Patent Application
20120327675
This disclosure relates to a lighting assembly of a vehicle, such as a land vehicle, a water vehicle or an air vehicle.
Illustrating by example, land vehicles which operate on roads and highways have tail lighting which comprises various arrangements of lamps which perform various lighting functions. Certain laws and regulations applicable to motor vehicles operating in the United States may specify certain requirements for tail lighting functions.
Typical tail lighting functions include: a tail light function; a stop light function; a right turn signal light function; a left turn signal light function; and a back-up light function. A tail lighting construction in some vehicles may also provide for a tail light to be seen from a side of a vehicle and thereby also function as a side marker light at the rear of a vehicle.
An example of typical tail lighting comprises a separate right tail light assembly and a separate left tail light assembly mounted on respective right and left sides of a vehicle at a vehicle's rear. Such assemblies typically provide stop light, turn signal light, and tail light functions. Back-up lights may be included with the tail light assemblies, or else may comprise one or more individual assemblies separately mounted on the vehicle, for providing a reverse, or back-up, indicating function.
When a headlamp or running lamp switch is turned on, tail lamps illuminate on right and left sides of a vehicle to present relatively less intense red light to an observer. When a brake pedal is depressed to decelerate a moving vehicle and in the process operate a stop lamp switch, stop lamps on right and left sides illuminate to present red light which has a greater intensity than that of a tail lamp. When a right turn signal switch is turned on, a right turn signal lamp on the right side intermittently illuminates (i.e. flashes) to present red light more intense than that of a tail lamp. When a left turn signal switch is turned on, a left turn signal lamp on the left side intermittently illuminates to present red light relatively more intense than that of a tail lamp. When a back-up switch is turned on by placement of the vehicle drivetrain in a reverse drive gear, one or more reverse, or back-up, lamps illuminate to present non-red light, typically colorless.
Certain lamps may be capable of performing more than one function.
For one example, certain lamps may be capable of functioning as a tail light and as a stop light. If the brake pedal is not depressed while a headlamp or running lamp switch is on, such a lamp will illuminate as a tail light. When the brake pedal is depressed, the stop lamp switch will cause the lamp to illuminate with greater intensity to indicate that the vehicle is decelerating.
For another example, certain lamps may be capable of functioning as a stop light and as a turn signal light. If a turn signal switch is operated to signal either a right turn or a left turn, such a lamp will begin to flash with greater intensity that of a tail lamp, and if the brake pedal is being concurrently depressed, the turn signal light function overrides the stop light function so that the combination stop/turn signal lamp on that side continues to flash while the corresponding one on the opposite side remains continuously illuminated.
When an emergency warning switch is turned on, it will cause right and left lamps, which flash independently to give respective right and left turn signals, to flash in unison.
In certain motor vehicles, such as large trucks, right and left tail light assemblies are mounted on right and left ends of a chassis frame cross-member which extend between right and left chassis frame siderails at the vehicle rear.
This disclosure introduces a lighting assembly which when used as a tail lighting assembly of a vehicle comprises a tail lighting module spanning right and left sides of a vehicle at the vehicle's rear. The illustrated module comprises an array of lamp elements which provide a tail light function, a stop light function, a right turn signal light function, a left turn signal light function, and a back-up light function.
Another part of the tail lighting assembly is a license plate mounting which extends vertically downward from a central portion of the tail lighting module between right and left ends of the module to present an exterior rear face to which a vehicle license plate can be fastened. When a headlamp or running lamp switch is operated to illuminate tail lamp elements, one or more lamp elements shine light on an attached license plate so that license plate indicia can be seen during darkness.
A single electrical connector provides electrical connections of lamp elements which perform a tail light function, a stop light function, a right turn signal light function, a left turn signal light function, and a back-up light function to a mating connector of a vehicle wiring harness to place the lamp elements of the tail lighting module in proper circuit relationships with the vehicle electrical system.
A general aspect of the claimed subject matter comprises a lighting assembly comprising: a lighting module having a first array of lamp elements to a first side of a central zone of the lighting module and a second array of lamp elements to a second side of the central zone; both the first array of lamp elements and the second array of lamp elements comprising at least one low intensity lamp element operable to cause the lighting module to present a low intensity brightness to an observer viewing the lighting module and at least one high intensity lamp element operable to cause the tail lighting module to present a high intensity brightness to an observer viewing the lighting module; and an electrical connector through which electric current is fed to operate the at least one low intensity lamp element of both the first array of lamp elements and the second array of lamp elements and the at least one high intensity lamp element of both the first array of lamp elements and the second array of lamp elements.
Another general aspect of the claimed subject matter comprises a vehicle comprising: a chassis frame having a cross-member extending between a first siderail and a second siderail; a lighting assembly fastened to the cross-member, the lighting assembly comprising a lighting module having a first array of lamp elements to a first side of a central zone of the lighting module, a second array of lamp elements to a second side of the central zone, and an electrical connector having terminal pins connected to the first array of lamp elements and to the second array of lamp elements, each array comprising at least one low intensity lamp element operable to cause a low intensity brightness to be presented to an observer viewing the lighting module and at least one high intensity lamp element operable to cause a high intensity brightness to be presented to an observer viewing the lighting module; and an electrical system for conducting electric current from a source in the vehicle to terminal pins of the electrical connector for operating the at least one low intensity lamp element of each array and the at least one high intensity lamp element of each array.
A lighting assembly 22 described herein is capable of adaptation to any desired implementation, and is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. For instance, the lighting assembly can have any suitable orientation, such as horizontal, vertical, angular, curved or disjointed. Different embodiments of lighting assembly 22 may comprise multiple sections, may be rigid or may be flexible, allowing the lighting assembly 22 to conform to geometry of a support surface. To facilitate understanding, the lighting assembly 22 is discussed below with respect to an embodiment suited for application at a rear of a land vehicle.
Lighting assembly 22 is shown by itself in
Each array 26, 30 comprises lamp elements 32. At least one lamp element of each array is a low intensity lamp element operable to cause a low intensity brightness of light, colored red in one embodiment, to be presented to an observer viewing lighting module 24, and at least one lamp element of each array is a high intensity lamp element operable to cause a high intensity brightness of light, colored red in one embodiment, to be presented to an observer viewing lighting module 24.
An electrical system 34 in vehicle 10 conducts electric current from a source 36 in the vehicle through terminal pins (to be described in reference to
Central zone 28 comprises at least one lamp element 40 (
Lighting assembly 22 comprises a mounting 42 which is exterior of lighting module 24 below central zone 28 and to which a vehicle license plate 44 is fastened. Central zone 28 also comprises at least one lamp element 46 (
Central zone 28 is separated from first array 26 by a first or right optical reflector zone 48 and from second array 30 by a second or left optical reflector zone 50.
A low intensity lamp element 32 is a farmost lamp element of first array 26 to the first or right side of central zone 28 and is visible from a first or right side of chassis frame 12 through a first or right open area 52 of the chassis frame. A low intensity lamp element 32 of second array 30 is a farmost lamp element of second array 30 to the second or left side of central zone 28 and is visible from a second or left side of chassis frame 12 through a second or left open area 54 of the chassis frame.
Electrical system 34 comprises a first circuit 68 for issuing a stop signal to first terminal pin 56, a second circuit 70 for issuing a right turn signal to second terminal pin 58, a third circuit 72 for issuing a left turn signal to third terminal pin 60, a fourth circuit 74 for issuing a light signal to fourth terminal pin 62, and a fifth circuit 76 for issuing a back-up signal to fifth terminal pin 64.
When a brake pedal is depressed and operates a stop lamp switch, voltage is applied to first terminal pin 56 causing high intensity red stop lamp illumination of some of the lamp elements of arrays 26, 30 to signal stopping of the vehicle.
When a right turn signal switch is turned on, voltage is applied to second terminal pin 58 causing flashing of other high intensity lamp elements of array 26, thereby signaling intent to steer the vehicle to the right.
When a left turn signal switch is turned on, voltage is applied to third terminal pin 60 causing flashing of other high intensity lamp elements of array 30, thereby signaling intent to steer the vehicle to the left.
When a headlamp switch or a running lamp switch is operated, voltage is applied to fourth terminal pin 62 causing low intensity red illumination (lamp illumination) of arrays 26, 30 and colorless light illumination of license plate 44 by lamp element 46.
When a back-up switch is turned on by placement of the vehicle drivetrain in a reverse drive gear, voltage is applied to fifth terminal pin 64 causing colorless light illumination (back-up illumination) of central zone 28 by lamp element 40.
Using light emitting diodes (LEDs) for lamp elements 32 can provide proper degrees of lamp brightness with less current than incandescent lamps of comparable brightness. The inclusion of arrays 26, 30 in a single module and the use of a single electrical connector 38, 38A can facilitate mounting on a vehicle and connection with vehicle circuits.
