Treatment apparatus for a vehicle to treat an object with ultraviolet light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021308317-A1
Application number	US-202016837653-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A treatment apparatus for a vehicle comprises: a housing with at least one wall and a floor forming a treatment chamber; a source of ultraviolet light configured to emit ultraviolet light into the treatment chamber; and a door connected to the housing, the door having (i) an open position providing access to the treatment chamber and (ii) a closed position denying access to the treatment chamber and, together with the housing, preventing emitted ultraviolet light from irradiating beyond the treatment chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A treatment apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a housing with at least one wall and a floor forming a treatment chamber; a source of ultraviolet light configured to emit ultraviolet light into the treatment chamber; and a door connected to the housing, the door having (i) an open position providing access to the treatment chamber and (ii) a closed position denying access to the treatment chamber and, together with the housing, preventing emitted ultraviolet light from irradiating beyond the treatment chamber.

2 . The treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the source of ultraviolet light does not emit ultraviolet light if the door is in the open position.

3 . The treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a sensor that produces output that varies as a function of the door being in the open position or the closed position; and
a controller in communication with the sensor and the source of ultraviolet light, the controller deactivates the source of ultraviolet light when the sensor produces output indicative of the door being in the open position.

4 . The treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a bandpass filter disposed between the source of ultraviolet light and the treatment chamber that transmits less than 10 percent of ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 290 nm to 400 nm but transmit greater than 10 percent of ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 280 nm.

5 . The treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a display; and
a controller in communication with the display and the source of ultraviolet light, the controller causes the display to provide a visual indication that the source of ultraviolet light is emitting ultraviolet light when the controller is causing the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light.

6 . The treatment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a locking system that prevents the door from transitioning from the closed position to the open position while the source of ultraviolet light is emitting ultraviolet light.

7 . A treatment apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a housing with a wall and a floor forming a treatment chamber; a source of ultraviolet light configured to emit ultraviolet light into the treatment chamber; and at least one of (i) a bandpass filter disposed between the source of ultraviolet light and the treatment chamber that transmits a greater percentage of ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 280 nm than ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 290 nm to 400 nm; (ii) a metal heatsink in thermal communication with the source of ultraviolet light, (iii) a fan positioned to circulate air onto the source of ultraviolet light or a printed circuit board upon which the source of ultraviolet light is mounted; or (iv) a sensor in communication with a controller, the sensor producing output to the controller that varies as a function of a temperature of the source of ultraviolet light or a printed circuit board upon which the source of ultraviolet light is mounted, and the controller deactivates the source of ultraviolet light as a function of the output of the sensor.

8 . The treatment apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
a coating disposed over a portion of the housing open to the treatment chamber that reflects at least 50 percent of ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 280 nm.

9 . The treatment apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:
a door connected to the housing, the door having (i) an open position providing access to the treatment chamber and (ii) a closed position denying access to the treatment chamber,
wherein, the coating is further disposed over a portion of the door that is open to the treatment chamber.

10 . The treatment apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
the metal heatsink in thermal communication with the source of ultraviolet light.

11 . The treatment apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
the fan positioned to circulate air onto the source of ultraviolet light or the printed circuit board upon which the source of ultraviolet light is mounted.

12 . The treatment apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
the sensor in communication with the controller, the sensor producing output to the controller that varies as a function of the temperature of the source of ultraviolet light or the printed circuit board upon which the source of ultraviolet light is mounted generates, and the controller deactivates the source of ultraviolet light as a function of the output of the sensor.

13 . A treatment apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a housing with at least one wall and a floor forming a treatment chamber; a source of ultraviolet light configured to emit ultraviolet light into the treatment chamber; and a controller in communication with the source of ultraviolet light that causes the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light for a predetermined period of time and, upon conclusion of the predetermined period of time, deactivates the source of ultraviolet light.

14 . The treatment apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
a user interface in communication with the controller where a passenger of the vehicle inputs the predetermined period of time that the source of ultraviolet light is to emit ultraviolet light into the treatment chamber;
wherein, the controller causes the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light for the predetermined period of time and, upon conclusion of the predetermined period of time, deactivates the source of ultraviolet light.

15 . The treatment apparatus of claim 14 , wherein
the controller determines (i) a total energy that the source of ultraviolet light is to emit into the treatment chamber, and (ii) an intensity of ultraviolet light as a function of the total energy and the predetermined period of time; and the controller causes the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light for the predetermined period of time and at the intensity and, upon conclusion of the predetermined period of time, deactivates the source of ultraviolet light.

16 . The treatment apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
a user interface in communication with the controller, the user interface providing selectable options for identifying an object to be treated in the treatment chamber for a passenger of the vehicle to select as a selected option of the selectable options;
wherein, the controller determines the predetermined period of time as a function of the selected option, causes the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light for the predetermined period of time, and, upon conclusion of the predetermined period of time, deactivates the source of ultraviolet light.

17 . The treatment apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
a camera in communication with the controller that captures an image of an object to be treated in the treatment chamber;
wherein, the controller determines the predetermined period of time as a function of the image of the object, causes the source of ultraviolet light to emit ultraviolet light for the predetermined period of time, and, upon conclusion of the predetermined period of time, deactivates the source of ultraviolet light.

18 . The treatment apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
a sensor in communication with the controller that collects a volume of airborne particulate matter and provides a signal to the controller that varies as a function of the volume of airborne particulate matter collected;
wherein, the cont

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chen Jay Z
• Ligi Jr Anthony
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert
• Hrecznyj Michael
• Maranville Clay Wesley
• Langhorst Amy Ellen
• Wykoff Rick H

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/60 Primary

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A61L2/10 Primary

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title