Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11958405-B2
Application number	US-202318356827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2023
Priority date	Jul 29, 2022
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

An illumination device is to be mounted on a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle, and the illumination device includes a light source that emits light to illuminate the interior, a light guide that receives the light emitted from the light source and transmits the received light, a first flow path that, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, extends so as to intersect with an up and down direction of the vehicle and is located at the same position as at least one of the light source or the light guide in the up and down direction, and an air blower that produces an airflow that, having been sucked into the illumination device, travels through the first flow path and is blown out of the illumination device after having traveled through the first flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination device to be mounted on a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle, the illumination device comprising:
a light source that emits light to illuminate the interior;
a light guide that receives the light emitted from the light source and transmits the light received;
a first flow path that, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, extends to intersect with an up and down direction of the vehicle and is located at a same position as at least one of the light source or the light guide in the up and down direction; and
an air blower that produces an airflow that, having been sucked into the illumination device, travels through the first flow path and is blown out of the illumination device after traveling through the first flow path.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first flow path is located at a same position as the light guide in the up and down direction, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling,
the light guide includes a first surface on a side opposite a side facing the first flow path and a second surface facing the first flow path, and
the illumination device further comprises a second flow path that opens at each of the first surface and the second surface and is connected to the first flow path.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
the light guide includes a notch that is recessed upward in the up and down direction in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, the notch being formed from the first surface to the second surface, and
a portion of the second flow path is formed by the notch.

4. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first surface includes a first inclined surface that, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, is inclined away from where the second surface is located as a position on the first inclined surface moves upward in the up and down direction.

5. The illumination device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a housing that opens upward in the up and down direction in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, the housing housing the light source and the light guide, wherein
the housing includes a wall portion located on an opposite side of the first surface from the second surface, and
the first inclined surface rises above the wall portion in the up and down direction, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling.

6. The illumination device according to claim 4 , wherein
in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, the light source is located below the light guide in the up and down direction and emits the light upward in the up and down direction,
the second surface includes a second inclined surface that, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, is inclined toward where the first surface is located as a position on the second inclined surface moves upward in the up and down direction,
the light guide includes an entry surface that is located above the light source in the up and down direction in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling and that receives the light emitted from the light source, and an exit surface that extends downward in the up and down direction from the second surface to the first surface in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling and that transmits the light received via the entry surface,
the second inclined surface reflects the light that has entered the light guide via the entry surface toward the first inclined surface,
the first inclined surface reflects the light reflected by the second inclined surface toward the exit surface, and
the exit surface transmits the light reflected by the first inclined surface out of the light guide.

7. The illumination device according to claim 6 , wherein
the exit surface is a concave surface.

8. The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of light sources, each of the plurality of light sources being the light source; and
a housing that houses the plurality of light sources and the light guide, wherein
the plurality of light sources are arranged annularly along an outer peripheral portion of the housing as viewed in the up and down direction, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling, and
the light guide overlaps the plurality of light sources and has an annular shape as viewed in the up and down direction, in a state in which the illumination device is mounted on the ceiling.

9. The illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an air cleaner that cleans an air in the interior with use of the airflow.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd
• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshizumi Ryota

Classifications

• B60Q3/51 Primary

  for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor · CPC title

• B60H3/0608 Primary

  Filter arrangements in the air stream · CPC title

• B60Q3/64

  for a single lighting device · CPC title

• F21V33/0088 Primary

  Ventilating systems (lighting fixtures combined with outlets for air treatment systems F24F13/078) · CPC title

• B60Q3/208

  Sun roofs; Windows · CPC title