In-vehicle illumination system

• US 10,442,347 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Noboritate, Kazuma, Sato, Kazuya, Sugimoto, Terumitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne, Sharon E
• Application Number:
  US15/417,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 362488
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/225 Small compartments, e.g. glove compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/66 for distributing light among several lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0243 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0021 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/046 mounted on door

Abstract

An in-vehicle illumination system which is to be disposed in a door of a vehicle has: a door warning lamp which is disposed in the vicinity of a door handle that is operated when the door is to be opened, and which indicates an open/close state of the door; a door handle illumination lamp which illuminates the door handle; a decorative lamp which emits decorative light; and a first control connector having a first control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp. The first control apparatus of the first control connector causes, when the door is in an open state, the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp to be lighted ON with a predetermined warning color.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle illumination system which is to be disposed in a door of a vehicle, including:

a door warning lamp which is disposed in a vicinity of a door handle that is operated when the door is to be opened, and which indicates an open/close state of the door;

a door handle illumination lamp which illuminates the door handle;

a decorative lamp which emits decorative light; and

a first control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp, and the decorative lamp,

wherein in response to the door being closed while the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are ON and emitting a warning color, changing colors of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp from the warning color to a non-warning color,

wherein the decorative lamp comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged behind a panel of the door, and

wherein the panel comprises a plurality of light guiding portions arranged at different angles from the door handle to a rear of the vehicle such that a first of the light guiding portions, closest to the door handle, is more closely perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the door handle than is a second of the light guiding portions further from the door handle.

2. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1, wherein

the door includes:

a foot illumination lamp which illuminates a bottom portion of a vehicle interior;

a pocket illumination lamp which illuminates a door pocket disposed in the door;

a storage section illumination lamp which illuminates a storage section disposed in the door; and

a second control apparatus which controls ON/OFF states of the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp, and

the second control apparatus causes the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp to be lighted ON or OFF, based on an operation performed by an occupant.

3. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 2, wherein

the second control apparatus is connected to harnesses which lead from the foot illumination lamp, the pocket illumination lamp, and the storage section illumination lamp, and installed in the door while being integrally disposed together with the harnesses into a sound absorption member.

4. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1,

wherein the decorative lamp comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a direction from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle,

wherein the first control apparatus further, in response to an ignition of the vehicle being ON and the door being in a closed state, causes the decorative lamp to sequentially light the plurality of LEDs in the direction from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle, and

wherein the first control apparatus further, in response to the ignition of the vehicle being ON and the door being in an open state, causes each of the plurality of LEDs to simultaneously display the warning color.

5. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 1,

wherein, in response to the door being opened while the door warning lamp, the door, handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are OFF, simultaneously turning ON the door warning lamp, the door, handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp to the warning color, and

in response to the door being closed while the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp are ON and emitting the warning color, changing colors of the door warning lamp, the door handle illumination lamp and the decorative lamp from the warning color to a non-warning color.

6. The in-vehicle illumination system according to claim 2, wherein the foot illumination lamp comprises a second plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged behind a speaker cover of the vehicle, and

wherein the foot illumination lamp provides light through a mesh of the speaker cover.