Photoluminescent engine compartment lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393904-B2
Application number	US-201414547659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

An illumination apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The illumination apparatus comprises at least one photoluminescent portion disposed on at least one feature of an engine compartment. A lighting controller is in communication with a vehicle controller and a lighting device located proximate a hood of the vehicle. The light source is configured to emit a first emission to excite the at least one photoluminescent portion to illuminate a region of interest corresponding to the at least one feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
at least one photoluminescent portion disposed on at least one feature of an engine compartment; and
a lighting controller configured to control a light source of a lighting device located proximate a hood of the vehicle, the light source configured to emit a first emission to excite the at least one photoluminescent portion to illuminate a region of interest corresponding to at least one feature, wherein the lighting controller is in communication with a vehicle controller and the region of interest corresponds to an engine compartment component communicated from the vehicle controller.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photoluminescent portion comprises a coating disposed on a portion of the at least one engine compartment component.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one photoluminescent portion corresponds to a plurality of photoluminescent portions disposed on a plurality of engine compartment components.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the lighting device comprises a plurality of light sources.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of light sources is configured to excite a specific photoluminescent portion of the plurality of photoluminescent portions.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the lighting controller is configured to selectively illuminate a first light source of the plurality of light sources to illuminate a selected engine compartment component of the plurality of engine compartment components.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein each light source comprises a directional optic configured to direct the first emission from the first light source to illuminate a selected engine compartment component.

8. An illumination system for a vehicle engine compartment comprising:
a first photoluminescent portion disposed on an internal surface of a hood;
at least a second photoluminescent portion located in an engine compartment; and
at least one light source located proximate the hood configured to emit a first excitation emission and a second excitation emission and operable to selectively illuminate the first photoluminescent portion and the second photoluminescent portion substantially independently by a lighting controller.

9. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the first photoluminescent portion comprises a coating applied to a portion of a hood insulator.

10. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the second photoluminescent portion is disposed on an engine compartment component.

11. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the first photoluminescent portion is configured to emit a first output emission of light and the second photoluminescent portion is configured to emit a second output emission.

12. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the first photoluminescent portion is excited in response to a first excitation emission and the second photoluminescent portion is excited in response to a second excitation emission.

13. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the first excitation emission is emitted from a first light source of the at least one light source and the second excitation emission is emitted from a second light source of the at least one light source.

14. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the first excitation emission corresponds to a shorter wavelength than the second excitation emission.

15. The illumination system according to claim 8 , wherein the second light source comprises a plurality of emitters configured to selectively illuminate a plurality of engine compartment components.

16. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a plurality of photoluminescent portions disposed on a plurality of engine compartment components; and
a lighting controller in communication with a vehicle controller and a plurality of light sources located proximate a hood, each of the light sources configured to emit a first emission to excite at least one of the photoluminescent portions to illuminate a region of interest in the engine compartment, wherein the lighting controller is configured to selectively illuminate each of the light sources to excite a selected photoluminescent portion to illuminate the region of interest.

17. The illumination apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the photoluminescent portions comprise a coating disposed on a portion of each of the engine compartment components.

18. The illumination apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of engine compartment components corresponds to at least one of an oil fill, a washer fluid reservoir, a fuse panel, a brake fluid reservoir, and a coolant reservoir.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Chea Vichit

Classifications

• B60Q3/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/008

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/68

  using ultraviolet light · CPC title

• B60Q3/30 Primary

  for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments · CPC title