JP7530140B2 - Vehicle interior purification device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle interior purification device.

In vehicles, an interior purification device may be installed on the ceiling of the interior of the vehicle. In such cases, it is desirable for the interior purification device to properly purify the air inside the vehicle.

International Publication No. 2008/018283 JP 2004-314720 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-5440

This disclosure provides a vehicle interior purification device that can properly purify the air inside a vehicle.

The vehicle interior purification device according to the present disclosure is configured to be installed on the ceiling of the vehicle interior. The vehicle interior purification device has an input unit, a power supply unit, a housing, a blower fan, an ionizer, a first light-emitting unit, and a second light-emitting unit. A vehicle door opening/closing signal line is connected to the input unit. A +B voltage line and a ground voltage line are connected to the power supply unit. The blower fan is installed inside the housing. The ionizer is installed inside the housing. The ionizer generates at least one of positive ions and negative ions in the airflow sent out by the blower fan. The first light-emitting unit is installed in the housing. The first light-emitting unit illuminates the vehicle interior based on power supplied from the power supply unit. The second light-emitting unit is installed in the housing. The second light-emitting unit has a light-emitting intensity lower than that of the first light-emitting unit. If the signal on the door opening/closing signal line indicates open, then indicates closed, and within a first time thereafter the potential difference of the +B voltage line relative to the potential of the ground voltage line becomes smaller than the first voltage, and if the signal on the door opening/closing signal line indicates closed, then the second light-emitting unit emits light for a second time, and the blower fan operates for a third time that is longer than the second time.

The vehicle interior purification device (vehicle interior device) disclosed herein can properly purify the air inside the vehicle.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle in which an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment is installed; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a vehicle state determination process in the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a purification process in the embodiment. 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light-emitting unit according to a first modified example of the embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of an in-vehicle device according to a first modified example of the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a minimum air temperature acquisition process in a first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the time when the purification unit should be operated in the first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of light emitted by the light-emitting unit in the first modified example of the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a lighting control process according to a first modified example of an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light-emitting unit according to a second modified example of the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a minimum air temperature acquisition process in a second modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the time when the purification unit should be operated in a second modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of light emitted by the light-emitting unit in a second modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of light emitted by the light-emitting unit in a third modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of light emitted by the light-emitting unit in a fourth modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an installation sequence of an in-vehicle device according to a fifth modified example of the embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing a structure of a locking portion of the vehicle interior device according to a fifth modified example of the embodiment. FIG.

Below, an embodiment of an in-vehicle device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
The vehicle interior device according to the embodiment can be installed on the ceiling of the vehicle interior, and is designed to appropriately purify the air in the vehicle interior and to appropriately illuminate the vehicle interior.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 1 in which an in-vehicle device 100 is installed. The in-vehicle device 100 can be installed on the ceiling of the interior of the vehicle 1 as shown in Figure 1, as a retrofit, in place of an existing device (e.g., a room lamp) that has already been installed. In the following, the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is defined as the X direction, the vehicle width direction is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction.

The vehicle 1 has a vehicle control device 5, multiple wheels 2-1 to 2-4, a vehicle body 3, doors 8-1, 8-2, door switches 7-1, 7-2, a battery 4, an air conditioning device 9, and an in-vehicle device 100.

The vehicle control device 5 is capable of comprehensively monitoring and controlling each part of the vehicle 1.

Each of the wheels 2-1 to 2-4 can rotate around the Y axis. Wheels 2-3 and 2-4 are arranged on the -X side of the wheels 2-1 and 2-2, and +X side axles and -X side axles (not shown) are arranged accordingly. The wheels 2-1 and 2-2 are respectively connected to the +Y side and -Y side ends of the +X side axle extending in the Y direction. The wheels 2-3 and 2-4 are respectively connected to the +Y side and -Y side ends of the -X side axle extending in the Y direction. In FIG. 1, a configuration in which the vehicle 1 has four wheels 2 is illustrated, but the number of wheels 2 may be three or less, or five or more.

The car body 3 rotatably supports the axles, and the wheels 2-1 to 2-4 are coupled to the axles. The car body 3 can move in the X direction by the rotation of the wheels 2-1, 2-2 and the wheels 2-3, 2-4. The car body 3 constitutes the passenger compartment 6. The passenger compartment 6 can also be referred to as the interior of the vehicle 1. The car body 3 has a roof portion 3a. The roof portion 3a extends in the XY direction and covers the passenger compartment 6 from the +Z side. The roof portion 3a has a +Z side surface as an outer surface and a -Z side surface as an inner surface. The -Z side surface of the roof portion 3a constitutes the ceiling 6a of the passenger compartment 6. The ceiling 6a is also called a roof lining. The ceiling 6a extends in the XY direction. The ceiling 6a is covered with an insulating sheet 6a1 as an interior. Therefore, the car body 3 can be connected to the passenger compartment device 100 via a ground voltage line L2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In a state where the vehicle body 3 is connected to the vehicle interior device 100 via the ground voltage line L2, the vehicle body 3 can supply a ground voltage _VGND to the vehicle interior device 100. In addition, the vehicle body 3 has openings 3b-1 and 3b-2 on the +Y side and the −Y side, respectively, through which the occupant P can pass.

Doors 8-1 and 8-2 are installed so as to be openable and closable on the +Y and -Y sides, respectively, of the vehicle body 3. Door 8-1 is installed so as to be openable and closable on the +X side edge of the opening 3b on the +Y side. Door 8-2 is installed so as to be openable and closable on the +X side edge of the opening 3b on the -Y side.

When the door 8 is in a closed state, it can substantially close the opening 3b, and the vehicle interior 6 can be substantially sealed off from the outside world. When the door 8 is in an open state, it can open the opening 3b, and the vehicle interior 6 can be opened to the outside world.

Door switches 7-1 and 7-2 correspond to doors 8-1 and 8-2, respectively. Door switch 7-1 may be installed near the grip of door 8-1 on the +Y side. Door switch 7-2 may be installed near the grip of door 8-2 on the -Y side.

Each door switch 7-1, 7-2 detects the open/closed state of the corresponding door 8 and outputs a door open/close signal D _OOR . For example, the door switch 7 can be connected to the vehicle interior device 100 via a door open/close signal line L3 (see Figs. 3 and 4). In a state connected to the vehicle interior device 100 via the door open/close signal line L3, the door switch 7 outputs the door open/close signal D _OOR to the vehicle interior device 100. The door open/close signal D _OOR may, for example, indicate "open" at an H level (or value "1") and indicate "close" at an L level (or value "0"). The door open/close signal line L3 may be a logical sum of the door open/close signals D _OOR of the multiple door switches 7-1, 7-2. If at least one of the door open/close signals D _OOR of the multiple door switches 7-1, 7-2 is an H level (or value "1"), an H level (or value "1") may appear on the door open/close signal line L3. On the door opening/closing signal line L3, if both of the door opening/closing signals _DOOR of the door switches 7-1, 7-2 are at the L level (or the value "0"), the L level (or the value "0") may appear.

When the door switch 7-1 detects that the door 8-1 is in an open state, it outputs a door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicating "open" to the vehicle control device 5 and the vehicle interior device 100. When the door switch 7-1 detects that the door 8-1 is in a closed state, it outputs a door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicating "closed" to the vehicle control device 5 and the vehicle interior device 100. Similarly, when the door switch 7-2 detects that the door 8-2 is in an open state, it outputs a door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicating "open" to the vehicle control device 5 and the vehicle interior device 100. When the door switch 7-2 detects that the door 8-2 is in a closed state, it outputs a door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicating "closed" to the vehicle control device 5 and the vehicle interior device 100.

The battery 4 is disposed in the vehicle body 3. The battery 4 can be charged with power. The battery 4 can be charged when the vehicle 1 is traveling. The battery 4 can be discharged when the vehicle 1 is not traveling (e.g., parked). The battery 4 can be connected to electrical components in the vehicle 1 and can supply power to the electrical components. For example, the battery 4 can be connected to the in-vehicle device 100 via a +B voltage line L1 (see Figs. 3 and 4). When connected to the in-vehicle device 100 via the +B voltage line L1, the battery 4 can supply a +B voltage V _+B to the in-vehicle device 100.

The air conditioning device 9 is disposed within the vehicle body 3. The air conditioning device 9 has an intake port and an outlet port each connected to the vehicle compartment 6. This allows the air conditioning device 9 to draw in air from the vehicle compartment 6 through the intake port, perform a predetermined air conditioning process on the drawn-in air, and blow the treated air out of the outlet port into the vehicle compartment 6. This allows the air in the vehicle compartment 6 to be conditioned. The air conditioning device 9 is operated when the vehicle 1 is in use, and can be stopped when the vehicle 1 is parked.

The vehicle interior device 100 can be installed on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6 as an add-on. FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the vehicle interior device 100 is installed on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6. The vehicle interior device 100 has an air purification function and a lighting function. The vehicle interior device 100 is connected to the battery 4 while installed on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6, and can be supplied with power from the battery 4. The vehicle interior device 100 is disposed at any position on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6 where the air purification function and lighting function can be realized. FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the vehicle interior device 100 is installed near the center of the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6 in the XY direction.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. The in-vehicle device 100 may have any shape capable of realizing the air purification function and the lighting function, but as shown in Figure 2, it may have a shape that is flat in the XY direction.

By having a flat shape in the XY direction, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in Figures 1 and 2, for example, it is possible to form an airflow that is blown out from the in-vehicle device 100 in roughly the -Z direction, circulates inside the vehicle interior 6, and returns to the in-vehicle device 100 in the XY direction along the ceiling 6a, thereby effectively purifying the air inside the vehicle interior 6. In addition, the in-vehicle device 100 can provide illumination in the -Z direction and in a direction inclined thereto, thereby effectively illuminating the vehicle interior 6. In addition, the contact area can be easily secured when installing the in-vehicle device 100 on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6, and the installation strength of the in-vehicle device 100 can be easily secured.

The vehicle interior device 100 has a housing 13, an optical member 20, an operation unit 18, and an operation unit 19. The housing 13 may have a shape such as an approximately rectangular column, an approximately circular cylinder, or an approximately truncated cone with an axis along the Z direction and an open -Z side. In FIG. 2, the housing 13 is exemplified by a configuration having an approximately truncated cone shape with an open -Z side. The housing 13 has an opening on the -Z side. The optical member 20 has an XY plane shape (for example, an approximately disk shape) corresponding to the opening on the -Z side of the housing 13, and almost closes the opening on the -Z side of the housing 13. The edge on the -Z side of the housing 13 may cover the vicinity of the edge on the +Z side of the optical member 20 while being spaced apart, and may be connected slightly inward in the XY direction from the edge on the +Z side. The housing 13 may be formed of a light-shielding material. The optical member 20 may be formed of a light-transmitting material.

The operation unit 18 is disposed at an operable position on the housing 13, and a part of its configuration is exposed. The operation unit 18 can receive instructions to turn the air purification function on and off. For example, the operation unit 18 has a button 18a, and the button 18a is disposed near the edge of the housing 13 on the -Z side. The operation unit 18 may be disposed at a position adjacent to the operation unit 19 in the circumferential direction on the edge of the housing 13 on the -Z side.

The operation unit 19 is disposed at an operable position on the housing 13, and a part of its configuration is exposed. The operation unit 19 can receive instructions to turn the lighting function on and off. For example, the operation unit 19 has a button 19a, and the button 19a is disposed near the edge of the housing 13 on the -Z side. The operation unit 19 may be disposed at a position adjacent to the operation unit 18 in the circumferential direction on the edge of the housing 13 on the -Z side.

Figure 3 is an XZ cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. In Figure 3, the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 is shown typically, and the size and position of each component in the XZ cross-section may differ from the actual ones. Cross-sections in other directions (e.g., YZ cross-sections) are similar to the XZ cross-section. Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vehicle interior device 100 further includes terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3, an input unit 11, a power supply unit 12, a purification unit 14, a light-emitting unit 15, a light-emitting unit 16, and a control circuit 17. In the vehicle interior device 100, the air purification function is mainly realized by the purification unit 14. The lighting function is mainly realized by the light-emitting unit 15.

The terminal TM1 is connected to the power supply unit 12 and can be connected to the battery 4 via the terminal TM11 and the +B voltage line L1. The terminal TM1 protrudes from the base part BS to the +Z side. The base part BS is arranged on the +Z side surface of the housing 13 and is a part that protrudes in a pedestal shape from the +Z side surface of the housing 13. The base part BS may be fixed to the +Z side surface of the housing 13. The terminal TM11 is arranged at a position corresponding to the terminal TM1 in the socket SC and has a shape corresponding to the terminal TM1. The terminal TM11 may have a shape that can be fitted into the terminal TM1. As a result, when the socket SC is attached to the base part BS, the terminal TM1 fits into the terminal TM11, and the terminal TM1 can be connected to the battery 4 via the terminal TM11 and the +B voltage line L1.

The terminal TM2 is connected to the power supply unit 12, and can be connected to the vehicle body 3 via the terminal TM12 and the ground voltage line L2. The terminal TM2 protrudes to the +Z side from a base portion BS arranged on the +Z side surface of the housing 13. The terminal TM12 is arranged at a position corresponding to the terminal TM2 in the socket SC, and has a shape corresponding to the terminal TM2. The terminal TM12 may have a shape that can be fitted into the terminal TM2. In this way, when the socket SC is attached to the base portion BS, the terminal TM2 fits into the terminal TM12, and the terminal TM2 can be connected to the vehicle body 3 via the terminal TM12 and the ground voltage line L2.

Terminal TM3 is connected to the input unit 11, and can be connected to the door switches 7-1, 7-2 via terminal TM13 and the door opening/closing signal line L3. Terminal TM13 protrudes to the +Z side from a base portion BS arranged on the +Z side surface of the housing 13. Terminal TM13 is arranged at a position corresponding to terminal TM3 in the socket SC, and has a shape corresponding to terminal TM3. Terminal TM13 may have a shape that can be fitted into terminal TM3. Thereby, when the socket SC is attached to the base portion BS, terminal TM3 fits into terminal TM13, and terminal TM3 can be connected to the door switch 7 via terminal TM13 and the door opening/closing signal line L3.

The +B voltage line L1, the ground voltage line L2, and the door opening/closing signal line L3 can be insulated and implemented as a cable CB at the portions that extend outward from the socket SC.

The input unit 11 is connected to the control circuit 17, and the door opening/closing signal line L3 can be connected thereto via terminals TM3 and TM13. In a state in which the door opening/closing signal line L3 is connected via the terminals TM3 and TM13, the input unit 11 inputs the door opening/closing signal _DOOR transmitted via the door opening/closing signal line L3 to the control circuit 17. The input unit 11 may include a line connected between the terminal TM3 and the control circuit 17, and may further include an element for adjusting potential (e.g., a resistive element) in addition to the line.

The power supply unit 12 is installed inside the housing 13. The power supply unit 12 is connected to the control circuit 17, the light-emitting unit 15, the light-emitting unit 16, the blower fan 14a, and the ionizer 14b, and the +B voltage line L1 can be connected via terminals TM1 and TM11, and the ground voltage line L2 can be connected via terminals TM2 and TM12. In a state in which the +B voltage line L1 is connected via the terminals TM1 and TM11 and the ground voltage line L2 is connected via the terminals TM2 and TM12, the power supply unit 12 supplies power based on the difference between the potential V _+B of the +B voltage line L1 and the potential _VGND of the ground voltage line L2 to the control circuit 17, the light-emitting unit 15, the light-emitting unit 16, the blower fan 14a, and the ionizer 14b, respectively. For example, the power supply unit 12 may supply the +B voltage V _+B transmitted via the +B voltage line L1 and the ground voltage _VGND transmitted via the ground voltage line L2 to the control circuit 17, the light-emitting unit 15, the light-emitting unit 16, the blower fan 14a, and the ionizer 14b, respectively. Alternatively, the power supply unit 12 may generate a differential voltage ΔV=V _+B - _VGND of the +B voltage V _+B with respect to the ground voltage _VGND , and supply it to the control circuit 17, the light-emitting unit 15, the light-emitting unit 16, the blower fan 14a, and the ionizer 14b, respectively.

The purification unit 14 is installed inside the housing 13. The purification unit 14 draws in air from the vehicle interior 6, purifies the drawn-in air, and blows the purified air out into the vehicle interior 6. The purification unit 14 has a blower fan 14a, an ionizer 14b, an air passage 14d, and an air passage 14e. The blower fan 14a is installed inside the housing 13. The ionizer 14b is installed inside the housing 13. The suction port of the blower fan 14a is connected to the suction port 13a via the air passage 14d. The suction port 13a is provided near the edge of the +Z side of the housing 13. The suction port 13a may be provided at multiple locations at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the edge of the +Z side of the housing 13 (see FIG. 2). The blower fan 14a has an outlet connected to the air inlet of the ionizer 14b via the air passage 14e. The discharge port of the ionizer 14b is connected to the blowing port 13b. The blowing port 13b is provided near the edge of the -Z side of the housing 13. The blowing port 13b is an outlet for the airflow sent out by the blower fan 14a. The blowing ports 13b may be provided at multiple locations at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the edge of the -Z side of the housing 13 (see FIG. 2).

The blower fan 14a has a drive circuit, a fan motor, and a fan. The drive circuit receives a differential voltage ΔV from the power supply unit 12, and a control signal (e.g., a PWM control signal) from the control circuit 17. The drive circuit converts the differential voltage ΔV into power in response to the control signal to generate a drive signal, and supplies the drive signal to the fan motor. The fan motor has its shaft connected to the fan, and rotates the shaft at a rotation speed according to the drive signal. The fan rotates at that rotation speed in response.

The blower fan 14a has at least a first strength blowing mode and a second strength blowing mode. The second strength is stronger than the first strength. The blower fan 14a can achieve the first strength blowing mode by rotating at a first rotation speed, and can achieve the second strength blowing mode by rotating at a second rotation speed. The second rotation speed is faster than the first rotation speed.

The ionizer 14b can discharge electricity in the air based on the power supplied from the power supply unit 12, and charge the air. The ionizer 14b can generate at least one of positive ions and negative ions in the airflow sent out by the blower fan 14a, and include the ions in the air.

The ionizer 14b may include an electrostatic atomizer 14b1. The electrostatic atomizer 14b1 adds predetermined particles to the airflow sent out by the blower fan 14a. The predetermined particles may be charged fine water particles containing at least one of positive ions and negative ions. The electrostatic atomizer 14b1 cools the airflow sent out by the blower fan 14a, and discharges the condensed water generated to generate moisture, generating a mist of charged fine water particles containing charged particles, which can be contained in the air.

The operation unit 18 has a detection unit 18b in addition to the button 18a. The detection unit 18b can detect the operation of the button 18a (e.g., pressing operation, touch operation). When the detection unit 18b detects the operation of the button 18a, it transmits an operation signal to the control circuit 17. The control circuit 17 may manage the on/off state of the air purification function (i.e., the active/inactive state of the purification unit 14). The vehicle interior device 100 changes at least one of the operation of the blower fan 14a and the operation of the ionizer 14b (electrostatic atomization unit 14b1) by the operation of the operation unit 18.

For example, when the air purification function is off, the control circuit 17 receives an instruction to turn on the air purification function by receiving an operation signal from the button 18a, and transitions the purification unit 14 from an inactive state to an active state. When the purification unit 14 is in the active state, the control circuit 17 can control the blower fan 14a and the ionizer 14b.

In response to the control of the control circuit 17, the blower fan 14a rotates at a rotation speed according to the control based on the power supplied from the power supply unit 12, and sends out the air sucked in from the vehicle interior 6 through the suction port 13a and the ventilation passage 14d to the ionizer 14b via the ventilation passage 14e. In response to the control of the control circuit 17, the ionizer 14b performs a discharge operation in the air based on the power supplied from the power supply unit 12, and charges the air. As a result, the ionizer 14b generates at least one of positive ions and negative ions in the airflow sent out by the blower fan 14a, and contains the ions in the air. The ionizer 14b sends out the air containing the generated ions from the outlet 13b to the vehicle interior 6.

When the air purification function is on, the control circuit 17 receives an instruction to turn off the air purification function by receiving an operation signal from the button 18a, and transitions the purification unit 14 from an active state to an inactive state. In response to the purification unit 14 transitioning to an inactive state, the blower fan 14a and the ionizer 14b each stop.

The light-emitting unit 15 is installed in the housing 13. The light-emitting unit 15 is, for example, a room lamp, and emits light based on the power supplied from the power supply unit 12 to illuminate the vehicle interior 6 through the optical member 20. The light-emitting unit 15 is capable of emitting light at a first light-emitting intensity. The light-emitting unit 15 has a first number of LEDs (Light Emission Diodes) corresponding to the first light-emitting intensity. The light-emitting unit 15 is capable of emitting light at the first light-emitting intensity by turning on the first number of LEDs.

The operation unit 19 has a detection unit 19b in addition to the button 19a. The detection unit 19b can detect the operation of the button 19a (e.g., pressing operation, touch operation). When the detection unit 19b detects the operation of the button 19a, it transmits an operation signal to the control circuit 17. The control circuit 17 may manage the on/off state of the lighting function (i.e., the active/inactive state of the light-emitting unit 15). The in-vehicle device 100 changes the light emission of the light-emitting unit 15 by the operation of the operation unit 19.

For example, when the lighting function is off, the control circuit 17 receives an instruction to turn on the lighting function by receiving an operation signal from the button 19a, and transitions the light-emitting unit 15 from an inactive state to an active state. When the light-emitting unit 15 is in the active state, the control circuit 17 can control the light-emitting unit 15.

In response to the control of the control circuit 17, the light-emitting unit 15 converts the difference voltage ΔV=V ₊ B- _VGND between the +B voltage V _+B supplied from the power supply unit 12 and the ground voltage _VGND into a predetermined voltage, and causes a current to flow in the forward direction through the first number of LEDs to emit light. This causes the light-emitting unit 15 to emit light with a first emission intensity, and the vehicle interior 6 can be illuminated.

When the lighting function is on, the control circuit 17 receives an instruction to turn off the lighting function by receiving an operation signal from the button 19a, and transitions the light-emitting unit 15 from an active state to an inactive state. In response to the transition of the light-emitting unit 15 to the inactive state, the light-emitting unit 15 stops emitting light.

The light-emitting unit 15 may have a door-linked mode and a continuous mode as light-emitting modes. The operation unit 19 can detect other operations of the button 19a (e.g., a long press operation) as an instruction to switch the light-emitting mode. When the detection unit 19b detects other operations of the button 19a, it transmits other operation signals to the control circuit 17. The control circuit 17 may manage the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 (i.e., the door-linked mode, the continuous mode). The in-vehicle device 100 changes the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 by operating the operation unit 19.

For example, in response to the transition of the light-emitting unit 15 to the active state, the control circuit 17 sets the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 to the door-linked mode. Alternatively, when the light-emitting mode is the continuous mode, the control circuit 17 receives an instruction to switch the light-emitting mode by receiving another operation signal from the button 19a, and transitions the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 from the continuous mode to the door-linked mode. In the door-linked mode, when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates open, the control circuit 17 may cause the light-emitting unit 15 to emit light continuously, and then turn it off so that the light emission intensity gradually decreases over a time _tr1 from the timing when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR changes from open to closed.

Alternatively, when the light-emitting mode is the door-linked mode, the control circuit 17 receives another operation signal from the button 19a to receive an instruction to switch the light-emitting mode, and transitions the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 from the door-linked mode to the continuous mode. In the continuous mode, the control circuit 17 may cause the light-emitting unit 15 to emit light continuously, regardless of the door opening/closing signal _DOOR .

The light-emitting unit 16 is installed in the housing 13. The light-emitting unit 16 is, for example, a purification display lamp that emits light based on the power supplied from the power supply unit 12 and notifies the user through the optical member 20 that the purification unit 14 is operating. The light-emitting unit 16 is capable of emitting light at a second emission intensity. The second emission intensity is smaller than the first emission intensity. The light-emitting unit 16 has a second number of LEDs corresponding to the second emission intensity. The second number is smaller than the first number. The light-emitting unit 16 is capable of emitting light at the second emission intensity by turning on the second number of LEDs.

The control circuit 17 is installed inside the housing 13. The control circuit 17 controls each part of the vehicle interior device 100. The control circuit 17 may be implemented as an ECU (Engineering Control Unit). The control circuit 17 has a memory 17a and a timer 17b.

For example, the control circuit 17 may control the light-emitting unit 15 in response to the door opening/closing signal _DOOR input via the input unit 11. When the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 is open, the control circuit 17 controls the light-emitting unit 15 to emit light at a predetermined color temperature. As a result, the light-emitting unit 15 emits light at the predetermined color temperature. When the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 is closed, the control circuit 17 controls the light-emitting unit 15 to stop. As a result, the light-emitting unit 15 does not emit light.

When the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential V _GND of the ground voltage line L2 is greater than the threshold voltage Vth1 and the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates a closed state, the control circuit 17 controls the blower fan 14a to operate in the first strength blowing mode. As a result, the blower fan 14a enters the first strength blowing mode, and rotates the fan at a first rotation speed in the first strength blowing mode. When the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates an open state and then a closed state, and within a time _td thereafter, the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential V _GND of the ground voltage line L2 is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1 and is greater than the threshold voltage Vth2, and the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates a closed state, the control circuit 17 controls the blower fan 14a to operate in the second strength blowing mode. The threshold voltage Vth2 is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1. The second strength is stronger than the first strength. As a result, the blower fan 14a enters a second strength blowing mode, and rotates at a second rotation speed in the second strength blowing mode. The second rotation speed is faster than the first rotation speed. The control circuit 17 controls the blower fan 14a to stop when the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential _VGND of the ground voltage line L2 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth2 and when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates a closed state. As a result, the blower fan 14a stops.

That is, the purification unit 14 is operated from when the vehicle 1 is in use to when it is parked. When the potential difference ΔV is stable at a level greater than the threshold voltage Vth1, it is considered that the vehicle 1 is in use. When the vehicle 1 is in use (for example, when the vehicle 1 is running), the predetermined particles (for example, charged water particles containing ions) are diffused by the wind from the air conditioner 9, so the control circuit 17 operates the blower fan 14a in a relatively weak first strength blowing mode. When the potential difference ΔV is stable at a level less than the threshold voltage Vth1, it is considered that the vehicle 1 is parked. When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the air conditioner 9 is often not operated. For this reason, the control circuit 17 operates the blower fan 14a in a stronger second strength blowing mode. This allows the predetermined particles (for example, charged water particles containing ions) to spread throughout the passenger compartment 6, and the passenger compartment 6 can be effectively purified.

The control circuit 17 may control the purification unit 14 and the light-emitting unit 16 in response to the door opening/closing signal _DOOR input via the input unit 11. When the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates open and then close, and within a time _td , the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential _VGND of the ground voltage line L2 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1, and when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates close, the control circuit 17 controls the purification unit 14 and the light-emitting unit 16 as follows. The control circuit 17 controls the light-emitting unit 16 to emit light for a time t _lamp , and controls the purification unit 14 to operate for a time t _w . The time t _w is longer than the time t _lamp . As a result, the light-emitting unit 16 emits light for a time t _lamp , the blower fan 14a operates for a time t _w , and the ionizer 14 generates ions for a time t _w . For example, since it is sufficient that the light emitting unit 16 is emitting light when the occupant P gets off and leaves the vehicle 1, the time t _lamp during which the light emitting unit 16 emits light can be made shorter than the time _tw during which the purification unit 14 operates. This makes it possible to inform the occupant P of the operation of the purification unit 14, and to reduce the power consumption of the in-vehicle device 100.

The control circuit 17 may control the light emitting unit 15 and the light emitting unit 16 in response to the door opening/closing signal _DOOR input via the input unit 11. For example, assume that the light emitting mode of the light emitting unit 15 is switched to the door interlocking mode. At this time, when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates open, then indicates close, and within a time _td , the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential _VGND of the ground voltage line L2 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1, and when the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicates close, the control circuit 17 subsequently controls the light emitting unit 15 and the light emitting unit 16 as follows. The control circuit 17 controls the light emitting unit 15 to emit light for a time _tr1 , and controls the light emitting unit 16 to emit light for a time _tlamp . The time _tr1 is shorter than the time _tlamp . As a result, the light emitting unit 15 stops emitting light before the light emitting unit 16 stops emitting light.

That is, the light-emitting unit 16 for the purification display is set to emit light until after the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination has emitted light. Since the light-emitting unit 15 has a stronger emission intensity than the light-emitting unit 16, even if the light-emitting unit 16 emits light while the light-emitting unit 15 is emitting light, it is difficult to recognize the emission of the light-emitting unit 16 when viewing the state inside the passenger compartment 6 from outside the vehicle 1. When the light-emitting mode of the light-emitting unit 15 is switched to the door-linked mode, the light-emitting unit 16 continues to emit light at least until after the light-emitting unit 15 for door-linked operation has stopped emitting light, thereby ensuring that the occupant P who gets off the vehicle 1 can recognize the emission of the light-emitting unit 16 for the purification display.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle interior device 100. When the operation units 18 and 19 are operated, the control circuit 17 in the vehicle interior device 100 acquires an operation signal from the operation units 18 and 19 (S1). When the doors 8-1 and 8-2 are opened or closed, the control circuit 17 acquires a door opening/closing signal _DOOR from the door switches 7-1 and 7-2 (S2). Note that S1 and S2 may be performed in parallel.

The vehicle interior device 100 performs a vehicle state determination process to determine the state of the vehicle 1 (S3). For example, the vehicle interior device 100 is installed on the ceiling 6a in place of an existing device (e.g., a room lamp) already installed on the ceiling 6a. This allows for smart installation, such as a state where the wiring is not exposed. However, wiring for operating the existing device (room lamp), such as the +B power line L1, the door opening/closing signal line L3, and the ground voltage line L2, extends to the installation portion of the existing device on the roof part 3a of the vehicle body 3. For this reason, the control circuit 17 determines the vehicle state (e.g., in use, parked) from the +B voltage V _+B transmitted by the +B power line L1. The details of the vehicle state determination process (S3) will be described later.

The vehicle interior device 100 performs a purification process to purify the air in the vehicle interior 6 (S4). For example, the purification unit 14 can purify the vehicle interior 6 by diffusing and reaching the generated predetermined particles (e.g., charged fine water particles) to various places in the vehicle interior 6. Since the air conditioner 9 operates while the vehicle 1 is in use, the blower fan 14a can diffuse the predetermined particles to various places in the vehicle interior 6 even when operated in a relatively weak first strength blowing mode. On the other hand, since the air conditioner 9 often does not operate while the vehicle 1 is parked, the blower fan 14a is operated in a relatively strong second strength blowing mode to diffuse the predetermined particles. At this time, the control circuit 17 controls the light emitting unit 16 to operate and display to the occupant P (user) that the purification unit 14 is being operated while the vehicle 1 is parked. This allows the user to visually experience that purification is being performed. The control circuit 17 controls the light emitting unit 16 for purification display to be illuminated after the door is closed and the illumination light emitting unit 15 is turned off, and then to be turned off after a certain period of time has elapsed. This allows the operation of the purification unit 14 to be visualized while reducing the power consumption of the in-vehicle device 100. Details of the purification process (S4) will be described later.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the vehicle state determination process (S3). In the vehicle interior device 100, the control circuit 17 determines whether the vehicle state has been set (S11). The vehicle state includes in use and parked. In use includes when the vehicle 1 is running. In use may further include a state in which the vehicle 1 is not running but is stopped and the air conditioning device 9 is operating. The control circuit 17 refers to the memory 17a, and if the vehicle state information indicating the vehicle state is not stored in the memory 17a, it determines that the vehicle state has not been set (No in S11), sets the vehicle state to the initial value "in use", and stores the vehicle state information indicating "in use" in the memory 17a (S12). If the vehicle state information is stored in the memory 17a, the control circuit 17 determines that the vehicle state has been set (Yes in S11), and skips S12.

The control circuit 17 acquires the +B voltage V _+B via the +B power line L1 (S13), compares the +B voltage V _+B with a threshold voltage Vth1, and determines whether the +B voltage V _+B is greater than the threshold voltage Vth1 (S14). The threshold voltage Vth1 can be experimentally determined in advance as a value between the average value of the +B voltage when the vehicle 1 is in use and the average value of the +B voltage when the vehicle 1 is parked. The threshold voltage Vth1 is, for example, 13.2 V.

If the +B voltage V _+B is greater than the threshold voltage Vth1 (Yes in S14), the control circuit 17 stops and initializes the parking determination timer (S15). The parking determination timer is a timer used to determine whether the vehicle is parked or not, and can be realized by counting the time since the +B voltage V _+B becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1 with the timer 17b. Then, the control circuit 17 determines that the vehicle state is in use (determines and sets the vehicle as in use), and stores vehicle state information indicating "in use" in the memory 17a (S16).

If the +B voltage V _+B is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1 (No in S14), the control circuit 17 determines whether or not the parking determination timer is operating (S17).

If the parking determination timer is not in operation (No in S17), the control circuit 17 starts the parking determination timer (S18) and starts counting the time since the +B voltage V _+B became smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1.

If the parking determination timer is operating (Yes in S17), the control circuit 17 compares the count time of the parking determination timer with the time _td and judges whether the count time of the parking determination timer is equal to or greater than the time _td (S19). The time _td can be experimentally determined in advance as the time from when the vehicle 1 is parked until the +B voltage V _+B reaches the average value of the +B voltage during parking. The time _td is, for example, 5 minutes.

If the count time of the parking determination timer is equal to or greater than the time _td (Yes in S19), the +B voltage V _+B is stable at a value smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1, and the vehicle 1 can be considered to be parked. The control circuit 17 determines that the vehicle state is parked (determines and sets the vehicle as parked), and stores vehicle state information indicating "parked" in the memory 17a (S20). If the count time of the parking determination timer is less than the time _td (No in S19), the control circuit 17 skips S20.

In the vehicle state determination process (S3), the in-vehicle device 100 determines the vehicle state using the +B voltage V _+B as shown in Fig. 6. The in-vehicle device 100 can determine that the vehicle is parked if the +B voltage V _+B is lower than the threshold voltage Vth1 and stable for the time _td according to the flow of S14 → S17 → S19 → S20. The in-vehicle device 100 can determine that the vehicle is in use if the +B voltage V _+B is higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 according to the flow of S14 → S15 → S16.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the purification process (S4). In the vehicle interior device 100, the control circuit 17 determines whether the air purification function is turned on or not (S21) in response to the operation signal acquired in S1.

If the air purification function is not turned on and remains off (No in S21), the control circuit 17 turns off the light-emitting unit 16 for indicating purification (S24), turns off the ionizer 14b (S25), and turns off the blower fan 14a (S26).

If the air purification function is turned on (Yes in S21), the control circuit 17 determines whether the door 8 is open or not, based on the door opening/closing signal _DOOR acquired in S2 (S22).

If the door 8 is open (Yes in S22), the control circuit 17 initializes the door close timer (S23). The door close timer is a timer for counting the time that the door 8 is closed, and can be realized by counting the time since both doors 8-1 and 8-2 are closed using timer 17b. The control circuit 17 turns off the light-emitting unit 16 for indicating purification (S24), turns off the ionizer 14b (S25), and turns off the blower fan 14a (S26).

If the door 8 is closed (No in S22), the control circuit 17 determines whether the door close timer is running (S27).

If the door close timer is not running (No in S27), the control circuit 17 starts the door close timer (S28) and starts counting the time since the door 8 was closed.

If the door-closing timer is operating (Yes in S27), the control circuit 17 compares the count time of the door-closing timer with the time t _lamp and determines whether the count time of the door-closing timer exceeds the time t _lamp (S29). The time t _lamp is the time from when the door 8 is closed until the light-emitting unit 16 for indicating purification is to emit light, and is longer than the time t _rl . The time t _rl is the time from when the door 8 is closed until the light-emitting unit 15 is turned off in the door-linked mode.

If the count time of the door closing timer has not exceeded the time t _lamp (No in S29), the control circuit 17 keeps the light emitting unit 16 for indicating purification turned on (S30) and advances the process to S32.

If the count time of the door closing timer exceeds the time t _lamp (Yes in S29), the control circuit 17 turns off the light emitting unit 16 for indicating purification (S31), and the process proceeds to S32.

The control circuit 17 determines whether the vehicle 1 is in use (S32). The control circuit 17 refers to the vehicle state information stored in the memory 17a, and if the vehicle state information indicates "in use", it determines that the vehicle 1 is in use, and if the vehicle state information indicates "parked", it determines that the vehicle 1 is parked.

If the vehicle 1 is in use (Yes in S32), the control circuit 17 turns on the blower fan 14a at a first intensity (e.g., "weak") or keeps it on at the first intensity (S33). The control circuit 17 turns on the ionizer 14b or keeps it on (S34).

If the vehicle 1 is parked (No in S32), the control circuit 17 compares the count time of the parking timer with the time _tw , and determines whether the count time of the parking timer is equal to or greater than the time _tw (S35). The time _tw can be experimentally determined in advance as the time after the vehicle 1 is parked at which the blower fan 14a should be operated at the second intensity (for example, the intensity "high").

If the count time of the parking timer is equal to _or greater than the time tw (Yes in S35), the control circuit 17 determines that the time for operating the purification unit 14 has elapsed, and turns off the light-emitting unit 16 for indicating purification (S24), turns off the ionizer 14b (S25), and turns off the blower fan 14a (S26).

If the count time of the parking timer is shorter than the time _tw (No in S35), the control circuit 17 compares the +B voltage V _+B with a threshold voltage Vth2 to determine whether the +B voltage V _+B is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth2 (S36). The threshold voltage Vth2 can be experimentally determined in advance as the lower limit of the voltage range in which use of the battery 4 is recommended. The threshold voltage Vth2 is, for example, 12.4 V.

If the +B voltage V _+B is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth2 (Yes in S36), the control circuit 17 determines that the use of the battery 4 by the purification unit 14 should be stopped, and turns off the light-emitting unit 16 for indicating purification (S24), turns off the ionizer 14b (S25), and turns off the blower fan 14a (S26). This makes it possible to conserve the power of the battery 4 until the next start of the vehicle 1.

If the +B voltage V _+B is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth2 (No in S36), the control circuit 17 turns on the blower fan 14a at the second intensity (e.g., intensity "high") or keeps it on at the second intensity (S37). The control circuit 17 turns on the ionizer 14b or keeps it on (S38).

Figure 8 is a timing chart showing the operation of the vehicle interior device 100. Figure 8 illustrates an example of the operation when a parked vehicle 1 starts, runs, and is parked again. In Figure 8, the light-emitting unit 15 is assumed to be switched to the door-linked mode.

Immediately before timing t1, the +B voltage V _+B is stable at or below the threshold voltage Vth1, and the control circuit 17 determines that the vehicle state is “parked.” In response to the “parked” determination result and the door opening/closing signal _DOOR indicating closed, the control circuit 17 turns off the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination, turns off the purification unit 14 (to the inactive state), and turns off the light-emitting unit 16 for purification indication.

At timing t1, in response to the transition of the door opening/closing signal _DOOR from closed to open, the control circuit 17 turns on the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination to emit light. At this time, both the purification unit 14 and the light-emitting unit 16 are off.

At timing t2, when the vehicle 1 is started, the +B voltage V _+B rises and exceeds the threshold voltage Vth1 due to, for example, the charging of the battery 4 in response to the running of the vehicle 1. In response to the +B voltage V+ _B being stable at a level higher than the threshold voltage Vth1, the control circuit 17 determines that the state of the vehicle 1 is "in use" and stores vehicle state information indicating that the vehicle is in use in the memory 17a.

At timing t3, in response to the transition of the door opening/closing signal _DOOR from open to closed, the control circuit 17 turns off the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination, and at the same time, the control circuit 17 turns on the purification unit 14 to put it in an active state, operates the blower fan 14a at a first intensity (e.g., intensity "weak") to operate the ionizer 14b, and also turns on the display unit 16 for displaying purification to emit light and starts the door close timer.

At timing t4, when the count time of the door closing timer reaches time t _lamp , the control circuit 17 turns off the display unit 16 for indicating purification. Instead of turning off the display unit 16 for indicating purification, the control circuit 17 may dimmer the display unit 16 to a relatively low illuminance. At this time, the control circuit 17 maintains the purification unit 14 in an active state, operates the blower fan 14a at a first intensity (for example, intensity "weak"), and operates the ionizer 14b.

At timing t5, in response to the transition of the door opening/closing signal _DOOR from closed to open, the control circuit 17 turns on the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination to emit light. At the same time, the control circuit 17 transitions the purification unit 14 to a non-active state and stops the blower fan 14a and the ionizer 14b. At this time, the light-emitting unit 16 for purification indication is turned off or dimmer lit.

At timing t6, in response to the +B voltage V _+B becoming equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vth1, the control circuit 17 starts the parking determination timer.

At timing t7, in response to the door opening/closing signal _DOOR transitioning from open to closed, the control circuit 17 turns off the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination and starts to gradually weaken the light emission intensity. At the same time, the control circuit 17 turns on the purification unit 14 to put it into an active state, operates the blower fan 14a at a first intensity (e.g., intensity "weak"), operates the ionizer 14b, and turns on the display unit 16 for purification indication to emit light and starts the door close timer.

At timing t8, when the count time of the parking determination timer reaches time _td , the control circuit 17 determines the state of the vehicle 1 as "parked", stores vehicle state information indicating that the vehicle is parked in the memory 17a, and starts the parking timer. At the same time, the control circuit 17 changes the operating intensity of the blower fan 14a from the first intensity to a stronger second intensity (e.g., intensity "strong"). The control circuit 17 operates the blower fan 14a at the changed second intensity (e.g., intensity "strong") and continues to operate the ionizer 14b.

At timing t9, the time _trl has elapsed since the light-emitting unit 15 started to be turned off (timing t7), and the light-emitting unit 15 is completely turned off. At this time, the count time of the door-close timer has not yet reached time _tlamp , and the light-emitting unit 16 continues to emit light. In addition, the count time of the parking timer has not yet reached time _tw , and the purification unit 14 is maintained in the active state, the blower fan 14a is operating at the second intensity (for example, intensity "high"), and the ionizer 14b is operating.

At timing t10, when the count time of the door closing timer reaches time t _lamp , the control circuit 17 turns off the display unit 16 for indicating purification. Instead of turning off the display unit 16 for indicating purification, the control circuit 17 may dimmer the display unit 16 at a relatively low illuminance. At this time, the count time of the parking timer has not yet reached time _tw , the purification unit 14 is maintained in the active state, the blower fan 14a is operating at the second intensity (for example, intensity "high"), and the ionizer 14b is operating.

At timing t11, when the count time of the parking timer reaches time _tw , the control circuit 17 transitions the purification unit 14 to the inactive state, turns off the blower fan 14a, and turns off the ionizer 14b.

Although not shown, if the +B voltage V _+B becomes equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vth2 before the count time of the parking timer reaches the time _tw , the control circuit 17 causes the purification unit 14 to transition to the non-active state, turns off the blower fan 14a, and turns off the ionizer 14b. This allows the power of the battery 4 to be preserved until the next start of the vehicle 1.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the vehicle interior device 100, when the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates open and then closes, and within a time _td , the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential _VGND of the ground voltage line L2 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1, and when the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates close, the light emitting unit 16 emits light for a time t _lamp , and the blower fan 14a operates for a time t _w that is longer than the time t _lamp . This makes it possible to reliably purify the air in the vehicle interior 6 while limiting the time of the purification display to the time when the occupant P is expected to be near the vehicle 1, and therefore it is possible to achieve both reduced power consumption and effective purification of the air in the vehicle interior 6.

In the present embodiment, when the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates open, the light-emitting unit 15 emits light in the vehicle interior device 100. After the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates open, the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination indicates closed, and in the door interlocking mode, the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination stops emitting light before the light-emitting unit 16 for purification display stops emitting light. In other words, by emitting light from the light-emitting unit 16 for purification display at least until after the light-emitting unit 15 for illumination stops emitting light, the occupant P who gets off the vehicle 1 can be sure to recognize the emission of the purification display.

In the present embodiment, in the vehicle interior device 100, when the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential V _GND of the ground voltage line L2 is greater than the threshold voltage Vth2 and the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates a closed state, the blower fan 14a goes into a first strength blowing mode. When the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates an open state, then indicates a closed state, and within a time _td , the potential difference ΔV of the +B voltage line L1 with respect to the potential V _GND of the ground voltage line L2 becomes smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1 and the signal _DOOR of the door opening/closing signal line L3 indicates a closed state, the blower fan 14a goes into a second strength blowing mode. The threshold voltage Vth2 is smaller than the threshold voltage Vth1. The second strength is stronger than the first strength. As a result, when the vehicle is parked and the air conditioning device 9 is often not in operation, the blower fan 14a can be operated at a stronger intensity than usual to distribute predetermined particles (e.g., charged fine water particles containing ions) throughout the vehicle interior 6, thereby effectively purifying the vehicle interior 6.

As a first modified example of the embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100i may be configured to be able to measure the temperature of the vehicle interior 6, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is an XZ cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 100i according to the first modified example of the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 100i according to the first modified example of the embodiment. In Fig. 9, the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 100i is shown typically, and the size and position of each component in the XZ cross-section may differ from the actual ones. Cross-sections in other directions (e.g., YZ cross-sections) are similar to the XZ cross-section. Fig. 10 shows the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100i.

The vehicle interior device 100i has a light-emitting unit 15i instead of the light-emitting unit 15 (see Figures 3 and 4), and further has a temperature sensor 21i.

The temperature sensor 21i is installed inside the housing 13. The temperature sensor 21i is connected to the control circuit 17. The temperature sensor 21i measures the temperature of the passenger compartment 6 and supplies the measurement result to the control circuit 17. The control circuit 17 may detect the minimum temperature of the passenger compartment 6 according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor 21i.

For example, the control circuit 17 detects the minimum temperature during a predetermined period of time using the temperature sensor 21i. The predetermined period of time may be at least 24 hours, and may be two or more days. The predetermined period of time includes multiple measurement periods. The measurement period of time includes, for example, one hour. The control circuit 17 may measure the temperature of the vehicle interior 6 for each measurement period, accumulate the temperatures for a predetermined period of time, and detect the minimum temperature during the period. Alternatively, the control circuit 17 may measure the temperature of the vehicle interior 6 for each measurement period, accumulate the temperatures for one day, determine the minimum temperature for each day, and use the average of the multiple days as the minimum temperature during the period. The multiple days may be two or more days, and may include, for example, one week. The control circuit 17 can grasp the sense of the season according to the minimum temperature during the period.

The temperature of the passenger compartment 6 may change due to the air conditioning device 9 while the vehicle 1 is in use, so the control circuit 17 may exclude temperatures measured while the vehicle 1 is in use when determining the minimum temperature for a specified period or the minimum temperature for each day. The maximum temperature of the passenger compartment 6 may also vary regardless of the season due to the influence of solar radiation. Therefore, it is desirable for the control circuit 17 to grasp the sense of the season based on the minimum temperature for the period.

The light-emitting unit 15i can emit light at a predetermined color temperature, and the color temperature of the emitted light can be changed. The control circuit 17 can change the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15i according to the minimum temperature for the period, and control the light-emitting unit 15i to emit light at the changed color temperature.

In response to control by the control circuit 17, when the minimum temperature during the period is a first temperature, the light-emitting unit 15i emits light at a first color temperature. When the minimum temperature during the period is a second temperature, the light-emitting unit 15i emits light at a second color temperature. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The second color temperature is different from the first color temperature.

For example, the light-emitting unit 15i may be configured to be switchable between cool color emission and warm color emission as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the light-emitting unit 15i in a first modified example of the embodiment. The light-emitting unit 15i has a switching circuit 15i1, a cool color light-emitting unit 15i2, and a warm color light-emitting unit 15i3. The cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 has a cool color emission color and can emit light at a color temperature CT1. The warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 has a warm color emission color and can emit light at a color temperature CT2. The color temperature CT2 is lower than the color temperature CT1. For example, the color temperature CT1 is about 4000K, and the color temperature CT2 is about 6000K. A switching threshold temperature Tth for the minimum temperature during the period may be preset in the switching circuit 15i1.

When the minimum temperature during the period is a temperature Tmin1 lower than the threshold temperature Tth, according to the control by the control circuit 17, the switching circuit 15i1 selectively supplies power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2, selectively causing the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 to emit light. As a result, the light-emitting unit 15i emits light by switching the color temperature of the emitted light to CT1. When the minimum temperature during the period is a temperature Tmin2 higher than the threshold temperature Tth, the switching circuit 15i1 selectively supplies power from the power supply unit 12 to the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3, selectively causing the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 to emit light. As a result, the light-emitting unit 15i emits light by switching the color temperature of the emitted light to CT2.

As shown in FIG. 12, the in-vehicle device 100i operates differently from the embodiment in the following respects. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device 100i according to the first modified example of the embodiment.

After performing the operations of S1 to S3, the vehicle interior device 100i performs a minimum air temperature acquisition process (S41) and sets the time _tw and the light emission color according to the period minimum temperature Tmin. The details of the minimum air temperature acquisition process (S41) will be described later. When the minimum air temperature acquisition process (S41) is completed, the vehicle interior device 100i performs a purification process (S4) and a lighting control process (S43) in parallel according to the settings according to the period minimum temperature Tmin. The purification process (S4) uses the time _tw set in S41. The details of the purification process (S4) will be described later. The lighting control process (S43) uses the light emission color setting set in S41. The details of the lighting control process (S43) will be described later. When both the purification process (S4) and the lighting control process (S43) are completed, the vehicle interior device 100i returns the process to S1.

Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the minimum temperature acquisition process (S41) in the first modified example of the embodiment.

In the vehicle interior device 100i, the control circuit 17 starts the measurement timer if it is not already running. The measurement timer is a timer for managing the timing when the measurement period for measuring the temperature has elapsed. The control circuit 17 uses the measurement timer to determine whether the measurement period has elapsed since the previous measurement (S51).

If the measurement period has elapsed (Yes in S51), the control circuit 17 causes the temperature sensor 21i to measure the temperature (S52), obtains temperature data as the measurement result from the temperature sensor 21i, associates the temperature data with the count time of the measurement timer, and stores the temperature data in the memory 17a (S53). The control circuit 17 removes from the memory 17a the temperature data that has elapsed a predetermined period from the temperature data stored in the memory 17a (S54). The predetermined period is two days or more, and may be, for example, one week. The control circuit 17 sets the lowest temperature data from the multiple measurement periods accumulated during the predetermined period stored in the memory 17a as the period minimum temperature Tmin, stores period minimum temperature information indicating the period minimum temperature Tmin in the memory 17a (S55), and proceeds to S60.

If the measurement period has not elapsed (No in S51), the control circuit 17 determines whether a value has been set for the minimum period temperature Tmin by, for example, checking whether minimum period temperature information is stored in memory 17a (S56).

If a value is set for the minimum period temperature Tmin (Yes in S56), the control circuit 17 maintains the current minimum period temperature Tmin without updating it (S57) and proceeds to S60.

If no value is set for the minimum period temperature Tmin (No in S56), the control circuit 17 causes the temperature sensor 21i to measure the temperature (S58), sets the temperature data resulting from the measurement as the initial value for the minimum period temperature Tmin, stores the minimum period temperature information indicating the initial value Tmin in the memory 17a (S59), and proceeds to S60.

The control circuit 17 compares the minimum period temperature Tmin with the temperature threshold Tth and determines whether the minimum period temperature Tmin is equal to or lower than the temperature threshold Tth (S60).

If the period minimum temperature Tmin is equal to or lower than the temperature threshold value Tth (Yes in S60), the control circuit 17 sets the time tw for operating the purification unit 14 _{to t1} (S61), as shown in FIG. 14, and sets the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15i for illumination to an emission color with a color temperature CT1 (S62), as shown in FIG. 15. The time _t1 is, for example, 0 minutes. The color temperature CT1 is, for example, a warm color temperature of about 4000K. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the time for operating the purification unit 14 in the first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15i in the first modified example of the embodiment.

If the minimum temperature Tmin is greater than the temperature threshold Tth (No in S60), the control circuit 17 sets the time tw for operating the purification unit 14 _{to t2} (> _t1 ) (S63), as shown in Fig. 14, and sets the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15i for illumination to an emission color with a color temperature CT2 (>CT1) (S64), as shown in Fig. 15. The time _t2 is, for example, 30 minutes. The color temperature CT2 is, for example, a cool color temperature of about 6000K.

14, if the period minimum temperature Tmin is lower than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin1), the time _tw for which the purifier 14 should be operated is set to a relatively short time _t1 , taking into consideration that the current season is relatively cold and the battery charging performance of the battery 4 is likely to deteriorate. If the period minimum temperature Tmin is higher than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin2), the time tw for which the purifier 14 should be operated is set to a relatively long time _t2 , taking into consideration that the current season is relatively hot and the battery charging performance of the battery 4 is unlikely to deteriorate. In this way, the time _tw for which the purifier 14 should be operated can be switched _and set, taking into consideration fluctuations in the battery charging performance of the battery 4 depending on the season.

Also, as shown in FIG. 15, if the minimum temperature Tmin of the period is lower than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin1), the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting is set to a warm color temperature CT1 in order to create a warm feeling with the emitted light color to alleviate the coldness since it is currently a relatively cold season. If the minimum temperature Tmin of the period is higher than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin2), the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting is set to a cool color temperature CT2 in order to create a cool feeling with the emitted light color to alleviate the heat since it is currently a relatively hot season. This allows the emitted light color of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting to be set to create a sense of the season.

The purification process (S4) is basically the same as in the embodiment, but differs from the embodiment in that the time _tw set in S61 or S62 is used in S35 (see FIG. 7). This allows the purification unit 14 to operate at the time _tw that takes into account fluctuations in the charging performance of the battery 4 depending on the season.

Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the illumination control process (S43) in the first modified example of the embodiment. The illumination control process (S43) relates to the control of the light-emitting unit 15i for illumination.

In the vehicle interior device 100i, the control circuit 17 determines whether the lighting function is turned on (S71) in response to the operation signal acquired in S1 (see FIG. 12).

If the lighting function is not turned on and remains off (No in S71), the control circuit 17 ends the process.

If the lighting function is turned on (Yes in S71), the control circuit 17 determines whether the door 8 is open or not (S72) in accordance with the door open/close signal _DOOR acquired in S2 (see FIG. 12).

If the door 8 is open (Yes in S72), the control circuit 17 causes the light-emitting unit 15i to emit light with the emission color of the color temperature CT set in S62 or S64 (S73). This allows the illumination light-emitting unit 15i to emit light with an emission color of a color temperature according to the season, and the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15i can create a sense of the season.

If the door 8 is closed (No in S72), the control circuit 17 gradually reduces the light emission intensity of the light-emitting unit 15i (S74), and when the time _trl (see Figure 8) has elapsed since the door 8 was closed, the light-emitting unit 15i is turned off and extinguished (S75).

In this way, in the first modified embodiment, the vehicle interior device 100i measures the temperature in the vehicle interior 6, and the lowest measured temperature in a specified period is set as the minimum temperature for the period, and the season can be determined based on the minimum temperature for the period. Furthermore, the determined season can be used to perform control according to the season, such as controlling the time when the purification unit 14 should be operated or controlling the light emission color of the light-emitting unit 15i.

As a second modified example of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the light-emitting unit 15j in the vehicle interior device 100j may be configured to be able to gradually change the emitted color. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the light-emitting unit 15j in the second modified example of the embodiment.

The light-emitting unit 15j has a color temperature control circuit 15i4 instead of the switching circuit 15i1 (see FIG. 11). In response to control by the control circuit 17, when the period minimum temperature is between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2 (>Tth1), the color temperature control circuit 15i4 may allocate the power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 to cause the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 to emit light.

For example, the control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15j gradually increases as the period minimum temperature increases between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2. The control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15j increases stepwise as the period minimum temperature increases, or the control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15j increases continuously as the period minimum temperature increases. The control circuit 17 supplies the color temperature control signal to the color temperature control circuit 15i4.

The control circuit 17 may obtain a color temperature CT3 when the period minimum temperature is Tmin3 by the following formula 1, and supply a control signal instructing the color temperature CT3 to the color temperature control circuit 15i4.
CT3=CT1+{(CT2-CT1)/(Tth2-Tth1)}×(Tmin3-Tth1) Formula 1

When the power to be supplied to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 is _P15i2 and the power to be supplied to the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 is _P15i3 , the color temperature control circuit 15i4 may allocate the power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 in a ratio shown in the following Equation 2.
_P15i2 : _P15i3 = (CT3-CT1): (CT2-CT3) ... Formula 2

This allows the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 15j to be gradually changed between CT1 and CT2 depending on the value of the period minimum temperature Tmin.

In addition, the minimum temperature acquisition process (S41) differs from the first modified embodiment in the following respects, as shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the minimum temperature acquisition process (S41) in the second modified embodiment.

In the minimum temperature acquisition process, after steps S51 to S59 have been performed, the control circuit 17 compares the minimum period temperature Tmin with the temperature thresholds Tth1 and Tth2, respectively, and determines whether the minimum period temperature Tmin is within the range of the temperature threshold Tth1 or more and the temperature threshold Tth2 or less (S81).

If the period minimum temperature Tmin falls within the range of the temperature threshold value Tth1 or more and the temperature threshold value Tth2 or less (Yes in S81), the control circuit 17 sets the time tw for operating the purifier 14 _to the time calculated from the period minimum temperature Tmin (S82), as shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the time for operating the purifier 14 in the second modified example of the embodiment.

For example, the control circuit 17 may set the time _{tw such that the time tw for which the purifier 14 is to be operated gradually increases as the period minimum temperature increases between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2. The control circuit 17 may set the time tw such that} the time _tw increases stepwise as the period minimum temperature increases, or the control circuit 17 may set the time _tw such that the time _tw increases continuously as the period minimum temperature increases.

The control circuit 17 may obtain the value _t3 of the time _tw when the period minimum temperature is Tmin3 by the following formula 3. This makes it possible to continuously change and set the time _tw for which the purifier 14 should be operated between _t1 and _t2 according to the value of the period minimum temperature Tmin.
t ₃ = t ₁ + {(t ₂ - _{t 1} )/(Tth2-Tth1)}×(Tmin3-Tth1)...Formula 3

The control circuit 17 sets the light color of the light-emitting unit 15j for illumination to the light color of the color temperature CT calculated from the minimum temperature Tmin for the period (S83), as shown in Figure 20. Figure 20 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum air temperature and the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j in the second modified example of the embodiment.

For example, the control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j gradually increases as the period minimum temperature increases between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2. The control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j increases stepwise as the period minimum temperature increases, or the control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j increases continuously as the period minimum temperature increases.

The control circuit 17 may use Equation 1 to determine the color temperature CT3 when the period minimum temperature is Tmin3. This allows the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j to be changed continuously between CT1 and CT2 according to the value of the period minimum temperature Tmin, thereby setting the light emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j.

If the period minimum temperature Tmin is not within the range of the temperature threshold Tth1 or more and the temperature threshold Tth2 or less (No in S81), the control circuit 17 determines whether the period minimum temperature Tmin is less than the temperature threshold Tth1 (S84).

If the period minimum temperature Tmin is lower than the temperature threshold value Tth1 (Yes in S84), the control circuit 17 sets the time tw for operating the purification unit 14 _to t1 (S85), as shown in FIG. 19, and sets the emission color of the illumination light-emitting unit 15j to an emission color with a color temperature CT1 (S86), as shown in FIG. 20.

If the period minimum temperature Tmin is greater than the temperature threshold value Tth2 (No in S84), the control circuit 17 sets the time _tw at which the purification unit 14 should be operated to t2 (>t1) (S87), as shown in FIG. 19, and sets the emission color of the illumination light-emitting unit 15j to an emission color with a color temperature CT2 (>CT1) (S88), as shown in FIG. 20.

In this way, in the second modified embodiment, the vehicle interior device 100j can determine the season based on the minimum temperature for the period, and can gradually control according to the season using the determined season, such as gradually controlling the time when the purification unit 14 should be operated or gradually controlling the light emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j.

In addition, as a third variation of the embodiment, the correspondence between the magnitude of the period minimum temperature and the color temperature to be changed may be the opposite of that in the first variation of the embodiment.

In this case, the light-emitting unit 15i shown in FIG. 11 may operate as follows. In response to control by the control circuit 17, when the minimum temperature during the period is a temperature Tmin1 lower than the threshold temperature Tth, the switching circuit 15i1 selectively supplies power from the power supply unit 12 to the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3, selectively causing the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 to emit light. This causes the light-emitting unit 15i to emit light by switching the color temperature of the light emitted to CT2. When the minimum temperature during the period is a temperature Tmin2 higher than the threshold temperature Tth, the switching circuit 15i1 selectively supplies power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2, selectively causing the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 to emit light. This causes the light-emitting unit 15i to emit light by switching the color temperature of the light emitted to CT1.

Also, as shown in FIG. 21, if the minimum temperature Tmin of the period is lower than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin1), the current season is relatively cold and the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting is set to a cool color temperature CT2 in order to create a cold feeling with the emitted light color. If the minimum temperature Tmin of the period is higher than the temperature threshold value Tth (for example, if Tmin=Tmin2), the current season is relatively hot and the color temperature of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting is set to a warm color temperature CT1 in order to create a hot feeling with the emitted light color. This allows the emitted light color of the light-emitting unit 15i for lighting to be set to create a seasonal feeling. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum temperature and the color temperature of the emitted light in the third modified example of the embodiment.

In addition, in the lighting control process shown in FIG. 16, in S73, the light-emitting unit 15i is caused to emit light with an emission color having a color temperature CT set as shown in FIG. 21. This allows the light-emitting unit 15i for illumination to emit light with an emission color having a color temperature according to the season, and the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15i can create a sense of the season.

In this way, in the third modified embodiment, in the vehicle interior device 100i, the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15i can also be controlled according to the season, as shown in FIG. 21.

In addition, as a fourth modification of the embodiment, the correspondence between the magnitude of the period minimum temperature and the color temperature to be changed may be the opposite of that in the second modification of the embodiment.

In this case, the light-emitting unit 15j shown in FIG. 17 may operate as follows. When the minimum temperature during the period is between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2 (>Tth1) according to the control by the control circuit 17, the color temperature control circuit 15i4 may allocate the power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3, causing the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 to emit light.

For example, the control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j gradually decreases as the period minimum temperature increases between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2. The control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j decreases stepwise as the period minimum temperature increases, or the control circuit 17 may generate a color temperature control signal such that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j continuously decreases as the period minimum temperature increases.

The control circuit 17 may obtain a color temperature CT4 when the period minimum temperature is Tmin4 by the following formula 4, and supply a control signal instructing the color temperature CT4 to the color temperature control circuit 15i4.
CT4 = CT2 + {(CT1 - CT2) / (Tth2 - Tth1)} x (Tmin4 - Tth1) ... Formula 4

When the power to be supplied to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 is _P15i2 and the power to be supplied to the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 is _P15i3 , the color temperature control circuit 15i4 may allocate the power from the power supply unit 12 to the cool color light-emitting unit 15i2 and the warm color light-emitting unit 15i3 in a ratio shown in the following Equation 5.
_P15i2 : _P15i3 = (CT4-CT1): (CT2-CT4) ... Formula 5

This allows the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 15j to be gradually changed between CT1 and CT2 depending on the value of the period minimum temperature Tmin.

In addition, in the minimum temperature acquisition process shown in FIG. 18, in S83, the light color of the light-emitting element 15j for illumination is set to the light color of the color temperature CT calculated from the minimum temperature Tmin for the period, as shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the relationship between the minimum temperature and the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 15j in the fourth modified example of the embodiment.

For example, the control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j gradually decreases as the period minimum temperature increases between the threshold temperature Tth1 and the threshold temperature Tth2. The control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j decreases stepwise as the period minimum temperature increases, or the control circuit 17 may set the emission color of the light-emitting unit 15j so that the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j continuously decreases as the period minimum temperature increases.

The control circuit 17 may use Equation 4 to determine the color temperature CT4 when the minimum period temperature is Tmin4. This allows the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 15j to be changed continuously between CT1 and CT2 according to the value of the minimum period temperature Tmin, thereby setting the light emission color.

In this way, in the fourth modified embodiment, in the vehicle interior device 100j, the color temperature of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 15j can be gradually controlled to gradually change in accordance with the season, as shown in FIG. 22.

As a fifth modified example of the embodiment, the vehicle interior device 100k may be installed on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6 as shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the installation sequence of the vehicle interior device in the fifth modified example of the embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 23(a), an existing device 200 is already installed on the ceiling 6a of the vehicle interior 6. The existing device 200 is, for example, a room lamp. A base portion BS200 is fixed to the +Z side surface of the housing 213 of the existing device 200. The base portion BS200 has locking portions 220 and 230. The locking portions 220 and 230 have a structure that allows them to be locked to the ceiling 6a. The locking portions 220 and 230 have a structure that allows them to protrude from the side surface in the XY direction.

Furthermore, the base portion BS200 has three terminals (not shown) protruding between the locking portions 220, 230 in the X direction. The socket SC is attached to the existing device 200 so that the three terminals engage with the three terminals TM11 to TM13 of the socket SC. In the roof portion 3a, a space is formed between the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion that forms the ceiling 6a. A cable CB extends from the +Z side of the socket SC into the space within the roof portion 3a of the vehicle body 3.

A recess 6a2 corresponding to the base BS200 is provided in the ceiling 6a. A plurality of holes 6a21-6a23 are formed in the bottom surface (the surface on the +Z side) of the recess 6a2. Of the plurality of holes 6a21-6a23, the hole 6a21 corresponds to the socket SC and the cable CB, and the socket SC and the cable CB are inserted through it. The hole 6a22 corresponds to the locking portion 220, and the locking portion 220 is locked to it. The hole 6a23 corresponds to the locking portion 230, and the locking portion 230 is locked to it.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23(b), the existing device 200 is removed. That is, the socket SC is pulled out from the base portion BS200, the locking portions 220 and 230 are released from the holes 6a22 and 6a23, and the existing device 200 is removed from the recessed portion 6a2.

Then, the vehicle interior device 100k is prepared. The vehicle interior device 100k has locking portions 22, 23. The locking portions 22, 23 are arranged on the base portion BS. The locking portions 22, 23 have a structure that allows them to be locked to the ceiling 6a. The locking portions 22, 23 have a structure that allows them to protrude from the side in the XY directions.

Next, as shown in FIG. 23(c), the vehicle interior device 100k is installed in the recess 6a2 in the ceiling 6a. At this time, the positions at which the locking portions 22, 23 are arranged on the base portion BS correspond to the positions at which the locking portions 220, 230 are arranged on the base portion BS200. The hole 6a22 corresponds to the locking portion 22, and the locking portion 22 is locked. The hole 6a23 corresponds to the locking portion 23, and the locking portion 23 is locked. As a result, the locking portions 22, 23 lock the housing 13 to the ceiling 6a via the base portion BS.

The base portion BS has three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3 (see FIG. 3) protruding between the locking portions 22 and 23 in the X direction. The socket SC is attached to the in-vehicle device 100k so that the three terminals TM11 to TM13 of the socket SC fit into the three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3.

The locking parts 22 and 23 may have any structure that allows the housing 13 to be locked to the ceiling 6a via the base part BS. For example, the locking parts 22 and 23 may be detachable members relative to the base part BS, as shown in FIG. 24(a).

The locking portion 22 has a threaded portion 221, a top portion 222, and a folding portion 223. The folding portion 223 has a threaded hole formed in the center, and the threaded portion 221 is inserted into the threaded hole. The top portion 222 is fixed to the -Z side end of the threaded portion 221. The folding portion 223 is configured to open in the XY directions when the threaded portion 221 is rotated so that the top portion 222 approaches, and to close and fold in the XY directions when the threaded portion 221 is rotated so that the top portion 222 moves away. The XY dimensions of the threaded portion 221 are slightly smaller than the XY dimensions of the hole 6a22 in the ceiling 6a. The XY dimensions of the top portion 222 are slightly larger than the XY dimensions of the hole 6a22 in the ceiling 6a.

The locking portion 23 has a threaded portion 231, a top portion 232, and a folding portion 233. The folding portion 233 has a threaded hole formed in the center, and the threaded portion 231 is inserted into the threaded hole. The top portion 232 is fixed to the -Z side end of the threaded portion 231. The folding portion 233 is configured to open in the XY directions when the threaded portion 231 is rotated so that the top portion 232 approaches, and to close and fold in the XY directions when the threaded portion 231 is rotated so that the top portion 232 moves away. The XY dimensions of the threaded portion 231 are slightly smaller than the XY dimensions of the hole 6a23 in the ceiling 6a. The XY dimensions of the top portion 232 are slightly larger than the XY dimensions of the hole 6a23 in the ceiling 6a.

The base BS has a box-like configuration with an open -Z side, and a hole corresponding to the hole in the ceiling 6a is formed in the wall on the +Z side. The locking portions 22 and 23 are inserted from the -Z side into the hole in the base BS and the hole in the ceiling 6a with the folding portions 223 and 233 folded (see locking portion 23 in FIG. 24(a)). Then, the screw portions 221 and 231 are rotated so that the tops 222 and 232 approach the folding portion 223. As a result, the folding portions 223 and 233 of the locking portions 22 and 23 open in the XY directions, and the housing 13 is locked to the ceiling 6a via the base BS.

The base portion BS has three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3 (see FIG. 3) protruding between the locking portions 22 and 23 in the X direction. The socket SC is attached to the in-vehicle device 100k so that the three terminals TM11 to TM13 of the socket SC fit into the three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3.

Alternatively, the vehicle interior device 100k may have locking portions 24 and 25 as shown in FIG. 24(b) instead of the locking portions 22 and 23. The locking portions 24 and 25 may be members fixed to the base portion BS.

The locking portion 24 has a columnar portion 241 and a claw portion 242. The columnar portion 241 has a generally columnar shape with the Z direction as its axis. The claw portion 242 protrudes from the side of the columnar portion 241 and has elasticity. The claw portion 242 may be formed of an elastic material, or may be made of any material (e.g., resin, metal, etc.) and have elasticity in the shape of a leaf spring or the like.

The locking portion 25 has a columnar portion 251 and a claw portion 252. The columnar portion 251 has a generally columnar shape with the Z direction as its axis. The claw portion 252 protrudes from the side of the columnar portion 251 and has elasticity. The claw portion 252 may be formed of an elastic material, or may be made of any material (e.g., resin, metal, etc.) in the shape of a leaf spring or the like to have elasticity. In FIG. 24(b), an example is shown in which the claw portion 252 is a plate-shaped member whose both ends are fixed to the side of the columnar portion 251, and the portion of the claw portion 252 between the both ends protrudes in an arc shape outward in the XY direction from the side of the columnar portion 251.

The XY dimensions of the columnar portions 241, 251 are slightly smaller than the XY dimensions of the holes 6a22, 6a23 in the ceiling 6a. The locking portions 24, 25 are inserted through the holes 6a22, 6a23. When the claw portions 242, 252 pass through the holes 6a22, 6a23, they are pressed by the edges of the holes and contract inward in the XY directions, and after passing through the holes 6a22, 6a23, they expand outward in the XY directions. As a result, the locking portions 24, 25 each lock the housing 13 to the ceiling 6a via the base portion BS.

The base portion BS has three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3 (see FIG. 3) protruding between the locking portions 24 and 25 in the X direction. The socket SC is attached to the in-vehicle device 100k so that the three terminals TM11 to TM13 of the socket SC fit into the three terminals TM1, TM2, and TM3.

As described above, in the fifth modified embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100k has the locking portions 22 and 23 (or the locking portions 24 and 25). This allows the housing 13 to be locked to the ceiling 6a via the base portion BS, and the in-vehicle device 100k to be installed on the ceiling 6a.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2-1 to 2-4 wheels 3 vehicle body 4 battery 5 vehicle control device 6 vehicle compartment 7-1, 7-2 door switch 8-1, 8-2 door 9 air conditioner 12 power supply unit 13 housing 14 purification unit 14a blower fan 14b ionizer 14b1 electrostatic atomization unit 15, 15i, 15j, 16 light emitting unit 17 control circuit 17a memory 17b timer 18, 19 operation unit 18a, 19a button 18b, 19b detection unit 20 optical member 21i temperature sensor 100, 100i, 100j, 100k vehicle compartment device

Claims (10)

It is designed to be installed on the ceiling of the vehicle interior,
an input unit to which a door opening/closing signal line of the vehicle is connected;
a power supply unit to which a +B voltage line and a ground voltage line are connected;
A housing and
A blower fan installed inside the housing;
An ionizer that is installed inside the housing and generates at least one of positive ions and negative ions in the airflow sent out by the blower fan;
a first light-emitting unit that is installed in the housing and that illuminates an interior of the vehicle using power supplied from the power supply unit;
a second light emitting unit that is installed in the housing and has a light emission intensity lower than a light emission intensity of the first light emitting unit;
A vehicle interior purification device comprising:
When the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates an open state and then indicates a closed state, and the potential difference of the +B voltage line with respect to the potential of the ground voltage line becomes smaller than a first voltage within a first time period thereafter, and when the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates a closed state, the second light-emitting unit emits light for a second time period, and the blower fan operates for a third time period that is longer than the second time period.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
When the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates an open state, the first light emitting unit emits light,
when the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates an open state and then indicates a closed state, and within a first time period thereafter, the potential difference of the +B voltage line with respect to the potential of the ground voltage line becomes smaller than a first voltage, and when the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates a closed state, the second light-emitting unit then emits light for the second time period;
The first light-emitting unit stops emitting light before the second light-emitting unit stops emitting light.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
The blower fan has at least a first strength blowing mode and a second strength blowing mode stronger than the first strength,
When a potential difference of the +B voltage line with respect to a potential of the ground voltage line is larger than the first voltage and when a signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates a closed state, the blower fan is in the first strength blowing mode,
when the signal on the door opening/closing signal line indicates an open state and then indicates a closed state, and within a first time thereafter, a potential difference of the +B voltage line with respect to the potential of the ground voltage line is smaller than the first voltage and larger than a second voltage, and when the signal on the door opening/closing signal line indicates a closed state, the blower fan is switched to the second strength blowing mode,
When the potential difference of the +B voltage line with respect to the potential of the ground voltage line becomes smaller than the second voltage and the signal of the door opening/closing signal line indicates that the door is closed, the blower fan is stopped,
the second voltage is less than the first voltage;
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 3,
Further, a temperature sensor is provided inside the housing,
detecting a 24-hour minimum temperature, the minimum temperature being the lowest in at least a 24-hour period, by the temperature sensor;
if the 24-hour minimum temperature is a first temperature, the second time period is a first value;
If the 24-hour minimum temperature is a second temperature lower than the first temperature, the second time period is a second value lower than the first value.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
A control circuit is provided.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
The housing further includes a locking portion for locking the housing to the ceiling.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
Further comprising a first operating unit,
changing light emission from the first light emitting unit by operating the first operating unit;
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
Further comprising a second operating unit,
At least one of the operation of the blower fan and the operation of the electrostatic atomization unit is changed by operating the second operating unit.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
The housing includes an outlet for the airflow sent out by the blower fan.
Vehicle interior purification device. The vehicle interior purification device according to claim 1,
The ionizer is an electrostatic atomizer that adds positively ionized particles and/or negatively ionized particles.
Vehicle interior purification device.

Images