Patent Application
20130215637
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for highlighting an element located within an interior passenger compartment of a vehicle using reflected light from a hidden light, and more particularly to a contoured reflective surface associated with a vehicle control or accessory for highlighting a location of the control or accessory by reflecting light in all directions to become visible to interior vehicle occupants.
Various automotive interior illumination devices are generally known from U.S. Pat. No. 8,075,173; U.S. Pat. No. 7,967,486; U.S. Pat. No. 7,938,566; U.S. Pat. No. 7,210,829; U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,238; U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,186; U.S. Published Application No. 2010/0214795; U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0196058; and U.S. Published Application No. 2006/0034092. Generally, a dashboard or instrument panel installed in a front interior area of an automobile is provided with various components and manual operation elements, such as switches and one or more wind-direction adjusting levers for one or more ventilation registers of an interior heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle. When an occupant of a vehicle experiences a dark environmental operating condition, illumination is required to assist the occupant to recognize the shape and position of various components and manual operation elements of the dashboard, so as to ensure usability or user-friendliness in using or manually operating such components and elements.
In a conventional illumination system, where the illumination member is incorporated into an instrument panel or dashboard to ensure user-friendliness, illumination light from the illumination member may directly come within the field of view of a driver sitting in a front seat of a vehicle interior. Even if an indirect illumination technique is used in the illumination system associated with an instrument panel or dashboard, illumination light from an illumination member may directly come within the field of view of a driver sitting in a front seat of a vehicle interior depending on the position of the illumination member and the direction of the illumination light. Illumination light directly coming within the field of view of a driver during dark environmental operating conditions is generally considered to be undesirable.
It would be desirable to provide illumination to assist the occupant of a vehicle to recognize the shape and position of various components and elements of the control board panel so as to ensure usability or user-friendliness in using or manually operating such components and elements without directly coming within the field of view of the driver during dark environmental operating conditions. It would be desirable to improve an appearance of a vehicle interior by creating accent light features around components and/or manual operation elements, by way of example and not limitation, such as one or more ventilation registers. It would be desirable to make a vehicle interior more attractive, and to make the location of components and manual operation elements easier to find during dark environmental operating conditions. It would be desirable to highlight a chrome bezel associated with a component and/or manual operation element, such as a ventilation register, using light from a hidden light (e.g., a light pipe).
In an interior passenger compartment of a vehicle, an illuminating apparatus can include, in combination, an instrument board panel, a manual operation element mounted to the panel, and a hidden light source mounted behind the panel providing indirect light directed along a path extending downwardly across a visible surface of the panel through an aperture in the panel. The illuminating apparatus can provide a bezel connected with the manual operation element. The bezel can have at least one cross sectional area with a non-planar shaped contour defining an edge, and a reflective surface located on the bezel covering the edge. The reflective surface can be located on the visible surface of the panel within the path of indirect light from the hidden light pipe. The edge can reflect indirect light from the hidden light to be visible to occupants of the passenger compartment of the vehicle as a light feature highlighting the manual operation element.
A method is provided for assembling a light feature highlighting a manual operation element located on an instrument board panel within a passenger compartment of a vehicle during dark environmental operating conditions. The method can include mounting a light hidden source behind the instrument board panel, directing indirect light from the light source along a path extending downwardly across a visible surface of the instrument board panel through an aperture in the panel, and locating a reflective edge in association with the manual operation element on the visible surface of the instrument board panel within the path of indirect light from the hidden light. The reflective edge for reflecting indirect light from the light source to be visible to occupants of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, thereby highlighting the manual operation element during dark environmental operating conditions.
An illuminating apparatus can be mounted within an interior passenger compartment of an automobile for casting visible radiant energy in at least one direction to render objects in that direction visible. An instrument board panel can be located within the passenger compartment of the automobile and can contain or support at least one manual operation element. The illuminating apparatus can include a hidden light source mounted behind the instrument board panel providing indirect light to an interior passenger compartment of the automobile. The indirect light can be directed along a path extending downwardly across a visible surface of the instrument board panel through an aperture in the instrument board panel facilitating viewing of the instrument board panel. A reflective surface can be connected to the manual operation element and can be located on the visible surface of the instrument board panel. The reflective surface can have an edge located in the path of the indirect light. The edge can reflect indirect light from the hidden light source to be visible to occupants of the passenger compartment of the automobile highlighting the manual operation element during dark environmental operating conditions.
Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Referring now to
The corner edge 22a of the bezel 22 can be rounded to reflect light into the passenger compartment 12 of the vehicle 14. The corner edge 22a of the bezel 22 can extend around an entire periphery of the manual operation element 18. The reflective surface 22b covering the corner edge 22a of the bezel 22 can be a chromed surface, or any other reflective surface capable of reflecting indirect light 20b from the hidden light pipe 20 into the passenger compartment 12 of the automobile 14.
By way of example and not limitation, the manual operation element 18 can be a ventilation register, such as used for a heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle 14. The bezel 22 can be formed integrally with the panel 16, or as a separate piece for assembly or mounting to the panel 16. The instrument board panel 16 can be formed as part of, or can be assembled to, the front dashboard of a vehicle, or can be formed of, or can be assembled to, a separate rear passenger control panel. By way of example and not limitation, the instrument board panel 16 can be defined as part of a rear seat passenger HVAC control system, or as a portion of a front seat HVAC control system.
A method is disclosed for assembling a light feature highlighting a manual operation element 18 located on an instrument board panel 16 within a passenger compartment 12 of a vehicle 14 during dark environmental operating conditions. The method can include mounting a light pipe 20 hidden behind the instrument board panel 16, directing indirect light 20a from the light pipe 20 along a path extending downwardly across a visible surface 16a of the instrument board panel 16 through an aperture 16b in the panel 16, and locating a reflective corner edge 22a associated with the manual operation element 18 on the visible surface 16a of the instrument board panel 16 within the path of indirect light 20a from the hidden light pipe 20 for reflecting indirect light 20b from the light pipe 20 with the reflective corner edge 22a to be visible to occupants of the passenger compartment 12 of the vehicle 14, thereby highlighting the manual operation element 18 during dark environmental operating conditions.
The method can also include one or more of the following processes, either singularly or in any combination. The method can include forming a rounded reflective corner edge 22a associated with the manual operation element 18. The method can include forming a chromed surface 22b to define the reflective corner edge 22a associated with the manual operation element 18. The reflective corner edge 22a can be formed to extend entirely around a periphery of the manual operation element 18. As previously indicated, the method can include forming the manual operation element 18 as a ventilation register.
An illuminating apparatus 10 can be mounted within an interior passenger compartment 12 of an automobile 14 for casting visible radiant energy in at least one direction to render objects in that direction visible. An instrument board panel 16 can be located within the passenger compartment 12 of the automobile 14 and can contain at least one manual operation element 18. The illuminating apparatus can include a light pipe 20 mounted hidden behind the instrument board panel 16 providing indirect light 20a to an interior passenger compartment 12 of the automobile 14. The indirect light 20a can be directed along a path extending downwardly across a visible surface 16a of the instrument board panel 16 through an aperture 16b in the instrument board panel 16 facilitating viewing of the instrument board panel 16. A reflective surface 22b can be connected to, or associated with, the manual operation element 18. The reflective surface can be located on the visible surface 16a of the instrument board panel 16. The reflective surface 22b can have a corner 22a located in the path of the indirect light 20a. The corner 22a can reflect indirect light 20b from the light pipe 20 to be visible to occupants of the passenger compartment 12 of the automobile 14 highlighting the manual operation element 18.
The corner 22a of the reflective surface 22b can be non-planar, or contoured, by way of example and not limitation, such as a rounded corner having a predetermined radius of curvature. By way of example and not limitation, the reflective surface 22b can be a chromed surface. The reflective surface 22b can extend either partially or completely around an entire periphery of the manual operation element 18. By way of example and not limitation, the manual operation element 18 can be a ventilation register having one or more manually operated louvers for directing air flow into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
The illuminating apparatus 10 can highlight a chrome reflective surface 22a of a bezel 22 surrounding an opening of a ventilation register, or other manual operation element 18, using indirect light 20a from a hidden light pipe 20 located behind a panel 16. This configuration improves the appearance of the vehicle interior around the manual operation element 18, such as a ventilation register, by creating an accent light feature around the manual operation element 18. The reflected indirect light makes the vehicle interior more attractive, and makes the location of the manual operation element 18, such as a ventilation register, easier to find at night. In operation, light 20a from the light pipe 20 shines down on the reflective surface 22b, such as a chromed surface, of the bezel 22 associated with the manual operation element 18, such as a ventilation register, creating lines of light reflected by the curved corner edge 22a of the bezel 22. The curved corner edge 22a, and associated reflected lines of light, can surround the manual operation element 18, such as a ventilation register. This creates distinctive highlights that appear as a line of light associated with the non-planar corner edge 22a of the bezel 22. Although light 20a is shining on all of the reflective surface 22b, such as a chromed surface, of the bezel 22 of the manual operation element 18, only the edges 22a have lines of light, since light striking a flat surface is reflected down and away from vehicle occupants. Radii on edges 22a of the bezel 22 reflect the light in all directions, so the reflected light 20b becomes visible to interior occupants of the vehicle. As best seen in
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.
