JP2000000293A - Air cleaner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the visual problem of an air cleaner for vehicles having a deodorization filter which allows the regeneration of a deodorization function by the effect of a photocatalyst. SOLUTION: The deodorization filter 4 used for the air cleaner 1 is constituted by attaching photocatalyst particles of titanium dioxide, or the like, to an adsorbent consisting of a porous material (for example, active carbon filter). The titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst which exhibits extremely highly active oxidation power by irradiating the dioxide with UV rays of about 380 nm wave length. A cover 7 for covering the upper part of the deodorization filter 4 is formed by using a resin material of the material quality that the transmittance to light wavelengths is high in a UV region and is low in a visible ray region. Namely, the UV transmittance of the material constituting this cover 7 is >=50% and the visible ray transmittance thereof is below 50%. As a result, the transmission of the UV component of the sunshine and the irradiation of the deodorization filter 4 with this component are made possible. In addition, the seeing-through of the internal structure of the apparatus may be prevented by approximately shutting off the visible rays.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an air purifier installed on a rear tray of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art, there is a vehicle deodorizer in which a photocatalyst is supported on an adsorbent (for example, an activated carbon filter) made of a porous material (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3030227). This deodorizing device is installed, for example, on the rear tray of a vehicle, and irradiates sunlight to the photocatalyst to oxidize and decompose the odorous gas adsorbed by the adsorbent by the action of the photocatalyst to regenerate the deodorizing function of the adsorbent. Can be.

[0003]

However, in the above deodorizing apparatus, in order to irradiate sunlight to the photocatalyst, it is necessary to cover the upper part of the adsorbent supporting the photocatalyst with a transparent cover or the like having a light transmitting property. . In this case, since the internal structure of the deodorizing device can be seen through, it gives a strange feeling in design,
In addition, there is a problem that it is not visually desirable. The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to solve the design and visual problems of a vehicle air purifier having a deodorizing filter capable of regenerating a deodorizing function by the action of a photocatalyst. It is in.

[0004]

The cover for covering the upper part of the deodorizing filter is made of a material having a high transmittance for ultraviolet rays and a low transmittance for visible rays. Thus, the deodorizing function can be reproduced by irradiating the photocatalyst with the ultraviolet light transmitted through the cover. In addition, since the visible light is shielded by the cover, the internal structure of the device is not seen through the cover, so that design and visual problems can be solved. The material forming the cover preferably has, for example, an ultraviolet transmittance of 50% or more and a visible light transmittance of less than 50%. In addition, as an example, the deodorizing filter is configured by attaching a photocatalyst to an adsorbent (for example, activated carbon) made of a porous substance. The vehicle air purifier of the present invention is mounted on, for example, a rear tray of a vehicle and installed at a position where sunlight is irradiated. As a result, the ultraviolet rays of the sunlight pass through the cover and irradiate the photocatalyst, and the visible light of the sunlight is substantially blocked by the cover.

[0005]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vehicle air purifier. The vehicle air purifier 1 of the present embodiment includes a case 2, a blower 3 and a deodorizing filter 4 housed inside the case 2, a suction duct 5 and a blow-off duct 6, which are mounted on the case 2, and the suction duct 5. It is composed of a cover 7 and the like mounted on the blow-off duct 6 and mounted on a rear tray 8 of the vehicle (see FIG. 2). The case 2 forms a ventilation passage for guiding the air sucked from the suction duct 5 to the blow duct 6,
It is configured by combining the lower case 2A and the upper case 2B. The case 2 is disposed below the rear tray 8 and is supported by the rear tray 8 via a bracket 9.

The blower 3 is composed of a sirocco fan 3A and a motor 3B. The fan 3A is rotated by the motor 3B to generate an air flow in a ventilation passage in the case 2. The deodorizing filter 4 is configured by adhering photocatalyst particles such as titanium dioxide to an adsorbent (for example, an activated carbon filter) made of a porous substance, and is arranged below the blow-out duct 6. Titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst that exerts a very highly active oxidizing power when irradiated with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 380 nm. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction duct 5 and the blow-off duct 6
It opens into the vehicle interior through openings 8a and 8b formed in the vehicle interior.

[0007] The cover 7 has connection ports 7a and 7b for connection with the suction duct 5 and the blow-out duct 6, and the connection ports 7a and 7b.
Opening 8a from the upper side of the rear tray 8 (inside the passenger compartment),
8b are connected to the upper end openings of the suction duct 5 and the blow duct 6. A plurality of slits 7c are formed in the cover 7 above the connection ports 7a and 7b.
Air flows through c. Further, as shown in graph A of FIG. 3, the cover 7 is formed using a resin material whose transmittance with respect to the light wavelength is high in the ultraviolet region and low in the visible light region. That is, the material constituting the cover has an ultraviolet transmittance of 50% or more and a visible light transmittance of less than 50% (preferably, an ultraviolet transmittance of 70% or more and a visible light transmittance of 40% or less). The transmittance for the light wavelength can be adjusted by, for example, the ratio of the additive contained in the resin material. As a reference,
FIG. 3 shows the transmittance of the UV cut glass used for the vehicle window glass and the transmittance of the ordinary glass.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the operation of the air purifier 1 is started with the ignition switch of the vehicle turned on, the air in the vehicle interior is introduced into the case 2 through the suction duct 5 by the operation of the blower 3,
After the odor components in the air are adsorbed by the deodorizing filter 4,
The air is supplied into the vehicle interior through the air outlet duct 6 (the flow of air is indicated by arrows in FIG. 1). The activated carbon used in the deodorizing filter 4 has a reduced adsorption capacity as the adsorption amount of the odor component increases, but the activated carbon can be restored by the action of the photocatalyst. That is, not only when driving the vehicle but also when the ignition switch is turned off (when the vehicle is parked), the ultraviolet component of the sunlight passes through the cover 7 and irradiates the deodorizing filter 4 (a part of the sunlight Deodorizing filter 4 directly through slit 7c of cover 7
The odor component adsorbed on the deodorizing filter 4 can be decomposed and removed by the action of the photocatalyst. Thereby, the deodorizing function of the deodorizing filter 4 can be regenerated, and high adsorption performance can be maintained.

(Effect of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the cover 7 covering the upper part of the deodorizing filter 4 is made of a material having a high transmittance of ultraviolet rays and a low transmittance of visible light.
Thus, the deodorizing filter 4 carrying the photocatalyst can be irradiated with the ultraviolet component of sunlight to reproduce the deodorizing function of the deodorizing filter 4, and the visible light is substantially shielded, so that the internal structure of the device can pass through the cover 7. It can be prevented from being seen. As a result, the design does not give a strange feeling and is visually good.

(Modification) In the present embodiment, the entire cover 7 is made of a material having a high transmittance of ultraviolet rays and a low transmittance of visible light, but only a portion covering the upper part of the deodorizing filter 4. May be made of a material having a high transmittance of ultraviolet light and a low transmittance of visible light, and the remaining portion may be made of a material capable of shielding at least visible light. Although the activated carbon filter is described as an example of the adsorbent for the deodorizing filter 4, silica, activated alumina, zeolite, or the like may be used instead of activated carbon. In addition, although an example is described in which the deodorizing filter 4 is configured by adhering photocatalyst particles such as titanium dioxide to the adsorbent, a photocatalyst layer is provided separately from the adsorbent, and the photocatalyst layer is placed near the adsorbent ( Or in contact). Although the air purifier 1 of the present embodiment is mounted on the rear tray 8 of the vehicle, it may be installed at a location other than the rear tray 8 as long as it is exposed to sunlight. Also, cover 7
Although the ultraviolet component of sunlight passing through the filter is irradiated on the deodorizing filter 4, an ultraviolet lamp may be used in combination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vehicle air purifier.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of the vehicle air purifier.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing transmittance with respect to light wavelength of a cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle air purifier 4 Deodorizing filter 7 Cover 8 Rear tray

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yuichi Kajino 1-1-1 Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi F-term in Denso Corporation 4C080 AA05 AA07 BB02 CC12 HH05 JJ06 MM02 NN03 NN04 NN05 NN06 QQ11 QQ17 QQ20 4D012 CA09 CA10 CB01 CB05 CD10 CE03 CF10 CG01 CH05 CK06 4D048 AA22 AB01 BA05X BA07X BA13X BA41X CA01 CC40 CC41 EA01

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle air purifier comprising: a deodorizing filter having a deodorizing function of adsorbing odor components in the air and capable of reproducing the deodorizing function by the action of a photocatalyst; and a cover covering an upper portion of the deodorizing filter. An air purifier for a vehicle, wherein the cover is made of a material having a high transmittance of ultraviolet rays and a low transmittance of visible light. 2. A vehicle air purifier according to claim 1, wherein a material constituting said cover has an ultraviolet transmittance of 50% or more and a visible light transmittance of less than 50%. 3. The vehicle air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizing filter is formed by adhering a photocatalyst to an adsorbent made of a porous substance. 4. A vehicle air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air purifier is mounted on a rear tray of the vehicle and installed at a position where sunlight is irradiated. air purifier.