# US 10,870,394 B1 · Vehicle interior lighting system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,394 B1 - Document ID: US10870394B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/595,567 - Filed: 2019-10-08 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-08 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Adrian Nania; Stuart C. Salter; Satyanarayana Raju Vemulapati; Paul Kenneth Dellock; Spencer Monroe Dinkins, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870394B1 ## CPC - B60Q 3/208: Sun roofs; Windows - B60Q 3/51: for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor - B60Q 3/53: Modular mounting systems, e.g. using tracks, rails or multiple plugs - B60Q 3/62: using light guides - B60Q 3/64: for a single lighting device - B60Q 3/74: for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps (general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43) - B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) - F21V 23/003: {the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array} - G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre} - F21W 2106/00: Interior vehicle lighting devices - 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 - 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 - F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS - 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 lighting system for a vehicle passenger includes, among other things, a light emitting conduit disposed about at least a portion of an opening through a vehicle roof. The light emitting conduit includes a push-through retainer that is insertable through an aperture in a vehicle structure to hold the light emitting conduit relative to the vehicle structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting system for a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising: a light emitting conduit disposed about at least a portion of an opening through a vehicle roof; and a push-through retainer of the light emitting conduit, the push-through retainer insertable through an aperture in a vehicle structure to hold the light emitting conduit relative to the vehicle structure, wherein the push-through retainer includes an enlarged head on a first side of a vehicle structure, the enlarged head directly connected to a light emitting region of the light emitting conduit by a neck portion that extends through the aperture in the vehicle structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the push-through retainer has an arrow-head cross-sectional profile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the push-through retainer and remaining portions of the light emitting conduit are portions of a continuous, monolithic structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising at least one light source disposed at an end of the light emitting conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The lighting system of claim 4, wherein the light emitting conduit extends longitudinally from a first end to an opposite, second end, wherein the at least one light source comprises a first group of light emitting diodes adjacent the first end, and a second group of light emitting diodes adjacent the second end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The lighting system of claim 4, wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein at least some of the light emitting diodes are positioned directly adjacent the push-through retainer on a first side of the vehicle structure, and at least some of the light emitting diodes are positioned directly adjacent a light emitting region on an opposite second side of the vehicle structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The lighting system of claim 4, further comprising a reflective optic that directs light emitted from the at least one light source from the push-through retainer and the neck to the light emitting region of the light emitting conduit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the reflective optic is molded into the push-through retainer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the reflective optic is a material that is separate from a material of the push-through retainer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The lighting system of claim 4, further comprising a controller module governing operation of the at least one light source responsive to a position of at least one of a closure panel and shade movable over the opening in the vehicle roof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the controller decreases an intensity of light directed into the light emitting conduit responsive to the shade being in an open position and the closure panel being in a closed position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the controller increases an intensity of light directed into the light emitting conduit responsive to the shade and the closure panel being in an open position. ### Claim 13 A lighting system for a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising: a vehicle roof having an opening; a retention flange adjacent the opening, the retention flange having a retention aperture; a light emitting conduit disposed about at least a portion of the opening, the light emitting conduit including a push-through retainer on a first side of the retention flange, a neck extending through the retention aperture, and a light emitting region on an opposite, second side of the retention flange; and a plurality of light sources disposed adjacent a longitudinal end portion of the light emitting conduit, wherein some of the light sources are positioned directly adjacent the push-through retainer on a first side of the retention flange, and at least some of the light sources are positioned directly adjacent a light emitting region on an opposite second side of the retention flange. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lighting system of claim 13, further comprising a reflective optic that directs light emitted from at least some of the light sources from the push-through retainer and the neck to the light emitting region of the light emitting conduit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the light emitting conduit extends from a driver side of the opening, along a forward side of the opening, to a passenger side of the opening. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the push-through retainer has an arrow-head cross-sectional profile. ### Claim 17 A method of holding a lighting system for a vehicle passenger compartment comprising: holding a light emitting portion of a light emitting conduit against a first side of a retention flange of a vehicle using a push-through retainer that is disposed on an opposite, second side of the retention flange, the light emitting portion directly connected to the push-through retainer with a neck that extends through an aperture of the retention flange. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the retention flange is adjacent an opening of a vehicle roof, and the light emitting portion is disposed about at least a portion of the opening.