Vehicle lamp assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928028-B2
Application number	US-201815994852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A light pipe for a vehicle lamp assembly includes a first pipe portion and a second pipe portion. The first pipe portion has a first section that extends between a first end and a second end. A portion of the first section at least partially defines an intersection area. The first pipe portion defines a first optical path extending in a lengthwise direction of the first pipe portion. The second pipe portion has a second section that extends through the intersection area. The second pipe portion defines a second optical path. The second optical path intersects with and extends through the first optical path of the first pipe portion such that the first section and the second section define an angle greater than zero degrees and less than 180 degrees therebetween. The first pipe portion and the second pipe portion a unitarily formed as a single monolithic element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp assembly comprising:
a lamp housing having an outboard edge, an upper edge and a lower edge; and
a light pipe installed within the lamp housing in order to illuminate predetermined areas of the lamp housing, the light pipe including:
a first pipe portion having a first end, a second end and a first section between the first end and the second end, a portion of the first section at least partially defining an intersection area, the first pipe portion defining a first optical path extending in a lengthwise direction of the first pipe portion, the first pipe portion extending along the upper edge of the lamp housing with the first end of the first pipe portion being proximate the lower edge of the lamp housing and the second end being located proximate the outboard edge of the lamp housing; and
a second pipe portion having a first end, a second end and a second section that extends through the intersection area, the second pipe portion defining a second optical path extending in a lengthwise direction of the second pipe portion, the second optical path intersecting and extending through the first optical path of the first pipe portion such that the first section and the second section extend in directions perpendicular to one another, the first pipe portion and the second pipe portion being unitarily formed as a single monolithic element, the intersection area being positioned proximate the intersection of the upper edge and the lower edge of the lamp housing such that the second pipe portion extends from the intersection area toward the outboard edge of the lamp housing.

2. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third pipe portion having a first end, a second end and a third section that extends through the intersection area, the third pipe portion defining a third optical path extending in a lengthwise direction of the third pipe portion, the third optical path intersecting and extending through the first optical path of the first pipe portion, the first pipe portion, the second pipe portion and the third pipe portion being unitarily formed as a single monolithic element.

3. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the third section of the third pipe portion is parallel to, spaced apart from and adjacent to the second section of the second pipe portion.

4. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the first end of the first pipe portion, the first end of the second pipe portion and the first end of the third pipe portion are all located within the intersection area.

5. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 2 , further comprising
a plurality of light emitting diode devices (LED) configured to provide illumination to the light pipe, including a first LED installed within the lamp housing adjacent to the first end of the first pipe portion, a second LED installed within the lamp housing adjacent to the first end of the second pipe portion and a third LED installed within the lamp housing adjacent to the first end of the third pipe portion.

6. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the first, second and third sections within the intersection area have textured outer surfaces such that light scattering radially outward from the first, second and third sections is reduced by the textured outer surfaces as compared to areas of the first, second and third pipe portions without textured outer surfaces.

7. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the outboard edge, the upper edge and the lower edge of the lamp housing define an overall triangular shape.

8. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 7 , wherein
the second pipe portion further defines a distal section and a curved section with the curved section extending from the second section and curving to the distal section, the distal section extending from the curved section to the second end of the second pipe portion to a location adjacent to the outboard edge of the lamp housing.

9. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 8 , wherein
the second end of the second pipe portion is spaced apart from the lower edge of the lamp housing by a first distance and the curved section is spaced apart from the lower edge of the lamp housing by a second distance that is smaller than the first distance.

10. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 8 , wherein
the second section extends in a direction that is parallel to the lower edge of the lamp housing with the curved section being shaped such that the distal section diverges away from the lower edge of the lamp housing toward the outboard edge of the lamp housing.

11. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the third pipe portion further defines a distal section and a curved section with the curved section extending from the third section and curving to the distal section, the distal section of the third pipe portion extending from the curved section of the third pipe portion to the second end of the third pipe portion adjacent to the outboard edge of the lamp housing.

12. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the third section extends in a direction that is parallel to the lower edge of the lamp housing with the curved section of the third pipe portion being shaped such that the distal section of the third pipe portion diverges away from the lower edge of the lamp housing toward the outboard edge of the lamp housing.

13. The vehicle lamp assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the second end of the third pipe portion is spaced apart from the lower edge of the lamp housing by a third distance and the curved section of the third pipe portion is spaced apart from the lower edge of the lamp housing by a fourth distance that is smaller than the third distance.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Cho Thomas
• Bowers Kenneth
• Prisby Christopher
• Agne Kent

Classifications

• F21S43/237 Primary

  rod-shaped · CPC title

• B60Q1/304

  Adaptations of signalling devices having a part on the vehicle body and another on the boot door · CPC title

• F21S43/14 Primary

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B60Q1/0011

  with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices · CPC title

• F21S43/249

  with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide · CPC title