Photoluminescent vehicle reading lamp

• US 9,499,096 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruce, David V
• Application Number:
  US14/301,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/20 for lighting specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments; mounted on specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments lighting for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/54 Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/68 using ultraviolet light
• 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 3/745 using lighting panels or mats, e.g. electro-luminescent panels, LED mats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44

Abstract

A vehicle reading lamp is provided. The vehicle reading lamp includes an outer lens and a first surface and a second surface positioned behind the outer lens. A first photoluminescent structure is coupled to the first surface and a second photoluminescent structure is coupled to the second surface. A first light source is included for exciting the first photoluminescent structure and a second light source is included for exciting the second photoluminescent structure.

Claims

1. A vehicle reading lamp comprising:

an outer lens;

a first surface and a second surface positioned behind the outer lens;

a first photoluminescent structure coupled to the first surface and a second photoluminescent structure coupled to the second surface; and

a first light source for exciting the first photoluminescent structure and a second light source for exciting the second photoluminescent structure.

2. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces are disposed opposite one another and are each oriented at an acute angle relative to the outer lens.

3. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 2, wherein the first surface is configured to redirect backscattered light originating from the first photoluminescent structure towards the outer lens and the second surface is configured to redirect backscattered light originating from the second photoluminescent structure towards the outer lens.

4. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 1, wherein the first photoluminescent structure contains a red-emitting photoluminescent material and the second photoluminescent structure contains a green-emitting photoluminescent material.

5. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 4, wherein the first and second light sources are each one of a side-emitting blue LED and a side-emitting ultraviolet LED.

6. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 5, further comprising a third light source for directly illuminating the outer lens, wherein the third light source is a blue emitting LED and is disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

7. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 6, wherein the outer lens is configured to diffuse light received from the first photoluminescent structure, the second photoluminescent structure, and the third light source.

8. A vehicle reading lamp comprising:

an outer lens;

a first surface and a second surface positioned behind the outer lens;

a first photoluminescent structure containing red-emitting photoluminescent material and coupled to the first surface;

a second photoluminescent structure containing green-emitting photoluminescent material and coupled to the second surface; and

a first LED for exciting the red-emitting photoluminescent material and a second LED for exciting the green-emitting photoluminescent material.

9. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 8, wherein the first and second surfaces are disposed opposite one another and are each oriented at an acute angle relative to the outer lens.

10. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 9, wherein the first surface is configured to redirect light received from the first photoluminescent structure towards the outer lens and the second surface is configured to redirect light received from the second photoluminescent structure towards the outer lens.

11. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 10, wherein the first LED is one of a side-emitting blue LED and a side-emitting ultraviolet LED and is coupled to the first surface and the second LED is one of a side-emitting blue LED and a side-emitting ultraviolet LED and is coupled to the second surface.

12. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 11, further comprising a third LED for directly illuminating the outer lens, wherein the third LED is a blue emitting LED and is disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

13. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 12, wherein the outer lens is configured to diffuse light originating from the first photoluminescent structure, the second photoluminescent structure, and the third LED.

14. A vehicle reading lamp comprising:

an outer lens;

at least one surface positioned behind the outer lens;

at least one photoluminescent structure coupled to the at least one surface; and

at least one light source for projecting light onto the at least one photoluminescent structure, wherein the at least one photoluminescent structure converts the projected light into an output light of a visible color that is emitted towards the outer lens, wherein the at least one surface comprises a first and a second surface disposed opposite one another and each oriented at an acute angle relative to the outer lens.

15. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 14, wherein the at least one light source comprises a first LED for projecting light onto the first surface and a second LED for projecting light onto the second surface.

16. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 15, further comprising a third LED disposed between the first surface and the second surface and configured to directly illuminate the outer lens.

17. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 16, wherein the first and second surfaces are each part of a corresponding printed circuit board configured to redirect backscattered light towards the outer lens.

18. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 17, wherein the outer lens is a light diffusing optic.

19. The vehicle reading lamp of claim 18, further comprising a processor for controlling a light output of each of the first, second, and third LEDs.