Abstract:
A light arrangement for a vehicle which includes a light housing from which light from a light source emerges through a first outlet opening. At least a second light outlet is also provided on the light housing. Moreover, at least one screen section is movably disposed in the light housing which either covers or releases the path of rays of the light between light source and second outlet opening. A bulb can thus either meet an interior or reading light function which saves components, cost and space.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application claims Paris Convention priority of German patent application number 100 13 922.1-33 filed on Mar. 21, 2000, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a light arrangement for a vehicle and ore particularly to a light arrangement for a vehicle with a light housing from which the light of a light source emerges through an outlet opening.  
           [0004]    B. Background  
           [0005]    Simple interior lights of vehicles are known which comprise only one light source and only serve to illuminate inner large surfaces. Moreover, there are pure reading lights having a bulb as reading light such as a driver or co-driver reading light. Finally, also combined interior and reading lights are known for which separate bulbs are used for the various functions.  
           [0006]    These known lights either have limited functional scope. That is known lights function only as a reading light or only as an interior light. In addition, known lights require several bulbs to be used for the various functions which means more components are required, i.e. several bulbs, fittings and contacts, thereby increasing cost and space requirements.  
           [0007]    It is therefore the underlying purpose of the invention to further develop a light arrangement of the initially mentioned kind with as few parts as possible and low cost into a combined interior and reading light.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the light housing is provided with at least one further (second) outlet opening for the light and that at least one screen section is movably disposed in the light housing which either covers or exposes the path of rays of the light between light source and second outlet opening.  
           [0009]    The advantage achieved with the invention consists in that only one bulb can fulfil the interior and reading light function. This allows to save components, cost and space. Mechanical screens either expose or block the path of rays to the corresponding outlet openings or surfaces.  
           [0010]    In a particularly preferred embodiment, each screen section is provided on a switch button rotatably disposed in the light housing. Depending on the turning position of the switch button, the path of rays of the light between light source and second outlet opening is closed or at least partly open.  
           [0011]    In a preferred further development of this embodiment, each screen section is formed by a wall section of a circumferential wall of the switch button, wherein neighboring screen sections are spaced apart in each case by an opening section in the circumferential wall.  
           [0012]    Preferably, the light source is disposed in an interior space of the switch button whose front side may also be provided with the first outlet opening. The first outlet opening may be formed as separate light disc, possibly with integrated reading light optics.  
           [0013]    In another preferred further development, at least part of the light radiated by the light source leaves the first outlet opening at an angle. This measure has the advantage that the light emerging from the first outlet opening is directed to the driver or co-driver in corresponding rotary positions of the switch button. The angle of the emerging light can be achieved e.g. by a reading light optics provided on the switch button, in particular, on the first outlet opening. Inclination of the emerging light can also be achieved by a reflector disposed in the switch button.  
           [0014]    Preferably, each of the two sides of the switch button is provided with a second outlet opening. This second outlet opening may be a light disc or be formed by a housing wall which is transparent in this area.  
           [0015]    In a further preferred development, sliding contacts, which are electrically connected with the light source, are provided on the switch button which cooperate in certain rotary positions of the switch button with contacts of a contacting means mounted on the light housing. The switch button does not only serve for manipulating the path of rays leading to the second outlet opening but also for switching the light arrangement on and off.  
           [0016]    In the invention, it is preferred that the light emerging from the first outlet opening is formed as focussed reading light and the light emerging from the second outlet opening(s) is formed as flatly emerging interior light.  
           [0017]    Further advantages of the invention can be extracted from the description and the drawing. The features mentioned above and below may be used in accordance with the invention either individually or collectively in any arbitrary combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as exhaustive enumeration but rather have exemplary character for describing the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows a perspective inclined schematic view from below of the light arrangement disposed at the inside roof lining of a vehicle;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of the light arrangement shown in FIG. 1 with a horizontally disposed bulb;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  respectively show the light arrangement of FIG. 2 in the pre-mounted state and in the finally assembled state;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of the light arrangement shown in FIG. 1 comprising a perpendicularly disposed bulb;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 5 through 8 schematically show different paths of rays of the light arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in each case from the top onto the light arrangement with removed upper housing half (a) and in a side view (b). 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]    The light arrangement generally designated with  1  in FIG. 1 is mounted in the interior of a vehicle, i.e. on the inside roof lining  2  and serves as reading light and optionally also as interior light for the inside.  
         [0024]    A switch button  5  is rotatably mounted on the front side  3  of the extended light housing  4  which is visible when the light arrangement  1  is mounted. On its visible front side  6 , the switch button  5  comprises a transparent central window  7  and a finger depression  8  such that a passenger can easily turn the switch button  5  from the outside. The front side  3  comprises, on both sides of the switch button  5 , one transparent side window  9  in each case. The light housing  4  is provided with a light source (not shown in FIG. 1) whose light emerges through the central window  7  as reading light  10  and through the side windows  9  as inside light  11 . The reading light  10  emerges as focussed light cone from the central window  7  and the interior light  11  emerges flatly as diffused light from the side windows  9 . On the one hand, the light source can be switched on and off via the switch button  5  and on the other hand the inside light  10  can additionally be switched on or off.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the light arrangement  1 . The interior  12  of the pot-shaped switch button  5  is provided with a bulb  13  as light source of the light arrangement  1  disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the switch button  5  (i.e. horizontally). The light of the bulb  13  can emerge from the interior  12  at the front side via the central window  7  and at the circumference via two opposing opening sections  14  in the cylindrical circumferential wall of the switch button  5 . Opening sections  14  and closed screen sections  15  are alternately provided in the circumferential direction of the circumferential wall. The screen sections  15  of the switch button  5  are impervious to light and the central window  7  is a separate light disc.  
         [0026]    A fitting  16  mounted on the switch button  5  for the bulb  13  surrounds the bulb  13  with a first contact section  17  which has a first sliding contact  18  on its one side. On its other side facing the bulb  13 , the contact section  17  is formed as reflector  19  which reflects the light, radiated backwards by the bulb  13  to the front onto the central window  7  of the switch button  5 . The fitting  16  is provided with one further second sliding contact  20  which is electrically insulated from the first sliding contact  18  wherein both sliding contacts  18 , 20  are in each case connected in an electrically conducting fashion with the two fitting contacts for the bulb  13 . A reading light optics is integrated in the central window  7  which deflects the emerging light to exit the central window  7  at an inclined angle.  
         [0027]    The light housing  4  is formed by a lower and an upper housing half  21 ,  22  which are locked with one another. The front side  6  of the switch button  5  is inserted into a circular opening  23  in the lower housing half  21 , wherein two cylindrical wall sections  24  of the lower housing half  21  serve as support shells for the switch button  5 . Two opposite wall openings  25 , each bordering the side windows  9 , are provided between the two cylindrical wall sections  24 . Through turning of the switch button  5  either its opening sections  14  or its screen sections  15  can be turned in front of the wall openings  25  wherein the opening sections  14  and the wall sections  25  are approximately the same size.  
         [0028]    An electric contact means  26  comprising three contact fingers  27 ,  28 ,  29  is inserted into the inside of the upper housing half  22 . The central contact finger  27  is in constant sliding contact with the first sliding contact  18 . These three contact fingers  28  and the contact finger  29  are arranged each at an angular separation of approximately 90° on the turning circle described by the second sliding contact  20  when turning the switch button  5 . When the second sliding contact  20  has been turned to the contact finger  29 , the bulb  13  is activated only upon opening of a vehicle door whereas the bulb  13  is immediately switched on through setting to the contact fingers  28 . In all other rotary positions of the switch button  11 , the bulb  13  remains switched off. In total, there are four rotary positions (90° positions) of the switch button  11  in which the bulb  13  can be switched on. This allows switching off of the light arrangement  1  through setting the switch button onto an intermediate rotary position, e.g. 45° position.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b , for locking the two housing halves  21 ,  22 , both longitudinal ends of the lower housing halves  21  are each provided with a catch  30  which, when the light arrangement  1  has been pre-mounted (FIG. 3 a ) engages into a lower catch opening  31  and when the light arrangement  1  has been finally mounted (FIG. 3 b ), engages into an upper catch opening  32  of the upper housing half  22 . The two housing halves  21 ,  22  are extruded parts, wherein the lower housing half  21  is pervious to light at least in the region of its side windows but may also be formed completely of transparent material. Two flaps  33  are pivotally disposed on the two sides of the upper housing half  22  which, after inserting the light arrangement  1  into the corresponding opening in the inner roof lining  2  are folded down on an edge  34  extending along the lower housing half  22  (FIG. 3 b ). Thus, the inner roof lining  2  is clamped between flaps  33  and edge  34  thereby fastening the light arrangement  1  on the inner roof lining  2 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the light arrangement  1 , wherein functionally equal components have identical reference numerals. The bulb  13  is disposed in the switch button  5  along its central axis such that the switch button  5 , the two cylindrical wall sections  24  and thus the entire light housing  4  are higher than the light housing of FIGS. 2 and 3. The two housing halves  41 ,  42  are connected via four clip connections. Towards this end, four clamping openings  43 , open to the top, are provided in each case on the longitudinal ends and on the two longitudinal sides on the lower housing part  41 , into which pins  44  of the upper housing half  42  are clamped when the housing halves  41 ,  42  are connected.  
         [0031]    The fitting  45  for the bulb  13  is centered above the inner space  12  of the switch button  5  and supports a reflector  46  which reflects the light reflected by the bulb  13  onto the central window  7  of the switch button  5 . The fitting  45  is provided with two sliding contacts  47  for the one light contact which are disposed with respect to one another at an angle of approximately 135°. The sliding contact  48  for the other light contact is formed by the connecting end of the bulb  13 .  
         [0032]    The electric contacting means  49  is mounted at the outside of the upper housing half  42 . The connecting end  48  of the bulb  13  projecting through a hole  50  in the upper side of the upper housing half  42  is in constant sliding contact with an inner contact finger  51  of the contact means  49 . The other contact fingers  52 ,  53  are bent about the upper-sided edge of the upper housing half  42  and disposed at an angular separation of approximately 90° on the turning circle which the two sliding contacts  47  describe when turning the switch button  5 . When one of the two sliding contacts  47  is turned towards the one contact finger  53 , the bulb  13  is activated only upon opening of a vehicle door whereas by setting one of the two sliding contacts  47  to one  52  of the contact fingers, the bulb  13  is immediately switched on. The bulb  13  is switched off at all other rotary positions of the switch button  5 . Due to the two sliding contacts  47 , there are altogether eight rotary positions of the switch button  5  in which the bulb  13  can be switched on.  
         [0033]    FIGS.  5  to  8  schematically show the path of rays for the light arrangements  1  of FIGS. 2 and 3 in dependence on the different rotary positions of the switch button  5 . FIGS. 5 a ,  6   a ,  7   a  and  8   a  each show, through black marking in the schematically shown bulb  13 , the spatial angular region into which the light deflected by the reading light optics emerges at an inclined angle through the central window  7 .  
         [0034]    In the rotary position of the switch button  5  shown in FIG. 5 a , the wall sections  15  interrupt the path of rays between bulb  13  and side windows  9 . Only the reading light  10  from the central window  7  can emerge out of the light arrangement  1 , i.e. as shown in FIG. 5 b , at an inclined angle towards the left-hand side bottom, i.e. towards the driver.  
         [0035]    By turning the switch button  5  about 90° in a clock-wise direction, the rotary position shown in FIG. 6 a  results from FIG. 5 a , in which the opening sections  14  of the switch button  5  expose the path of rays towards the side windows. Both, the reading light  10  from the central window  7  and the interior light  11  from the two side windows  9  emerge from the light arrangement  1 . The reading light  10  emerges in an inclined angle towards the rear shown in the side view of FIG. 6 b.    
         [0036]    By turning the switch button  5  about 90° in a clockwise direction, one obtains, from FIG. 6 a , the rotary position shown in FIG. 7 a , in which the wall sections  15  again interrupt the path of rays between bulb  13  and side windows  9 . Therefore, only the reading light  10  emerges from the central window  7  of the light arrangement  1 , i.e. as shown in FIG. 7 b  at an inclined angle towards the right-hand bottom, i.e. towards the co-driver.  
         [0037]    By turning the switch button  5  about 90° in a clock-wise direction, one obtains, from FIG. 7 a , the rotary position shown in FIG. 8 a , in which the opening sections  14  of the switch button  5  again expose the path of rays towards the side windows  9 . The reading light  10  emerges out of the light arrangement  1  through the central window  7  and the interior light  11  from the two side windows  9 . The reading light  10  emerges at an inclined angle towards the front, shown in the side view of FIG. 8 b . The bulb  13  is electrically connected with the door contact in this rotary position, i.e. the bulb  13  radiates only when the vehicle door is open.  
         [0038]    In the light arrangement of FIG. 4, the bulb  13  is switched also in the rotary intermediate positions (45°, 135°, 225°, 315°) of the switch button  5 , disposed between the rotary positions shown in FIGS. 5 through 8, due to the angularly displaced two sliding contacts  47 . In these rotary intermediate positions, the wall sections  15  still partially cover the two wall openings  25  such that the inside light  11 , compared with the rotary positions of FIGS. 5 and 7 emerges with less brightness.  
         [0039]    The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the preferred embodiments described in the specification. Additional advantages and modifications, which will readily occur to those skilled in the art from consideration of specification and practice of the invention are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the following claims.