LIGHTING DEVICE FOR ILLUMINATING TWO LOCATIONS IN A GRIPPING AREA OF A VEHICLE DOOR

Abstract

A lighting device (DE), on the one hand, is part of a door fitted to a vehicle and comprising a zone having a sub-part comprising a gripping recess, and, on the other hand, comprises: - a source (SP) generating photons for a diffusion part (GL1) comprising a front face (FV1) delivering these photons at an edge of this zone, - a light guide (GL2) transferring the generated photons to an input (E1) of the diffusion part (GL1), and - a photon collector (CP) collecting photons present in a sub-part (SPG) of the light guide (GL2), located substantially at the gripping recess, to deliver them at the sub-part of the zone to illuminate the gripping recess. Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: LIGHTING DEVICE FOR ILLUMINATING TWO LOCATIONS IN A GRIPPING AREA OF A VEHICLE DOOR Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to lighting devices intended to form part of a vehicle door comprising an area to be illuminated in two places. State of the art

[0002] Certain vehicles, generally of the automobile type, comprise at least one door which comprises an area, generally delimited by a trim piece, and comprising a lower sub-part comprising a gripping recess allowing a user to pull or push the door to close or open it.

[0003] Some of these doors also include a lighting device arranged in so as to illuminate their aforementioned area in two places, namely at one edge, and at the grip hollow (so that the user can easily find the latter, particularly in the dark).

[0004] Currently, this type of lighting device notably comprises a diffusion part (sometimes called an “ice cube”) installed at the edge of the zone and supplied with photons by a first photon source, and a second photon source delivering photons to illuminate the gripping recess, generally via an opening defined in the trim part. Such an arrangement results in an increase in the space requirement behind the trim part, even though free space is generally scarce, which complicates the design and installation of the lighting device. In addition, this arrangement contributes to increasing the weight of the vehicle and therefore its driving energy consumption.

[0005] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention

[0006] It proposes in particular for this purpose a lighting device, on the one hand, intended to be part of a door suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising a zone having a sub-part comprising a gripping recess, and, on the other hand, comprising a source suitable for generating photons for a diffusion part comprising a front face suitable for delivering these photons at an edge of this zone.

[0007] This lighting device is characterized by the fact that it also comprises:

[0008] - a light guide capable of transferring the generated photons to an entrance of the room of diffusion, and

[0009] - a photon collector suitable for collecting photons present in a sub- part of the light guide, intended to be located substantially at the level of the gripping hollow, to deliver them at the level of the sub-part of the area to illuminate the gripping hollow.

[0010] Thanks to the invention, a single photon source is sufficient to provide illumination at two distant locations in the door area, which makes it possible to reduce the space behind this area and to make the design and installation of the lighting device less complex.

[0011] The lighting device according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0012] - a part of the photon collector, through which the collected photons are delivered, may be intended to be housed in a defined opening in a room delimiting the door area;

[0013] - the photon collector can be an integral part of the light guide;

[0014] - the sub-part of the light guide may comprise, on a rear face opposite the photon collector, three-dimensional elements which are capable of acting on a portion of the photons which reach them to cause a distribution of these photons in the photon collector;

[0015] - in the presence of the last option, the three-dimensional elements can be grooves;

[0016] - in the presence of the last sub-option, the grooves can be parallel between they are intended to be placed vertically in the door.

[0017] The invention also proposes a door suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising an area having a sub-part comprising a gripping recess and a lighting device of the type presented above.

[0018] For example, this door may also comprise a part delimiting its zone and to which the lighting device is fixedly secured. In this case, its part may, for example, comprise an opening in which is housed a part of the photon collector of the lighting device, through which the collected photons are delivered into the zone.

[0019] The invention also proposes a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising at least one door of the type presented above. Brief description of the figures

[0020] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings (obtained for the most part in CAD / CAM (“Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Drawing”)), in which:

[0021] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, an example of a part (covering) intended to be part of a door of a vehicle, delimiting a gripping zone, and to which a lighting device according to the invention is secured,

[0022] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, an exemplary embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, the lighting device of [Fig.2] without its fixing part, and

[0024] [Fig.4] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the rear face side, a sub-part of the light guide of the lighting device of figures 2 and 3, comprising the photon collector. Detailed description of the invention

[0025] The invention aims in particular to propose a lighting device DE making it possible to illuminate with a single source of photons SP two distant locations of a gripping zone ZP of a door PV of a vehicle.

[0026] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the PV door is intended to equip a vehicle of the automobile type, such as for example a car. But the PV door can equip any vehicle which must include at least one door having a gripping area for a user, and therefore a land vehicle, a boat, or an aircraft.

[0027] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates an example of a part PZ intended to be part of a PV door of a vehicle, delimiting a gripping zone ZP, and to which a lighting device DE according to the invention is secured. It will be noted that the part PZ can contribute to the cladding of the PV door. But it could also be covered with an added skin, for example.

[0028] The gripping zone ZP has a (lower) sub-part SPZ comprising a gripping recess PO allowing a user to pull or push the door PV to close or open it.

[0029] As illustrated at least partially in Figures 2 and 3, a lighting device DE, according to the invention, comprises at least a single photon source SP, a diffusion part GL1 (sometimes called an “ice cube”), a light guide GL2, and a photon collector CP.

[0030] The photon source SP is arranged so as to generate photons for the diffusion part GL1, but also for the photon collector CP (as will be seen later). For example, this photon source SP may comprise at least one light-emitting diode (or LED). But as a variant it could comprise at least one laser diode or a gas laser, for example.

[0031] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the light guide GL2 is coupled to the photon source SP and to the diffusion part GL1. It is arranged so as to transfer the photons generated by the photon source SP to an input El of the diffusion room GL1.

[0032] The diffusion part GL1 comprises a front face FV1 which is suitable for delivering the photons which it receives at its input El at an edge BZ of the gripping zone ZP. This diffusion part GL1 can, for example, be made of polycarbonate (or PC), possibly transparent (or crystal-colored).

[0033] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 1 to 3, the edge BZ is intended to be installed substantially vertically relative to the PV door and therefore relative to the vehicle. But in an alternative embodiment (not illustrated) the edge BZ could be intended to be installed substantially horizontally relative to the PV door and therefore relative to the vehicle, for example.

[0034] It will also be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 2 and 3 the inlet E1 of the diffusion part GL1 is located in the lower part of the latter (GL1). But in an alternative embodiment (not illustrated) the inlet E1 of the diffusion part GL1 could be located in the upper part of the latter (GL1), or even in an intermediate part located between its lower and upper parts, for example.

[0035] The photon collector CP is arranged so as to collect photons which are present in a sub-part SPG of the light guide GL2, which is intended to be located substantially at the level of the gripping hollow PO, to deliver them at the level of the sub-part SPZ of the gripping zone ZP, in order to illuminate the gripping hollow PO.

[0036] It will be understood that a portion of the photons which are directed towards the entrance El of the diffusion part GL1 exit at the level of the sub-part SPG of the light guide GL2 and are collected by the photon collector CP which finally delivers it at the level of its front face FV2 so that it illuminates the gripping recess PO so that the user can easily find the latter (PO), in particular in the dark.

[0037] Thus, with a single photon source SP it is now possible to provide lighting at two distant locations in the gripping zone ZP. This is advantageous because it makes it possible to reduce the space requirement behind the part PZ, to make the design and installation of the lighting device DE less complex, and to reduce the weight of the vehicle and therefore its driving energy consumption.

[0038] For example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 1], a part of the photon collector CP, through which the collected photons are delivered, may be intended to be housed in an opening OP defined in the part PZ delimiting the gripping zone ZP. It will be noted that in the figures the photons exit the photon collector CP through a front face FV2 oriented towards the gripping zone ZP.

[0039] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 3 and 4, the The CP photon collector can be an integral part of the GL2 light guide. It then constitutes a kind of "lateral outgrowth" of the SPG sub-part of the GL2 light guide. In this case, the GL2 light guide (with its CP photon collector) can be made by molding. But in an alternative embodiment, it could be envisaged that the CP photon collector is attached to the GL2 light guide at the level of its SPG sub-part, for example by gluing.

[0040] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 4], the sub-part SPG of the light guide GL2 may comprise three-dimensional elements ET on its rear face FR2 opposite the photon collector CP (and therefore opposite its face through which the photons joining the latter (CP) exit). These three-dimensional elements ET are arranged so as to act on a portion of the photons which reach them (and therefore which are being transferred to the input El of the diffusion part GL), in order to cause a distribution of these photons in the photon collector CP. This makes it possible to avoid the creation of a “hot spot” at the level of the sub-part SPG and therefore that only a portion of the gripping hollow PO is illuminated by an intense beam.

[0041] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig.4], the three-dimensional elements ET can be grooves defined at the rear face FR2 of the sub-part SPG. But any other type of three-dimensional element capable of causing a distribution of the photons can be envisaged.

[0042] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig.4], the ET grooves can be parallel to each other and intended to be placed vertically in the PV gate. The ET grooves are therefore (here) defined perpendicular to the average propagation direction of the photons in the SPG sub-part of the GL2 light guide. But this is not an obligation. Indeed, a slight deviation from 90° can be envisaged.

[0043] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 4], the three-dimensional elements ET (here grooves) can have different dimensions. Preferably, and as illustrated, the closer one gets to the input El, the greater the dimension (here vertical) of the three-dimensional elements ET. Thus, as statistically the number of photons, still available in the SPG sub-part of the light guide GL2, decreases when one gets closer to the input El, the more the vertical dimension increases the more one tends to have a roughly constant probability of interaction with the photons, which makes it possible to have a substantially homogeneous distribution of photons collected in the photon collector CP.

[0044] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 2], the lighting device DE can also comprise a fixing part PF to which the photon source SP, the diffusion part GL1 and the guide are fixedly secured. of light GL2, and which is intended to be fixedly secured to the part PZ, for example by screwing and / or riveting and / or clipping. Here the fixing part PF has an L-shaped bracket in order to allow the fixing of the light guide GL2 and the photon source SP on its horizontal part and of the diffusion part GL1 on its vertical part. But it could have other shapes.

[0045] It will be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in [Fig. 2], that the lighting device DE may also comprise at least one protective part PT arranged so as to protect, by surrounding them, the light guide GL2 and the photon collector CP (except its front face FV2), as well as possibly the photon source SP. This protective part PT is fixedly secured to the fixing part PF.

Claims

Claims

1. Lighting device (DE) for a door (PV) suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising a zone (ZP) having a sub-part (SPZ) comprising a gripping recess (PP), said lighting device (DE) comprising a source (SP) suitable for generating photons for a diffusion part (GL1) comprising a front face (FV1) suitable for delivering these photons at an edge (BZ) of said zone (ZP), characterized in that it further comprises i) a light guide (GL2) suitable for transferring said generated photons to an inlet (El) of said diffusion part (GL1), and ii) a photon collector (CP) suitable for collecting photons present in a sub-part (SPG) of said light guide (GL2), intended to be located substantially at the level of said gripping recess (PP), to deliver them at the level of said sub-part (SPZ) of the zone (ZP) to illuminate said gripping cavity (PP).

2. Lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of said photon collector (CP), through which said collected photons are delivered, is intended to be housed in an opening (OP) defined in a part (PZ) delimiting said zone (ZP).

3. Lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said photon collector (CP) is an integral part of said light guide (GL2).

4. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said sub-part (SPG) of the light guide (GL2) comprises, on a rear face (FR2) opposite said photon collector (CP), three-dimensional elements (ET) capable of acting on a portion of the photons which reach them to cause a distribution of these photons in said photon collector (CP).

5. Lighting device according to claim 4, characterized in that said three-dimensional elements (ET) are grooves.

6. Lighting device according to claim 5, characterized in that said grooves (ET) are parallel to each other and intended to be placed vertically in said door (PV).

7. Door (PV) suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising a zone (ZP) having a sub-part (SPZ) comprising a gripping recess (PP), characterized in that it further comprises a lighting device (DE) according to one of claims 1 to 6.

8. Door according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a part (PZ) delimiting said zone (ZP) and to which said lighting device (DE) is fixedly attached.

9. Door according to claim 8, characterized in that said part (PZ) comprises an opening (OP) in which is housed a part of said photon collector (CP) of the lighting device (DE), through which said collected photons are delivered into said zone (ZP).

10. Vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one door (PV) according to one of claims 7 to 9.

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