Vehicle lighting device

• US 9,475,427 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kiyosawa, Kenji, Tahara, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): NEILS, PEGGY A
• Application Number:
  US14/294,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20140376253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/011 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

A vehicle lighting device includes a light source, a light source housing, and a covering member. The light source housing holds the light source therein and has an opening. The covering member is attached to the light source housing so as to cover the opening of the light source housing and configured to pass light emitted by the light source therethrough. The covering member includes a transparent sheet portion and a cover portion. The sheet portion includes an electrode layer. The cover portion is welded to one of surfaces of the sheet portion by insert molding and arranged on the light source housing to cover the opening of the light source housing and a light exit surface of the light source such that a surface of the cover portion without the sheet portion faces the light source.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting device comprising:

a light source;

a light source housing holding the light source therein, the light source housing having an opening; and

a cover attached to the light source housing, the cover covering the opening of the light source housing and passing light emitted by the light source, the cover including;

a transparent sheet including an electrode layer; and

a cover portion provided on a surface of the transparent sheet facing the light source, and provided on the light source housing to cover the opening of the light source housing and a light exit surface of the light source, a surface of the cover portion without the transparent sheet facing the light source.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the electrode layer has a first surface directed away from the light source and a second surface facing the light source, and

the transparent sheet further includes:

a base layer covering the first surface of the electrode layer;

a protective layer covering the second surface of the electrode layer and protecting the electrode layer; and

a coupling layer located between the protective layer and the cover portion.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the cover portion without the transparent sheet includes a patterned surface.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode layer is a transparent electrode layer of a capacitive touch switch.

5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the cover portion includes:

a main wall including a main surface of the cover portion; and

a peripheral wall extending from a peripheral edge of the main wall toward the light source,

the transparent sheet includes;

a first sheet covering the main wall; and

a second sheet covering the peripheral wall, and

the electrode layer includes;

a first electrode layer comprising a transparent electrode of a capacitive touch switch included in the first sheet; and

a second electrode layer included in the second sheet and extending along the peripheral edge of the main wall.

6. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the first electrode layer has a peripheral edge that extends along the peripheral edge of the main wall.

7. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 5, wherein

the peripheral wall extends along an entire perimeter of the main wall at the peripheral edge of the main wall, and

the second electrode layer extends along an entire perimeter of the peripheral wall.

8. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 5, wherein

the transparent sheet further includes a base layer including a main portion and an extended portion that extends from the main portion,

the first electrode layer includes a first main portion, a second main portion, a first extended portion that extends from the first main portion along the extended portion of the base layer, and a second extended portion that extends from the second main portion along the extended portion of the base layer,

the second electrode layer includes an extended portion that extends along the extended portion of the base layer,

the base layer of the transparent sheet is connected to a circuit board including a controller, and

the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are electrically connected to the controller of the circuit board.

9. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the second electrode layer is an electrode for electric noise absorption.

10. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the second electrode layer is in a form of a double line, in which a direction of a single line form of the second electrode layer is reversed to provide the double line.

11. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the second electrode layer has a length about twice a perimeter of the peripheral wall.

12. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 8, wherein

the light source includes a first light source and a second light source,

the capacitive touch switch includes:

a first touch switch corresponding to the first main portion of the first electrode layer and provided in a first half of the first sheet; and

a second touch switch corresponding to the second main portion of the first electrode layer and provided in a second half of the first sheet,

the first touch switch is configured to turn on and off the first light source, and

the second touch switch is configured to turn on and off the second light source.

13. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 12, wherein the first touch switch and the second touch switch are configured to turn on and off the first light source and the second light source independently from each other.

14. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the first main portion and the second main portion of the first electrode layer cover substantially an entire surface of the main wall of the cover portion.

15. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the protective layer comprises material containing thermohardening resin.