Concealed lighting for vehicles

• US 9,925,917 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• 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, Hunt, Christopher Charles, Hoover, Chad, Randlett, Doug H.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US15/165,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 362487, 362496, 362540, 362543-549
• 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 1/2619 built in the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/323 on or for doors illuminated exterior door handles B60Q1/2669; illuminated door locks E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• 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 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/10 Electro- or photo- luminescent surfaces, e.g. signalling by way of electroluminescent strips or panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/10 Registration, licensing, or like devices

Abstract

A vehicle illumination apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an emitting layer comprising a plurality of printed light sources and configured to conform to an outer surface of a panel. The apparatus further comprises a reflective layer disposed on an interior surface of the emitting layer and a surface layer configured to seal an outer surface of the apparatus. A controller is configured to selectively activate the light sources to reveal a symbol defined by the emitting layer.

Claims

1. A vehicle illumination apparatus comprising:

an emitting layer comprising a plurality of printed light sources and configured to conform to an outer surface of a panel of a vehicle;

a reflective layer disposed on an interior surface of the emitting layer;

a surface layer configured to seal an outer surface of the apparatus and match an appearance of the panel to conceal the apparatus; and

a controller configured to selectively activate the light sources to reveal a symbol defined by the emitting layer for an emergency.

2. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emitting layer further comprises a plurality of electrodes and the printed light sources are printed between the electrodes.

3. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light sources printed between the electrodes correspond to light emitting diodes printed in a semiconductor ink.

4. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting diodes are configured to generate a first emission of light in the ultraviolet range.

5. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reflective layer is configured to reflect at least a portion of the first emission outward toward an exterior surface of the emitting layer.

6. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a photoluminescent layer configured to convert the first emission to a second emission.

7. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the photoluminescent layer corresponds to a painted layer comprising titanium dioxide.

8. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer corresponds to an overmolded layer comprising a UV absorbing compound.

9. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer is configured to prevent excitation of the photoluminescent layer due to environmental light impinging upon the surface layer.

10. A vehicle illumination apparatus comprising:

an emitting layer comprising a plurality of printed light sources and configured to conform to an outer surface of a panel of a vehicle;

a reflective layer disposed on an interior surface of the emitting layer;

an overmold layer sealing the emitting layer and matching an appearance of the panel concealing the apparatus; and

a controller configured to selectively activate the light sources revealing the emitting layer in an emergency.

11. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the emitting layer further comprises a plurality of electrodes, wherein the printed light sources are printed between the electrodes.

12. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the light sources printed between the electrodes correspond to light emitting diodes printed in a semiconductor ink.

13. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the overmolded layer comprises a UV absorbing compound disbursed in a polymeric coating.

14. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the overmolded layer is configured to prevent excitation of a photoluminescent layer of the emitting layer due to environmental light impinging upon the overmolded layer.

15. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the overmolded layer comprises a pigment configured to match an appearance of the overmolded layer with a color of the panel.

16. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an exterior surface of the overmolded layer forms a granular surface configured to match the appearance of the panel.

17. The vehicle illumination apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the granular surface is formed by laser etching.

18. A light emitting layer for a vehicle comprising:

a reflective layer forming an interior surface configured to conform to an outer surface of the vehicle;

a plurality of printed light sources substantially coating the reflective layer for illuminating an emergency; and

an etched silicon layer overmolded on an exterior surface of the emitting layer and abutting a panel having a painted surface, wherein the silicon layer is configured to significantly match an appearance of the painted surface to conceal the light emitting layer.

19. The light emitting layer according to claim 18, wherein the reflective layer comprises titanium dioxide in at least one of a paint and an ink.

20. The light emitting layer according to claim 18, wherein the etched silicon layer comprises a UV absorbing compound disbursed in the etched silicon layer.