Optical device on the doors of motor vehicles to show they are open and to illuminate the zone between door and vehicle

• US 4,972,173 A
• Filed: 05/26/1989
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maurizio Raciti
• Original Assignee: Maurizio Raciti
• Inventors: Raciti, Maurizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tumm, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US07/362,395
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 362/80, 362/94, 362/83.3, 362/61, 340/471, 340/472, 340/468, 340/425.5, 315/84
• US Class Current: 340/472
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened

Abstract

Optic device (10) to be mounted on the inner side (13) of doors (12) of motor vehicles comprising at least two light diffusers, one for a warning light (15) directed towards the back of the vehicle (11) and upwards and the other for illumination (16) directed downwards and towards the back of the vehicle (11) so that the door (12) being open, and its position are clearly seen by vehicles arriving from behind while at the same time the area (40) of ground comprised between the door (12) and the vehicle (11) is lit up assisting passengers to alight from inside (38) the vehicle.

Claims

1. An optical device to be mounted on an inner side surface of a door of a motor vehicle for automatic lighting up upon opening of the door to indicate an open position of the door and to assist entry and exit from the vehicle, said device comprising a first position-warning colored light diffuser having a first flat vertical surface facing a back portion of the vehicle and inclined, in a closed position of the door, to a front portion of the vehicle at an angle of substantially 30°

in relation to a direction perpendicular to the door of the vehicle, and a second illuminating light diffuser having a second flat vertical surface facing the front portion of the vehicle and inclined, in the closed position of the door, to the back portion of the vehicle at an angle of substantially 30°

in relation to the direction perpendicular to the door of the vehicle, whereby upon opening of the door to an aperture of substantially 30°

that corresponds to substantially a half of a full opening aperture of the door, said first flat vertical surface is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle so that position-warning colored light is visible to approaching vehicles, and upon full opening of the door, said second flat vertical surface is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle so that illuminating light is hidden from the approaching vehicles while illuminating a side of the vehicle.

2. An optical device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the position warning light is red, and the illuminating light is white.

3. An optical device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said optical device has a shape of a tetrahedral truncated pyramid having a base and four lateral faces inclined at an angle of substantially 30°

to said base, said first two adjacent lateral faces of said pyramid defining said first flat vertical surface of said position-warning colored light diffuser and another surface of said position-warning colored light diffuser facing upward, said two second adjacent lateral faces of said pyramid defining said second flat vertical surface of said illuminating light diffuser and another surface of said illuminating light diffuser directed downward whereby said position-warning colored light diffuser provides for emission of the position-warning colored light towards the back portion of the vehicle in upward and intermediate directions providing maximum visibility to the approaching vehicles, and said illuminating light diffuser provides for emission of the illuminating light towards the front portion of the vehicle and downwards lighting up ground near the vehicle door.

4. An optical device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising an internal tubular lamp arranged centrally on an axis extending at a 45°

angle to the axes of said first and second diffusers.

5. An optical device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a substantially rectangular cover overlying said truncated pyramid and extending diagonally over two opposite edges thereof that separate said two first adjacent lateral faces and said two second adjacent lateral surfaces.