| US 7,476,012 B2 | ||
| Vehicle interior lighting system | ||
| Masayuki Yoshimoto, Toyoake (Japan); and Katsuhiro Ogawa, Obu (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo K.K., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on May 23, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/438,307. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-150422 (JP), filed on May 24, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0268536 A1, Nov. 30, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B60Q 1/00 (2006.01); G01D 11/28 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 362—488 [362/29] | 6 Claims |
| 1. A vehicle interior lighting system, comprising:
an instrument panel having a first concave portion, the first concave portion containing a draw-type ashtray and a second
concave portion, provided independently from the first concave portion, the second concave portion containing a fixed-type
cigar lighter placed parallel with the draw-type ashtray in a vehicle width direction;
a light emitter;
a bulb case extending in the vehicle width direction on a rear surface of the instrument panel above the first concave portion
and the second concave portion, and accommodating the light emitter; and
a first slit provided in the first concave portion and above the ashtray, the first slit emitting light from the bulb case
to illuminate a handle of the ashtray when the ashtray is closed and to illuminate a stubbing-out portion of the ashtray when
the ashtray is opened; and
a second slit provided in the second concave portion and above the cigar lighter, the second slit emitting light from the
bulb case to illuminate the cigar lighter and an interior of a vehicle regardless of a position of the ashtray.
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