Vehicle lighting equipment

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lighting device that can achieve dynamic lighting effects with a simpler configuration. [Solution] The invention comprises a light guide plate 31 (light-emitting part) having a light-emitting surface 31A that emits light toward the interior of the vehicle, a sheet member 70, and a housing 30 that has an opening 30A (first light-transmitting part) that covers the sheet member 70 from the interior of the vehicle and houses the sheet member 70. The sheet member 70 comprises a sheet body portion 71 that has a through hole 71A (second light-transmitting part) and covers the light-emitting surface 31A from the interior of the vehicle, and an expandable portion 72 that is elastically expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. The sheet body portion 71 is attached to the housing 30 via the expandable portion 72.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle lighting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a vehicle lighting device, the one described in Patent Document 1 below is known. The vehicle lighting device described in this Patent Document 1 includes a light source (light emitting part) such as an LED, and a panel member that emits the light emitted from the light source toward the vehicle interior.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle lighting device, there is a desire to realize a moving lighting effect. Here, the “moving lighting effect” refers to a lighting effect in which the appearance of the light emitted toward the vehicle interior changes over time. Conventionally, in order to realize a moving lighting effect, a method of changing the lighting of the light source over time is known. However, with such a configuration, there is a problem that the device (electric circuit, etc.) for electrically controlling the lighting of the light source becomes complicated, resulting in a complicated configuration of the lighting device.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lighting device that can realize a moving lighting effect with a simpler configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] As a means to solve the above problems, the vehicle lighting device disclosed herein comprises a light-emitting unit having a light-emitting surface that emits light toward the interior of a vehicle, a sheet member, and a housing that has a first light-transmitting unit that covers the sheet member from the interior of the vehicle and houses the sheet member, wherein the sheet member comprises a sheet body portion having a second light-transmitting unit that covers the light-emitting surface from the interior of the vehicle, and an expandable portion that is elastically expandable and contractible in the vertical direction, and the sheet body portion is attached to the housing via the expandable portion.

[0007] As the vehicle moves, the expandable section expands and contracts vertically in response to vibrations, causing the seat body to vibrate vertically over time relative to the light-emitting surface. As a result, light emitted from the light-emitting surface passes through the vertically moving second light-transmitting section and then exits into the vehicle interior through the first light-transmitting section of the housing, thereby achieving a dynamic lighting effect. Thus, with the above configuration, a dynamic lighting effect can be achieved with a simpler configuration without using equipment to operate the seat body or control circuits to electrically change the light from the light-emitting section.

[0008] Furthermore, the lower end of the sheet member can be inserted through a through-hole formed by penetrating the lower wall of the housing in the vertical direction. By inserting the lower end of the sheet body through the through-hole, the displacement of the sheet body in directions other than vertical can be restricted, and the desired lighting effect can be achieved more reliably.

[0009] Furthermore, the expandable portion may be provided with a decorative film covering it from the inside of the vehicle interior, and the expandable portion may be bellows-shaped. By making the expandable portion bellows-shaped, it can be easily formed by folding a part of the sheet material. And, since the expandable portion is covered from the inside of the vehicle interior by the decorative film, it can be prevented from being seen by the occupants, and the design can be made more aesthetically pleasing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lighting device that can achieve dynamic lighting effects with a simpler configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Front view showing a door trim equipped with a lighting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view showing the lighting device (corresponding to the view cut along line II-II in Figure 1) [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view showing the lighting device with the expandable section extended. [Figure 4] Perspective view showing sheet material [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view showing a modified lighting device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In this embodiment, a lighting device 20 provided on a vehicle door trim 10 (vehicle interior material) is given as an example of a vehicle lighting device. In each figure, arrow direction F is the front of the vehicle, arrow direction R is the rear of the vehicle, arrow direction U is upward, arrow direction D is downward, arrow direction IN is the inside of the vehicle interior, and arrow direction OUT is the outside of the vehicle interior.

[0013] The door trim 10 is configured to cover the vehicle's door panel (not shown) from the inside of the vehicle interior, and as shown in Figure 1, it comprises a plate-shaped trim body portion 11. The trim body portion 11 also has an armrest 13 that bulges outwards towards the vehicle interior and an inside handle housing portion 14 that opens towards the vehicle interior. An inside handle (not shown) for opening and closing the vehicle door is housed in the inside handle housing portion 14. The trim body portion 11 is made of, for example, natural fibers and synthetic resin materials, but its material is not limited to these.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the lighting device 20 comprises a light source unit 21, a housing 30, a light-reflecting sheet 50, a sheet member 70, and an ornament 12. As shown in Figure 2, the light source unit 21 comprises a light source 22 and a substrate 23 on which the light source 22 is mounted. The light source 22 is composed of, for example, an LED, but is not limited to this. Although not shown, the substrate 23 has a long longitudinal shape in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a plurality of light sources 22 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 23.

[0015] The housing 30 is a light guide made of a material that has a refractive index sufficiently higher than that of air and is light-transmitting, such as a resin like acrylic or polycarbonate, or glass. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 30 is box-shaped and has an opening 30A (first light-transmitting part) that opens toward the interior of the vehicle, and a sheet member 70 is housed inside it. The opening 30A is configured to cover the sheet member 70 from the interior of the vehicle.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 30 comprises a plate-shaped light guide plate 31 and L-shaped bent portions 32 and 33 in cross-section that rise from the light guide plate 31 toward the interior side of the vehicle (left side in Figure 2). The light guide plate 31 constitutes the rear wall of the housing 30 and is positioned opposite the seat member 70. The bent portion 32 is provided at the upper end of the light guide plate 31, and the bent portion 33 is provided at the lower end of the light guide plate 31. In other words, the bent portion 32 constitutes the upper wall of the housing 30, and the bent portion 33 constitutes the lower wall of the housing 30.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, a hole 34 is formed in the lower part of the light guide plate 31, penetrating the light guide plate 31 in the direction of entering and exiting the vehicle. The light source unit 21 is housed in the hole 34. The downward-facing inner surface of the hole 34 is positioned opposite the light-emitting surface 22A of the light source 22, and serves as the light-incident surface 34B into which the light emitted from the light source 22 enters.

[0018] The surface on the vehicle interior side of the light guide plate 31 (light emitting part) serves as a light emitting surface 31A that emits the light incident from the light incident surface 34B toward the vehicle interior (inside the vehicle). The light emitted from the light source 22 enters the light guide plate 31 through the light incident surface 34B, and then is guided inside the light guide plate 31 by total reflection and emitted from the light emitting surface 31A. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of recesses 35 are formed on the surface of the light guide plate 31 on the vehicle exterior side for reflecting the light inside the light guide plate 31 to the vehicle interior side and emitting it from the light emitting surface 31A. The configuration for emitting the light inside the light guide plate 31 from the light emitting surface 31A is not limited to the recesses 35. For example, a dot pattern for diffusely reflecting the light inside the light guide plate 31 may be formed on the surface of the light guide plate 31 on the vehicle exterior side.

[0019] The ornament 12 is a decorative member and includes a base material 15 made of a synthetic resin material having light transmissibility (such as acrylic or polycarbonate, etc.) as shown in FIG. 2, and a decorative film 16 attached to the surface on the vehicle interior side of the base material 15.

[0020] The base material 15 includes a plate-shaped base material main body portion 17 and mounting claws 18, 19 provided on the surface on the vehicle exterior side of the base material main body portion 17. The base material main body portion 17 has, for example, a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction. The decorative film 16 has light transmissibility, and a pattern or the like is printed on its surface.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, a through hole 11A penetrating in the vehicle interior-exterior direction is formed in the trim main body portion 11, and the housing 30 is accommodated in the through hole 11A. The ornament 12 is arranged to cover the through hole 11A and the opening 30A from the vehicle interior side. The mounting claws 18 of the ornament 12 are inserted into mounting holes 11B formed at the hole edge portion of the through hole 11A in the trim main body portion 11. Thereby, the ornament 12 is attached to the trim main body portion 11.

[0022] The tip of the upper bent portion 32 of the housing 30 is held between the trim body portion 11 and the base material body portion 17. A mounting hole 32A is formed at the tip of the bent portion 32 where it overlaps with the mounting hole 11B. The mounting claws 18 are inserted through both the mounting holes 32A and 11B from the inside of the vehicle, and their tips are configured to lock onto the edge of the mounting hole 11B from the outside of the vehicle. In addition, a mounting hole 33A is formed in the lower bent portion 33 of the housing 30 through which the mounting claws 19 of the ornament 12 are inserted. The tips of the mounting claws 19 are configured to lock onto the edge of the mounting hole 33A from the outside of the vehicle.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the light-reflecting sheet 50 is positioned to cover the housing 30 from the outside of the vehicle interior (the outside of the passenger compartment, the right side in Figure 2). The light-reflecting sheet 50 makes it possible to reflect the light emitted from the light guide plate 31 to the outside of the vehicle interior back into the vehicle interior. As the light-reflecting sheet 50, for example, one made of synthetic resin with a white surface that exhibits excellent light reflectivity can be used, but it is not limited to this, and any material that can reflect light back into the vehicle interior is acceptable.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the sheet member 70 comprises a rectangular, plate-shaped sheet body portion 71 and a bellows-shaped expandable portion 72 that is elastically expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. The sheet member 70 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and has light-shielding properties, flexibility, and elasticity. However, the sheet member 70 is not limited to synthetic resin, and may be made of, for example, Japanese paper.

[0025] The seat body 71 has multiple elongated through-holes 71A (second light-transmitting sections) formed in the vehicle's front-to-rear direction, and these through-holes 71A form a pattern. The shape of the through-holes 71A is not limited to elongated holes and can be changed as appropriate. As shown in Figure 2, the seat body 71 is configured to cover the light-emitting surface 31A from the inside of the vehicle interior.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the upper end portion 73 of the seat member 70 has an L-shape in cross-section, extending upward from the expandable portion 72 and then extending outward from the vehicle interior. The portion of the upper end portion 73 that extends outward from the vehicle interior (extended portion 75) has multiple through holes 73A arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 2, the upper surface of the light guide plate 31 (and thus the upper surface of the housing 30) has projections 36 that are inserted into the through holes 73A. Thus, the upper end portion 73 is attached to the projections 36. Furthermore, the portion of the upper end portion 73 that extends vertically (extended portion 76) is passed through a through hole 32B formed by passing through the bent portion 32 vertically, and the expandable portion 72 is connected to its lower end. The seat body portion 71 is connected to the lower end of the expandable portion 72. In other words, the seat body 71 is attached to the projection 36 (and consequently the housing 30) via the telescopic part 72, and the seat body 71 is configured to move up and down as the telescopic part 72 expands and contracts. In Figure 3, the telescopic part 72 is extended due to vibrations during vehicle operation, and the seat body 71 is shown in a lower position than that shown in Figure 2. Because the telescopic part 72 is elastic, it is possible to continuously expand and contract due to vibrations during vehicle operation, and as a result, the seat body 71 can move up and down (vibrate in the vertical direction) continuously.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the lower end portion 74 of the seat member 70 has an L-shape in cross-section, extending downward from the lower end of the seat body portion 71 and then extending outward from the vehicle interior. Multiple through holes 74A are formed in the portion of the lower end portion 74 that extends outward from the vehicle interior (extended portion 77), arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 2, projections 37 are formed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 31 (and thus the lower surface of the housing 30) that are inserted into the through holes 74A. This allows the lower end portion 74 to move up and down while being attached to the projections 37. Furthermore, the portion of the lower end portion 74 that extends vertically (extended portion 78) is passed through a through hole 33B formed by passing vertically through the bent portion 33 (lower wall portion of the housing), as shown in Figure 2.

[0028] Furthermore, in the decorative film 16 of the ornament 12 described above, the portion facing the sheet body 71 is an opening 16A. As a result, the light emitted from the light-emitting surface 31A is emitted into the vehicle interior through the through-hole 71A of the sheet body 71, the opening 30A of the housing 30, and the opening 16A. Note that the opening 16A is not formed in the portion facing the expandable portion 72. In other words, the decorative film 16 is configured to cover the expandable portion 72 from the inside of the vehicle interior.

[0029] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. The lighting device 20 of this embodiment comprises a light guide plate 31 (light-emitting part) having a light-emitting surface 31A that emits light toward the interior of the vehicle, a sheet member 70, and a housing 30 that has an opening 30A (first light-transmitting part) that covers the sheet member 70 from the interior of the vehicle and houses the sheet member 70. The sheet member 70 comprises a sheet body portion 71 that has a through hole 71A (second light-transmitting part) and covers the light-emitting surface 31A from the interior of the vehicle, and an expandable portion 72 that is elastically expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. The sheet body portion 71 is attached to the housing 30 via the expandable portion 72.

[0030] As the vehicle moves, the expandable portion 72 expands and contracts vertically in response to vibrations, causing the seat body 71 to vibrate vertically over time relative to the light-emitting surface 31A. As a result, light emitted from the light-emitting surface 31A passes through the vertically moving through-hole 71A and is then emitted into the vehicle interior through the opening 30A of the housing 30, thereby achieving a dynamic lighting effect. In other words, the vertical movement of the light-transmitting portion (through-hole 71A) and the light-shielding portion (parts other than the through-hole 71A) in the seat body 71 changes how the light emitted into the vehicle interior appears. Thus, with the above configuration, a dynamic lighting effect can be achieved with a simpler configuration without using equipment to operate the seat body 71 or control circuits to electrically change the light emitted from the light guide plate 31 (more specifically, the light emission mode of the light source 22).

[0031] Furthermore, the lower end portion 74 of the seat member 70 is inserted through a through hole 33B formed by penetrating the bent portion 33 (lower wall portion of the housing) of the housing 30 in the vertical direction. By inserting the lower end portion 74 of the seat member 70 through the through hole 33B, displacement of the seat body portion 71 in directions other than vertical (for example, swinging in the direction of entering and leaving the vehicle) can be restricted, and the desired lighting effect can be achieved more reliably.

[0032] Furthermore, the expandable portion 72 is provided with a decorative film 16 that covers it from the inside of the vehicle interior, and the expandable portion 72 is bellows-shaped. By making the expandable portion 72 bellows-shaped, the expandable portion 72 can be easily formed by folding a part of the sheet member 70. And, since the expandable portion 72 is covered from the inside of the vehicle interior by the decorative film 16, it is possible to suppress the situation in which it is visible to the occupants and to further enhance the design.

[0033] <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. (1) In the above configuration, the lower end portion 74 of the sheet member 70 is fixed to the projection 37 as an example, but the configuration is not limited to this. As shown in Figure 5, the projection 37 is not required, and the lower end portion 174 of the sheet member 70 may be a free end. (2) In the above configuration, an opening 30A was given as an example of the first light-transmitting portion, but the first light-transmitting portion may be made of a light-transmitting material instead of an opening. (3) In the above configuration, a through hole 71A was given as an example for the second light-transmitting portion, but the second light-transmitting portion may be made of a light-transmitting material instead of a through hole. For example, if the sheet member 70 is made of Japanese paper, the second light-transmitting portion may be formed by the light-transmitting properties of the Japanese paper itself. (4) In the above configuration, an example was given in which the expandable portion is bellows-shaped, but the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the expandable portion may be made of an elastic material (such as rubber) that has elastic properties. (5) In the above embodiment, a vehicle door trim was given as an example of a vehicle interior material, but it is not limited to this. Examples of vehicle interior materials include vehicle interior materials other than door trims (instrument panel, pillar garnish, roof lining, etc.), and interior materials for aircraft, ships, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 16…Decorative film, 20…Lighting device, 30…Housing, 30A…Opening (first light transmission part), 31…Light guide plate (light emission part), 31A…Light emission surface, 33…Bent part of housing (lower wall part of housing), 33B…Through hole, 70…Sheet member, 71…Sheet body part, 71A…Through hole (second light transmission part), 72…Expandable part, 74…Lower end of sheet member

Claims

1. A light-emitting unit having a light-emitting surface that emits light toward the interior of a vehicle, Sheet material and The system comprises a first light-transmitting portion that covers the sheet member from the inside of the vehicle and a housing that accommodates the sheet member, The aforementioned sheet member is A sheet body having a second light-transmitting portion and covering the light-emitting surface from the inside of the vehicle, It comprises an expandable part that is elastically expandable and contractible in the vertical direction, A vehicle lighting device in which the seat body is attached to the housing via the telescopic portion.

2. The lower end of the sheet member is inserted into a through hole formed by penetrating the lower wall of the housing in the vertical direction, as described in claim 1.

3. The aforementioned expandable portion is provided with a decorative film that covers it from the inside of the vehicle, The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the expandable portion is bellows-shaped.

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