Device for fixing a screen allowing its rotation.

Abstract

The invention relates to a mounting device (1) designed to fix a screen (2) to a dashboard and comprising a base (4) designed to be fixed to the dashboard, the device (1) comprising a receiving interface (6) designed for fixing the screen (2), mounted for rotation on the base (4) about an axis of rotation, the device (1) comprising locking means (7) having a first configuration, in which the locking means (7) limit the rotation of the interface (6), and a second configuration, in which the locking means (7) remove any limitation on the rotation of the interface (6) to allow a user to rotate the interface (6), the device (1) having a control designed to, when actuated, send an electronic signal to control the switching of the locking means (7) from one of the first and second configurations to the other. (Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: Device for fixing a screen allowing its rotation.

[0001] The technical field relates to devices for fixing a screen on a dashboard allowing rotation of the screen, assemblies comprising such a device and a screen fixed to the device, dashboards comprising at least one such device or at least one such assembly fixed to the dashboard, and finally motor vehicles having such a dashboard.

[0002] Automobile manufacturers take great care to improve passenger comfort in their vehicles. Thus, they are constantly seeking to improve vehicle interiors to offer customers new features or enhance existing ones. In this context, screens displaying entertainment or navigation information, positioned centrally on the dashboard, have become very common. These screens sometimes utilize users' mobile phones by allowing them to mirror their phone's display on the screen. However, some information requires a specific screen orientation to be displayed correctly.For this reason, many screens are mounted to move between two orientations requiring the screen to be rotated by an angle of 90° around an axis perpendicular to the screen: a so-called landscape orientation and a so-called portrait orientation.

[0003] Rotating the screen from one orientation to another very often involves motorized means. These motorized means have several drawbacks, such as their complexity, cost, significant weight, and the risks associated with failures of these complex means.

[0004] Thus, there is a need for a solution to change the orientation of a screen fixed to a dashboard without using a motorized system.

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for attaching a screen to a dashboard and for changing the screen's orientation, without a motorized mechanism, while locking the screen in at least one of the two orientations.

[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to a mounting device designed to fix a screen to the dashboard of a motor vehicle, the device comprising a base, designed to be fixed to the dashboard, the device further comprising a receiving interface designed to receive the screen mounting, the interface and the base being connected by a pivot joint about an axis of rotation, the device comprising blocking means designed to block the rotation of the interface relative to the base, the blocking means having a first configuration, in which the blocking means restrict the rotation of the interface relative to the base, and a second configuration, in which the blocking means remove any restriction on the rotation of the interface relative to the base to allow a user to rotate the interface, the device having a control designed to, when actuated by a user, send an electronic signal to the blocking means to control the switching of the blocking means from one of the first and second configurations to the other.

[0007] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a device according to the invention and a screen fixed in the interface of the device.

[0008] The invention further relates to a dashboard of a motor vehicle comprising at least one device according to the invention and / or at least one assembly according to the invention fixed to the dashboard, each control being operable by a user.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having a dashboard according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the device according to the invention allows the screen, mounted on the mounting interface, to rotate from one orientation to another by rotating the interface relative to the base around the axis of rotation. The device also allows the screen's orientation to be locked in the first configuration using locking means. To change the orientation, a user must then activate the control to switch the locking means to the second configuration, thereby releasing the rotation of the interface, and consequently, of the screen fixed to the interface. From this point, a change of orientation is possible. Once the screen is in the chosen orientation, the locking means, in their first configuration, prevent further rotation of the interface and the screen. Thus, the device according to the invention allows the screen to rotate without a motor and without a complex locking mechanism.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the fastening device is designed to switch the locking means from the second configuration to the first configuration when the control ceases to be operated by the user or after a predetermined time initialized by switching the locking means from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0012] According to one possibility, the fastening device includes control means designed to allow the transmission of the electronic signal to the blocking means only when at least one predefined condition is met.

[0013] Advantageously, a predefined condition relates to the speed of movement of the vehicle on which the device is installed.

[0014] According to one possibility, the control includes a mechanical push button, a capacitive or resistive button.

[0015] According to one possibility, the assembly includes at least one mechanical stop, each designed to block the rotation of the screen in a position corresponding to a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation when the assembly is fixed to the dashboard.

[0016] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a front view of a fastening device according to the invention showing a screen fixed to the device;

[0018] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a rear view of the device of [Fig.1];

[0019] In these figures, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same elements.

[0020] A mounting device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is designed to allow the mounting of a screen 2, illustrated in [Fig. 1], on a dashboard according to the invention, not shown, of a motor vehicle. The device 1 and the screen 2, mounted on the device 1, form an assembly 3 according to the invention.

[0021] The device 1 comprises a base 4, illustrated in [Fig. 2], designed to be fixed to the dashboard. The base 4 is, for example, obtained by molding plastic material. The base 4 includes, for example, fixing studs 5 allowing the base 4 to be screwed onto a structure of the dashboard.

[0022] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the device 1 further includes a fixing interface 6 designed to receive the fixing of the screen 2. For example, the fixing interface 6 is a metal plate allowing the screen 2 to be screwed onto the plate.

[0023] Interface 6 and base 4 are connected by a pivot joint about an axis of rotation AR. Thus, the screen 2 attached to interface 6 can be rotated relative to base 4 about the axis of rotation AR. The pivot joint allows rotation of interface 6 in both directions.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the device 1 includes blocking means 7 designed to block the rotation of the interface 6 relative to the base 4. To this end, the blocking means 7 have a first configuration, in which the blocking means 7 restrict the rotation of the interface 6 relative to the base 4, and a second configuration, in which the blocking means 7 remove any restriction on the rotation of the interface 6 relative to the base 4 to allow a user to rotate the interface 6. Advantageously, in the first configuration The blocking means 7 block the rotation of interface 6, while in the second configuration, the blocking means allow the rotation of interface 6.

[0025] For example, the locking means 7 comprise at least one pin, not shown, mounted movable between two positions. In the first configuration of the locking means 7, at least one pin is engaged in a notch, not shown, provided in the base 4. In the second configuration of the locking means 7, each pin is disengaged from any notch in the base 4. For example, the movement of each pin is achieved by an electromechanical or mechanical mechanism.

[0026] The device 1 also has a control 8 illustrated in [Fig. 1] and designed, when actuated by a user, to send an electronic signal to the blocking means 7 to control the switching of the blocking means 7 from one of the first and second configurations to the other. Depending on one possibility, the electronic signal is an analog electrical signal or a digital signal.

[0027] According to one possibility, control 8 includes a button 9 such as a mechanical push button, a capacitive or resistive button. Alternatively, control 8 is displayed on screen 2.

[0028] Advantageously, the device 1 is designed to switch the locking means 7 from the second configuration to the first configuration when the control 8 is no longer actuated by the user or after a predetermined time period initiated by switching the locking means 7 from the first configuration to the second configuration. Thus, in the first case, the user must keep the control 8 actuated to maintain the locking means 7 in the second configuration. In the second case, the locking means 7 switch from the second configuration to the first configuration after a predetermined time period, initiated when the locking means 7 switch from the first configuration to the second configuration. This predetermined time period thus gives the user, after actuating the control 8, time to rotate the screen 2 manually before locking the screen 2's rotation again.

[0029] In one embodiment, the device 1 includes control means, not shown, designed to allow the transmission of the electronic signal to the locking means 7 only when at least one predefined condition is met. Advantageously, a predefined condition relates to the speed of the vehicle on which the device 1 is installed. Thus, the control means are, for example, designed to allow the transmission of the electronic signal to the locking means 7 only when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined threshold speed. To this end, the electronic signal sent by the control 8 passes, for example, through the control means.

[0030] Finally, as illustrated in [Fig.1], the device 1 includes at least one mechanical stop 10, in this case two stops 10, each designed to block the rotation of the screen 2 in a position corresponding to a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation, when the assembly 3 is fixed to the dashboard.

[0031] Thus, device 1 allows rotation of the screen 2, mounted on interface 6, when the locking means 7 are in their second configuration. Device 1 also allows the orientation of the screen 2 to be locked in the first configuration by means of the locking means 7. In order to change the orientation, the user must then activate control 8 to switch the locking means 7 to the second configuration and release the rotation of interface 6, and therefore of screen 2. Once screen 2 is in the chosen orientation, the locking means 7, in their first configuration, prevent further rotation of interface 6 and screen 2.

[0032] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the fastening device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments may be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. A mounting device (1) designed to fix a screen (2) to a dashboard of a motor vehicle, the device (1) comprising a base (4) designed to be fixed to the dashboard, the device (1) further comprising a receiving interface (6) designed to receive the fixing of the screen (2), the interface (6) and the base (4) being connected by a pivot joint about an axis of rotation (AR), the device (1) comprising locking means (7) designed to block the rotation of the interface (6) relative to the base (4), the locking means (7) having a first configuration, in which the locking means (7) limit the rotation of the interface (6) relative to the base (4), and a second configuration, in which the locking means (7) remove any limitation on the rotation of the interface (6) relative to the base (4) to allow a user to rotate the interface (6),the device (1) having a control (8) designed to, when actuated by a user, send an electronic signal to the blocking means (7) to control the switching of the blocking means (7) from one of the first and second configurations to the other.

2. Fixing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed to switch the locking means (7) from the second configuration to the first configuration when the control (8) ceases to be actuated by the user or after a predetermined time initialized by switching the locking means (7) from the first configuration to the second configuration.

3. Fixing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises control means designed to allow the transmission of the electronic signal to the blocking means (7) only when at least one predefined condition is met.

4. Fixing device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that a predefined condition relates to the speed of movement of the vehicle on which the device (1) is installed.

5. Fixing device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control (8) comprises a mechanical push button (9), a capacitive or resistive button.

6. Assembly (3) comprising a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a screen (2) fixed in the interface (6) of the device (1).

7. Assembly (3) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one mechanical stop (10), each designed to block the rotation of the screen (2) in a position corresponding to a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation when the assembly (3) is fixed to the dashboard.

8. Dashboard of a motor vehicle comprising at least one device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and / or at least one assembly (3) according to claim 6 or 7 fixed to the dashboard, each control (8) being actuable by a user.

9. Motor vehicle having a dashboard according to claim 8.

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