초록 ▼

A vehicle interior component and lighting assembly that includes a vehicle interior component having a fabric disposed over a substrate or foam layer, or both. An electroluminescent panel is located between the fabric and substrate/foam layer and directs light from the panel through the fabric. In t

A vehicle interior component and lighting assembly that includes a vehicle interior component having a fabric disposed over a substrate or foam layer, or both. An electroluminescent panel is located between the fabric and substrate/foam layer and directs light from the panel through the fabric. In this way, the light source can be effectively hidden when not in use and can be incorporated into the interior component in a manner that requires little space. The vehicle interior component can be any of a number of different interior articles, including, for example, a headliner, door panel, vehicle seat, rear deck, sun visor, and trunk panel. Also disclosed are vehicle interior illumination systems using touch switches and electroluminescent panels to provide back lighting of the switch and/or vehicle interior illumination through the switch.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle interior illumination system, comprising:a light source;a switch assembly having at least one light-transmissive touch switch, and an electroluminescent panel located directly behind said touch switch; andan electronic circuit connected to said light source, touch switch, and electrolum

1. A vehicle interior illumination system, comprising:a light source;a switch assembly having at least one light-transmissive touch switch, and an electroluminescent panel located directly behind said touch switch; andan electronic circuit connected to said light source, touch switch, and electroluminescent panel, wherein said electroluminescent panel is operable upon energization by said electronic circuit to provide back lighting of said touch switch and wherein said electronic circuit is operable upon activation of said switch to energize said light source and to change energization of said electroluminescent panel such that it affects the back lighting of said touch switch. 2. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic circuit is operable to change energization of said electroluminescent panel upon activation of said switch by changing said electroluminescent panel from a non-energized state to an energized state in which said electroluminescent panel provides back lighting of said touch switch. 3. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic circuit is operable to change energization of said electroluminescent panel upon activation of said switch by changing said electroluminescent panel from an energized state to non-energized state. 4. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic circuit is operable to change energization of said electroluminescent panel upon activation of said switch by changing said electroluminescent panel from a first energized state, in which said electroluminescent panel provides a reduced light output, to a second energized state, in which said electroluminescent panel provides an increased light output. 5. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch assembly includes a plurality of light-transmissive touch switches and a corresponding plurality of electroluminescent panels disposed directly behind said touch switches for providing back lighting of at least one of said touch switches independently of at least one other of said touch switches. 6. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch assembly further comprises a graphics overlay disposed over said touch switch, said graphics overlay including indicia representing a lighting function associated with said touch switch. 7. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a map light and said touch switch comprises a map light switch. 8. A vehicle interior switch assembly comprising:a light-transmissive touch switch;a light source disposed directly behind said touch switch; andan electronic circuit connected to said touch switch and said light source;wherein said light source comprises an electroluminescent panel and said circuit is operable upon activation of said touch switch to energize said electroluminescent panel to thereby provide illumination through said touch switch;wherein said light source comprises a vehicle dome light and said touch switch comprises a dome light switch and wherein said vehicle interior switch assembly further comprises first and second map lights and first and second map light switches, wherein said map lights each comprise an electroluminescent panel and said map light switches each comprise a light-transmissive touch switch located directly in front of its corresponding map light, wherein said circuit is operable to energize said electroluminescent panels in response to activation of their corresponding touch switch independently of the other electroluminescent panels. 9. A vehicle interior illumination system, comprising:a light source;a switch assembly having at least one light-transmissive touch switch, and an electroluminescent panel which, when energized, provides backlightiug to said touch switch; andan electronic circuit connected to said light source, touch s witch, and electroluminescent panel, wherein said electronic circuit is capable of controlling the energization of said electroluminescent panel to affect the back lighting to said touch switch in response to the status of said light source. 10. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 9, wherein said electronic circuit energizes said electroluminescent panel to provide back lighting to said touch switch when said light source is on. 11. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 9, wherein said electronic circuit energizes said electroluminescent panel to provide back lighting to said touch switch when said light source is off. 12. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 9, wherein said electronic circuit provides varying levels of energization to said electroluminescent panel to provide varying intensity levels of back lighting to said touch switch, said varying levels of energization depend upon the status of said light source. 13. A vehicle interior illumination system as defined in claim 12, wherein said electronic circuit provides a first level of energization to said electroluminescent panel such that it provides a first intensity level of back lighting to said touch switch when said light source is on, and said electronic circuit provides a second level of energization to said electroluminescent panel such that it provides a second intensity level of back lighting to said touch switch when said light source is off, wherein said first intensity level is greater than said second intensity level.