Vehicle interior illumination structure

• US 7,210,829 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bennett; Zahra I.
• Application Number:
  US11/200,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 362/489, 362/494, 362/23, 362/30, 362/335, 362/482, 362/70, 362/471, 362/488, 362/503, 280/752
• US Class Current: 362/489
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/33 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;

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; and

said instrument panel is provided with a lower manual operation element disposed adjacent to said step portion 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 is sitting in said front seat visually recognizes said lower manual operation element reflected on said front windshield glass.

2. 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;

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; and

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.

3. 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;

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;

said illumination member being 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 and a side window glass disposed laterally outward of the lateral edge of the instrument panel and laterally inward of said side mirror 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; and

said illumination member has a laterally outward portion with a lower luminance than that of a laterally inward portion thereof.

4. The vehicle interior illumination structure as defined in claim 3, wherein a side mirror is provided at a position laterally outward of the lateral edge of the instrument panel and 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.

5. 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 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 positioned on said step upper surface adjacent to and above said rear edge of said step upper surface, wherein said manual operation element has a higher degree of visibility than that of said step upper surface;

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; and

said step upper surface adjacent to and above said rear edge of said step upper surface where there is no manual operation element being provided above said rear edge is provided with 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. 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 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 and includes a laterally outward portion with a lower luminance than that of a laterally inward portion thereof and is 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.

7. 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;

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; and

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 minor disposed at the side of a vehicle body on the laterally outer side relative to said instrument panel and a side window glass disposed laterally outward of the lateral edge of the instrument panel and laterally inwardly from said side mirror such that a reflected image of a region of said instrument panel illuminated by said illumination member formed on said side window glass at least partially overlaps said side mirror.