Illuminator of door outside handle for vehicle

• US 8,851,720 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLEN, ALEXANDER K
• Application Number:
  US13/295,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20120127746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 362/501
• US Class Current: 362/501
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/16 a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part

Abstract

An illuminator of a door outside handle for a vehicle may perform both a function of a light source and a light guiding function. The illuminator may further employ a light guide having a mood lamp function on an inner surface of the door outside handle and a top LED combined with the light guide to illuminate the outer panel together with the illuminator, making it possible to enhance a product value due to realization of various illumination effects. The illuminator of a door outside handle for a vehicle can be turned on or off through various operation logics by employing multiple different illumination methods where lights of different colors can be realized according to the operation condition, making it possible to enhance product value.

Claims

1. An illuminator of a door outside handle for a vehicle, comprising:

a case installed within a handle housing mounted on an outer panel;

a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) installed at a rear end of the case;

a Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulb that is mounted on the handle housing, located on an opposite side of the outer panel, supported while being electrically connected to the PCB, and has a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the LED bulb is configured to perform both a function of a light source and a function of a guiding light through a length thereof extending from the PCB to a surface of the handle housing, and wherein, when a light is irradiated from the LED bulb, the light directly illuminates the outer panel;

a top LED installed at one side of the PCB and electrically connected to the PCB; and

a light guide disposed lengthwise along an outer line contour of an inner grip of the handle housing,

wherein an end of the light guide contacts or gets close to the top LED, and the light guide is configured to have one side surface thereof exposed at a border line between the handle housing and the inner grip and to illuminate a light from the top LED to the outer panel.

2. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED bulb is inserted within and supported by a guide aperture formed in the case and an end of the LED bulb extends to the surface of the handle housing.

3. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the light guide includes an LED introducing part protruding from a rear side thereof at one end thereof contacting the top LED so that the light guide contacts the top LED using the LED introducing part.

4. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED bulb and the top LED emit lights of different colors such that the LED bulb is turned on first when an unlocking operation is performed through a remote controller and the top LED is turned off when a locking operation is performed through the remote controller while the remote controller is within a radius of approximately 0.7 to 1 m of a vehicle.

5. The illuminator of claim 4, wherein the LED bulb emits a white light and the top LED emits an orange light.

6. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED bulb emits lights of different colors.

7. The illuminator of claim 6, wherein the LED bulb emits a white light and an orange light.