# US 10,308,174 B2 · Truck bed lighting assemblies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,174 B2 - Document ID: US10308174B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/729,737 - Filed: 2017-10-11 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-11 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Linsheng Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308174B2 ## CPC - B60Q 3/30: for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments - B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic - B60Q 1/307: {mounted on loading platforms} - B60Q 3/40: specially adapted for specific vehicle types - B60Q 3/60: characterised by optical aspects - B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) - F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED] - F21S 43/315: {using total internal reflection} - F21S 43/40: characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors - F21V 5/04: of lens shape - F21V 7/0091: {using total internal reflection} - G02B 27/30: Collimators - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED ## Abstract A vehicle includes a truck bed and a lighting assembly configured to illuminate the truck bed. The lighting assembly includes a light source, a collimator positioned in front of the light source, and an outer lens positioned in front of the collimator. The collimator and the outer lens establish a lens arrangement having a unitary body. The light generated by the light source is collected within the collimator and is directed at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed by the outer lens. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle, comprising: a truck bed including a side wall and a tailgate; and a lighting assembly mounted near a junction between the side wall and the tailgate, the lighting assembly including: a total internal reflection collimator; and an outer lens including a plurality of pillow shaped fluted surfaces positioned in front of a flat outer surface of the collimator, wherein the collimator and the outer lens establish a unitary body. ### Claim 2 A vehicle, comprising: a truck bed; and a lighting assembly configured to illuminate the truck bed, the lighting assembly including: a light source; a collimator positioned in front of the light source; and an outer lens including a plurality of fluted surfaces positioned in front of a flat outer surface of the collimator, wherein the collimator and the outer lens establish a lens arrangement having a unitary body, wherein the flat outer surface connects to a first wall and a second wall that incline away from a convex inner surface of the collimator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the vehicle is a pickup truck and the truck bed establishes a cargo area of the pickup truck. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle as recited in claim 4, wherein the light emitting diode is received within a recess of the collimator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the collimator is a total internal reflection (TIR) collimator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle as recited in claim 6, wherein the TIR collimator is configured to collect light generated by the light source and direct the light toward the outer lens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of fluted surfaces is pillow shaped. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of flutes surfaces are configured to direct light at a downward angle relative to a centerline axis of the lens arrangement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the lens arrangement is supported within a housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle as recited in claim 10, comprising a second lens arrangement supported within the housing, wherein the lens arrangement directs light in a first direction from the housing and the second lens arrangement directs light in a second, different direction from the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The vehicle as recited in claim 2, wherein the unitary body includes a molded, single-piece, monolithic structure. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: generating light with a light source of a lighting assembly mounted to a side wall of a truck bed; collecting the light within a total internal reflection collimator of the lighting assembly; and directing the light at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed with an outer lens of the lighting assembly, wherein the total internal reflection collimator includes a convex inner surface and a flat outer surface, and the flat outer surface connects to a first wall and a second wall that incline away from the convex inner surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the light from the light source is automatically generated when a tailgate of the truck bed is moved to an open position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the light is turned off when the tailgate is moved to a closed position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, comprising: illuminating a different section of the floor of the truck bed with a second truck bed lighting assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the lighting assembly is mounted to an inner paneling of the side wall near a junction between the side wall and a tailgate. ### Claim 18 A method, comprising: generating light with a light source of a lighting assembly mounted to a side wall of a truck bed; collecting the light within a total internal reflection collimator of the lighting assembly; and directing the light at a downward angle toward a floor of the truck bed with an outer lens of the lighting assembly, wherein an outer surface of the outer lens includes a plurality of pillow shaped fluted surfaces that are configured to direct the light at the downward angle.