LIGHTING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE

• US 20130242581A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ukai, Yasuhiro, Tahara, Hiroyasu, Sugioka, Takahiro, Fukui, Ryuuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,221,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/459
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device

Abstract

A lighting device for a vehicle is provided to a vehicular door trim to illuminate a handle housing portion in which an inside handle is housed. The lighting device includes a light exit member, a light exit member mount member provided on an upper side of the inside handle and on which the light exit member is arranged, and a light transmission portion provided to the light exit member mount member and through which light from the light exit member is directed to the handle housing portion. The light exit member is arranged on a vehicular compartment inner side than the light transmission portion.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle provided to a vehicular door trim to illuminate a handle housing portion in which an inside handle is housed, the lighting device comprising:

a light exit member;

a light exit member mount member provided on an upper side of the inside handle and on which the light exit member is arranged; and

a light transmission portion provided to the light exit member mount member and through which light from the light exit member is directed to the handle housing portion, wherein

the light exit member is arranged on a vehicular compartment inner side than the light transmission portion.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member is arranged so as not to be shifted from the inside handle in a vehicular compartment inner-outer direction or so as to be on the vehicular compartment inner side than the inside handle.

3. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member mount member is a decoration panel that is mounted to an upper portion of an inside handle bezel configuring a part of the handle housing portion,

the decoration panel includes a projected wall portion that is projected toward the compartment inner side than an upper wall portion of the inside handle bezel,

the light exit member is arranged on a surface of the projected wall portion that faces a vehicular compartment outer side, and

the light transmission portion is provided on a wall portion of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the projected wall portion includes:

a side wall portion configuring a surface of the decoration panel that faces the vehicular compartment inner side and covering the light exit member from the vehicular compartment inner side; and

a lower wall portion extending from a lower end of the side wall portion so as to cover the light exit member from a lower side and configuring a lower surface of the decoration panel, the lower wall portion configuring a part of the handle housing portion, the lower wall portion having a vehicular compartment outer side end portion that configures the light transmission portion.

5. The lighting device according to claim 3, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in a vehicular front-rear direction, the light exit member includes:

a light entrance portion which light from the light source enters; and

a light exit portion from which the light entering the light entrance portion exits toward the light transmission portion, wherein

the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

6. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein a part of a vehicular compartment outer side end portion of the decoration panel is configured with a material having a high light transmission property to form the light transmission portion.

7. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein

the decoration panel includes an upper panel and a lower panel, the upper panel configuring an upper portion of the decoration panel, and the lower panel configuring a lower portion of the decoration panel and on which the light exit member is arranged,

the lower panel is provided between the upper panel and the inside handle bezel, and

the light transmission portion is formed on the lower panel, the lighting device further comprising:

a light exit member fixing member provided to the lower panel that presses the light exit member from the vehicular compartment outer side to fix, the light exit member fixing member having a light reflecting surface on its surface.

8. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein

the light exit member mount member is a decoration panel that is mounted to an upper portion of an inside handle bezel configuring a part of the handle housing portion,

the decoration panel includes a projected wall portion that is projected toward the compartment inner side than an upper wall portion of the inside handle bezel,

the light exit member is arranged on a surface of the projected wall portion that faces a vehicular compartment outer side, and

the light transmission portion is provided on a wall portion of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle.

9. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the projected wall portion includes:

a side wall portion configuring a surface of the decoration panel that faces the vehicular compartment inner side and covering the light exit member from the vehicular compartment inner side; and

a lower wall portion extending from a lower end of the side wall portion so as to cover the light exit member from a lower side and configuring a lower surface of the decoration panel, the lower wall portion configuring a part of the handle housing portion, the lower wall portion having a vehicular compartment outer side end portion that configures the light transmission portion.

10. The lighting device according to claim 4, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in a vehicular front-rear direction, the light exit member includes:

a light entrance portion which light from the light source enters; and

a light exit portion from which the light entering the light entrance portion exits toward the light transmission portion, wherein

the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

11. The lighting device according to claim 8, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in a vehicular front-rear direction, the light exit member includes:

a light entrance portion which light from the light source enters; and

a light exit portion from which the light entering the light entrance portion exits toward the light transmission portion, wherein

the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

12. The lighting device according to claim 9, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in a vehicular front-rear direction, the light exit member includes:

a light entrance portion which light from the light source enters; and

a light exit portion from which the light entering the light entrance portion exits toward the light transmission portion, wherein

the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.