Vehicle interior illumination device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle interior lighting device capable of suppressing visibility of the inside of the vehicle interior lighting device and suppressing power consumption.SOLUTION: The vehicle interior lighting device 1 includes a bezel 10, a substrate 20 on which a LED21 for illumination and a LED22 for icon display are disposed, and a design panel 50. A decorative part 53 is formed on the 50a part of the design surface of the design panel 50, and an electrostatic film 30 is arranged on the 50a part of the back surface on the opposite side to the 50b part of the design surface. The decorative part 53 has an illumination part 54 for transmitting light from a LED21 for illumination, and the electrostatic film 30 has a dimming film 32 disposed on a back surface 50b in the illumination part 54 of the design panel 50. The light control film 32 is formed larger than the lighting part 54 of the design panel 50, and the whole lighting part 54 of the design panel 50 is covered with the light control film 32 from the back surface 50b side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle interior lighting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Some vehicles, such as automobiles, are equipped with interior lighting devices, also known as interior lamps. Patent Document 1 describes a transilluminated display panel that can be used in such interior lighting devices. The transilluminated display panel described in Patent Document 1 includes a dimming layer formed by inkjet printing, which allows for extremely easy adjustment of shading and the like. The dimming layer formed by inkjet printing is formed on at least the portion of the rear surface of the substrate that corresponds to the display unit, in order to correct for differences in illuminance of the display unit due to the distance from a light source such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and to adjust the illuminance so that the entire display unit has a uniform intensity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-196709 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the above-mentioned transmitted illumination display panel is used in a vehicle interior lighting device, the lighting section of the vehicle interior lighting device needs to have high transmittance to ensure sufficient illuminance, but when the lighting light source is turned off, vehicle occupants may be able to see inside the vehicle interior lighting device. Also, if the visible light transmittance of the lighting section is set to, for example, 50% in order to create a flush appearance and make the boundary between the lighting section and other sections of the design panel of the vehicle interior lighting device less noticeable, a high current supply is required to intensify the light from the lighting light source.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle interior lighting device that can reduce visibility inside the vehicle interior lighting device and reduce power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An interior lighting device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a bezel fixed to the interior material of a vehicle, a substrate on which a first light source for lighting and a second light source for icon display are arranged, and a design panel attached to the bezel so as to cover the substrate. A decorative portion that decorates the design panel is formed on the design surface of the design panel exposed to the interior of the vehicle, and an electrostatic film electrically connected to the substrate is arranged on the back surface of the design panel opposite the design surface. The decorative portion has an illumination portion that transmits light from the first light source and a display icon portion that transmits light from the second light source. The electrostatic film is arranged on the back surface of the illumination portion of the design panel and has a light control film that changes the transmittance of visible light in accordance with the supply of current from the power source, and a switch electrode that is arranged on the back surface of the display icon portion of the design panel. The light control film is configured so that the transmittance of visible light when not energized is lower than the transmittance of visible light when energized, and the light control film is formed larger than the illumination portion of the design panel, so that the entire illumination portion of the design panel is covered from the back side by the light control film. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle interior lighting device that can suppress visibility inside the vehicle interior lighting device and reduce power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a vehicle interior lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle interior lighting device as seen from a different direction than that of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle interior lighting device. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part B shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the substrate as seen from the rear side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrostatic film as seen from the front side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrostatic film as seen from the rear side. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of part C shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the LED corresponding to part C in FIG. 4 when lit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The vehicle interior lighting device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] The vehicle interior lighting device 1 according to this embodiment can be applied to an illumination lamp for interior lighting of a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the vehicle interior lighting device 1 includes a bezel 10, a substrate 20, an electrostatic film 30, and a design panel 50.

[0012] The bezel 10 is fixed to an interior material of the vehicle (for example, a ceiling panel). The bezel 10 integrally comprises a rectangular frame-shaped bezel main body 11 and a back portion 12 formed on the back side of the bezel main body 11. The back portion 12 of the bezel 10 is formed with a connector housing portion 13 that houses a PCB connector 24 (described later), and the connector housing portion 13 is formed with an opening 14 through which a portion of the PCB connector 24 housed in the connector housing portion 13 is exposed. In addition, the outer surface of the bezel main body 11 is formed with a locking protrusion 15 that locks with a locking frame portion 52 of a design panel 50 (described later).

[0013] An LED 21 serving as a first light source for illumination and an LED 22 serving as a second light source for icon display are arranged on the front side of the substrate 20. In addition, electronic components (not shown) for causing the LEDs 21 and 22 to emit light, such as a PCB connector 24 and an FPC connector 25, are arranged on the substrate 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 6). In this embodiment, one LED 21 for illumination and one LED 22 for icon display are arranged. However, this is not limited to this, and a plurality of LEDs 21 for illumination and a plurality of LEDs 22 for icon display may be arranged. The LEDs 21 and 22 are each configured to emit light by electricity supplied from a power source on the vehicle side through the PCB connector 24.

[0014] The design panel 50 is attached to the bezel 10 so as to cover the substrate 20. The design panel 50 has a transparent or translucent panel main body 51. A decorative portion 53, such as a decorative film or paint, that decorates the design panel 50 is applied to a design surface 50a of the panel main body 51 that is exposed to the interior of the vehicle. Meanwhile, an electrostatic film 30 electrically connected to the substrate 20 is attached to a back surface 50b of the panel main body 51 opposite the design surface 50a. The decorative portion 53 has an illumination portion 54 that transmits light from the illumination LEDs 21 and a display icon portion 55 that transmits light from the icon display LEDs 22. In addition, a locking frame portion 52 that locks onto the locking protrusions 15 of the bezel 10 is integrally formed on the edge of the panel main body 51.

[0015] The electrostatic film 30 has a film body 31. On the front side of this film body 31, there are arranged a light control film 32 that changes the transmittance of visible light in response to the supply of current from a power source on the vehicle side, and a switch electrode 33 that causes the display icon section 55 to function as a touch switch (see FIG. 7). In addition, the film body 31 has a first opening 41 formed in a position corresponding to the LED 21 for illumination, and a second opening 42 formed in a position corresponding to the LED 22 for icon display (see FIG. 8).

[0016] A light-controlling film 32 is disposed on the back side of the first opening 41 of the film body 31 so as to cover the first opening 41, and a connection electrode 32a is connected to this light-controlling film 32. Furthermore, a switch electrode 33 is disposed on the back side of the second opening 42 of the film body 31 along the edge of the second opening 42, and a connection electrode 33a is connected to this switch electrode 33. The connection electrode 32a of the light-controlling film 32 and the connection electrode 33a of the switch electrode 33 are electrically connected to a connection portion 34 to which an FPC connector 25 is connected. The electrostatic film 30 is electrically connected to the substrate 20 by the FPC connector 25, and current is supplied from a power source on the vehicle side through a PCB connector 24 mounted on the substrate 20.

[0017] The light control film 32 is configured so that its visible light transmittance when not energized (when the LEDs 21 are off) is lower than its visible light transmittance when energized (when the LEDs 21 are on). The light control film 32 is formed larger than the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50, and the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 is entirely covered by the light control film 32 from the back surface 50b side. That is, as shown in FIG. 9 , the size (width W1) of the light control film 32 is formed larger than the size (width W2) of the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 (width W1 > width W2). Furthermore, the visible light transmittance of the light control film 32 when not energized (when the LEDs 21 are off) may be, for example, approximately 0% to 5%. On the other hand, the visible light transmittance of the light control film 32 when energized (when the LEDs 21 are on) may be, for example, approximately 60% to 70%.

[0018] The components (substrate 20, design panel 50) are assembled to the bezel 10 to form the interior lighting device 1 shown in FIGS.

[0019] In this embodiment, the icon display LED 22 is configured to emit light in conjunction with the start-up of the vehicle and to be turned on when the vehicle is started. On the other hand, the lighting LED 21 is configured to be switched between an off state and an on state in response to an operation (touch operation) on the display icon section 55 on the back side of which the switch electrode 33 is arranged. The light control film 32 is configured to be de-energized when the lighting LED 21 is in the off state and to be energized when the lighting LED 21 is in the on state.

[0020] The icon display LED 22 may be controlled to emit light in different colors when the illumination LED 21 is turned on and off. That is, the icon display LED 22 may be configured to emit light in different colors when the illumination LED 21 is turned on and off.

[0021] The lighting section 54 and the display icon section 55 in the decorative section 53 of the design panel 50 are transparent or translucent, and the rest of the decorative section 53 of the design panel 50 other than the lighting section 54 and the display icon section 55 is black. On the other hand, the light control film 32 is black when not energized and transparent or translucent when energized.

[0022] In the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the light control film 32 is formed larger than the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50, and the entire lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 is covered by the light control film 32 from the back surface 50b side (see FIG. 5). By configuring the light control film 32 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the vehicle occupant P from seeing the inside of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off (see FIG. 9). In addition, the transmittance of visible light in the lighting section 54 can be set high. This eliminates the need to supply a high current to increase the output of the lighting LEDs 21, thereby reducing power consumption and making it possible to prevent excessive heat generation and energy loss in the substrate 20.

[0023] That is, when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off, the light-control film 32 on the back surface 50b is in an opaque black state, so the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 appears black. Also, the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 is entirely covered from the back surface 50b by the light-control film 32, which is formed larger than the lighting section 54. Therefore, regardless of the field of view E of the vehicle occupant P, even when the occupant P looks at the lighting section 54 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 from an angle, the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 also appears black (see FIG. 9). Therefore, in the design panel 50 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the boundary between the lighting section 54 and other parts can be made less noticeable, making it possible to suppress a decrease in the sense of flatness.

[0024] In such a vehicle interior lighting device 1, when a vehicle occupant P touches the display icon portion 55 of the design panel 50 or a portion near the display icon portion 55, the switch electrode 33 reacts and electricity flows through the light control film 32. This causes the light control film 32 to change from the same black state as the decorative portion 53 of the design panel 50 to transparent or translucent. At the same time that the light control film 32 changes to transparent or translucent, the lighting LED 21 lights up, and light L from the LED 21 is irradiated into the vehicle interior through the lighting portion 54 of the design panel 50 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0025] As described above, the vehicle interior lighting device 1 according to this embodiment includes a bezel 10 fixed to the interior material of the vehicle and a substrate 20 on which a first light source (LED 21) for illumination and a second light source (LED 22) for icon display are arranged. The vehicle interior lighting device 1 also includes a design panel 50 attached to the bezel 10 so as to cover the substrate 20. A decorative portion 53 that decorates the design panel 50 is formed on a design surface 50a of the design panel 50 that is exposed to the interior of the vehicle. An electrostatic film 30 electrically connected to the substrate 20 is arranged on a back surface 50b of the design panel 50 opposite the design surface 50a. The decorative portion 53 includes an illumination portion 54 that transmits light L from the first light source (LED 21) and a display icon portion 55 that transmits light from the second light source (LED 22). The electrostatic film 30 is arranged on the back surface 50b of the illumination portion 54 of the design panel 50 and includes a light control film 32 that changes the transmittance of visible light in response to the supply of current from a power source. The electrostatic film 30 has a switch electrode 33 arranged on the back surface 50b of the display icon portion 55 of the design panel 50. The light control film 32 is configured so that its transmittance for visible light when not energized is lower than its transmittance when energized. The light control film 32 is formed larger than the lighting portion 54 of the design panel 50, and the entire lighting portion 54 of the design panel 50 is covered by the light control film 32 from the back surface 50b side.

[0026] In the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the light control film 32 is formed larger than the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50, and the entire lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 is covered by the light control film 32 from the back surface 50b side (see FIG. 5). By configuring the light control film 32 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the vehicle occupant P from seeing the inside of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off (see FIG. 9). In addition, the transmittance of visible light in the lighting section 54 can be set high. This eliminates the need to supply a high current to increase the output of the lighting LEDs 21, thereby reducing power consumption and preventing excessive heat generation and energy loss in the substrate 20.

[0027] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a vehicle interior lighting device 1 that can suppress visibility inside the vehicle interior lighting device 1 and also suppress power consumption.

[0028] In the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the second light source (LED 22) may be configured to light up when the vehicle is started, and the first light source (LED 21) may be configured to switch between an off state and an on state in response to an operation on the switch electrode 33. The light control film 32 may be configured to be de-energized when the first light source (LED 21) is in the off state, and to be energized when the first light source (LED 21) is in the on state.

[0029] By configuring the light control film 32 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the vehicle occupant P from seeing the interior of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off (see FIG. 9). That is, when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off, the light control film 32 on the back surface 50b is in an opaque black state, so the lighting unit 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 appears black. In addition, the lighting unit 54 of the design panel 50 is entirely covered from the back surface 50b by the light control film 32, which is formed larger than the lighting unit 54. Therefore, regardless of the field of view E of the vehicle occupant P, even when the occupant P looks at the lighting unit 54 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 from an angle, the lighting unit 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 appears black (see FIG. 9). Therefore, in the design panel 50 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the boundary between the lighting unit 54 and other parts can be made less noticeable, making it possible to prevent a sense of flatness from being reduced.

[0030] In the vehicle interior lighting device 1, the lighting section 54 and the display icon section 55 in the decorative section 53 of the design panel 50 are transparent or translucent, and the portion of the decorative section 53 of the design panel 50 other than the lighting section 54 and the display icon section 55 may be black. The light control film 32 is black when not energized, and may be transparent or translucent when energized.

[0031] In this embodiment, when the lighting LEDs 21 are turned off, the light-control film 32 on the back surface 50b is in an opaque black state, so the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 appears black. Furthermore, the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 is entirely covered from the back surface 50b by the light-control film 32, which is larger than the lighting section 54. Therefore, regardless of the field of view E of the vehicle occupant P, even when the occupant P looks at the lighting section 54 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 from an angle, the lighting section 54 of the design panel 50 appears black, and the entire design panel 50 also appears black (see FIG. 9 ). Therefore, the boundary between the lighting section 54 and other parts of the design panel 50 of the vehicle interior lighting device 1 can be made less noticeable, making it possible to prevent a sense of flushness from being lost.

[0032] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Vehicle interior lighting system 10 Bezel 20 PCB 21 LEDs for lighting 22 LED for icon display 30 Electrostatic Film 32 Light control film 33 Switch electrode 50 Design Panel 50a Design surface 50b back side 53 Decoration Department 54 Lighting Department 55 Display icon section L light W1 Width of light control film W2 Width of lighting section

Claims

1. a bezel fixed to an interior material of a vehicle; a substrate on which a first light source for illumination and a second light source for icon display are disposed; a design panel attached to the bezel so as to cover the substrate; A decorative portion that decorates the design panel is formed on a design surface of the design panel that is exposed to the interior of the vehicle, and an electrostatic film electrically connected to the substrate is disposed on a back surface of the design panel opposite to the design surface, the decorative portion includes an illumination portion that transmits light from the first light source and a display icon portion that transmits light from the second light source; The electrostatic film is disposed on the back surface of the lighting section of the design panel and includes a light control film that changes the transmittance of visible light in response to the supply of current from a power source, and a switch electrode that is disposed on the back surface of the display icon section of the design panel, The light-control film is configured so that the transmittance of visible light when not energized is lower than the transmittance of visible light when energized, The light control film is formed larger than the lighting portion of the design panel, and the entire lighting portion of the design panel is covered by the light control film from the back side. Vehicle interior lighting system.

2. The second light source is configured to be illuminated when the vehicle is started; the first light source is configured to be switched between an off state and an on state in response to an operation on the switch electrode; The light control film is configured to be de-energized when the first light source is in an off state, and to be energized when the first light source is in an on state. The vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1 .

3. The lighting unit and the display icon unit in the decorative portion of the design panel are transparent or semi-transparent, The decorative portion of the design panel is black except for the lighting portion and the display icon portion. The light-control film is black when not energized and transparent or translucent when energized.

3. The vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images