Vehicular lighting fixture with non-directional dispersion of light

• US 7,575,349 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rebo Lighting & Electronics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul Worldwide Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucher, Lloyd Keith, Anderson, James Burr Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Anabel
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPINELLA, KEVIN
• Application Number:
  US11/182,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 362/30, 362/84, 362/34, 362/234, 362/20, 362/228, 362/229, 362/230, 362/231, 362/293, 362/604, 362/503, 362/510, 362540-545, 362/800, 362/812, 250/483.1, 250/461.1, 250/462.1, 405/43, 405/42, 405/56, 405/60, 405/64, 405/75, 405/93, 315/77
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles

Abstract

A CHMSL (16) or other lighting system feature of an automobile (10) includes a feature for presenting personal expressions in the form of words or symbols but is automatically deactivated when the regular vehicle lighting system is in use. The personal expression is fixed in a tangible medium by way of phosphor-coated indicia (34) placed within a UV impervious housing (18). A secondary UV light source (36) selectively energizes the phosphor-coated indicia (34) so that the irradiated material glows and is visible through a light transmissive screen (20). The light transmissive screen (20) is provided with a UV blocking agent so that harmful UV rays do not escape the housing (18). The phosphor-coated indicia (34) can be mounted on a removable transparent plate (30), on light dispersion optics (24, 26), or on the inner face of the light transmissive screen (20). A control circuit (42″) manages the primary light source (22) and the secondary UV light source (36) so that only one of the light sources can be energized at any one time.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle having a rearwardly facing exterior surface, said vehicle comprising:

a housing having a light transmissive screen presented in a rearwardly facing direction;

a primary visible light source producing a preponderance of visible light disposed in said housing for projecting visible light along a path toward said light transmissive screen;

phosphor-coated indicia disposed on a non-opaque support surface in said housing and positioned in said light path so that visible light projected by said primary visible light source passes through both said phosphor-coated indicia and said non-opaque support surface on its path toward said light transmissive screen;

a secondary ultraviolet light source producing a preponderance of UV light within said housing and selectively energized for projecting UV light onto said phosphor-coated indicia to produce a visually interesting display through said light transmissive screen to viewers positioned rearwardly of said vehicle;

wherein said phosphor-coated indicia is transparent and substantially invisible in the non-energized state so as to be practically undetectable to an outside observer; and

wherein said vehicle includes a rear window, said light transmissive screen being visible through said rear window and said primary visible light source being operable with a brake light system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said housing is fabricated from a UV impervious material.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said light transmissive screen includes a UV blocking agent.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said light transmissive screen includes an inner surface contained within said housing, said phosphor-coated indicia disposed on said inner surface of said light transmissive screen.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further including a translucent light dispersion member disposed in said light path in said housing.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein said phosphor-coated indicia is disposed on said translucent light dispersion member.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further including a substantially transparent plate disposed in said housing in said light path.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein said phosphor-coated indicia is disposed on said transparent plate.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 further including an interchange mechanism for removably supporting said phosphor-coated indicia within said housing.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 further including a control circuit electrically interconnecting said primary visible light source and said secondary UV light source, said control circuit operative to automatically de-energize said secondary UV light source while simultaneously energizing said primary visible light source.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said primary visible light source includes an array of light emitting diodes.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said secondary UV light source includes a filter for blocking all but a predetermined wave length of UV light.