Vehicle illumination assembly with energy harvesting device

• US 9,718,398 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Randall, Sura, Bhargav
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US14/326,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters

Abstract

A vehicle includes a closure panel, a sill protector mounted adjacent to the closure panel, an energy harvesting device configured to convert ambient energy to electrical energy, a storage device electrically connected to the energy harvesting device to store the electrical energy, an illumination member electrically connected to the storage device and configured to be powered by electrical energy supplied from the storage device, and a sensor connected to the sill protector and power the illumination member when movement of the closure panel is detected.

Claims

1. A self-powered illumination assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) array connected to a vehicle structure and configured to convert vibration energy to electrical energy, the MEMS array including a plurality of sensors configured to harvest vibration energy from a plurality of frequency ranges, at least one sensor being configured to be responsive to a first vibration frequency bandwidth and at least one other sensor being configured to be responsive to a second vibration frequency bandwidth different from the first vibration frequency bandwidth;

a storage device electrically connected to the MEMS array to store the electrical energy;

an illumination member electrically connected to the storage device; and

a proximity sensor connected to the MEMS array, the stored electrical energy being supplied to the illumination member by the storage device when activated by the proximity sensor.

2. The self-powered illumination assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a resistor electrically connected to the storage device configured to control a discharge rate of electrical energy from the storage device.

3. The self-powered illumination assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the MEMS array comprises a plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

4. The self-powered illumination assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

a first number of sensors configured to be responsive to a first vibration frequency bandwidth is greater than a second number of sensors configured to be responsive to a second vibration frequency bandwidth.