Light assembly, vehicle design element, rear view device and door finisher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11840171-B2
Application number	US-202017635283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system comprising a light assembly for a 360° illumination of a design element, in particular configured for a vehicle design element, comprising: one or more light pipes, wherein each light pipe comprises a core, and two or more light pipes and/or two end portions of one light pipe at least partially overlap, providing at least one region of overlap to substantially close a loop; one or more light sources, disposed at least partially within an interior of the system, wherein each light source is configured to emit light based on at least receiving electrical power from an electrical power source, and each light source is arranged adjacent to and directed towards at least one of the one or more light pipes such that the emitted light results in reflected light propagating within the core and diffuse light exiting the one or more light pipes along the same; and a lens substantially enclosing the interior, the one or more light pipes and the one or more light sources, wherein the lens, having an inner surface and an outer surface disposed opposite the inner surface, is provided with a continuous transparent and/or translucent coating on the outer surface, and with the one or more light sources receiving electrical power from the electrical power source, the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating is at least partially permeable to at least some of the diffuse light which is passed through the lens; wherein the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating depends on at least one characteristic of the one or more light pipes and/or the one or more light sources, and/or the transparent and/or translucent coating comprises a metal, an alloy or a conductive metalloid, preferably providing a chromium or chromium-based reflective coating, to provide a homogenous illumination of a 360° illumination window when the one or more light sources receive electrical power from the electrical power source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising a light assembly for a 360° illumination of a design element, configured for a vehicle design element, comprising:
one or more light pipes, wherein each light pipe comprises a core;
one or more light sources, disposed at least partially within an interior of the system, wherein,
each light source is configured to emit light based on at least receiving electrical power from an electrical power source, and
each light source is arranged adjacent to and directed towards at least one of the one or more light pipes such that the emitted light results in reflected light propagating within the core and diffuse light exiting the one or more light pipes; and

a lens substantially enclosing the interior, the one or more light pipes and the one or more light sources, wherein
the lens, having an inner surface and an outer surface disposed opposite the inner surface, is provided with a continuous transparent and/or translucent coating on the outer surface, and
the one or more light sources receiving electrical power from the electrical power source, the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating is at least partially permeable to at least some of the diffuse light which is passed through the lens;

wherein the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating comprises a metal, an alloy or a conductive metalloid, providing a chromium or chromium-based reflective coating, and
wherein two or more light pipes or two end portions of one light pipe are provided to at least partially overlap, providing at least one region of overlap to substantially close a loop, to provide a homogenous illumination of at least one 360° illumination window when the one or more light sources receive electrical power from the electrical power source.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising
a cladding, optics, a plurality of screen printed dots, a paint or a further coating on the one or more light pipes for providing a diffuse, homogenous light output from the one or more light pipes.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein
each light pipe comprises a cladding surrounding its core such that the emitted light is at least partly reflected by the cladding to propagate within the core,
with the cladding being made from a material selected from the group consisting a fluoropolymer, fluorocarbon polymer and substituted polymer, and

wherein the cladding has a different refractive index compared to the core of each light pipe.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each light pipe is flexible and cylindrical.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the light from the one or more light sources is output from the one or more light pipes with a substantially uniform luminance, and
the light from the one or more light pipes is color stable.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one mask providing the illumination window, with the mask being located between the one or more light pipes and the lens and provided by the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one mask provides the illumination window with varying transmission levels, with the window being less transmissive in each region of overlap for providing the homogenous illumination of the illumination window.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the width of the illumination window and mask is not greater than the width of each light pipe, and
the illumination window has an at least partly circular and/or oval shape.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising
at least one gasket located at the inner part of the system, between the one or more light pipes and the at least one mask.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising
a plurality of small contact areas provided between the one or more light pipes and the coating, a reflector and/or the at least one mask in order to contain light within the core of the one or more light pipes.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of small contact areas is formed
by applying a velvet film,
by providing a velvet surface finish, or
by grain or sand blast of molded or casted parts, the at least one mask, the one or more light pipes, or the at least one reflector.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one mask providing the illumination window, with the mask being located between the one or more light pipes and the lens and provided by the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating,
wherein the plurality of small contact areas is applied on the mask.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein
the one or more light sources comprise at least one of an incandescent light source, a light-emitting diode (LEDs), an organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), or a LASER diode, and
the one or more light sources or each light source is located on a circuit board.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein,
the at least one characteristic of the one or more light pipes is determined by the amount of light pipes, the amount of regions of overlap, the location of each region of overlap, shape and/or dimensions of each region of overlap, or the shape or dimensions of each light pipe, and
the at least one characteristic of the one or more light sources determined by the amount of light sources, the type of each light source, or the location or orientation of each light source.

15. A vehicle design element comprising the system of claim 1 .

16. A rear view device of a vehicle comprising the system of claim 1 .

17. A door finisher for automotive doors comprising the system of claim 1 .

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein a translucency of the continuous transparent and/or translucent coating depends on at least one characteristic of the one or more light pipes or the one or more light sources, and the transparent and/or translucent coating.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the transparent and/or translucent coating is determined by at least one of the cladding, the optics, the screen printed dots, or a plurality of contact areas.

Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koehne Shane Randell
• Dekievit Gary
• Chapman-Winter Matthew

Classifications

• B60Q1/26 Primary

  the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic · CPC title

• B60Q1/323

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

• B60Q3/62

  using light guides · CPC title

• F21S43/237

  rod-shaped · CPC title

• F21S43/245

  emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces · CPC title