Illumination system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117512-B2
Application number	US-201916298701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 13, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an illumination system for a vehicle. The illumination system includes an illumination device having a light source and a bracket connected to the light source. The bracket is adapted to be rotatably connected on an inner surface of a movable closure of the vehicle, and the bracket is adjacent to a top of the vehicle when the movable closure is in an opened position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination system for a vehicle, comprising:
an illumination device including:
a light source, and
a bracket connected to the light source, wherein the bracket is adapted to be rotatably connected on an inner surface of a movable closure of the vehicle and rotatable around an axis parallel to a lengthwise direction of the vehicle, and the bracket is adjacent to a top of the vehicle when the movable closure is in an opened position, and wherein an illumination area of the light source varies as the bracket rotates.

2. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the movable closure is a lift gate of the vehicle.

3. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is connected to the movable closure via a pivoting pin and a damper is coupled to the pivoting pin to adjust a rotating speed of the bracket.

4. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is connected to the movable closure via a universal joint such that the bracket is rotatable to multiple directions in addition to rotatable around an axis parallel to the lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

5. The illumination system of claim 4 , wherein the universal joint comprises a housing fixed on the movable closure and a rotary element fixed on the bracket, and wherein the housing has a ball-shaped chamber, and the rotary element has a ball-shaped body received and movable in the ball-shaped chamber.

6. The illumination system of claim 4 , wherein the universal joint comprises a first element fixed to the movable closure, a second element fixed to the bracket, and a cross-shaped element connecting the first and second elements; wherein the first element includes two first arms spaced apart each other and each having a first hole, wherein the second element includes two second arms space apart each other and each having a second hole, wherein the cross-shaped elements includes a first bar and a second bar crossed with each other; and wherein two ends of the first bar are received in first holes of the first arms and rotatable round a first axis, and two ends of second bar are received in second holes of the second arms and rotatable round a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

7. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination device further comprises a detachable lens covering the light source and dispensing light beams emitted by the light source, and the illumination system further comprises a switch to manually activate and deactivate the light source.

8. The illumination system of claim 7 , wherein the bracket includes a first baffle plate and a second baffle plate disposed at two opposite ends thereof, wherein the first baffle plate includes a first recessed portion and the second baffle plate includes a second recessed portion, and wherein the lens has a protrusion at a first side and a flexible clip at a second side, and the clip is configured to be deformable to facilitate an assembling of the lens on the bracket.

9. The illumination system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to activate the light source when at least one vehicle condition is met.

10. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle condition includes the movable closure in the opened position and a power system of the vehicle at an “off” status.

11. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle condition includes the movable closure in the opened position and a speed of the vehicle less than a threshold speed.

12. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the light source is coupled to a battery of the vehicle, and the vehicle condition includes a state of charge of the battery larger than a state of charge threshold.

13. An illumination system for a vehicle, comprising:
two illumination devices disposed on an inner surface of a movable closure of the vehicle and spaced apart each other, each illumination device including:
a bracket, and
a light source connected to the bracket, wherein the bracket is rotatably connected to an inner surface of the movable closure of the vehicle; and rotatable such that an illumination area of the light source varies as the bracket rotates,
wherein the two illumination devices are located adjacent to a vehicle floor of when the movable closure is in a closed position, and located adjacent to a top of the vehicle when the movable closure is in an opened position; and
a controller, wherein the controller includes a processor and a sensor, and configured to selectively and automatically activate the two illumination devices in response to at a signal from a sensor indicating least one vehicle condition.

14. The illumination system of claim 13 , wherein the bracket of each of the two illumination devices is configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a widthwise direction of the vehicle.

15. The illumination system of claim 13 , wherein the bracket of one of the two illumination devices is configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a widthwise direction of the vehicle and the bracket of another of the two illumination devices is configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a lengthwise direction of the vehicle.

16. The illumination system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one vehicle condition includes the following conditions: the movable closure is in the opened position, the vehicle is moving in reverse at a speed less than about 5 kph, and an environment illumination is less than an illumination threshold.

17. The illumination system of claim 13 , the controller is further configured to open the movable closure in response to a signal indicating an “off” status of a power source of the vehicle and a signal indicating unlocking of a vehicle door.

18. The illumination system of claim 13 , further comprising an independent power source to supply power to the illumination system.

19. The illumination system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn off the light source of the illumination devices in response to a signal indicating a closed status of the movable closure.

20. An illumination system for a vehicle, comprising:
an illumination device, wherein the illumination device includes a bracket, and a light source connected to the bracket, wherein the bracket is rotatably connected to an inner surface of a movable closure of the vehicle, and rotatable to generate at least two illumination areas of the light source at use positions, and wherein the illumination device is located adjacent to a vehicle floor of when the movable closure is in a closed position, and located adjacent to a top of the vehicle when the movable closure is in an opened position; and
a controller, wherein the controller includes a processor and a sensor and configured to selectively and automatically activate the illumination device in response to a signal from a sensor indicating at least one vehicle condition.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kang Derek
• Loyola Mauricio Acosta
• Ramirez Diego Elias
• Weckstein Daniel
• Xu Wei

Classifications

• B60Q1/323 Primary

  on or for doors (illuminated exterior door handles B60Q1/2669; illuminated door locks E05B17/10) · CPC title

• B60Q1/24

  for lighting other areas than only the way ahead · CPC title

• B60Q1/0035 Primary

  relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• F21V23/0457

  the sensor sensing the operating status of the lighting device, e.g. to detect failure of a light source or to provide feedback to the device · CPC title

• F21S43/195

  Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors · CPC title