Air passage opening/closing system for air conditioning apparatus

An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said apparatus comprising:

• a case for forming an air passage, said case having a casing opening portion through which air is blown toward the passenger compartment;
• a heat exchanger, disposed in said case, for adjusting a temperature of air blown toward said casing opening portion;
• and
• a film member, disposed under tension to be opposite to said casing opening portion, for opening and closing said casing opening portion, said film member having a film opening portion which is tapered at both ends thereof in a longitudinal direction of said film member, wherein:
• said film member is controlled to move in the longitudinal direction of said film member to open and close said casing opening portion of said case;
• said case has a first wall member extending from a peripheral end of said casing opening portion by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of said film member, said first wall member has an inner surface to which air flowing from said film opening portion crosses;
• said first wall member is disposed to form a space between said first wall member and said film member in such a manner that air flowing from said film opening portion expends in said spacer
• said case has a contacting inner surface approximately contacting said film member;
• and
• said inner surface of said first wall member is recessed from said contacting inner surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said film member.

An air passage opening/closing system comprising:

• a case for forming an air passage, said case having a casing opening portion through which air flows outside;
• and
• a film member, disposed under tension to be opposite to said casing opening portion at an upstream air side of said casing opening portion, for opening and closing said casing opening portion, said film member having a film opening portion which becomes smaller toward both ends thereof in a longitudinal direction of said film member, wherein:
• said film member is controlled to move in the longitudinal direction of said film member to open and close said casing opening portion of said case;
• said case has a first wall member extending from a peripheral end of said casing opening portion by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of said film member, said first wall member has an inner surface to which air flowing from said film opening portion crosses;
• said case has a contacting inner surface slidably contacting said film member;
• and
• said inner surface of said first wall member is recessed from said contacting inner surface to be separated from said film member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said film member.

An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, said apparatus comprising:

• a case for forming an air passage, said case having a casing opening portion through which air is blown toward the passenger compartment;
• a heat exchanger, disposed in said case, for adjusting a temperature of air blown toward said casing opening portion;
• and
• a film member, disposed under tension to be opposite to said casing opening portion, for opening and closing said casing opening portion, said film member having a film opening portion which becomes smaller toward both ends thereof in a longitudinal direction of said film member, wherein:
• said film member is controlled to move in the longitudinal direction of said film member to open and close said casing opening portion of said case;
• said case has a first wall member extending from a peripheral end of said casing opening portion in the longitudinal direction of said film member, said first wall member has an inner surface to which air flowing from said film opening portion crosses;
• said case has a contacting inner surface slidably contacting said film member;
• and
• said inner surface of said first wall member is recessed from said contacting inner surface to be separated from said film member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said film member.

An air passage opening/closing system comprising:

• a case for forming an air passage, said case having a casing opening through which air flows;
• and
• a film member disposed under tension to be adjacent said casing opening at an upstream air side of said casing opening, said film member opening and closing said casing opening, said film member having a film opening which is tapered at both ends thereof in a longitudinal direction of said film member, wherein:
• said film member is controlled to move in the longitudinal direction of said film member to open and close said casing opening of said case;
• said case has a first wall member extending into said casing opening in the longitudinal direction of said film member, said first wall member has an inner surface generally parallel to said film member onto which air flowing from said film opening is directed;
• and
• said first wall member is disposed to form a predetermined distance between said inner surface of said first wall member and said film member, said predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said film member being 5 mm or more.