Patent Publication Number: US-2013229820-A1

Title: Vehicle body side lighting

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a lighting system integrated into a body side of a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vehicles are frequently equipped with exterior lighting systems for the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. 
     Generally, vehicle exterior lighting is also intended to permit the subject vehicle to be seen from surrounding areas, for example by operators of other, approaching vehicles. Vehicle exterior lighting may also be used to assist vehicle occupants with identifying their vehicle, for example on approach to the vehicle in a crowded parking lot. 
     SUMMARY 
     A lighting system for an exterior panel of a vehicle includes a molding configured to be affixed to the exterior panel. The molding includes a feature configured to retain a light string and fix the light string relative to the molding. The light string is configured to be connected to an electric system of the vehicle and activated to illuminate an area surrounding the exterior panel. 
     The electric system may include an energy storage device. The light string may include a fiber optic element in operative communication with at least one light-emitting diode (LED). The at least one LED may be energized by the energy storage device to generate the light. The light may be transmitted through and emitted by the fiber optic element to illuminate the area surrounding the exterior panel. 
     The fiber optic element may include a first end and a second end and the at least one LED may include a first LED and a second LED. In such a case, the first LED may be in operative communication with the first end of the fiber optic element and the second LED may be in operative communication with the second end of the fiber optic element. 
     The feature may be configured as a channel formed in the molding. The fiber optic element may then be captured by the channel. The feature may also be a lip formed in the molding and configured to retain the fiber optic element against the exterior panel after the molding is attached to the exterior panel. 
     The lighting system may additionally include a controller configured to activate the light string. The controller may be at least one of a vehicle body controller and a remote key fob. The fob may be configured to activate the light string automatically, based on proximity to the vehicle, or manually by an operator thereof on approach to the vehicle. 
     The light generated by the light string may have a selectively variable intensity or a plurality of brightness levels that is regulated by the controller. 
     The exterior panel may be a vehicle door or a vehicle rocker panel. Additionally, the light string may be activated automatically when the door is unlocked. 
     A vehicle employing the system is also disclosed. 
     The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) and best mode(s) for carrying out the described invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective illustration of a motor vehicle having a lighting system incorporated into exterior panels of the vehicle according to the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective illustration of the lighting system shown in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment and depicting a light string having light-emitting diodes (LEDs) connected to a fiber optic element. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective illustration of the lighting system shown in  FIG. 1  according to another embodiment and depicting the light string having LEDs connected to the fiber optic element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components,  FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a motor vehicle  10  which includes a vehicle body  12 . The vehicle body  12  additionally includes exterior panels positioned at a front end  14 , at a rear end  16 , as well as at a left body side  18  and at a right body side  20 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the exterior panel  14 - 1  is positioned at the front end  14 , the exterior panel  16 - 1  is positioned at the rear end  16 , the exterior panel  18 - 1  is positioned at the left body side  18 , and the exterior panel  20 - 1  is positioned at the right body side  20 . The exterior panel  18 - 1  may include at least one left side door  18 - 2  and also a left side rocker panel  18 - 3 . Similarly, the exterior panel  20 - 1  may include at least one right side door  20 - 2  and also a right side rocker panel  20 - 3 . Although one door is shown in  FIG. 1  on each of the exterior panels  18 - 1  and  20 - 1 , each exterior panel may include any number of doors, as needed. 
     The vehicle  10  also includes an interior  22  configured to accommodate a vehicle operator and passenger(s). The vehicle  10  additionally includes a powertrain  23  configured to propel the vehicle via front wheels  24 , rear wheels  26 , or via all four wheels  24  and  26 . Furthermore, the vehicle  10  includes an electric system  28  having an energy storage device  30 , such as one or more batteries, configured to accept electric charge. The electric system  28  is configured to supply electric current to operate various vehicle systems, such as vehicle head lamps  32 , tail lamps  34 , a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a vehicle infotainment system (neither of which are shown, but known to those skilled in the art). 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , the vehicle  10  also includes a lighting system  36 . The lighting system  36  includes a molding  38 . The molding  38  may be affixed to any of the exterior panels  14 - 1 ,  16 - 1 ,  18 - 1 , and  20 - 1 . As shown, the molding  38  may be specifically configured as a molding  38 - 1  that is affixed to the left or right side door  18 - 2  or  20 - 2 , respectively, and as a molding  38 - 2  that is affixed to the left or right side rocker panel  18 - 3  or  20 - 3 , respectively. The molding  38  may be formed, for example injection molded, from a polymeric material. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the molding  38  may include a feature  40 . The feature  40  may be integrally formed into the molding  38 . The lighting system  36  also includes a light string  42  retained by the feature  40  and fixed relative to the molding  38 . The light string  42  is in electric communication with the electric system  28  to receive electric current from the energy storage device  30 . The light string  42  is configured to be activated in order to generate and emit an amount of light sufficient to illuminate an area surrounding the respective exterior panel. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the light string  42  may include a fiber optic element  44 . The fiber optic element  44  is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass, or from an acrylic or urethane material. The fiber optic element  44  functions as a waveguide or light pipe to transmit light between two ends of the fiber, a first end  44 - 1  and a second end  44 - 2 . The fiber optic element  44  may include a plurality of fibers wrapped in a bundle. The fiber optic element  44  is connected to and in operative communication with at least one light-emitting diode (LED)  46  via suitable connection such as via a snap-in arrangement. With respect to present disclosure, operative connection and communication between the LED  46  and the fiber optic element  44  is of the type that permits waves of light emitted by the LED to be directed into the fiber optic element and transmitted there through. The LED  46  is a semiconductor light source that may be forward biased or activated to release energy and thus produce electroluminescence characterized by high brightness. The at least one LED  46  is electrically connected to the energy storage device  30  via a connector  47  and is energized by the energy storage device to generate the aforementioned light. The light from the LED  46  is subsequently transmitted through and emitted by the fiber optic element  44  to illuminate the area surrounding the subject exterior panel  14 - 1 ,  16 - 1 ,  18 - 1 , or  20 - 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the at least one LED  46  may include a pair of LEDs: a first LED  46 - 1  and a second LED  46 - 2 . The first LED  46 - 1  is in operative communication with the first end  44 - 1  of the fiber optic element  44  while the second LED  46 - 2  is in operative communication with the second end  44 - 2  of the fiber optic element. Although a single LED  46  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) may be sufficient to generate an adequate amount of light to illuminate the area surrounding the subject exterior panel, a pair of LEDs—the first LED  46 - 1  and the second LED  46 - 2  may provide a more uniform or consistent light distribution by passing light from opposite ends,  44 - 1  and  44 - 2 , of the fiber optic element  44 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the feature  40  may be configured as a channel  40 - 1  formed in the molding  38 . In such a case, the fiber optic element  44  is captured by or snapped into the channel  40 - 1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the feature  40  may be configured as a lip  40 - 2  formed in the molding  38 . In such an alternative case, the lip  40 - 2  is configured to retain the fiber optic element  44  against the exterior panel  14 - 1 ,  16 - 1 ,  18 - 1 , or  20 - 1  after the molding  38  is attached to the subject exterior panel. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the vehicle  10  also includes a body controller  48 . The body controller  48  may be configured to regulate operation of the electric system  28 , along with functions such as locking and unlocking of the vehicle doors  18 - 2 ,  20 - 2 , turning on and off head lamps  32  and tail lamps  34 , etc. The body controller  48  may also be configured to activate the light string  42  automatically in response to occurrence of certain conditions programmed into the controller. Such conditions may include the vehicle  10  coming to a stop, the powertrain  23  being turned off, and/or at least one of the doors  18 - 2 ,  20 - 2  being opened. Illumination of areas surrounding the vehicle and particularly the areas near exterior panels  14 - 1 ,  16 - 1 ,  18 - 1 , and  20 - 1  is particularly beneficial to permit more effective assessment of the ground surface near the vehicle  10  for the vehicle occupant(s) during ingress/egress from the vehicle. Furthermore, additional illumination provided by the activated lighting system  36  is especially convenient and beneficial during times of reduced visibility, such as at dusk and during inclement weather. 
     As additionally shown in  FIG. 1 , the vehicle  10  may also include a remote controller such as a key fob  50 . The fob  50  may be used to activate the light string  42  based on the fob&#39;s proximity to the vehicle  10 , or manually by an operator of the fob on approach to the subject vehicle. In such a case, the body controller  48  may be programmed to detect entry of the fob  50  into a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle  10  and to automatically activate the light string  42  on any of the particular moldings  38  or on all the moldings at once. 
     The light generated by the light string  42  may have a selectively variable intensity or a plurality of brightness levels. The light intensity of the light string  42  may be regulated by the body controller  48 . Accordingly, the LED  46 , or LEDs  46 - 1  and  46 - 2 , may be regulated by the body controller  48  to generate a light of varied intensity in response to the occurrence of pre-programmed conditions, such as level of ambient lighting sensed via a sensor  52 . In the situation where the exterior panel is a vehicle door  18 - 2  or  20 - 2 , the specific light strings  42  incorporated into the moldings  38  may be selectively activated by the body controller  48  based on which door is being unlocked or opened. Accordingly, the light string  42  may be activated automatically by the body controller  48  when the body controller has detected that a particular door  18 - 2  or  20 - 2  has been unlocked. 
     The detailed description and the drawings or figures are supportive and descriptive of the invention, but the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed invention have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the invention defined in the appended claims.