Lamp masking method and apparatus
AssigneeIllume, L.L.C.
InventorMichael Strazzanti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle lamp assembly having a lamp bulb for emitting light and a bulb housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the lamp bulb to an illumination zone. The housing is coated with a coating material which covers a selected region of the light transmissive portion of the housing. The coating material is electrically energized to alter an amount of light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone. A drive circuit electrically coupled to the coating material energizes the coating material to control a light output from the lamp assembly. Alternate materials are disclosed. One of the materials renders the material more light transmissive when activated with a current and a second of the materials renders the material less light transmissive when activated with a current.
Claims30
A headlamp assembly comprising:
- a headlamp bulb for emitting light from the headlamp assembly;
- a bulb housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the headlamp bulb to an illumination zone, a portion of said housing coated with a coating material which covers a selected region of the light transmissive portion of the housing, wherein the coating material is comprised of a material that is more light transmissive when not energized and more opaque when energized to alter an amount of light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone;
- and
- a drive circuit electrically coupled to the coating material for selectively energizing the coating material and thereby controlling a light output from the headlamp assembly.
A process for constructing a headlamp assembly comprising:
- positioning a headlamp bulb that emits light within a headlamp housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the headlamp bulb to an illumination zone;
- applying a coating material to the housing to cover selected regions of the light transmissive portion;
- and
- coupling the coating material to a drive circuit for selectively energizing the coating material, which when electrically energized, renders a region of the light transmissive portion having the coating material less light transmissive to alter light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone.
A motor vehicle lamp assembly comprising:
- a lamp bulb for emitting light from the lamp assembly;
- a bulb housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the lamp bulb to an illumination zone, a portion of said bulb housing including a coating material which covers a selected region of the light transmissive portion of the housing and wherein the coating material is comprised of a PDLC material said which is more light transmissive when not energized and more opaque when energized to alter an amount of light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone;
- and
- a drive circuit electrically coupled to the coating material for selectively energizing the coating material and thereby controlling a light output from the lamp assembly.
The apparatus of 16 wherein the driver circuit includes a programmable controller coupled to an output circuit that causes the multiple regions to exhibit one of two light transmissive states, a relatively high light transmissive state and a relatively low light transmissive state.
A motor vehicle lamp assembly comprising:
- a lamp bulb for emitting light from the lamp assembly;
- a bulb housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the lamp bulb to an illumination zone;
- a cap attached to the bulb housing that includes a light transmitting cap portion between the lamp bulb and the illumination zone which supports a coating material which when electrically energized alters an amount of light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone, said material comprising a PDLC material that is more light transmissive when not energized and is more opaque when energized;
- said cap spacing the coating material a distance from the bulb to control heat transfer from the bulb to the coating material;
- and
- a drive circuit electrically coupled to the coating material for selectively energizing the coating material and thereby controlling a light output from the lamp assembly.
A process for constructing a motor vehicle lamp assembly comprising:
- positioning a lamp bulb that emits light within a lamp housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the lamp bulb to an illumination zone;
- mounting a coating material in relation to the lamp housing to cover selected regions of the light transmissive portion wherein the coating material is comprised of a PDLC material which when energized renders a region of the light transmissive portion having the coating material less light transmissive to alter the light transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone;
- and
- coupling the coating material to a drive circuit for selectively energizing the coating material which when electrically energized renders a region of the light transmissive portion having the coating material less light transmissive to control light intensity transmitted from the bulb to the illumination zone.
A process for operating a motor vehicle lamp comprising:
- positioning a lamp bulb that emits light within a lamp housing having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the lamp bulb to an illumination zone;
- mounting a coating material in relation to the lamp housing to cover selected regions of the light transmissive portion wherein the coating material is comprised of a PDLC material which when selectively energized renders a region of the light transmissive portion having the coating material less light transmissive;
- coupling the coating material to a drive circuit for controlling a light transmissive state of the coating material;
- and
- selectively activating the drive circuit to energize the coating material and thereby render a region of the light transmissive portion having the coating material less light transmissive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.