Electrostatic atomization system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751385-B2
Application number	US-201113820004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2011
Priority date	Sep 24, 2010
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle includes an electrostatic atomization device that generates and emits charged micro-particle water from an emission port, a vehicle interior introduction port arranged in an instrument panel in a vehicle interior, and a communication duct that connects the emission port and the vehicle interior introduction port to emit the charged micro-particle water from the vehicle interior introduction port to the vehicle interior. The communication duct includes a first curved portion, which is arranged between the emission port and the vehicle interior introduction port and curved downward in a lower position than the vehicle interior introduction port, and a second curved portion, which is arranged between the first curved portion and the emission port and curved upward in an upper position than the first curved portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle comprising:
an electrostatic atomization device that generates charged micro-particle water by applying a high voltage to a liquid supplied to a discharge unit, wherein the electrostatic atomization device includes an emission port for emitting the charged micro-particle water;
a vehicle interior introduction port arranged in an instrument panel in a vehicle interior and exposed to the vehicle interior, wherein the vehicle interior introduction port is partitioned from an air flow path of an air conditioner and is not in communication with an air outlet of the air conditioner; and
a communication duct that includes two ends, wherein one of the two ends is connected to the emission port of the electrostatic atomization device and the other one of the two ends is fixed to the instrument panel and connected to the vehicle interior introduction port so that the charged micro-particle water generated by the electrostatic atomization device and flowing entirely through the communication duct is emitted from the vehicle interior introduction port toward the vehicle interior, wherein:
the electrostatic atomization device is located in a lower position than the vehicle interior introduction port in a vertical direction, the position causing a backflow of a liquid through the communication duct from the vehicle interior introduction port to the electrostatic atomization device, and
the communication duct includes:
a first curved portion arranged between the emission port and the vehicle interior introduction port, wherein the first curved portion is maintained curved downward in a lower position than the vehicle interior introduction port in the vertical direction; and
a second curved portion arranged between the first curved portion and the emission port, wherein the second curved portion is maintained curved upward in an upper position than the first curved portion in the vertical direction.

2. The electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the communication duct further includes a drain hole formed in a lowest position of the first curved portion.

3. The electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the drain hole is formed to reduce an inner diameter of the communication duct on an upstream side in a direction in which the charged micro-particle water flows.

4. The electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second curved portions are formed twice or more in the communication duct between the vehicle interior introduction port and the emission port.

5. The electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the communication duct includes an inner surface formed in a smooth shape.

6. The electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the communication duct includes a smooth inner surface.

Assignees

• Yano Takeshi
• Sugawa Akihide
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yano Takeshi
• Sugawa Akihide

Classifications

• B60H3/0071 Primary

  Electrically conditioning the air, e.g. by ionizing · CPC title

• B05B5/025

  Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns · CPC title

• B05B5/0255

  spraying and depositing by electrostatic forces only · CPC title

• B05B5/057

  Arrangements for discharging liquids or other fluent material without using a gun or nozzle · CPC title