Vehicle component, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11254258-B2
Application number	US-201615771144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

There is provided a vehicular component which include an illumination device capable of favorably illuminating the periphery of a host vehicle. There is provided a vehicular component that includes an illumination device ( 3 ) installed on a roof part ( 30 ) and configured to cover a vehicle interior space from above. The illumination device ( 4 ) includes a light source unit ( 100 ) and a light emitting unit ( 300 ). The light emitting unit ( 300 ) configured to emit light by light emitted from the light source unit ( 100 ) is provided along an outer peripheral edge ( 31 ) of the roof part ( 30 ) in a top view of the vehicle ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular component comprising an illumination device installed on a roof part included in a vehicle and configured to cover a vehicle interior space from above,
wherein the illumination device includes a light source unit and one or more light emitting unit,
wherein the one or more light emitting unit is configured to emit visible light by light emitted from the light source unit and is provided along each of the outer peripheral edges of the roof part in a top view of the vehicle,
wherein the illumination device irradiates visible light having a predetermined illuminance or higher towards a road surface of two or more lanes laterally away from a traveling lane of a host vehicle in at least one side of the left and right direction of the traveling lane while the host vehicle continues to travel in the traveling lane,
wherein the vehicle is capable of travelling in an automatic driving mode,
wherein the one or more light emitting unit is configured to be turned on during the automatic driving mode,
wherein in a top view of the vehicle, the light source unit is provided on the center side of the roof part with respect to the one or more light emitting unit,
wherein a plurality of light guide members are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction between the light source unit and the one or more light emitting unit, and
wherein the plurality of light guide members guide the light emitted from the light source unit provided on the center side of the roof part to the one or more light emitting unit provided at each of the outer peripheral edges of the roof part.

2. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more light emitting unit comprises a plurality of light emitting units provided along the outer peripheral edge of the roof part.

3. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the each of the one or more light emitting unit comprises a strip shape that extends along the outer peripheral edge of the roof part.

4. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a side view of the vehicle, at least a part of an upper edge of the vehicle is formed by the one or more light emitting unit.

5. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a top view of the vehicle, the illumination device has an annular shape bordering the outer peripheral edge of the roof part.

6. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a top view of the vehicle, the one or more light emitting unit has an annular shape bordering the outer peripheral edge of the roof part.

7. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more light emitting unit is configured to emit light downward.

8. The vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of a camera configured to acquire an image around the vehicle and an infrared sensor configured to acquire infrared information around the vehicle are incorporated into the illumination device.

9. The vehicular component according to claim 8 ,
wherein the camera or the infrared sensor are arranged alternately with the at least one light emitting unit along the outer peripheral edge of the roof part.

10. A vehicle comprising the vehicular component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more light emitting unit of the illumination device is provided above any light emitting unit of a headlamp, a brake lamp and a turn signal lamp.

11. A vehicular component comprising an illumination device,
wherein when, in a virtual cylindrical screen vertically provided at a position 20 m away from a center of the vehicle, a front center of the vehicle is set to 0 degree, a rear center of the vehicle is set to 180 degrees, and an angle is defined so that the angle increases from the front center of the vehicle toward a driver' seat side, and
wherein the illumination device is configured to irradiate light from the light source units along at least three of the outer peripheral edges having a predetermined illuminance or higher downward than a horizontal line toward at least an area from 20 degrees to 135 degrees,
wherein the illumination device is capable of being switched between a first mode in which light having a predetermined illuminance or higher is irradiated downward than the horizontal line toward an area from 180 degrees to 340 degrees and a second mode in which light having a predetermined illuminance or higher is irradiated downward and upward than the horizontal line toward the area from 180 degrees to 340 degrees, and
wherein the illumination device switches between the first mode and the second mode by rotating a reflection unit positioned within the illumination device.

12. The vehicular component according to claim 11 ,
wherein the illumination device irradiates light having a predetermined illuminance or higher toward a road surface of two or more lanes laterally away from a travelling lane of a host vehicle.

13. The vehicular component according to claim 11 ,
wherein the illumination device irradiates light having a predetermined illuminance or higher downward than the horizontal line toward at least the area from 20 degrees to 135 degrees at least during the automatic driving mode.

14. A vehicular component comprising an illumination device,
wherein the illumination device is configured to irradiate light having a predetermined illuminance or higher onto a road surface around a vehicle in a continuous annular shape surrounding the vehicle, in a top view of the vehicle,
wherein the illumination device may irradiate light at a position at least 50 cm away from an outer edge of the vehicle, in a top view of the vehicle,
wherein the illumination device includes a light emitter, and
wherein the light emitter has a continuous annular shape surrounding the vehicle, in the top view of the vehicle.

15. A vehicle comprising the vehicular component according to claim 14 ,
wherein the illumination device irradiates light having a predetermined illuminance or higher toward a road surface around the vehicle in a continuous annular shape surrounding the vehicle at least during the automatic driving mode of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle comprising the vehicular component according to claim 14 ,
wherein the light emitting unit of the illumination device is provided below a lower edge of a windshield.

17. A vehicle comprising the vehicular component according to claim 14 ,
wherein the light emitting unit of the illumination device is provided above an upper edge of a windshield, and
wherein the light emitting unit irradiates light downward.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tatara Naoki
• Okamura Toshihiro
• Masuda Takeshi
• Endo Osamu

Classifications

• B60Q1/507

  specific to autonomous vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/544

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants · CPC title

• B60Q1/543

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045) · CPC title

• B60Q1/247

  for illuminating the close surroundings of the vehicle, e.g. to facilitate entry or exit (for reverse drive B60Q1/22; by opening a side door B60Q1/323) · CPC title

• B60Q1/2611 Primary

  Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle · CPC title