Illumination module for vehicle

• US 8,801,245 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: De Wind, Darryl P., Sobecki, Justin E., Deuel, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US13/674,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 362/544, 362/545, 362/511, 362/546, 362/520
• US Class Current: 362/511
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0011 with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2619 built in the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/40 Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00325 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]

Abstract

A door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle includes a handle portion and an illumination module. The handle portion is disposed at the vehicle door and movable to actuate a locking mechanism of the vehicle door to open the vehicle door. The illumination module includes at least one illumination source and an icon element and a cover element. The illumination source, when operated, backlights the icon element so that an icon of the icon element is viewable through the cover element at an exterior surface of the handle portion. The icon element includes a security icon and the illumination module is operable to backlight the security icon when a security system of the vehicle is operational.

Claims

1. An illumination module for a vehicle, said illumination module comprising:

a housing disposed at a vehicle equipped with said illumination module;

a circuit element disposed in said housing and having a single illumination source established thereat;

an optic element disposed in said housing and generally at said illumination source, wherein said optic element comprises a condensing optic and a diffusing optic at least partially around said condensing optic;

a lens element disposed at said housing, wherein said lens element comprises a projecting portion disposed generally in line with said condensing optic and an illumination portion at least partially around said projecting portion and generally in line with said diffusing optic;

wherein when said illumination source is activated, light emanating from said illumination source (a) passes through said diffusing optic and through said illumination portion of said lens element to provide lower intensity light at a target area, and (b) passes through said condensing optic and is intensified by said condensing optic so that light passing through said projecting portion of said lens element is projected as higher intensity light onto a portion of said target area;

an icon element disposed along the optic path between said condensing optic and said projecting portion of said lens element, wherein an image of an icon of said icon element is projected onto said portion of said target area; and

at least one projecting optic disposed between said condensing optic and said projecting portion of said lens element, wherein said at least one projecting optic condenses light passing through said icon element.

2. The illumination module of claim 1, wherein said illumination module is disposed at an exterior portion of the equipped vehicle and wherein said lower intensity light provides a ground illumination function and said higher intensity light provides a projected image of the icon at a portion of the ground area illuminated by said lower intensity light.

3. The illumination module of claim 2, wherein said illumination module is disposed at an exterior rearview mirror of the equipped vehicle.

4. The illumination module of claim 1, comprising an electrical connector for electrically connecting circuitry of said circuit element to a power source of the equipped vehicle.