Vehicle light strip with optical element

• US 10,189,401 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Surman, James J., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Helwig, Stephen Kenneth, Lobo, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US15/019,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/323 on or for doors illuminated exterior door handles B60Q1/2669; illuminated door locks E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/10 Electro- or photo- luminescent surfaces, e.g. signalling by way of electroluminescent strips or panels

Abstract

A vehicle light strip is provided herein. The vehicle light strip includes a housing member. A light assembly is disposed inside the housing member and has a light source and a photoluminescent structure that is configured to luminesce in response to light excitation by the light source. An optical element is configured to transmit a portion of luminescent light toward a front wall of the housing member and direct another portion of luminescent light toward at least one side wall of the housing member.

Claims

1. A vehicle light strip comprising:

a housing member;

a light assembly inside the housing member and having a light source and a photoluminescent structure that is configured to luminesce in response to light excitation by the light source; and

an optical element having a cross-section with an inverted triangular shape, a first surface of the optical element defining a hypotenuse having a random non-planar arrangement configured to transmit a portion of luminescent light toward a front wall of the housing member and direct another portion of luminescent light toward at least one side wall of the housing member.

2. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, wherein the housing member is adhered to an exterior panel of a vehicle.

3. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, wherein the light assembly is disposed inside the housing member and the light source comprises a plurality of printed light-emitting diodes oriented to face the front wall of the housing member.

4. The vehicle light strip of claim 3, wherein the plurality of printed light-emitting diodes are dispersed in increasing density toward the at least one side wall of the housing member.

5. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, wherein the optical element is disposed between the photoluminescent structure and the front wall of the housing member.

6. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, wherein the optical element directs a first portion of luminescent light toward a first side wall of the housing member and directs a second portion of luminescent light toward a second side wall of the housing member.

7. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, wherein the luminescent light directed toward the at least one side wall of the housing member is outputted therethrough to produce sconce lighting against the vehicle.

8. The vehicle light strip of claim 1, further comprising a metallized layer coupled to the front wall of the housing member.

9. A vehicle light strip comprising:

a light assembly configured to couple to an exterior of a vehicle; and

an optical element having a cross-section with an inverted triangular shape and defining an apex and a hypotenuse having a random non-planar surface, wherein the light assembly emits a greater amount of light from a first position further from the apex than a second position closer to the apex than the first position.

10. The vehicle light strip of claim 9, wherein the light assembly comprises a plurality of printed light-emitting diodes.

11. The vehicle light strip of claim 10, wherein the plurality of printed light-emitting diodes are dispersed in increasing density toward the at least one side wall of the housing member.

12. The vehicle light strip of claim 10, wherein the light assembly comprises a photoluminescent structure that is coupled to the plurality of printed light-emitting diodes and is configured to luminesce in response to light excitation by the plurality of printed light-emitting diodes.

13. The vehicle light strip of claim 9, further comprising a metallized layer coupled to a front wall of the housing member.