On touch self-light growth steering wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011222-B1
Application number	US-201715584222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A system includes a shell at least partially formed in a shape of a steering wheel and having a first layer and a second layer spaced apart from one another. The system further includes an LED coupled to the shell or the steering wheel. The system also includes a positive triboelectric material coupled to the first layer of the shell and that loses electrons in response to friction. The system further includes a negative triboelectric material coupled to the second layer of the shell and that gains electrons in response to friction. The system further includes an electrical connector coupled to the LED and at least one of the positive triboelectric material or the negative triboelectric material. Current flows through the electrical connector to illuminate the LED when force is being applied to the shell causing the positive triboelectric material to contact the negative triboelectric material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for illuminating a steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:
a shell at least partially formed in a shape of the steering wheel and having a first layer and a second layer spaced apart from one another;
a light emitting diode (LED) embedded within or attached to the shell or the steering wheel;
a positive triboelectric material coupled to the first layer of the shell and configured to lose electrons in response to friction;
a negative triboelectric material coupled to the second layer of the shell and configured to gain electrons in response to friction; and
an electrical connector coupled to the LED and at least one of the positive triboelectric material or the negative triboelectric material such that current flows through the electrical connector to illuminate the LED in response to force being applied to the shell causing the positive triboelectric material to contact the negative triboelectric material.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first layer of the shell or the second layer of the shell includes an elastomer material.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the elastomer material includes at least one of silicone, fluorosilicone, natural rubber, polyurethane, polybutadiene, or neoprene.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical connector includes a first wire coupled to the LED and the positive triboelectric material and a second wire coupled to the LED and the negative triboelectric material.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the shell is at least one of a portion of the steering wheel or defined by an annular steering wheel cover.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein:
the shell, the LED, the positive triboelectric material, the negative triboelectric material, and the electrical connector form a first self-illuminating package; and
at least one of the steering wheel or the annular steering wheel cover includes a plurality of self-illuminating packages including the first self-illuminating package spaced circumferentially about the steering wheel or the annular steering wheel cover.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor coupled between the LED and the at least one of the positive triboelectric material or the negative triboelectric material and configured to increase a time duration of power applied to the LED.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the negative triboelectric material includes a first negative triboelectric material and a second negative triboelectric material located between the second layer of the shell and the first negative triboelectric material and configured to gain fewer electrons than the first negative triboelectric material in response to friction.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a distance from the first layer of the shell to the second layer of the shell is between 0.02 centimeters (cm) and 2 cm.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the negative triboelectric material includes at least one of fluorinated ethylene propylene, poly (4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide), polytetrafluoroethylene, or polydimethylsiloxane.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the LED and configured to transmit a control signal to the LED to cause the LED to illuminate at a desired color when the current flows through the electrical connector to the LED.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the ECU is configured to determine an amount of remaining power of a corresponding vehicle and to transmit the control signal to the LED to cause the LED to illuminate at a first color when the remaining power is equal to or greater than a power threshold and the current flows through the electrical connector to the LED, and to illuminate at a second color when the remaining power is below the power threshold and the current flows through the electrical connector to the LED.

13. A system for illuminating a steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:
a shell at least partially formed in a shape of the steering wheel and having a first layer and a second layer spaced apart from one another;
a positive triboelectric material coupled to the first layer of the shell and configured to lose electrons in response to friction;
a negative triboelectric material coupled to the second layer of the shell and configured to gain electrons in response to friction; and
an electrical connector coupled to at least one of the positive triboelectric material or the negative triboelectric material such that current flows through the electrical connector to an electronic device in response to force being applied to the shell causing the positive triboelectric material to contact the negative triboelectric material.

14. A system for illuminating a steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:
a base substrate that forms a portion of the steering wheel or a portion of an annular steering wheel cover for the steering wheel;
a light emitting diode (LED) embedded within or attached to the base substrate;
a conductive electrode attached to the base substrate;
a negative triboelectric material in contact with the conductive electrode and configured to gain electrons in response to friction; and
an electrical connector coupled to the LED and the conductive electrode such that current flows from the negative triboelectric material through the electrical connector to illuminate the LED in response to contact between the negative triboelectric material and a positive triboelectric material.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:
the base substrate, the LED, the conductive electrode, the negative triboelectric material, and the electrical connector form a first self-illuminating package; and
at least one of the steering wheel or the annular steering wheel cover includes a plurality of self-illuminating packages including the first self-illuminating package spaced circumferentially about the steering wheel or the annular steering wheel cover.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a capacitor coupled between the LED and the conductive electrode and configured to increase a time duration of power applied to the LED.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the negative triboelectric material includes a first negative triboelectric material and a second negative triboelectric material located between the base substrate and the first negative triboelectric material and configured to gain fewer electrons than the first negative triboelectric material in response to friction.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the negative triboelectric material includes at least one of fluorinated ethylene propylene, poly (4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide), polytetrafluoroethylene, or polydimethylsiloxane.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the LED and configured to transmit a control signal to the LED to cause the LED to illuminate at a desired color when the current flows from the negative triboelectric material through the electrical connector to the LED.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the ECU is configured to determine an amount of remaining power of a corresponding vehicle and to transmit the control signal to the LED to cause the LED to illuminate at a first color when the remaining power is equal to or greater than a power threshold and the current flows from the negative triboelectric material to the LED, and to illuminate at a second color when the remaining power is below the power threshold and the current flows from the negative triboelectric material to the LED.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Wu Songtao
• Wang Chi-Ming
• Vo Khoa
• Banerjee Debasish
• Dede Ercan M

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H02N1/04

  Friction generators · CPC title

• F21Y2113/10

  of different colours · CPC title

• B60Q3/80

  Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) · CPC title

• B60Q3/283 Primary

  Steering wheels; Gear levers · CPC title