TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates generally to the vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to a portable apparatus and method adapted for purifying air in the vehicle and at a remote location outside of the vehicle for breathing.

BACKGROUND

This document relates to a new and improved apparatus that is integrated into the armrest of a vehicle and operable in this first position to purify air within the passenger cabin or compartment of the motor vehicle. Advantageously, the apparatus further includes an air purification module that is portable and may be released from the armrest and taken with the user to purify the air remote from or outside the motor vehicle as desired.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a new and improved apparatus is provided comprising an armrest, including a receiver, and an air purification module. The air purification module is releasably received in the receiver and displaceable between a first operating position held in the receiver and a second operating position remote from the armrest. Thus it should be appreciated that the air purification module may be removed from the motor vehicle by the operator and used to purify air for breathing while walking through the ambient environment or at a remote location such as a room or office.

The air purification module may include an air inlet port, a fan, a filter and an air outlet port. The air purification module may include a particulate sensor to detect air quality. The air purification module may include an ionizer to ionize and clean the air passing through the air purification module. The air purification module may further include a rechargeable energy source such as a lithium battery.

The air purification module may include a control module. That control module may include a controller and a human interface of any appropriate type allowing for communication between the operator and the controller. That human interface may include an electronic display and an actuator switch, a touchscreen display, a voice processor for voice command or the like.

The air purification module may include a first set of electrical contacts connected to the rechargeable energy source. The armrest may include a second set of electrical contacts that cooperate with the first set of electrical contacts to charge the rechargeable energy source when the air purification module is in the first operating position held in the receiver in the armrest.

The armrest may include an air inlet and an air outlet. That air inlet communicates with the air inlet port of the air purification module to allow the intake of air from the passenger cabin of the vehicle. The air outlet may communicate with the air outlet port of the air purification module allowing the discharge of purified air back into the passenger cabin of the vehicle.

The armrest may include a body having a pad for comfortably supporting the arm of a vehicle occupant and a hinge connecting the body to a hinge support of a console of the vehicle. This allows the armrest to be tipped up to allow access to any underlying console feature or for any other desired purpose.

In addition, the apparatus may include a releasable latching feature adapted to retain the air purification module in the receiver of the armrest when the air purification module is in the first operating position. In one of many possible embodiments, that receiver may be provided in the body concealed under the pad.

In one possible embodiment of the apparatus, the pad includes an access door which may be opened to access the air purification module and remove the air purification module from the armrest. That access door may include a first door panel and a second door panel carried on opposed pivots.

In accordance with an additional aspect, an apparatus comprises (a) an armrest including a body having a pad and a receiver, (b) an air purification module held in the receiver and operable in a first operating position inside a vehicle and a second operating position remote from or outside the vehicle and (c) a releasable latching feature for releasing the air purification module from the receiver.

The air purification module may include an air inlet port, a fan, a filter and an outlet port. The air purification module may further include a particulate sensor, an ionizer, a rechargeable energy source and a control module of the type described above.

In accordance with yet another aspect, a method is provided of purifying air for breathing. That method comprises the steps of: (a) retaining an air purification module in a receiver of an armrest within a vehicle, (b) operating that air purification module when in the vehicle to purify air in a passenger compartment of the vehicle for breathing, (c) removing the air purification module from the vehicle when leaving the vehicle and (d) operating the air purification module remote from the vehicle to purify air outside of the vehicle for breathing.

In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the apparatus and related method of purifying air for breathing. As it should be realized, the apparatus and method are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the apparatus and method as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

