US 12,263,721 B2
Device for improving interior air quality in a vehicle and a vehicle
Norbert Spazier, Bondorf (DE)
Assigned to MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 17/773,214
Filed by MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/080119
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 29, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/083859, PCT Pub. Date May 6, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 007 536.6 (DE), filed on Oct. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0379688 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B60H 3/00 (2006.01); A61L 9/20 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 3/0078 (2013.01) [A61L 9/20 (2013.01); A61L 2209/11 (2013.01); A61L 2209/12 (2013.01); A61L 2209/16 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for improving interior air quality in a vehicle, the device comprising:
a photoreactor having UV-CLEDs configured to emit UV-C radiation;
a photoreactor line section having first and second end regions; and
a control device coupled to the photoreactor,
wherein the photoreactor is connected, via the photoreactor line section between a fresh air intake and an air distribution system of a ventilation system or between the fresh air intake and an air conditioning system of the vehicle,
wherein the photoreactor line section has a first controllable valve in the first end region configured to connect the photoreactor line section to the fresh air intake and a second controllable valve in the second end region configured to connect the photoreactor line section to the air distribution system,
wherein the control device is configured to control air passing through the photoreactor by controlling the controllable valves arranged in the photoreactor line section in such a way that the air passing through is exposed to a predetermined UV-C radiation dose,
wherein the photoreactor has a return bypass with a third controllable valve arranged at a first end of the photoreactor and coupled to an inlet of the photoreactor upstream of the first controllable valve so that air flowing through the third controllable valve is supplied to the first controllable valve,
wherein the return bypass has a fourth controllable valve arranged at a second end of the photoreactor and coupled to an outlet of the photoreactor downstream of the second controllable valve so that air passing through second controllable valve is supplied to the fourth controllable valve, and
wherein, when the first, second, third, and fourth controllable valves are open, air from the fresh air intake passes, in stated order, through the first controllable valve, by the photoreactor, the second controllable valve, the fourth controllable valve, and then the third controllable valve.