Vehicle interior illumination structure

• US 20060034092A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ochimizu, Hitoshi, Hiramatsu, Masaya, Okazaki, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/489
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/12 lighting onto the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle interior illumination structure comprising, in combination, an instrument panel 10 installed in a front interior area of a vehicle, and a light-guiding illumination member 2 disposed in the instrument panel. The instrument panel 10 is formed with a step portion S laterally extending at a height approximately equal to or above that of a mounting portion of a shaft of a steering wheel 35 to the instrument panel. The step portion S is defined in such a manner that a step upper surface 11f located on the upper side of the step portion and a step lower surface 12f located on the lower side of the step portion are formed in the instrument panel 10, and the step upper surface 11f has a rear edge 11p protruding in the rearward direction of the vehicle relative to a front edge 12p of the step lower surface 12f. The illumination member 2 is arranged to extend laterally at a position which is adjacent to the front edge 12p of the step lower surface 12f and capable of preventing illumination light of the illumination member 2 from directly coming within the field of view of a driver sitting in a front seat in the vehicle interior. The vehicle interior illumination structure of the present invention can prevent illumination light of the illumination member from obstructing the driver'"'"'s view.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior illumination structure comprising, in combination, an instrument panel installed in a front interior area of a vehicle and located on the lower side of a front windshield glass, and a light-guiding illumination member disposed in said instrument panel, said front interior area being defined by the front windshield glass and opposed side window glasses on the rearward side of the front windshield glass, wherein:

said instrument panel is formed with a step portion extending laterally at a height approximately equal to or above that of a mounting portion of a steering wheel shaft to said instrument panel, said step portion being defined in such a manner that a step upper surface located on the upper side of said step portion and a step lower surface located on the lower side of said step portion are formed in said instrument panel, and said step upper surface has a rear edge protruding in the rearward direction of the vehicle relative to a front edge of said step lower surface; and

said illumination member is arranged to extend laterally at a position which is adjacent to the front edge of said step lower surface and capable of preventing illumination light of said illumination member from directly coming within the field of view of a driver sitting in a front seat in the vehicle interior.

2. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 1, wherein at least said step upper surface of said instrument panel has a relatively dark tone, and said step upper surface is provided with a manual operation element, wherein said manual operation element has a higher degree of visibility than that of said step upper surface.

3. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said step lower surface is provided with a second manual operation element different from said first manual operation element on said step upper surface, wherein said first manual operation element has a lower degree of visibility than that of said second manual operation element.

4. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said illumination member is designed to emit illumination light toward said step lower surface, and at least said step upper surface of said instrument panel has a given dark tone, wherein only said step lower surface is provided with a manual operation element, in the vicinity of said step portion of said instrument panel.

5. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 1, wherein at least the step upper surface of said instrument panel has a given dark tone, and said step upper surface is provided with a manual operation element, wherein a region of said step upper surface adjacent to said step portion has a given ornament to allow said adjacent region to have a higher degree of visibility than that of the remaining region of said step upper surface.

6. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said step upper and lower surfaces have inclined zones, respectively, in the vicinity of said step portion, each of said inclined zones having an upper region located on the front side relative to a lower region thereof, each of said inclined zones having a different angle of inclination.

7. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said illumination member is disposed in a portion of said instrument panel located in opposed relation to a front passenger seat, and said vehicle has a side mirror disposed at the side of a vehicle body on the laterally outer side relative to said instrument panel.

8. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said instrument panel is provided with an equipment element disposed adjacent to said step portion, said equipment element being designed to be illuminated by said illumination member.

9. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 8, wherein said equipment element disposed adjacent to said step portion is a lower manual operation element having a convex portion protruding from said step lower surface toward the vehicle interior, wherein said vehicle interior illumination structure is designed to allow at least said convex portion of said lower manual operation element to be hidden by said step upper surface when the driver sitting in said front seat visually recognizes said lower manual operation element reflected on said front windshield glass.

10. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 8, wherein said equipment element disposed adjacent to said step portion is a lower manual operation element disposed on said step lower surface, wherein said step lower surface includes an inclined zone which extends obliquely downward from the front edge thereof in the rearward direction and has said lower manual operation element disposed thereon, and said lower manual operation element has a lighter tone than that of said step upper surface.

11. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 8, wherein said instrument panel is formed with an upper pocket which is located above said step portion and concavedly curved in the frontward direction of the vehicle, said upper pocket having a lower surface partly formed as a light-transmittable portion for transmitting illumination light from said illumination member therethrough.

12. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 8, wherein said instrument panel is formed with a lower pocket which is located below said step portion and concavedly curved in the frontward direction of the vehicle, wherein said lower pocket is designed to be illuminated by illumination light from said illumination member.

13. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 11, wherein said instrument panel includes a lid portion for covering said pocket in an openable and closable manner, wherein said vehicle interior illumination structure is designed to increase an intensity of illumination light from said illumination member in an open position of said lid portion as compared to that in a closed position of said lid portion.

14. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 7, which is designed such that respective projections of the lateral center and laterally outer edge of said illumination member and said side mirror which are viewed by an occupant sitting in a driver'"'"'s seat are located approximately on a straight line in a plane orthogonal to the line of sight of said occupant viewing the laterally outer edge of said illumination member.

15. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 14, wherein said illumination member has a laterally outward portion with a lower luminance than that of a laterally inward portion thereof.

16. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 15, wherein a side mirror is provided at a position laterally outward of the lateral edge of the instrument panel and characterized in that it is designed to allow a reflected image of a region of said instrument panel illuminated by said illumination member to be formed on a side window glass in such a manner that at least a part of said reflected image overlaps said side mirror