Door handle portion illumination system
A door handle portion illumination system for illuminating a door handle portion including a door handle, and a concave portion that is formed on a vehicle body in a position which lies at the rear of the door handle, the door handle portion illumination system including a light transmitting element that is incorporated in the door handle and which includes a luminous surface including, in turn, an area which is exposed on a front side of the door handle and an area which faces an edge portion of the concave portion, and a light source which emits a light that is introduced into the light transmitting element.
1. A door handle portion illumination system for illuminating a door handle portion, comprising:
a door handle;
a concave portion, formed on a vehicle body at a rear of the door handle;
a light transmitting element, incorporated in the door handle and comprising a luminous surface including an area exposed to a front side of the door handle and an area facing an edge portion of the concave portion; and
a light source, emitting a light that is introduced into the light transmitting elements,
wherein said light introduced into said light transmitting element is emitted from the luminous surface,
wherein said light emitted from the area of the luminous surface facing the edge portion of the concave portion is concentrated on the edge portion by the luminous surface such that the edge portion of the concave portion appears as a bright line, and
wherein said bright line of said luminous surface forms a ring-shaped illumination of said edge portion of said concave portion.
2. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is gradually increased in width as the luminous surface goes farther away from the light source.
3. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is formed continuously along a longitudinal direction of the door handle.
4. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the luminous surface of the light transmitting element is formed from one end side to an other end side of the door handle.
5. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the light transmitting element is incorporated in an upper edge portion of the door handle.
6. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a part of said light from said light source which is introduced into said light transmitting element is emitted from the area of the luminous surface exposed to the front side of the door handle, and
wherein an other part of said light from said light source which is introduced into said light transmitting element is emitted from said area facing the edge portion of the concave portion.
7. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said other part of said light emitted from said area facing the edge portion of the concave portion is concentrated on the edge portion by the luminous surface such that the edge portion of the concave portion appears as said bright line.
8. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said light transmitting element comprises a light diffusion agent.
9. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said light transmitting element comprises one of polycarbonate resin, polyethylene terephthalate, silicone resin, epoxy resin, and glass.
10. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said luminous portion of said light transmitting element has a length that is in a range from 60% to 95% of a longitudinal length of the door handle.
11. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said light transmitting element comprises acrylic resin.
12. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said light diffusion agent comprises one of glass, aluminum, and silica.
13. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein a portion of said light transmitting element is devoid of said light diffusion agent.
14. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said light transmitting element comprises a coloring agent.
15. The door handle portion illumination system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said light transmitting element has a length which is substantially equal to a horizontal linear distance of the edge portion of the concave portion.