Lighting device of closed configuration for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340110-B2
Application number	US-201213438390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2012
Priority date	Apr 4, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A lighting device of a motor vehicle includes a light guide having a closed configuration at least as seen from a top view. The light guide includes two sections which cross each other at a crossover. A first light source is linked to one end of the light guide to project light into the light guide. Arranged at the crossover is an adapter for adjusting a light intensity, measurable in a direction in opposition to the top view, to a light intensity of another section of the light guide in a region of the crossover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting device of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a light guide having a closed configuration at least as seen from a top view, said light guide including two sections which cross each other at an crossover;
a first light source linked to one end of the light guide to project light into the light guide; and
an adapter arranged at the crossover for adjusting a light intensity, measurable in a direction in opposition to the top view, to a light intensity of another section of the light guide in a region of the crossover so as to maintain a homogenous light intensity throughout the light guide.

2. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the closed configuration is a circular ring.

3. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the light guide is made of an elongated material which is bent into the closed configuration as seen from a top view.

4. The lighting device of claim 1 , further comprising a second light source arranged on another end of the light guide to project light into the light guide.

5. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second light sources is constructed as an LED.

6. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the adapter covers a lower one of the two sections of the light guide, as seen from a top view, at the crossover to prevent escape of light from the lower one of the two sections.

7. The lighting device of claim 6 , wherein the adapter is a film.

8. The lighting device of claim 7 , wherein the film is a black film.

9. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is partly transparent to connect two further sections of the light guide with one another in proximity of the crossover.

10. A steering wheel for a motor vehicle, comprising a lighting device which includes a light guide having a closed configuration at least as seen from a top view, said light guide including two sections which cross each other at an crossover, a first light source linked to one end of the light guide to project light into the light guide, and an adapter arranged at the crossover for adjusting a light intensity, measurable in a direction in opposition to the top view, to a light intensity of another section of the light guide in a region of the crossover so as to maintain a homogenous light intensity throughout the light guide.

11. The steering wheel of claim 10 , wherein the closed configuration is a circular ring.

12. The steering wheel of claim 10 , wherein the light guide is made of an elongated material which is bent into the closed configuration as seen from the top view.

13. The steering wheel of claim 10 , further comprising a second light source arranged on another end of the light guide to project light into the light guide.

14. The steering wheel of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second light sources is constructed as an LED.

15. The steering wheel of claim 10 , wherein the adapter covers a lower one of the two sections of the light guide as seen from the top view at the crossover to prevent escape of light from the lower one of the two sections.

16. The steering wheel of claim 14 , wherein the adapter is a film.

17. The steering wheel of claim 16 , wherein the film is a black film.

18. The steering wheel of claim 10 , wherein the adapter is partly transparent to connect two further sections of the light guide with one another in proximity of the crossover.

19. An assist system, comprising a lighting device for generating an optical indication, said lighting device including a light guide having a closed configuration at least as seen from a top view, said light guide including two sections which cross each other at an crossover, a first light source linked to one end of the light guide to project light into the light guide, and an adapter arranged at the crossover for adjusting a light intensity, measurable in a direction in opposition to the top view, to a light intensity of another section of the light guide in a region of the crossover so as to maintain a homogenous light intensity throughout the light guide.

20. The assist system of claim 19 , wherein the lighting device is configured for generating an optical warning.

21. The assist system of claim 19 , wherein the closed configuration is a circular ring.

22. The assist system of claim 19 , wherein the light guide is made of an elongated material which is bent into the closed configuration as seen from the top view.

23. The assist system of claim 19 , further comprising a second light source arranged on another end of the light guide to project light into the light guide.

24. The assist system of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first and second light sources is constructed as an LED.

25. The assist system of claim 19 , wherein the adapter covers a lower one of the two sections of the light guide as seen from the top view at the crossover to prevent escape of light from the lower one of the two sections.

26. The assist system of claim 23 , wherein the adapter is a film.

27. The assist system of claim 26 , wherein the film is a black film.

28. The assist system of claim 19 , wherein the adapter is partly transparent to connect two further sections of the light guide with one another in proximity of the crossover.

Assignees

• Reuschel Jens Dietmar
• Schmitz Christoph
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Reuschel Jens Dietmar
• Schmitz Christoph

Classifications

• B60Q3/64 Primary

  for a single lighting device · CPC title

• F21S41/24

  Light guides · CPC title

• B60K37/00 Primary

  Dashboards (as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14) · CPC title

• B60Q3/024

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/004

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic