Indirect lighting system for vehicle interior

• US 6,402,354 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Misawa, Akihiro, Tatewaki, Yasumasa, Tanabe, Tetsuo, Mukogawa, Takao, Sugihara, Hiroshi, Iwasa, Tadanobu, Yamanaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): DelGizzi, Ronald E.
• Application Number:
  US09/605,652
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 362/490, 362/543, 362/545, 362/549, 362/147, 362/234, 362/253, 362/31, 362/471, 362/479, 362/488, 362/511
• US Class Current: 362/490
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the light, e.g. of colour, orientation or intensity

Abstract

A direct lighting unit fits in opposition to an opening of a roof of a vehicle'"'"'s cabin so as to illuminate a light directly the cabin. An indirect lighting unit is disposed around the outer circumference of the direct lighting unit. The indirect lighting unit contains a plurality of LEDs disposed at fixed intervals so as to emit light outward. The LEDs are controlled to indirectly illuminate the roof. When the direct lighting unit is mounted to the roof, a fixing piece supports a grooved edge portion of the indirect lighting unit so that the indirect lighting unit is immovably held between the fixing piece and the roof. Thus, the direct and indirect lighting units are simultaneously secured to the roof.

Claims

1. A vehicle room lamp comprising:

a direct lighting unit, attached to a roof of a cabin, for directly illuminating the cabin, the direct lighting unit having a housing of a box shape, the housing having an outer circumference of substantially a round shape, the housing having a fixing piece formed around the outer circumference so as to protrude from the outer circumference, the fixing piece having a cross-section of a hook extending upward; and

an indirect lighting unit indirectly illuminating the cabin, the indirect lighting unit having a housing of a toroidal box shape corresponding to substantially the entire outer circumference (outline) of the housing of the direct lighting unit, the indirect lighting unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed at fixed intervals along an entire outer circumference of the housing of the indirect lighting unit and controlling the light emission of the LEDs such that the LEDs illuminate the roof, the housing of the indirect lighting unit having a fitting recess extending along a circumference of the housing of the indirect lighting unit, and the fitting recess being provided at a portion corresponding to the fixing piece;

wherein, in mounting the direct lighting unit on the roof, the fixing piece is fitted into the fitting recess to provide downward support for the housing of the indirect lighting unit so that the housing of the indirect lighting unit is immovably held between the fixing piece and the roof, and the direct lighting unit is secured to the roof so that the indirect lighting unit is also secured to the roof integrally and simultaneously with the direct lighting unit, while the housing of the indirect lighting unit is simultaneously attached onto the outer circumference of the housing of the direct lighting unit; and

wherein the indirect lighting unit directly illuminates a whole area of a roof except an area where the direct lighting unit and the indirect lighting unit are disposed, thereby providing an indirect illumination for the cabin with the light reflected by the roof.

2. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 1 further comprising:

a lens located within the housing of the indirect lighting unit and disposed near the outer circumference of the housing of the direct lighting unit so that the light of the LED is radiated to the roof via the lens.

3. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 1, wherein each of the LEDs emits a plurality of colors of light and the indirect lighting unit controls the LEDs to emit different colors of light when a door of a vehicle, containing the vehicle room lamp, is opened and closed.

4. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 2, wherein the lens is a converging lens that vertically converges at a lower portion of a diffused light of the LED that travels to the roof with a downward inclination, in order to transform the lower portion of the diffused light into a light composed of rays substantially parallel to the roof, such that the parallel rays are radiated to the cabin.

5. A vehicle room lamp comprising:

a room lamp unit, attached to a roof of a cabin, for directly illuminating the cabin, the room lamp unit having a housing of a box shape, the housing having an outer circumference of substantially a round shape, the housing having a fitting piece formed around the outer circumference so as to protrude from the outer circumference, the fitting piece having a cross-section of a hook extending upward; and

an indirect lighting unit indirectly illuminating the cabin, the indirect lighting unit having a housing of a U-shape in plan view corresponding to an outer circumference of the roof containing both lateral side edges and one of a front edge and a rear edge of the roof, the indirect lighting unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed at fixed intervals along an entire inner circumference of the housing of the indirect lighting unit and controlling the light emission of the LEDs such that the LEDs illuminate the roof, the housing of the indirect lighting unit having a support ring located at a center part of the housing of the indirect lighting unit, the support ring having a ring shape corresponding to substantially the entire outer circumference of the housing of the room lamp unit, the support ring having a fitting recess extending along a circumference of the support ring, and the Fitting recess being provided at a portion corresponding to the fitting piece;

wherein, in mounting the direct lighting unit on the roof, the fitting piece is fitted into the fitting recess to provide downward support for the support ring of the housing of the indirect lighting unit so that the housing of the indirect lighting unit is immovably held between the fitting piece and the roof, and the room lamp unit is secured to the roof so that the indirect lighting unit is also secured to the roof integrally and simultaneously with the room lamp unit, while the support ring of the housing of the indirect lighting unit is simultaneously attached onto the outer circumference of the housing of the room lamp unit; and

wherein the indirect lighting unit directly illuminates a whole area of a roof except an area where the room lamp unit and the indirect lighting unit are disposed, thereby providing an indirect illumination for the cabin with the light reflected by the roof.

7. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 5, further comprising a switch for starting a control operation of the indirect lighting unit and wherein each of the LEDs emits a plurality of colors of light and wherein the switch is a color change switch that is activated to change the color of a light of the LEDs.

8. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 5, wherein the switch is a brightness change switch that is activated to change the brightness of a light of the LEDs.

9. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 5, wherein the indirect lighting unit controls the light emission of the LEDs when a door of a vehicle, containing the vehicle room lamp, is opened and closed.

10. A vehicle room lamp according to claim 5, further comprising a lens disposed in the housing so as to face a light emission side of the LED the lens vertically converging at a lower portion of a diffused light of the LED that travels to the roof with a downward inclination, in order to transform the lower portion of the diffused light into a light composed of rays extending parallel to the roof, such that the parallel rays arc radiated to the cabin.

6. A vehicle cabin lamp system comprising:

a direct lamp unit for directly illuminating the vehicle cabin,

wherein the direct lamp unit is configured for direct attachment to an interior roof of the vehicle cabin and provide a receiving portion; and

an indirect lighting unit for indirectly illuminating the cabin, the indirect lighting unit having a housing comprising a substantially U-shaped structure configured to provide an attachment portion and to extend around a major portion of a periphery of the interior roof, the periphery of the interior roof comprising two side edges, a front edge, and a rear edge,

wherein the indirect lighting unit comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in a predetermined array along an entire inner face to the indirect lighting unit for illuminating substantially all of the interior roof and thereby provide indirect illumination of the vehicle cabin,

and further wherein the indirect lighting unit is mounted adjacent the interior roof by connecting the attachment portion to the receiving portion of the direct lighting unit.