US 12,077,032 B2
Passage opening and closing device
Sei Ozaki, Kariya (JP); Yoshihiro Suzuki, Kariya (JP); Fumitaka Yoshizumi, Nagakute (JP); and Takayuki Aoyama, Nagakute (JP)
Assigned to DENSO CORPORATION, Aichi-pref. (JP)
Filed by DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed on Mar. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/700,822.
Application 17/700,822 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/034497, filed on Sep. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-183215 (JP), filed on Oct. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212519 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B60H 1/00 (2006.01); B60H 1/12 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 1/00692 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00514 (2013.01); B60H 1/00664 (2013.01); B60H 1/12 (2013.01); B60H 2001/00092 (2013.01); B60H 2001/006 (2013.01); B60H 2001/00714 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A passage opening and closing device that opens and closes an air passage through which air passes, the passage opening and closing device comprising:
a casing in which an opening edge defining an opening of the air passage is provided; and
a sliding door slidably movable inside the casing to open and close the opening, wherein
the sliding door includes a door end part that forms an end part of the sliding door in a door moving direction of the sliding door,
the door end part faces the opening edge when the sliding door is placed at a closed position where the sliding door closes the opening,
the opening edge includes a door facing wall that faces the door end part when the sliding door is placed at the closed position,
the door facing wall defines a gap flow-path extending in the door moving direction between the door facing wall and the door end part,
a distance between the door end part and the door facing wall when the sliding door is placed at the closed position continuously decreases downstream in air flow so that the gap flow-path is a convergent flow path, and
change in the distance between the door end part and the door facing wall when the sliding door is placed at the closed position discontinuously shifts from decrease to increase at a downstream end of the convergent flow path.