Patent Description:
The invention relates to a display device for a dashboard of a road vehicle and to a relative road vehicle.

Generally speaking, road vehicles are provided with a plurality of display devices arranged in the area of the dashboard of the road vehicle.

From a historical point of view, each road vehicle used to comprise at least one analogue display device (for example a speedometer, a revolution-counter, a fuel indicator, warning lights and/or suitable pointers) to transmit information on the conditions of the vehicle to the driver. For example, these devices used to be arranged in the area of the control panel of the vehicle, namely on the dashboard portion interposed between the steering wheel and the windshield.

In recent years, in an attempt to make the display of information more flexible, easy to update and capable of being customized, these devices have evolved to a digital form, for example by replacing the plurality of analogue devices present in the control panel with one single screen, always arranged between the steering wheel and the windshield or arranged in different positions, such as at the centre of the dashboard of the road vehicle.

These solution, however, are not optimized for vehicle use, since they mainly consist of replacing the control panel with a flat, rectangular screen. This conformation, in order to allow the driver to maximize the display of information through the upper opening (with the shape of a half moon) of the steering wheel rim, requires a screen with much larger dimensions compared to the active area that is actually visible to the driver, thus determining the presence of unused screen areas, which (especially in a high-performance sports car) lead to an unjustified increase in weight and dimensions.

Furthermore, these devices require a continuous focussing by the eyes of the driver, who has to look at the screen from side to side.

Document <CIT> discloses a display device of a motor vehicle is a combined display device having a housing and tubular display zones received by the housing.

Document <CIT> discloses an instrument panel which can display the analogue gauges in a realistic manner on the instrument panel in conjunction with a large display device.

Document <CIT> discloses A multi-layer display including a first screen and a second screen arranged in a substantially parallel manner.

Document <CIT> discloses a non-planar three-dimensional display surface defined by an electronic display screen or a plurality of contiguous electronic display screens.

Document <CIT> discloses a display apparatus that causes light from a light source to be recognized at a display plate.

Document <CIT> discloses an instrument panel comprising a back projection screen formed by a dished transparent substrate and by a diffusing layer covering the rear face of said substrate except in a peripheral zone; a chassis comprising a support frame for the screen; and a video projector for projecting a digital image from the rear towards the chassis.

The object of the invention is to provide a display device for a dashboard of a road vehicle and a relative road vehicle, which are at least partially free from the drawbacks described above and, at the same time, are simple and economic to be manufactured.

According to the invention there are provided a display device for a dashboard of a road vehicle and a relative road vehicle according to the appended claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show some non-limiting embodiments thereof, wherein:.

In <FIG>, number <NUM> indicates, as a whole, a road vehicle driven by a driver DR (schematically shown in <FIG>) and provided with two front wheels and with two rear wheels (in particular, drive wheels). The vehicle <NUM> is provided with a passenger compartment <NUM>, which is designed to accommodate the driver DR and possible passengers.

As shown in the non-limiting embodiments of <FIG> and <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> comprises a steering wheel <NUM>, which is provided with a steering wheel rim <NUM> comprising, in turn, at least one through opening <NUM>. In particular, the through opening <NUM> is an opening that, when the steering wheels are straight (namely, arranged so as to run on a straight road), allows the driver DR to see, through it, a control panel <NUM>.

In particular, the vehicle <NUM> further comprises a dashboard <NUM>, which is arranged at the front of the passenger compartment <NUM> and preferably includes, within its volume, the control panel <NUM>.

The vehicle <NUM> comprises a display device <NUM> configured to be arranged in the area of the dashboard <NUM>. According to the invention as shown in <FIG>, the display device <NUM> comprises an at least partially curved support element <NUM>, which comprises, in turn, a lower portion LP and an upper portion UP (<FIG> and <FIG>).

The display device <NUM> comprises at least one screen <NUM>, which is mechanically connected to the support element <NUM> and is configured so as to be visible to the driver DR while driving (in particular, through the opening <NUM> of the steering wheel rim <NUM>).

As shown in the non-limiting embodiment of <FIG>, the screen <NUM> follows the curvature of the support element <NUM>, in particular so that its concave portion CVX is arranged towards the driver DR.

In some non-limiting cases, like the ones shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the device <NUM> is configured, namely arranged on board the vehicle <NUM>, so as to be entirely visible through the through opening <NUM>.

In other non-limiting cases, shown for example in <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> comprises at least one further device <NUM>' (in particular, at least two) arranged so as to be visible while driving, though in areas other than the control panel <NUM>. In the non-limiting embodiment of <FIG>, said devices <NUM>' are arranged on the right and on the left, respectively, of the steering wheel <NUM>.

According to the invention as shown in <FIG>, the screen <NUM> peripherally comprises a profile <NUM> having at least one straight portion <NUM> and one curvilinear portion <NUM>. In particular, the screen <NUM> is delimited by the profile <NUM>. In other words, the screen <NUM> is peripherally cut so as to follow the profile <NUM>.

Advantageously, though not necessarily, as shown by the embodiment of <FIG>, the portion <NUM> is arranged in the area of the lower portion LP of the support element <NUM>, whereas the curvilinear portion <NUM> is arranged in the area of the upper portion UP. In detail, the peripheral profile <NUM> determines a substantially bow-like shape, in which the straight portion <NUM> defines the string of the bow. By so doing, the installation of the screen <NUM> on the support element <NUM> is simplified. Furthermore, in this way, the straight portion can be used to arrange one or more connectors <NUM> which the screen <NUM> needs to operate (which are known per se and, therefore, will not described in detail below).

With reference to the embodiment of <FIG>, again, the profile <NUM>, along the curvilinear portion <NUM>, comprises at least two, preferably at least four inflection points IP (namely, points in which there is a change in the curvature sign). In particular, by so doing, the structure of the screen <NUM> is stiffened, thus facilitating production, assembly and transportation thereof.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the profile <NUM>, along the curvilinear portion <NUM>, comprises a bell-shaped protuberance <NUM> arranged at the centre. In this way, the view of the screen <NUM> is optimized, even in case the steering wheel <NUM>, namely the steering wheel rim <NUM>, is provided with symmetric upper paddings (which is often the case in state of the art steering wheels).

According to the invention as shown in <FIG>, the screen <NUM> comprises at least two sub-screens <NUM>, which are configured to project a joint image. In particular, the two sub-screens <NUM> are joined along a (straight) line <NUM> arranged on an symmetry axis AX of the screen <NUM>. In this way, the installation on the support element <NUM> is further simplified, allowing for two straight sides (part of the straight portion <NUM> and the line <NUM>) for a safer handling and for a possible side-by-side installation.

According to <FIG>, each one of the two sub-screens <NUM> comprises a respective curved sub-portion <NUM>' and a respective straight sub-portion <NUM>'; wherein each respective curved sub-portion <NUM>' comprises at least one, in particular two inflection points IP.

Preferably, and as clearly shown by the embodiments of <FIG> and <FIG> (<FIG> showing the device <NUM> provided with a covering layer <NUM>, for example a glass), the support element <NUM> (and the cover <NUM>) comprises two septa <NUM> (or lobes), in particular symmetric septa, arranged in the area of the lower portion LP of the support element <NUM> and configured to comprise a vehicle warning light area <NUM> (the warning lights indicating, for example, problems of the engine, of the battery, of the tyres or vehicle conditions, such as the grip, the headlight configuration or the lack of fuel).

Advantageously, though not in a limiting manner, the vehicle warning light area <NUM> is divided into two portions, each in the area of a respective septum <NUM>, in particular under the straight portion <NUM> of the screen <NUM>.

Hence, the vehicle warning lights present in the area <NUM> are analogue lights, namely they are not part of the screen <NUM>; in particular, the vehicle warning lights are arranged under it (and are obtained on the support element <NUM>).

In particular, the septa <NUM> are arranged at the ends <NUM> of the straight portion <NUM> of the screen <NUM>. In this way, the device <NUM> allows for a use of the entire viewing area enabled by the through opening <NUM>, which is often also delimited by a central portion <NUM> of the steering wheel <NUM>, which corresponds to the recess of the lower portion LP comprised between the two septa <NUM>.

Advantageously, though not necessarily, the screen <NUM> has a curvature radius CR ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. In particular, from <NUM> to <NUM>; more in particular, equal to <NUM>.

In some non-limiting cases, the curvature radius CR corresponds to the distance between the screen <NUM> and the eyes of the driver DR, so as to allow the driver DR to simultaneously bring into focus the entire screen <NUM>. In other words, the convexity of the screen <NUM> allows the user's eyes to have a precise focus on the entire displaying surface (namely, on the screen <NUM>) in the same instant, without having to readjust the focus while moving on the screen <NUM>.

In other non-limiting cases, the curvature radius CR is smaller than the distance between the screen <NUM> and the driver's eyes. Thanks to this increased curvature, the information to be displayed to the driver DR on the screen <NUM> can be increased, since, for a same visual field, the dimension of the screen <NUM> (and, therefore, the relative number of pixels, given the same number of dpi) increases, thus allowing, for example, a greater number of icons, numbers, animations and/or items of information to be displayed compared to a smaller curvature.

Advantageously, the road vehicle <NUM> further comprises a control unit (of a known type and, hence, not shown herein and not described in detail), which is configured to control the division of the image between the two sub-screens <NUM>, in particular depending on the current vehicle conditions. The control unit can physically consist of one single device or of several devices separate from one another and communicating with one another through the CAN network of the road vehicle <NUM>.

Even though the invention described above relates to a specific embodiment example, it should not be considered as limited to said embodiment example, for its scope of protection also includes all those variants, changes or simplifications covered by the appended claims, such as, for instance, a different type of screen, a different arrangement of the connectors, a different type of vehicle (for example, a two-wheel vehicle or a front-drive vehicle), etc..

First of all, it optimizes the view of the screen, thus reducing unused areas and, hence, reducing useless weights and space taken up within the dashboard of the road vehicle.

Furthermore, thanks to the invention, vehicle driving information, which cannot be transmitted to the driver, can be displayed more easily and/or in a more detailed or complete manner.

A further advantage of the invention lies in the possibility of facilitating the installation of the screen <NUM>, improving at the same time its stiffness and ease of handling (even during the supplying or manufacturing thereof).

Claim 1:
A display device (<NUM>) for the dashboard (<NUM>) of a road vehicle (<NUM>); the display device (<NUM>) comprises:
- a support element (<NUM>) which is at least partially curved and comprises a lower portion (LP) and an upper portion (UP);
- at least one screen (<NUM>), mechanically connected to the support element (<NUM>) and configured to be visible to the driver while driving;
wherein the screen (<NUM>) follows the curvature of the support element (<NUM>) so that the concave portion (CVX) is arranged towards the driver;
wherein the screen (<NUM>) comprises perimetrically a profile (<NUM>) having at least one straight portion (<NUM>) and one curvilinear portion (<NUM>);
the display device (<NUM>) being characterised by the screen (<NUM>) comprising at least two sub-screens (<NUM>), configured to project a joint image.