Diverter valve assembly for an automobile HVAC system

In combination with a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning unit supported in a automotive vehicle, a duct connected at one end thereof to said unit for allowing treated air to flow therethrough, an air flow diverter valve assembly having a housing provided with an air inlet opening and at least a pair of air outlet openings, the other end of said duct connected to said air inlet opening of said housing, one of said pair of air outlet openings serving to allow heated air to flow from said unit to the passenger area of said vehicle at a first level for distributing said treated air along the floor of said vehicle, the other of said pair of air outlets being located in the upper wall of said housing between said inlet opening and said one of said pair of air outlet openings and serving to allow said treated air to flow to a second level above the floor of the vehicle, a diverter valve supported in said housing by a pivot shaft for pivotal movement along an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of said treated air, said diverter valve including a pair of laterally spaced end walls, each of said end walls having the shape of a triangle and having the first and second angularly spaced straight edges connected by a curved peripheral edge, said first straight edges of each of said end walls being connected to said pivot shaft, a first shutter member rigidly connected to and extending transversely between said first straight edges of said pair of end walls, and a second shutter member connected to and extending transversely between the curved peripheral edge of each of said pair of end walls beginning at the said second straight edge of each of said end walls and terminating intermediate said first and second straight edges of each of said pair of end walls so as to define an opening between said first shutter member and said second shutter member, said diverter valve having a first position wherein said first shutter member is located in a plane parallel to the flow of said treated air and said second shutter member closes said other of said pair of openings so that said treated air flows directly through said housing to said one of said pair of air outlet openings, and said diverter valve having a second position wherein said one of said pair of opening is closed by said first shutter member and said opening between said first and second shutter members registers with said other of said pair of openings so as to cause the treated air to be diverted and to flow through said other of said pair of openings to said second level above the floor of the vehicle.

In combination with a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning unit supported in a automotive vehicle, a duct connected at one end thereof to said unit for allowing treated air to flow therethrough, an air flow diverter valve assembly having a housing provided with an air inlet opening and at least a pair of air outlet openings, the other end of said duct connected to said air inlet opening of said housing, one of said pair of air outlet openings being substantially axially aligned with said air inlet opening and serving to allow heated air to flow from said unit to the passenger area of said vehicle at a first level for distributing said treated air along the floor of said vehicle, the other of said pair of air outlets being located in the upper wall of said housing between said inlet opening and said one of said pair of air outlet openings and serving to allow said treated air to flow to a second level above the floor of the vehicle, a diverter valve supported in said housing by a pivot shaft for pivotal movement along an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of said treated air , said diverter valve including a pair of laterally spaced end walls, each of said end walls having the shape of a quarter of a circle and having the first and second angularly spaced straight edges connected by a curved peripheral edge, said first straight edges of each of said end walls being rigidly connected to said pivot shaft, a first shutter member rigidly connected to and extending transversely between said first straight edges of said pair of end walls, and a second shutter member rigidly connected to and extending transversely between the curved edge of each of said pair of end walls beginning at the said second straight edge of each of said end walls and terminating intermediate said first and second straight edges of each of said pair of end walls so as to define an opening between said first shutter member and said second shutter member, said diverter valve having a first position wherein said first shutter member is located in a plane parallel to the flow of said treated air and said second shutter member closes said other of said pair of openings so that said treated air flows directly through said housing to said one of said pair of air outlet openings, said diverter valve having a second position wherein said one of said pair of opening is closed by said first shutter member and said opening between said first and second shutter members registers with said other of said pair of openings so as to cause the treated air to be diverted and to flow through said other of said pair of openings to said second level above the floor of the vehicle, and said diverter valve having a third position wherein said first and second shutter members assume positions to close said pair of outlet openings to prevent said treated air from flowing to said outlet openings.