Vehicle interior lighting systems using electroluminescent panels
First Claim
1. A vehicle interior component assembly for providing interior vehicle illumination, comprising:
- a vehicle interior component having a substrate and a fabric disposed over said substrate; and
an electroluminescent panel disposed between said fabric and substrate, with said electroluminescent panel being configured to direct light from said panel through said fabric.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle interior component and lighting assembly that includes a vehicle interior component having a fabric disposed over a substrate or foam layer, or both. An electroluminescent panel is located between the fabric and substrate/foam layer and directs light from the panel through the fabric. In this way, the light source can be effectively hidden when not in use and can be incorporated into the interior component in a manner that requires little space. The vehicle interior component can be any of a number of different interior articles, including, for example, a headliner, door panel, vehicle seat, rear deck, sun visor, and trunk panel. Also disclosed are vehicle interior illumination systems using touch switches and electroluminescent panels to provide back lighting of the switch and/or vehicle interior illumination through the switch.
199 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A vehicle interior component assembly for providing interior vehicle illumination, comprising:
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a vehicle interior component having a substrate and a fabric disposed over said substrate; and
an electroluminescent panel disposed between said fabric and substrate, with said electroluminescent panel being configured to direct light from said panel through said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vehicle interior component assembly for providing interior vehicle illumination, comprising:
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a vehicle interior component having a foam layer and a fabric disposed over said foam layer; and
an electroluminescent panel disposed between said fabric and foam layer, with said electroluminescent panel being configured to direct light from said panel through said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A vehicle carpet, comprising:
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a substrate;
a carpet pile attached to said substrate; and
an electroluminescent panel mounted underneath said carpet pile, with said electroluminescent panel being configured to direct light from said panel through said carpet pile. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A instrument panel assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
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an instrument panel having a lower surface that faces towards a floor area of the vehicle when installed within the vehicle, said lower surface having a light-transmitting region; and
an electroluminescent panel mounted within said instrument panel behind said lower surface at said light-transmitting region, with said electroluminescent panel being configured to direct light from said panel through said light-transmitting region of said lower surface.
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Specification