Lift gate lamp

• US 9,623,797 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• 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., Surman, James J., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Abdelnour, Sleiman N., Helwig, Stephen Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US15/015,688
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 362487, 362496, 362501, 362509-510
• 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 1/30 for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 2/00 Non-electric light sources using luminescence using excitation by radioactivity G21H3/02, H01J65/06, H01J65/08; using excitation by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation H01J65/04; Light sources using electrochemiluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/16 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/26 the material comprising photoluminescent substances
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre

Abstract

An illumination apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one luminescent portion disposed in a cavity formed by a handle portion of a closure of the vehicle. The apparatus further comprises a panel disposed in the cavity comprising a reflective surface. The panel is configured to receive light and reflect a first light portion of the environmental light toward the luminescent portion charging a persistent luminescent material of the luminescent portion.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

at least one luminescent portion disposed in a cavity formed by a handle portion of a rear closure of the vehicle; and

a panel disposed in the cavity comprising a reflective surface, wherein the panel is configure to receive sunlight and reflect a first light portion toward the luminescent portion thereby charging a persistent luminescent material of the luminescent portion.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one luminescent portion is disposed on an upper surface of the handle portion within the cavity.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an outer panel, wherein the at least one luminescent portion is at least partially concealed within the cavity by the outer panel.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reflective portion is configured to reflect the first light portion into the cavity around the outer panel.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the outer panel extends outward from the upper surface into an opening of the cavity.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one luminescent portion comprises a first luminescent portion and a second luminescent portion.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reflective surface is partially light transmissive and configured to absorb a second light portion.

8. The illumination apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the panel is of an at least partially light transmissive material configured to transmit the second light portion therethrough toward the second luminescent portion.

9. The illumination apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a light guide configured to receive the second light portion and transmit the second light portion through an internal passage formed by the closure to the second luminescent portion.

10. A lighting device for a vehicle comprising:

a first luminescent portion disposed in a cavity formed by a handle portion of a closure of the vehicle configured to illuminate the handle portion;

a second luminescent portion configured to illuminate an indicator light disposed on an intermediate surface of the closure; and

a panel disposed in the cavity comprising a partially reflective surface configured to transmit environmental light to each of the luminescent portions.

11. The lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the panel is configured to receive the environmental light and reflect a first light portion toward the first luminescent portion.

12. The lighting device according to claim 11, wherein the panel is further configured to receive the environmental light and transmit a second light portion therethrough toward the second luminescent portion.

13. The lighting device according to claim 12, wherein the luminescent portions comprise a persistent luminescent material configured to charge in response to receiving the environmental light.

14. The lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the intermediate surface is concealed from view by an interface between the closure and a body opening of the vehicle in response to the closure arranged in a closed position.

15. The lighting device according to claim 10, further comprising a reflective portion disposed on the panel, the reflective portion configured to reflect the first light portion of the environmental light to the first luminescent portion.

16. The lighting device according to claim 10, further comprising a light guide configured to receive the second light portion from the panel and transmit the second light portion through an internal passage formed by the closure to the second luminescent portion.

17. The lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the closure corresponds to a lift gate of the vehicle.

18. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a first luminescent portion disposed in a cavity formed by a handle portion of a closure of the vehicle configured to illuminate the handle portion;

a second luminescent portion configured to illuminate an indicator light disposed on an intermediate surface of the closure; and

a panel disposed in the cavity comprising a partially reflective surface configured to transmit environmental light to each of the luminescent portions.

19. The illumination apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first luminescent portion comprises a first persistent luminescent material configured to emit a first output emission of light in a first color.

20. The illumination apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second luminescent portion comprises a second persistent luminescent material configured to emit a second output emission of light in a second color different from the first color.