Truck bed lighting assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308174-B2
Application number	US-201715729737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle includes a truck bed and a lighting assembly configured to illuminate the truck bed. The lighting assembly includes a light source, a collimator positioned in front of the light source, and an outer lens positioned in front of the collimator. The collimator and the outer lens establish a lens arrangement having a unitary body. The light generated by the light source is collected within the collimator and is directed at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed by the outer lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a truck bed including a side wall and a tailgate; and
a lighting assembly mounted near a junction between the side wall and the tailgate, the lighting assembly including:
a total internal reflection collimator; and
an outer lens including a plurality of pillow shaped fluted surfaces positioned in front of a flat outer surface of the collimator,
wherein the collimator and the outer lens establish a unitary body.

2. A vehicle, comprising:
a truck bed; and
a lighting assembly configured to illuminate the truck bed, the lighting assembly including:
a light source;
a collimator positioned in front of the light source; and
an outer lens including a plurality of fluted surfaces positioned in front of a flat outer surface of the collimator, wherein the collimator and the outer lens establish a lens arrangement having a unitary body,
wherein the flat outer surface connects to a first wall and a second wall that incline away from a convex inner surface of the collimator.

3. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is a pickup truck and the truck bed establishes a cargo area of the pickup truck.

4. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

5. The vehicle as recited in claim 4 , wherein the light emitting diode is received within a recess of the collimator.

6. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the collimator is a total internal reflection (TIR) collimator.

7. The vehicle as recited in claim 6 , wherein the TIR collimator is configured to collect light generated by the light source and direct the light toward the outer lens.

8. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of fluted surfaces is pillow shaped.

9. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of flutes surfaces are configured to direct light at a downward angle relative to a centerline axis of the lens arrangement.

10. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the lens arrangement is supported within a housing.

11. The vehicle as recited in claim 10 , comprising a second lens arrangement supported within the housing, wherein the lens arrangement directs light in a first direction from the housing and the second lens arrangement directs light in a second, different direction from the housing.

12. The vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the unitary body includes a molded, single-piece, monolithic structure.

13. A method, comprising:
generating light with a light source of a lighting assembly mounted to a side wall of a truck bed;
collecting the light within a total internal reflection collimator of the lighting assembly; and
directing the light at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed with an outer lens of the lighting assembly,
wherein the total internal reflection collimator includes a convex inner surface and a flat outer surface, and the flat outer surface connects to a first wall and a second wall that incline away from the convex inner surface.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the light from the light source is automatically generated when a tailgate of the truck bed is moved to an open position.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the light is turned off when the tailgate is moved to a closed position.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 , comprising:
illuminating a different section of the floor of the truck bed with a second truck bed lighting assembly.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the lighting assembly is mounted to an inner paneling of the side wall near a junction between the side wall and a tailgate.

18. A method, comprising:
generating light with a light source of a lighting assembly mounted to a side wall of a truck bed;
collecting the light within a total internal reflection collimator of the lighting assembly; and
directing the light at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed with an outer lens of the lighting assembly,
wherein an outer surface of the outer lens includes a plurality of pillow shaped fluted surfaces that are configured to direct the light at the downward angle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chen Linsheng

Classifications

• B60Q3/30 Primary

  for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments · CPC title

• G02B27/30

  Collimators · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S43/40

  characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors · CPC title

• F21V5/04

  of lens shape · CPC title