Illuminated badge for a vehicle

• US 9,616,823 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Musleh, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Application Number:
  US15/243,224
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 362487, 362496, 362509-510, 362545
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• 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 2900/40 Several lamps activated in sequence, e.g. sweep effect, progressive activation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/005 Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/10 for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/044 Signs, boards or panels mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2007/1882 Emblems, e.g. fixed by pins or screws
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles

Abstract

A badge is provided herein. The badge includes a housing defining a viewable portion having indicia. A first set of light sources is configured to emit light toward the viewable portion. A light guide extends between the viewable portion and the first set of light sources. A decorative layer and a diffusive layer are disposed between an upper surface of the light guide and viewable portion. A second set of light sources is configured to emit light toward the viewable portion. The first set of light sources illuminates a first region of the viewable portion and the second set of light sources illuminates a second region of the viewable portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle badge, comprising:

a housing of said badge defining a viewable portion having indicia;

a first set of light sources configured to emit light toward the viewable portion;

a light guide extending between the viewable portion and the first set of light sources;

a decorative layer and a diffusive layer disposed between an upper surface of the light guide and viewable portion; and

a second set of light sources configured to emit light without the light guide toward the viewable portion, wherein the first set of light sources illuminates a first region of the viewable portion and the second set of light sources illuminates a second region of the viewable portion.

2. The badge of claim 1, wherein the first set of light sources are disposed below the indicia and configured to emit light through the indicia when illuminated.

3. The badge of claim 2, wherein the light guide extends between the first set of light sources and the indicia.

4. The badge of claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the light guide is disposed proximately to a top surface of a printed circuit board such that the light guide and printed circuit board define a plurality of cavities.

5. The badge of claim 4, further comprising:

a first light source opening disposed on a first side of one of the plurality of cavities and a second light source opening disposed on a second side of the one of the plurality of cavities.

6. The badge of claim 5, wherein a controller is configured to illuminate a first light source prior to illumination of a second light source, the first and second light sources each disposed within the first set of light sources.

7. The badge of claim 6, wherein the first and second light sources are disposed in the first set of light sources.

8. A vehicle badge, comprising:

a housing of said badge having a viewable portion;

a first light source configured to illuminate a first portion of the viewable portion;

a light guide disposed between the first light source and the viewable portion;

a second light source configured to illuminate without the light guide a second portion of the viewable portion; and

a diffusive layer and a decorative layer disposed between the light guide and the viewable portion.

9. The badge of claim 8, wherein the first light source is configured as a plurality of independently controlled LED sources and the second set of light sources are configured as a plurality of independently controlled LED light sources.

10. The badge of claim 8, wherein the light guide includes an opaque material on an outer surface thereof to prevent light emitted from the second light source from entering the light guide.

11. The badge of claim 8, further comprising:

an optically clear adhesive layer disposed between the diffusive layer and the decorative layer.

12. The badge of claim 9, wherein the first light source illuminates in a substantially white color and wherein the second light source illuminates in a non-white color.

13. A method of forming a vehicle badge, comprising:

forming a housing of said badge;

disposing a light source within the housing, the light source configured to direct light towards a viewable portion;

disposing a light guide between the light source and viewable portion;

disposing a second set of light sources within the housing, the second set of light sources configured to illuminate without the light guide a background region of the viewable portion; and

forming an indicia layer defining one or more indicia by adhering a diffusive layer to a decorative layer, the indicia layer disposed between the viewable portion and light guide.

14. The method of forming a badge of claim 13, wherein the indicia layer includes an adhesive layer disposed between the diffusive layer and decorative layer.

15. The method of forming a badge of claim 13, wherein the light source is configured as a set of independently illuminable light sources.

16. The method of forming a badge of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

sequentially illuminating an adjacently disposed first set of light sources until each first light source is illuminated.

17. The method of forming a badge of claim 13, wherein the second set of light sources emit varying hues of a color of light while the first set of light sources sequentially illuminate the indicia disposed on the viewable portion.

18. The method of forming a badge of claim 13, wherein the indicia layer is cut into a predefined geometry that coincides to a top surface of the light guide to define indicia through the viewable portion.