Vehicle provided with a component of variable appearance over an

Abstract

A vehicle (1) has a passenger compartment (5) and at least one component (9, 10, 14), which is opaque and non-reflective and has at least one wall (15) visible to an occupant of the passenger compartment (5). The component (9, 10, 14) has: at least one electrochromic film (16) covering the wall (15); and a circuit (17) connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film (16) and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) when necessary to change an optical characteristic of the electrochromic film (16).

Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority to Italian patent application No. 102024000016762, filed on July 19, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle configured with a component whose appearance is variable, i.e. with a component whose external appearance can be changed to convey to the driver or to the passenger a certain type of information in a simple, quick and intuitive way. BACKGROUND

[0003] Typically, inside a vehicle, to convey to the driver or to the passenger a certain type of information, light indicators (on or off) or digital screens (completely programmable) are used. However, light indicators are relatively small and not very visible, so that the change of their state is not always promptly noticed by the driver or by the passenger; while digital screens are relatively fragile (breakable), quite bulky and require a considerable amount of electric energy to operate, so that it is not possible to insert too many digital screens inside a vehicle, and it is not simple to insert a digital screen in a portable component (for example, an ignition key) powered by a battery.

[0004] Patent application FR3073468A1 describes a structure of a vehicle passenger compartment configured with a digital screen at least partially covered by an electrochromic film which can alternatively assume a semi-transparent state or an opaque state.

[0005] Patent application WO2020025085A1 describes a vehicle component comprising a display element (i.e. a digital screen) covered by a surface layer which, when activated, becomes transparent.

[0006] Patent US7702434B2 describes a vehicle screen at least partially covered by a decorative layer which can alternatively be opaque or transparent. SUMMARY

[0007] The aim of the present invention is to provide a vehicle configured with a component whose appearance is variable, which does not present the above-mentioned drawbacks, at the same time being simple to manufacture and cost-effective.

[0008] This aim is achieved by a vehicle comprising a passenger compartment and at least one component which is opaque and non-reflective, not configured with any controllable screen for displaying information, and having at least one wall visible to the occupants of said passenger compartment, said wall always having only a single unchanging appearance;

[0009] Said component of said vehicle comprises:

[0010] at least one electrochromic film covering the wall; and

[0011] circuitry connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film when necessary to change optical properties of the electrochromic film.

[0012] In one embodiment, applying a voltage to the electrochromic film changes the transparency of the electrochromic film.

[0013] In one embodiment, the electrochromic film is transparent without voltage and becomes non-transparent with voltage.

[0014] In one embodiment, the electrochromic film is non-transparent without voltage and becomes transparent with voltage.

[0015] In one embodiment, the wall has at least one graphical symbol disposed below the electrochromic film.

[0016] In one embodiment, applying a voltage to the electrochromic film changes the transparency of the electrochromic film to make the graphical symbol visible or hidden.

[0017] In one embodiment, the graphical symbol is hidden without voltage and becomes visible with voltage, or vice versa.

[0018] In one embodiment, the component includes two different electrochromic films that are capable of being controlled individually and independently, each covering only a portion of the wall.

[0019] In one embodiment, the component is an ignition key.

[0020] In one embodiment:

[0021] A steering wheel is provided in the passenger cabin, the center of which is provided with a chamber of an airbag, the front of which is closed by an openable cover; and

[0022] The component is the cover of the chamber of the airbag of the steering wheel.

[0023] In one embodiment, the component is a decorative panel of the passenger cabin.

[0024] The present invention further provides an ignition key for a vehicle; the ignition key is opaque and non-reflective, is not provided with any controllable screen for displaying information, and has at least one wall that always only has a single unchanging appearance;

[0025] The ignition key includes:

[0026] at least one electrochromic film covering the wall; and

[0027] circuitry connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film, when necessary, to change an optical property of the electrochromic film.

[0028] In one embodiment, applying a voltage to the electrochromic film changes a transparency of the electrochromic film.

[0029] In one embodiment:

[0030] the wall has at least one graphical symbol disposed beneath the electrochromic film; and

[0031] applying a voltage to the electrochromic film changes a transparency of the electrochromic film, thereby making the graphical symbol visible or hidden.

[0032] In one embodiment, the graphical symbol is hidden without voltage and becomes visible with voltage, or vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which show some non-limiting embodiments thereof. In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a road vehicle manufactured according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a perspective view of a road vehicle instrument panel, wherein parts have been removed for clarity;

[0036] Figure 3 is Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an appearance- variable component of a road vehicle, in particular an ignition key;

[0037] Figure 4 is Figure 3 is a schematic view of an electrically controlled circuit of an electrochromic film of a component;

[0038] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is Figure 3 is a schematic view of two different aspects of a component;

[0039] Figure 7 and Figure 8 is a schematic view of two different aspects of another appearance- variable component, in particular a steering wheel airbag chamber cover;

[0040] Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11are schematic views of three different aspects of another appearance variable component, in particular of a trim panel of the central tunnel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In Figure 1 , reference numeral 1 as a whole denotes an electric road vehicle (in particular a car) having two front wheels 2 (which can be driven wheels or driving wheels) and two rear wheels 3 (driving wheels).

[0042] The road vehicle 1 comprises a purely electric powertrain system 4, i.e. only one or more electric motors are configured to be connected to the rear wheels 3 (possibly also to the front wheels 2).

[0043] The road vehicle 1 comprises a passenger compartment 5 which is arranged between the two front wheels 2 and the two rear wheels 3, the front part of the passenger compartment 5 being delimited by a dashboard 6 arranged below the windshield 7 (as shown in Figure 2 ) and housing (at least) two seats which are separated from each other by a central tunnel 8 arranged along a longitudinal symmetry axis of the vehicle 1 (i.e. of the passenger compartment 5) (as shown in Figure 2 ).

[0044] According to Figure 2 , the vehicle 1 comprises (at least one) ignition key 9 which, among other functions, is configured to authorize the start of the operation of the road vehicle 1 (i.e. the so-called "ignition" of the powertrain system 4), i.e. to authorize the movement of the road vehicle 1 under the thrust of the powertrain system 4. The ignition key 9 comprises an electronic device (typically a transponder) which can be interrogated remotely (i.e. without the need for direct contact) and contains an encrypted security code.

[0045] The top of the central tunnel 8 is delimited by a substantially horizontal trim panel 10. In the trim panel 10 there is a cavity 11 configured to house and contain the ignition key 9, and a gearshift control 12 which passes through the trim panel 10 and is arranged close to the cavity 11.

[0046] The passenger compartment 5 houses a pair of seats (not shown in Figure 2 ): the left-hand seat is intended for the driver and is arranged in front of a steering wheel 13 which is configured with an airbag which, in the event of a frontal collision or an oblique (i.e. with an obstacle at 30° to the direction of advance of the road vehicle 1) collision, functions to avoid the driver's torso and head from hitting the steering wheel 13 and the rigid parts of the vehicle body arranged in front of the driver, such as the uprights of the chassis or the windshield 7, violently. The airbag comprises a chamber which is located in the central hub of the steering wheel 13 and the front part of which is closed by a cover 14 which is shaped so as to be able to open spontaneously under the thrust of the airbag when the airbag of the airbag inflates.

[0047] According to Figure 3As shown, the ignition key 9 is an opaque (i.e. it does not allow the passage of light radiation, with a transparency coefficient of zero) and non-reflective (i.e. it does not reflect light like a mirror) component of the road vehicle 1. The ignition key 9 is in the shape of a parallelepiped, with a rectangular cross-section, and has an upper wall 15 (wall 15) opposite the lower wall located in the cavity 11; the wall 15 is always visible to the occupants (driver or passengers) of the passenger compartment 5.

[0048] The component 9 comprises an electrochromic film 16 (partially or totally) covering the upper wall 15: this electrochromic film 16 is capable of changing its optical properties in response to an electrical stimulus. In addition, the component 9 comprises an electrical circuit 17 (as shown), connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film 16 and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film 16, when necessary, to change the optical properties of the electrochromic film 16. Figure 4

[0049] Applying a voltage to the electrochromic film 16 changes the transparency of the electrochromic film 16, making it transparent so that the objects below the electrochromic film 16 can be seen, or the electrochromic film 16 can become opaque, thus hiding the objects below the electrochromic film 16.

[0050] According to one possible embodiment, the electrochromic film 16 is transparent in the absence of voltage and becomes opaque in the presence of voltage; in this embodiment, the electrochromic film makes use of the PDLC ("Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal") technology, which distributes nematic liquid crystals in a polymer compound deposited between two polyester films. The nematic liquid crystals have an electric orientation, with a cylindrical or ellipsoidal shape (one of the three axes is different from the other two), and this property is the basis of the anisotropic behavior of these materials. The application of an electric field causes the liquid crystal molecules to arrange in order to allow the light rays to pass through the electrochromic film 16 without interference (without deviation), thus presenting us with a transparent electrochromic film 16. After removing the electric field, the liquid crystal molecules return to a disordered / random state, the light rays will therefore be repeatedly deflected by the molecules (diffused), preventing our eyes from reconstructing the image of the objects behind the electrochromic film 16 (translucent state).

[0051] According to another embodiment, the electrochromic film 16 is opaque in the absence of voltage and becomes transparent in the presence of voltage, i.e. in this embodiment the electrochromic film 16 makes use of the PNLC ("Polymer Network Liquid Crystal") technology.

[0052] According to Figure 4 ​As shown, the circuit 17 comprises two electrodes 18 connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film 16; a battery 19; and a switch 20 configured to connect / disconnect the power supply from the battery 19 to / from the electrodes 18 (i.e. to / from opposite ends of the electrochromic film 16). The switch 20 is controlled by a control unit 21 which, among other functions, determines the level of transparency that the electrochromic film 16 must have, and therefore the appearance that the upper wall 15 of the ignition key 9 must have.

[0053] According to Figure 3 As shown, on the upper wall 15 of the ignition key 9 there is (printed or pasted) at least one graphic symbol 22, which is arranged below the electrochromic film 16: when the electrochromic film 16 is transparent, the graphic symbol 22 is visible through the electrochromic film 16 (as shown in Figure 5 As shown), while when the electrochromic film 16 is opaque (non-transparent), the graphic symbol 22 is obscured (hidden) by the electrochromic film 16 (as shown in Figure 6 Therefore, by controlling the transparency of the electrochromic film 16, it is possible to hide or show the graphic symbol 22 arranged below the electrochromic film 16; in other words, applying a voltage to the electrochromic film 16 changes the transparency of the electrochromic film 16, thus making the graphic symbol 22 visible or hidden. Depending on the technology used for the electrochromic film 16, the graphic symbol 22 is hidden without voltage and becomes visible with voltage (PDLC technology), or the graphic symbol 22 is hidden with voltage and becomes visible without voltage (PNLC technology).

[0054] The graphic symbol 22 (schematically shown in the attached figures) can comprise a pattern(s), a text(s), or a combination of the two.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The component with which the electrochromic film 16 is coupled and which is configured with the graphic symbol 22 is the ignition key 9.

[0056] In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 The component with which the electrochromic film 16 is coupled and which is configured with the graphic symbol 22 is the cover 14 of the airbag chamber of the steering wheel 13; Figure 7 The cover 14 is shown when the electrochromic film 16 is transparent, so that the graphic symbol 22 can be seen, while Figure 8 The cover 14 is shown when the electrochromic film 16 is opaque, so that the graphic symbol 22 is hidden.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11In the further embodiment shown, the component coupled with the electrochromic film 16 and configured with the graphic symbols 22 is the trim panel 10 (or a portion of the trim panel 10). In this embodiment, the trim panel 10 is configured with two distinct electrochromic films 16, which can be controlled individually and independently, each electrochromic film 16 covering only a portion of the wall 15 (in particular, the two electrochromic films 16 are arranged side by side and cover the wall 15 in a complementary manner). According to other embodiments, the wall 15 can be covered by three, four or more distinct electrochromic films 16, which can be controlled individually and independently. Figure 7 The trim panel 10 is shown when both electrochromic films 16 are transparent, so that all graphic symbols 22 can be seen, Figure 10 The trim panel 10 is shown when one electrochromic film 16 is transparent and the other electrochromic film 16 is opaque, so that only part of the graphic symbols 22 are visible, Figure 11 The trim panel 10 is shown when both electrochromic films 16 are opaque, in which case all graphic symbols 22 are hidden.

[0058] Obviously, embodiments are also provided in which the component configured with the electrochromic film 16 is not provided with graphic symbols 22, so that, when the electrochromic film 16 is transparent, only the surface finish of the component can be seen through the electrochromic film 16.

[0059] In all the aforementioned embodiments, it is evident that the component coupled with the electrochromic film 16 is not provided with any (digital) controllable screen for displaying information; i.e. the component coupled with the electrochromic film 16 cannot autonomously change its external appearance, the change in its external appearance being possible only by controlling the electrochromic film 16 (which can display or hide the underlying wall 15).

[0060] Moreover, in all the aforementioned embodiments, the wall 15 covered by the electrochromic film 16 always and only has a single, unchanging appearance; i.e. the wall 15 covered by the electrochromic film 16 is passive and cannot autonomously change its external appearance, the change in its external appearance being possible only by controlling the electrochromic film 16 (which can display or hide the underlying wall 15).

[0061] The embodiments described herein can be combined with each other.

[0062] The aforementioned application of the electrochromic film 16 to the visible wall of a component of a vehicle can advantageously be applied to any type of road vehicle (for example, a car or a motorcycle) and to any type of non-road vehicle.

[0063] The aforementioned road vehicle 1 has numerous advantages.

[0064] First of all, the road vehicle 1 described above has a (at least one) appearance variable component (i.e. which can change its appearance, possibly also showing or hiding graphic symbols 22), which can have very wide dimensions (thus particularly eye-catching and immediately visible), while at the same time being extremely light (the weight of the electrochromic film 16 is a few grams per square decimeter) and having a very low electrical energy consumption (the electrochromic film 16 essentially exploits the orienting effect of the electric field, with almost negligible current circulation). In other words, in order to obtain a component capable of changing its external appearance on command, it is known to use a digital screen, but this is in any case more bulky, heavier and more energy-consuming than the electrochromic film 16.

[0065] Furthermore, the electrochromic film 16 is extremely flexible, thus can adapt to very different and particularly complex shapes, and is particularly resistant to impacts; therefore, the electrochromic film 16 can be easily applied to a plurality of components of the road vehicle 1, allowing to change the aesthetic appearance of the components on command, in particular for communicating information to the occupants of the road vehicle 1 in a simple, quick and intuitive manner. List of reference signs

[0066] 1 road vehicle;

[0067] 2 front wheel;

[0068] 3 rear wheel;

[0069] 4 powertrain system;

[0070] 5 passenger compartment;

[0071] 6 dashboard;

[0072] 7 windshield;

[0073] 8 central tunnel;

[0074] 9 ignition key;

[0075] 10 trim panel;

[0076] 11 cavity;

[0077] 12 gear shift control;

[0078] 13 steering wheel;

[0079] 14 cover;

[0080] 15 wall / upper wall;

[0081] 16 electrochromic film;

[0082] 17 electric circuit;

[0083] 18 electrode;

[0084] 19 battery;

[0085] 20 switch;

[0086] 21 control unit;

[0087] 22 graphical symbol.

Claims

1. A vehicle (1) comprising a passenger compartment (5) and at least one component (9; 10; 14) that is opaque and non-reflective, is not configured with any controllable screen for displaying information, and has at least one wall (15) visible to occupants of the passenger compartment (5), the wall (15) always having only a single, unchanging appearance; The vehicle (1) is characterized in that, The components (9; 10; 14) Includes: At least one electrochromic film (16) covering the wall (15); and A circuit (17) is connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film (16) and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) when necessary to change the optical properties of the electrochromic film (16).

2. The vehicle (1) according to claim 1, wherein applying a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) alters the transparency of the electrochromic film (16).

3. The vehicle (1) according to claim 2, wherein the electrochromic film (16) is transparent when there is no voltage and becomes opaque when there is voltage.

4. The vehicle (1) according to claim 2, wherein the electrochromic film (16) is opaque when there is no voltage and becomes transparent when there is voltage.

5. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wall (15) has at least one graphic symbol (22) disposed below the electrochromic film (16).

6. The vehicle (1) according to claim 5, wherein applying a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) alters the transparency of the electrochromic film (16) to make the graphic symbol (22) visible or hidden.

7. The vehicle (1) according to claim 6, wherein the graphic symbol (22) is hidden when there is no voltage and becomes visible when there is voltage, and vice versa.

8. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the component (9; 10; 14) comprises two different electrochromic films (16) that are individually and independently controllable, each of the electrochromic films (16) covering only a portion of the wall (15).

9. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the component (9; 10; 14) is an ignition key (9).

10. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The passenger compartment (5) is equipped with a steering wheel (13) with an airbag chamber at its center, the front of which is closed by an openable cover (14); and The component (9; 10; 14) is the cover (14) of the airbag chamber of the steering wheel (13).

11. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the component (9; 10; 14) is the decorative panel (10) of the passenger compartment (5).

12. An ignition key (9) for a vehicle (1); the ignition key (9) is opaque and non-reflective, has no controllable screen for displaying information, and has at least one wall (15) that always has only a single, unchanging appearance. The ignition key (9) is characterized in that it comprises: At least one electrochromic film (16) covering the wall (15). as well as A circuit (17) is connected to opposite ends of the electrochromic film (16) and configured to apply a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) when necessary to change the optical properties of the electrochromic film (16).

13. The ignition key (9) according to claim 12, wherein applying a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) alters the transparency of the electrochromic film (16).

14. The ignition key (9) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The wall (15) has at least one graphic symbol (22) disposed below the electrochromic film (16); and Applying a voltage to the electrochromic film (16) changes the transparency of the electrochromic film (16), thereby making the graphic symbol (22) visible or hidden.

15. The ignition key (9) according to claim 14, wherein the graphic symbol (22) is hidden when there is no voltage and becomes visible when there is voltage, and vice versa.

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