DIGITAL AND ANALOGUE INSTRUMENT FOR A VEHICLE WITH INTEGRATED ELECTRIC MOTOR

Description

Title DIGITAL AND ANALOGUE INSTRUMENT FOR A VEHICLE WITH INTEGRATED ELECTRIC MOTOR DIGITAL AND ANALOGUE INSTRUMENT FOR A VEHICLE WITH ENGINE INTEGRATED ELECTRIC TECHNICAL SECTOR The present invention relates to a digital and analog instrument for a vehicle, or an instrument that is defined as phygital (a portmanteau of physical and digitali) as it combines the physical presence of a hand with the digital dimension of a digital screen. PRIOR ART Patent application EP4365002A2 discloses a digital and analog instrument having a digital display, a pointer that can be arranged above the digital display and is movably mounted to move above the digital display, and an actuator device configured to move the pointer above the digital display. According to one possible embodiment described in patent application EP4365002A2, the actuator device is configured to move the hand by transmitting motion to the hand through a contactless magnetic coupling; in particular, the actuator device comprises a motorized cursor that is arranged behind the digital display (i.e. on the opposite side of the digital display with respect to the hand), is aligned with the hand and magnetically attracts the hand to itself. - 1 hand (i.e., the cursor supports a permanent magnet that generates a magnetic field to magnetically attract the hand). The actuator device described above allows the hand to be moved only at relatively limited speeds and accelerations to avoid the risk of losing the magnetic connection between the motorized cursor and the hand; consequently, the actuator device allows the hand to be used only to indicate the value of physical quantities that change relatively slowly. According to a different embodiment described in patent application EP4365002A2, the actuator device comprises a support ring that is rotatably mounted and supports the pointer in such a way that the rotation of the support ring also causes the pointer to rotate, and inside the support ring there is an annular rack; the actuator device comprises an electric motor that rotates a pinion that meshes with the annular rack. The actuator device described above allows the pointer to be moved only at relatively limited speeds and accelerations, both due to transmission limitations in the coupling between the pinion and the rack, and to avoid generating excessively loud noise; consequently, the actuator device allows the pointer to be used only to indicate the value of - 2 physical quantities that change relatively slowly. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to provide a digital and analog instrument for a vehicle in which the needle can be moved safely at high speeds and accelerations so that it can also be used to indicate the value of suddenly changing physical quantities. According to the present invention, a digital and analog instrument for a vehicle is provided, as claimed in the appended claims. The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and form an integral part of this specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of its implementation, in which: • Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a digital and analog instrument made in accordance with the present invention; and • Figure 2 is a perspective view, exploded and with parts removed for clarity, of the digital and analog instrument of Figure 1. - 3 PREFERRED FORMS OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In Figure 1, the reference number 1 indicates as a whole a digital and analog instrument for the dashboard of a vehicle (specifically a car). The digital and analog instrument 1 is defined as phygital (a portmanteau of physical and digitali) as it combines the physical presence of a hand 2 with the digital dimension of a digital screen 3 (illustrated schematically in Figure 1 and not illustrated for clarity in Figure 2). In other words, the digital and analog instrument 1 comprises the digital screen 3 (for example made with LED technology or OLED technology) and the hand 2 which is arranged in front of (above) the digital screen 3 to overlap (when necessary) the digital screen 3. In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the digital screen 3 has a circular (round) shape, but according to other embodiments not illustrated, the digital screen 3 could have a different shape such as, for example, a rectangular or square shape. The hand 2 is mounted movably to move (when necessary) in front of (above) the digital screen 3 to indicate information displayed by the digital screen 3. In other embodiments not illustrated, the number and arrangement of the hands 2 could - 4 be different and for example two or more hands 2 could be paired to the same digital screen 3. According to the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the hand 2 has a visible part (i.e. which can be superimposed on the digital screen 3) which extends from the edge of the digital screen 3 towards the centre of the digital screen 3; that is, the hand 2 has a peripheral positioning since its visible part starts from the edge (from the periphery) of the digital screen 3. The digital and analog instrument 1 comprises an actuator device 4 that is configured to move the pointer 2 in front of (above) the digital display 3 and directly supports the pointer 2. In particular, as illustrated in Figure 2, the actuator device 4 comprises a rotary electric motor 5 provided with a stator 6 and a rotor 7 mounted rotatably about a central rotation axis 8 (illustrated in Figure 1) perpendicular to the plane of the digital display 3. The rotor 7 of the electric motor 5 has a centrally perforated ring shape and is arranged in front of (above) the digital display 3 in such a way that the digital display 3 is visible through a central through hole of the rotor 7 (as illustrated in figure 1). Furthermore, the hand 2 is integral with the rotor 7 and protrudes inward from the rotor 7 to be arranged in front of (above) - 5 to digital screen 3 and therefore the hand 2 carried by the rotor 7 is in front of (above) digital screen 3 (i.e. it overlaps digital screen 3). The rotation of the rotor 7 around the rotation axis 8 also causes the rotation of the hand 2 around the rotation axis 8 and therefore causes the rotary movement of the hand 2 in front of (above) digital screen 3. According to a preferred embodiment better illustrated in figure 2, the front rotor 7 is inserted inside a containment ring 9 which is fixed (i.e. it is fixed to a frame of the digital and analog instrument 1) and coaxial to the rotor 7 such that the rotor 7 is free to slide (i.e. rotate around the rotation axis 8) with respect to the containment ring 9. In other words, the containment ring 9 has an annular seat inside it which slidably accommodates the rotor 7 to allow the rotor 7 to slide (i.e. rotate around the rotation axis 8) with respect to the containment ring 9. To reduce the friction between the rotor 7 and the containment ring 9, the lateral surface of the rotor 7 and / or the lateral surface of the containment ring 9 are coated with a low-friction coating made of, for example, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or DLC (Diamond Like Carbon). - 6 As illustrated in figure 2, the rotor 7 is a permanent magnet rotor and comprises a centrally perforated annular ferromagnetic core 10 and a plurality of permanent magnets 11 integral with the ferromagnetic core 10. Preferably, the permanent magnets 11 are oriented so that their polarities are oriented axially, i.e., parallel to the rotation axis 8. As illustrated in Figure 2, the stator 6 includes a stator winding 12 configured to generate a rotating magnetic field when supplied with an electric current. According to one possible embodiment, the stator 6 comprises a printed circuit board in which flat coils are printed that constitute part of the stator winding 12. According to a different embodiment, the stator 6 comprises a printed circuit board in which coils are soldered that constitute part of the stator winding 12. According to a further, more traditional embodiment, the stator 6 comprises a ferromagnetic core in which coils are inserted that constitute part of the stator winding 12. According to a possible embodiment, the digital and analogue instrument 1 comprises at least one circular light guide which is arranged behind the pointer 2 and projects a beam of light in an axial direction towards the - 7 hand 2 to illuminate the hand 2 itself; that is, the hand 2 receives the light beam from the light guide that the hand 2 reflects towards the user to be illuminated. According to a possible embodiment, two semicircular light guides are provided which are arranged in a complementary manner to form an overall circle and receive the light from two respective LED illuminators (that is, each semicircular light guide receives the light from a respective LED illuminator). Preferably, the digital and analog instrument 1 comprises an annular covering (illustrated in figure 1) shaped to cover the rotor 7 and the light guide, leaving visible only a portion of the hand 2 that protrudes more internally than the rotor 7 and the light guide; in this way, the user from the outside sees only the hand 2 superimposed on the digital screen 3. In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the entire electric motor 5 (comprising the stator 6 and the rotor 7 supporting the pointer 2) is arranged in front of (above) the digital screen 3 and has a centrally perforated annular shape in motion such that the digital screen 3 is visible through a central through hole of the electric motor 5. According to an alternative embodiment not illustrated, only the rotor 7 has a centrally perforated annular shape and the digital screen 3 is arranged behind the rotor 7 and in front of the stator 6, - 8 or the stator 6 is arranged behind the digital screen 3 to be on the opposite side of the digital screen 3 with respect to the rotor 7 and therefore the digital screen 3 is interposed between the rotor 7 and the stator 6. The digital screen 3 is designed to be insensitive to the magnetic field (i.e. not to be influenced by the rotating magnetic field generated by the stator winding 12 and by the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnets 11). The embodiments described herein may be combined with each other without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. The 2-instrument panel described above can be used advantageously in any type of road vehicle (for example a car or a motorcycle) and also in any type of non-road vehicle. The digital and analog instrument 1 described above has numerous advantages. First of all, the digital and analogue instrument 1 described above allows the hand 2 to be moved safely at high speeds and accelerations and can therefore also be used to indicate the value of physical quantities that change suddenly. Furthermore, the digital and analogue instrument 1 described above has a particularly small footprint and - 9 so it can be integrated into any type of vehicle dashboard. Finally, the digital and analog instrument 1 described above has a relatively low production cost as it uses simple and easily available components on the market. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS OF FIGURES 1 digital and analog instrument 2 pointer digital display actuator device electric motor stator rotor rotation axis containment ring ferromagnetic core permanent magnets stator winding

Claims

CLAIMS 1) A digital and analogue instrument (1) for a vehicle and comprising: a digital display (3); a pointer (2) which is movably mounted to move in front of the digital display (3); and an actuator device (4) which is configured to move the pointer (2) by transmitting motion to the pointer (2) and comprises an electric motor (5) provided with a stator (6) and a rotor (7) mounted rotatably about a central rotation axis (8); the digital and analogue instrument (1) is characterised in that: the rotor (7) of the electric motor (5) has a centrally perforated ring shape and is arranged in front of the digital display (3) in such a way that the digital display (3) is visible through a central through hole in the rotor (7); and the pointer (2) is integral with the rotor (7) and protrudes inwardly from the rotor (7). 2) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 1, wherein the rotor (7) is a permanent magnet and comprises a centrally drilled annular shaped ferromagnetic core (10) and a plurality of permanent magnets (11) integral with the ferromagnetic core (10). 3) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 2, wherein the permanent magnets (11) are oriented to have their polarities oriented axially, i.e. parallel to the rotation axis (8). 4) Digital and analog instrument (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the stator (6) comprises a stator winding (12) configured to generate a rotating magnetic field when supplied with an electric current. 5) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 4, wherein the stator (6) comprises a printed circuit board in which flat coils are printed which form part of the stator winding (12). 6) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 4, wherein the stator (6) comprises a printed circuit in which coils are soldered which form part of the stator winding (12). 7) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 4, wherein the stator (6) comprises a ferromagnetic core in which coils are inserted which form part of the stator winding (12). 8) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 and comprising a containment ring (9) which is fixed, is coaxial with the rotor (7) and - 12 houses the rotor (7) inside it in such a way that the rotor (7) is free to slide with respect to the front containment ring (9). 9) Digital and analog instrument (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the stator (6) is arranged behind the digital screen (3) to be on the opposite side of the digital screen (3) with respect to the rotor (7). 10) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the digital screen (3) is interposed between the rotor (7) and the stator (6). 11) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the entire electric motor (5) is arranged in front of the digital screen (3) and has a centrally perforated annular shape in motion such that the digital screen (3) is visible through a central through hole of the electric motor (5). 12) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11 and comprising at least one circular light guide which is arranged behind the hand (2) and projects a light beam in an axial direction towards the hand (2) to illuminate the hand (2) itself. 13) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 12 and comprising a covering shaped to cover the rotor (7) and the light guide leaving visible only a part of the hand (2) which protrudes further inside the rotor (7) and the light guide. 14) Digital and analogue instrument (1) according to claim 12 or 13 and comprising two semicircular light guides which are arranged in a complementary manner.