Passenger cars with a roof-mounted screen

Abstract

passenger car (1) with a roof liner (4) that defines the upper boundary of an occupant compartment (3); a curved screen (5) that forms a section of the headliner (4), and a one-piece headliner (7) which runs frame-like along an edge of the headliner (7) and frames a display area (6) of the screen (5), wherein an inner edge (10) of the headliner (7) is arranged below and abuts the display area (6) with respect to a vehicle vertical axis (z).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a passenger car with a screen that forms a section of a headliner.

[0002] Vehicles with a closed roof, meaning a continuous metal roof, are common in the automotive market. On the inside, these roofs feature a large, usually fabric-covered, lining that forms the headliner. To allow more light into the passenger compartment and to offer a view of the sky above, panoramic glass roofs are becoming increasingly popular in passenger cars.

[0003] However, panoramic glass roofs add considerable weight. In strong sunlight, a greenhouse effect can occur, which can significantly heat the passenger compartment. Furthermore, panoramic glass roofs do not offer the same level of crash safety as closed vehicle roofs.

[0004] In this context, a virtual sunroof is known from DE 10 2013 203 162 A1, in which a projector can be used to project a view of the vehicle's surroundings onto the roof lining above the vehicle. This document also mentions that a screen could be used instead. However, the use of a projector could be disruptive for the driver, especially at night or under cloudy skies. A screen mounted on the roof lining could be perceived as detracting from the aesthetics of the vehicle interior.

[0005] A screen mounted on a roof liner is known from DE 10 2017 208 083 A1.

[0006] US patent 2008 / 0272623 A1 discloses a multi-layered roof system for a vehicle. The top layer is a transparent roof panel. The bottom layer is a display panel that can be switched between transparent and displaying images.

[0007] Furthermore, DE 10 2022 102 944 A1 describes an active display surface of a vehicle that is molded onto an interior trim panel.

[0008] DE 10 2013 220 569 A1 deals with a display device comprising a display module and a stabilizing frame, as well as a method for manufacturing a display device.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to at least partially eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages. This object is achieved by a passenger car according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, a passenger car is provided with a headliner that defines the upper boundary of the passenger compartment; a curved screen forming a section of the headliner; and a headliner trim that runs along one edge of the headliner like a frame, framing the screen's display area. The roof represents the largest large-area interior surface in the vehicle. With this embodiment, the present invention makes it possible to create immersive experiences and significantly enhance the sense of space by digitally displaying content across a large portion of the headliner. Framing the display area with a headliner trim creates the impression of a real panoramic glass roof, so that the screen is not perceived as intrusive or aesthetically detrimental. The display area can be used to create a completely new perception of the vehicle interior.For example, in dreary, cloudy weather, the display can play a simulation that creates the impression of driving through a sunny region with palm trees or a sun-drenched mountain landscape, thus creating a more pleasant atmosphere inside the vehicle. Particularly when stationary, such as during charging, the display can be used to show color patterns that have a relaxing effect or provide light therapy. This can be accompanied by sounds and / or music.

[0011] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the curvature of the screen varies across the display surface. This allows the curvature of a real panoramic glass roof to be replicated, making the display surface convey the impression of a panoramic glass roof even more realistically.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the invention, an inner edge of the headliner is arranged below the display area, relative to a vehicle's vertical axis. More precisely, the inner edge of the headliner is arranged below an edge of the display area. This edge can be designed to be used for graphical representation, or it can be an extension of the area designed for graphical representation, with the extension itself not being designed for graphical representation.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the curved screen is flexible in its unmounted state or is already pre-bent. In particular, the screen is flexible only about one axis. This represents a developable bend. If screens that are flexible about two axes (perpendicular to each other) should become available in the future, these could be used advantageously.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the display area has a minimum area of ​​0.8 square meters. This means that the display area occupies the majority of the headliner, thus increasing the possibilities for creating a more pleasant vehicle interior atmosphere.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the display area has a larger dimension along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle than along a transverse axis of the vehicle.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the screen is a panel-like LCD, LED, or OLED display. In principle, a commercially available LCD, LED, or OLED display, such as those used in televisions, can be used. However, the housing is omitted; that is, only the panel is used, which, for example, comprises at least the image-forming layers, a substrate, and a transparent protective layer. The display would be mounted on a carrier component that ensures the shape and connection points to the vehicle. This has the advantage that the carrier component used can be adapted to vehicle-specific requirements regarding the location of mounting points or possible passive safety measures without affecting the display panel.

[0017] Alternatively, it would be possible to install a complete screen including its housing. In this case, the screen is flexible or already curved during manufacturing and is installed in the vehicle.

[0018] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the screen has a cover layer made of mineral or plastic glass on its downward-facing surface. This protects the screen from damage and gives it a high-quality appearance. For reasons of occupant safety, laminated safety glass is preferably used in the case of mineral glass.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car is equipped with roof rails extending along the vehicle's longitudinal axis on both sides and with crossbars extending between the roof rails along the vehicle's transverse axis, which are attached to the roof rails, with the screen being attached to the crossbars. In this way, a secure attachment is achieved without any additional height compared to previous panoramic glass roofs. Additionally, the screen can be attached to longitudinal beams of the vehicle roof.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the crossbars are curved. Thus, a curvature of the screen can be achieved by the fact that the crossbars are curved and the curvature of the screen is formed by attaching the screen to the crossbars.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car also has a storage medium, in particular a memory chip, on which moving or still images (e.g., color patterns or other imaginary content) and / or moving or still images of vehicle environments that do not correspond to the real vehicle environment are stored, wherein the contents of the storage medium can be displayed on the screen. The vehicle environments are recorded from a bottom-up perspective, in particular with a camera mounted on the vehicle roof, so that the perspective is reproduced as realistically as possible, as if through a real panoramic glass roof, and thus a panoramic glass roof is imitated as closely as possible, only with a different vehicle environment than the real vehicle environment.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car also has loudspeakers which are connected to the storage medium, wherein the loudspeakers generate sounds that match the representations.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car also has at least one camera for capturing images of the vehicle's surroundings, in particular above the passenger car, wherein the images captured by the camera can be displayed on the display surface, so that the display surface provides a real representation of the vehicle's surroundings above the passenger car. In particular, the camera is mounted on the vehicle roof.

[0024] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate the following: Fig. Figure 1 shows a passenger car according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows a headliner according to an embodiment of the invention viewed from below; Fig. 3 shows the headliner Fig. 2. Viewed from a low angle; Fig. 4 shows the headliner Fig. 2 with a first example motif; Fig. 5 shows the headliner Fig. 2 with a second example motif; Fig. 6 shows the headliner Fig. 2 with a third example motif; Fig. Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view along a yz-plane through the roof of the passenger car. Fig. 1, and Fig. Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view along an xz-plane through the roof of the passenger car. Fig. 1.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1 shows a passenger car 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. A coordinate system shows a longitudinal axis x, a transverse axis y, and a vertical axis z, all of which are perpendicular to each other. The passenger car 1 has a roof 2 with a passenger compartment 3 located underneath. The roof 2 has a completely closed roof surface facing outwards or upwards, in particular made of metal or carbon fiber composite material, and a headliner 4 facing inwards or downwards.

[0026] Fig. Figure 2 shows a headliner 4 according to an embodiment of the invention viewed from below and Fig. 3 shows the headliner Fig. 2. Viewed from a low angle. The headliner 4 has a screen 5 with a display area 6 facing downwards (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) towards the passenger compartment 3. The screen 5 is essentially spanned in an xy-plane; more precisely, its largest dimension is along the vehicle's longitudinal axis x and its smallest dimension is along the vehicle's vertical axis z. The screen 5, or more precisely its display area 6, is framed by a headliner trim 7, which runs along one edge of the headliner 4. The headliner trim 7 surrounds the display area 6 in the form of a completely closed, one-piece frame. The headliner trim 7 is made of, for example, plastic and can be covered with fabric, leather, or imitation leather. The screen 5 and the headliner trim 7 can be separate components or be formed as a single, one-piece component.

[0027] Screen 5 is a sheet-like LCD, LED, or OLED panel that includes at least one image-forming layer and a substrate. Screen 5, particularly in the case of an LCD panel, can also be equipped with a backlight matrix. This allows for the construction of very thin displays.

[0028] The screen 5 is flexible about an axis, so that the screen and thus the display surface 6 can be provided with a desired curvature.

[0029] The Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 show the headliner Fig. 2 with motif examples. For example, display area 6 can be used, as in Fig. Figure 4 depicts a sunny blue sky, although in reality it is cloudy and grey outside. Fig. Figure 5 shows an example of a sunny palm-fringed landscape, even though the passenger car 1 is not actually located in or moving through such a landscape. These realistic-looking skies, surroundings, or landscapes are pre-recorded and stored on a non-displayed storage medium, such as a memory chip or hard drive. The recordings are made from an upward perspective, specifically along the vehicle's vertical axis z, while the vehicle is in motion. This allows the moving images on the display to reproduce a glass panoramic roof as realistically as possible, even though no glass panoramic roof is actually present.The playback speed can be adjusted to the actual vehicle speed, so that the moving images are played back at a speed that would correspond to how a real vehicle environment would move through a glass panoramic roof at that actual vehicle speed.

[0030] Display area 6 can be used not only to imitate a glass panoramic roof, but also to display imaginative representations, such as in Fig. Figure 6 illustrates how to visualize these scenarios. Such fantasy images can be selected to achieve relaxation or color light therapy effects for the vehicle occupants. These fantasy images can be accompanied by suitable sounds and / or music. This is particularly useful during charging breaks, allowing the vehicle occupants to recover from the stress of driving. Furthermore, when the vehicle is stationary, the front seats can be folded back so that the occupants' view is directed upwards.

[0031] The Fig. 7 and Fig. Figure 8 shows the roof of passenger car 1 from different perspectives. Fig. 7 a cutaway view from behind, i.e. a section view along a yz-plane and Fig.Figure 8 shows a sectioned side view, i.e., a sectional view along an xz-plane. As can be seen in the figures, two roof beams 8 are arranged on both sides of the vehicle roof, extending essentially along the vehicle's longitudinal axis x. Several crossbeams 9 extend between these roof beams 8, their longitudinal ends each being attached to a roof beam 8. The crossbeams 9 extend essentially in the form of elongated, plate-like profiles along the vehicle's transverse axis y and thus span the passenger compartment 3. The crossbeams 9 are convex or curved outwards. The screen 5 is arranged below (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) the crossbeams 9. In a section along a yz-plane through one of the crossbeams 9 and the screen 5, the screen 5 has the same curvature about the vehicle's longitudinal axis x as the crossbeam 9.The screen 5 also has a support component or is mounted on a support component; that is, the support component is formed integrally with the screen 5 or is manufactured separately. This support component, for example in the form of a suitably curved plate, ensures the shape of the screen 5 and the connection points to the vehicle. The screen 5, including the support component, is attached to the cross members 9 from below. The headliner 7 frames the screen 5 or its display surface 6 such that an inner edge 10 of the headliner 7 (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) is located below the display surface 6, and in particular abuts it.

[0032] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description, this illustration and description is to be understood as exemplary and not as limiting, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment. The mere fact that certain features are mentioned in various dependent claims is not intended to imply that a combination of these features could not also be used advantageously.

Claims

[1] Passenger car (1) with a roof liner (4) that defines the upper boundary of an occupant compartment (3); a curved screen (5) that forms a section of the headliner (4), and a one-piece headliner (7) which runs frame-like along an edge of the headliner (7) and frames a display area (6) of the screen (5), wherein an inner edge (10) of the headliner (7) is arranged below and abuts the display area (6) with respect to a vehicle vertical axis (z). [2] Passenger car (1) according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the screen (5) varies over the display area (6). [3] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the curved screen (5) is flexible in an unmounted state or is already pre-bent. [4] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display area (6) has a minimum area of ​​0.8 sqm. [5] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display area (6) has a larger dimension along a longitudinal axis (x) of the vehicle than along a transverse axis (y) of the vehicle. [6] Passenger car (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen (5) is a panel-like LCD, LED or OLED display. [7] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen (5) has a cover glass layer made of mineral or plastic glass on its downward-facing surface. [8] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, with roof rails (8) extending on both sides along the longitudinal axis (x) of the vehicle and crossbars (9) extending between the roof rails (8) along the transverse axis (y) of the vehicle, which are attached to the roof rails (8), wherein the screen (5) is attached to the crossbars (9). [9] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross members (9) are curved. [10] Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a storage medium on which pictorial moving or non-moving representations and / or moving or non-moving images of vehicle environments which do not correspond to the real vehicle environment are stored, wherein the contents of the storage medium can be displayed on the display surface (6). [11] Passenger car (1) according to claim 10, further comprising loudspeakers connected to the storage medium, wherein the loudspeakers produce sounds appropriate to the representations. [12] Passenger car (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising at least one camera for capturing images of a vehicle environment, in particular above the passenger car (1), wherein the images captured by the camera can be displayed on the display surface (6) so that the display surface (6) provides a real representation of a vehicle environment above the passenger car (1).

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