slider combiner is formed on the rear surface of the auto-shutter, wherein the slider combiner has bracket means for smoothly coupling the slider with the auto-shutter.

11. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the slider is integrally formed with the bushing.

12. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a stop position of the auto-shutter is determined by a detector unit comprising a proximation sensor provided in one side of the louver frame, a first detection bar integrally formed in the lower end of the bushing or the slider coupled with the bushing, and a second detection bar provided in the upper end of one side of the auto-shutter.

13. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a stop position of the auto-shutter is determined by a detector unit comprising a plurality of proximation sensors provided in one side of the louver frame at a predetermined interval up and down, a detection bar integrally formed in the lower end of the bushing or the slider coupled with the bushing.

14. The auto-shutter operating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an inner bent portion is formed in the upper end of the auto-shutter, to thereby make the bent portion of the auto-shutter and the contact surface of the louver frame congruent and engaged with other when the auto-shutter descends to open the exit completely.