Vehicle cargo area lighting structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle cargo compartment structure that prevents light emitted from the lighting unit from easily entering the eyes of occupants or people standing to the side of the vehicle, while still allowing for bright illumination to the rear end of the cargo compartment. [Solution] A vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure 1 comprises a finish plate 20 having a wall surface that extends vertically and is located at the rear end of the cargo compartment 12 of a vehicle 10, and a lighting unit 22 provided on the finish plate 20, wherein the lighting unit 22 is composed of a lighting device 30 located on the outside of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate 20, and a lighting opening 23 that transmits light emitted from the lighting device 30 to the inside of the cargo compartment 12, and a flange portion 24 is provided on the upper edge portion 23A of the lighting opening 23 that protrudes diagonally downward from the upper edge portion 23A into the inside of the cargo compartment 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a lighting structure provided in a vehicle cargo compartment is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a light bulb is provided in a space formed on the side surface of an automobile trunk room, and the trunk room is irradiated through an opening (lens) facing downward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, due to requirements such as problems with installation space and securing wire paths, or reduction of manufacturing costs, there may be a case where only one lighting device is provided at the rear of the cargo compartment. Specifically, there may be a case where the lighting device is provided on a finish plate that constitutes the rear wall portion of the cargo compartment.

[0005] On the other hand, there may be a case where members such as a battery are accommodated in the front of the cargo compartment. In such a case, there is a desire to irradiate not only the floor surface of the cargo compartment but also the front portion of the cargo compartment. Therefore, in order to be able to irradiate a wide range, it is desirable to install the lighting device at as high a position as possible. However, when the lighting device is provided at a high position, there is a problem that the light emitted from the lighting device easily enters the eyes of passengers or people standing on the side of the vehicle and is dazzling. Further, since light spreads radially, the higher the lighting device is provided, the more the area directly below the lighting device is outside the irradiation range, and there is a problem that the rear portion of the floor surface of the cargo compartment becomes dark.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein was developed based on the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a vehicle cargo compartment structure in which the light emitted from the lighting unit is less likely to enter the eyes of occupants or people standing to the side of the vehicle, and which can brightly illuminate the area near the rear end of the cargo compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the technology disclosed herein is a vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure comprising: a finish plate disposed at the rear end of the cargo compartment of a vehicle and having a wall surface extending in the vertical direction; and a lighting unit provided on the finish plate, wherein the lighting unit comprises a lighting device disposed on the outside of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate; and a lighting opening that transmits light emitted from the lighting device to the inside of the cargo compartment, and a flange portion is provided on the upper edge of the lighting opening that protrudes diagonally downward from the upper edge into the inside of the cargo compartment.

[0008] With the above configuration, at least a portion of the light directed upward from the lighting device into the cargo compartment through the lighting opening is blocked by the flange, making it difficult for the light to enter the eyes of occupants or people standing to the side of the vehicle, thus suppressing glare. Furthermore, since the light is reflected downward by the flange, compared to a configuration without a flange, the area near the rear end of the cargo compartment floor close to the finish plate can be brightly illuminated.

[0009] At least the lower part of the inner circumferential surface of the illumination opening may be inclined to be parallel to the flange. With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the lower part of the illumination opening is positioned in the thickness direction (horizontal direction) of the finish plate, the light from the lighting device can be brightly illuminated to the rear end of the cargo compartment, which is closer to the finish plate.

[0010] The lighting unit may be positioned above the center of the finish plate in the height direction. With this configuration, the cargo area can be brightly illuminated further forward.

[0011] The lower surface of the flange may be a smooth surface capable of reflecting light. With such a configuration, more light from the lighting device can be reflected by the flange, allowing the cargo area to be illuminated more brightly with indirect light.

[0012] Functional components may be located in front of the cargo compartment, and the light from the lighting device may be able to illuminate these functional components. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The technology disclosed herein provides a vehicle cargo compartment structure in which the light emitted from the lighting unit is less likely to enter the eyes of occupants or people standing to the side of the vehicle, and which can brightly illuminate the area up to the rear end of the cargo compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A perspective view from the rear of the cargo compartment of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle cargo compartment structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Enlarged perspective view of a portion of the rear wall of the cargo area. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the lighting unit [Figure 4] Longitudinal section of the cargo area [Figure 5] Vertical cross-section of the lighting unit [Figure 6] Longitudinal cross-section of a cargo compartment having a lighting unit without a flange. [Figure 7] Vertical cross-sectional view of a lighting unit without a flange. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] One embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure 1 of this embodiment is a lighting structure 1 adopted in a cargo compartment 12 located on the rear side of the vehicle 10. In each figure, the arrows FR and RR indicate the front and rear of the vehicle 10, respectively, the arrows UP and DW indicate the up and down directions, respectively, and the arrows R and L indicate the right and left sides of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel, respectively.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear part of a vehicle 10 equipped with a vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure 1 according to the present embodiment, viewed from above and to the left. As shown in the figure, the cargo compartment 12 is provided at the rear of a hatchback-type vehicle 10 and is accessible from the vehicle rear opening 11 with the back door 17 (not shown in FIG. 1) open. The cargo compartment 12 includes deck side trims 13R, 13L, a finish plate 20, a deck board 14, a floor board 15, and a cover wall portion 16 (see FIG. 4).

[0017] The deck side trims 13R, 13L form the left and right side wall surfaces of the cargo compartment 12, and the rear ends thereof extend into the rear part of the cargo compartment 12 to form a part of the rear wall surface (see FIG. 2). A rectangular plate-like finish plate 20 is erected between the rear ends of the left and right deck side trims 13R, 13L. The finish plate 20 has a plate shape with a wall surface extending in the vertical direction, and the wall surface facing the front side forms a part of the rear wall surface of the cargo compartment 12. Also, a cover wall portion 16 is erected between the front ends of the left and right deck side trims 13R, 13L. A battery (an example of a functional component) 19 is housed in front of this cover wall portion 16. The battery 19 is arranged below the back window 18 of the back door 17 when the back door 17 is closed (see FIG. 4).

[0018] Flange portions 21 that project toward the inside of the cargo compartment 12 are formed at the lower portions of the left and right deck side trims 13R, 13L and the finish plate 20, and the deck board 14 is placed so as to close the accommodation space S under the floor using these flange portions 21 (see FIG. 4). The placed deck board 14 constitutes the floor surface of the cargo compartment 12.

[0019] The above-mentioned finish plate 20 is provided with a lighting unit 22 for irradiating the inside of the luggage compartment 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the lighting unit 22 is provided at a position above the central portion in the height direction of the finish plate 20 and to the left of the central portion in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] The lighting unit 22 includes a lighting device 30 arranged on the outer surface of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate 20 and a lighting opening 23 for transmitting the light emitted from the lighting device 30 to the inside of the luggage compartment 12 (see FIG. 5).

[0021] The lighting device 30 is formed by accommodating a plurality of LEDs (not shown) in a box-shaped accommodating portion 31. At least the surface of the accommodating portion 31 facing the lighting opening 23 is made of a light-transmitting material. The LEDs are connected to a power supply device mounted on the vehicle 10 via a control device (not shown). The accommodating portion 31 (lighting device 30) is arranged between a pair of positioning ribs 25 that protrude vertically side by side from the outer surface of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate 20 and extend in the vehicle width direction, so that it is positioned at a proper height with respect to the lighting opening 23, and a pair of locking piece portions 26 that protrude from above and below the positioning ribs 25 and extend in the vehicle width direction are locked to the back surface thereof, whereby the front surface thereof is attached to the finish plate 20 in a form that is close to or in contact with the outer surface of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate 20.

[0022] On the other hand, the lighting opening 23 is provided in a portion of the finish plate 20 corresponding to the lighting device 30, and is formed as a substantially rectangular hole penetrating the finish plate 20 in the plate thickness direction (see FIG. 3). The size of the lighting opening 23 is made slightly smaller than the size of the front surface of the accommodating portion 31 of the lighting device 30. That is, the accommodating portion 31 (lighting device 30) is attached to the finish plate 20 in a form that is close to or in contact with the outer periphery of the lighting opening 23 (see FIG. 5).

[0023] The upper edge 23A on the interior side of the lighting opening 23 is provided with a flange 24 that protrudes diagonally downward from almost the entire width of the vehicle into the cargo compartment 12. As shown in Figure 3, the flange 24 is composed of an upper wall portion 24A that protrudes in a flat plate shape from the upper edge 23A of the lighting opening 23, and side wall portions 24B that rise from the main surface to fill the gap between both ends of the upper wall portion 24A in the width of the vehicle and the main surface of the finish plate 20.

[0024] In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the flange portion 24 (upper wall portion 24A) is set to approximately 60 degrees with respect to the main surface (wall surface) of the finish plate 20. The inclination angle of the flange portion 24 (upper wall portion 24A) can be appropriately changed depending on the height of the lighting opening 23 from the cargo compartment floor surface (deck board 14) and the distance of the cover wall portion 16 from the finish plate 20. In other words, the inclination angle of the flange portion 24 can be appropriately changed to match the height of the lighting opening 23 and the distance to the cover wall portion 16 in order to brightly illuminate the area near the front end of the cargo compartment 12 when inserting or removing the battery 19.

[0025] Furthermore, the upper opening surface 23B and the lower opening surface 23C, which are located on the upper and lower sides of the inner circumferential surface of the lighting opening 23, are inclined to be parallel to the inclination angle of the flange portion 24 (see Figure 5).

[0026] Furthermore, the underside of the flange portion 24 is mirror-finished. Due to this flange portion 24, the light emitted from the lighting device 30 through the lighting opening 23 into the cargo compartment 12 does not spread widely upwards, but is generally emitted and reflected forward and downwards.

[0027] When the back door 17 of a vehicle 10 equipped with the vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure 1 of this embodiment is opened, the lighting device 30 is turned ON the moment the back door 17 is opened, and the lighting unit 22 illuminates the inside of the cargo compartment 12. At this time, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the light emitted from the lighting unit 22 does not spread much upward due to the flange 24, but is generally emitted and reflected forward and downward, so that the light does not directly enter the eyes of people standing in front of or to the side of the vehicle 10, thereby suppressing glare. In addition, the light reflected by the flange 24 can illuminate the rear part of the cargo compartment 12 more than if the flange 24 were not provided, so the entire cargo compartment 12 can be brightly illuminated.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, if the lighting unit 2 does not have a flange, the light from the lighting unit 2 will shine through the rear window 4 towards the outside of the vehicle interior not only when the back door 3 is fully open, but also the moment the back door 3 is opened, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the light is likely to enter the eyes of a person standing to the side of the vehicle, causing them to feel dazzled. Also, since the light only spreads radially, the area below the lighting unit 2 (near the rear end of the cargo area) will not be illuminated, resulting in a feeling of darkness.

[0029] Next, the effects will be explained. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure 1 of this embodiment comprises a finish plate 20 having a wall surface that extends vertically and is located at the rear end of the cargo compartment 12 of the vehicle 10, and a lighting unit 22 provided on the finish plate 20. The lighting unit 22 is composed of a lighting device 30 located on the outside of the vehicle compartment of the finish plate 20, and a lighting opening 23 that transmits light emitted from the lighting device 30 to the inside of the cargo compartment 12. A flange portion 24 is provided on the upper edge portion 23A of the lighting opening 23, projecting diagonally downward from the upper edge portion 23A into the inside of the cargo compartment 12.

[0030] With the above configuration, the upward-facing light emitted from the lighting device 30 into the cargo compartment 12 through the lighting opening 23 is partially shielded by the flange 24. This makes it difficult for the light to enter the eyes of occupants or people standing to the side of the vehicle 10, thus suppressing glare. Furthermore, since the light is reflected downward by the flange 24, compared to a configuration without the flange 24, the area near the rear end of the cargo compartment floor (deck board 14) adjacent to the finish plate 20 can be brightly illuminated.

[0031] Furthermore, the upper opening surface 23B and the lower opening surface 23C of the inner circumferential surface of the lighting opening 23 are inclined to be parallel to the flange portion 24. With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the lower opening surface 23C of the lighting opening 23 is positioned in the thickness direction (horizontal direction) of the finish plate 20, the light from the lighting device 30 can be brightly illuminated to the rear end of the cargo compartment 12, which is closer to the finish plate 20.

[0032] Furthermore, the lighting unit 22 is positioned above the center of the finish plate 20 in the height direction. With this configuration, the cargo compartment 12 can be brightly illuminated further forward.

[0033] Furthermore, the lower surface of the flange portion 24 is a smooth surface capable of reflecting light. With this configuration, more light from the lighting device 30 can be reflected by the flange portion 24, so that the inside of the cargo compartment 12 can be illuminated more brightly with indirect light.

[0034] Furthermore, a battery 19 is located in front of the cargo compartment 12, and the light from the lighting device 30 can illuminate the battery 19.

[0035] <Other Embodiments> The technologies disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above in the description and drawings, but also include, for example, the following embodiments.

[0036] (1) In the above embodiment, the lower opening surface 23C, which is located on the lower side of the inner circumferential surface of the illumination opening 23, is shown to be inclined so as to be parallel to the flange portion 24. However, the technical scope also includes embodiments in which the lower opening surface 23C is not parallel to the flange portion 24.

[0037] (2) The position of the lighting unit 22 on the finish plate 20 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0038] (3) The lower surface of the flange portion 24 may also be made to be a non-smooth surface.

[0039] (4) The technical scope also includes configurations in which no functional components are located in front of the cargo compartment 12, and configurations in which light from the lighting unit 22 is not capable of illuminating the functional components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: Vehicle cargo area lighting structure 10: Vehicle 12: Cargo area 13R, 13L: Deck side trim 14: Deck board 15: Floor board 16: Cover wall 17: Back door 18: Back window 19: Battery (functional component) 20: Finish plate 22: Lighting unit 23: Lighting opening 23A: Upper edge 23B: Opening top surface 23C: Opening bottom surface 24: Flange 25: Positioning rib 26: Locking piece 30: Lighting device 31: Storage area S: Storage space

Claims

1. A vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure comprising a finish plate located at the rear end of the vehicle's cargo compartment and having a wall surface extending vertically, and a lighting unit provided on the finish plate, The lighting unit comprises a lighting device positioned on the exterior side of the finish plate, and a lighting opening that transmits light emitted from the lighting device to the interior of the cargo compartment. A vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure is provided with a flange portion on the upper edge of the lighting opening, which protrudes diagonally downward from the upper edge into the interior of the cargo compartment.

2. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure according to claim 1, wherein at least the lower surface of the opening, which is located on the lower side of the inner circumferential surface of the lighting opening, is inclined to be parallel to the flange portion.

3. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lighting unit is positioned above the central part in the height direction of the finish plate.

4. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lower surface of the flange portion is a smooth surface capable of reflecting light.

5. The vehicle cargo compartment lighting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a functional component is positioned in front of the cargo compartment, and light from the lighting device can illuminate the functional component.

Images