Energy harvesting module and illumination member for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780280-B2
Application number	US-201514791768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An illumination assembly for a vehicle includes an energy harvesting module disposed on an exhaust pipe of the vehicle. The energy harvesting module includes an energy harvesting device configured to capture heat and to convert the harvested heat to electrical energy. An illumination member is electrically connected to the energy harvesting module and is configured to be illuminated by the electrical energy supplied from the energy harvesting device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
an exhaust pipe;
an energy harvesting module disposed on an outer surface of the exhaust pipe and extending around an entire circumference of the exhaust pipe, the energy harvesting module including an energy harvesting device configured to capture heat and to convert the harvested heat to electrical energy;
an illumination member electrically connected to the energy harvesting module and configured to be illuminated by the electrical energy supplied from the energy harvesting device; and
a control module configured to control the intensity of the illumination of the illumination member.

2. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the energy harvesting module includes a storage device configured to store the electrical energy, the storage device being electrically connected to the energy harvesting device and to the illumination member.

3. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination member is disposed on the exhaust pipe.

4. The illumination assembly according to claim 3 , wherein
the illumination member is disposed at an end edge of the exhaust pipe such that the illumination member emits light in a rearward vehicle direction.

5. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination member is connected to a rear bumper fascia of the vehicle.

6. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination member is a plurality of light emitting diodes.

7. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination member is a light pipe.

8. The illumination assembly according to claim 7 , wherein
the light pipe is disposed about an entirety of a circumference of the exhaust pipe.

9. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the energy harvesting module includes a heat shield disposed between the exhaust pipe and the energy harvesting device.

10. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
a sensor is connected to the control module, the sensor being configured to determine a status of the vehicle and to send the status to the control module.

11. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the control module is connected to the vehicle bus to receive vehicle status information from the vehicle bus.

12. The illumination assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the vehicle status information includes whether a vehicle ignition is on, whether the vehicle is moving, or a speed of the vehicle.

13. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the control module controls an output voltage of the electrical energy supplied to the illumination member to control an intensity of the illumination member.

14. A method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
capturing heat energy with an energy harvesting device disposed on an outer surface of an exhaust pipe of the vehicle, the energy harvesting device extending around an entire circumference of the exhaust pipe;
converting the captured heat energy to electrical energy with the energy harvesting device;
supplying the electrical energy to an illumination member electrically connected to the energy harvesting device to illuminate the illumination member; and
controlling the intensity of the illumination of the illumination member with a control module.

15. The method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising
storing the electrical energy in a battery, the electrical energy supplied to the illumination member being supplied from the battery.

16. The method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising
transmitting vehicle status information to the control module electrically connected to the energy harvesting device; and
controlling the supply of the electrical energy to the illumination member responsive to the vehicle status information.

17. The method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising
sensing the vehicle status information with a sensor.

18. The method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein
the sensor senses air flow over the sensor or vibration of a vehicle component on which the sensor is disposed.

19. The method of illuminating an illumination assembly of a vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising
controlling an output voltage of the electrical energy supplied to the illumination member to control the illumination intensity of the illumination member.

20. The illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination intensity of the illumination member is configured to be varied in accordance with a speed of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Randall
• Phan Nelson

Classifications

• B60Q1/2696

  Mounting of devices using LEDs · CPC title

• H01L35/30 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60Q1/2688 Primary

  on exhaust pipes · CPC title

• G02B6/0005

  the light guides being of the fibre type (G02B6/0003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q1/0094

  Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps (arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195) · CPC title