DE20005181U1 - Luminaire arrangement - Google Patents

Description

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Stuttgart, March 20, 2000 P7503Gm Rk/pa

Applicant:

Sidler GmbH & Co. Bismarckstrasse 72 D-72072 Tübingen

Representative;

Kohler Schmid + Partner Patent Attorneys GbR Ruppmannstrasse 27 D-70565 Stuttgart

Lighting arrangement

The invention relates to a lighting arrangement for a vehicle, with a lighting housing from which the light of a light source emerges through an exit opening.

In motor vehicles, simple interior lights are known that have only one light source and are only used to illuminate large areas of the interior. There are also pure reading lights with one bulb for the reading light function (driver/passenger reading light). Finally, combined interior and reading lights are also known, in which separate bulbs are used for the various functions.

With these well-known lights, either the range of functions is limited (reading light only or interior light only). Or several light bulbs have to be used for the various functions, but this means more parts and therefore high costs due to multiple light bulbs, sockets and contacts, and also requires more space.

It is therefore the object of the invention to develop a lighting arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset into a combined interior and reading light with as few parts as possible and at low costs.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that at least one further (second) exit opening for the light is provided on the lamp housing and in that at least one diaphragm section is movably mounted in the lamp housing, which either covers or uncovers the beam path of the light between the light source and the second exit opening.

The advantage achieved with the invention is that both the interior and reading light functions can be fulfilled with just one bulb. This makes it possible to save parts, costs and space. By mechanically louvers

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the beam path to the corresponding exit openings or surfaces is released or interrupted.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, each diaphragm section is provided on a control knob that is rotatably mounted in the lamp housing. Depending on the rotational position of the control knob, the beam path of the light between the light source and the second exit opening is closed or at least partially open.

In a preferred development of this embodiment, each panel section is formed by a wall section of a peripheral wall of the switch button, wherein adjacent panel sections are each spaced apart from one another by an opening section in the peripheral wall.

Preferably, the light source is arranged in an interior of the switch button, in the front side of which the first exit opening can also be provided. The first exit opening can be designed as a separate light disk, into which a reading light optic can be integrated.

In another preferred development, at least part of the light emitted by the light source emerges obliquely from the first exit opening. This measure has the advantage that in corresponding rotational positions of the switch button, the light emerging from the first exit opening is directed at the driver or the passenger. The oblique light exit can be achieved, for example, by a reading light optic provided on the switch button, in particular on the first exit opening. An oblique light exit is also possible by means of a reflector arranged in the switch button.

Preferably, a second exit opening is provided on each side of the switch button. This second exit opening can be a light disc or can be formed by a housing wall that is translucent in this area.

In a further preferred development, sliding contacts electrically connected to the light source are provided on the switch button, which interact with contacts of a contacting device attached to the lamp housing in certain rotational positions of the switch button. The switch button then serves not only to manipulate the beam path leading to the second exit opening, but also to switch the lamp arrangement on and off.

In the invention, it is preferred that the light emerging from the first exit opening is designed as a focused reading light and the light emerging from the second exit opening(s) is designed as a large-area interior light.

Further advantages of the invention emerge from the description and the drawing. Likewise, the features mentioned above and those listed below can be used individually or in combination in any desired way. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as an exhaustive list, but rather are exemplary in nature for the description of the invention.

It shows:

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Fig. 1 shows schematically the lighting arrangement according to the invention arranged on the roof liner of a vehicle in a perspective view obliquely from below;

Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the lighting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 with a horizontally arranged light bulb in an exploded view;

Fig. 3 the luminaire arrangement shown in Fig. 2 in the pre-assembled state (Fig. 3a) and in the finally assembled state (Fig. 3b);

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the lighting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 with a vertically arranged light bulb in an exploded view;

Fig. 5

1 to 8 schematically show different beam paths of the lamp arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each in a view from above of the lamp arrangement with the upper housing half removed (a) and in a side view (b).

The lighting arrangement generally designated 1 in Fig. 1 is attached to the roof liner 2 in the interior of a vehicle and serves as a reading light and optionally also as an interior light for the interior.

A switch button 5 is rotatably mounted on the front side 3 of the elongated lamp housing 4, which is visible when the lamp assembly 1 is attached.

On the side 6, the switch button 5 has a translucent central window 7 and a finger recess 8 so that an occupant can easily turn the switch button 5 from the outside. The front 3 has a translucent side window 9 on either side of the switch button 5. A light source (not shown in Fig. 1) is provided in the lamp housing 4, the light from which emerges through the central window 7 as a reading light 10 and through the side windows 9 as interior light. The reading light 10 emerges as a focused cone of light from the central window 7 and the interior light 11 emerges over a large area as diffuse light from the side windows 9. The switch button 5 can be used to switch the light source on and off and to switch the interior light 10 on or off.

Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of the lighting arrangement 1. In the interior 12 of the pot-shaped switch button 5, a light bulb 13 arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the switch button 5 (ie horizontally) is fastened as the light source of the lighting arrangement 1. The light from the light bulb 13 can emerge from the interior 12 at the front via the central window 7 and at the circumference via two opposing opening sections 14 in the cylindrical peripheral wall of the switch button 5. In the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall, opening sections and closed cover sections 15 are thus provided alternately. The edge sections 15 of the switch button 5 are opaque, and the central window 7 is a separate light pane.

A socket 16 for the bulb 13, which is attached to the switch button 5, surrounds the bulb 13 with a first contact section 17, which has a first sliding contact 18 on one side. On its other side, which is connected to the bulb 13,

On the side facing away from the light source, the contact section 17 is designed as a reflector 19, which reflects the light emitted backwards by the light bulb 13 forwards onto the central window 7 of the switch button 5. A second sliding contact 20 is provided on the socket 16, electrically insulated from the first sliding contact 18, with both sliding contacts 18, 20 each being electrically connected to the two socket contacts for the light bulb 13. A reading light optic is integrated in the central window 7, which deflects the emerging light for an oblique light exit from the central window 7.

The lamp housing 4 is formed by a lower and an upper housing half 21, 22, which are locked together. The switch button 5 is inserted with its front side 6 into a circular opening 23 in the lower housing half 21, with two cylindrical wall sections 24 of the lower housing half 21 serving as bearing shells for the switch button 5. Between the two cylindrical wall sections 24 and adjacent to the side windows 9, two wall openings 25 are provided opposite one another. By turning the switch button 5, either its opening sections 14 or its cover sections 15 can be rotated in front of the wall openings 25, with the opening sections 14 and the wall openings 25 being approximately the same size.

An electrical contacting device 26 with three contact fingers 27, 28, 29 is inserted into the inside of the upper housing half 22. The middle contact finger 27 is in permanent sliding contact with the first sliding contact 18. The three contact fingers 28 and the contact finger 29 are each arranged at an angular distance of approximately 90° on the rotating circle, the

when the switch button 5 is turned, the second sliding contact 20 is arranged. When the second sliding contact 20 is rotated to the contact finger 29, the bulb 13 is only activated when a vehicle door is opened, while when it is adjusted to the contact fingers 28, the bulb 13 is switched on immediately. In all other rotational positions of the switch button 11, the bulb 13 remains switched off. In total, there are therefore four rotational positions (90° positions) of the switch button 11 in which the bulb 13 can be switched on. This allows the lighting arrangement 1 to be switched off by setting the switch button to an intermediate rotational position, e.g. to the 45° position.

To lock the two housing halves 21, 22 together, a locking lug 30 is provided on each of the longitudinal ends of the lower housing half 21, which engages in a lower locking opening 31 when the light arrangement 1 is pre-assembled (Fig. 3a) and in an upper locking opening 32 of the upper housing half 22 when the light arrangement 1 is finally assembled (Fig. 3b). The two housing halves 21, 22 are injection-molded parts, with the lower housing half 21 being translucent at least in the area of its side windows 9, but can also be made entirely of translucent material. Two flaps 33 are pivotally mounted on each of the two sides of the upper housing half 22, which, after the light arrangement 1 has been inserted into the corresponding opening in the roof liner 2, are folded down onto an edge 34 running around the lower housing half 22 (Fig. 3b). As a result, the headliner 2 is clamped between flaps 33 and edge 34 and the lighting arrangement 1 is attached to the headliner 2.

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Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the light arrangement 1, wherein functionally identical components are designated with the same reference numerals. The light bulb 13 is arranged in the switch button 5 along its central axis, so that the switch button 5, the two cylindrical wall sections 24 and thus the entire light housing 4 are higher than in the light housing of Figs. 2 and 3. The two housing halves 41, 42 are connected to one another via four clip connections. For this purpose, four upwardly open clamping receptacles 43 are provided on the lower housing half 41, each at the longitudinal ends and on the two longitudinal sides, into which pins 44 of the upper housing half 42 are clipped when the housing halves 41, 42 are joined together.

The socket 45 for the light bulb 13 is centered over the interior 12 of the switch button 5 and has a reflector 46 which reflects the light emitted by the light bulb 13 onto the center window 7 of the switch button 5. Two sliding contacts 47 are provided on the socket 45 for one lamp contact, which are arranged at an angle of approximately 135° to one another. The sliding contact 48 for the other lamp contact is formed by the connection end of the light bulb 13.

The electrical contact device 49 is attached to the outside of the upper housing half 42. The connection end 48 of the bulb 13, which protrudes through a hole 50 in the top of the upper housing half 42, is in permanent sliding contact with an inner contact finger 51 of the contact device 49. The other contact fingers 52, 53 are bent around the upper edge of the upper housing half 42 and are each positioned at an angular distance of approximately 90° on the circle of rotation which is formed by the two sliding

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contacts 47. When one of the two sliding contacts 47 is rotated to one of the contact fingers 53, the bulb 13 is only activated when a vehicle door is opened, while when one of the two sliding contacts 47 is rotated to one of the contact fingers 52, the bulb 13 is switched on immediately. In all other rotational positions of the switch button 5, the bulb 13 is switched off. Because of the two sliding contacts 47, there are a total of eight rotational positions of the switch button 5 in which the bulb 13 can be switched on.

In Figs. 5 to 8, the beam path for the light arrangements 1 of Figs. 2 and 3 is shown schematically, depending on the different rotational positions of the switch button 5. In Figs. 5a, 6a, 7a and 8a, a black marking in the schematically shown bulb 13 indicates in which solid angle range the light deflected by the reading light optics exits obliquely through the central window 7.

In the rotational position of the switch button 5 shown in Fig. 5a, the wall sections 15 interrupt the beam path between the bulb 13 and the side windows 9. From the lighting arrangement 1, therefore, only the reading light 10 can emerge from the center window 7, namely, as Fig. 5b shows, diagonally to the bottom left, ie towards the driver.

By turning the switch button 5 by 90° clockwise, the rotational position shown in Fig. 5a results in the position shown in Fig. 6a, in which the opening sections 14 of the switch button 5 release the beam path to the side windows 9. The reading light 10 from the middle window 7 as well as the interior light 11 from the two

the side windows 9. The reading light 10 emerges diagonally to the rear in the side view shown in Fig. 6b.

By turning the switch button 5 by 90° clockwise, the rotational position shown in Fig. 7a results from Fig. 6a, in which the wall sections 15 again interrupt the beam path between the bulb 13 and the side windows 9. From the lighting arrangement 1, only the reading light 10 emerges from the center window 7, and, as Fig. 7b shows, diagonally to the bottom right, ie towards the passenger.

By turning the switch button 5 90° clockwise, the rotational position shown in Fig. 7a results in the rotational position shown in Fig. 8a, in which the opening sections 14 of the switch button 5 again clear the beam path to the side windows 9. Both the reading light 10 from the center window 7 and the interior light 11 from the two side windows 9 emerge from the lighting arrangement 1. The reading light 10 emerges diagonally forwards in the side view shown in Fig. 8b. In this rotational position, the bulb 13 is electrically connected to the door contact, ie the bulb 13 only lights up when the vehicle door is open.

With the lighting arrangement of Fig. 4, the light bulb 13 is also switched in the intermediate rotational positions (45°, 135°, 225°, 315°) of the switch button 5, which lie between the rotational positions shown in Figs. 5 to 8, due to the angularly offset two sliding contacts 47. In these intermediate rotational positions, the wall sections 15 still partially cover the two wall openings 25, so that the interior light 11 emerges with less brightness compared to the rotational positions in Figs. 5 and 7.

Claims (10)

1. Lighting arrangement (1) for a vehicle, with a lamp housing (4) from which the light of a light source emerges through a (first) exit opening (central window 7), characterized in that at least one further (second) exit opening (side window 9) for the light is provided on the lamp housing (4) and that at least one diaphragm section (15) is movably mounted in the lamp housing (4), which either covers or uncovers the beam path of the light between the light source and the second exit opening (side window 9). 2. Lighting arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that each panel section (15) is provided on a switch button (5) rotatably mounted in the lamp housing (4). 3. Lighting arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that each cover section (15) is formed by a wall section of a peripheral wall of the switch button (5), wherein adjacent cover sections (15) are each spaced apart from one another by an opening section (14) in the peripheral wall. 4. Lighting arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the light source is arranged in an interior space (12) of the switch button (5). 5. Lighting arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the first outlet opening (central window 7) is provided in the front side (6) of the switch button (5). 6. Lighting arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at least part of the light emitted by the light source exits obliquely from the first exit opening (central window 7). 7. Lighting arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that an optic is provided on the switch button (5), in particular on the first exit opening (central window 7), for the light emerging obliquely from the first exit opening (central window 7). 8. Lighting arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that a second outlet opening (side window 9) is provided on both sides of the switch button (5). 9. Lighting arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that sliding contacts (18, 20; 47, 48) electrically connected to the light source are provided on the switch button (5), which interact in certain rotational positions of the switch button (5) with contacts (27, 28, 29; 51, 52, 53) of a contacting device (26; 49) attached to the lamp housing (4). 10. Lighting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light emerging from the first exit opening (central window 7) is designed as a reading light (10) and the light emerging from every second exit opening (side window 9) is designed as an interior light (11).