Light engine assembly for automotive interior
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorPatrick McDonald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for forming a light engine assembly includes the steps of injecting a light trough material into a mold, thereby forming a light trough including a trough body having an edge, and injecting a seal material into the mold, thereby forming a seal configured to bond with the edge of the trough body. The method further includes cooling one of the light trough material and the seal material to adhere the light trough material to the seal material, thereby forming a unitary light trough part, ejecting the light trough part, and coupling a lighting unit with the light trough part.
Claims20
A method for forming a light engine assembly for a vehicle trim panel, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a light trough material into a trough mold, thereby forming a light trough including a trough body having first and second longitudinal edges;
- injecting a seal material into the trough mold, thereby forming first and second seals configured to couple the first and second longitudinal edges of the trough body, respectively, wherein the seal material is different from and compatible with the light trough material;
- cooling one of the light trough material and the seal material to form a bond between the light trough material and the seal material, thereby forming a unitary light trough part;
- ejecting the light trough part;
- coupling a lighting unit with the light trough part;
- and
- assembling the light engine assembly on the vehicle trim panel.
A method for forming a light engine assembly, comprising the steps of:
- injecting a light trough material into a mold, thereby forming a light trough including a trough body having a perimeter defining an edge;
- injecting a seal material into the mold, thereby forming a seal configured to bond with the edge of the trough body;
- cooling one of the light trough material and the seal material to adhere the light trough material to the seal material, thereby forming a unitary light trough part;
- ejecting the light trough part;
- and
- coupling a lighting unit with the light trough part.
A vehicle trim panel, comprising:
- a lighting assembly, comprising:
- a lens having a body defining a lens A-side that faces a vehicle cabin and a lens B-side;
- a light engine comprising:
- a light trough including a trough body defining a perimeter and made from a light trough material;
- a seal bonded to the perimeter and made from a seal material, wherein a seal material is different from and compatible with a light trough material;
- and
- a lighting unit disposed within the trough body and configured to emit light;
- and
- a backplate, wherein the light engine is disposed between the lens B-side and the backplate and the seal is disposed between the lens B-side and the perimeter of the light trough to prevent emitted light from the lighting unit from leaking to an exterior side of the light trough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.