Dome light assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487135-B2
Application number	US-201514735499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A dome light assembly for a vehicle is provided herein. The dome light assembly includes a headliner having a trough and a light-producing assembly arranged as a strip configured to be received in the trough. The light-producing assembly includes a plurality of light sources and a photoluminescent structure configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the plurality of light sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dome light assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a headliner having a trough; and
a light-producing assembly received in the trough and comprising:
a plurality of light sources; and
a photoluminescent structure configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the plurality of light sources, wherein portions of the photoluminescent structure located above occupant seating areas exhibit a greater degree of luminescence than portions of the photoluminescent structure located above non-occupant seating areas.

2. The dome light assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for selectively activating the plurality of light sources.

3. The dome light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough extends in one of a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction relative to the vehicle.

4. The dome light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources comprises LEDs dispersed in a printed LED arrangement.

5. The dome light assembly of claim 4 , wherein the LEDs are dispersed in a variable density.

6. The dome light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light-producing assembly comprises visible and obscured portions when the light-producing assembly is viewed from a rearview mirror assembly.

7. The dome light assembly of claim 6 , wherein the light-producing assembly is operable such that only the obscured portions luminesce when the vehicle is in drive.

8. A dome light assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a headliner having a trough extending in a longitudinal direction with respect to the vehicle; and
a light-producing assembly arranged as a strip configured to be received in the trough and comprising:
a plurality of light sources; and
a photoluminescent structure configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the plurality of light sources, wherein the photoluminescent structure comprises visible and obscured portions when the light-producing assembly is viewed from a rearview mirror assembly, and wherein the light-producing assembly is operable such that only the obscured portions luminesce when the vehicle is in drive.

9. The dome light assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a controller for selectively activating the plurality of light sources.

10. The dome light assembly of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of light sources comprises LEDs dispersed in a printed LED arrangement.

11. The dome light assembly of claim 10 , wherein the LEDs are dispersed in a variable density such that portions of the photoluminescent structure located above occupant seating areas exhibit a greater degree of luminescence than portions of the photoluminescent structure located above non-occupant seating areas.

12. A dome light assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a headliner of the vehicle having a trough; and
a light-producing assembly received in the trough and comprising:
a plurality of light sources dispersed at variable densities; and
a photoluminescent structure configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the plurality of light sources, wherein portions of the photoluminescent structure exhibit variable degrees of luminescence based on the dispersal of the plurality of light sources.

13. The dome light assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a controller for selectively activating the plurality of light sources.

14. The dome light assembly of claim 12 , wherein the trough extends in one of a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction relative to the vehicle.

15. The dome light assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of light sources comprises LEDs dispersed in a printed LED arrangement.

16. The dome light assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of light sources are dispersed such that portions of the photoluminescent structure located above occupant seating areas exhibit a greater degree of luminescence than portions of the photoluminescent structure located above non-occupant seating areas.

17. The dome light assembly of claim 12 , wherein the light-producing assembly comprises visible and obscured portions when the light-producing assembly is viewed from a rearview mirror assembly.

18. The dome light assembly of claim 17 , wherein the light-producing assembly is operable such that only the obscured portions luminesce when the vehicle is in drive.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Surman James J
• Gardner Cornel Lewis
• Konet Todd Jared

Classifications

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/105

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• B60Q3/74

  for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps (general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43) · CPC title

• B60Q3/80

  Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) · CPC title

• B60Q3/68

  using ultraviolet light · CPC title