Vehicle having interior and exterior lighting on tailgate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688192-B2
Application number	US-201514855479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes a cabin defining a cargo space, and a tailgate operable between a substantially open position and a substantially closed position. The tailgate defines a license plate area on an exterior surface thereof. An illumination system is positioned within the tailgate, such that the illumination system illuminates at least one of the cargo space and the license plate area when the tailgate is in the closed position and illuminates a ground area behind the vehicle when the tailgate is in the open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a cabin defining a cargo space;
a tailgate operable between a substantially open position and a substantially closed position, the tailgate defining a license plate area on an exterior surface thereof; and
an illumination system in electrical communication with a proximity sensor positioned within the tailgate such that the illumination system independently illuminates one of the cargo space and the license plate area when the tailgate is in the closed position and illuminates a ground area behind the vehicle when the tailgate is in the open position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system comprises at least one light source on each of an interior side of a printed circuit board and an exterior side of the printed circuit board.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the light sources share a common heat sink.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system is configured to change between illumination modes based at least in part on an electrical signal from the proximity sensor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system is configured to operate in at least two different modes while the tailgate is in the closed position and is configured to operate in at least two different modes while the tailgate is in the open position.

6. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle cabin defining a cargo space;
a tailgate pivotally coupled to the vehicle, the tailgate defining an exterior surface and an interior surface; and
an illumination system in electrical communication with a proximity sensor comprising a light source on an interior and an exterior side of a printed circuit board, the illumination system disposed through the tailgate and configured to emit light from at least one of the exterior surface and the interior surface of the tailgate.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the light sources share a common heat sink.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the illumination system is configured to illuminate an area further than about 3 meters behind the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the illumination system is configured to independently illuminate the cargo space and a license plate area.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the illumination system comprises at least one photoluminescent portion.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the light source also comprises a printed light emitting diode assembly.

12. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle cabin defining a cargo space;
a tailgate pivotally coupled to the vehicle, the tailgate defining an exterior surface and an interior surface;
and
an illumination system positioned within the tailgate comprising a pair of light sources on respective inboard and outboard surfaces of a printed circuit board, the illumination system configured to switch between different illumination modes based at least in part on a signal from a proximity sensor.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the different illumination modes of the illumination system are configured to illuminate different distances behind the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the illumination modes of the illumination system is configured to illuminate an area further than about 2 meters behind the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the light sources share a common heat sink.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Gardner Cornel Lewis
• Huebner Annette Lynn

Classifications

• H05B47/11

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

• F21S43/26

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title

• F21S43/145

  Surface emitters, e.g. organic light emitting diodes [OLED] · CPC title

• F21S41/16

  Laser light sources · CPC title

• B60Q1/56

  for illuminating registrations or the like {, e.g. for licence plates} · CPC title