A SUN VISOR HAVING AN ELECTRO-LUMINESCENT FILM FOR ILLUMINATING A MIRROR

• US 20010024370A1
• Filed: 08/20/1999
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Macher, Heinz Zorn
• Original Assignee: David Macher, Heinz Zorn
• Inventors: MACHER, DAVID, ZORN, HEINZ
• Granted Patent: US 6,497,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/492
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/10 Electro- or photo- luminescent surfaces, e.g. signalling by way of electroluminescent strips or panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/227 Electroluminescent displays for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces

Abstract

A sun visor assembly for an automotive vehicle has a sun visor panel and at least one lighting element flush mounted on the sun visor panel. The lighting element is an electroluminescent film electrically connected to a triggering device for energizing the electroluminescent film illuminating the sun visor panel.

Claims

1. Lighting device or signal device particularly for vehicles;

a) with a lighting element comprising at least one film disposed in areas on a surface and electro-luminescent, consisting of at least two layers;

b) with a supply and/or triggering device which is connected by cables to a power supply and the layers of the film;

c) in that the lighting element is disposed on a carrier film, which has on the upper side facing it a surface structure forming reflectors, or is provided with a reflective coating.

2. Lighting device according to

claim 1

, characterised in that the carrier film is in the form of a vibration- and/or shock-absorbing damping layer.

3. Lighting device according to

claim 1

or

2

, characterised in that the lighting clement is connected immobile to the camera layer, i.e. is thermally glued.

4. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is applied to the carrier film.

5. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting clement is connected to the carrier film via an intermediate layer, e.g. an adhesive layer.

6. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the carrier film is roughly U-shaped and forms a receiving means for the lighting element.

7. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the film forming the lighting element is designed with the carrier film as an integral injection-moulded part.

8. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the injection moulded part is formed of a plastic-material composite comprising at least two electrically conductive layers connected by an electrically nonconductive insulating layer.

9. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that on a surface of the film opposite the carrier film there is disposed a transparent cover layer, e.g. coloured film.

10. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cover layer is provided on a surface, preferably on a surface facing away from the film, with a surface structure, e.g. crystal particles for scattering the impinging light.

11. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cover layer, on one surface, preferably on a surface racing the electroluminescent film, is structured in a lens shape for focusing traversing light beams.

12. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the carrier film is disposed with the film and cover layer in a vibration- and shock-absorbing covering layer comprising a front and rear surface.

13. Light device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that there is disposed on one surface of the film, or of the cover layer placed in front of it, a protective layer, in peculiar of reversibly deformable plastic.

14. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that light-guiding arrangements, e.g. reflectors, are disposed in the protective layer.

15. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cover layer is designed as a connecting layer for securing the lighting element in a casing portion, e.g. in an portion of the bodywork of a vehicle, particularly of a motor vehicle.

16. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that supply of the lighting element is effected via the supply and/or triggering device by pulses, particularly by low-frequency voltage pulses.

17. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims characterised in that the pulses are formed from high-frequency pulses, in particular a high-frequency alternating voltage.

18. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the frequency of the alternating voltage is between 500 and 50 kHz.

19. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a plurality of lighting elements, operated independently of one another, are combined to form a lighting device in a casing portion, e.g. a portion of the bodywork of a vehicle.

20. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting device is acted upon by supply and/or triggering devices operated independently of one another.

21. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed on an inner lining portion, e.g. the inner roof of a vehicle.

22. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed on a front casing portion of a door of a vehicle.

23. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed surrounding another, e.g. a mirror located in a sun-shade, flanking two side edges thereof or four side edges thereof.

24. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one lighting clement connects with one of the edge areas of the mirror, or forms it.

25. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that there is disposed on one inner side of a flap for covering the mirror at least one lighting clement in such a way that the emergent light is received by the mirror and the interior of the vehicle, when the sun-shade is in the position of use.

26. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that, when the flap is opened at an angle of about 135°

, a blocking device fixes the lighting element between a plane accommodating the sun-shade and a plane accommodating the flap, and in this position the lighting element is directed towards the interior of a vehicle.

27. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is connected by circuit switching with the electrical power by alteration of the position of the sun-shade, by actuation of the flap and/or from outside the sunshade.

28. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is a part at least of a pictogram, symbol, advertising sign, print image, etc., disposed on the sun-shade.

29. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supply and/or triggering device is disposed in the sunshade and is connected by cables to the power source of the vehicle.

31. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is integrated in the form of a symbol, print image, e.g. an arrow in an external mirror.

32. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed in the casing of an external mirror on a side of the glass having the mirror layer facing away from the user.

33. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a deflecting layer is disposed between the mirror layer and the lighting element.

34. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed on a rear surface and/or on a front surface.

35. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that there is disposed in the rear surface of the external mirror a recess for the lighting elements which is preferably formed to flare at the front surface.

36. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element projects over the front surface by a thickness of the film forming the lighting element.

37. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supply and/or triggering device has an interval switch for triggering the lighting element.

38. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element has a three-dimensional curved shape.

39. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting clement is disposed in the area of door thresholds of entry apertures of the vehicle.

40. Lighting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lighting element is disposed in the gangway area of the vehicle as an emergency exit sign.

30. Lighting device according to one or inure of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supply and/or triggering device is in the form of a semiconductor component and is disposed on the, lighting element and/or the carrier film.