Sterilizer for vehicle and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11771783-B2
Application number	US-202117154001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Sep 3, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A sterilizer for a vehicle includes: a module bracket fixed to an interior component of a vehicle; a slider slidably mounted on the module bracket; a module case connected to the slider; a sterilization module disposed within the module case and configured to radiate ultraviolet rays to an outside; and a motor fixed to the module bracket to drive the slider by a passenger's request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sterilizer for a vehicle comprising:
a module bracket fixed to an interior component of a vehicle;
a slider slidably mounted on the module bracket;
a module case connected to the slider;
a sterilization module disposed within the module case and configured to radiate ultraviolet rays to an outside;
a motor fixed to the module bracket to drive the slider by a passenger's request; and
an interior controller configured to move the slider up to a predetermined reference height such that the module case protrudes to a surface of the interior component by driving the motor when a portable request of the passenger is input, and to facilitate detachment of the sterilizer by freely rotating the motor when the passenger pulls the sterilizer to be separated from the interior component, after the slider moves up to the predetermined reference height.

2. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the module bracket is fixed to a back of the surface of the interior component, and
wherein the slider is configured such that the module case penetrates the interior component and is movable upwardly to protrude from the surface of the interior component by driving the motor.

3. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the module case is rotatably connected to the slider, and
wherein a torsion spring is arranged between the module case and the slider, and is configured to elastically support the module case such that the module case is rotated at a predetermined angle with respect to the slider when the module case protrudes from the surface of the interior component.

4. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 3 ,
wherein the predetermined angle is an angle at which the module case protrudes from the surface of the interior component to be rotated with respect to the slider, thereby sterilizably radiating ultraviolet rays to a sterilization-required site of the interior component.

5. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the module case is aligned in a direction in which the slider moves upward and downward when the module case 5 is inserted into the interior component.

6. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 5 ,
wherein the module case is tilted with respect to the slider as the module case protrudes from the surface of the interior component, and a tilt angle of the module case with respect to the slider becomes the predetermined angle when one end of the module case, rotatably connected to the slider, protrudes from the surface of the interior component.

7. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the slider includes a driving groove into which a pinion of the motor is inserted, and
wherein one side of the driving groove includes a rack to which the pinion of the motor is engaged.

8. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the driving groove is opened such that one end of the slider opposing another end of the slider to which the module case is connected is detachable from the pinion of the motor.

9. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sterilization module comprises:
an LED for emitting ultraviolet rays for sterilization;
a body sensing sensor for sensing a presence or absence of a body of a passenger within a sterilizable region of the ultraviolet rays emitted by the LED; and
a module controller for controlling driving of the LED according to a signal of the body sensing sensor.

10. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sterilization module further comprises:
a distance measurement sensor for measuring a distance between a location at which ultraviolet rays emitted by the sterilization module are radiated and the sterilization module; and
a display device for displaying whether the distance is within a sterilization optimal distance by the module controller according to the distance information measured by the distance measurement sensor.

11. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sterilization module has a communication device for receiving an operation input of the passenger and receiving state information of the vehicle by a communication with the interior controller installed on an interior of the vehicle, and
wherein the module controller is configured to control the LED according to information received by the communication device.

12. The sterilizer for a vehicle according to claim 11 ,
wherein the communication device is configured to receive the operation input of the passenger by the communication with a portable wireless terminal of the passenger, and
wherein the module controller is configured to control the LED according to the operation input of the passenger received from the portable wireless terminal and the state information of the vehicle received from the interior controller, which are received by the communication device.

13. A method for controlling a sterilizer for a vehicle, the method comprising:
directing, by an interior controller of the vehicle, an LED of a sterilization module to a sterilization request site by moving a slider by driving a motor such that a module case protrudes from a surface of an interior component, when receiving a sterilization request operation input of a passenger;
starting, by a module controller, sterilization by turning off the LED when a body of a passenger exists by sensing a presence or absence of the body in the sterilization request site, and turning on the LED only when the body does not exist;
continuing, by the module controller, the sterilization during a predetermined reference time, after the sterilization starts;
moving, by the interior controller, the slider up to a predetermined reference height such that the module case protrudes to the surface of the interior component by driving the motor, when a portable request of the passenger is input; and
facilitating detachment of the sterilizer by freely rotating the motor when the passenger pulls the sterilizer to be separated from the interior component, after the slider moves up to the predetermined reference height.

14. The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein while continuing the sterilization during the reference time, when sensing that the body approaches the sterilization request site, the module controller turns off the LED to terminate the sterilization operation.

15. The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the interior component on which the sterilizer for a vehicle is mounted is a door window switch module of a door, and in the case where a sterilization site of the sterilizer for a vehicle is a surface of the door window switch module, and
when recognizing that the door on which the door window switch module is mounted is opened while continuing the sterilization, the module controller turns off the LED to terminate the sterilization operation.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kais Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jae Seung
• Ji Young Hoon

Classifications

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title

• A61L2/10 Primary

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title

• A61L2/24

  Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation · CPC title

• B60R15/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of sanitation devices · CPC title

• A61L2202/11

  Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps · CPC title