Car interior lighting device

Abstract

To irradiate a door trim with light of a wide range compared with a situation when a light source is installed in a door trim itself.SOLUTION: A light source 12 is installed at an end of an instrument panel 18 of a vehicle 16. Light emitted from the light source 12 travels from an instrument panel 18 side toward a door panel 24 so that a surface of the door trim 26 of the door panel 24 is irradiated with the light. A decorative member 14 is arranged on an irradiation surface side of the light source 12, and when light from the light source 12 passes the decorative member 14, a pattern 30 is formed according to the light on the surface of the door trim 26. Since the light source 12 is installed on the instrument panel 18 spaced away from the door trim 26 and not on the door trim 26 itself, the door trim 26 can be irradiated with light of a wide range. Additionally, presentation of a changing pattern 30 can be realized according to an opening angle of a door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle interior lighting device that irradiates light toward a door panel inside a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A lighting device that irradiates light onto a door trim of a door panel is known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an illumination device that uses a light source installed in a door trim to irradiate light onto a decorative member installed in the door trim. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6755246 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the lighting device described in Patent Document 1, the light source is installed on the door trim itself, so the distance from the light source to the decorative member installed on the door trim is short, making it difficult to irradiate the decorative member with light over a wide area.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to irradiate light onto a wider area of ​​the door trim compared to when a light source is installed on the door trim itself. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is an interior lighting device for a vehicle, characterized by having a light source that is installed in an instrument panel of a vehicle and irradiates light from the instrument panel side toward a door trim of a door panel.

[0008] According to the above configuration, since the light source is installed on the instrument panel, the distance between the light source and the door trim is longer than when the light source is installed on the door trim itself, and therefore the light can be irradiated over a wide area of ​​the door trim.

[0009] The vehicle interior lighting device may further include a decorative member disposed on the illumination surface side of the light source, and by irradiating light from the light source onto the surface of the door trim, a pattern may be formed by light on the surface.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the light source and the door trim, which is the object to be illuminated, are separated, so the angle of illumination of the light onto the door trim changes depending on whether the door is open or closed. Therefore, the pattern formed on the surface of the door trim by the light changes depending on the opening angle of the door. For example, the pattern can be continuously changed by continuously opening and closing the door.

[0011] When the door on which the door panel is installed is opened while the light source is on, the light source may be turned off when a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was opened.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the door is opened, it is possible to prevent light from being continuously emitted to the outside of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the configuration of the present disclosure, light can be irradiated onto a wider area of ​​the door trim compared to when a light source is installed on the door trim itself. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a view of the front interior of the passenger compartment as seen from the left side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the right portion of the instrument panel as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the right portion of the instrument panel as viewed from above the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the door panel and the light source as seen from above the vehicle, showing the range of light irradiated onto the door panel. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing patterns formed by light irradiated onto a door panel. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the door panel and the light source as seen from above the vehicle, showing the light irradiation position for each door opening angle. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the door panel and the light source as viewed from above the vehicle, illustrating the light irradiation angle for each door opening angle. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a part of a pattern formed on a door panel when the door is opened at an angle θ1. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing a part of a pattern formed on a door panel when the door is opened at an angle θ2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An interior lighting device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 1 is a view of the front interior of the vehicle compartment as seen from the left side of the vehicle compartment. Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the right portion of the instrument panel as seen from the rear of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the right portion of the instrument panel as seen from above the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the door panel and light source as seen from above the vehicle. Figs. 2 to 4 schematically show the positional relationship between the light source 12, the instrument panel 18, and the door panel 24.

[0016] The vehicle interior lighting device 10 includes a light source 12 and a decorative member 14, and is installed on an instrument panel 18 installed at the front of a vehicle 16. Specifically, the instrument panel 18 is installed at the front of the vehicle 16, extending in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle 16, and the vehicle interior lighting device 10 is installed at each of the left and right ends of the instrument panel 18.

[0017] 1 to 4 show an interior lighting device 10 installed at the right end 18R of an instrument panel 18. For example, the light source 12 is attached to the right end 18R by a member such as a mounting bracket 20. Although not shown, the interior lighting device 10 is also installed at the left end of the instrument panel 18. The interior lighting device 10 may be installed between the right end 18R of the instrument panel 18 and a side panel 22R of the vehicle 16. The same applies to an interior lighting device 10 installed on the left side of the vehicle.

[0018] An opening 18a is formed in the right end 18R of the instrument panel 18 at a location facing a door trim 26, which is an interior member of a door panel 24 on the right side of the vehicle. The light source 12 is installed at the right end 18R so that the irradiation surface 12a of the light source 12 faces the opening 18a. The decorative member 14 is installed in front of the irradiation surface 12a of the light source 12. Light emitted from the light source 12 passes through the decorative member 14 and is emitted from the opening 18a toward the rear and right of the vehicle. The position and orientation of the opening 18a are adjusted so that the light emitted from the light source 12 is irradiated onto the door panel 24. As a result, the light emitted from the light source 12 is irradiated onto the door trim 26 attached to the door panel 24. The same applies to the light source installed at the left end of the instrument panel 18, where the light emitted from the light source is irradiated onto the door trim attached to the door panel on the left side of the vehicle.

[0019] The light source 12 may be, but is not limited to, an LED (light emitting diode), an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or a discharge lamp. The light source 12 may emit light in a variety of colors, such as white, red, green, or blue, and the light source 12 may be formed by combining a plurality of light sources with different emission colors.

[0020] A control device 50 is electrically connected to the light source 12. The control device 50 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk drive, and controls the turning on and off of the light source 12. The control device 50 may also control the brightness, blinking, etc. of the light emitted from the light source 12.

[0021] The decorative member 14 is a member for forming a pattern at the location where light from the light source 12 is irradiated. For example, the decorative member 14 may be a member with an uneven surface, a member with different surface roughness at different positions on the surface, a member with different transmittance at different positions, or a combination of these. The decorative member 14 may also be a film attached to the irradiated surface 12a. When the light from the light source 12 passes through the decorative member 14, a pattern is formed by the light on the surface of the door trim 26.

[0022] The light emitted from the light source 12 spreads radially as it travels. The area illuminated by the light beam increases with distance. In other words, the farther away an area is from the light source 12, the wider the area illuminated. The light source 12 is not installed on the door trim 26 itself, but on the instrument panel 18, which is distant from the door trim 26. Therefore, light can be irradiated over a wider area on the surface of the door trim 26 than if the light source 12 were installed on the door trim 26 itself.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows the irradiation range of light from the light source 12. Note that in FIG. 4, the door trim 26 is not shown, and only the door panel 24 is shown. An optical axis LO is the optical axis of the light emitted from the light source 12. An irradiation range 28 is the range irradiated with the light emitted from the light source 12. The light emitted from the light source 12 is irradiated from the front end to the rear end of the door trim 26 attached to the door panel 24. The light also spreads in the up-down direction (height direction) of the vehicle 16, and is irradiated onto the door trim 26 attached to the door panel 24. As a result, the light is irradiated from the lower end to the upper end of the door trim 26.

[0024] 5 shows a pattern 30 formed by light irradiating the door trim 26. The pattern 30 is formed when light passes through the decorative member 14 and is irradiated onto the surface of the door trim 26. For example, the pattern 30 includes multiple bright areas 32 surrounded by dark areas. The decorative member 14 creates a brightness difference, which results in the formation of the bright areas 32 and the dark areas.

[0025] 5, the bright portions 32 have a diamond shape and are regularly arranged, but the shape and arrangement of the bright portions 32 are merely examples. The pattern 30 will vary depending on the decoration formed on the decorative member 14.

[0026] Since light is irradiated obliquely onto the surface of the door trim 26 from the instrument panel 18 side, the brighter area 32 has a shape that extends in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the vehicle 16 as it is positioned farther from the instrument panel 18. This forms a pattern 30 that has directionality in the vertical and longitudinal directions.

[0027] The light source 12 is installed on an instrument panel 18, which is a separate component from the door panel 24 onto which the light is emitted. Therefore, the position and angle at which the light is emitted onto the door trim 26 continuously change according to the opening angle of the door, and as a result, the pattern 30 changes.

[0028] The changes in the pattern 30 according to the opening and closing of the door will now be described.

[0029] Fig. 6 shows the light irradiation position for each door opening angle. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the door panel 24 and the light source 12 as seen from above the vehicle 16. Note that in Fig. 6, the door trim 26 is omitted from the illustration, and only the door panel 24 is shown.

[0030] Reference numeral 36 indicates the door panel 24 when the door is closed. The open angle of the door panel 24 indicated by reference numeral 36 is 0°. Reference numeral 38 indicates the door panel 24 when the door open angle is θ1 relative to the open angle of 0°. Reference numeral 40 indicates the door panel 24 when the door open angle is θ2 (>θ1) relative to the open angle of 0°.

[0031] Focusing on the optical axis LO, the change in the illumination position according to the opening and closing of the door will be described. Illumination positions 42, 44, and 46 are illumination positions of the optical axis LO on the door panel 24. Illumination position 42 is the illumination position of the optical axis LO when the door is closed. Illumination position 44 is the illumination position of the optical axis LO when the door opening angle is θ1. Illumination position 46 is the illumination position of the optical axis LO when the door opening angle is θ2.

[0032] Because light is irradiated obliquely onto the door panel 24 from the front to the rear of the vehicle, the greater the door opening angle, the further rearward the irradiation position of the optical axis LO moves. In other words, while the door is open, the irradiation position of the optical axis LO moves further rearward. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the irradiation position of the optical axis LO changes to irradiation positions 42, 44, and 46. The irradiation positions of light other than the optical axis LO also change depending on the door opening angle.

[0033] FIG. 7 shows the illumination angle of light at a certain position 48 on the door panel 24. The illumination angle of light at position 48 changes depending on the door open angle. With respect to the optical axis LO as the reference, the illumination angle of light at position 48 increases as the door open angle increases. For example, when the door open angle is θ1, the illumination angle at position 48 is φ1, and when the door open angle is θ2, the illumination angle at position 48 is φ2 (>φ1). The illumination angle of light at positions other than position 48 also changes depending on the door open angle.

[0034] Changes in pattern 30 will be described with reference to Figures 5, 8, and 9. Figure 8 shows a portion of pattern 30 when the door is opened at an angle θ1. Figure 9 shows a portion of pattern 30 when the door is opened at an angle θ2. For ease of explanation, changes in pattern 30 will be described by focusing on a certain bright portion 32. Portions other than bright portion 32 are not shown.

[0035] Bright areas 32A, 32B, and 32C are each formed on optical axis LO. Bright area 32A shown in Fig. 5 is formed at irradiation position 42 when the door open angle is 0°. Bright area 32B shown in Fig. 8 is formed at irradiation position 44 when the door open angle is θ1. Bright area 32C shown in Fig. 9 is formed at irradiation position 46 when the door open angle is θ2.

[0036] Bright portion 32B is formed at a position further rearward of vehicle 16 than bright portion 32A. Bright portion 32B is also larger than bright portion 32A. For example, the vertical and front-to-rear lengths of bright portion 32B are longer than the vertical and front-to-rear lengths of bright portion 32A.

[0037] Bright portion 32C is formed at a position further rearward of vehicle 16 than bright portion 32B. Bright portion 32C is also larger in size than bright portion 32B. For example, the vertical and front-to-rear lengths of bright portion 32C are longer than the vertical and front-to-rear lengths of bright portion 32B.

[0038] In this way, the bright portion formed on the same optical axis LO moves toward the rear of the vehicle 16 as the door opening angle increases, and is formed on the surface of the door trim 26. As a result, while the door is open, the bright portion appears to the occupants of the vehicle 16 to be moving toward the rear of the vehicle 16. Also, the size of the bright portion appears to the occupants to be larger. The same is true for bright portions formed at other positions.

[0039] Conversely, the bright portion formed on the same optical axis LO moves toward the front of the vehicle 16 as the door opening angle decreases, and is formed on the surface of the door trim 26. As a result, while the door is being closed, the bright portion appears to the occupant to be moving toward the front of the vehicle 16. Also, the size of the bright portion appears to the occupant to be smaller.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the angle at which light is irradiated onto the same position changes depending on the angle at which the door is opened, and therefore the pattern formed by the light irradiated onto that position changes.

[0041] As described above, the parts that make up the pattern 30 appear to move and change shape depending on the door opening angle, so the pattern 30 appears to change to the passengers. When the door is opened and closed continuously, the pattern 30 changes continuously. In this way, with the vehicle interior lighting device 10 according to the embodiment, it is possible to change the pattern formed by the light irradiated onto the door trim using a single light source 12.

[0042] The control device 50 may turn on the light source 12 after the vehicle 16 starts (e.g., after the motor or engine starts), and may turn off the light source 12 when the vehicle 16 stops (e.g., when the motor or engine stops). In other words, the control device 50 may turn on the light source 12 from when the vehicle 16 starts until when it stops. As another example, the control device 50 may turn on or off the light source 12 in accordance with an instruction to turn on or off from the passenger. For example, the control device 50 may turn on the light source 12 after the vehicle 16 starts, and then turn off the light source 12 in accordance with an instruction to turn off from the passenger.

[0043] When a door is opened while the light source 12 is on, the control device 50 may turn off the light source 12 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was opened. In other words, if the door is open for a predetermined time or longer, the control device 50 turns off the light source 12. Because the light source 12 is installed at the end of the instrument panel 18, when the door is opened, light from the light source 12 travels to the outside of the vehicle 16 through the space created by the open door and is irradiated onto pedestrians and other vehicles outside the vehicle 16. By turning off the light source 12 when the door is opened, it is possible to prevent the light from the light source 12 from being irradiated onto pedestrians and other vehicles outside the vehicle 16. When the door is opened, the control device 50 may gradually dim the brightness of the light before turning it off.

[0044] When a door is opened, the control device 50 may change the color of the light emitted from the light source 12. For example, the control device 50 causes the light source 12 to emit white light when the door is closed, and causes the light source 12 to emit red light when the door is open. This allows the passenger to recognize that the door is open. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 interior lighting device, 12 light source, 14 decorative member, 16 vehicle, 18 instrument panel, 24 door panel, 26 door trim, 28 illumination range, 30 pattern, 50 control device.

Claims

1. a light source that is installed in an instrument panel of a vehicle and that irradiates light from the instrument panel side toward a door trim of a door panel; a decorative member that changes the amount of light transmitted or the direction of travel of the light from the light source; and The light from the light source is irradiated obliquely onto the door trim toward the rear of the vehicle, The vehicle interior lighting device is characterized in that a light pattern is formed on the surface of the door trim by light transmitted through the decorative member.

2. The vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1, The vehicle interior lighting device is characterized in that, when a door on which the door panel is installed is opened, the light source is turned off when a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was opened.

3. In the vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1, The vehicle interior lighting device, wherein the pattern includes regularly arranged bright portions.

4. A vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1, a control device for controlling the turning on and off of the light source; The vehicle interior lighting device is characterized in that the control device causes the light source to emit light of a first color when a door is closed and light of a second color when the door is open.

5. A vehicle interior lighting device according to claim 1, An interior lighting device, characterized in that the optical axis of the light source is directed outward in the vehicle width direction and rearward along the vehicle longitudinal axis.

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