Vehicle light system capable of displaying an illuminated symbol

• US 5,939,979 A
• Filed: 09/16/1996
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Science and Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Science and Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Howard Hong-Dough
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/710,394
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/463, 340/438, 340/468, 340/479, 340/470, 340/461, 340/471, 362/80, 362/84, 362/806, 362/61, 362/83.3, D26/28, D26/32, D26/118, D26/139, 40/556
• US Class Current: 340/479
• 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: B60Q 1/488 for indicating intention to park
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text

Abstract

A light system of a vehicle is made to comprise light cover means having at least one light-illuminable area for luminously displaying a symbol corresponding to a vehicle'"'"'s trademark or a manufacturer'"'"'s mark when the vehicle is initiated by a driver to perform an action such as braking, parking-signalling, hazard-signalling, turn-signalling, driving, reverse-driving, or door-opening. When implemented, the present invention economically and effectively vivifies the illumination appearance of a vehicle not only in the daylight but in the dark.

Claims

1. A vehicle light system comprising:

(a) power source means;

(b) light-emitting means for emitting light rays when receiving electric power from said power source means;

(c) power-supply control means for controlling the supply of said electric power to said light-emitting means, said power-supply control means being responsive to a driver-initiated vehicle action selected from the group consisting of braking, parking-signaling, hazard-signaling, turn-signaling, driving, reverse-driving, door-opening, and interior illuminating;

(d) electric lines for connecting said power source means to said power-supply control means, and for connecting said power-supply control means to said light-emitting means, respectively; and

(e) cover means disposed to cover said light-emitting means, said cover means comprising;

a first area having a shape of a symbol, wherein said first area is formed of a light-illuminable material;

a second area contiguous with said first area and defining a field region surrounded by said first area, wherein said second area is formed of a light-impenetrable material; and

a third area contiguous with said first area and defining a background region surrounding said first area, wherein said third area is formed of said light-impenetrable material.

2. The light system of claim 1, wherein said cover means has the shape of said symbol.

3. The light system of claim 1, wherein said first area comprises light-illuminable multiple-colored regions such that said symbol is illuminated in multiple colors when receiving the light rays emitted from said light-emitting means.

4. The light system of claim 1, wherein said light-emitting means comprises at least two different-color light bulbs.

5. A vehicle light system comprising:

(a) power source means;

(b) light-emitting means for emitting light rays when receiving electric power from said power source means;

(c) power-supply control means for controlling the supply of said electric power to said light-emitting means, said power-supply control means being responsive to a driver-initiated vehicle action selected from the group consisting of braking, parking-signaling, hazard-signaling, turn-signaling, driving, reverse-driving, door-opening, and interior illuminating;

(d) electric lines for connecting said power source means to said power-supply control means, and for connecting said power-supply control means to said light-emitting means, respectively; and

(e) cover means disposed to cover said light-emitting means, said cover means comprising;

a first area formed of a light-illuminable material in a shape of a symbol;

a second area contiguous with said first area and defining a field region surrounded by said first area, wherein said second area is formed of a light-illuminable material having a color different from said first area; and

a third area surrounding said first area so as to be an outer background of said symbol, wherein said third area is formed of a light-illuminable material.

6. The light system of claim 5, wherein said third area surrounds said first area so as to be an outer background of said symbol, said third area being made of a light-impenetrable material.

7. The light system of claim 5, wherein said third area is contiguous with said first area so as to be an inner field of said symbol, said third area being made of a light-impenetrable material.

8. The light system of claim 5, wherein said light-emitting means comprises at least two different-color light bulbs.

9. The light system of claim 5, wherein said first area comprises light-illuminable multiple-colored regions such that said symbol is illuminated in multiple colors when receiving the light rays emitted from said light-emitting means.

10. A vehicle light system comprising:

power source means;

light-emitting means for emitting light rays when receiving electric power from said power source means;

power-supply control means for controlling the supply of said electric power to said light-emitting means, said power-supply control means being responsive to a driver-initiated vehicle action selected from the group consisting of braking, parking-signaling, hazard-signaling, turn-signaling, driving, reverse-driving, door-opening, and interior illuminating;

electric lines for connecting said power source means to said power-supply control means, and for connecting said power-supply control means to said light-emitting means, respectively; and

cover means disposed to cover said light-emitting means, said cover means comprising;

a first area formed of a light-impenetrable material in a shape of a symbol;

a second area contiguous with said symbol and defining a field within said symbol, said second area being formed of a light-illuminable material; and

a third area surrounding said first area to define an outer background of said symbol, said third area being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of light-impenetrable materials and light-illuminable materials having a color different from said second area, so as to luminously display said field as a reverse image of said symbol when receiving the light rays emitted from said light-emitting means.

11. The light system of claim 10, wherein said light-emitting means comprises at least two different-color light bulbs.