Lighting device for illuminating a passenger compartment of a vehicle

• US 10,688,925 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Zander, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Coughlin, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US16/375,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20190308553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0485 the sensor sensing the physical interaction between a user and certain areas located on the lighting device, e.g. a touch sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like

Abstract

A lighting device for illuminating a passenger compartment of a vehicle, having a primary light source, a light directing element, and a lens sealing the lighting device with respect to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, is distinguished in that a light guiding element is arranged between the primary light source and the lens, which element has irregularities that are arranged in a predetermined shape, in that a secondary light source is arranged such that light emitted by the secondary light source is coupled into the light guiding element, and in that the lens is designed to be touch-sensitive and/or proximity-sensitive.

Claims

1. A lighting device for illuminating a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the lighting device comprising:

a primary light source;

a light directing element; and

a lens sealing the lighting device with respect to the passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a light guiding element arranged between the primary light source and the lens, such that light emitted from the primary light source first passes through the light guiding element before passing through the lens, the light guiding element having irregularities that are arranged in a predetermined shape; and

a secondary light source arranged such that light emitted by the secondary light source is coupled into the light guiding element,

wherein the lens is touch-sensitive and/or proximity-sensitive.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element is essentially parallel to the lens.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a region of the lens in which the predetermined shape is visible when the primary light source is switched off and the secondary light source is switched on is touch-sensitive and/or proximity-sensitive.

4. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element is arranged between the light directing element and the lens.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element is arranged between the primary light source and an end of the light directing element facing the lens.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 3 mm.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element is a light-guiding film.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary light source emits light of at least two different colors, and the color emitted in each case is dependent on a control signal.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional light guiding element and at least one additional secondary light source so that different predetermined shapes become visible for a user as a function of an operating state of the secondary light source and of the additional secondary light source.

10. A motor vehicle comprising a lighting device according to claim 1.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein all light emitted from the primary light source first passes through the light guiding element before passing through the lens.

12. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element is discrete from and spaced apart from the lens.

13. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding element extends through the light directing element.

14. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light directing element is a reflector that reflects the light emitted from the primary light source towards the light guiding element.

15. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a primary light emission direction of the secondary light source is perpendicular to a primary light emission direction of the primary light source, such that any light emitted from the secondary light source that does not strike the irregularities does not pass through the lens.