Light manifold assembly

• US 6,497,505 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Nold, Jeffrey Paul, Oneil, David Allen, Fohl, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amarantides, John
• Application Number:
  US09/815,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 362/541, 362/558, 362/307, 362/80.1, 362/503, 362/511, 362/553
• US Class Current: 362/541
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window

Abstract

A light manifold assembly 10 having a relatively thin and low profile manifold 30 which is selectively placed within the frame 16 of a back window 14 and which receives light and/or laser energy 44 which is generated by a source 18 which is remotely located from the manifold 30.

Claims

1. A light assembly for use with a vehicle of the type having a window and a window frame having a first width, said light assembly comprising:

a manifold which is selectively disposed within said window frame and which has a certain second width which is substantially equal to said first width;

a source of light energy which is remotely located from said manifold; and

a conduit which optically connects said source of light energy to said manifold and which communicates said light energy into said manifold.

2. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein said manifold is coplanar to said window.

3. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein said source of light energy comprises laser energy.

4. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein said manifold selectively generates light in response to a certain generated signal which is indicative of a certain vehicle condition.

5. The light assembly of claim 4 wherein said certain vehicle condition comprises braking of the vehicle.

6. A light manifold assembly which is selectively deployed upon a vehicle having a window and a window frame of a certain width, said light manifold assembly comprising:

a low profile manifold having a longitudinal axis of symmetry and being selectively disposed within said window frame;

a light energy generating portion; and

a conduit which is coupled to said light energy generating portion and which is coupled to said low profile manifold along an axis which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of symmetry, and which selectively communicates light energy into said low profile manifold.

7. The light manifold assembly of claim 6 wherein said window comprises a back window and wherein said low profile manifold is coplanar to said back window.

8. The light manifold assembly of claim 6 wherein said light energy comprises laser energy.

9. The light manifold assembly of claim 7 wherein said vehicle resided within an ambient environment and wherein said laser energy is selectively communicated to said low profile manifold and is reflected by said low profile manifold to said ambient environment.

10. The light manifold assembly of claim 9 wherein said low profile manifold selectively generates light in response to occurrences of a certain condition of said vehicle.

11. The light manifold assembly of claim 10 wherein said certain condition of said vehicle comprises braking of said vehicle.