AMBIENT LIGHTING SYSTEM IN A VEHICLE AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to an ambient lighting device for a vehicle comprising at least one module (2, 20) receiving a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a mounting bracket (3) for attaching the device to a vehicle, a diffuser for the light emitted by the LEDs, the diffuser comprising a main body having an upper part or cover (91) made of a transparent or translucent material, the module (2, 20) receiving a plurality of LEDs being placed under the main body of the diffuser and under the mounting bracket (3), characterized in that a portion (12) of the diffuser and a portion of the mounting bracket (3) define at least one element preventing liquid from infiltrating the LED module (2, 20). The invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with such a device. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: Ambient lighting device in a vehicle and vehicle equipped with such a device DEVICE

[0001] The invention relates to an ambient lighting device in a vehicle and to a vehicle equipped with such a device.

[0002] Here the term vehicle refers to a car, a van, a truck, a public transport vehicle, a piece of public works or agricultural machinery, the vehicle being powered by an electric motor and / or a thermal engine.

[0003] Ambient lighting is frequently found in vehicles, for example in the doors and / or in the passenger compartment and / or on the dashboard. Ambient lighting in a vehicle allows users to benefit from non-glaring interior lighting that does not obstruct the driver's vision, particularly at night. This lighting is provided by light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, advantageously controlled by an electronic module that allows their activation and / or color to be adjusted according to certain actions occurring in the vehicle, for example, opening the doors, using the turn signals, turning on the headlights, turning on the radio, or using the infotainment screen. The acronym LED will henceforth be preferentially used to refer to such diodes.When the lighting is emitted from the instrument panel, the LEDs are positioned behind the portion of the instrument panel visible to the occupants, along with the other electrical, electronic, and / or mechanical components located behind the instrument panel. In other words, the LEDs are situated between the bulkhead separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment and the passenger compartment itself, it being understood that this is also the space into which outside air intake ducts, or more generally, ducts connected to the outside, terminate. US-B-11 872 934 describes ambient lighting provided by a plurality of LEDs positioned behind the instrument panel, with the light being diffused upwards by a diffuser located under a transparent or translucent cover situated at the top of the instrument panel. The LEDs are mounted on a support extending the full length of the instrument panel.WO-A-2020 201 416 discloses a light strip composed of LEDs and arranged along the length of the dashboard. In order to limit the number of LEDs used, and therefore the costs, two light guides facing each other are used, with the light being diffused by both guides, thus allowing optimal illumination with a reduced number of LEDs. These solutions are not optimal with regard to protecting the electrical and / or electronic components of the device against the ingress of liquid or water. Indeed, it turns out that... Due to the position of the LEDs behind the dashboard, water or other liquids may infiltrate the LEDs and / or associated electronic modules, potentially damaging them. This ingress could occur, for example, from the top of the dashboard during cleaning or if a container of liquid placed on top of the dashboard is spilled. Water could also infiltrate from the outside, for instance, through a passage in a duct that runs through the bulkhead and into the passenger compartment. Condensation could also be the cause.

[0004] The invention aims to provide a solution to protect the ambient lighting system from any liquid infiltration, while respecting manufacturing constraints and without significantly increasing the vehicle's mass and manufacturing costs.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to an ambient lighting device in a vehicle comprising at least one module receiving a plurality of light-emitting diodes, a support for fixing the device in a vehicle, a diffuser of the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes, the diffuser comprising a main body provided with an upper part or hood made of a transparent or translucent material, the module receiving a plurality of light-emitting diodes being placed under the main body of the diffuser and under the fixing support, characterized in that a part of the diffuser and a part of the fixing support define at least one element opposing the infiltration of a liquid onto the light-emitting diode module.

[0006] Thanks to the invention, any infiltration of water or liquid into the LED module is prevented in a simple and optimal manner. This ensures the operation of the LEDs while avoiding any risk of electrical and / or electronic failures.

[0007] According to advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects of the invention, such an ambient lighting device may comprise one or more of the following features:

[0008] The device mounting support comprises a front support part and a rear support part, each extending outwards from the module.

[0009] The front support is in the shape of an open V with a first arm comprising an angled end provided with a concave area.

[0010] The part of the diffuser is called the barrier and is in the shape of a Z, a first branch extending downwards from the diffuser towards the module, another branch of greater length being arranged angularly with respect to the first branch at the level of a linking zone between the branches.

[0011] The first branch of the barrier has a folded edge and is substantially parallel to a other branch of the front support.

[0012] The first arm of the barrier is in contact with the first arm of the front support.

[0013] The connection area between the first and second branches of the barrier is angled and opposite the concavity of the angled end of the first branch of the front support.

[0014] The connection area between the first and second branches of the barrier and the concavity of the angled end of the first branch of the front support together define a housing for receiving part of a light guide.

[0015] The invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with an ambient lighting device conforming to any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0016] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] is a simplified three-quarter perspective view of the device conforming to an embodiment of the invention, the dashboard not being illustrated,

[0018] [Fig.2] is a perspective view, at another scale and from the upward-facing side when the device is in place in a vehicle, without the light diffuser and

[0019] [Fig.3] is a simplified and partial cross-sectional view at a larger scale of a part of the device according to the cutting plane III.

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates an ambient lighting device alone, for example, before its installation behind the dashboard of a vehicle. This ambient lighting device, referenced as 1, will be referred to hereafter simply as the device. From the bottom of Figure 1, the device comprises a module, referenced as 2, which is generally rectangular in shape. The module 2 houses a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are not visible and are hereafter referred to by the acronym LED. The module 2 also houses components, which are not visible, for controlling the switching on and off of the LEDs, as well as electrical and / or electronic components necessary for powering the diodes and, for example, for varying their intensity and / or color according to certain parameters such as door opening, headlight activation, ambient light, or other factors.Module 2 is connected to a vehicle power source (not shown), which powers the various components housed within Module 2 and the LEDs. The connection between Module 2 and the power source is made via a connection block 20. The term "block" will be used hereafter. Module 2 is attached, advantageously in a removable manner, to a support component (not shown) fixed to the vehicle and located at the rear of the dashboard panel visible from inside the vehicle. In other words, all the... The constituent elements of the ambient lighting system are placed behind the dashboard and are neither visible nor accessible to vehicle users, access being reserved for professionals who need to intervene for maintenance and / or repairs on the system.

[0021] The device 1 is secured to a vehicle by a mounting bracket comprising two support parts 3 and 4. For ease of reading, the support parts 3 and 4 will be referred to simply as brackets 3 and 4. Bracket 3 is called the front bracket; it is located on the right side of [Fig. 1] and is closest to the visible face of the dashboard when the device 1 is installed in the vehicle. Bracket 3 has a flattened tab positioned on top of the front end 5 of module 2. Bracket 3 is wider than the connection block 20, thus forming a protective element for block 20. Bracket 3 has a free edge 6 configured as a hook oriented upwards when viewed in [Fig. 1]. The shape of edge 6 prevents liquid from falling onto the end 5 and the block 20 of module 2.

[0022] Support 4 is referred to as the rear support and is positioned opposite support 3, namely above a rear end 7 of module 2. Support 4 is generally L-shaped and inclined relative to the main plane of module 2. The shorter arm 8 of the L extends outwards and is oriented downwards and has an opening as seen in [Fig. 1]. Arm 8 allows support 4 to be fixed to a load-bearing part located in the vehicle. It is understood that supports 3 and 4 may have other geometric shapes and / or dimensions than those shown in Figures 1 and 2, depending on the method of attachment chosen, namely by screwing, clipping, or other means.

[0023] The light produced by the LEDs is diffused into the vehicle's interior by a component hereafter referred to as the diffuser and referenced as 9. The diffuser 9 is generally T-shaped in the illustrated embodiment. Alternatively, it may have a different shape and / or dimensions. The leg 11 of the T is located at the end 7 of the module 2. The diffuser 9 comprises a hollow main body 90, visible in [Fig. 2], extending between supports 3 and 4. The main body 90 is capped by a part 91, or cover, made of a transparent or translucent, colorless or colored material, allowing light diffusion while maintaining homogeneous illumination of the lit surfaces. Part 91 is advantageously removable to allow access to the inside of the body 90. The light is diffused in the upper part at least at the level of the bar 10 of the T by the cover 91. Advantageously the body 90 of the diffuser 9 and the supports 3 and 4 are monoblocs.The diffuser 9, therefore the body 90 and the cover 91, is inclined upwards when viewed in [Fig. 1]. This inclination prevents liquid from accumulating on the device 1, the liquid being directed, by gravity, towards the rear of the device and therefore towards the support 4. A portion of the part 91 located in front of the diffuser 9 and subsequently. designated barrier 12, extends, substantially vertically, between the bar 10 and the support 3. The barrier 12 has a length equivalent to the area to be illuminated, namely, for example, the length of the dashboard.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates the interior of the main body 90 of the diffuser 9, without the upper part 91. Note that the main body 90 of the diffuser 9 is positioned laterally relative to the module 2, allowing independent access to these two elements. The interior of the diffuser body 90 houses a light guide, referenced as 13. The light guide 13 is a hollow, tubular element that directs the light emitted by the LEDs from the module 2 to the crossbar 10, along its entire length. The light guide 13 is located under the cover 91 to ensure optimal light diffusion. The light guide 13 ensures a homogeneous distribution of light in the leg 11 and in the bar 10, and therefore across the surface to be illuminated.

[0025] The watertightness of module 2 must be ensured under all circumstances, including that of its electrical and electronic components, while the interior of module 2 must remain accessible. In particular, the connection block 20 must remain free from any liquid ingress. The dissipation of heat generated by the electrical and / or electronic components must also be facilitated. It turns out that water, or more generally a liquid, can flow inside device 1, thus reaching module 2 and block 20. This could be, for example, liquid or water used to clean a part of the passenger compartment or from a container placed on a part of the passenger compartment, for example, the dashboard. It could also be liquid infiltrating through a passage in the partition between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment, or condensation in certain climatic conditions.In addition to the geometric configuration of the edge 6 of the support 3 which directs the evacuation of a liquid falling on the device 1 outwards relative to the module 2, the invention uses two of the constituent elements of the device to optimize the sealing of the module 2 and the block 20 without compromising access to the various constituent elements of the device, without affecting the dissipation of the heat produced in the module 2 and without affecting the configuration of the device 1.

[0026] Figure 3 illustrates in simplified cross-section the solution implemented by the invention. The barrier 12 is generally Z-shaped and comprises, in addition to a first arm 120 extending downwards when viewed from Figure 3, a second arm 121 with a folded edge extending outwards and substantially perpendicular to the main plane of arm 120. Arm 121 is substantially parallel to an arm 32 of edge 3. Its shape allows any liquid present to be directed towards the lateral edges of the device 1. The barrier 12 extends towards the rear of the device, in the direction of the support 4, by means of another arm 122 forming part of the Z. Arm 122 is placed angularly with respect to part 120. It has a length such that it extends beyond the length of module 2.

[0027] The support 3 is generally in the shape of an open V. A first arm 30 is inclined towards the rear of the device, thus facilitating the flow of liquid towards the edge 6. The arm 30 is longer than the arm 32 of the support 3 and terminates in an angled end 31. This angled end 31 has a concave area, the opening of the concavity being oriented upwards when viewed [Fig. 3], therefore oriented towards a connecting area 123 between the arms 120 and 122 of the barrier 12. The area 123 advantageously has a shape and dimensions complementary to those of the angled end 31. The concavity of the angled end 31, together with the part of the area 123 positioned opposite and above the end 31, defines a housing for receiving a portion of the light guide 13, here referenced as 14 and tubular in shape with a circular base. Part 14 is held in position between end 31 and connection area 123.

[0028] The small arm 32 of the support 3 extends horizontally towards the front of the device and terminates at the edge 6. The arm 32 is parallel to the main plane of the module 2. The edge 6 is located downstream of the module 2. The geometric configurations of the support 3 and the barrier 12 prevent liquid from flowing into the device 1, in particular into the module 2. The arm 121 of the barrier 12 and the edge 6 of the support 3 direct the water outwards. The support 3 and the barrier 12 together define at least one element preventing liquid infiltration onto the module 2 and the connection block 20, it being understood that individually the support 3 and the barrier 12 also define an element preventing any liquid infiltration.

[0029] The implementation of double protection, both by the barrier 12 and by the support 3, combined with a complementary geometric configuration of part of these elements optimizes the protection against liquid infiltration into the module 2, while limiting the number of additional parts, without changing the quality of the lighting and without significantly increasing the mass and manufacturing cost of the device.

Claims

Demands

1. Ambient lighting device (1) in a vehicle comprising at least one module (2, 20) receiving a plurality of light-emitting diodes, a support (3, 4) for fixing the device (1) in a vehicle, a diffuser (9) for the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes, the diffuser (9) comprising a main body (90) having an upper part or hood (91) of a transparent or translucent material, the module (2, 20) receiving a plurality of light-emitting diodes being placed under the main body (90) of the diffuser (1) and under the fixing support (3, 4), characterized in that a part (12) of the diffuser (9) and a part (3) of the fixing support (3, 4) define at least one element opposing the infiltration of a liquid onto the module (2, 20) of light-emitting diodes.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (3, 4) for fixing the device (1) comprises a part called front support (3) and a part called rear support (4) each extending outwards from the module (2).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the front support (3) is in the shape of an open V with a first arm (30) comprising an angled end (31) provided with a concave area.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the part (12) of the diffuser (1) is said to be barrier (12) and is in the shape of Z, a first branch (120) extending downwards from the diffuser (1) towards the module (2), another branch (122) of greater length being arranged angularly (123) with respect to the first branch (120) at the level of a linkage zone (123) between the branches (120, 122).

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first arm (120) of the barrier (12) has an edge (121) folded substantially parallel to another arm (32) of the front support (3).

6. Device according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the first arm (120) of the barrier (12) is in contact with the first arm (30) of the front support (3).

7. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection area (123) between the first (120) and second (122) arms of the barrier (12) is bent and opposite the concavity of the bent end (31) of the first arm (30) of the front support (3).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the area of connection (123) between the first (120) and second (122) branches of the barrier (12) and the concavity of the angled end (31) of the first branch (30) of the front support (3) together define a housing for receiving a part (14) of a light guide (13).

9. Vehicle equipped with an ambient lighting device conforming to any one of the preceding claims.

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