Backlit interior structure of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649978-B2
Application number	US-201214235073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2012
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

This structure comprises:
an internal structure ( 3 ); an external covering ( 5 ) connected to the internal structure ( 3 ), the external covering ( 5 ) having at least one translucent area ( 37 ); a light source ( 7 );

The light source ( 7 ) comprises a flexible fabric ( 25 ) in which is interwoven a plurality of optical fibers ( 29 ), clamped against an internal face ( 15 ) of the external covering ( 5 ) that faces the internal structure ( 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of vehicle dashboards comprising a back-lit dashboard and at least one non-back-lit dashboard without any light source, the back-lit dashboard comprising:
an internal structure;
an external covering connected to the internal structure, the external covering having at least one translucent area; and
a light source;
wherein the light source comprises a flexible fabric in which is interwoven a plurality of optical fibers, clamped against an internal face of the external covering turned towards the internal structure;
wherein the light source is located in an area where the internal structure is laid out for cushioning a statutory impact, for example an impact of the head type according to the regulations ECE 21;
wherein the internal structure has an external face turned towards the external covering, the internal and external faces being separated from each other by an interstice with a thickness of less than 10 millimeters, in which is housed the flexible fabric;
wherein the respective internal structures of the back-lit dashboard and of the non-back-lit dashboard have identical shapes, and wherein the respective external coverings of the back-lit dashboard and of the non-back-lit dashboard have identical shapes; and
wherein the internal structure is a rigid part.

2. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the interior structure of the back-lit dashboard is covered by the external covering;
wherein the external covering is a decorative covering part and has a visible face turned towards the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and
wherein said flexible fabric has at least a major portion of its surface facing the internal face of the external covering turned towards the internal structure.

3. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible fabric has a thickness of less than 5 millimeters.

4. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the external covering comprises a translucent supporting layer and an opaque paint layer.

5. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible fabric is attached onto the internal face by an adhesive having a transmission level of the light emitted by the light source of more than 30%.

6. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the visible face of the external covering is opposite to the internal face, and wherein the visible face of the external covering has a layer of varnish having a light transmission level of more than 10%.

7. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible fabric is in contact over the major portion of its surface with the internal face of the external covering.

8. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible fabric is directly in contact over the major portion of its surface with the internal face of the external covering.

9. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the interstice extends along most of the internal face and most of the external face.

10. The set according to claim 2 , wherein the external covering is self-supporting.

11. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the non-back-lit interior structure further comprises a plurality of ribs on the external face of the internal structure.

12. A method for manufacturing a set according to claim 11 , the method comprising at least the following steps:
manufacturing two identical parts each comprising an internal structure and a plurality of ribs on the external face of the internal structure;
manufacturing the non-back-lit interior structure from one of the two parts;
suppressing the ribs of the other one of the two parts and manufacturing the back-lit interior structure from said other one of the two parts.

13. The back-lit dashboard according to claim 1 , wherein the internal structure is a rigid part of a dashboard cowl.

14. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the internal structures of the back-lit dashboard and of the non-back-lit dashboard have respective external faces turned towards the external covering, the internal and external faces being separated from each other by an interstice with a thickness of less than 10 millimeters both in the back-lit dashboard and in the non-back-lit dashboard, the flexible fabric of the back-lit dashboard being located in said interstice.

15. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the non-back-lit dashboard further comprises a plurality of ribs distributed over the whole surface of the external face of the internal structure.

16. The set according to claim 1 , wherein the back-lit dashboard does not have ribs on the external face of the internal structure.

Assignees

• Oeuvrard Jean-François
• Guerreiro Pierre
• Faurecia Interieur Ind

Inventors

• Oeuvrard Jean-François
• Guerreiro Pierre

Classifications

• B60R13/0256

  Dashboard liners · CPC title

• B60Q3/04 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q2500/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0283

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• D10B2401/20

  optical · CPC title