Patent Application
20050190570
The present disclosure relates to an interior panel, and more particularly, to an interior panel containing a phosphorescent material that can be energized without the use of an external power source.
It is known in the art of vehicle passenger compartments to provide a design and/or structure to the interior of the vehicle to enhance visibility and allow an appearance of spaciousness within the vehicle. The design and/or structure may include additional lighting within the interior of the vehicle. Lighting, while providing enhanced visibility and illumination for a spacious appearance, often depends upon vehicle power or an additional power source. Further, additional lighting within the vehicle may also increase heat load within the vehicle.
An interior panel having luminescent material may provide enhanced visibility without the use of vehicle power or an additional power source. Luminescent material is made to glow as a result of photoluminescence excitation. As incident light passes into the passenger compartment, the luminescent material may glow for a period of time after exposure to the light. However, many luminescent materials glow for a short period of time and low intensity relative to the light exposure making enhanced visibility and spacious appearance a limited benefit. Moreover, in the absence of external light, such as at night, typical luminescent panels have limited practicality. Radioluminescent materials may provide the desired visibility for an adequate time period, but such materials pose environmental concerns.
Disclosed herein is an interior panel for a vehicle. The panel comprises a phosphorescent material and a polymer matrix.
In accordance with another embodiment, a vehicle roof assembly comprising a roof wall extending between an interior portion and an exterior portion of a vehicle; and an interior roof panel comprised of a phosphorescent material and a polymer matrix, the interior roof panel being in communication with an interior surface of the roof wall.
Also disclosed is a method of providing light into an interior compartment of a vehicle, comprising exposing a panel to an external light source, wherein the panel is comprised of a phosphorescent material and a polymer matrix; absorbing radiant energy from the external light source to excite electrons in the phosphorescent material; and emitting visible light from the phosphorescent material and into the interior of the vehicle upon exposure to the external light source or upon discontinuation of the external light source.
The above described and other features are exemplified by the following figures and detailed description.
Referring now to the figures, which are meant to be exemplary embodiments, and wherein the like elements are numbered alike.
Referring now to
The polymer matrix 12 may comprise any of a variety of polymer compositions known to those skilled in the art, including plastic, thermosetting compositions, and/or thermoplastic compositions. The polymer matrix 12 preferably comprises a material capable of sustaining a predetermined shape while providing sufficient flexibility to function as an interior panel 10. Moreover, the polymer matrix 12, as well the phosphorescent material 14, should be suitable for use in the intended environment within a vehicle, i.e., attachment to a vehicle wall such as a roof. The selection of the type of polymer matrix 12 will be determined by the desired application and manufacturing process.
In a preferred embodiment, the polymer matrix 12 may transmit light having wavelengths of about 300 to about 750 nm, with about 400 to about 750 nm even more preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the polymer matrix 12 allows transmission of light within the absorption and emission spectrum of light. In this embodiment, the polymer matrix 12 may transmit radiant energy to the phosphorescent material 14 causing excitation of electrons of the phosphorescent material 14 as well as transmit light emitted by the phosphorescent material 14.
As the interior phosphorescent panel 10 is exposed to a light source, the phosphorescent material 14 located on a surface 18 of the polymer matrix 12 and/or disposed within the polymer matrix 12 is exposed to radiant energy from the light source. The phosphorescent material 14 absorbs a portion of the radiant energy from the light source causing excitation of electrons within the phosphorescent material 14. As the electrons fall back to their original energy levels, i.e., decay, energy is released in the form of visible light.
Suitable external light sources for exciting the phosphorescent material 14 include the sun, streetlights, headlamps, and the like. In addition to absorbing radiant energy from the external light source, the phosphorescent material. 14 may cause scattering of the light, thereby diffusing the light. In this manner, the phosphorescent material 14 may advantageously provide low level illumination even after cessation of exposure to the external light source. Advantageously, illumination occurs without the use of vehicle power and/or energy or increasing the heat load within the vehicle. Moreover, the illuminated interior panel 10 disposed on an interior surface of a wall of a vehicle may provide a feeling of spaciousness within the vehicle by providing light and a more open appearance. In one embodiment, the illuminated interior panel 10 may provide a feeling of spaciousness within the vehicle by providing a roof having an open appearance. As a result, the interior panel 10 may provide energy saving benefits by reducing the dependency on interior or supplemental vehicle lights to enhance passenger visibility as well as a comfortable, spacious sensation within the vehicle.
Upon excitation, the phosphorescent material 14 may emit light in the direction of the surfaces 18 and/or 20 to an area beyond the phosphorescent interior panel 10. As further shown in
As previously described and shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
The phosphorescent material 14 is chosen from materials known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary phosphorescent materials 14 include, but are not limited to, non-oxide phosphors such as zinc sulfide phosphors, which may become excited quickly to attain maximum brightness. Zinc sulfide phosphors generally exhibit a glow light discharge for shorter periods of time than other phosphors. A zinc sulfide composition may be doped with at least one transition metal or rare earth metal to enhance photoluminescence excitation. For example, zinc sulfide doped with copper metal, i.e., ZnS:Cu, may require only a few seconds of ultraviolet or incident light exposure to provide a glow light discharge. Other zinc sulfide phosphor compositions may be configured to provide a glow light discharge with a particular hue. For instance, zinc sulfide doped with silver metal, i.e., ZnS:Ag, may provide a blue glow light discharge. Zinc sulfide doped with manganese metal, i.e., ZnS:Mn, may provide a green glow light discharge. These and other zinc sulfide compositions are known to those skilled in the art to provide a glow light discharge in response to photoluminescence excitation.
Other phosphors include long decay time phosphors such as oxide phosphors including, but not limited to, oxide ceramic phosphors. As in the zinc sulfide compositions, oxide ceramic phosphors may be doped, such as with a rare earth metal. These types of phosphors generally exhibit a long decay time. For example, an alkaline-earth metal oxide aluminate material may have longer glow light discharge time after exposure to radiant energy of the appropriate wavelength. These phosphors may be exposed to light for longer periods of time to achieve excitation to provide a longer and brighter glow light discharge relative to non-oxide phosphors. A typical alkaline-earth oxide aluminate may provide a glow light discharge still visible after 24 hours. Suitable examples of non-oxide phosphors include, but are not intended to be limited to, strontium oxide aluminate doped with europium, strontium oxide aluminate doped with europium and dysprosium, and the like. Other suitable compositions are known to those skilled in the art, and the selection of type, amount, and location of the oxide phosphors is determined by the desired application.
In another embodiment, the phosphorescent material 14 contains more than one type of phosphor. One of the phosphors preferably comprises a phosphor having a long decay time such as the alkaline-earth oxide aluminate material described above, and at least one of the other phosphors preferably comprises a relatively shorter decay time, for example the zinc sulfide type phosphors. Less than an hour of daylight exposure may effectively excite the various phosphors comprising the phosphorescent material 14 to cause the phosphorescent material 14 to provide a continuous glow light discharge for many hours. The different types of phosphors may be combined in such a way that a predetermined pattern is visible when the phosphors are excited, as shown by the star pattern 28, in
Also shown in
The interior panel 10 may also optionally comprise a coating such as a layer and/or film of a reflective material 21, as shown in
As shown in
In
The interior panel 10 may be of any of a variety of shapes such as circular, rectangular or other acceptable shape or dimension that provides adequate glow to achieve the desired illumination and enhanced visibility within the interior portion 30 of the vehicle 100. The interior panel 10 is preferably disposed on the interior surface 84 of the roof wall 82 by any method known in the art that provides the desired application of the roof assembly 80. The interior panel further comprises an interior surface 90 and an exterior surface 92. In one embodiment, an exterior surface 92 of the interior panel 10 is adjacent to the interior portion 30 of the vehicle 100. In an additional embodiment, the interior panel 10 may be disposed on an interior surface 84 of a roof wall 82 in a manner that provides an interior panel 10 that is movable, removable or generally attached to the interior surface 84 of the roof wall 82.
As further shown in this view, radiant energy from an external light source transmits through a light-conducting component 91 and onto an exterior surface 92 of the interior panel 10. The light-conducting component 91 may be comprised of glass, polymer, combination thereof, or any material capable of transmitting light. Suitable light transmitting components 91 are comprised of materials known to those skilled in the art and include glass, polymer compositions such as plastic, and combinations of glass and polymer compositions. The selection of material is determined by the desired application. The light-conducting material 16 preferably transmits light having wavelengths of about 200 to about 800 nm, with 300 to about 750 nm more preferred and about 400 to about 750 nm even more preferred.
The light-conducting component 91 may be structure that permits light to reach the phosphorescent material 14 such as any existing window 93, including a windshield 95, of the vehicle. The window 93 may be of any of a variety of shapes including circular or rectangular. The window 93 may be made of glass, plastic or a combination thereof. Typically, glass transmits light within the blue part of the visible spectrum, i.e., light having wavelengths of about 350 to about 450 nm.
As shown in this view, radiant energy from an external light source shines onto a light-conducting component 91. As the light passes through the light-conducting component 91, a portion of the light passes directly into the interior portion 30 of the vehicle such as a passenger compartment 99 and is absorbed by the phosphorescent material 14 of the interior panel 10. The phosphorescent material 14 of the interior panel 10 is excited by the radiant energy and slowly decays, causing the phosphorescent material 14 to glow for a period of time following exposure to the and absorption of the radiant energy. In addition, the phosphorescent material 14 may scatter the radiant energy entering the interior panel 10 thereby diffusing the light that enters into the interior 30 of the vehicle 100.
Advantageously, a phosphorescent interior panel provides a light emitting medium that may provide light into a vehicle without the use of additional power or increasing the heat load within the vehicle. A phosphorescent material containing phosphors of varying decay time may be excited by incident light emanating from an external light source, causing the phosphors to glow and provide enhanced visibility and a spacious sensation and/or appearance within the vehicle while maintaining privacy of the passengers within the vehicle. Further, the glow within the vehicle may provide safety and emergency lighting when vehicle power is unavailable. The time period of the glow light discharge may provide a secondary light source in the absence of an external light source, such as at night.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to a particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
