Lighting device for vehicle

• US 9,221,394 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ukai, Yasuhiro, Tahara, Hiroyasu, Sugioka, Takahiro, Fukui, Ryuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peerce, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US13/988,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 362/459, 362/501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device

Abstract

A lighting device for a vehicle is provided to a vehicular door trim to illuminate a handle housing portion in which an inside handle is housed. The lighting device includes a light exit member, a light exit member mount member provided on an upper side of the inside handle and on which the light exit member is arranged, and a light transmission portion provided to the light exit member mount member and through which light from the light exit member is directed to the handle housing portion. The light exit member is arranged on a vehicular compartment inner side than the light transmission portion.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle provided to a vehicular door trim to illuminate a handle housing portion in which an inside handle is housed, the lighting device comprising:

a light exit member extending in a vehicular front-and-rear direction, the light exit member including a light entrance portion which light from a light source enters, and a light exit portion through which the light entering the light entrance portion exits;

a light exit member mount member provided on an upper side of the inside handle and where the light exit member is arranged, the light exit member mount member including a light blocking portion having a light blocking property, the light blocking portion being included in a portion of the light exit member mount member that is below the light exit member; and

a light transmission portion provided to the light exit member mount member and through which light exiting the light exit member through the light exit portion is directed to the handle housing portion, the light transmission portion extending in the vehicular front-and-rear direction, the light transmission portion being below the light exit member and being offset from the light exit member,

wherein

the light exit portion of the light exit member is arranged farther away from the vehicular door trim than the light transmission portion in a vehicular width direction that is substantially perpendicular to the vehicular front-and-rear direction, and

the light blocking portion blocks light exiting the light exit member vertically downward from being directed to the inside handle.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member and the inside handle are arranged to be away from the vehicular door trim with a substantially same distance in the vehicular width direction or the light exit member is arranged to be farther away from the vehicular door trim than the inside handle in the vehicular width direction.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein

the light exit member mount member is a decoration panel that is mounted to an upper portion of an inside handle bezel configuring a part of the handle housing portion,

the decoration panel includes a projected wall portion that extends in a direction away from the inside handle bezel,

the light exit member is arranged on a surface of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle bezel, and

the light transmission portion is provided on a wall portion of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the projected wall portion includes:

a side wall portion configuring a surface of the decoration panel that covers the light exit member from a side of the light exit member opposite the inside handle bezel; and

a lower wall portion extending from a lower end of the side wall portion so as to cover the light exit member from a lower side and configuring a lower surface of the decoration panel, the lower wall portion configuring a part of the handle housing portion, the lower wall portion having a portion that comprises the light transmission portion.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in the vehicular front-and-rear direction,

and

wherein the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

6. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the light exit member and the inside handle are offset from the light transmission portion in a vertical direction.

7. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein

the inside handle is arranged farther away from the vehicular door trim than the light transmission portion in the vehicular width direction.

8. The lighting device according to claim 3, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in the vehicular front-and-rear direction,

and

wherein the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member mount member is a decoration panel that is mounted to an upper portion of an inside handle bezel,

the decoration panel includes a projected wall portion that extends in a direction away from the inside handle bezel,

the light exit member is arranged on a surface of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle bezel, and

the light transmission portion is provided on a wall portion of the projected wall portion that faces the inside handle.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9, wherein the projected wall portion includes:

a side wall portion configuring a surface of the decoration panel that covers the light exit member from a side of the light exit member opposite the inside handle bezel; and

a lower wall portion extending from a lower end of the side wall portion so as to cover the light exit member from a lower side and configuring a lower surface of the decoration panel, the lower wall portion configuring a part of the handle housing portion, the lower wall portion having a portion that comprises the light transmission portion.

11. The lighting device according to claim 10, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in the vehicular front-and-rear direction,

and

wherein the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

12. The lighting device according to claim 9, further comprising a light source provided on the vehicular door trim, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in the vehicular front-and-rear direction, and

wherein the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

13. The lighting device according to claim 9, wherein a part of a vehicular compartment outer side end portion of the decoration panel is configured with a material having a light transmission property to form the light transmission portion.

14. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein

the decoration panel includes an upper panel and a lower panel, the upper panel configuring an upper portion of the decoration panel, and the lower panel configuring a lower portion of the decoration panel and on which the light exit member is arranged,

the lower panel is provided between the upper panel and the inside handle bezel, and

the light transmission portion is formed on the lower panel, the lighting device further comprising:

a light exit member fixing member provided to the lower panel that presses the light exit member toward the projected wall portion and fixes the light exit member, the light exit member fixing member having a light reflecting surface on its surface.

15. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light exit member and the inside handle are offset from the light transmission portion in a vertical direction.

16. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the inside handle is arranged farther away from the vehicular door trim than the light transmission portion in the vehicular width direction.

17. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member mount member includes a projected wall portion that projects in a direction away from the vehicular door trim,

the projected wall portion includes an upper wall portion, a side wall portion, and a lower wall portion and the projected wall portion has a U-shape having an opening that opens toward the vehicular door trim,

the light exit member is arranged in a space within the projected wall portion having the U-shape, and

the light transmission portion is continuous with respect to the lower wall portion.

18. The lighting device according to claim 17, wherein

the light blocking portion is provided on an outer surface of each of the upper wall portion, the side wall portion, and the lower wall portion, the outer surface being opposite to a surface that faces the space within the projected wall portion.

19. The lighting device according to claim 17, wherein

the projected wall portion extends in the vehicular front-and-rear direction, and

the light exit member is an elongated light guide member extending in a direction in which the projected wall portion extends.

20. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light exit member has a portion that is on an upper side with respect to the inside handle and an entirety of which does not overlap the light transmission portion.