Low-profile air-conditioning register

A low-profile air-conditioning register comprising:

• a retainer having an air passage, wherein
• the air passage has an outlet port at a downstream end in a flow direction of air-conditioning air,
• the outlet port has a rectangular shape composed of a pair of opposed short side portions and a pair of opposed long side portions, which intersect with the short side portions,
• the retainer includes a pair of inclined surfaces at a downstream end in the flow direction of the retainer, and
• the inclined surfaces face each other and are connected to the long side portions such that a distance between the inclined surfaces decreases toward a downstream side;
• a plate-shaped fin, which is arranged upstream in the flow direction of the inclined surfaces and extends along the long side portions, wherein
• the fin is swingably supported by the retainer with a fin pivot, which extends in an extension direction of the long side portions, and
• the low-profile air-conditioning register is configured such that after flowing along the fin and striking an inner wall surface of the retainer so that the flow direction is changed, the air-conditioning air flows along one of the inclined surfaces to be blown out obliquely from the outlet port;
• an operation knob assembly provided at a downstream section in the flow direction of the retainer to be operable in an extension direction of the short side portions;
• and
• a transmission mechanism provided between the operation knob assembly and the fin, the transmission mechanism being configured to transmit a motion of the operation knob assembly to the fin such that the fin is swung in a direction of an opposite trend to an operated direction of the operation knob assembly, wherein
• the operation knob assembly is arranged at the outlet port,
• the transmission mechanism includes
• a drive gear, which is provided in an upstream section in the flow direction of the operation knob assembly, the drive gear having a plurality of teeth arranged in the extension direction of the short side portions,
• a driven gear, which is provided in a downstream section in the flow direction of the fin, the driven gear having a plurality of teeth arranged along an arc centered on the fin pivot, and
• a plurality of intermediate gears, which is arranged between the drive gear and the driven gear,
• the fin is an upstream fin,
• the fin pivot is an upstream fin pivot,
• the low-profile air-conditioning register further comprises a downstream fin, which is arranged downstream in the flow direction of the upstream fin and extends along the short side portions,
• the downstream fin is swingably supported by the retainer with a downstream fin pivot, which extends in the extension direction of the short side portions,
• the operation knob assembly is attached to the downstream fin so as to be operable in the extension direction of the short side portions,
• the intermediate gears are attached to the downstream fin,
• the downstream fin has, at a downstream end in the flow direction, a downstream rail portion extending in the extension direction of the short side portions,
• the operation knob assembly has a groove extending in the extension direction of the short side portions, and
• the operation knob assembly is attached to the downstream fin by being engaged with the downstream rail portion at the groove.