UV sterilization device for vehicles

Abstract

To provide a vehicular ultraviolet light sterilization device which can be made compact and can be installed in an installation space of a vehicle compartment even if the installation space is tight.SOLUTION: This vehicular ultraviolet sterilization device 10 includes: an article housing unit installed in an interior member of a vehicle compartment 1; a light guide plate 60 arranged while one surface is covered with the inside of a wall 23 constituting the interior member; and a deep ultraviolet light irradiation unit, wherein the light guide plate 60 has a prismatic surface 65 in which prismatic protrusions extending in a direction intersecting a light incident direction of the deep ultraviolet light irradiation unit are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the light incident direction, the light from the deep ultraviolet light irradiation unit enters from one end surface of the light guide plate 60, is reflected by the prism surface 65, and is illuminated onto the articles placed in the article housing unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle that irradiates deep ultraviolet rays to sterilize items stored in an item storage section installed in a vehicle cabin. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for disinfecting bacteria attached to items such as masks, smartphones, eyeglasses, sunglasses, gloves, etc., as a measure against infection with coronavirus, influenza virus, norovirus, etc. There are various methods for disinfecting, including a method of disinfecting an item by irradiating the item with ultraviolet light of a specific wavelength.

[0003] As an example of an ultraviolet ray irradiator, Patent Document 1 below describes an ultraviolet ray irradiator that sterilizes or disinfects the surface of an article by irradiating ultraviolet rays inside a box. The box is integrally formed with an inner box portion having an open top, an exterior portion that cylindrically covers the inner box portion, and a light source storage portion that stores a light source that emits ultraviolet rays, the inner box portion has a mirror portion that reflects ultraviolet rays formed on its inner surface, the exterior portion has a lid portion that can be opened and closed via a hinge to expose the inside of the inner box portion, and the light source storage portion is provided inside the lid portion in a position that faces the top surface of the inner box portion when the lid is closed, and includes a light source that irradiates ultraviolet rays, a circuit portion for causing the light source to emit light, and a power cable for supplying power to the circuit portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3230607 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, when getting into a vehicle such as an automobile, items such as a mask removed from the face or a smartphone taken out of a pocket or bag may be placed in, for example, a console box or instrument panel tray. If these items could be disinfected in this case, convenience for passengers would be improved, but no technology has focused on this idea.

[0006] Furthermore, even if one attempts to install the ultraviolet irradiation device of Patent Document 1 inside the vehicle cabin, the ultraviolet irradiation device has a light source, circuitry, and power cable arranged inside the lid portion that can be opened and closed relative to the inner box portion, making the entire device bulky, and therefore it is difficult to install it within the limited space inside the vehicle cabin.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles that can be made compact and can be installed even in a small installation space inside the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises an item storage section installed in an interior member inside the vehicle cabin, a light guide plate arranged so that one side is covered by one of the walls constituting the interior member, and a deep ultraviolet irradiation section arranged with its light exit surface facing one end surface of the light guide plate, wherein the light guide plate has a prism surface on which prismatic protrusions extending in a direction intersecting the light incident direction of the deep ultraviolet irradiation section are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the light incident direction, and light from the deep ultraviolet irradiation section enters from one end surface of the light guide plate, is reflected by the prism surface, and is irradiated onto items placed in the item storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the light guide plate is arranged with one side covered by one wall that constitutes the interior member of the vehicle cabin, so that the wall that constitutes the interior member can be used to cover the light guide plate, thereby making it possible to make the sterilization device more compact and allowing the sterilization device to be installed even if the installation space inside the vehicle cabin is relatively narrow. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting components that constitute the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment components that constitute the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle ultraviolet sterilization device installed in the vehicle cabin. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle. [Figure 6] 1 shows a second embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles according to the present invention, where (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts when the lid is open, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts when the lid is closed. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (One embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 5, this ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles irradiates deep ultraviolet rays, which have a well-known sterilizing effect, onto an item 3 stored in an item storage section installed in an interior member 20 inside a vehicle cabin 1, to sterilize bacteria attached to the surface of the item 3 or bacteria that have entered a predetermined location of the item 3. In this embodiment, the item 3 is a mask.

[0013] 1 and 2, a vehicle ultraviolet sterilization device 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "sterilization device 10") in this embodiment has an article storage section (in this embodiment, a drawer container 50 described later) installed in an interior member 20 inside the vehicle cabin 1, a light guide plate 60 arranged with one side (here, one side 63, see FIG. 5) covered by one wall 23 constituting the interior member 20, and a deep ultraviolet irradiator arranged with a light emission surface 71 facing one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60. Note that the deep ultraviolet irradiator in this embodiment is a light emitting diode capable of irradiating deep ultraviolet light (hereinafter, "deep ultraviolet irradiating LED 70").

[0014] 1, the interior member 20 in this embodiment is a so-called console box installed between the driver's seat and the passenger seat at the front of the vehicle. The interior member 20 is generally box-shaped and extends long along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has a storage space 21 (see FIG. 5) capable of storing various small items, and an opening / closing body 22 (so-called armrest) attached to the storage space 21 via a hinge or the like (not shown) so as to be able to open and close.

[0015] The wall 23 (see FIG. 5) located at the bottom of the accommodation space 21 constitutes "one wall constituting the interior member" in the present invention.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, below the wall 23 that constitutes the interior member 20, an attachment space 24 is formed that opens toward the vehicle interior 1 and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. An attachment part 30 is inserted into the attachment space 24, and the attachment part 30 is attached to the interior member 20.

[0017] Next, the attachment part 30 will be described.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, the light guide plate 60 and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiating section (here, deep ultraviolet ray irradiating LEDs 70) are attached to the mounting part 30 to form an integrated unit (assembly). A drawer container 50 forming an article storage section is provided inside the mounting part 30 (see Fig. 5). When the mounting part 30 is attached to the interior member 20, the light guide plate 60 is configured to be arranged inside one wall 23 constituting the interior member 20 with one surface (here, one surface 63) covered (see Fig. 5).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting part 30 has a frame-shaped part 40 that is attached to the interior member 20. A drawer container 50, which has one open face, is slidably inserted into the frame-shaped part 40. Articles 3 are stored in an internal space 50a of the drawer container 50. In other words, the drawer container 50 constitutes the "article storage section" of the present invention. The light guide plate 60 is attached to the frame-shaped part 40 so as to form one wall (forming the ceiling wall, which will be described later) of the frame-shaped part 40 (see FIG. 3). When the drawer container 50 is inserted into the frame-shaped part 40, the surface of the light guide plate 60 that is covered by the wall 23 of the interior member 20 (one surface 63) and the surface opposite to the wall 23 of the interior member 20 (the other surface 64) face the opening 54 of the drawer container 50 (see FIG. 5).

[0020] 2, the frame-shaped part 40 has a generally long box-like shape that is open at the top and front and includes a bottom wall 41 having a generally long plate shape, a pair of side walls 42, 42 extending parallel to each other from both widthwise peripheral edges of the bottom wall 41, a back wall 43 disposed on the back side of the bottom wall 41 and the pair of side walls 42, 42, and a front flange 44 disposed on the front side (toward the vehicle cabin 1) of the bottom wall 41 and the pair of side walls 42, 42 and protruding from the outer peripheries of the bottom wall 41 and the pair of side walls 42, 42. The front flange 44 engages with the front peripheral edge of the mounting space 24 provided in the interior member 20 (see FIG. 4).

[0021] Further, an elongated hole 41 a extending along the longitudinal direction of the bottom wall 41 is formed in the center portion in the width direction of the bottom wall 41 .

[0022] Furthermore, a locking claw 45 that is flexible and deformable is formed on the front side of each side wall 42 via a U-shaped slit 45a. This locking claw 45 is engaged with a locking hole (not shown) provided in the mounting space 24 of the interior member 20, thereby attaching the frame-shaped part 40 to the interior member 20, and ultimately attaching the mounting part 30 as a unit to the interior member 20.

[0023] 2, a support step 42a is formed on the inner surface of each side wall 42 at the leading end in the erecting direction, which is capable of supporting both widthwise sides of the light guide plate 60. Furthermore, a support step 43a is formed on the inner surface of the rear wall 43 at the leading end in the erecting direction, which is capable of supporting the rear side end (one end in the longitudinal direction) of the light guide plate 60.

[0024] Drawer container 50 has a generally long, plate-like bottom wall 51, a pair of side walls 52, 52 extending parallel to each other from both widthwise edges of bottom wall 51, and a front wall 53 located in front of bottom wall 51 and the pair of side walls 52, 52. Drawer container 50 is generally tray-shaped and open on the top and back sides. In other words, one surface (the upper surface) of drawer container 50 is open, and this opening 54 constitutes the "drawer container opening" of this invention.

[0025] A handle 53a is provided on the front wall 53, allowing the drawer container 50 to be slidably pulled out or pushed in relative to the frame-shaped part 40.

[0026] Furthermore, a flexible strip 54 is formed in the center of the width of the bottom wall 51, near the rear opening, via a U-shaped slit 54a. A locking portion 55 protrudes from the outer surface of the free end of the strip 54. The locking portion 55 is slidably inserted into the elongated hole 41a in the bottom wall 41 of the frame part 40, and when the drawer container 50 is fully pulled out from the frame part 40, it locks onto the inner peripheral edge of the front side of the elongated hole 41a, preventing the drawer container 50 from coming off the frame part 40.

[0027] Next, the light guide plate 60 will be described.

[0028] The light guide plate 60 has a generally long plate shape extending long in one direction. One end surface 61 in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60 forms a light incident surface (a surface into which deep ultraviolet light enters) and is disposed opposite a light exit surface 71 of the deep ultraviolet irradiating LED (see FIG. 5).

[0029] The light guide plate 60 also has a prism surface 65 on which prismatic protrusions 66 extending in a direction intersecting the direction of light incidence of the deep ultraviolet irradiating LEDs 70 are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the light incidence direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, prism surfaces 65 are formed on one surface 63 and the other surface 64 in the thickness direction of the light guide plate 60. A plurality of prismatic protrusions 66 extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of light incident from one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60 (here, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60), and these plurality of prismatic protrusions 66 are arranged in parallel to each other at predetermined intervals in the light incident direction, thereby forming the prism surface 65.

[0031] In this embodiment, each prismatic protrusion 66 has a tapered surface 66a that gradually protrudes higher in the direction of light incidence, and a reflective surface 66b that gradually slopes downward from a peak 66c in the direction of light incidence and reflects light. The reflective surface 66b has an angle that is more acute than that of the tapered surface 66a.

[0032] 5, the inclination angle θ2 of the tapered surface 66a with respect to a line L perpendicular to the light incidence direction is preferably 80 to 88°, and more preferably 84 to 87°. Furthermore, the inclination angle θ1 of the reflective surface 66b with respect to a line L perpendicular to the light incidence direction is preferably 2 to 80°, and more preferably 3 to 45°. The inclination angle θ1 is preferably set smaller than the inclination angle θ2. Furthermore, the height H of the prismatic protrusion 66 (the shortest length from the bottom 66d to the top 66c) is preferably 0.05 to 0.3 mm, and more preferably 0.1 to 0.2 mm.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the light guide plate 60 is arranged so that the spacing between adjacent prismatic protrusions 66, 66 (the spacing between the apexes 66c, 66c of adjacent prismatic protrusions 66, 66) becomes narrower from one longitudinal end face 61 to the other longitudinal end face 62.

[0034] Furthermore, the plurality of prismatic protrusions 66 forming the prism surface 65 on one surface 63 and the plurality of prismatic protrusions 66 forming the prism surface 65 on the other surface 64 are arranged so as to be misaligned in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60. That is, the apex 66c of the prismatic protrusions 66 on the one surface 63 side and the apex 66c of the prismatic protrusions 66 on the other surface 64 side are misaligned in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60.

[0035] The light guide plate 60 having the above structure is disposed so that its both longitudinal ends are supported by the support steps 42a, 42a of the pair of side walls 42, 42 that constitute the frame-shaped component 40, one longitudinal end is supported by the support step 43a of the rear wall 43 of the frame-shaped component 40, and the other longitudinal end abuts against the inner surface of the front flange 44 of the frame-shaped component 40, thereby facing the bottom wall 41 of the frame-shaped component 40. Furthermore, both longitudinal ends of the light guide plate 60 are fixed with a plurality of screws 42b, and the light guide plate 60 is integrated with the frame-shaped component 40. As a result, the light guide plate 60 is attached to the frame-shaped component 40 so as to constitute one wall that constitutes the frame-shaped component 40, i.e., the ceiling wall that is disposed opposite the bottom wall 41.

[0036] 5, one surface 63 of light guide plate 60 configured as described above is disposed inside and covered by wall 23 constituting interior member 20, and the other surface 64 is disposed facing bottom wall 51 of drawer container 50. That is, in this embodiment, one surface 63 of light guide plate 60 forms "one side" of light guide plate 60 according to the present invention. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, when drawer container 50 is pressed against frame-shaped component 40 and inserted and disposed within frame-shaped component 40, the other surface 64 of light guide plate 60 opposite one surface 63 faces opening 54 of drawer container 50.

[0037] Furthermore, the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LED 70 in this embodiment has a light emitting surface 71 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and when electricity is supplied from an electricity supply means (not shown), it emits deep ultraviolet rays (UV) of a predetermined wavelength that exhibits a well-known sterilization effect from the light emitting surface 71. The wavelength of the deep ultraviolet rays is preferably 190 to 300 nm, and more preferably 240 to 280 nm.

[0038] Moreover, the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LED 70 in this embodiment is disposed at a tip end portion in the erection direction of the rear wall 43 of the frame-shaped part 40 constituting the mounting part 30, at a position aligned with the stepped part 43a, with the light emission surface 71 facing the one end face 61 forming the light incidence surface of the light guide plate 60. Note that in this embodiment, a plurality of deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LEDs 70 are disposed at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the rear wall 43 or the light guide plate 60 (here, five deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LEDs 70 are disposed at equal intervals).

[0039] In this sterilization device 10, as shown in FIG. 5, the light of the deep ultraviolet irradiation LED 70 enters from one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60, is reflected by the prism surface 65, and is irradiated onto the item 3 placed in the item storage section (here, the item 3 placed in the internal space 50a of the drawer container 50 of the mounting part 30 attached to the mounting space 24 of the interior member 20).

[0040] That is, the light emitted from the light emission surface 71 of the deep ultraviolet irradiating LED 70 is incident into the light guide plate 60 from one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60 and travels straight through the light guide plate 60 (see FIG. 5). At this time, the light emitted from above the deep ultraviolet irradiating LED 70 (see arrow F1) is reflected by colliding with the reflecting surface 66b of the prismatic protrusion 66 of the prismatic surface 65 formed on one surface 63, and as shown by arrow F1', the light incident direction is changed to a direction toward the thickness direction of the light guide plate 60 (a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60), and is irradiated onto the article 3.

[0041] On the other hand, the light emitted from below the deep ultraviolet irradiation LED 70 (see arrow F2) is reflected by colliding with the reflecting surface 66b of the prismatic protrusion 66 of the prism surface 65 formed on the other surface 64, and as shown by arrow F2', the direction of light incidence changes to a direction toward the thickness direction of the light guide plate 60, and is irradiated onto the item 3.

[0042] In this case, as described above, the multiple prismatic protrusions 66 forming the prism surface 65 on one surface 63 and the multiple prismatic protrusions 66 forming the prism surface 65 on the other surface 64 are misaligned in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60, so that the light indicated by arrow F1' reflected by the prism surface 65 on one surface 63 and the light indicated by arrow F2' reflected by the prism surface 65 on the other surface 64 are irradiated onto the object 3 so as not to overlap with each other in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not particularly shown, a control structure capable of controlling the ultraviolet irradiation time is provided, which starts ultraviolet irradiation by the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 when the drawer container 50 is closed after being pulled out from the frame-shaped part 40 and storing the item 3, and can complete ultraviolet irradiation after a predetermined time has elapsed. This structure is configured, for example, by providing a limit switch or proximity sensor in the drawer container 50 or the frame-shaped part 40 to provide a structure that can detect the pulled-out or pushed-in state of the drawer container 50, and by providing a timer or the like that can control the timing of the supply of electricity to the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 in conjunction with this. Furthermore, deep ultraviolet irradiation by the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 may be started in conjunction with starting the vehicle (when the engine is turned on or the EV system is started), or may be started when the vehicle is started and the item 3 is stored in the item storage section.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inside of the wall 23 constituting the interior member 20 may be coated or plated, or a film may be attached, or a material capable of increasing the reflection efficiency of deep ultraviolet rays, such as a glitter material, may be attached.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, the frame-shaped part 40 and the drawer container 50 that constitute the mounting part 30 are formed from synthetic resins such as polypropylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyacetal, etc., but the above components may also be formed from, for example, resins or glass materials that are transparent to ultraviolet light.

[0046] (Variation) The shapes and structures of the item storage section, light guide plate, deep ultraviolet irradiating LED, prismatic protrusions and prism surfaces provided on the light guide plate, mounting parts, frame-shaped parts that constitute the mounting parts, drawer containers that form the item storage section, etc. that constitute the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0047] In addition, although the interior member 20 in this embodiment is a so-called console box, the interior member may also be a so-called instrument panel upper box, a door pocket, a seatback pocket behind the driver's seat or the passenger seat, a glove box, a cigar box, or other small item storage, and is not particularly limited (some of these will be explained in the embodiments described later).

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, item 3 is a mask removed from the face, but the item may also be, for example, a smartphone, glasses, sunglasses, gloves, a wristwatch, various accessories (rings, necklaces, earrings, etc.) taken out from a pocket or bag, etc., and is not particularly limited.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom wall 41 constituting the frame-shaped component 40, the bottom wall 51 constituting the drawer container 50, and the light guide plate 60 are all in the form of long, approximately rectangular plates, but they may also be curved, for example, and can be modified as appropriate depending on the shape of the interior components, the installation space, etc.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light guide plate 60 and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LED 70 are attached to the mounting part 30 to form a unit, and although it is possible to attach multiple components together, each component may be attached to an interior component individually.

[0051] Furthermore, the mounting part 30 of this embodiment has a frame-shaped part 40, and the drawer container 50 forms the article storage section, but the mounting part may also be configured to consist of only a frame-shaped part.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drawer container 50 that forms the item storage section has a bottom wall 51, which is the part on which the item 3 is placed, that is approximately in the shape of a long plate, but this bottom wall may be made mesh-like or lattice-like, etc., to reduce the contact area with the item 3 and make it easier to irradiate it with deep ultraviolet rays.

[0053] Furthermore, although the light guide plate 60 of this embodiment has the prism surfaces 65, 65 formed on both surfaces 63, 64 thereof, the prism surface 65 may be formed on only one surface.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation unit is a light-emitting diode (deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LED 70) capable of irradiating deep ultraviolet rays, but the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation unit may also be an optical fiber capable of transmitting (guiding) deep ultraviolet rays.

[0055] (Action and effect) Next, the effects of the sterilization apparatus 10 having the above structure will be described.

[0056] When using the sterilization device 10, the drawer container 50 is drawn out from the frame-shaped part 40 of the mounting part 30 attached to the mounting space 24 of the interior member 20, an item 3 is placed in the drawer container 50, and then the drawer container 50 is pushed into the frame-shaped part 40 to insert and position the drawer container 50 inside the frame-shaped part 40.

[0057] 5, the article 3 is placed facing the other surface 64 of the light guide plate 60, and light is emitted from the light emission surface 71 of the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 and incident on one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60. Then, the light emitted from above the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 is reflected by the prism surface 65 formed on one surface 63, and as shown by the arrow F1', the light incident direction is changed and the light is irradiated onto the article 3, and the light emitted from below the deep ultraviolet-irradiating LEDs 70 is reflected by the prism surface 65 formed on the other surface 64, and as shown by the arrow F2', the light incident direction is changed and the light is irradiated onto the article 3. As a result, bacteria attached to the surface of the article 3 and bacteria that have entered a predetermined location of the article 3 can be sterilized.

[0058] In this sterilization apparatus 10, the light guide plate 60 is arranged with one side (here, one side 63) covered by one of the walls 23 constituting the interior member 20 installed in the vehicle cabin 1 (see FIG. 5 ), so the wall 23 constituting the interior member 20, that is, the existing wall 23 already installed in the vehicle cabin 1, can be used to cover the light guide plate 60. This makes it possible to make the sterilization apparatus 10 more compact, and also makes it easy to install the sterilization apparatus 10 even when the installation space for the sterilization apparatus 10 in the vehicle cabin 1 is relatively narrow.

[0059] Furthermore, one side (one side 63) of the light guide plate 60 is covered by one wall 23 that constitutes the interior member 20 installed inside the vehicle interior 1, so that light from the deep ultraviolet irradiation LED 70 can be prevented from leaking into the vehicle interior 1.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, prism surfaces 65 are formed on both surfaces 63 and 64 of the light guide plate 60.

[0061] According to the above embodiment, the light from the deep ultraviolet irradiation LED 70 incident on one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60 can be reflected by the prism surfaces 65, 65 formed on both surfaces 63, 64 of the light guide plate 60, and can be efficiently irradiated onto the item 3 placed in the interior member 20, so that the item 3 can be effectively sterilized.

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of prismatic ridges 66 forming the prism surface 65 on one surface 63 and the plurality of prismatic ridges 66 forming the prism surface 65 on the other surface 64 are arranged so as to be misaligned in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60.

[0063] Therefore, the light indicated by the arrow F1' reflected by the prism surface 65 on one surface 63 and the light indicated by the arrow F2' reflected by the prism surface 65 on the other surface 64 are irradiated onto the item 3 so as not to overlap with each other in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate 60, thereby enabling the item 3 to be sterilized evenly.

[0064] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the light guide plate 60 and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation section (here, the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation LED 70) are attached to the mounting part 30 to form an integrated unit, an article storage section is provided inside the mounting part 30, and when the mounting part 30 is attached to the interior member 20, the light guide plate 60 is configured to be arranged inside one of the walls 23 that constitute the interior member 20 with one side (here, one side 63) covered (see FIG. 5).

[0065] According to the above embodiment, the light guide plate 60 and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation unit are attached to the mounting part 30 that is attached to the interior member 20 to form a unit. Therefore, the light guide plate 60 and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation unit can be installed in the interior member 20 by the simple task of simply attaching the mounting part 30 to the interior member 20, thereby improving the ease of installation of the sterilization device 10.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting part 30 has a frame-shaped part 40 that is attached to the interior member 20, the item storage section is a drawer container 50 with one open face that is slidably inserted into the frame-shaped part 40, and the light guide plate 60 is attached to the frame-shaped part 40 so as to form one wall (ceiling wall) of the frame-shaped part 40, and when the drawer container 50 is inserted into the frame-shaped part 40, the face of the light guide plate 60 that is covered by the wall 23 of the interior member 20 (one face 63) and the face opposite to that (other face 64) face the opening 54 of the drawer container 50 (see Figure 5).

[0067] According to the above embodiment, when the frame-shaped part 40 is attached to the interior member 20 and the drawer container 50 is inserted into the frame-shaped part 40, the other surface 64 of the light guide plate 60 attached to the frame-shaped part 40 faces the opening 54 of the drawer container 50, so that the deep ultraviolet light emitted from the light guide plate 60 can be effectively irradiated onto the items 3 stored in the drawer container 50.

[0068] Furthermore, since the mounting part 30 has a frame-shaped part 40 and the discharge container 50 forms an article storage section, it is only necessary to provide an interior member 20 on the vehicle interior 1 side that covers one side (one side 63 in this case) of the light guide plate 60 and on which the mounting part 30 can be installed (here, it is only necessary to provide an installation space 24 and a wall 23 in the interior member 20), which simplifies the structure of the interior member 20 on the vehicle interior 1 side and improves the ease of installation of the sterilization device 10.

[0069] As a result, the sterilization device 10 can be easily installed in the vehicle interior 1 by effectively utilizing, for example, the space below the console box between the driver's seat and the passenger seat at the front of the vehicle, or the empty space on the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle.

[0070] (Second embodiment of ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicle) A second embodiment of the ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles according to the present invention is shown in Figure 6. Note that parts that are essentially the same as those in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanation will be omitted.

[0071] In an ultraviolet sterilization device 10A for a vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as "sterilization device 10A") of this embodiment, an interior member 20A is a so-called instrument panel upper box.

[0072] The article storage section installed in this interior member 20A is composed of a storage recess 25 formed in the interior member 20A so as to open to the vehicle interior 1, and a lid 26 attached so as to be able to open and close to an opening 25a of the storage recess 25. One end of the lid 26 is attached so as to be able to open and close via a hinge 26a to an inner portion of the storage recess 25 near the opening 25a.

[0073] Furthermore, light guide plate 60 is attached to the inside of lid portion 26, and one side thereof is covered by lid portion 26. That is, in this embodiment, lid portion 26 constitutes "one wall constituting the interior member" in the present invention, and also constitutes the article storage section.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the deep ultraviolet irradiation unit (here, the deep ultraviolet irradiation LED 70) is attached inside the accommodating recess 25 so that the light emission surface 71 faces one end surface 61 of the light guide plate 60, with the opening 25a of the accommodating recess 25 closed by the lid portion 26.

[0075] According to the above embodiment, the light guide plate 60 is attached to the inside of the lid portion 26 that constitutes the interior member 20A, and this lid portion 26 forms one of the walls that constitute the interior member 20A. Therefore, the light guide plate 60 can be covered using the existing wall (lid portion 26) in the vehicle interior 1, and the sterilization device 10A can be made more compact.

[0076] (Third and fourth embodiments of ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicle) 7 and 8 show third and fourth embodiments of the ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles according to the present invention. The interior member in these embodiments comprises a pocket provided on the inner surface of a door located on the side of the vehicle or on the back of a vehicle seat, and the unit is configured to be attached to the inside of the wall that forms this pocket.

[0077] More specifically, a third embodiment of the ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 7. Note that parts that are substantially the same as those in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0078] In this embodiment, the ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles is configured such that the interior member 20B is a so-called door pocket provided on the inner surface of the door 5 located on the side of the vehicle, and the unit 30B is attached to the inside of the wall 27 that constitutes this door pocket.

[0079] In this embodiment, a light guide plate and a deep ultraviolet ray irradiating unit (here, deep ultraviolet ray irradiating LEDs) are attached to a box-shaped mounting part that is open at the top to form a unit 30B, and this unit 30B is attached to the inside of a wall 27 that constitutes a door pocket that forms the interior member 20B. The door pocket described above forms the "pocket" in the present invention.

[0080] According to the above embodiment, the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle can be attached to the inside of the wall 27 of the door pocket that forms the interior member 20B, allowing a vehicle occupant to easily and quickly sterilize the item 3. That is, since the sterilization device is disposed in the door pocket located to the side of the occupant, after the occupant gets into the vehicle and closes the door 5, the occupant can sterilize the item 3 simply by inserting the item 3 into the door pocket, thereby enabling easy and quick sterilization of the item 3.

[0081] A fourth embodiment of the ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 8. Note that parts that are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0082] In this embodiment, the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle is configured such that the interior member 20C is a so-called seatback pocket arranged on the back side of a seat 7 such as the driver's seat or passenger seat, and the unit 30C is attached to the inside of the wall 28 that constitutes this seatback pocket.

[0083] In this embodiment, a light guide plate and a deep ultraviolet ray irradiating unit (here, a deep ultraviolet ray irradiating LED) are attached to a box-shaped mounting part that is open at the top to form a unit 30C, and this unit 30C is attached to the inside of a wall 28 that constitutes a seat back pocket that forms an interior member 20C. The above-mentioned seat back pocket forms the "pocket" in the present invention.

[0084] According to this embodiment, the ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle can be attached to the inside of the wall 28 of the seat back pocket that forms the interior member 20C, and the seat back pocket can be used effectively.

[0085] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Inside the vehicle 3 Goods 5-door 7 seats 10,10A UV sterilization device for vehicles (sterilization device) 20, 20A, 20B, 20C Interior parts 23 Wall 30,30B mounting parts 40 Frame-shaped parts 50 Drawer Container 60 Light guide plate 61 One end face 63 One Side 64 The Other Side 65 prism surface 66 Prismatic ridges 70 Deep UV irradiation LED (Deep UV irradiation section) 71 Light exit surface

Claims

1. an article storage unit installed in an interior member of a vehicle cabin; a light guide plate disposed so as to cover one side of one wall constituting the interior member; a deep ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed with a light exit surface facing one end surface of the light guide plate, the light guide plate has a prism surface on which prismatic protrusions extending in a direction intersecting the light incident direction of the deep ultraviolet irradiation unit are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the light incident direction, the prism surfaces are formed on both surfaces of the light guide plate, and the plurality of prismatic protrusions forming the prism surface provided on one surface and the plurality of prismatic protrusions forming the prism surface provided on the other surface are arranged so as to be misaligned in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate, The light from the deep ultraviolet irradiation unit enters from one end surface of the light guide plate, is reflected by the prism surface, and is irradiated onto items placed in the item storage unit. An ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles.

2. an article storage unit installed in an interior member of a vehicle cabin; a light guide plate disposed so as to cover one side of one wall constituting the interior member; a deep ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed with a light exit surface facing one end surface of the light guide plate, the light guide plate has a prism surface on which prismatic protrusions extending in a direction intersecting the light incident direction of the deep ultraviolet irradiation unit are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the light incident direction, The light guide plate and the deep ultraviolet ray irradiation unit are attached to an attachment part that is attached to the interior member to form a unit, the attachment part has a frame-shaped part attached to the interior member, and the article storage part is a drawer container with one open surface that is slidably inserted into the frame-shaped part, the light guide plate is attached to the frame-shaped part so as to form one wall of the frame-shaped part, and when the drawer container is inserted into the frame-shaped part, a surface of the light guide plate opposite to a surface covered by the wall of the interior member faces an opening of the drawer container, The light from the deep ultraviolet irradiation unit enters from one end surface of the light guide plate, is reflected by the prism surface, and is irradiated onto items placed in the item storage unit. An ultraviolet sterilization device for vehicles.

3. The ultraviolet sterilization device for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the interior member consists of a pocket provided on the inner surface of a door located on the side of the vehicle or on the back of a vehicle seat, and the unit is configured to be attached to the inside of the wall that constitutes this pocket.

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