In-vehicle illumination device

• US 8,096,688 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kino, Norihito, Inagaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/385,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 362488-494, 362/471, 362135-137, 362140-144
• US Class Current: 362/492
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 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 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens

Abstract

In an in-vehicle illumination device including: a room lamp section provided with a first light source section, and a light guide plate that guides a light of the first light source section from an end surface thereof and emits the light from a front surface thereof; a first switch for use by the room lamp section; and a vanity mirror section provided with a mirror, when the first light source section is turned on through operation of the first switch, a mode change is made to a room lamp illumination mode in which a first illumination light comes from the room lamp section, and also when the vanity mirror section is in use, the first light source section is turned on, and a mode change is made to a vanity mirror illumination mode in which a second illumination light comes from the room lamp section. The resulting in-vehicle illumination device can be excellent in practicality with the smaller size, and can achieve improvement in terms of design.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle illumination device, comprising:

a room lamp section provided with a first light source section, and a light guide plate that guides a light of the first light source section from an end surface thereof and emits the light from a front surface thereof;

a first switch for the room lamp section; and

a vanity mirror section provided with a mirror,

wherein, when the first light source section is turned on through an operation of the first switch, a mode change is made to a room lamp illumination mode in which a first illumination light comes from the room lamp section, and

wherein, when the vanity mirror section is in use, the first light source section is turned on, and a mode change is made to a vanity mirror illumination mode in which a second illumination light comes from the room lamp section.

2. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the second illumination light has a higher color rendering quality than the first illumination light.

3. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the second illumination light is lower in illuminance than the first illumination light.

4. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the vanity mirror section is provided with an open/close lid, and a mode change is made to the vanity mirror illumination mode when the first light source section is under a turn-on control through the operation of the first switch, and also when the lid is in an open state in a response to a turn-on control associated with an open/close operation of the lid.

5. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map lamp section provided with a second light source section, and a lens that converges a light of the second light source section; and

a second switch for the map lamp section.

6. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 5, wherein an illumination light coming from the room lamp section when both the room lamp section and the map lamp section are in a turn-on state is lower in illuminance than an illumination light coming from the room lamp section when only the room lamp section is in the turn-on state.

7. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 5, wherein the light guide plate has a shape that a side of the end surface is partially notched, and the map lamp section is at least partially located inside of the notch.

8. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 5, wherein the first and second switches are disposed in front of the light guide plate.

9. The in-vehicle illumination device according claim 5, wherein a light source configuring the first light source section and a light source configuring the second light source section are mounted on a same heat sink member.

10. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 5, wherein the light source configuring the first light source section and the light source configuring the second light source section each comprise an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lamp.

11. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map lamp section provided with a second light source section,

wherein an illumination light coming from the room lamp section when both the room lamp section and the map lamp section are in a turn-on state is lower in illuminance than an illumination light coming from the room lamp section when only the room lamp section is in the turn-on state.

12. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map lamp section provided with a second light source section,

wherein the light guide plate has a shape that a side of the end surface is partially notched, and the map lamp section is at least partially located inside of the notch.

13. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map lamp section provided with a second light source section,

wherein, in a plan view, the first switch overlaps with the light guide plate.

14. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein, in a plan view, the end surface is attached to the front surface.

15. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein, in a plan view, the end surface abuts the front surface.

16. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map lamp section provided with a second light source section, one side of the map lamp abutting the room lamp section and an other side of the map lamp abutting the vanity mirror section.

17. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein in a cross-sectional view, the light guide plate has a shape of a rectangle,

wherein the end surface forms a width of the rectangle and the front surface forms a length of the rectangle.

18. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the vanity mirror section comprises an open/close lid, and

wherein a color of the light emitted from the front surface of the light guide plate changes with an operation of the open/close lid.

19. An in-vehicle illumination device, comprising:

a room lamp section, comprising;

a first light source section; and

a light guide plate that guides a light of the first light source section from a side surface of the light guide plate and emits the light from a bottom surface of the light guide plate;

a map lamp section located adjacent to the room lamp section; and

a vanity comprising a mirror and located adjacent to the map lamp section,

wherein, when the first light source section is turned on by a switch thereof, a first illumination light is emitted from the room lamp section, and

wherein, when the vanity mirror section is in use, the first light source section is turned on, and a second illumination light, having a different color from the first illumination light, is emitted from the room lamp section.

20. The in-vehicle illumination device according to claim 19, wherein the light guide plate has a shape that a portion of the side surface is partially notched, and the map lamp section is at least partially located inside of the notch.