Under vehicle illumination

• US 9,669,756 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oliverio, Sean, Johnson, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Gyllstrom, Bryon T
• Application Number:
  US14/499,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20160090026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 362495, 362549, 362523, 362505
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights

Abstract

A vehicle is constructed to include an upper body and an underbody underlying the upper body. The upper body includes a longitudinal first side section and an opposing longitudinal second side section, and the underbody has a first perimeter portion underlying the upper body'"'"'s first side section and a second perimeter portion underlying the upper body'"'"'s second side section. The vehicle further includes a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle. The lighting system includes one or more first side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s first side perimeter portion. At least one of the one or more first side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body'"'"'s second side section.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an upper body including a driver side section and an opposing passenger side section;

an underbody facing ground and having a first perimeter portion extending between a left front wheel well and a rear left wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s driver side section and a second perimeter portion extending between a right front wheel well and a right rear wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s passenger side section; and

a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle, the lighting system including;

one or more driver side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s first perimeter portion, each of the one or more driver side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more driver side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the second perimeter portion; and

one or more passenger side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s second perimeter portion, each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the first perimeter portion,

wherein the upper body further includes a front fascia section adjacent the passenger side section, and at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body'"'"'s front fascia section.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the upper body further includes a rear fascia section adjacent the passenger side section, and at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body'"'"'s rear fascia section.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further includes an electrical system, and the lighting system further includes an electrical harness electrically connecting the one or more driver side lighting elements with the vehicle'"'"'s electrical system.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements includes a substrate, an LED mounted to the substrate and a light transmitting lens enclosing the LED.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the lens has an outer surface, and a portion of the lens'"'"'s outer surface facing the underbody includes a reflective material to direct emitted light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more driver side lighting elements includes multiple, spaced apart lighting elements each including a substrate and an LED mounted to the substrate, and the lighting system further includes a light transmitting light rod enclosing the LEDs of the multiple lighting elements.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements includes a substrate defining a depression and an LED mounted within the depression, and the depression includes a reflective material to direct emitted light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody.

8. A method for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle of claim 1, the method comprising:

illuminating the ground beneath the first perimeter portion of the underbody of the driver side section with the one or more passenger side lighting elements; and

illuminating the ground beneath the second perimeter portion of the underbody of the passenger side section with the one or more driver side lighting elements.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

an upper body including a driver side section and an opposing passenger side section;

an underbody facing ground and having a first perimeter portion extending between a left front wheel well and a rear left wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s driver side section and a second perimeter portion extending between a right front wheel well and a right rear wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s passenger side section; and

a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle, the lighting system including;

one or more driver side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s first perimeter portion, each of the one or more driver side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more driver side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the second perimeter portion; and

one or more passenger side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s second perimeter portion, each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the first perimeter portion, wherein at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements includes a substrate, an LED mounted to the substrate and a light transmitting lens enclosing the LED, and the upper body further includes a front fascia section and a rear fascia section, the lens has an outer surface, and a portion of the lens'"'"'s outer surface is faceted to direct emitted light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody to illuminate the ground beneath one of the upper body'"'"'s front fascia section the upper body'"'"'s rear fascia section.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

an upper body including a driver side section and an opposing passenger side section;

an underbody facing ground and having a first perimeter portion extending between a left front wheel well and a rear left wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s driver side section and a second perimeter portion extending between a right front wheel well and a right rear wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s passenger side section; and

a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle, the lighting system including;

one or more driver side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s first perimeter portion, each of the one or more driver side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more driver side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the second perimeter portion; and

one or more passenger side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s second perimeter portion, each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the first perimeter portion,

wherein the upper body further includes a rear fascia section adjacent the passenger side section, and at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body'"'"'s rear fascia section.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the upper body further includes a front fascia section adjacent the passenger side section, and at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements is oriented to emit light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody and illuminate the ground beneath the upper body'"'"'s front fascia section.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

an upper body including a driver side section and an opposing passenger side section;

an underbody facing ground and having a first perimeter portion extending between a left front wheel well and a rear left wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s driver side section and a second perimeter portion extending between a right front wheel well and a right rear wheel well and underlying the upper body'"'"'s passenger side section; and

a lighting system for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle, the lighting system including;

one or more driver side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s first perimeter portion, each of the one or more driver side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more driver side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the second perimeter portion; and

one or more passenger side lighting elements mounted at the underbody'"'"'s second perimeter portion, each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements oriented such that a primary light output from each of the one or more passenger side lighting elements is directed to and illuminates the ground beneath the first perimeter portion,

wherein at least one of the one or more driver side lighting elements includes a substrate, an LED mounted to the substrate and a light transmitting lens enclosing the LED, the lens having an outer surface, and a portion of the lens'"'"'s outer surface facing the underbody includes a reflective material to direct emitted light across the vehicle'"'"'s underbody.

13. A method for illuminating the ground beneath the vehicle of claim 12, the method comprising:

illuminating the ground beneath the first perimeter portion of the underbody of the driver side section with the one or more passenger side lighting elements; and

illuminating the ground beneath the second perimeter portion of the underbody of the passenger side section with the one or more driver side lighting elements.