Vehicle badge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452708-B2
Application number	US-201615040279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A badge is provided herein. The badge includes a housing attached to a substrate to form a viewable portion, a peripheral portion, and a rear portion. A light source is operably coupled with an optical device. A first photoluminescent structure is disposed between the light source and housing and is configured to emit a first converted light in response to a first excitation light. A second photoluminescent structure is disposed between the first photoluminescent structure and the housing and is configured to emit a second converted light in response to a second excitation light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A badge, comprising:
a housing attached to a substrate to form a viewable portion, a peripheral portion, and a rear portion;
a light source operably coupled with an optical device;
a first photoluminescent structure disposed between the light source and the housing and configured to emit a first converted light in response to a first excitation light; and
a second photoluminescent structure disposed between the first photoluminescent structure and the housing and configured to emit a second converted light in response to a second excitation light.

2. The badge of claim 1 , wherein the first excitation light and second excitation light each comprises at least one of blue light, violet light, and UV light.

3. The badge of claim 2 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure and the second photoluminescent structure each includes at least one photoluminescent material therein configured to down convert an excitation light received from at least a portion of the light sources into a visible converted light.

4. The badge of claim 1 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure includes a long persistence photoluminescent material.

5. The badge of claim 1 , wherein the first converted light is of the same wavelength as the second excitation light.

6. The badge of claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to emit the first excitation light at a plurality of wavelengths such that the first and second photoluminescent structures may be independently excited.

7. A badge, comprising:
a housing attached to a substrate to form a viewable portion;
a light source disposed between the housing and substrate and operably coupled with an optical device; and
first and second photoluminescent structures each disposed between the light source and the housing and configured to emit a converted light through a light transmissive portion in response to an excitation light.

8. The badge of claim 7 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure is disposed on a surface of the optical device.

9. The badge of claim 7 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure and second photoluminescent structure each comprises at least one photoluminescent material configured to down convert an excitation light received from at least a portion of the light source into a visible light that is outputted to a viewable portion.

10. The badge of claim 7 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure includes a long persistence photoluminescent material therein that is configured to illuminate for two hours or more once the excitation light is removed.

11. The badge of claim 10 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure includes a short persistence photoluminescent material therein that is configured to illuminate for 100 millisecond or less once the excitation light is removed.

12. The badge of claim 8 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of printed LEDs.

13. The badge of claim 10 , further comprising:
indicia on the viewable portion that correspond with the light transmissive portion such that the converted light escapes the badge through the indicia.

14. The badge of claim 7 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure corresponds to a translucent background region and the second photoluminescent structure corresponds to indicia.

15. A badge comprising:
a housing attached to a substrate;
a viewable portion on the housing having a light transmissive portion;
a light source disposed between the housing and the substrate and operably coupled with an optical device; and
a first photoluminescent structure including a long persistence photoluminescent material disposed between the light source and the housing and configured to emit a converted light in response to an excitation light.

16. The badge of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second photoluminescent structure disposed between the first photoluminescent structure and housing and configured to emit a converted light in response to an excitation light emitted by the light source.

17. The badge of claim 16 , further comprising:
a decorative layer disposed between the second photoluminescent structure and the housing configured to form a light transmissive portion.

18. The badge of claim 17 , wherein the decorative layer forms a reflective layer such that the indicia appear metallic when the first photoluminescent structure, the second photoluminescent structure, and the light source are in an unilluminated state.

19. The badge of claim 15 , wherein the excitation light comprises one of blue light, violet light, and UV light.

20. The badge of claim 16 , wherein the first photoluminescent structure and the second photoluminescent structure emit light simultaneously to form white light.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Buttolo Pietro
• Surman James J
• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Musleh Michael A

Classifications

• B60R13/005

  Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor · CPC title

• G09F21/04 Primary

  by land vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/50 Primary

  for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking · CPC title

• B60Q1/26

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

• G09F13/04

  Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia · CPC title