Lighting device

• US 20100165650A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Satoshi, Kino, Norihito
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/520
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• 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: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays

Abstract

In a lighting device provided on a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle, the lighting device has: a map lamp including: a case; a first light guide plate accommodated in the case, and having a light incident area on an end face and a light radiation area on a flat plate surface of the interior side of the vehicle; a first light source part having a plurality of LED lamps, the LED lamps being opposed to the light incident area and arranged in an array; and a prism lens provided in the light radiation area side of the first light guide plate. The map lamp allows the light of the first light source part to be incident on the first light guide plate from the light incident area, radiates the light from the light radiation area to convert the light into a planar light, and then converts the light into a light advancing in a prescribed direction to light a prescribed area in the interior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A lighting device provided on a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle, the lighting device comprising:

a map lamp including;

a case;

a first light guide plate accommodated in the case, and having a first light incident area on an end face and a first light radiation area on a flat plate surface of the interior side of the vehicle;

a first light source part having a plurality of LED lamps, the LED lamps being opposed to the first light incident area and arranged in an array; and

a prism lens provided in the first light radiation area side;

wherein the map lamp allows the light of the first light source part to be incident on the first light guide plate from the first light incident area, radiates the light from the first light radiation area to convert the light into a planar light, and then converts the light into a light advancing in a prescribed direction to light a prescribed area in the interior of the vehicle.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a room lamp including;

a second light guide plate provided integrally with the first light guide plate and having a second light incident area on an end face, a second light radiation area on a flat plate surface of the interior side of the vehicle and a connecting area connected to a side part of the first light guide plate on a side surface; and

a second light source part having a plurality of LED lamps, the LED lamps being opposed to the second light incident area and arranged in an array;

wherein the room lamp allows the light of the second light source part to be incident on the second light guide plate from the second light incident area and radiates the light from the second light radiation area to convert the light into a planar light to light the interior of the vehicle.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the end face having the first light incident area and the end face having the second light incident area are located on the same virtual plane, and the first light source and the second light source are provided on the same base plate.

4. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein a light shield unit is provided in the connecting area.

5. The lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the light shield unit is a slit shaped through hole along the side surface of the first light guide plate.

6. The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the case includes a rib shaped protrusion fitted to the through hole.

7. The lighting device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a vessel provided in the interior side of the vehicle of the prism lens, sandwiches the first light guide plate, the second light guide plate and the prism lens between the case and the vessel and has a frame shaped protrusion for dividing a map lamp light emitting part corresponding to the first light radiation area and a room lamp light emitting part corresponding to the second light radiation area.