Vehicle interior lighting system

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle interior lighting system (1) comprising: a lighting device (3) installed in the interior of the body (2a) of a vehicle having a door trim (40). The vehicle has a functional unit provided in an uneven portion formed in the door trim (40). The lighting device (3) irradiates the functional unit with light so that a shadow is cast onto the uneven portion.

Description

Vehicle interior lighting system

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle interior lighting system.

[0002] In recent years, the interior of a vehicle such as an automobile is expected to be an environment that passengers can feel comfortable in. In particular, in the future, automated driving technology will enable passengers, including the driver, to engage in various activities unrelated to driving while the vehicle is in motion, so the interior of the vehicle will need to be a living space that is easier to use and more comfortable.

[0003] Therefore, a technology has been proposed in the past to create a space within a vehicle cabin by installing a lighting device in the cabin and changing the brightness and color of the illumination light emitted from the lighting device (Patent Document 1).

[0004] JP 2024-18953 A

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for creating a high-quality interior space in a vehicle. For example, there has been a demand for creating a high-quality interior space in a vehicle using an interior lighting device that can give a luxurious and uplifting feeling to the occupants.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle interior lighting system that can create a high-quality interior space.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the vehicle interior lighting system of the present invention comprises a lighting device installed in the vehicle interior of a vehicle having a door trim, the vehicle having a functional part provided in an uneven portion formed in the door trim, and the lighting device irradiates light to the functional part so as to create shadows in the uneven portion.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to create a high-quality interior space in the vehicle.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a top view of a vehicle in an interior lighting system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a vehicle in an interior lighting system according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a rear door of a vehicle in an interior lighting system according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a state when a lighting device is turned on in the interior lighting system according to an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a rear door of a vehicle in an interior lighting system according to a modified example.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present invention will be described as optional components.

[0011] The drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Therefore, the scales of the drawings are not necessarily the same. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate substantially the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

[0012] In this specification, "forward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving forward, "rearward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving backward, the direction to the right (right side) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "right direction," the direction to the left (left direction) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "left direction," the ceiling side of the vehicle is the "above" or "upper side," and the floor side of the vehicle is the "below" or "lower side." Note that in this specification, the terms "above" and "below" do not refer to the upward direction (vertically upward) and downward direction (vertically downward) in absolute spatial recognition, but are sometimes used as terms defined by relative positional relationships.

[0013] An interior lighting system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a top view of an automobile 2 in the interior lighting system 1 according to the embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the automobile 2. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a rear door 52 of the automobile 2.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle interior lighting system 1 includes a vehicle 2 and a lighting device 3 installed in the vehicle 2.

[0015] The automobile 2 is an example of a moving body and includes a vehicle having a passenger compartment 2a. The passenger compartment 2a of the automobile 2 is configured with a plurality of interior lining members. The passenger compartment 2a has a ceiling 10, a floor 20, pillar trims 30, and door trims 40 as the plurality of interior lining members.

[0016] The automobile 2 has doors 50. The doors 50 include a front door 51 and a rear door 52. By opening and closing the front door 51 or the rear door 52, passengers can enter or exit the vehicle interior 2a. Each of the front door 51 and the rear door 52 is provided with a window glass.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vehicle interior 2a is provided with seats 60 for occupants. Specifically, the vehicle interior 2a is provided with the plurality of seats 60, including a front seat 61 and a rear seat 62. The front seat 61 is a front seat located in the front of the vehicle interior 2a and includes a driver's seat 61a where the driver sits and a passenger seat 61b located next to the driver's seat 61a. In this embodiment, since the steering wheel is located on the right side, the driver's seat 61a is located on the right side and the passenger seat 61b is located on the left side. The rear seat 62 is a rear seat located at the rear of the vehicle interior 2a. The rear seat 62 can accommodate two or three passengers. Each seat portion of the plurality of seats 60 has a front end located on the vehicle front side and a pair of side ends located in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the ceiling 10 is a roof trim. Specifically, the ceiling 10 is a headlining. The ceiling 10 is fixed to the roof 2b of the automobile 2. In this case, the ceiling 10 may be directly attached to the inner surface of the roof 2b, or may be suspended from the roof 2b.

[0019] The floor 20 is a floor trim. Specifically, the floor 20 is a floor carpet fixed to a frame that constitutes the body framework of the automobile 2 (vehicle). Although not shown, a floor mat is laid on the floor 20.

[0020] 1 and 2, the pillar trim 30 is made up of multiple pillars. Specifically, the pillar trim 30 has an A-pillar 31, which is a front pillar provided next to the windshield, and a B-pillar 32, which is a central pillar provided between the front seat 61 and the rear seat 62. The pillar trim 30 may further have a C-pillar and a D-pillar provided diagonally behind the rear seat 62.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the door trim 40 is a lining member that covers the door panels of the front door 51 and the rear door 52. The door trim 40, which forms the inner surface of the front door 51 and the rear door 52, is fabricated with a concave-convex portion (concave-convex structure). In other words, the concave-convex portion of the door trim 40 is formed on the inner surface of the door. One or more functional parts are provided in the concave-convex portion of the door trim 40. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the concave-convex portion of the door trim 40 is provided with an armrest 41, an operation switch 42 (operation button), a cup holder 43, and a door knob 44 as functional parts. The armrest 41, the operation switch 42, the cup holder 43, and the door knob 44 themselves are also part of the concave-convex structure of the door trim 40. The operation switch 42 is, for example, an opening / closing switch for opening and closing a window glass. The front door 51 of the driver's seat 61a is provided with various switches other than an open / close switch as the operation switch 42. The door trim 40 may also be provided with a storage space or the like as another functional part.

[0022] 1 and 2 is an interior lighting device installed in the vehicle interior 2a. The lighting device 3 is installed on a ceiling 10 in the vehicle interior 2a. Specifically, the lighting device 3 is installed at an end of the ceiling 10 in the width direction.

[0023] In this embodiment, a plurality of lighting devices 3 are installed on the ceiling 10. Specifically, the lighting devices 3 are installed on the ceiling 10 above a pair of front doors 51 and above a pair of rear doors 52. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , four lighting devices 3 are installed on the automobile 2.

[0024] 3 , each lighting device 3 irradiates light onto a functional portion provided on the door trim 40 so as to create shadows on the uneven portions of the door trim 40. In this embodiment, each lighting device 3 is a door trim light, and irradiates light onto the uneven portions of the door trim 40 as well as onto the surface of the door trim 40 other than the uneven portions. In other words, the lighting device 3 irradiates light onto the functional portion provided on the door trim 40 as well as onto other portions.

[0025] The lighting device 3 is a lighting fixture having a light source (not shown) and emits illumination light. The light source used in the lighting device 3 is, for example, an LED light source configured with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Therefore, the lighting device 3 is an LED lighting device. The LED light source has, for example, a mounting substrate such as a PCB substrate and one or more LED elements mounted on the mounting substrate. The lighting device 3 has a housing that houses the LED light source, and light emitted from the LED light source passes through an opening in the housing and is irradiated onto a predetermined illumination area as the illumination light of the lighting device 3.

[0026] The lighting device 3 is a line light that emits a line of illumination light. Therefore, the lighting device 3 is elongated. As shown in Fig. 1, the lighting device 3 extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle at an end of the ceiling 10 in the width direction.

[0027] In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 has an LED light source and a light guide rod into which light emitted from the LED light source enters. The light guide rod has a side surface from which light guided through the light guide rod exits to the outside, and a line of illumination light is emitted from the side surface of the light guide rod. The light guide rod is, for example, a long, thin, cylindrical light guide. The light guide rod is made of, for example, a transparent resin material or a transparent glass material. The transparent resin material that makes up the light guide rod can be polycarbonate resin, fluororesin, acrylic resin, or the like.

[0028] The illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 serves as light that illuminates the space within the vehicle interior 2a. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 does not illuminate the entire space within the vehicle interior 2a, but illuminates a portion of the space within the vehicle interior 2a. In this embodiment, the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 partially illuminates the door trim 40. In FIG. 1, the area indicated by dotted hatching is the area within the vehicle interior 2a that is illuminated by the illumination light from the lighting device 3.

[0029] 3 and 4, the lighting device 3 is provided in the concave and convex portion of the door trim 40 and emits light that spotlights a functional portion. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to the embodiment when the lighting device 3 is turned on.

[0030] The functional parts provided on the door trim 40 include an armrest 41, an operation switch 42, a cup holder 43, and a door knob 44. Therefore, the lighting device 3 irradiates light onto at least one of the armrest 41, the operation switch 42, the cup holder 43, and the door knob 44. In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 irradiates light that collectively illuminates the multiple functional parts on the door trim 40. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the lighting device 3 irradiates light onto each of the armrest 41, the operation switch 42, the cup holder 43, and the door knob 44. Note that the lighting device 3 may irradiate light that spotlights each of the multiple functional parts on the door trim 40.

[0031] The lighting device 3 has a light exit surface from which light is emitted as an outer surface of the lighting device 3. In this case, it is preferable that the light exit surface of the lighting device 3 is not visible to an occupant seated in the seat 60 in the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, it is preferable that the light exit surface of the lighting device 3 is not visible to an occupant seated in the seat 60. For example, by providing a light-blocking cover to cover the light exit surface of the lighting device 3, the light exit surface of the lighting device 3 becomes invisible to an occupant seated in the seat 60. This prevents light from the lighting device 3 from directly entering the eyes of the occupant, thereby providing a comfortable lighting space in the vehicle interior 2a. Furthermore, since light does not directly enter the driver's eyes, the vehicle 2 can be driven safely.

[0032] The lighting device 3 is turned on when the driver is driving the automobile 2 (during driving). In other words, illumination light is emitted from the lighting device 3 while driving. The lighting device 3 may not only be turned on while driving, but may also be turned on at times other than when driving. For example, the lighting device 3 may also be turned on when an occupant gets into the automobile 2 or when an occupant gets out of the automobile 2 (i.e., when getting in and out). The lighting device 3 may not be turned on while driving, but may be turned on only when getting in and out. The lighting device 3 may also be turned on during the daytime as well as at night. By turning on the lighting device 3 during the daytime, an open-air illuminated space can be created.

[0033] In this embodiment, the illumination light emitted from the illumination device 3 (LED light source) is white light, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the illumination device 3 may have a function of controlling the dimming and color of the illumination light. This allows the brightness and color temperature of the illumination light emitted from the illumination device 3 to be changed, thereby enabling spatial effects to be created within the vehicle interior 2 a.

[0034] As described above, the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment includes the lighting device 3 installed in the vehicle interior 2a of a vehicle having a door trim 40. The vehicle has functional parts provided in uneven portions formed on the door trim 40, and the lighting device 3 irradiates the functional parts provided on the door trim 40 with light so as to create shadows on the uneven portions formed on the door trim 40. In this embodiment, the functional parts provided on the door trim 40 include an armrest 41, an operating switch 42, a cup holder 43, and a door handle 44.

[0035] As described above, in the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment, the lighting device 3 irradiates light onto the functional parts provided on the door trim 40 so as to cast shadows on the uneven parts formed on the door trim 40. This creates shadows on the uneven parts, providing a sense of luxury and exhilaration. This allows the interior of the vehicle compartment 2a to be presented with a high-quality atmosphere. Furthermore, irradiating light onto the functional parts provided on the door trim 40 allows the occupants to easily identify the positions of the functional parts.

[0036] In the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting device 3 emits light that collectively illuminates a plurality of functional units.

[0037] This allows the difference in the concavity and convexity of the multiple functional parts to further emphasize the shadows, thereby providing an even richer and more uplifting feeling.

[0038] In the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting device 3 emits light that illuminates the surface of the door trim 40 together with the functional parts provided on the door trim 40 .

[0039] With this configuration, not only do shades appear due to the unevenness of the functional parts provided on the door trim 40, but also shades appear due to the unevenness of the surface of the door trim 40, thereby enhancing the feeling of luxury and exhilaration.

[0040] In the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting device 3 emits light that illuminates a functional portion provided on the door trim 40 in a spot manner.

[0041] With this configuration, the light from the lighting device 3 does not directly enter the eyes of the occupants, thereby providing a comfortable lighting space in the vehicle interior 2a. In addition, since the light does not directly enter the eyes of the driver, the vehicle 2 can be driven safely.

[0042] In the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 of the vehicle.

[0043] This configuration allows the light from the lighting device 3 to be easily irradiated onto the functional parts provided on the door trim 40. In addition, the light from the ceiling 10 can cast shadows on the uneven parts and functional parts formed on the door trim 40.

[0044] In the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is a line light. Specifically, the lighting device 3 is a line light that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0045] This configuration allows the light to be irradiated over a wide area in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, while irradiating a narrow area in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This makes it easy to irradiate the light from the lighting device 3 only to the area around the door trim 40. Furthermore, by configuring the lighting device 3 as a line light, the shape of the lighting device 3 can be easily changed to match the curved shape of the ceiling 10.

[0046] In addition, in the vehicle interior lighting system 1 of this embodiment, the lighting device 3 has a light source and a light guiding rod into which light emitted from the light source enters, and the light guiding rod has a side surface from which light guided through the light guiding rod is emitted to the outside.

[0047] This makes it easy to realize a line-lighting lighting device 3. Also, by curving the light guide rod to match the curved shape of the ceiling 10, it is easy to realize a lighting device 3 that follows the curved shape of the ceiling 10.

[0048] (Modification) Although the vehicle interior lighting system 1 according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0049] For example, in the above embodiment, the direction of light emitted from the lighting device 3 is one-way. However, this is not limiting. Specifically, as in the vehicle interior lighting system 1A shown in FIG. 5 , the direction of light emitted from the lighting device 3A may be two-way. In this case, the light emitted from the light guide rod of the lighting device 3A is two-way. In this modification, as shown in FIG. 5 , the lighting device 3A emits light toward the door trim 40 (first direction) and toward the ceiling 10 (second direction). The light emitted toward the ceiling 10 indirectly illuminates the space within the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, the light emitted toward the ceiling 10 is not directly emitted into the vehicle interior 2a, but is reflected by the ceiling 10 and irradiated into the vehicle interior 2a.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the lighting device 3 is a lighting fixture of a light guide type using a light guide rod, but this is not limited to this. For example, the lighting device 3 may be a lighting fixture of a light guide type using a light guide member other than a light guide rod. In this case, a rectangular light guide plate can be used as the light guide member.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the illumination device 3, which is a line illuminator, is a line illuminator that uses a long light guiding rod, but this is not limited thereto. In other words, the illumination device 3 may be a line illuminator that does not use a light guiding rod.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the lighting device 3 is a light guide type lighting fixture, but this is not limiting. For example, the lighting device 3 may be a direct illumination type lighting fixture. In this case, the lighting device 3 may use an LED module in which multiple LED light sources are mounted in a row on a long mounting board.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the light source of the lighting device 3 is an LED light source, but this is not limited to this. For example, the light source of the lighting device 3 may be an existing light source such as a fluorescent lamp, a xenon lamp, or a halogen lamp. However, by using an LED light source as the light source of the lighting device 3, power consumption can be reduced and the lighting device 3 can be turned on with a DC power supply.

[0054] In addition, in the above embodiment, the automobile 2 is used as an example of the moving body, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the moving body may be a vehicle other than an automobile, such as a railway vehicle, as long as it has a passenger compartment.

[0055] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications that a person skilled in the art would conceive of to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the above-described embodiments and modifications within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of one or more components in each of the multiple claims set forth in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, when the dependent claims set forth in the claims at the time of filing are made into a multiple claim or multiple multiple claim that cites any multiple claims (for example, when a multiple claim or multiple multiple claim is made so that each claim cites all of its parent claims), all forms obtained by combining all of the claims included in that multiple claim or multiple multiple claim are also included in the present invention.

[0056] 1, 1A Vehicle interior lighting system 2a Vehicle interior 3, 3A Lighting device 40 Door trim 41 Armrest 42 Operation switch 43 Cup holder 44 Door handle

Claims

1. A vehicle interior lighting system comprising a lighting device installed in the interior of a vehicle having a door trim, the vehicle having a functional part provided in an uneven part formed in the door trim, and the lighting device irradiating light onto the functional part so as to create shadows on the uneven part.

2. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the functional part is an armrest.

3. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the functional unit is an operation switch.

4. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the functional part is a cup holder.

5. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the functional part is a door handle.

6. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the functional units are plural, and the lighting device emits light that collectively illuminates the plural functional units.

7. The vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device emits light that illuminates the surface of the door trim together with the functional part.

8. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device emits light that illuminates the functional part in a spot manner.

9. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 8, wherein the functional units are plural, and the lighting device emits light that illuminates each of the plural functional units in a spot manner.

10. The vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device is installed on a ceiling of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device has a light exit surface from which the light is emitted as an outer surface of the lighting device, and the light exit surface is not visible to an occupant sitting in a seat inside the vehicle interior.

12. The vehicle interior lighting system according to claim 11, further comprising a light-shielding cover that covers the light-emitting surface of the lighting device.

13. The vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device is a line light.

14. A vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lighting device has a light source and a light guide rod into which light emitted from the light source enters, and the light guide rod has a side surface from which light guided through the light guide rod is emitted to the outside.

15. The vehicle interior lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the direction of light emitted from the lighting device is two-way.

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