Photoluminescent lighting apparatus for vehicles

• US 10,400,978 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Teodecki, John Matthew, Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Surman, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bap Q
• Application Number:
  US14/801,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20150323149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 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 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2661 mounted on parts having other functions on wheels B60Q1/326
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/30 for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/20 Multi-color single source or LED matrix, e.g. yellow blinker and red brake lamp generated by single lamp
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/16 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A vehicle taillight is disclosed. The vehicle taillight comprises an at least partially light transmissive layer and at least one light generating layer configured to substantially coat a portion of the transmissive layer. The light generating layer comprises a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of LEDs in a semiconductor ink disposed between the electrodes. The light generating layer is operable to emit an excitation emission. The taillight further comprises at least one photoluminescent layer proximate at least one of the electrodes configured to convert the excitation emission to an output emission.

Claims

1. A vehicle taillight comprising:

an at least partially light transmissive layer;

at least one light generating layer configured to substantially coat a portion of the transmissive layer comprising;

a plurality of electrodes;

a plurality of LEDs in a semiconductor ink disposed between the electrodes operable to emit an excitation emission; and

at least one photoluminescent layer proximate at least one of the electrodes configured to convert the excitation emission to an output emission.

2. The vehicle taillight according to claim 1, further comprising a base layer configured to conform to an outer surface of a panel and forming a sealed assembly with the at least partially transmissive layer.

3. The vehicle taillight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light generating layer corresponds to a plurality of light generating layers.

4. The vehicle taillight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photoluminescent layer corresponds to a plurality of photoluminescent layers of each of the light generating layers.

5. The vehicle taillight according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of photoluminescent layers is configured to emit a plurality of output emissions corresponding to a first wavelength and a second wavelength.

6. The vehicle taillight according to claim 5, further comprising a controller in communication with each of the light generating layers, wherein the controller is configured to activate the excitation emission of each of the light generating layers to output the first wavelength and the second wavelength independently.

7. The vehicle taillight according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of photoluminescent layers corresponds to a first photoluminescent layer and a second photoluminescent layer, the first photoluminescent layer corresponding to a first illuminated design illuminated in the first wavelength.

8. The vehicle taillight according to claim 7, wherein the second photoluminescent layer corresponds to a second illuminated design illuminated in the second wavelength.

9. A vehicle light assembly comprising:

an at least partially light transmissive layer;

at least one light generating layer configured to coat a portion of an interior surface of the transmissive layer comprising;

a plurality of electrodes;

a plurality of LEDs in a semiconductor ink disposed between the electrodes operable to emit an excitation emission; and

at least one photoluminescent layer proximate at least one of the electrodes configured to convert the excitation emission to an output emission.

10. The light assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a base layer configured to substantially conform to an outer surface of a panel of the vehicle and forming a sealed assembly with the transmissive layer.

11. The light assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least one photoluminescent layer corresponds to a first photoluminescent layer configured to emit a portion of the output emission as a first red emission at a first intensity in a running light configuration.

12. The light assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one photoluminescent layer further corresponds to a second photoluminescent layer configured to emit a portion of the output emission a substantially orange emission in a cornering marker light configuration.

13. The light assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a light emitting assembly configured to emit a portion of the output emission as a second red emission at a second intensity.

14. The light assembly according to claim 13, wherein the second red emission corresponds to a brake light emission.

15. The light assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a metallic coating disposed on the transmissive layer.

16. The light assembly according to claim 13, wherein the metallic coating is configured to reflect ambient light impinging on an outer surface of the transmissive layer and transmit at least a portion of the output emission therethrough.

17. A surface mounted taillight assembly for a vehicle comprising:

an at least partially light transmissive layer;

a first light generating layer printed in a first liquid suspension on a first portion of an interior surface of the transmissive layer configured to emit a first emission; and

a second light generating layer printed in a second liquid suspension on a second portion of the interior surface and configured to emit a second emission corresponding to a different color than the first emission, wherein the first light generating layer corresponds to a first graphic configured to illuminate in the first emission and the second light generating layer corresponds to a second graphic configured to illuminate in the second emission.

18. The taillight assembly according to claim 17, wherein the second graphic forms a complementary shape to the first graphic printed in a negative of the first graphic on the transmissive layer.