Patent ID: 8109452

Claim:
An electrostatic atomizer mounted in a motor vehicle, comprising: an atomizer unit for generating electrically-charged water particles, the atomizer unit including: a discharge electrode; a water supply unit for cooling the discharge electrode to generate water condensed on the discharge electrode; and a high voltage applying unit for applying a high voltage to the water on the discharge electrode to electrostatically atomize the water; an ejection portion provided at a ceiling of the motor vehicle for ejecting the electrically-charged water particles generated in the atomizer unit and an ejection direction changing unit provided in the ejection portion for changing an ejection direction of the electrically-charged water particles; and a human body detection sensor for detecting one or more vehicle occupants, wherein the ejection direction changing unit operates in two modes, the two modes including an ejection direction changing mode and a normal mode for spraying the electrically-charged water particles downwards without changing the ejection direction, and wherein, in the ejection direction changing mode, the ejection direction changing unit is configured to direct the electrically-charged water particles only toward the detected vehicle occupants, and when two or more vehicle occupants are detected, the ejection direction changing unit directs the electrically-charged water particles toward the detected two or more vehicle occupants.