JP2002017834A - Method and system for maintenance of deodorizing device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize miniaturization and the reduction of ventilation resistance as to a deodorizing device for a vehicle which decomposes odor material absorbed with an absorbent with a photocatalyst. SOLUTION: An air conditioner for a vehicle 10 (deodorizing device) houses a dust-collecting and deodorizing unit 12, and the deodorizing filter 17 (carrier member) of this unit 12 carries the absorbent for absorbing the odor material in ventilation and the photocatalyst for receiving light such as ultraviolet beams, etc., and decomposing the odor material. A light source 21 for the photocatalyst is not equipped on the conditioner 10 but arranged outside (vehicle maintenance factory) of the conditioner 10. An insertion cable 22 (insertion part) is extended from this light source 21, and houses an optical fiber 23 (transmission line) for transmitting the light of the light source 21. This cable 22 is inserted to an air passage 11a from an insertion port 11b formed at the main body 11 of the conditioner 10. Then, the photocatalyst is irradiated with light from the tip of the cable 22 to generate the decomposing action.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and system for maintaining a deodorizing device for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an air conditioner (deodorizing device) of a vehicle is provided with a deodorizing filter (supporting member) in an internal air passage. An adsorbent and a photocatalyst are carried on this deodorizing filter, and the adsorbent adsorbs odorous substances in the air. This can prevent the odor substance from being sent to the passenger compartment. An ultraviolet lamp (light source) is provided near the deodorizing filter. The odor substance is decomposed by irradiating the photocatalyst with the ultraviolet rays of the lamp. As a result, it is possible to prevent the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent from becoming full and the new odorant being unable to be adsorbed, and the adsorption capacity can be maintained and restored.

[0003]

In the above conventional structure,
There is a problem that the size of the apparatus is increased by the amount of the ultraviolet lamp accommodated in the air passage, and the ventilation resistance is increased.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is based on the idea that maintenance or recovery of the capacity of an adsorbent by irradiating a photocatalyst with light is performed in the form of maintenance of a deodorizing device. It was done.

That is, the present invention has an apparatus main body in which an air passage is formed, and the air passage is provided with a blowing means and a supporting member for permitting the flow of air. A method for maintaining a deodorizing device for a vehicle in which an adsorbent to be adsorbed and a photocatalyst that decomposes the odorous substance are carried, wherein a light source is arranged outside the deodorizing device,
An insertion portion having a transmission path for transmitting the light of the light source and extending from the light source is inserted into the air passage from an insertion port provided in the device main body, and the light is irradiated on the photocatalyst from the tip of the insertion portion. And causing the photocatalyst to cause the decomposition action. Here, the blower is removed from a mounting hole for the blower formed in the apparatus body,
The mounting hole may be used as the insertion port to insert the insertion portion into the air passage.

Further, the present invention has an apparatus main body in which an air passage is formed, wherein the air passage is provided with a blowing means and a supporting member which allows air to flow, and the supporting member is provided with an odorous substance. A system for maintaining a vehicle deodorizing device that carries an adsorbent to be adsorbed and a photocatalyst that decomposes the odorous substance, wherein an insertion port is provided in the device main body and is disposed outside the deodorizing device. A light source, having an insertion portion extending from the light source having a transmission path for transmitting the light of the light source, and having an insertion portion inserted into the insertion port, by irradiating the photocatalyst with the light from the tip of the insertion portion; And the photocatalyst causes the decomposition action. Here, it is preferable that the insertion port is openable and closable, and closed when air flows through the air passage, and opened when the insertion section is inserted. Further, it is desirable that the distal end of the insertion portion be wide.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a maintenance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This system includes a vehicle air conditioner 10 (deodorizing device) and an ultraviolet irradiation device 20.

The air conditioner 10 has a device main body 11 having an air passage 11a. In the air passage 11a,
A dust collecting and deodorizing unit 12, a blower 13 (blowing means),
An evaporator 14 is provided in order from the upstream side. The dust collecting and deodorizing unit 12 has a frame-shaped unit case 15, and the unit case 15 includes a dust collecting filter 1.
6 and a deodorizing filter 17 (supporting member). These filters 16 and 17 are obtained by bending a nonwoven fabric that allows air to flow, into a wave shape. The dust collection filter 16 is disposed upstream of the air passage 11a, and the deodorizing filter 17 is disposed downstream. It is stuck.
The deodorizing filter 17 carries an adsorbent made of powder such as activated carbon, zeolite, and silica gel, and a photocatalyst made of metal oxide powder such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide.

By driving the blower 13, air is taken into the air passage 11a. The dust in the air is captured by the dust collecting filter 16, and odorous substances such as toluene and acetaldehyde are adsorbed by the adsorbent of the deodorizing filter 17. After that, the air is cooled by the evaporator 14 and further blown out to the passenger compartment through an air mixing door, a heater, and the like (not shown).

Next, the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 will be described. The ultraviolet irradiation device 20 is separate from the vehicle on which the air conditioner 10 is mounted, and is not built in the vehicle. The irradiation device 20 is installed in a maintenance company such as a vehicle dealer or a maintenance company, and does not need to be individually owned by a user of the vehicle.

The irradiation device 20 includes a light source 21 for ultraviolet (light).
And a flexible insertion cable 22 extending from the light source 21
(Insertion section). The insertion cable 22 has a number of optical fibers 23 for transmitting ultraviolet light from the light source 21.
(Transmission path) is accommodated, and the ultraviolet rays
2 from the tip. The insertion cable 22 can be inserted into and removed from an insertion port 11 b formed in the apparatus main body 11 between the dust collection / deodorization unit 12 and the blower 13. The insertion port 11b is provided with the cap 18
It can be opened and closed by inserting and removing (closing means), and is closed except during maintenance.

A maintenance method using the above system will be described. The maintenance contractor receiving the request of the user arranges the vehicle near the light source 21 and opens the insertion slot 11b. The insertion cable 22 is inserted from the insertion port 11b into the air passage 11a. The tip of the insertion cable 22 is directed to the deodorizing filter 17 and the light source 21 is turned on. As a result, the ultraviolet rays impinge on the photocatalyst of the deodorizing filter 17, and the odorous substance adsorbed by the adsorbent is decomposed into another substance having no odor and released from the adsorbent. Thereby, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be maintained or restored.

Since the size and power consumption of the light source 21 are not limited by the vehicle, a powerful ultraviolet light source can be used. As a result, the time required for irradiation can be reduced, and maintenance can be performed in a short time. For example, the conventional light source installed in a vehicle takes 6 hours, whereas the present invention increases the UV intensity by a factor of 10 to 30 times.
It can be done in minutes.

Since the air conditioner 10 does not need to incorporate a light source, the size can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Further, since there is no light source in the air passage 11a, the ventilation resistance can be reduced.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the dust collection and deodorization unit 12 includes a blower 13
And the evaporator 14. Further, the insertion opening 11b of the first embodiment is not formed in the apparatus main body 11.

At the time of maintenance, the blower 13 is removed from the mounting hole 11c for the blower 13 of the apparatus main body 11. Then, using the mounting hole 11c as an insertion port, the insertion cable 2
2 is put into the air passage 11a, and the dust collecting and deodorizing unit 12 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The dust collection filter 16 faces the insertion cable 22, and the ultraviolet transmittance of the filter 16 is, for example, about 63%. Therefore, the ultraviolet light can be sufficiently applied to the deodorizing filter 17. Further, ultraviolet rays can be applied to the evaporator 14 located downstream of the evaporator 14, and bacteria attached to the surface of the evaporator 14 can be sterilized by the ultraviolet rays.

In the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the distal end of the insertion cable 22 is flattened and the ultraviolet radiation port 22a is wide. Thereby, it is possible to irradiate ultraviolet rays in a wide range.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can adopt various forms. For example, the insertion section may be in the form of a hard rod. The air inlet of the deodorizing device may be used as an insertion port, and the insertion portion may be inserted into the air passage. The light of the light source is not limited to ultraviolet light, as long as it causes the photocatalyst to decompose. Also in the first embodiment, the blower 13 may be removed from the mounting hole 11c, and the insertion cable 22 may be inserted into the mounting hole 11c to perform ultraviolet irradiation. In this case, the insertion cable 22 can be directed to the downstream evaporator 14 to sterilize the surface of the evaporator 14. The vehicle deodorizing device of the present invention includes, in addition to the air conditioner, an air purifier without an evaporator or a heater.

[0019]

As described above, in the first and third aspects of the present invention, the photocatalyst can be decomposed and the adsorbing ability of the adsorbent can be maintained or restored without providing a light source in the deodorizing device. As a result, the size and cost of the deodorizing device can be reduced. Further, the flow resistance of the air in the air passage can be reduced. In the second invention, it is not necessary to provide an insertion port dedicated to the insertion section in the device main body of the deodorization device. According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent air from entering and exiting from the insertion port when the deodorizing member is operated. According to the fifth aspect, the support member can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays over a wide range.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a maintenance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a maintenance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a distal end portion of an insertion cable according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Air conditioning apparatus for vehicles 11 Main body 11a Air passage 11b Insertion port 11c Mounting hole 13 Blower (blowing means) 17 Deodorizing filter (supporting member) 21 Light source 22 Insertion cable (insertion section) 23 Optical fiber (transmission path)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Yasunori Fujita 39, Higashihara, Chiyo-ji, Odai-gun, Osato-gun, Saitama Prefecture Inside Zexel Air Conditioning Co., Ltd. F-term in Zexel Air Conditioning Co., Ltd. (reference) 4C080 AA05 AA10 BB02 CC12 KK08 MM02 MM04 MM05 MM06 QQ11 4D048 AA22 AB03 BA07X BA16X BA41X BB04 BB08 BD10 CC38 CD05 EA01 EA04

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus body having an air passage formed therein.
A deodorizing device for a vehicle, in which the air passage is provided with a blowing means and a supporting member allowing air to flow, and the supporting member carries an adsorbent for adsorbing odorous substances and a photocatalyst for decomposing the odorous substances. A method for maintaining a light source, wherein a light source is disposed outside the deodorizing device, and an insertion portion having a transmission path for transmitting light from the light source and extending from the light source is inserted through an insertion port provided in the device main body. A maintenance method for a deodorizing device for a vehicle, comprising inserting the light into the air passage, irradiating the photocatalyst with the light from the tip of the insertion portion, and causing the photocatalyst to cause the decomposition action. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: removing air blowing means from a mounting hole for the air blowing means formed in the apparatus main body, and inserting the insertion portion into the air passage using the mounting hole as the insertion port. A maintenance method for the vehicle deodorizing device according to claim 1. 3. An apparatus main body having an air passage formed therein,
A deodorizing device for a vehicle, in which the air passage is provided with a blowing means and a supporting member allowing air to flow, and the supporting member carries an adsorbent for adsorbing odorous substances and a photocatalyst for decomposing the odorous substances. A system for maintaining the device, wherein an insertion port is provided in the device body, a light source disposed outside the deodorizing device, and a transmission path for transmitting light of the light source. A maintenance part for a vehicle deodorization device, comprising: an insertion part inserted into an insertion opening, wherein the light is irradiated on the photocatalyst from the tip of the insertion part, whereby the photocatalyst causes the decomposition action. . 4. The insertion opening is openable and closable,
The maintenance system for a vehicle deodorization device according to claim 3, wherein the maintenance device is closed when the air flows through the air passage, and is opened when the insertion portion is inserted. 5. The maintenance system for a vehicle deodorizing device according to claim 3, wherein the distal end of the insertion portion is wide.