Hands-free cabin purification system for a vehicle

Inventors: Stephen J Eynon (New Baltimore, MI); Jason C Hedlund (West Bloomfield, MI); Danja McGoff (Washington Township, MI); Steven C Hall (Livonia, MI); Santiago Caceres (Pontiac, MI); Martin Hofmann (Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, DE); Richard S Silbert (Bingham Farms, MI); Mark D Osterbrink (Rochester Hills, MI); Edward Rickettson (Davisburg, MI)

Assignee: FCA US LLC

B60H3/0085 A61L9/205 A61L2209/12

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12661958
App. No.: 18/191,122
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A cabin purification system for a vehicle includes an air inlet in communication with a fan, a light source emitting ultraviolet C light at a wavelength of from 100 nanometers to 280 nanometers, a photocatalytic oxidizer element, and an air outlet. The photocatalytic oxidizer element has a surface coating comprising anatase and rutile forms of TiO 2 . The surface coating is illuminated by the light source. The fan generates an air flow from outside the air inlet to the air outlet. The air flow passes the light source and the photocatalytic oxidizer where the surface coating converts H 2 O O 3 and O 2 in the air flow into H 2 O 2 which is distributed into the vehicle cabin to purify it.

Claims (31)

1 . A cabin purifying system for a vehicle comprising:

an air intake in communication with a fan;

a first light emitting diode array, said first light emitting diode array emitting ultraviolet C light at a wavelength of from 100 nanometers (nm) to 280 nm;

a second light emitting diode array emitting ultraviolet A light at a wavelength of from 315 nm to 400 nm;

a first photocatalytic oxidizer element having a hydrophilic surface coating comprising anatase and rutile forms of TiO 2 and wherein at least some of said surface coating is illuminated by said first light emitting diode array;

a second photocatalytic oxidizer element having a surface coating comprising anatase and rutile forms of TiO 2 , said surface coating of said second photocatalytic oxidizer illuminated by said second light emitting diode array;

an air outlet, wherein said fan is configured to generate an air flow from outside said air intake to said air outlet and wherein said surface coating of said first photocatalytic oxidizer element catalyzes the conversion of H 2 O, O 3 and O 2 in said air flow into H 2 O 2 .

2 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein more than 50% of the total amount of TiO 2 in said surface coating is in the anatase form.

3 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said surface coating further comprises at least one transition metal element from the Periodic Table.

4 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said first photocatalytic oxidizer element comprises at least two panels that are not parallel to each other.

5 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 which includes a housing including or communicated with both the air intake and the air outlet, and in which the first light emitting diode array, the second light emitting diode array, the first photocatalytic oxidizer element and the second photocatalytic oxidizer element are arranged, and wherein the second light emitting diode array and the second photocatalytic oxidizer element are arranged downstream of both the first light emitting diode array and the first photocatalytic oxidizer element, where downstream is relative to a direction of air flow through the housing.

6 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 5 which includes a third light emitting diode array emitting ultraviolet C light and a third photocatalytic oxidizer element having a surface coating illuminated by said third light emitting diode array, and wherein the third light emitting diode array and the third photocatalytic oxidizer element are arranged downstream of both the second light emitting diode array and the second photocatalytic oxidizer element.

7 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the surface coating of the first photocatalytic oxidizer element includes a portion that makes the first photocatalytic oxidizer element more hydrophobic so that more water in the air flow reaches the second photocatalytic oxidizer element.

8 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said second photocatalytic oxidizer element comprises a gridwork having multiple openings in said gridwork and wherein said gridwork is covered by said surface coating.

9 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein each of said openings has an inlet and an outlet relative to said air flow and wherein a diameter of said inlet of at least some of said openings is smaller than a diameter of said outlet of said at least some of said openings.

10 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said second light emitting diode array is at an angle of up to 30 degrees relative to a parallel orientation to a face of said second photocatalytic oxidizer element.

11 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said first and said second photocatalytic oxidizer elements are arranged in series.

12 . A cabin purifying system for a vehicle comprising:

an air intake in communication with a fan;

multiple light emitting diode arrays, with at least one of said light emitting diode arrays emitting ultraviolet C light at a wavelength of from 100 nm to 280 nm and at least one of said light emitting diode arrays emitting ultraviolet A light at a wavelength of from 315 nm to 400 nm;

multiple photocatalytic oxidizer elements, each having a surface coating comprising TiO 2 , with said surface coating of at least one of said photocatalytic oxidizer elements illuminated by at least one of said light emitting diode arrays emitting ultraviolet C light at a wavelength of from 100 nm to 280 nm and with said surface coating of at least one of said photocatalytic oxidizer elements illuminated by at least one of said light emitting diode arrays emitting ultraviolet A light at a wavelength of from 315 nm to 400 nm;

an air outlet; and

a control module, said control module controlling said fan and each of said light emitting diode arrays, wherein said fan is configured to generate an air flow into and through said air intake to and through said air outlet and wherein said surface coating illuminated by ultraviolet C light catalyzes the conversion of H 2 O, O 3 and O 2 in said air flow into H 2 O 2 and wherein said surface coating illuminated by ultraviolet A light catalyzes the oxidation of volatile organic compounds in said air flow.

13 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said multiple photocatalytic oxidizer elements are arranged in series.

14 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein each of said photocatalytic oxidizer elements having a surface coating illuminated by ultraviolet C light comprises a metal substrate having said surface coating applied thereon.

15 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprising an ultraviolet light reflector wherein at least some of said ultraviolet light emitted by at least one of said light emitting diode arrays is reflected by said ultraviolet light reflector.

16 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said surface coating comprises greater than 50% of the TiO 2 in an anatase form.

17 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said surface coating illuminated by ultraviolet C light is hydrophilic.

18 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said surface coating illuminated by ultraviolet A light is hydrophobic.

19 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said control module receives inputs regarding at least one of a humidity and a temperature of air in said air flow entering said air inlet and adjusts at least one of a speed of said fan and a power output to at least one of said light emitting diode arrays based on said at least one of said humidity and said temperature.

20 . The cabin purifying system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein said photocatalytic oxidizer element illuminated by at least one of said light emitting diode arrays emitting ultraviolet A light comprises a gridwork having a plurality of openings in said gridwork and wherein said gridwork is covered by said surface coating, and wherein each of said plurality of openings has an inlet and an outlet relative to said air flow and wherein a diameter of said inlet of at least some of said openings is smaller than a diameter of said outlet of said openings.