ILLUMINATION MODULE FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20100321946A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gorby, Brett A., Dingman, David A., Foote, Keith D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/501
• 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 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/10 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/115 Electric wiring; Electric connectors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/16 a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2103/60 Projection of signs from lighting devices, e.g. symbols or information being projected onto the road
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

An illumination module for a vehicle includes at least one illumination source for illuminating a target area at the vehicle. The illumination module may be mounted at a handle of a vehicle door and may be operable to illuminate the handle region and/or pocket region of the vehicle door and to illuminate a ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below the door handle assembly. The illumination module may include an icon established thereat and the at least one illumination source may back light the icon so that the icon, when the illumination module is activated, is viewable by a person viewing the vehicle. The illumination module may project or direct the illumination toward a targeted area so that the icon is discernible at the targeted area.

Claims

1. A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle, said door handle assembly being mounted to a handle region of a vehicle door, said door handle assembly comprising:

a cap portion mountable to a vehicle door;

a handle portion movably mountable to the vehicle door and movable relative to said cap portion to actuate a locking mechanism of the door to open the door; and

an illumination module, said illumination module comprising at least one illumination source and being operable to illuminate the handle region of the vehicle door and to illuminate a ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below said door handle assembly.

2. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module is operable to provide diffuse illumination at the handle region of the vehicle door and at the ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below said door handle assembly.

3. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module is disposed at an end region of said handle portion.

4. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module is disposed at an end region of said handle portion that is at said cap portion.

5. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said, illumination module is disposed at an end region of said handle portion that is generally opposite said cap portion.

6. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module is disposed at said cap portion.

7. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module comprises at least one optic element for directing illumination from said at least one illumination source toward the handle region of the vehicle door and toward the ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below said door handle assembly.

8. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module comprises a substantially sealed module.

9. The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein said illumination module comprises a housing that is overmolded over said at least one illumination source to substantially seal said at least one illumination source within said housing.

10. The door handle assembly of claim 9, wherein said housing defines a pocket illumination portion for directing illumination from said at least one illumination source toward the door handle pocket and a ground illumination portion for directing illumination from said at least one illumination source toward the ground.

11. The door handle assembly of claim 1 further comprising an icon established in a portion of said door handle assembly, at least one illumination source being operable to back light said icon to provide at least one of (a) a backlit icon at said door handle assembly and (b) a backlit icon at the ground proximate the side of the vehicle.

12. An illumination module for a door handle assembly of a vehicle door, said illumination module comprising:

at least one illumination source and circuitry;

a housing overmolded at least partially around said circuitry and said at least one illumination source;

a pocket illumination portion and a ground illumination portion at said housing, illumination from said at least one illumination source being directed through said pocket illumination portion and said ground illumination portion; and

said housing being configured to mount to a vehicle door handle assembly, whereby said pocket illumination portion and said ground illumination portion are substantially flush with respective exterior surfaces of the door handle assembly, said illumination source being operable to illuminate the handle region of the vehicle door and to illuminate a ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below said door handle assembly when said illumination module is mounted to the vehicle door handle.

13. The illumination module of claim 12, wherein said illumination module is operable to provide diffuse illumination at the handle region of the vehicle door and at the ground region adjacent to the vehicle and generally below said door handle assembly.

14. The illumination module of claim 12 further comprising at least one optic element for directing illumination from said at least one illumination source toward and through said pocket illumination portion and toward and through said ground illumination portion.

15-22. -22. (canceled)