Vehicle interior member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987179-B2
Application number	US-202318303816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

In an interior member for a vehicle, a lens extends along a light guide member, and is provided with a groove receiving the light guide member therein, a first engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove, and a second engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove, and the interior member main body is provided with a first engaged portion engaged by the first engaging portion, and a second engaged portion engaged by the second engaging portion, the lens being resiliently deformable so as to bring the walls defining the groove toward each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interior member for a vehicle, comprising:
an interior member main body forming an inner wall of a cabin;
a linear light guide member configured to conduct light from a light source in a lengthwise direction and to irradiate the light from a side surface thereof; and
a lens that transmits the light irradiated from the light guide member;
wherein the interior member main body is provided with an interior member recess receiving the light guide member and the lens, and
wherein the lens extends along the light guide member, and is provided with a groove receiving the light guide member therein, a first engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove, and a second engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove, and the interior member main body is provided with a first engaged portion engaged by the first engaging portion, and a second engaged portion engaged by the second engaging portion,
the first engaging portion includes a plurality of first engaging portions arranged in an extending direction of the lens,
the second engaging portion includes a plurality of second engaging portions arranged in the extending direction of the lens,
the second engaging portions are each interposed between a corresponding mutually adjoining pair of the first engaging portions, and
a surface of the light guide member in an opening direction of the interior member recess and a surface of the interior member main body located above the interior member recess are aligned.

2. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interior member main body is provided with a recess upper wall that defines an upper boundary of the interior member recess, a recess lower wall that defines a lower boundary of the recess, and a recess side wall that defines a side boundary of the recess,
the recess upper wall, the recess side wall, and the recess lower wall are formed by being integrally molded so that the recess lower wall and the recess upper wall are directly connected to the recess side wall respectively,
the first engaged portion is provided with the recess upper wall,
the second engaged portion is provided with the recess lower wall, and
the recess lower wall is inclined downward toward an opening direction of the interior member recess.

3. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lens includes a lens main body that has a U-shaped cross-section with an open side facing in the opposite of the opening direction of the interior member recess.

4. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the lens includes a lens lower wall which defines a lower edge of the groove, and
the lens lower wall is inclined downward toward an opposite direction of the opening direction of the interior member recess.

5. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first engaged portion is a hole to receive the first engaging portion,
the second engaged portion is a hole to receive the second engaging portion, and
the first engaging portion protrudes from the surface of a lens upper wall facing away from the light guide member,
the first engaging portion is provided with an inclined surface which is inclined to come close to the light guide member toward the opening direction of the groove, and an engagement surface is formed at an end of the inclined surface remote from the opening of the groove and perpendicular to an outer surface of the lens upper wall.

6. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the second engaging portion projects from the surface of the lens lower wall facing away from the light guide member,
the second engaged portion is the hole to go through the interior member main body, and
the second engaging portion passes through the second engaged portion.

7. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the second engaging portion is each formed at a central position between two mutually adjoining the first engaging portions with respect to the extending direction of the lens.

8. The interior member for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interior member main body includes a main board with a plate-like shape provided on a door panel of a vehicle door, and a pocket member disposed on an inner side of the main board and defining a door pocket in cooperation with the main board, and the light guide member and the lens are provided on at least one of the main board and the pocket member.

9. A method for manufacturing an interior member, the method comprising:
preparing an interior member main body forming an inner wall of a cabin provided with an interior member recess, a linear light guide member configured to conduct light from a light source in a lengthwise direction and to irradiate the light from a side surface thereof, and a lens that transmits the light irradiated from the light guide member, and
embedding the lens to the interior member recess;
wherein the interior member main body is provided with an interior member recess receiving the light guide member and the lens, and
wherein the lens includes a groove to receive the light member, a first engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove, and a second engaging portion provided on a wall that defines the groove,
the interior member main body is provided with a first engaged portion engaged by the first engaging portion, a second engaged portion engaged by the second engaging portion,
the first engaging portion includes a plurality of first engaging portions arranged in an extending direction of the lens,
the second engaging portion includes a plurality of second engaging portions arranged in the extending direction of the lens,
the second engaging portions are each interposed between a corresponding mutually adjoining pair of the first engaging portions, and
a surface of the light guide member in an opening direction of the interior member recess and a surface of the interior member main body located above the interior member recess are aligned.

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• MIHIRA Manabu
• Nakano Yuji

Classifications

• B60Q3/51 Primary

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

• B60Q3/217

  Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps · CPC title

• B60Q3/225

  Small compartments, e.g. glove compartments · CPC title

• B60Q3/54

  Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners · CPC title

• B60Q3/64

  for a single lighting device · CPC title