Integrated light and accessory assembly

• US 7,048,423 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Schweitzer, Charles Frederick, Baker, Jay DeAvis, McMillan, Richard Keith, Langer, Peter, Rutyna, Cindy Maria, Stepanenko, Walter Kuzma, Kneisel, Lawrence LeRoy, Nation, Brenda Joyce
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US09/966,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 362/545, 362/540, 362/464, 362/800, 362/507, 340/815.4, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/469
• US Class Current: 362/507
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14868 Pretreatment of the insert, e.g. etching, cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3055 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/747 Lightning equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/00 Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps reversing lights F21S43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/172 High-intensity discharge light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/192 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/332 with continuity at the junction between adjacent areas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/37 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/195 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/31 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/33 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93277 in the lights
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 : Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 : Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 : Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10113 : Lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2054 : Light-reflecting surface, e.g. conductors, substrates, coatings, dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 : using self-supporting metal foil pattern

Abstract

An integrated light and accessory assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The assembly includes at least one lamp for illumination of a vehicle, and also includes reflective, conductive and insulative portions inside a housing, and a module for controlling or accessorizing the assembly. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the assembly. The method includes providing materials for molding or shaping the components of the assembly, selectively etching conductive materials, molding the materials into a desired configuration, connecting a lamp and an accessory module to the conductive portions, and enclosing the components in a housing. A portion of the module may be removed for emergency lighting.

Claims

1. An integrated light and accessory assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an insulator having first and second opposing sides;

at least one reflector mounted on the side of said insulator;

at least one conductor mounted on the second side of said insulator;

at least one lamp assembled on the first side and inside said at least one reflector, the at least one lamp having contacts extending through the at least one reflector and through the insulator and engaging the at least one conductor;

at least one control module mounted on said insulator and connected to said at least one conductor; and

a housing, enclosing the insulator, the at least one reflector, the at least one conductor, the at least one lamp and the at least one control module,

wherein the lamp and the reflector are adapted to provide illumination, and the control module is adapted for controlling or supplying power to the at least one lamp.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lamp is selected from the group consisting of a headlamp, a fog lamp, a side lamp, a parking lamp, a hazard-warning lamp, a rear-illumination lamp, a dome lamp, and an interior lamp.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the lamp is selected from the group consisting of an incandescent lamp, an LED, and a high-intensity discharge lamp.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one lamp is releasably mounted inside the housing.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is selected from the group consisting of a lighting control module, a power supply, a battery charger, a voltage source, a current source, a timer, a sequencer, and a microprocessor controller.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a device mounted to the insulator and connected to least one conductor inside the housing, the device selected from the group consisting of an antenna, a sensor, and a transmitter.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a light detector, a video camera, a radar detector, a laser detector, an ultrasound detector, and an infrared detector.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the transmitter is selected from the group consisting of a toll transponder, a purchasing transponder, an RF transmitter, a microwave transmitter, and an IR transmitter.

9. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a power storage device mounted to the housing and connected to the at least one conductor.

10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising a switch between the power storage device and the at least one lamp.

11. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a functional module and an additional conductor, said functional module connected to said additional conductor, wherein said functional module is mounted to the insulator and is adapted to receive electric power from said additional conductor.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the functional module is selected from the group consisting of a video camera controller, a radar detector controller, an active radar controller, a collision avoidance controller, a controller for a toll-collection device, and a health-monitoring sensor module.

13. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an additional layer of insulation mounted to the at least one conductor, and a ground plane or return mounted to the additional layer of insulation.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulators and the at least one reflector are coextensive.

15. An integrated light and accessory assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an insulator;

at least one reflector mounted to said insulator;

at least one conductor mounted to said insulator;

at least one lamp connected to said at least one conductor and assembled inside said at least one reflector;

an electronic module mounted on said insulator and connected to said at least one conductor; and

a housing, enclosing the insulator, the at least one reflector, the at least one conductor, the at least one lamp and the at least one control module,

the lamp and the reflector being adapted to provide illumination, the electronic module being adapted for controlling or supply power to the at least one lamp,

the at least one reflector having a contoured shape to facilitate illumination, the insulator having a contoured shape corresponding to the shape of the reflector.

16. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 15, wherein the lamp is selected from the group consisting of a headlamp, a fog lamp, a side lamp, a parking lamp, a hazard-warning lamp, a rear-illumination lamp, a dome lamp, and an interior lamp.

17. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 15, wherein the electronic module is selected from the group consisting of a sensor, an antenna, a transmitter and a controller.

18. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 17, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a light detector, a video camera, a radar detector, a laser detector, an ultrasound detector, and an infrared detector.

19. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 17, wherein the transmitter is selected from the group consisting of a toll transponder, a purchasing transponder, an RF transmitter, a microwave transmitter, and an IR transmitter.

20. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 17, wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of a lighting module controller, a video camera controller, a radar detector controller, an active radar controller, a collision avoidance controller, a controller for a toll-collection device, and a health-monitoring sensor module.

21. The integrated light and accessory assembly of claim 15, wherein the insulators and the at least one reflector are coextensive.

22. An integrated light and accessory assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an insulator;

at least one reflector mounted on said insulator;

at least one conductor mounted on said insulator;

an additional layer of insulation mounted to the at least one conductor, and a ground plane or return mounted to the additional layer of insulation;

at least one lamp connected to said at least one conductor and assembled inside said at least one reflector;

at least one control module mounted on said insulator and connected to said at least one conductor; and

a housing, enclosing the insulator, the at least one reflector, the at least one conductor, the additional layer of insulation, the ground plans or return, the at least one lamp and the at least one control module,

wherein the lamp and the reflector are adapted to provide illumination, and the control module is adapted for controlling or supplying power to the at least one lamp.