Patent ID: 8985820
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: B60Q,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A lighted interior accessory assembly for mounting on a vehicle interior panel, comprising: an interior accessory having a rim structure including an outboard peripheral corner facing toward the vehicle interior panel and a mounting flange peripherally inboard of the outboard peripheral corner; a mounting plate being sandwiched between the mounting flange of the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel so that the presence of the mounting plate creates a peripheral extending gap between the outboard peripheral corner of the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel, said mounting plate having a mounting channel extending around the periphery of the mounting plate and located inboard of the outboard peripheral corner of the interior accessory so that the mounting channel is recessed within the gap between the outboard peripheral corner of the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel; a light pipe configured to emit light along the length of the light pipe, said light pipe being mounted in the mounting channel of the mounting plate so that the light pipe is recessed within the gap between the outboard peripheral corner of the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel and the light pipe is not directly viewed by a seated occupant; a plurality of fasteners mounting the mounting flange of the interior accessory on the vehicle interior panel; the outer peripheral corner of the interior accessory closely abutting the vehicle interior panel upon omission of the mounting plate from between the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel so that there is no gap and no recess between the interior accessory and the vehicle interior panel and the light pipe is also omitted.