Sun visor for a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a sun visor arrangement (1) for a vehicle and to a vehicle having a sun visor arrangement (1) according to the invention. The arrangement comprises a sensor system (2) with at least one sensor (2a, 2b) for determining information about current lighting conditions in a vehicle environment, at least one at least partially movable visor device (4), and a control unit (3) designed to adjust a position and / or orientation of the visor device (4) depending on the current lighting conditions.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a sun visor arrangement for a vehicle and to a vehicle with a sun visor arrangement according to the invention.

[0002] Examples include manually retractable sun visors found in various vehicles. These extend in front of the windshield in the driver and / or passenger area, thus blocking the path of incoming light. These sun visors are sometimes also designed so that they can be tilted and / or aligned with the vehicle's side windows.

[0003] However, before the driver or passenger adjusts the appropriate sun visors, the driver is always dazzled for a certain period of time, which poses a safety risk. Therefore, there is a need for automated solutions for shading in vehicles.

[0004] In this respect, EP3856557B1 proposes a possibility for detecting lighting conditions in a vehicle, whereby in the event of a negative influence on the driver, for example in the event of glare, measures are taken, such as darkening the window or interrupting the light path by means of a semi-transparent or opaque screen.

[0005] US2020 / 0290439A1 discloses an anti-glare system that features an interior camera for monitoring the driver and a glare shield that is automatically controlled based on the driver's glare detected by the camera. However, the glare shield is always activated only after glare is detected.

[0006] The shading device for a vehicle described in US2019 / 0255919A1 comprises a dimmable glass panel with adjustable transmittance, which is part of the windshield or applied to its surface, a display made of a transmissive material applied to the dimmable glass panel, and an image capture unit for capturing the vehicle's surroundings. While the dimmable glass panel is shading, a view of the obscured vehicle surroundings is displayed on the display.

[0007] US9702183B1, in turn, describes a method for automatically shading parts of a vehicle window, which includes an array of switchable liquid crystals. The liquid crystals can be switched between a transparent and a shaded state. The need for shading is determined based on an interior sensor that detects the driver's eyes, the vehicle's direction of travel, and the time of day.

[0008] DE202020100226U1, in turn, describes an arrangement of a plurality of sensors arranged on or in one or more vehicle windows and a functional element that is controlled depending on the measured values ​​of the sensors. The functional element can, for example, be an element for changing the light transmission through the respective vehicle window with electrically controllable optical properties.

[0009] However, these solutions can be expensive or complex. In particular, integrating sunshades directly within the windshield can be disadvantageous, as they may then be exposed to stone chips or other potential damage.

[0010] Based on this, the present invention is based on the object of providing an automatic shading system in a vehicle which can be integrated into the vehicle in a cost-effective and simple manner.

[0011] This object is achieved by the sun visor arrangement according to claim 1 and the vehicle according to claim 10.

[0012] With regard to the arrangement, the object underlying the invention is achieved by a sun visor arrangement for a vehicle, comprising - a sensor system with at least one sensor for determining a statement about current lighting conditions in a vehicle environment, - at least one at least partially movable blind device, and - a control unit which is designed to adjust a position and / or orientation of the glare device depending on the current lighting conditions.

[0013] The evaluation of the sensor signals received from the sensor system with regard to the current lighting conditions can be carried out by a computing unit, which may be part of the sensor system, part of the vehicle, part of the control unit, or another part of the arrangement according to the invention. Depending on the result of the evaluation of the sensor signals and, if applicable, other relevant available information regarding the prevailing lighting conditions, a suitable command for controlling the glare device is transmitted to the control unit, and the position and / or orientation of the glare device is adjusted accordingly.

[0014] The current lighting conditions in the vehicle's surroundings are characterized in particular by the current brightness and the angle of incidence of ambient light, especially sunlight, relative to the vehicle, and especially to the driver. Other relevant information that can be taken into account includes, for example, information about current weather conditions and / or the current time of day, as well as the exact position of the driver's and / or passenger's head in the vehicle.

[0015] It is advantageous if the vehicle also has a manually operated switch that can be used to position and / or align the visor. This allows, for example, subsequent fine adjustment of the visor.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the sensor system of the sun visor assembly comprises a camera for detecting the vehicle surroundings, in particular the area in front of the vehicle, a light sensor, a brightness sensor, and / or a twilight sensor. Depending on the sensor used, other information about the current lighting conditions can be determined. The sensor system can also have multiple sensors, in particular positioned in different areas of the vehicle.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the sun visor assembly comprises an interior camera, which is arranged and / or configured to detect a driver and / or front passenger of the vehicle. The interior camera can be a component of the sensor system or a separate component. The interior camera can be used, in particular, to precisely determine the position of the driver's and / or front passenger's head and / or to monitor for glare on the driver or front passenger.

[0018] The blind device preferably comprises at least one blind and, in addition, elements for attaching the blind device to the vehicle, as well as a movement device, which may, for example, comprise a motor, in particular an electric one. At least parts of the blind device can be moved appropriately by means of the movement device. The blind can be made of an opaque material.

[0019] In another embodiment of the sun visor assembly according to the invention, the visor device comprises a plurality of modules that are at least partially individually movable. In this regard, the visor device can, on the one hand, comprise a visor that is divided into a plurality of modules or parts, which are, in particular, at least partially individually movable, and / or the visor device can comprise a plurality of visors for different areas of the vehicle, which in turn can also be divided into a plurality of parts.

[0020] In connection with the sun visor arrangement, it is advantageous if the glare device can be brought into at least two different positions, wherein the glare device is positioned and / or aligned in a first starting position such that it does not obscure a windshield of the vehicle, and wherein at least one module of the glare device can be positioned and / or aligned in front of a part of the windshield in a second glare-shielding position such that glare of the driver and / or front passenger of the vehicle is prevented. In the glare-shielding position, the glare device interrupts, in particular, a light path from outside the vehicle, in particular from the sun, to the driver and / or front passenger.

[0021] For example, it is conceivable that the glare device is arranged above the windshield, in particular in the interior of the vehicle, and is positioned and / or aligned in the initial position such that it does not obscure the windshield. In one or more glare control positions, the glare device can then be positioned and / or aligned such that it obscures a respective, in particular predeterminable, partial area of ​​the windshield. For this purpose, in particular, a glare device or at least one module of the glare device can be moved in a suitable manner. Furthermore, multiple glare control positions can also be provided.

[0022] In one embodiment of the sun visor assembly, the visor device and / or at least one module of the visor device is / are configured such that the visor device and / or the module is movable substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the windshield and / or a longitudinal direction of the visor device and / or the module. In this way, a position of the visor device and / or the at least one module can be adjusted, in particular by a linear movement of the visor device and / or at least one module of the visor device.

[0023] In a further embodiment of the sun visor assembly, the visor device and / or at least one module of the visor device is / are configured such that the visor device and / or the module is / are rotatable such that a predeterminable angle can be set between a longitudinal direction of the windshield and / or a longitudinal direction of the visor device and / or the module. In this way, an angled arrangement or orientation or a tilting of the visor device and / or at least one module of the visor device can also be achieved.

[0024] Finally, a further advantageous embodiment of the sun visor arrangement includes that a vehicle interior can be divided into at least two segments, wherein the current lighting conditions can be recorded independently of one another using sensor data acquired by the sensor system. For this purpose, if the sensor system comprises a single sensor, the sensor data can also be divided into the segments. This is particularly possible if the sensor system includes a camera that provides image data. If the sensor system comprises several, in particular identical, sensors, individual sensors can also be assigned to the different segments. By dividing the vehicle into different segments, potential glare for the driver can be detected and prevented even more specifically.

[0025] Advantageously, the vehicle interior is divided into at least two segments to distinguish between a right and left or upper and lower area. However, more than two, preferably four, six, or nine segments, can also be selected.

[0026] In this context, it is further advantageous if the position and / or orientation of the glare device can be adjusted depending on the current lighting conditions detected in the at least two segments. For example, the different segments can be assigned to different modules of the glare device, and / or different positions of the glare device and / or at least one module of the glare device can be selected depending on the conditions in the different segments.

[0027] The object underlying the invention is further achieved by a vehicle comprising a sun visor assembly according to the invention. It should be noted that the embodiments described in connection with the sun visor assembly are also applicable, mutatis mutandis, to the vehicle according to the invention.

[0028] The invention and its advantageous embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. They show: Fig. 1 an illustration of a first embodiment of the sun visor arrangement according to the invention; Fig. 2 options for positioning and aligning the visor device; Fig. 3 a schematic structure for the sun visor arrangement; Fig. 4 an illustration of a second embodiment of the sun visor arrangement; and Fig. 5 an illustration of a third embodiment of the sun visor arrangement.

[0029] In the figures, identical elements are always provided with the same reference numerals. It should also be noted that the various combinations in the illustrated embodiments can also be combined in other ways, and these combinations also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a sun visor arrangement 1 according to the invention. The arrangement 1 comprises a sensor system 2 with at least one sensor for determining a statement about current lighting conditions in a vehicle environment. The sensor can be a camera, for example, which generates sensor data in the form of image data. By suitable evaluation of the image data, the statement about the current lighting conditions in the vehicle environment can then be made. The camera 2 is preferably arranged and / or configured such that it can capture at least one area of ​​the vehicle environment in front of the vehicle, ie it is arranged, for example, behind the windshield facing outwards.

[0031] The sensor data is evaluated in a processing unit (not shown separately here). Depending on the current lighting conditions determined, a suitable signal is sent to the control unit 3 to control the glare device 4, so that it is positioned appropriately to prevent dazzling the driver and / or front passenger. The control unit 4 can therefore be used to adjust the position and / or orientation of the glare device 4.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle, indicated here by its windshield 5, is traveling toward the sun 7. The driver's head 6 is located in the sun's light path L. This is detected by the camera 2, and the sun visor 4a is moved to a suitable position such that it interrupts the light path L [shown by dashed lines].

[0033] For the embodiment shown here, the visor device 4 has two modules 4a and 4b, which are two separate visors, one for the driver 6 and one for the passenger (not shown here). In other embodiments, a visor could also be constructed from multiple modules.

[0034] Each of the two modules 4a and 4b in Fig. 1 is designed such that it can assume a starting position P1 and a dimming position P2, as illustrated by module 4b. In the starting position P1, module 4b does not obscure the windshield 6 of the vehicle, while in the dimming position P2, a portion of the windshield 5 is obscured.

[0035] In Fig. 2, possible movements of the diaphragm device 4 are explained in more detail. On the one hand, the diaphragm device 4, as shown in Fig. 2a, perform a lateral movement parallel to a longitudinal axis of the windshield, here in the z-direction. In this way, the visor device 4 can be suitably moved into the positions P1 and P2. This can be accomplished, for example, by an extension mechanism. However, it is also conceivable that a rotational movement of the visor device 4 can be performed, as shown in Fig. 2b. In this case, the diaphragm device 4 can be rotated or tilted, for example. In the case of Fig. 2b, for example, a rotation by a predeterminable angle α between a longitudinal direction of the windshield 5 and / or a longitudinal direction of the glare device 4 is possible.

[0036] Numerous variants are conceivable for the exact construction of the sun visor assembly 1, all of which fall within the scope of the present invention. One possible embodiment is the subject of Fig. 3. The sun visor assembly 1 here comprises a sensor system 2 with a first camera 2a for detecting the vehicle's surroundings and a second camera 2b for detecting the interior of the vehicle (not shown separately here). For the embodiment shown here, two movement units 7a, 7b are also provided for moving the modules 4a and 4b of the visor device 4 (not shown here). These can be different motors, in particular electric ones. For example, movement unit 7a is used to perform a lateral movement of the visor device 4, or of individual or all modules 4a, 4b of the visor device 4, and movement unit 7b is used to rotate the visor device 4, or of individual or all modules 4a, 4b of the visor device 4, by a predeterminable angle. In other embodiments, additional motors can be provided for performing different lateral movements and / or for performing rotational or tilting movements.

[0037] In Fig. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a sun visor assembly 1 according to the invention, in which the vehicle interior is divided into two segments S1 and S2. The sensor system 2 for the embodiment shown here has two sensors 2a and 2b, each assigned to one of the segments S1 and S2. In this way, the current lighting conditions are recorded independently of each other for the two segments S1 and S2.

[0038] It is also conceivable that the two modules 4a and 4b of the glare device 4 can be moved independently of each other depending on the current lighting conditions in the respective segments S1 and S2. In this way, glare of the driver and / or front passenger can be prevented even more effectively.

[0039] A further possible embodiment for the sun visor arrangement 1 according to the present invention is the subject of Fig. 5. Sensor system 2 includes a camera, and the vehicle interior is divided into six segments S1-S6 (not shown separately). The camera's image data is also divided into six segments S1-S6, corresponding to the segments S1-S6 in the vehicle interior. This is illustrated by the six boxes. The current lighting conditions are determined separately for each segment S. Segments S1 and S4 correspond to an upper and lower left area; segments S2 and S5 correspond to an upper and lower middle area; and segments S3 and S6 correspond to an upper and lower right area.

[0040] For those in Fig. In the situation illustrated in Figure 5a, glare was detected for segments s2 and s3. Accordingly, module 4a of the glare device 4 remains in the initial position P1, and module 4a of the glare device is moved to the dimming position P1. However, in other embodiments, module 4a can also be moved if glare is detected for segments s2 and s3.

[0041] At the Fig.In the situation illustrated in Figure 5b, glare was detected for segments s1-s4. Accordingly, module 4a of the glare device 4 is now in a glare position P3, and module 4b is in a glare position P2. Here, the glare device 4 can assume three different positions P1-P3: an initial position P1, a first glare position P2 corresponding to partial glare, and a second glare position P3 corresponding to full glare. The division into and number of segments S and the number of possible glare positions P can vary from design to design and can be implemented as needed. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Zitierte Patentliteratur

[0000] EP 3856557B1

[0004] US 2020 / 0290439A1

[0005] US 2019 / 0255919A1

[0006] US 9702183B1

[0007] DE 202020100226U1

[0008]

Claims

[1] Sun visor arrangement (1) for a vehicle, comprising - a sensor system (2) with at least one sensor (2a, 2b) for determining a statement about current lighting conditions in a vehicle environment, - at least one at least partially movable diaphragm device (4), and - a control unit (3) which is designed to adjust a position and / or orientation of the diaphragm device (4) depending on the current lighting conditions. [2] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system (2) comprises a camera for detecting the vehicle surroundings, in particular a vehicle surroundings in front of the vehicle, a light sensor, a brightness sensor and / or a twilight sensor. [3] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising an interior camera which is arranged and / or designed such that it detects a driver (6, 6a) and / or passenger (6b) of the vehicle. [4] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the visor device (4) comprises a plurality of at least partially individually movable modules (4a, 4b). [5] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the visor device (4) can be brought into at least two different positions (P), wherein the visor device (4) is positioned and / or aligned in a first starting position (P1) such that it does not cover a windshield (5) of the vehicle, and wherein at least one module (4a, 4b) of the visor device (4) can be positioned and / or aligned in a second visor position (P2, P3) in front of a part of the windshield (5) such that glare of the driver (6a) and / or the front passenger (6b) of the vehicle is prevented. [6] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the visor device (4) and / or at least one module (4a, 4b) of the visor device (4) is / are designed such that the visor device (4) and / or the module (4a, 4b) is / are movable substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the windshield (5) and / or a longitudinal direction of the visor device (4) and / or the module (4a, 4b). [7] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the visor device (4) and / or at least one module (4a, 4b) of the visor device (4) is / are designed such that the visor device (4) and / or the module (4a, 4b) is / are rotatable such that a predeterminable angle between a longitudinal direction of the windshield (5) and / or a longitudinal direction of the visor device (4) and / or the module (4a, 4b) is / are adjustable. [8] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a vehicle interior can be divided into at least two segments (S1, S2), wherein the current lighting conditions can be detected independently of one another on the basis of sensor data detected by means of the sensor system (2). [9] Sun visor arrangement (1) according to claim 8, wherein a position and / or orientation of the visor device (4) is adjustable depending on the current light conditions detected in the at least two segments (S1, S2). [10] Vehicle comprising a sun visor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

Images