Vehicle lighting display system

• US 8,258,704 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory S. Brant
• Original Assignee: Gregory S. Brant
• Inventors: Brant, Gregory S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US12/648,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/82, 315/88, 315/90, 315/89, 315/93, 315/127, 315/128, 315/131, 315/136, 315/160, 315/161, 315/172, 315/185.R, 315/186, 315/192, 315/193, 315/209.R, 315/210, 315/217, 315/226, 315/291, 315/295, 315/297, 315/299, 315/306, 315/308, 315/307, 315/312, 315/313, 315/320, 315/362
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/005 Illumination controller or illuminated signs including an illumination control system
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/14 Arrangements of reflectors therein
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/18 Edge-illuminated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/145 curved reflectors

Abstract

A lighting system for vehicles includes a housing having a front panel and a back panel, a reflector positioned adjacent the back panel, a plurality of light sources positioned on sides of the housing transverse to the back panel, a lens positioned the plurality of light sources and the front panel, a faceplate having a transparent pattern is configured to couple to the housing adjacent the front panel, a controller coupled to the light sources having a first input configured to couple to a vehicle ignition switch and a second input configured to couple to an accessory switch, and a color mapping interface coupled to the controller and configured to receive at least one removable color chip. The controller detects at least one color signal from the at least one removable color chip and controls the plurality of light sources in response to the at least one detected color signal.

Claims

1. A lighting system for vehicles, comprising:

a housing having a front panel and a back panel, the front panel having an opening;

a reflector in the housing positioned adjacent the back panel;

a plurality of light sources in the housing positioned on sides of the housing that are transverse to the back panel;

a lens positioned in the housing between the plurality of light sources and the front panel;

a plurality of fasteners configured to couple the lens to the housing;

a faceplate configured to couple to the housing adjacent the front panel, the faceplate having a transparent pattern;

a controller coupled to the light sources having a first input configured to couple to a vehicle ignition switch and a second input configured to couple to an accessory switch; and

a color mapping interface coupled to the controller and configured to receive at least one removable color chip, the controller configured to detect at least one color signal from the at least one removable color chip and to control the plurality of light sources in response to the at least one detected color signal.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes an embedded microcontroller configured to cycle the plurality of light sources between colors that correspond to detected color signals from the at least one removable color chip.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the reflector has a first end and a second end that are adjacent the back panel and a peak along a central axis of the reflector that is spaced from the back panel by a first distance.

4. The lighting system of claim 3, further comprising a mounting system that comprises:

a malleable member positioned between edges formed on the sides of the housing and ends of the lens;

the plurality of fasters configured to bring the lens into contact with the malleable member to form a cavity that encloses the light sources and the reflector; and

a light source mount positioned adjacent the fastener and configured to position the plurality of light sources at a second distance from the back panel, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

5. The lighting system of claim 4 wherein the light sources are mounted to the sides of the housing between the malleable member and the back panel.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes that are configured to emit a plurality of colors.

7. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the reflector has a shallow inverted V shape, a peak of the V extending along a central axis of a length of the housing and a slope of sides of the V increasing in steepness as the sides approach the peak.

8. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the faceplate has an opaque region and the transparent pattern, wherein the opaque region covers a portion of the housing where the light sources are mounted.

9. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the transparent pattern is configured to be uniformly backlit by the plurality of light sources.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle;

a lighting system coupled to the vehicle, the lighting system comprising;

a housing coupled to the vehicle, the housing having a front panel and a back panel, the front panel having an opening;

a reflector in the housing positioned adjacent the back panel;

a plurality of light sources in the housing positioned on sides of the housing that are transverse to the back panel;

a lens positioned in the housing between the plurality of light sources and the front panel;

a plurality of fasteners configured to couple the lens to the housing;

a faceplate configured to couple to the housing adjacent the front panel, the faceplate having a pattern;

a controller coupled to the light sources having a first input coupled to a vehicle ignition switch and a second input coupled to an accessory switch; and

a color mapping interface coupled to the controller and configured to receive at least one removable color chip, the controller configured to detect at least one color signal from the at least one removable color chip and to control the plurality of light sources in response to the at least one detected color signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller includes an embedded microcontroller configured to cycle the plurality of light sources between colors that correspond to detected color signals from the at least one removable color chip.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the reflector has a first end and a second end that are adjacent the back panel and a peak along a central axis of the reflector that is spaced from the back panel by a first distance.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a mounting system that comprises:

a malleable member positioned between edges formed on the sides of the housing and ends of the lens;

the plurality of fasters configured to bring the lens into contact with the malleable member to form a cavity that encloses the plurality of light sources and the reflector; and

a light source mount positioned adjacent the plurality of fasteners and configured to position the plurality of light sources at a second distance from the back panel, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes that are configured to emit a plurality of colors.

15. A lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing having a back panel, a front panel that has an opening, and first and second side panels that are transverse to the front and back panels;

a light guide positioned in the housing having a first section and a second section that cooperate to form a central ridge that is spaced from the back panel by a first distance, the first and second sections having a curvature from the central ridge towards an intersection of the back panel and first and second side panels, respectively;

a plurality of light sources mounted to the first and the second side panels and positioned transverse to the back panel;

a lens coupled to the housing between the light sources and the front panel;

a faceplate coupled to the front panel of the housing, the faceplate having an opaque section and a transparent section having a shape; and

a mounting system, comprising;

a malleable member positioned between edges formed on the first and second side panels and ends of the lens;

a plurality of fasteners that couple the lens to the housing and are configured to bring the lens into contact with the malleable member to form a cavity that encloses the plurality light sources and the reflector; and

a light source mount positioned adjacent the plurality of fasteners and configured to position the plurality of light sources at a second distance from the back panel, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance of the central ridge.

16. The lighting system of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the plurality light sources having a first input coupled to a vehicle ignition switch and a second input coupled to an accessory switch;

a color mapping interface coupled to the controller and configured to receive at least one removable color chip, the controller configured to detect at least one color signal from the at least one removable color chip and to control the plurality of light sources in response to the at least one detected color signal; and

an embedded microcontroller configured to cycle the plurality of light sources between colors that correspond to detected color signals from the at least one removable color chip.