Lighting system for use in vehicle cabin

• US 5,226,711 A
• Filed: 09/18/1991
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Yoshinori, Shigeta, Teruaki, Matsuno, Yoshio, Matsui, Hitoshi, Okamura, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/761,054
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/74, 362/75, 362/80, 362/83.3, 362/364, 362/295, 315/84
• US Class Current: 362/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

A lighting system for use in a vehicle cabin comprises four ceiling lamps arranged to a roof at its peripheral portions so as to be above a plane including an eye point of a seat occupant, a first foot lamp arranged to an instrument lower cover at its lower portion to be between the top of a front seat cushion and a floor, and a second foot lamp arranged to be adjacent to a rear seat cushion and between the bottom of a rear seat cushion and the floor. Two set mode selector switches allow selection of a lamp set mode between normal and rest modes.

Claims

1. A lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle, the vehicle including a roof having a center portion, a floor, a front seat cushion having a top and forward surface, a rear seat cushion having a bottom and a seat occupant, the lighting system comprising:

a plurality of ceiling lamps arranged between the roof and plane including an eye point of the seat occupant;

means for reflecting light from said plurality of ceiling lamps in an upwards direction and towards the center portion of the roof;

at least one first foot lamp arranged between the top of the front seat cushion and the floor, said at least one first foot lamp being disposed opposite to the forward surface the front seat cushion;

at least one second foot lamp arranged between the bottom of the rear seat cushion and the floor;

means for controlling a turning-on and a turning-off of said plurality of ceiling lamps, said at least one first foot lamp and said at least one second foot lamp; and

said lighting system being able to be set in a plurality of lighting levels when turned on and having means connected to said controlling means for selecting one of said lighting levels of said plurality of ceiling lamps, said at least one first foot lamp and said at least one second foot lamp.

2. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of ceiling lamps are mounted to the roof at peripheral portions thereof.

3. A lighting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of ceiling lamps are received in a space defined by the roof and an outer roof panel.

4. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of ceiling lamps are arranged in the vicinity of the roof.

5. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one first foot lamp is mounted to an instrument lower cover.

6. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one second foot lamp is disposed adjacent to the rear seat cushion.

7. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting means include two set mode selector switches.

8. A lighting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said two set mode selector switches allow selection between a normal mode and a rest mode.

9. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for reflecting light include a reflecting plate.