Sun visor for a vehicle

• US 10,737,614 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Holland, Rachel, Tomar, Ashutosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US16/338,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20190232866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0204 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0278 structure of the body B60J3/0208, B60J3/0213 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 3/0282 specially adapted for a courtesy mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/745 using lighting panels or mats, e.g. electro-luminescent panels, LED mats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0034 having an overmolded housing covering the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sun visor (1) for a vehicle (100). The sun visor comprises a light source (6, 7) for providing illumination within the vehicle, and a printed electronic circuit (4) located within the sun visor for controlling operation of the light source. The sun visor may include a light dispersion device (10) for dispersing light emitted by the light source, which may include a body portion (11) extending over the printed electronic circuit and a light emission portion (12) extending around the body portion and arranged to transmit light from the light source to the outside of the sun visor.

Claims

1. A sun visor for a vehicle, comprising:

a sun visor structural component;

a light source; and

at least one electronic component for controlling lighting provided by the sun visor,

wherein the at least one electronic component is a printed electronic component that is printed directly on the sun visor structural component, and

wherein the printed electronic component is configured to receive information related to a current use condition of the sun visor from a control system located outside of the sun visor and to control the lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence of the received information.

2. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting element that is printed on the sun visor structural component of the sun visor.

3. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the sun visor structural component is a cover of the sun visor.

4. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the sun visor comprises a light dispersion device configured to disperse light emitted by the light source.

5. A sun visor according to claim 4, wherein the light dispersion device is molded directly onto at least one of the sun visor structural component, the light source, and the at least one electronic component.

6. A sun visor according to claim 4, wherein the light dispersion device comprises at least one of a body portion that is configured to receive light emitted by the light source and a light emission portion that is configured to transmit light emitted by the light source to outside of the sun visor.

7. A sun visor according to claim 6, wherein the body portion of the light dispersion device is at least substantially sheet like or located adjacent to the sun visor structural component, the light source and the at least one electronic component.

8. A sun visor according to claim 6, wherein the light emission portion of the light dispersion device is at least one of integrally formed with the body portion, joined to the body portion by a transition region, and located at or adjacent to at least one edge of the sun visor.

9. A sun visor according to claim 6, wherein the light emission portion of the light dispersion device forms a loop extending around the sun visor.

10. A sun visor according to claim 6, wherein the light emission portion of the light dispersion device extends along at least one edge of the body portion.

11. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component is configured to control lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence on one or more of:

light conditions inside the vehicle, light conditions outside the vehicle, temperature inside the vehicle, temperature outside the vehicle, weather conditions, time, date, calendar event, vehicle location and planned destination.

12. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component is configured to control lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence on one or more of vehicle occupancy, a user selected setting and a movement state of the vehicle.

13. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component is configured to control lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence on at least one of skin tone, head position, face direction, eye direction and face shape of a user.

14. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component is configured to control lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence on at least one of detected movement of another vehicle in front of the vehicle and a detected change in a traffic light state.

15. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the sun visor is configured to provide ambient lighting within a cabin of the vehicle while in a stowage position adjacent to a roof of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle comprising a sun visor according to claim 1.

17. A sun visor according to claim 1, wherein the printed electronic component is arranged to receive information about a user sitting in front of the sun visor from the control system comprising an interior sensing platform (ISP) configured to determine the information about the user in front of the sun visor.

18. A method of manufacturing a sun visor for a vehicle, the sun visor comprising a light source and a sun visor structural component, the method comprising printing at least one electronic component directly on the sun visor structural component, wherein the printed electronic component is configured to control lighting provided by the sun visor, receive information related to a current use condition of the sun visor from a control system located outside of the sun visor, and control lighting provided by the sun visor in dependence on the received information.

19. A method according to claim 18, comprising printing at least one light emitting element forming part of a light source on the sun visor structural component.

20. A method according to claim 18, comprising molding a light dispersion device for dispersing light emitted by a light source of the sun visor directly onto at least one of the sun visor structural component, the at least one electronic component, and the light source.