Motor vehicle with disinfection device

Abstract

Motor vehicle (1) with an instrument panel (5) and / or a center console (15), on each of which at least one actuating device (25) is arranged or arranged adjacent thereto, characterized in that at least one outlet nozzle (30) is arranged on the instrument panel (5) and / or the center console (15) and / or the actuating device (25) in such a way that a jet of a disinfectant (35) emerging from it strikes the actuating device (25).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle with a disinfection device according to claim 1.

[0002] DE 10 2013 002 539 A1 discloses a device for cleaning the rim of a motor vehicle steering wheel. This known device is specifically intended for use on a motor vehicle steering wheel and is not suitable for acting on actuating devices located in the area of ​​a center console or instrument panel or adjacent thereto, in particular gearshift levers or rotary push-buttons.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor vehicle in which disinfection of actuating devices arranged in the area of ​​a center console or instrument panel or adjacent thereto, in particular gearshift levers or rotary push buttons, is possible.

[0004] This object is achieved by a motor vehicle according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments are specified in the subclaims.

[0005] The motor vehicle according to the invention has an instrument panel and / or a center console, on each of which at least one actuating device is arranged or arranged adjacent thereto. At least one outlet nozzle is arranged on the instrument panel and / or the center console and / or the actuating device in such a way that a jet of disinfectant emerging from it impinges on the actuating device. This advantageously provides reliable disinfection of those components in the motor vehicle that are frequently touched by vehicle occupants. This advantage is all the more significant given that the motor vehicle may be part of a rental car or car-sharing fleet used by a wide variety of different people.

[0006] Disinfectant can be dispensed manually or automatically. For this purpose, an input device is advantageously provided, which is operated manually or automatically to emit a signal acting on the outlet nozzle. The input device can be mechanical, in particular a lever, or automatic, in particular an electrical or electronic input device, in particular a switch or a computer device, operatively connected to the on-board electronics of the motor vehicle.

[0007] A pump is provided to generate the necessary overpressure relative to the ambient air pressure for dispensing the disinfectant. This pump is operated in accordance with a signal issued by the input device or the on-board electronics, which determines, in particular, the duration and / or level of the overpressure.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment, it is possible to manually adjust the discharge direction and / or the discharge quantity and / or the discharge speed of the disinfectant emerging from the at least one outlet nozzle. This allows a disinfection process to be easily adapted, in particular, to the personal preferences of a user of the motor vehicle according to the invention.

[0009] In order to avoid excessively long lines for supplying the disinfectant from a disinfectant storage container to an outlet nozzle, it is advantageously provided that the disinfectant storage container is located in the instrument panel and / or in the center console.

[0010] It is understood that each outlet nozzle can be fluidically connected to its own disinfectant reservoir. However, according to an advantageous development, at least two outlet nozzles are fluidically connected to a single disinfectant reservoir. This reduces the effort required for refilling the disinfectant reservoir or for replacing an empty disinfectant reservoir with a filled one.

[0011] In principle, the disinfectant used in the motor vehicle according to the invention can be any disinfectant suitable for surface disinfection by spraying. However, in order to keep the disinfection process as short as possible, it is advantageously provided that the disinfectant contains propanol, which evaporates quickly after application to the components to be disinfected.

[0012] A disinfection process within the motor vehicle according to the invention can be initiated in the presence of a person, particularly in the driver's seat. If disinfection is desired without a person in the vehicle, an automated process with the following steps can advantageously be provided: 1. Determine whether there is a person in the motor vehicle; 2. If there is no person in the motor vehicle, dispense disinfectant from at least one, several or, if applicable, all of the provided dispensing nozzles in the direction of the actuating device(s); 3. Stopping the dispensing of disinfectant after a defined criterion has been met, in particular when a defined duration of disinfectant dispensing and / or a defined dispensing quantity has been reached; 4. After a defined exposure time of the disinfectant on the actuating device(s), switch on a ventilation system in the vehicle; 5. Termination of the ventilation process after a certain period of time.

[0013] With the help of this method, it is advantageously possible to dispense disinfectants with which people should not come into direct contact, in particular by inhaling them.

[0014] Below, a detailed, non-prejudicial, particularly limiting, description of an embodiment of the present invention is given with reference to the attached figure.

[0015] The figure schematically shows part of a motor vehicle 1, which in a conventional manner has an instrument panel 5 with a steering wheel 10, a windshield 15, and a center console 20. On the instrument panel 5, as viewed in the transverse direction y of the vehicle, there are two actuating devices 25 arranged next to one another, for example in the form of rotary switches. In the figure, above the latter there is an outlet nozzle 30 with two outlets, from which a disinfectant, represented by the arrows 35, can be dispensed in the direction of the actuating devices 25.

[0016] Two additional actuating devices 25 are provided on the center console 20. The actuating device 25 adjacent to the instrument panel 5 is actuated by disinfectant 35 when the outlet nozzle 30 located next to it discharges disinfectant 35. In contrast, an outlet nozzle 30 on the actuating device 25 remote from the instrument panel 5 is integrally incorporated in the latter. This outlet nozzle 30 is configured to discharge disinfectant 35 in various directions, in this embodiment essentially covering a circular area.

[0017] A first supply of disinfectant 35 is located in a first disinfectant reservoir 40, which is arranged in the instrument panel 5 and is fluidly connected to the outlet nozzle 30 by means of a first line 45. A second supply of disinfectant 35 is located in a second disinfectant reservoir 40, which is arranged in the center console 20 and is fluidly connected to the two outlet nozzles 30 arranged on the center console 20 by means of a second line 45.

[0018] It is understood that the design of the outlet nozzles 30, in particular their number, size, disinfectant discharge quantity and / or volume, can be selected depending on a desired effect of the disinfectant 35. List of reference symbols 1 motor vehicle 5 Instrument panel 10 Steering wheel 15 Windscreen 20 Center console 25 Actuating device 30 Outlet nozzle 35 disinfectants 40 disinfectant storage containers 45 lines x,y,z axes of a known vehicle-specific Cartesian coordinate system

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle (1) with an instrument panel (5) and / or a center console (15), on each of which at least one actuating device (25) is arranged or arranged adjacent thereto, characterized by that at least one outlet nozzle (30) is arranged on the instrument panel (5) and / or the center console (15) and / or the actuating device (25) in such a way that a jet of a disinfectant (35) emerging from this nozzle impinges on the actuating device (25). [2] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the outlet direction and / or the outlet quantity and / or the outlet speed of the disinfectant (35) exiting from the at least one outlet nozzle (30) is designed to be manually adjustable. [3] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat a disinfectant storage container (40) is located in the instrument panel (5) and / or a disinfectant storage container (40) is located in the center console (20). [4] Motor vehicle (1) according to claim 3, characterized by that at least two outlet nozzles (30) are fluidically connected to a disinfectant storage container (40). [5] Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the disinfectant (35) contains propanol.

Images