Vehicle exterior door handle with illumination device
First Claim
1. An exterior door handle assembly suitable for mounting at a door handle region of a vehicle door, said exterior door handle assembly comprising:
- a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door at which said exterior door handle assembly is mounted, wherein said handle portion has a length dimension and a width dimension, and wherein said length dimension is generally horizontally oriented and said width dimension is generally vertically oriented when said exterior door handle assembly is normally mounted at the door handle region of the vehicle door, and wherein said length dimension is greater than said width dimension;
an illumination device, said illumination device comprising at least one illumination source that, when actuated, emits light;
wherein said illumination device comprises a lighting strip that is disposed at said handle portion, and wherein said lighting strip extends at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion, wherein said lighting strip is disposed at said handle portion such that an end of said lighting strip is at or near an end region of said handle portion;
wherein, when said at least one illumination source is actuated, said lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion by a person viewing said handle portion of said exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door; and
wherein said at least one illumination source is disposed at a circuit board disposed at an end of said handle portion, and wherein, when said circuit board is disposed at said end of said handle portion, said at least one illumination source is positioned at said end of said lighting strip.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exterior door handle assembly includes an illumination device and a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door. The illumination device includes at least one illumination source that, when actuated, emits light. The illumination device includes a lighting strip that is disposed at the handle portion, and the lighting strip extends at least partially along a length dimension of the handle portion. When the illumination source is actuated, the lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along the length dimension of the handle portion by a person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door. When the illumination source is not actuated, the lighting strip may not be readily viewable by and discernible to a person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door.
183 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An exterior door handle assembly suitable for mounting at a door handle region of a vehicle door, said exterior door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door at which said exterior door handle assembly is mounted, wherein said handle portion has a length dimension and a width dimension, and wherein said length dimension is generally horizontally oriented and said width dimension is generally vertically oriented when said exterior door handle assembly is normally mounted at the door handle region of the vehicle door, and wherein said length dimension is greater than said width dimension; an illumination device, said illumination device comprising at least one illumination source that, when actuated, emits light; wherein said illumination device comprises a lighting strip that is disposed at said handle portion, and wherein said lighting strip extends at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion, wherein said lighting strip is disposed at said handle portion such that an end of said lighting strip is at or near an end region of said handle portion; wherein, when said at least one illumination source is actuated, said lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion by a person viewing said handle portion of said exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door; and wherein said at least one illumination source is disposed at a circuit board disposed at an end of said handle portion, and wherein, when said circuit board is disposed at said end of said handle portion, said at least one illumination source is positioned at said end of said lighting strip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An exterior door handle assembly suitable for mounting at a door handle region of a vehicle door, said exterior door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door at which said exterior door handle assembly is mounted, wherein said handle portion has a length dimension and a width dimension, and wherein said length dimension is generally horizontally oriented and said width dimension is generally vertically oriented when said exterior door handle assembly is normally mounted at the door handle region of the vehicle door, and wherein said length dimension is greater than said width dimension; an illumination device, said illumination device comprising at least one illumination source that, when actuated, emits light, wherein said at least one illumination source comprises at least one light emitting diode; wherein said illumination device comprises a lighting strip that is disposed at said handle portion, and wherein said lighting strip extends at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion, wherein said lighting strip is disposed at said handle portion such that an end of said lighting strip is at or near an end region of said handle portion; wherein, when said at least one illumination source is actuated, said lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion by a person viewing said handle portion of said exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door; wherein, when said at least one illumination source is not actuated, said lighting strip is not readily viewable by and discernible to a person viewing said handle portion of said exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door; and wherein said at least one illumination source is disposed at a circuit board disposed at an end of said handle portion, and wherein, when said circuit board is disposed at said end of said handle portion, said at least one illumination source is positioned at said end of said lighting strip. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. An exterior door handle assembly suitable for mounting at a door handle region of a vehicle door, said exterior door handle assembly comprising:
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a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door at which said exterior door handle assembly is mounted, wherein said handle portion has a length dimension and a width dimension, and wherein said length dimension is generally horizontally oriented and said width dimension is generally vertically oriented when said exterior door handle assembly is normally mounted at the door handle region of the vehicle door, and wherein said length dimension is greater than said width dimension; an illumination device, said illumination device comprising at least one light emitting diode that, when actuated, emits light; wherein said illumination device comprises a lighting strip that is disposed at said handle portion, and wherein said lighting strip extends at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion, wherein said lighting strip is disposed at said handle portion such that an end of said lighting strip is at or near an end region of said handle portion; wherein, when said at least one light emitting diode is actuated, said lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along said length dimension of said handle portion by a person viewing said handle portion of said exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door; wherein at least one of (a) said at least one light emitting diode is actuatable responsive to a sensor sensing the presence of a person at said exterior door handle assembly and (b) said at least one light emitting diode is actuatable responsive to a remote transmitting device; and wherein said at least one light emitting diode is disposed at a circuit board disposed at an end of said handle portion, and wherein, when said circuit board is disposed at said end of said handle portion, said at least one light emitting diode is positioned at said end of said lighting strip. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification