Method for providing illuminated components and components formed from the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817169-B2
Application number	US-201514683934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method of illuminating a component, having an outer skin layer, the method including the steps of: forming the outer surface layer from at least two separate pieces of an outer skin layer, the outer skin layer having a show surface and an opposite backing surface; forming a seam in the outer surface layer such that the at least two separate pieces are secured to each other; locating an elongated light conducting medium in the seam and behind a stitch securing the at least two separate pieces together; and securing the elongated light conducting medium to the outer surface layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of illuminating an exterior surface of a component having an outer surface layer, the method comprising:
forming the outer surface layer from at least two separate pieces of an outer skin layer, the outer skin layer having a show surface and an opposite backing surface;
forming a french seam in the outer surface layer such that the at least two separate pieces are secured to each other;
locating an elongated light conducting medium in the french seam and behind a stitch securing the at least two separate pieces together; and
securing the elongated light conducting medium to the outer surface layer with a tape.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the outer skin layer, is formed from one of vinyl, leather, cloth and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).

3. A component formed by the method of claim 2 , wherein the component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

4. The component of claim 3 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is a side emitting fiber optic cable.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is a side emitting fiber optic cable and a portion of each of the at least two separate pieces of the outer skin layer is folded back upon the at least two separate pieces of the outer skin layer during formation of the french seam.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the elongated light is a side emitting fiber optic cable and wherein the outer skin layer, is formed from the group consisting of vinyl, leather, cloth and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).

8. A component formed by the method of claim 7 , wherein the component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

9. The component of claim 8 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is inserted into the seam after the seam is formed.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is coextruded with a supporting structure and wherein the outer skin layer, is formed from the group consisting of vinyl, leather, cloth and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).

12. A component formed by the method of claim 11 , wherein the component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

13. The component of claim 12 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

14. A component formed by the method of claim 11 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is electrically coupled to a vehicle function such that a light intensity and color of the elongated light conducting medium can be varied.

15. The component of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle function is one of: turn signal indicators, music volume, vehicle speed, engine RPM and/or acceleration and combinations thereof.

16. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is sewn into the seam at the same time the seam is formed.

17. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the elongated light conducting medium is a side emitting fiber optic cable and wherein the outer skin layer, is formed from the group consisting of vinyl, leather, cloth and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).

18. A component formed by the method of claim 17 , wherein the component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

19. The component of claim 18 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle and wherein the elongated light conducting medium is electrically coupled to a vehicle function such that a light intensity and color of the elongated light conducting medium can be varied and wherein the vehicle function is one of: turn signal indicators, music volume, vehicle speed, engine RPM and/or acceleration and combinations thereof.

20. An interior component of a vehicle, comprising:
an outer surface layer comprising at least two separate pieces of an outer skin layer secured to each other, wherein the outer skin layer comprises a show surface and an opposite backing surface;
a french seam formed in the outer surface layer such that the at least two separate pieces are secured to each other;
an elongated light conducting medium located in the french seam and behind a stitch securing the at least two separate pieces together; and
a tape securing the elongated light conducting medium to the outer surface layer.

Assignees

• Inteva Products Llc

Inventors

• Wenzel Edward J
• Massetti Joseph A
• Whitehead David W
• Nascimento Aidano C

Classifications

• B60Q3/54

  Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners · CPC title

• B60Q3/78

  for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges · CPC title

• G02B6/0005 Primary

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

• B60Q3/64

  for a single lighting device · CPC title

• B60Q2500/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic