JPH0939558A - Car interior deodorizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently eliminate odor in the interior of a car caused by smoking, etc., by making use of an optical catalyst. SOLUTION: An air passage 1 communicated with a car interior 4 is communicated with also the outside of a car by an opening 5 through internal and external air switching dampers 6, an optical catalyst and a ultraviolet lamp are respectively provided in deodorizing boxes 7, 8 arranged in the air passage 1, air blast fans 12, 13 are arranged in the air passage 1, the ultraviolet lamp is turned on and the optical catalyst is activated when use of an ashtray is detected, at the same time, the air blast fans 12, 13 are driven, and air in the car circulates through the air passage 1 as shown by an arrow in form of a solid line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for eliminating an odor in a vehicle due to smoking or the like by using a photocatalyst.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-9 discloses a deodorizing device in a vehicle.
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 9933, a lamp box containing an ultraviolet lamp and activated carbon coated with a photocatalyst is installed at a ventilation port in a vehicle, and the ultraviolet lamp is turned on by a plug inserted into an outlet for a cigarette lighter. It is known that the odorous air inside the vehicle is deodorized when it passes through the lamp box by irradiating the activated carbon with the ultraviolet rays from the lamp. It is necessary to insert the plug into the outlet, which is very troublesome in practice, but if you leave the deodorizing device activated, it always consumes power even when deodorizing is not necessary, It was unavoidable to become uneconomical.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of efficiently eliminating an odor in a vehicle caused by smoking or the like by utilizing a photocatalyst.

[0004]

Therefore, an in-vehicle deodorizing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a deodorizing photocatalyst installed in an air passage to the inside of the vehicle and a photocatalyst disposed near the photocatalyst and activating the photocatalyst at the time of lighting. It has a lamp, smoking detection means for detecting smoking of an occupant, and control means for lighting the lamp in response to detection of smoking by the smoking detection means.

Therefore, when the smoking detection means detects the smoking of the occupant, the control means is automatically operated to turn on the lamp, so that the deodorizing photocatalyst arranged in the vicinity of the lamp is activated to enter the vehicle. The air in the air passage is deodorized by the contact with the photocatalyst, so that the inside of the vehicle can be cleaned quickly and reliably.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below. In FIG. 1, an air passage 1 formed in a dashboard of a vehicle communicates with a vehicle interior 4 through openings 2 and 3, respectively, and communicates with the outside of the vehicle through an opening 5 so that the inside and outside of the vehicle are close to the opening 5. An air switching damper 6 is provided.

Further, deodorizing boxes 7 and 8 having the same structure are installed in the portions inside the air passage 1 which are respectively close to the openings 2 and 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, titanium oxide, yttrium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, etc., or platinum, palladium, rhodium, etc. supported on these deodorization boxes 7 and 8 are used for deodorization. The photocatalyst is attached to the activated carbon fiber so that the catalyst body 10 is installed so as to have air permeability, and the ultraviolet lamp 11 is arranged in the vicinity of the catalyst body 10, and the ultraviolet lamp 11 is turned on. For example, the photocatalyst of the catalyst body 10 irradiated with the ultraviolet rays is activated.

Further, in the air passage 1 on the side opposite to the openings 2 and 3 of the deodorizing boxes 7 and 8, the first fan 12 is provided.
And the second fan 13 is installed, and the first fan 12
Is a reversible type and can blow air selectively in any direction, while the second fan 13 can blow air only toward the deodorizing box 8.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the controller 20 mounted on the vehicle has a deodorizing switch 21 and an inside / outside air changeover switch 2 provided in the driver's seat, respectively.
2. Signals are respectively input from the fan switch 23, the ashtray switch 24, and the odor sensor 25 installed near the ceiling in the vehicle compartment 4, and the controller 20 outputs the ultraviolet lamp 11 in accordance with the signals from these sensors, as described later. Control signals are sent to the inside / outside air switching damper 6, the first fan 12, and the second fan 13, respectively, and their operations are controlled.

The control operation of the above apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. First, in step S1, it is checked whether or not the deodorizing switch 21 is in the automatic position, and if it is in the automatic position, the process proceeds to step S2. Then, it is checked whether the ashtray switch 24 is turned on.

If the ashtray switch 24 is turned on in step S2, it is determined that the occupant is smoking in step S3.
At step S4, the inside / outside air switching damper 6 is set to the inside air circulation mode as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, and further, at step S5, as shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. Since the air in the vehicle compartment 4 is forcibly sucked into the deodorization box 7 through the opening 2 by the intake operation of the first fan 12, the HC contained in the air flowing through the catalyst body 10 in the deodorization box 7 The odorous components such as the components are adsorbed on the photocatalyst activated by the ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 11 and oxidized to be released as carbon oxide and water, and at the same time, the second fan 13 blows out the air inside the air passage 1. Of the air is forcibly blown into the deodorizing box 8, and like the deodorizing box 7, the air is deodorized by the oxidation of the odorous components in the deodorizing box 8, and the purified air is discharged from the opening 3 to the vehicle. Blown out into chamber 4 .

That is, smoking of the occupant is easily detected by turning on the ashtray switch 24, the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 are automatically driven to circulate the inside air, and the odorous components generated by smoking are activated. The photocatalyst that has been turned on removes it quickly and surely, and deodorizes efficiently. Therefore, the interior of the vehicle compartment 4 can be always kept clean without taking in outside air, which is very convenient.

If the deodorizing switch 21 is not set to the automatic position in step S1, step S6.
Then, it is checked whether or not the deodorizing switch 21 is turned on, and if the deodorizing switch 21 is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S7, and whether the odor sensor 25 detects the odor caused by the occupant's smoking or the like. Is checked. If the odor sensor 25 detects the odor in the vehicle compartment 4 in step S7, the process proceeds to step S3, and the deodorizing action in the vehicle is performed in the same manner as described above. However, in step S7, the odor sensor 25 detects the odor in the vehicle compartment 4. Is not detected, step S
8, the ultraviolet lamps 11 are turned off, and it is checked in the next step S9 whether or not the fan switch 23 is turned on.

If the fan switch 23 is not turned on in step S9, the first fan 12 is operated in step S10.
Then, the second fan 13 is stopped, the position of the inside / outside air changeover switch 22 is checked in step S11, and if it is in the inside air circulation mode, the process proceeds to step S12, where the inside / outside air changeover damper 6 is as shown by the solid line in FIG. If the inside air circulation mode is set and the position of the inside / outside air changeover switch 22 is set to the outside air introduction mode in step S11, the process proceeds to step S13 and the inside / outside air changeover damper 6 is changed to the outside air introduction mode as shown by the broken line in FIG. After being set, the process returns to step S1.

If the ashtray switch 24 is turned off in step S2, is the occupant smoking?
Alternatively, assuming that smoking has ended, an appropriate fixed time is set immediately or by a timer, that is, after a fixed time when it is considered that the odor in the passenger compartment 4 has completely disappeared due to the action of the photocatalyst, the process proceeds to step S7. After that, the same control action as described above is performed.

Further, if the deodorizing switch 21 is turned on in step S6, the process proceeds to step S14,
Each ultraviolet lamp 11 is turned on and the process proceeds to step S15,
The position of the inside / outside air changeover switch 22 is checked, and if it is in the outside air introduction mode, the routine proceeds to step S16, where the inside / outside air changeover damper 6 is set to the outside air introduction mode as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, and at the next step S17. Both the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 perform blow-out operation, whereby the outside air taken into the air passage 1 through the inside / outside air switching damper 6 from the opening 5 is indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. H contained in the outside air forcedly sent into the deodorizing boxes 7 and 8 and flowing through both catalyst bodies 10 in the deodorizing boxes 7 and 8.
The odorous components such as C component are adsorbed by the photocatalyst activated by the ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet lamp 11 and oxidized, and are released as carbon dioxide and water to be deodorized and the cleaned outside air is removed. Each of the openings 2 and 3 is blown into the vehicle interior 4 as indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 1, and the process returns to step S1.

That is, even when the outside air is introduced into the passenger compartment 4, the ultraviolet lamps 11 are automatically turned on, and the activated photocatalysts in the deodorization boxes 7 and 8 remove the odorous components contained in the outside air. Since it is reliably removed, the interior of the vehicle compartment 4 can be kept clean.

Further, in step S9, the fan switch 23
If is turned on, the process proceeds to step S15, and thereafter, the same control action as described above is performed, while if the inside / outside air changeover switch 22 is in the inside air circulation mode in step S15, the process proceeds to step S4, and thereafter. The same control action as is performed.

As described above, when the deodorizing switch 21 is set to the automatic position and the ashtray switch 24 is turned on, smoking of the occupant is detected, or the deodorizing switch 21 is turned on by the occupant, or Odor sensor 25
When the odor is detected in the passenger compartment 4 due to smoking by an occupant, the ultraviolet lamps 11 in the deodorization boxes 7 and 8 are turned on to activate the photocatalyst, and the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 are driven. Since the air in the passenger compartment comes into contact with the photocatalysts in both deodorization boxes 7 and 8 and is effectively deodorized, the interior of the passenger compartment 4 is always kept clean, and the driving of these fans 12 and 13 Since the ultraviolet lamps 11 are automatically turned on only when necessary and no troublesome operation is required, the handling is very convenient, and at the same time, the waste of electric power can be easily avoided. There are advantages.

The ashtray switch 24 and the odor sensor 25 are also provided.
When the smoking of the occupant is detected by the controller 20, the controller 20 sets the inside / outside air switching damper 6 to the inside air circulation mode, so that the first fan 12 sucks in the vehicle interior air and the second
Since the fan 13 blows the air into the passenger compartment 4, the photocatalyst deodorizes the air inside the vehicle extremely efficiently even when the introduction of outside air is not preferable because the vehicle is traveling in a tunnel or the like. be able to.

In the above embodiment, the use of the ashtray is detected as one of the smoking detection means for the occupant, but the use of a cigar lighter may be detected instead of the ashtray. The turning off of each of the ultraviolet lamps and the stop of the driving of each fan may be performed when a certain time has elapsed after the smoking of the occupant is no longer detected or when a certain time has elapsed after the smoking of the occupant was detected. In the above embodiment, the suction fan for deodorizing when smoking in the vehicle is configured to perform the blowing action into the vehicle when taking in the outside air, but this fan is configured to be able to blow only for suction from the vehicle, It goes without saying that it may be stopped when the outside air is introduced.

[0022]

In the in-vehicle deodorizing device according to the present invention, when the smoking detecting means detects the smoking of the occupant, the controlling means is automatically operated to activate the deodorizing photocatalyst by lighting the lamp, Since the air in the air passage to the inside of the vehicle is deodorized by contact with the photocatalyst, the inside of the vehicle is always kept clean without any troublesome operation, and wasteful consumption of electric power can be easily suppressed. , Economical.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a control mechanism diagram of the embodiment example.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Air passage 4 Vehicle compartment 6 Inside / outside air switching damper 7, 8 Deodorizing box 10 Catalyst body 11 UV lamp 12 First fan 13 Second fan 20 Controller 21 Deodorizing switch 22 Inside / outside air changing switch 23 Fan switch 24 Ashtray switch 25 Odor sensor

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A deodorizing photocatalyst installed in an air passage communicating with the inside of a vehicle, a lamp arranged near the photocatalyst for activating the photocatalyst at the time of lighting, and a smoking detecting means for detecting smoking of an occupant, An in-vehicle deodorizing device having a control means for turning on the lamp in response to detection of the smoking by the smoking detection means. 2. The air passage according to claim 1, wherein the air passage is configured to be switchable between an inside air circulation mode and an outside air introduction mode, and the control means operates the inside air passage inside the air passage in response to detection of the smoking by the smoking detection means. In-vehicle deodorizing device that switches to circulation mode. 3. The air passage according to claim 1, wherein the air passage has a first passage and a second passage in which the photocatalyst for deodorization and the lamp are installed and communicates with the interior of the vehicle, respectively. An in-vehicle deodorizing device configured to blow out the in-vehicle air sucked into the first passage into the vehicle through the second passage in response to the detection of the smoking by the smoking detection means. 4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein in the outside air introduction mode of the air passage, the introduced outside air is blown into the vehicle through at least one of the first passage and the second passage. In-vehicle deodorizing device. 5. The in-vehicle deodorizing device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein blower fans controlled by the control means are installed in the first passage and the second passage, respectively. 6. The in-vehicle deodorizing device according to claim 1, wherein the smoking detection means is configured to detect at least one of use of an ashtray, use of a cigar lighter, and operation of an odor sensor.