SELECTIVE LIGHTING DEVICE FOR A CONSOLE IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a selective lighting device for a communication console installed in a motor vehicle, said device comprising a base (2) for supporting at least one light source (3) connected to a printed circuit board (3), an upper light-diffusing wall (1) covering said base, and a light signal transmission element (4) from the light source disposed at the periphery of the diffusion wall, characterized in that said light-diffusing wall (1) has at least one area (11, 12) projecting radially inwards so as to increase the concentration of light in the transmission element (4). Abstract figure (Fig. 2)

Description

Title of the invention: Selective lighting device for an on-board console in a motor vehicle

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to means of lighting the passenger compartment of motor vehicles and is interested, more particularly, in a selective lighting device for on-board electronic equipment such as a communication console.

[0002] Generally speaking, the current trend in design is to increase the brightness of daytime running lights for interior components while providing the driver and passengers with selective light signals depending on who is using these components. This approach leads to optimizing the concentration of light on the visible surfaces of these components and, in particular, on the means of transmitting the light signal.

[0003] Ambient lighting devices already exist in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles, allowing the brightness to be varied according to different driving situations (variable illumination of a strip, for example). Furthermore, it is known to locally give a "V" shape to the surface of a light guide in order to improve the transmission efficiency of a light beam to the surface to be illuminated.

[0004] Thus, US patent 10538203 describes a vehicle rearview mirror comprising a light indicator whose lighting (brightness and color...) changes to transmit information.

[0005] Patent EP3411662 describes, for its part, a passenger compartment lighting device which illuminates locally on certain parts and in a specific way (light intensity, color) in order to indicate, in particular, the presence of a person outside the vehicle.

[0006] Furthermore, patent FR3090523 describes a lighting device comprising a first light guide for lighting located on the axis of a light beam and a second light guide for delimiting another light beam in space. According to one embodiment of this device, the first light guide has a truncated cylindrical reflecting face.

[0007] However, these devices are neither suitable nor intended to selectively modify the lighting of an element of the passenger compartment according to the person who is communicating via an on-board hands-free telephone console.

[0008] In this context, the invention sought a solution which, in its most general aspect, makes it possible to resolve in a simple way the technical problems posed by known lighting devices while optimizing the quality of the emitted light. selectively. In particular, the improvement of the invention aims to increase the concentration and intensity of lighting in light transmission areas during daytime hours.

[0009] This goal is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a selective lighting device for a communication console embedded in a motor vehicle, said device comprising a support base for at least one light source connected to a printed circuit board, a light diffusion upper wall covering said base and a light signal transmission element from the light source disposed at the periphery of the diffusion wall, characterized in that said light diffusion wall has at least one area projecting radially inwards so as to increase the concentration of light in the transmission element.

[0010] According to an advantageous feature of the lighting device of the invention, the light source is mounted on the base in the axis of the radially protruding area.

[0011] Preferably, the light source is mounted at a distance of about 3mm from the light signal transmission element.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the diffusion wall has two symmetrical protruding zones delimiting an intercalated empty space.

[0013] According to a specific embodiment, the light signal transmission element is formed of a cylindrical strip whose segment oriented towards the interior of the vehicle is transparent to light.

[0014] Preferably, this transparent segment of the cylindrical strip is divided into two adjacent half-segments transmitting different light signals depending on the console user.

[0015] According to another advantageous feature, the radially projecting area has a convex triangular profile.

[0016] According to yet another feature of the invention, the lighting device includes a protective cover mounted on the base above the diffusion wall.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the light source comprises at least one LED, that is to say a light-emitting diode, known by the acronym "led", (light-emitting diode).

[0018] Another object of the invention is a motor vehicle equipped with a communication console fitted with the selective lighting device as defined above.

[0019] Thus, in principle, the invention proposes an improvement of traditional lighting devices coupled to on-board electronic consoles and, in particular, those intended for hands-free telecommunications from the passenger compartment of motor vehicles.

[0020] The lighting device of the invention makes it possible to optimize the surface area of ​​the light diffusion means which tend to attenuate the light signal and thus solve the problem of the lack of light intensity of traditional lighting which often lacks visibility, especially during the day.

[0021] In addition, the invention has an economic advantage by minimizing the number of light sources (in particular LEDs) needed to obtain a satisfactory light intensity.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying figures, for which:

[0023] [Fig. 1] is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention.

[0024] [Fig.2] is a rear view of the lighting device of [Fig.1].

[0025] [Fig.3] is a top view of the lighting device of [Fig.1] with its cover.

[0026] [Fig.4] is a bottom view of the lighting device of [Fig.1].

[0027] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by symbols identical reference points across all figures.

[0028] Naturally, the embodiments of the invention schematically illustrated in the figure above and described below are given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided for in the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined to create others.

[0029] The invention relates to the general field of lighting for electronic equipment installed in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles and is particularly concerned with mobile telecommunications consoles integrated into the dashboard. The lighting device of the invention is intended to provide selective illumination of such a console (not shown) used for hands-free telecommunications for the driver and passengers.

[0030] The device of the invention is mounted near the console and sends a light signal into the passenger compartment. Communications initiated by the driver or passengers of the vehicle cause the device to illuminate with a specific color (for example, blue), while received communications result in a different light signal (for example, green).

[0031] This device comprises, respectively and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4, a base 2 for supporting at least one light source 3 (for example, one or more LEDs) connected to a printed circuit board (PCB), an upper light-diffusing wall 1 covering the base 2, and a transmission element 4 for a light signal from the light source 3. The transmission element 4 is located at the periphery of the diffusion wall 1. The printed circuit board is integrated into the base 2.

[0032] The improvement brought about by the invention consists in the fact that the upper light-diffusing wall 1 has at least one area projecting radially inwards. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by [Fig. 1], the wall 1 comprises two symmetrical radially projecting areas 11, 12 which have a convex shape and which delimit an intervening void 10. The areas 11, 12 of the diffusion wall have a convex triangular profile.

[0033] This configuration makes it possible to significantly increase the concentration of light in the transmission element 4 and thus improve the daytime visibility of the light signal.

[0034] The light source comprises at least one LED, and here each two LEDs 31, 32 which are mounted on the base 2 in the axis of their corresponding zone 11, 12 and, preferably, positioned towards the front of the device at a distance of about 3mm from the light signal transmission element 4.

[0035] The light signal transmission element 4 is formed of a cylindrical strip, the segment 40 of which, oriented towards the interior of the vehicle, is transparent to light. Preferably, this transparent segment 40 is divided into two adjacent half-segments transmitting different light signals depending on the user of the telecommunications console.

[0036] The lighting device of the invention further comprises a protective cover 5 mounted on the base 2 above the diffusion wall 1.

Claims

Demands

1. Selective lighting device for a communication console mounted in a motor vehicle, said device comprising a base (2) for supporting at least one light source (3) connected to a printed circuit board, an upper light-diffusing wall (1) covering said base and a light signal transmission element (4) from the light source disposed at the periphery of the diffusion wall, characterized in that the transmission element (4) is formed of a cylindrical strip whose segment (40) oriented towards the interior of the vehicle is transparent to light, said light-diffusing wall (1) having at least one radially projecting area (11, 12) inwards with a convex triangular profile so as to increase the concentration of light in the transmission element (4), the light source (3) being mounted on the base (2) in the axis of the radially projecting area (11, 12).

2. Selective lighting device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the light source (3) is mounted at a distance of approximately 3mm from the light signal transmission element (4).

3. Selective lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diffusion wall (1) has two symmetrical protruding zones (11, 12) delimiting an intercalated empty space (10).

4. Selective lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transparent segment (40) of the cylindrical strip is divided into two adjacent half-segments transmitting different light signals.

5. Selective lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a protective cover (5) mounted on the base (2) above the diffusion wall (1).

6. Selective lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (3) comprises at least one LED.

7. Motor vehicle equipped with a communication console fitted with the selective lighting device according to one of the preceding claims.

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