Vehicle lighting apparatus

• US 5,580,153 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Motz, Anthony P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US08/473,174
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/80.1, 362/83.3, 340/479
• US Class Current: 362/496
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments

Abstract

A combination brake light and trunk storage region illumination lamp is provided for use in an automobile as (20) a center high mount lamp (10) or a trunk mounted lamp (310). The lamp comprises a housing (30) having a first wall (32) having a first lens (50) mounted in an opening (52) and a second wall (34) having a second lens (60) mounted in an opening (62). The housing (30) is mounted to the automobile (20) on a support member, such as the package shelf (40) or the trunk lid (240), whereby the first lens (50), which is a red lens, is disposed so as to be visible from behind the vehicle and the second lens (60), which is a clear or neutral color lens, is disposed so as to face into the trunk storage region. Disposed within the housing (30) is a lighting element (35) which is selectively energized either when a brake pedal of the automobile (20) is depressed or when the trunk lid is in an open position.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus for use in an automobile having a passenger cabin having a rearward-most seat, an enclosed trunk space disposed rearwardly of the rearward-most seat and having a hinged trunk lid disposed over the trunk space when in a closed position and moveable from the closed position to an open position to provide access to the trunk space, and a rear package tray disposed within the passenger cabin rearwardly adjacent the rearward-most seat and above a forward portion of the trunk space, said lighting apparatus comprising:

a housing mounted to an upper surface of the package tray over an opening in the package tray, said housing having a rearward facing wall having an opening disposed above the package tray and visible from behind the automobile and a downward facing wall having an opening disposed above the forward portion of the trunk space;

a first lens disposed in the opening in the rearward facing wall of said housing;

a second lens disposed in the opening in the downward facing wall of said housing; and

lamp means disposed within said housing, said lamp means being selectively operative to illuminate when a brake pedal of the automobile is depressed and when the trunk lid is in an open position.

2. A lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first lens is a red colored translucent lens and said second lens is a clear translucent lens.

4. A lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said lighting element and said second lens in combination comprise an illumination light for illuminating the storage region of the vehicle.

3. A lighting apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said lighting element and said first lens in combination comprise a brake light.