Interior illuminating apparatus for vehicle

• US 20020145879A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Masahiro, Koyama, Shuichi, Shibata, Minoru, Sugihara, Hiroshi, Yamanaka, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/12 lighting onto the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/68 using ultraviolet light

Abstract

An interior illuminating apparatus for a vehicle includes an interior rear-view mirror which is connected and fixed to an interior ceiling of the vehicle for observing the rear, an LED which is provided in vicinity of the interior rear-view mirror at a forward position in a traveling direction of the vehicle and radiates ultraviolet light onto a center part of an instrument panel, an operating unit adapted to receive the ultraviolet light from the LED and provided in the center part of the instrument panel, and a starting switch for actuating the LED on and off. The operating unit has fluorescent layers coated thereon and containing substance which emits fluorescence when irradiated with the ultraviolet light from the LED.

Claims

1. An interior illuminating apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an interior rear-view mirror fixed to an interior ceiling of said vehicle;

a light emitting device provided in vicinity of said interior rear-view mirror and on a front side in a traveling direction of said vehicle with respect to said interior rear-view mirror and radiating ultraviolet light onto a center part of an instrument panel;

an operating unit adapted to receive said ultraviolet light and provided in said center part of the instrument panel; and

a switch device for actuating said light emitting device on and off;

a fluorescent layer provided on said operating unit and containing a substance which emits fluorescence when irradiated with said ultraviolet light from said light emitting device.

2. An interior illuminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device includes a light emitting diode which emits said ultraviolet light having a light emitting wave length in a range of 380 to 400 nm.

3. An interior illuminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fluorescent layers continue to emit fluorescence for a predetermined period after said ultraviolet light from said light emitting device has been shielded.

4. An interior illuminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch device is interlockingly operated with illumination of an auxiliary lamp.