Patent Application
20190016262
This invention generally relates to a vehicle illumination assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle illumination assembly having at least one illumination panel disposed on a vehicle body structure.
Generally, vehicles are equipped with interior lighting or illumination systems such as “dome lights” or “courtesy lights.” Typically, interior lighting structures provide illumination for passengers when entering or exiting the vehicle. Alternatively, an interior lighting structure or illumination system can serve as an indication system for the driver, alerting the driver of external conditions.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to various features of a vehicle illumination assembly. In one feature, a vehicle illumination assembly is provided with illumination panels utilizing fiber optic fabric.
One aspect is to provide a vehicle illumination assembly having a vehicle substrate layer, a fiber optic fabric layer and a light source. The vehicle substrate layer has an inboard side and an outboard side. The fiber optic fabric layer is disposed over the inboard side of the vehicle substrate layer. The light source is arranged to illuminate the fiber optic fabric layer.
Also other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed vehicle illumination assembly will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses selected embodiments of the vehicle illumination assembly.
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the vehicle field from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring initially to
The vehicle body structure 12 further includes a rear body panel 20 and a roof structure 22. As shown, a rear hatch 24 is hingedly attached to the rear body panel 20. Thus, the vehicle body structure 12 includes a vehicle cargo area 26. The roof structure includes a roof body 28 and a roof rail portion 30. The A-pillar 14, the B-pillar 16 and the C-pillar 18 are assembled to the roof rail portion 30. In the depicted vehicle body structure 12, there is no clear dividing line between the roof rail portion 30 and the pillars 14, 16 and 18. Rather, the roof rail portion 30 and the pillars 14, 16 and 18 have the appearance of being one single contoured element.
The vehicle 10 can further include a plurality of trim panels fixedly attached to various locations of the vehicle body structure 12 to provide a cosmetic embellishment to the vehicle 10. As seen in
The vehicle 10 further includes at least one interior illumination system and a detection system 36 mounted on the vehicle body structure 12. In particular, as seen in
The vehicle 10 further includes a power source P electrically connected to the detection system 36 and all of the interior illumination systems ILS1 to ILS4. The power source P can be any type of conventional power source P configured to provide power to the vehicle illumination assembly. For example, the power source P can be a car battery. The detection system 36 and the interior illumination systems ILS1 to ILS4 can be connected to the power source P via conventional means and will not be further discussed herein.
The interior illumination systems will now be discussed. The first interior illumination system ILS1 includes a first switch SW1 that activates a first illumination panel 40 disposed on the roof body 28, a second illumination panel 41 and a third illumination panel 42 that are disposed on the roof rail portion 30. The first, second and third illumination panels 40, 41 and 42 are examples of dome or courtesy lights. As such, the first, second and third illumination panels 40, 41 and 42 are preferably illuminated when a driver or passenger enters or exits the vehicle 10. Thus, the first switch SW1 is preferably an automatic switch that is automatically activated when a vehicle door opens and closes. Preferably, the first SW1 can also be manually turned OFF and ON via an operation switch disposed on the vehicle dashboard (not shown).
The second interior illumination system ILS2 includes a fourth illumination panel 43 disposed on the vehicle B-pillar 16 that is activated by a second switch SW2. The fourth illumination panel 43 preferably serves as an additional map light for a rear passenger to read without glare distraction to the driver. Thus, the second switch SW2 is preferably a manual switch disposed on the B-pillar 16 or the rear door so that the passenger can readily activate at will.
The third interior illumination system ILS3 includes a fifth illumination panel 44 that is activated by a third switch SW3. The third interior illumination system ILS3 is identical to the second interior illumination system ILS2 except for its location on the vehicle 10 and therefore will not be further discussed herein.
The fourth interior illumination system ILS4 includes a sixth illumination panel 45 that is activated by a fourth switch SW4. The sixth illumination panel 45 is configured to illuminate the vehicle cargo area 26. Thus, the fourth switch SW4 is preferably an automatic switch that is automatically activated when the rear hatch 24 opens so that the sixth illumination panel 45 lights up the vehicle cargo area 26. Of course, the fourth switch SW4 can be manually turned OFF via an operation switch disposed on the vehicle dashboard (not shown).
Referring now to
The detection system 36 further includes an electronic controller C. The detectors D are configured to generate an activation input upon detecting an external objection within a detection zone. The electronic controller C will then illuminate at least one of the seventh and eighth illumination panels 46 and 47 to indicate the presence of the external object to the driver.
The detectors D will now be discussed. In the illustrated embodiment, the detection system 36 includes two detectors D. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the vehicle 10 can be equipped with additional or fewer detectors D mounted on different locations of the vehicle body structure 12 as needed and/or desired. The detectors D are also preferably configured to detect a plurality of external objects within the vicinity of the vehicle 10 upon starting the vehicle 10. The detectors D are in electronic communication with the electronic controller C to transmit an activation input to the electronic controller C upon detection of the external object(s).
The detectors D can also be any type of conventional vehicle sensor as desired. For example, the detectors D can include unidirectional or omnidirectional cameras that take moving or still images of the vehicle surroundings which are transmitted to the electronic controller C for processing. The detectors D can include infrared detectors, ultrasonic detectors, radar detectors, photoelectric detectors, magnetic detectors, acceleration detectors, lasers or any combination thereof. The detectors D can also include object-locating sensing devices including range detectors, such as FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) radars, pulse and FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) radars, sonar and Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) devices. Thus, the detectors D can include any type and/or combination of detectors mentioned to enable detection of external objects.
The electronic controller C will now be discussed. The electronic controller C is configured to illuminate at least one of the seventh and eighth illumination panels 46 and 47 upon the detectors D detecting the activation input. The electronic controller C includes a processor and other conventional components such as an input interface circuit, an output interface circuit, and storage devices. The electronic controller C is programmed to determine the presence of the external object upon detection of the external object by the detectors D. In particular, the electronic controller C is programmed to determine whether the external object is within the vicinity of the vehicle 10. In other words, the electronic controller C is programmed to receive the activation input from the detectors D, to process the activation input transmitted by the detectors D, to determine the presence of the external object and to transmit a command signal to the light source 48 to activate the light source 48. Thus, the electronic controller C is programmed to activate the light source 48 upon detecting the activation input from the detectors D.
As seen in
Preferably, the illumination of the seventh illumination panel 46 conveys a condition of an obstructed viewing area the driver. For example, upon detection of the external object that is a pedestrian by the detectors D, the seventh illumination panel 46 can be illuminated at a particular frequency, intensity or color to reflect the presence of a pedestrian in the vicinity of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, upon detection of an external object that is another vehicle by the detectors D, the seventh illumination panel 46 can be illuminated at a different frequency, intensity or color to reflect the presence of another vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle 10.
Thus, the electronic controller C can be programmed to activate the light source 48 at different frequencies and/or intensities depending on the type of external objects detected. The different illumination frequency and/or intensity is an example of indicium for the first illumination panel 46.
The seventh illumination panel 46 will now be discussed. In the illustrated embodiment, the illumination panels 40 to 47 are configured similarly except for varying the size and positioning of the illumination panels 40 to 47 on the vehicle body structure 12. Therefore, only the seventh illumination panel 46 that is disposed on the A-pillar 14 will be further discussed in detail herein.
Referring to
As seen in
The vehicle substrate layer S1 of the seventh illumination panel 46 will now be discussed. The vehicle substrate layer S1 has an inboard side S1A and an outboard side S1B. The inboard side S1A faces the vehicle interior I. The fiber optic fabric layer 50 is disposed over the inboard side S1A of the vehicle substrate layer S1.
As illustrated in
The fiber optic fabric layer 50 of the seventh illumination panel 46 will now be discussed. As stated above, the fiber optic fabric layer 50 is disposed on the inboard side S1A of the vehicle substrate layer S1. The fiber optic fabric layer 50 can be attached to the vehicle substrate layer S1 by an adhesive layer A. Thus, the seventh illumination panel 46 can include the adhesive layer A disposed between the vehicle substrate layer 46 and the fiber optic fabric layer 50.
The fiber optic fabric layer 50 is a textile that can be illuminated by inducing the light source 48 at one end of the fiber optic fabric layer 50. Preferably, the fiber optic fabric layer 50 is a layer of woven flexible, transparent optical fibers. The optical fibers can be made by silica or plastic having a cylindrical transparent core composed of glass or plastic that runs along the fiber's length. The core is surrounded by a medium with a lower index of refraction such as a transparent cladding material. The light emitted by the light source 48 is kept in the core by total internal reflection which causes the fiber to act as a waveguide. The optical fibers are specially processed in order to allow the light to be emitted along the full length of the fibers. The fiber optic fabric layer 50 can include cladded and non-cladded portions 50a and 50b. As shown, only the cladded portions 50a are illuminated by the light source 48.
Alternatively, the optical fibers of the fiber optic fabric layer 50 can be arranged in a planar, parallel array. Specifically, the fiber optic fabric layer 50 can be roughened by hot stamping with emery paper to form a series of interruptions in the cladding of each fiber. The roughened surface of can appear lit when viewed from any angle, while the other side may appear unlit.
As stated above, the seventh illumination panel 46 includes the light source 48. The light source 48 is arranged to illuminate the fiber optic fabric layer 50. Preferably, the light source 48 is connected to the edge of the fiber optic fabric layer 50 to inject light into the fiber optic fabric layer 50. While any conventional light source 48 can be used, preferably, the light source 48 is a light emitting diode (LED). Alternatively, the light source 48 can comprise a light guide (not shown) in the form of a flexible rod or strip and illuminated along the length of the light guide. The light source 48 can be configured to be capable of emitting light at different intensities. Preferably, the light source 48 can also provide illumination of different colors.
Alternatively, the seventh illumination panel 46 can further include a heat sink H operatively disposed adjacent to the light source 48 to dissipate heat generated by the seventh illumination panel 46. For example, the heat sink H can be deformable to fit into a variety of confined spaces on the vehicle substrate layer 46 to dissipate heat generated by the light source 48. Alternatively, the heat sink H can be a flexible heat sink attached to the light source 48 via a heat conducting member and a circuit board. Thus, the heat generated by the light source 48 and the circuit board is conducted to the heat sink H. In this instance, the heat sink H does not need to use a fan to dissipate heat. The flexible heat sink H can be made from braided copper.
As stated, the seventh illumination panel 46 can further include the top layer 54. The top layer 54 is provided over the fiber optic fabric layer 50 to provide a finish and seamless appearance for the seventh illumination panel 46. As shown, the top layer 54 is disposed on the inboard side S1A of the fiber optic fabric layer 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the illumination of the fiber optic fabric layer 50 is visible through the top layer 54. Thus, the top layer 54 is composed of a suitable material that enables the illumination of the fiber optic fabric layer 50 to be visible through the top layer 54. For example, the top layer 54 can be made of a textile such as a felt material including fibers made of wool or from synthetic fibers (e.g., petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood pulp-based rayon). The top layer 54 can be disposed over and attached to the fiber optic fabric layer 50 by an adhesive layer A or other conventional technique.
In the illustrated embodiment, the fiber optic fabric layer 50 can include indicium. In other words, the seventh illumination panel 46 can include indicium. The indicium can include different illumination patterns and colors. Thus, the indicium includes at least one of color, illumination pattern, illumination intensity and illumination frequency. In particular, the fiber optic fabric layer 50 can be configured and/or designed such that different patterns, symbols, colors and varying illumination intensities are visible on the fiber optic fabric layer 50 when the seventh illumination panel 46 is illuminated. As seen in
For example, referring to
As another alternative, as seen in
Referring now to
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts unless otherwise stated.
Also it will be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various components these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Thus, for example, a first component discussed above could be termed a second component and vice-a-versa without departing from the teachings of the present invention. The term “attached” or “attaching”, as used herein, encompasses configurations in which an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the other element; configurations in which the element is indirectly secured to the other element by affixing the element to the intermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other element; and configurations in which one element is integral with another element, i.e. one element is essentially part of the other element. This definition also applies to words of similar meaning, for example, “joined”, “connected”, “coupled”, “mounted”, “bonded”, “fixed” and their derivatives. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean an amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, unless specifically stated otherwise, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired so long as the changes do not substantially affect their intended function. Unless specifically stated otherwise, components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them so long as the changes do not substantially affect their intended function. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa unless specifically stated otherwise. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
