Vehicle lighting assembly

• US 9,840,193 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chea, Vichit, Salter, Stuart C., Surman, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Application Number:
  US15/211,333
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 362496, 362509-510
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/10 Electro- or photo- luminescent surfaces, e.g. signalling by way of electroluminescent strips or panels
• 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 3/68 using ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

A vehicle is provided herein that includes a door coupled to a body structure of a vehicle. The door is movable between a first and a second position to provide access to an interior portion of the vehicle. A photoluminescent structure is disposed on the door and is configured to luminesce in response to excitation light emitted by a light source. The light source is vertically disposed below the photoluminescent structure on the door in both the first and second positions.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a trunk door coupled to a body structure and movable between first and second positions to provide access to a vehicle interior portion; and

a photoluminescent structure disposed on an interior surface of the trunk door and configured to luminesce in response to excitation light emitted by a light source, the light source separately and vertically disposed below the photoluminescent structure on the trunk door in the first and second positions.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein light emitted from the source comprises one of a blue light, violet light, IR light, and a UV light.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent structure comprises at least one photoluminescent material configured to convert an excitation light received from at least a portion of the light source into a visible, converted light.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door includes an interior trim material thereon and the photoluminescent structure is disposed within the trim material.

5. The vehicle claim 1, further comprising:

a controller for controlling an activation state of the light source in response to the sensor determining that the door has moved from the first position to the second position or the second position to the first position.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a cargo shade assembly disposed in a cargo compartment and movable between first and second positions; and

a first light source separately disposed and operably coupled with a first photoluminescent structure on the cargo shade assembly in the first and second positions, the first photoluminescent structure configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the first light source.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a second photoluminescent structure adjacently disposed to the first photoluminescent structure, wherein the first photoluminescent structure luminesces in a first color and the second photoluminescent structure luminesces in a second, different color in response to excitation by the first light source.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a switch disposed within the cargo compartment and configured to detect the first or second position of the cargo shade assembly, wherein the light source is illuminated when the switch detects movement from the first position to the second position.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising:

a second light source configured to emit excitation light at a varied wavelength from the first light source, the first and second light sources located on opposing sides of the cargo compartment.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first light source emits excitation light to excite the first photoluminescent structure and the second light source emits excitation light to excite the second photoluminescent structure.

11. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a motion sensor for differentiating between movement in the cargo compartment of the vehicle from movement in a rear seating portion of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a motion sensor for determining whether the cargo shade assembly has been removed from the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein light emitted from the source comprises one of a blue light, violet light, IR light, and a UV light.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a cargo shade assembly movable between first and second positions disposed over a cargo compartment of a vehicle; and

a photoluminescent structure entirely disposed on the cargo shade assembly and configured to luminesce in response to excitation by a separately disposed light source, the light source operably coupled with the photoluminescent structure in both the first and second positions.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein light emitted from the source comprises one of a blue light, violet light, IR light, and a UV light.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the photoluminescent structure comprises at least one photoluminescent material configured to convert an excitation light received from at least a portion of the light sources into a visible, converted light.

17. The vehicle claim 14, wherein the cargo shade assembly includes a cover sheet and a member thereon for cooperating with a switch for determining a positional state of the sheet.