Patent ID: 8333495

Claim:
An integrated system for illuminating a vehicle license plate and energizing a vehicle rear gate release, said system comprising: a vehicle power source; and an integrated illumination device positioned adjacent said vehicle license plate, said illumination device comprising: a base; a light source coupled to said base and to said vehicle power source; a switch coupled to said base and to said vehicle power source; and a top cover coupled to said base and at least partially enclosing said light source and said switch between said base and said top cover, said top cover comprising a perimeter wall portion and an actuator portion coupled to said perimeter wall portion, said actuator portion extending generally downward between walls of said perimeter wall portion toward said base and including at least one translucent lens, at least a portion of said actuator portion being movable toward said base for changing the state of said switch upon application of an external force to said actuator portion for coupling said vehicle power source through said switch to said rear gate release, said light source being positioned for illuminating said vehicle license plate, said light source is positioned so that light therefrom passes through said translucent lens.