In-vehicle illumination system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442347-B2
Application number	US-201715417561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An in-vehicle illumination system which is to be disposed in a door of a vehicle has: a door warning lamp which is disposed in the vicinity of a door handle that is operated when the door is to be opened, and which indicates an open/close state of the door; a door handle illumination lamp which illuminates the door handle; a decorative lamp which emits decorative light; and a first control connector having a first control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp. The first control apparatus of the first control connector causes, when the door is in an open state, the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp to be lighted ON with a predetermined warning color.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An in-vehicle illumination system which is to be disposed in a door of a vehicle, including:
a door warning lamp which is disposed in a vicinity of a door handle that is operated when the door is to be opened, and which indicates an open/close state of the door;
a door handle illumination lamp which illuminates the door handle;
a decorative lamp which emits decorative light; and
a first control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp,
wherein in response to the door being closed while the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are ON and emitting a warning color, changing colors of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp from the warning color to a non-warning color,
wherein the decorative lamp comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged behind a panel of the door, and
wherein the panel comprises a plurality of light guiding portions arranged at different angles from the door handle to a rear of the vehicle such that a first of the light guiding portions, closest to the door handle, is more closely perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the door handle than is a second of the light guiding portions further from the door handle.

2. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein
the door includes:
a foot illumination lamp which illuminates a bottom portion of a vehicle interior;
a pocket illumination lamp which illuminates a door pocket disposed in the door;
a storage section illumination lamp which illuminates a storage section disposed in the door; and
a second control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp, and

the second control apparatus causes the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp to be lighted ON or OFF, based on an operation performed by an occupant.

3. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 2 , wherein
the second control apparatus is connected to harnesses which lead from the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp, and installed in the door while being integrally disposed together with the harnesses into a sound absorption member.

4. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the decorative lamp comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a direction from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle,
wherein the first control apparatus further, in response to an ignition of the vehicle being ON and the door being in a closed state, causes the decorative lamp to sequentially light the plurality of LEDs in the direction from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle, and
wherein the first control apparatus further, in response to the ignition of the vehicle being ON and the door being in an open state, causes each of the plurality of LEDs to simultaneously display the warning color.

5. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in response to the door being opened while the door warning lamp, the door, handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are OFF, simultaneously turning ON the door warning lamp, the door, handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp to the warning color, and
in response to the door being closed while the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are ON and emitting the warning color, changing colors of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp from the warning color to a non-warning color.

6. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 2 , wherein the foot illumination lamp comprises a second plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged behind a speaker cover of the vehicle, and
wherein the foot illumination lamp provides light through a mesh of the speaker cover.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Noboritate Kazuma
• Sato Kazuya
• Sugimoto Terumitsu

Classifications

• B60Q3/217 Primary

  Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps · CPC title

• F21V23/003

  the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array · CPC title

• B60Q3/80

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

• B60R11/0217

  for loud-speakers · CPC title

• F21S43/00

  Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights · CPC title