FIBER OPTIC LIGHTING AND/OR SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20180299092A1
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Published: 10/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: ORISICH, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• 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: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre

Abstract

A lighting device (10) for a vehicle comprising: an array of optical fibers (28), at least a portion of said array of optical fibers being arranged in at least one predetermined form (32); at least one light source (20) for generating light to be transmitted through said array of optical fibers (28); and at least one support or frame (16) comprising a receiving area adapted to receive said at least one predetermined form; said at least one support or frame (16) being adapted for use on the vehicle to provide a lighting function on the vehicle. Furthermore, a lighting device (10) for a vehicle comprising: a housing (12); a plurality of support frames (16) located in said housing (12); and a plurality of fiber optic light panels (32) received in one of said plurality of support frames (16), each of said plurality of fiber optic light panels (32) comprising a plurality of optical fibers (28); said plurality of fiber optic panels (32) being adapted to receive light from at least one light source (20) to perform at least one lighting function.

Claims

1-72. -72. (canceled)

73. A lighting device for a vehicle comprising:

an array of optical fibers, at least a portion of said array of optical fibers being arranged in at least one predetermined form;

at least one light source for generating light to be transmitted through said array of optical fibers; and

at least one support or frame comprising a receiving area adapted to receive said at least one predetermined form;

said at least one support or frame being adapted for use on the vehicle to provide a lighting function on the vehicle.

74. The lighting device as recited in claim 73, wherein said lighting device comprises at least one of optics or a mask situated in said at least one support or frame in operative relationship with said predetermined form in order to create a desired light pattern.

75. The lighting device as recited in claim 74, wherein said at least one of optics or said mask comprises at least one lens situated in operative relationship with said at least a portion of said array of optical fibers in order to generate said desired light pattern.

76. The lighting device as recited in claim 73, wherein said at least one predetermined form defines at least one panel, said at least one support or frame defining a frame defining an aperture, said frame for receiving and framing said generally predetermined at least one panel.

77. The lighting device as recited in claim 76, wherein said lighting device comprises a driver for driving said at least one panel from a first position to a second position.

78. The lighting device as recited in claim 77, wherein said array of optical fibers comprise a hinge or pivot axis about which said array of optical fibers are pivoted to enable said driver to drive said at least one panel from said first position to said second position.

79. The lighting device as recited in claim 73, wherein the lighting device comprises said at least one support or frame, said array of optical fibers define a plurality of panels adapted to be received and supporting in said at least one support or frame, said plurality of panels cooperating to generate a desired visual effect.

80. The lighting device as recited in claim 79, wherein said lighting device comprises a plurality of light sources associated with said plurality of panels, respectively, said plurality of panels being arranged such that said lighting device performs a plurality of different light functions.

81. The lighting device as recited in claim 80, wherein said plurality of different light functions comprise at least one of a stop light function, a park light function, a daytime running light function, a tail light function or a turn signal function.

82. The lighting device as recited in claim 81, wherein said plurality of different light functions comprise different colors that include at least one of amber or red.

83. The lighting device as recited in claim 73, wherein said at least one predetermined form is at least one panel and said at least one light source that generates a plurality of different colors is under the control of a controller so that said at least one panel emits light of different colors to perform different lighting functions.

84. A lighting device for a vehicle comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of support frames located in said housing; and

a plurality of fiber optic light panels received in one of said plurality of support frames, each of said plurality of fiber optic light panels comprising a plurality of optical fibers;

said plurality of fiber optic panels being adapted to receive light from at least one light source to perform at least one lighting function.

85. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, wherein each of said plurality of support frames is adapted to receive more than one of said plurality of optic light panels.

86. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, wherein each of said plurality of support frames comprises a plurality of frame walls that are fastened together to house at least one of said plurality of optic light panels.

87. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, wherein lighting device further comprises at least one of a mask or optics placed in or on one of said plurality of support frames in operative relationship with respect to at least one of said plurality of fiber optic panels.

88. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, each of said plurality of fiber optic light panels has at least one light source associated therewith.

89. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, wherein said plurality of fiber optic panels comprises at least a first panel and a second panel, at least one of said plurality of support frames comprises a first aperture and a second aperture and being adapted and dimensioned to house both said first panel and said second panel back-to-back so that light from said first panel can be emitting through said first aperture and light from said second panel can be emitted through said second aperture.

90. The lighting device as recited in claim 89, wherein said at least one lighting function comprises a first light function and a second light function and wherein the light from the first panel is of a first color to perform said first light function and light from said second panel is of a second color to perform said second light function which is different from said first light function.

91. The lighting device as recited in claim 90, wherein said first light function comprises:

a stop light function, a turn signal function, a daytime running light function, a headlamp function or a tail lamp function,

said second light function is a different one of said stop light function, turn signal function, daytime running light function, headlamp function or tail lamp function.

92. The lighting device as recited in claim 84, wherein said lighting device further comprises a plurality of couplers associated with a plurality of lighting devices, respectively, each of said plurality of couplers comprising:

a coupling sleeve for receiving a bundle of said plurality of optical fibers; and

a light guide coupled to said coupling sleeve for guiding light from at least one of said plurality of light sources to said bundle of said plurality of optical fibers.