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DE-102018111914-B4 - Lighting assembly and lighting method for a vehicle

DE102018111914B4DE 102018111914 B4DE102018111914 B4DE 102018111914B4DE-102018111914-B4

Abstract

Lighting assembly (18), comprising: a first light-emitting device (26a) on an inside of a window (38) of a vehicle (10); and a second light-emitting device (26b) on the inside, wherein the first and the second light-emitting device (26a, 26b) are configured to selectively illuminate corresponding areas through a perimeter region (74) of the window (38) in response to a change in the orientation of the vehicle (10), characterized by a third light-emitting device (26b), wherein the first light-emitting device (26a) is mounted horizontally between the second light-emitting device (26b) on a passenger side of the vehicle (10) and the third light-emitting device (26c) on a driver side of the vehicle (10), the first light-emitting device (26a) is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the passenger side or the driver's side, the second light-emitting device (26b) is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the passenger side, but not when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the driver's side, and the third light-emitting device (26c) is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the driver's side, but not when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the passenger's side.

Inventors

  • Stuart C. Salter
  • Paul Kenneth Dellock
  • James J. Surman
  • David Brian Glickman
  • Balbir S. Grewal

Assignees

  • FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20180517
Priority Date
20170519

Claims (11)

  1. Light assembly (18), comprising: a first light-emitting device (26a) on an inside of a window (38) of a vehicle (10); and a second light-emitting device (26b) on the inside, wherein the first and the second light-emitting devices (26a, 26b) are configured to selectively illuminate corresponding areas through a perimeter region (74) of the window (38) in response to a change in the orientation of the vehicle (10), characterized by a third light-emitting device (26b), wherein the first light-emitting device (26a) is positioned horizontally between the second light-emitting device (26b) on a passenger side of the vehicle (10) and the third light-emitting device (26c) on a driver side of the vehicle (10), the first light-emitting device (26a) being configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the passenger side or the driver side, the second light-emitting device (26b) being configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) rotates towards the passenger side, but not when the vehicle (10) rotates (10) turns towards the driver's side, and the third light-emitting device (26c) is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle (10) turns towards the driver's side, but not when the vehicle (10) turns towards the passenger's side.
  2. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 1 , wherein the relevant areas are located on an outer side (62) of the window (38).
  3. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 1 , wherein the first light-emitting device (26a) is positioned further away from a lateral side of the vehicle (10) than the second light-emitting device (26b) and the second light-emitting device (26b) is configured to illuminate the corresponding area in response to the vehicle (10) rotating towards the lateral side.
  4. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 1 , wherein the first and second light-emitting devices (26a, 26b) are configured to illuminate the corresponding areas in response to the vehicle (10) driving up or down a slope.
  5. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third light-emitting device (26a, 26b, 26c) each comprise at least one light-emitting diode (22).
  6. Light assembly (18) comprising: a window (38) of a vehicle (10), wherein the window (38) has an edge region (74); a coating (78) covering at least a section of the edge region (38); and a light-emitting device (26a, 26b, 26c) on an inner side of the window (38), characterized in that the coating (78) is located on the inner side of the window (38) between the window (38) and the light-emitting device (26a, 26b, 26c) and provides at least one opening (96) to allow light from the light-emitting device (26a, 26b, 26c) to pass through the edge region (74), wherein the window (38) is a front window of the vehicle (10) and the light-emitting device (26a, 26b, 26c) is located on an upper inner side of the window (38). is attached to the window (38) to illuminate an area in front of the vehicle (10).
  7. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 6 , wherein the coating (78) defines a daylight opening (82) through the window (38) and the hole (96) in the coating (78) is located outside an outer edge of the daylight opening (82).
  8. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 6 , where the hole (96) is a hole in a frit (78).
  9. Lighting assembly (18) according to Claim 6 , wherein the coating (78) is opaque.
  10. A method for illuminating an area outside a vehicle (10), comprising: transmitting light from a first light-emitting device (26a) on the inside of a front window (10) of the vehicle (10) through a hole (96) in a coating (78) covering at least a section of the window (38), wherein the light illuminates an area on the outside (62) of the window (38) in front of the vehicle (10), characterized by the selective transmission of light from a second light-emitting device (26b) on the inside of a passenger side of the vehicle (10) through the window (38) in response to a detected change in the orientation of the vehicle (10) towards the passenger side, and the selective transmission of light from a third light-emitting device (26c) on the inside of a driver side of the vehicle (10) through the window (38) in response to a detected change in the orientation of the vehicle (10) towards the driver side, wherein the first light-emitting device (26a) is mounted horizontally between the second light-emitting device (26b) on the passenger side of the vehicle (10) and the third light-emitting device (26c) on the driver side of the vehicle (10).
  11. Procedure according to Claim 10 , wherein the second light-emitting device (26b) is switched on in response to the vehicle (10) going up or down a slope, in order to let light pass through the window (38).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA This disclosure generally relates to vehicle lighting units. In particular, this disclosure relates to an auxiliary lighting unit positioned on the inside of a vehicle window within a peripheral region of the vehicle window. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART Many vehicles contain auxiliary lighting assemblies that supplement the light provided, for example, by the vehicle's headlights. Such an auxiliary lighting assembly is often referred to as a light bar. The typical light bar is mounted on the outside of the vehicle above the windshield. The light bar is used to illuminate areas in front of the vehicle, which can help the driver navigate. Off-road vehicles often include light bars. When driving along a trail off-road, the operator activates the light bar to illuminate the path, helping them navigate and avoid obstacles. Light bars mounted externally on the vehicle can be difficult to clean and may make maneuvering under obstacles more challenging. The printed matter DE 10 2015 109 382 A1 The document reveals a vehicle glass pane with lighting components integrated into a circumferential edge area of the glass pane. DE 201 12 037 U1 and US 7 477 140 B1 These are a display device with multiple light-emitting diodes for displaying information. From the DE 10 2012 018 001 A1 and DE 10 2008 033 617 A1 A transparent windscreen for a motor vehicle with a heated coating, which includes an opaque area, is known. The publication DE 94 16 479 U1 This concerns vertically and horizontally adjustable headlights for a road vehicle. Further examples of lighting components for a vehicle's windshield are listed in the... US 7 036 965 B2 and the US 7 106 185 B known. SUMMARY A lighting assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first light-emitting device on the inside of a vehicle window and a second light-emitting device on the inside. The first and the second light-emitting devices are configured to selectively illuminate corresponding areas through an edge region of the window in response to a detected change in the orientation of the vehicle. The relevant areas are located on the outside of the window. Another embodiment of any of the preceding assemblies according to claim 6 includes a coating in the edge region of the window. The first and second light-emitting devices illuminate the corresponding areas through holes in the coating. In a further non-restrictive embodiment of any of the foregoing assemblies, the coating is opaque. In a further non-restrictive embodiment of any of the foregoing assemblies, the coating defines a daylight opening through the window. The hole in the coating is located outside an outer edge of the daylight opening. The first light-emitting device is positioned further away from a lateral side of the vehicle than the second light-emitting device. The second light-emitting device is configured to illuminate the corresponding areas in response to the vehicle rotating towards its lateral side. In a further non-restrictive embodiment of any of the foregoing assemblies, the first and second light-emitting devices are configured to illuminate the corresponding areas in response to the vehicle driving up or down a slope. In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing assemblies, the assembly includes a third light-emitting device. The first light-emitting device is mounted horizontally between the second light-emitting device on a passenger side of the vehicle and the third light-emitting device on a driver's side of the vehicle. The first light-emitting device is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle rotates toward the passenger side or the driver's side. The second light-emitting device is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle rotates toward the passenger side, but not when the vehicle rotates toward the driver's side. The third light-emitting device is configured to illuminate the area when the vehicle rotates toward the passenger side. the vehicle turns towards the driver's side, but not if the vehicle turns towards the passenger side. In a further non-restrictive embodiment of any of the foregoing assemblies, the first and the second light-emitting device each comprise at least one light-emitting diode. A lighting assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a vehicle window. The window has an edge region. A coating covers at least a portion of the edge region. A light-emitting device is located on the inside of the window. The coating provides at least one opening to allow light from the light-emitting device to pass through the edge region. In another non-restrictive embodiment of the above assembly, the coating defines a daylight opening through the window. The hole in the coating is located outside an outer edge of the daylight opening. In another non-restrictive embodiment of the above assembly, the coating is opaque. A method for il