Display tilt mechanism

Abstract

The display assembly for deploying the display (104) includes a rail housing (220), a first link arm (214), a second link arm (214), and a motor transmission (216). During deployment, the first link arm moves at a first speed along a first rail formed by the rail housing, and the second link arm moves at a second speed along a second rail formed by the rail housing. The first speed is controlled to be different from the second speed so that contact between the display and the vehicle's dashboard (102) can be reduced or minimized during deployment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 497,162, filed on April 19, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to systems and methods for deploying a panel or display. More particularly, some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to assemblies and mechanisms that can tilt the edges of a vehicle display.

Background Art

[0003] Displays and panels are becoming more prevalent in various aspects of life. For example, a flat panel display or monitor can be mounted on a wall of a house. As another example, an automotive display device can be installed in the dashboard portion of an automobile to facilitate interaction between the vehicle and its passengers and occupants. To improve the user experience, it is desirable to adjust the position or orientation of the display to enable a better viewing angle or ease of operation.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Various technologies have been developed to facilitate the deployment of automotive displays. Some automotive displays can be supported by a pop-up unit, allowing the display to emerge from the dashboard through several movable mechanisms associated with the pop-up unit. Once popped up, the driver or passenger can adjust the position or orientation of the automotive display. Other designs utilize a mount or stand coordinated with a movable arm for deployment. However, such designs can lose aesthetic appeal because the unity of the vehicle's interior design is compromised by the mechanism associated with the display deployment. In addition, durability, reliability, and repeatability of the display deployment are also very important, but achieving them while maintaining the desired aesthetic appearance and feel associated with the vehicle's interior can be extremely difficult. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One embodiment relates to a display assembly for a vehicle. The display assembly comprises a rail housing, a first link arm, a second link arm, and a motor transmission. The display assembly can deploy a display initially positioned inside a recess in the vehicle's dashboard without or with minimal contact with the dashboard during deployment.

[0006] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly for deploying a display, the display including a first edge and a second edge, both of which, while in an initial position, engage with the dashboard of a vehicle, the display assembly including a rail housing that structurally forms a first rail and a second rail, a first link arm configured to connect to the display, a second link arm configured to connect to the display, and at least one motor transmission configured to drive the first link arm along the first rail and the second link arm along the second rail, the at least one motor transmission driving the first link arm along the first rail at a first speed and the second link arm along the second rail at a second speed different from the first speed, such that the display does not interfere with the dashboard of a vehicle.

[0007] In some embodiments, the technology described herein further includes a display assembly comprising a central arm configured to be attached to a display, wherein the rail housing further includes a central groove, and the central arm is configured to move along the central groove during deployment.

[0008] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly further comprising a central pin configured to be fastened to a central arm, wherein the minimum distance between the center of the central pin and the rail housing is less than 0.15 mm.

[0009] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly, wherein the central groove includes an outer edge configured to guide the movement of a central arm around an initial position.

[0010] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly, wherein the display, in its initial position, is not tilted toward a first edge or a second edge, and during deployment, the display tilts 11 degrees toward the second edge.

[0011] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly, wherein a first link arm is close to a first edge, a second link arm is close to a second edge, and the first velocity is approximately twice that of the second velocity.

[0012] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly in which a first link arm is driven by a reed motor of at least one motor transmission, and a second link arm is driven by a follower motor of at least one motor transmission, the speed of the follower motor being determined based on the speed of the reed motor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly in which the second edge does not come into contact with the dashboard during deployment.

[0014] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a display assembly in which, while the display is in its initial position, the user-facing surface of the display and the user-facing surface of the dashboard are coplanar.

[0015] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly for deploying a display relative to a dashboard, the assembly comprising a rail housing configured to be coupled to a dashboard, the rail housing including a groove; a left link arm configured to extend and retract the left side of the display relative to the rail housing; a right link arm configured to extend and retract the right side of the display relative to the rail housing; at least one motor coupled to at least one of the left or right link arms; and a central arm engaged by the groove and configured to guide the movement of the display during deployment.

[0016] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly, wherein at least one motor comprises a first motor and a second motor, the first motor configured to drive a left link arm to extend and retract the left side of the display, and the second motor configured to drive a right link arm to extend and retract the right side of the display.

[0017] In some embodiments, the technique described herein relates to an assembly such that when the right link arm is extended to its upper limit on the right side of the display, the display is tilted about 11 degrees to the left.

[0018] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly in which the left link arm moves at a first speed and the right link arm moves at a second speed, the first speed being about twice or half of the second speed.

[0019] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly, wherein the rail housing includes a left rail and a right rail, the left link arm moves along the left rail to extend and retract the left side of the display relative to the rail housing, and the right link arm moves along the right rail to extend and retract the right side of the display relative to the rail housing.

[0020] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly, wherein the groove includes an outer edge configured to guide the movement of the central arm when the display is near the home position.

[0021] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly for deploying a display having first and second edges that engage with a recessed area of ​​a structure while in a home position, the assembly comprising a rail housing that structurally forms a first rail and a second rail, a first link arm configured to connect to a display, and a second link arm configured to connect to a display, wherein the first link arm is driven at a first speed along the first rail by at least one motor transmission, and the second link arm is driven at a second speed different from the first speed along the second rail by at least one motor transmission, so that the display does not interfere with the structure during deployment.

[0022] In some embodiments, the technology described herein further relates to an assembly comprising a central arm configured to be attached to a display, wherein the rail housing includes a groove, and the central arm is configured to move along the groove during deployment.

[0023] In some embodiments, the techniques described herein relate to an assembly in which the groove includes an outer edge configured to guide the movement of the central arm around a home position.

[0024] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an assembly in which the display is not tilted toward the first edge or the second edge in the home position, and the display tilts toward the second edge during deployment.

[0025] In some embodiments, the techniques described herein relate to an assembly where a first link arm is near a first edge, a second link arm is near a second edge, and a first speed is approximately twice a second speed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0027] [Figure 1] A front perspective view of an exemplary integration of a dashboard, a display, and a display assembly with certain parts removed, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0028] [Figure 2] A bottom view representing an exemplary integration of the display assembly and the dashboard of FIGURE 1, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0029] [Figure 3] A side view showing an exemplary deployment of the display of FIGURE 1 through the movement of various components of the display assembly of FIGURE 2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0030] [Figure 4] A side perspective view showing an exemplary deployment of the display of FIGURE 1 through the movement of various components of the display assembly of FIGURE 2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0031] [Figure 5] A top view representing an exemplary deployment of the display of FIGURE 1 through the movement of various components of the display assembly of FIGURE 2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0032] [Figure 6]A bottom view is shown illustrating an exemplary deployment of the display in Figure 1 through the movement of various components of the display assembly in Figure 2, according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 7] Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a display assembly, such as the display assembly shown in Figure 2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] [Figure 8] Figure 7 shows a partial cross-sectional side view of a display assembly, with certain components removed to reveal some of the internal structures of the display assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] [Figure 9] Figure 7 shows an exploded view of a portion of the display assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] [Figure 10] Figure 7 shows an exemplary top perspective view of a portion of the display assembly and solar display panel integration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] [Figure 11] Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of an exemplary integration of the display assembly, display, and dashboard according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] [Figure 12] Figure 1 shows an exemplary top perspective view of the integration of the display assembly and dashboard according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] Generally speaking, one or more aspects of this disclosure correspond to systems and methods that use motor transmissions and mechanical structures to control the deployment of a panel or display. More specifically, some embodiments of this disclosure disclose mechanisms and assemblies that can tilt the edges of a display by driving two motor-driven arms mounted on the back of the display panel at different angles. In some embodiments, a central arm may be further mounted on the back of the display panel to guide the movement of the two motor-driven arms and the display panel itself. Advantageously, the coordination between the central arm and the two motor-driven arms may allow the display panel to be tilted symmetrically toward the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle from an initial position (e.g., a “home” position) where the display panel can fit almost seamlessly into the vehicle’s dashboard. Thus, consistency in the internal design around the vehicle’s dashboard can be maintained while allowing the driver and passengers to interact with the vehicle more easily through the deployment of the display.

[0040] In addition, the disclosed systems and methods further implement techniques to enhance the repeatability or predictability of display deployment, maintain the durability or sustainability of the associated mechanical components, and protect the instrument panel (IP) trim environment during display deployment. In some embodiments, a mechanically adjusted structure is used to guide the movement of a central arm attached to the display so that the display can repeatedly and accurately return to its "home" position. Furthermore, the mechanically adjusted structure may be designed with a shape and size that appropriately restricts the movement of the arm attached to the display to avoid damage to or adhesion to the dashboard during display deployment. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the parts of the display deployment assembly are designed to enhance system repeatability, durability, or sustainability. For example, the distance between the central arm and a groove structure from which the central arm can move back and forth to deploy the display may be selected to be within an appropriate distance so that the central arm is not too tightly constrained by the groove structure to lose durability resulting from wear of components, nor too loosely constrained by the groove structure to lose repeatability or reliability.

[0041] Typically, vehicles include displays or screens in front of the driver and / or passengers. Some vehicles offer movable or deployable displays around the dashboard to improve user interaction. To allow for display positioning, some automotive systems conceal the display within the dashboard using an opening that closes when the display is not in use. When in use, the opening may be cleared before the display is moved from the dashboard. Such techniques can be less user-friendly because the opening must be cleared before the user can interact with the display. Other designs utilize mounts or stands that work in conjunction with movable arms for deployment. However, such designs may not be visually satisfying inside the vehicle or may occupy additional space around the driver or passenger seat, thereby leading to a reduced user experience.

[0042] To enhance the user experience, dashboard displays can be designed to seamlessly integrate into the dashboard while remaining easily accessible and positionally customizable to the user. For example, in an initial or "home" position, the display may be positioned within a recessed area of ​​the dashboard. When in the home position, the edges of the display may form a flush fit with the dashboard. Depending on whether the driver or passenger intends to access the display, the display may be tilted toward either the driver or the passenger. However, ensuring that this type of design functions reliably and durablely can be challenging. Because the edges of the display fit so tightly into the dashboard, any direct mechanism for moving the display could damage the dashboard or the display itself. Furthermore, to achieve reproducible and reliable operation of the display deployment assembly, the components or mechanical parts of the assembly may need to be appropriately, or in some cases, tightly, constrained. However, excessive constraining can lead to wear on the mechanical components, resulting in a shorter operational life.

[0043] To address at least some of the above-mentioned problems, display assemblies according to several embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed. In some embodiments, the display assembly may allow the display to fit substantially seamlessly into a recess in the vehicle's dashboard when the display assembly is in an initial or home position. In some embodiments, in the home position, the surface of the display may fit flush with the dashboard. For example, in certain embodiments, the surface of the display is coplanar with the surface of the dashboard. In some embodiments, the back of the display may be connected to two link arms of the display assembly, each of which may be driven by a separate motor. In some embodiments, one of the motors may rotate faster than the other motor to drive the separate link arm faster so that the display may tilt toward either the right edge or the left edge. In some embodiments, during the deployment of the display, the relative speeds of the link arms are controlled so that the left or right edge may not contact or interfere with the vehicle's dashboard to a minimum. In some embodiments, one link arm moves at about twice the speed of the other link arm. In some embodiments, one of the motors (e.g., a reed motor) may move at a first speed (e.g., a programmable speed or programmed speed) controllable by a microcontroller or processor. In addition, the other motor (e.g., a follower motor) may move at a second speed which is approximately half the first speed.

[0044] In some embodiments, the display assembly may further include a central arm configured to move along a groove structurally formed by the rail housing. In some embodiments, the groove has an outer edge designed to guide the movement of the central arm around a home position so that the central arm can return to the same precise position during each movement. In some embodiments, one end of the central arm is fastened to a central pin. In some embodiments, while in the home position, there is a clearance distance from the center of the central pin to the nearest point on the rail housing. In some embodiments, the clearance distance is less than 0.15 mm. In some embodiments, the groove is designed to have a shape (e.g., a shape like the letter "V") that reduces or minimizes contact between the display and the dashboard when the link arm is extended away from the home position. Advantageously, with the central pin remaining fastened to the central arm, the deployment of the display assembly may be constrained to prevent or reduce wear on the display assembly.

[0045] While various embodiments are described according to exemplary combinations of embodiments and features, those skilled in the art will understand that the examples and feature combinations are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting. More specifically, embodiments of this application may be applicable to various types of displays, monitors, and panels under different circumstances, such as when mounted on the walls of a room in a building, on the roof of a building, or on the surface of a vehicle. Furthermore, while specific architectures of display interfaces or assemblies for tilting the edges of a display are described, such exemplary display interface or assembly designs or architectures should not be construed as limiting. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application are not necessarily limited to specific types of display assemblies, display assembly infrastructure, or applications to exemplary interactions between a driver / passenger and a vehicle's dashboard display.

[0046] Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of an exemplary integration of a dashboard 102, a display 104, and a display assembly 106 with certain parts removed, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 are fitted into the dashboard 102. More specifically, recessed areas are provided in the dashboard 102 to accommodate the display 104 and the display assembly 106. Figure 1 shows the display 104 and the display assembly 106 in an initial or home position, where the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 may be fitted along the recessed areas of the dashboard 102. In some embodiments, in the home position, the surface of the display 104 may be coplanar with the surface of the dashboard 102. In some embodiments, the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 form a flush fit with the surface of the dashboard 102 when in the home position.

[0047] In some embodiments, the dashboard 102 may be integrated as part of a vehicle (not shown in Figure 1). The vehicle may include an automobile, van, truck, seaplane, aircraft, or spacecraft. Although not shown in Figure 1, in some embodiments, the display assembly 106 may be mounted on other interfaces such as the walls of a room in a building, the roof of a building, or other surfaces on which a panel or display may be mounted.

[0048] As described later, in some embodiments, the display assembly 106 may tilt the display 104 horizontally toward the edge 110 or edge 112 of the display 104. In some embodiments, a user may trigger the tilt toward the edge 110 or edge 112 of the display 104 by interacting with a user interface on the display 104. In some embodiments, the display assembly 106 controls the deployment of the edge tilt of the display 104 so that the edges 110 and 112 of the display 104 cannot come into contact with or connect to any part of the dashboard 102, even if the display 104 does not move perpendicular to the surface of the dashboard 102 before the deployment of the edge tilt begins.

[0049] Figure 2 shows a bottom perspective view of an exemplary integration of the display assembly 106 and dashboard 102 of Figure 1, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the display assembly 106 includes various components such as a motor transmission 216, a link arm 214, a center pin 218, and a rail housing 220. In some embodiments, the center pin 218 may be a shaft, a forged pin, or the like. Figure 2 shows the display assembly 106 in a home position with the center pin 218 positioned at the center point of a groove 222 in the rail housing 220. As shown in Figure 2, the groove 222 has a V-shape. However, it should be noted that other shapes may be applicable to the groove 222 and should not be construed as being outside the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, there are two sets of link arms 214 and motor transmissions 216. Although not readily apparent from Figure 2, both link arms 214 may be connected to the back of the display 104 via several fastener components 224 to control the deployment of the display 104. In some embodiments, both motor transmissions 216 may drive the corresponding link arms 214 simultaneously when deploying the display 104 toward edge 110 or edge 112. Depending on which edge to tilt toward, one motor transmission 216 may be driven or rotated faster than the other motor transmission 216 so that one link arm 214 can extend longer than the other link arm 214 to tilt toward edge 110 or edge 112 of the display 104. In some embodiments, the speed at which one link arm 214 extends may be about twice the speed at which the other link arm 214 extends so that the edge 110 or edge 112 of the display 104 does not interfere with the dashboard 102 during deployment of the display 104.

[0051] In some embodiments, the central pin 218 may be connected to a central arm (not shown in Figure 2, but shown in Figure 5), where the end of the central arm is connected to the back of the display 104. In some embodiments, the central arm may guide or appropriately constrain the deployment of the display 104 as the link arm 214 extends forward or backward at different speeds to achieve reliable and repeatable operation of deploying the display 104.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the rail housing 220 and the center pin 218 may have a clearance distance when the center pin 218 is in the home position. More specifically, a gap may exist between the central part of the center pin 218 and the portion of the rail housing 220 near the bottom end of the groove 222. In some embodiments, the gap may be designed to be less than a predetermined distance. If the gap exceeds a predetermined distance, the deployment of the display 104 may not be very reproducible, as the display assembly 106 and the display 104 return to the home position as shown in Figure 2. This is because an excessive gap may result in loosely constrained movement around the home position, and the display 104 or the display assembly 106 may settle in different positions around the home position for different operations. On the other hand, the display assembly 106 may be excessively constrained without any clearance distance or gap. In some embodiments, the gap between the central portion of the central pin 218 and the portion of the rail housing 220 around the bottom end of the groove 222 may be designed to be 0.15 millimeters (mm) or less in order to achieve the desired constraint.

[0053] Figure 3 shows a side view illustrating an exemplary deployment of the display 104 through the movement of various components of the display assembly 106 of Figure 2, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, one of the link arms 214 (shown in Figure 3) may be driven by the motor transmission 216 to extend longer than the other link arm 214 (not shown in Figure 3). Thus, the display 104 may tilt toward the edge 110 as the edge 112 of the display 104 moves further away from the dashboard 102.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, one of the link arms 214 may have an upper and lower section that sandwiches the rail housing 220 between them. Note that in some embodiments, one of the link arms 214 may require only an upper or lower section, or may have a different form factor.

[0055] Figure 4 shows a side perspective view illustrating the exemplary deployment of the display 104 through the movement of various components of the display assembly 106 of Figure 2, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the display 104 deploys horizontally (with respect to the ground of the vehicle relative to the dashboard 102) and tilted toward the edge 110 of the display 104. As shown in Figure 4, such deployment results from the movement of both link arms 214 driven by separate motor transmissions 216. More specifically, the link arm 214 closer to the edge 112 of the display 104 tilts the display 104 toward the edge 110 of the display 104 by moving further away from its home position than the link arm 214 closer to the edge 110 of the display 104.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, the edge 110 maintains a close fit with the dashboard 102 without colliding with or being constrained by the dashboard during deployment from the home position to the position shown in Figure 4. The fact that the edge 110 maintains a close fit between the edge 110 of the display 104 and the dashboard 102 during deployment without interfering with the dashboard 102 may be due to the relative speeds associated with both link arms 214 and the design of the groove 222 that helps guide the movement of the display 104, as described above.

[0057] Figure 5 represents a top perspective view illustrating an exemplary deployment of the display 104 through the movement of various components of the display assembly 106 of Figure 2, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the display 104 is tilted toward the edge 110 for various movements associated with the link arm 214. The specific movements of the link arm 214 are caused by various movements associated with the individual motor transmission 216.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, one of the link arms 214 may be extended to its limit, while the other link arm 214 may be extended only halfway to its limit. Thus, Figure 5 may show the maximum angle 228 that the display 104 can tilt horizontally toward the edge 110. In some embodiments, the maximum angle 228 that the display 104 can tilt is 11 degrees. In some embodiments, the central arm 226 may be used to assist in guiding the movement of the display assembly 106 during the deployment of the display 104 in order to achieve repeatable operation while preventing wear or damage to the components.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, in some embodiments, the rail housing 220 includes a portion 230 that tapers toward the center of the rail housing 220. Such a shape of portion 230 can help guide the movement of the display 104 during deployment, thereby preventing impact or damage associated with interference between the edge 110 of the display 104 and the dashboard 102. Specifically, during deployment, the link arm 214 located closer to the edge 112 extends faster from its home position than the link arm 214 closer to the edge 110, so portion 230 can help guide the movement of the central arm 226. Thus, the edge 110 of the display 104 can avoid impacting or damaging the adjacent portion of the dashboard 102. In some embodiments, the edge 110 can maintain a close fit with the adjacent portion of the dashboard 102 throughout the entire deployment of the display 104.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the rail housing 220 includes an outer edge 232 around the groove 222. During operation, the outer edge 232 can guide the movement of the display assembly 106 as the display 104 moves toward and away from the home position. Specifically, as the central arm 226 moves toward the home position from the position shown in Figure 5, the outer edge 232 can guide the movement of the central arm 226 to follow a well-constrained path. Thus, the movement of the display 104 toward the home position can be repeatable or consistent throughout multiple deployments of the display 104 at various times. Advantageously, the design of the outer edge 232 can allow the display assembly 106 to return precisely to the home position, thereby allowing the display 104 to mate almost seamlessly into the dashboard 102 while in the home position.

[0061] Figure 6 shows a bottom perspective view illustrating the exemplary deployment of the display 104 of Figure 1 through the movement of various components of the display assembly 106 of Figure 2, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, as both link arms 214 move away from their home positions, one of the link arms 214 (e.g., the link arm 214 closer to edge 112) extends longer than the other link arm (e.g., the link arm 214 closer to edge 110), and as a result, the display 104 tilts horizontally toward the edge 110 of the display 104. In some embodiments, during the deployment of the display 104, the edge 110 may maintain a close fit with the adjacent portion of the dashboard 102.

[0062] Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a display assembly (referred to as display assembly 106) according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. The display assembly 106 in Figure 7 may be the same as or similar to the display assembly 106 in Figure 2. Thus, the components of the display assembly 106 in Figure 7 may function or operate in the same or similar way as the corresponding components of the display assembly 106 in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 7, the display assembly 106 may include a rail housing 220, a motor transmission 216, and a link arm 214. The rail housing 220 may be designed to have a groove 222 and two rails 734. In some embodiments, each of the rails 734 allows one of the link arm 214 to move back and forth along the rail 734 to deploy the display 104.

[0063] As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments, the groove 222 may be designed to have a specific shape (e.g., V-shape) and size in order to appropriately restrict the movement of the link arm 214 to or around the “home” position to ensure the repeatability or reliability of the movement. The section 230 may be designed to taper towards the center of the rail housing 220 in order to protect the instrument panel (IP) from the trimming environment during deployment. The width 760 of the two rails 734 may be designed to avoid wear on the rail nuts 740. For example, the width 760 of the two rails 734 may be 13 millimeters (mm), 13.5 mm, 14.0 mm, 14.5 mm, 15.0 mm, 15.5 mm, 16.0 mm, 16.5 mm, 17.0 mm, 17.5 mm, 18.0 mm, or any range of values ​​in between, or near thereto.

[0064] In some embodiments, the length of the rail 734 may be designed to be 50 millimeters (mm). In some embodiments, the length of the rail 734 may be greater or less than 50 mm. In some embodiments, the motor transmission 216 may be controlled by firmware and / or a microcontroller associated with the display assembly to move the link arm 214 along the rail 734 at a desired speed. In some embodiments, the motor transmission 216 may move the link arm 214 at a speed of approximately 12.5 mm per second. In some embodiments, the motor transmission 216 may be controlled by firmware to limit the maximum distance the link arm 214 can move away from its home position in order to restrict the movement of the display 104. In some embodiments, the maximum distance the link arm 214 can move away from its home position may be 49 mm, which is less than the length of the rail 734. In some embodiments, one link arm 214 may be driven by the motor transmission 216 to move at a speed of approximately 12.5 mm per second, while the other link arm 214 may be driven by the motor transmission 216 to move at a speed of approximately 6.25 mm per second. In some embodiments, the link arm 214 may be driven by the motor transmission 216 to move at a speed of less than or greater than 12.5 mm per second. In some embodiments, the motor transmission 216 may employ two parallel motors to increase or maximize the fidelity of the current signal for the transmission. In some embodiments, the bushing spacing 750 of the link arm 214 may be machined to be approximately 4.20 mm, 4.25 mm, 4.30 mm, 4.35 mm, 4.40 mm, or any range of values ​​in between, or near thereto, in order to achieve the parallelism associated with the link arm 214 during repeated deployment.

[0065] In some embodiments, the rail housing 220 may have a bearing support 736 at one end. In some embodiments, the bearing support 736 may be made of low-carbon steel and may be lubricated. Advantageously, the bearing support 736 may help limit or prevent wear of the spindle (not shown in Figure 7) caused by the movement of the link arm 214. In some embodiments, the link arm 214 may be coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to facilitate the smooth movement of the link arm 214 along the rail 734. The thickness of the PTFE coating may be between 0.03 mm and 0.06 mm, or any range of values ​​in between.

[0066] Figure 8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the display assembly 106 of Figure 7, with certain components removed to reveal some of the internal structures of the display assembly 106 of Figure 7, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 shows a portion of the motor transmission 216, including the gearbox and DC motor. Figure 8 further shows the grooves 222 and outer edges 232 of the rail housing 220. When the motor transmission 216 is in operation, the spindle 738 also rotates, moving the rail nut 740 along the rail 734, thereby moving the link arm 214 back and forth along the rail 734. In some embodiments, the width of the rail 734 is designed to be about 16.3 mm to avoid wear on the rail nut 740.

[0067] In some embodiments, the rail housing 220 is made from a metallic material such as aluminum and hard anodized. In some embodiments, the center pin 218 is a forged pin made from a metallic material such as steel. In some embodiments, the materials for making the rail housing 220 and the center pin 218 are selected such that the center pin 218 may be less rigid than the rail housing 220. Advantageously, such selection of materials for making the rail housing 220 and the center pin 218 may help achieve durability and smooth operation of the display assembly 106.

[0068] In some embodiments, the link arm 214 includes an upper portion (e.g., an upper link arm) and a lower portion (e.g., a lower link arm), and the link arm 214 may be made of a metallic material such as aluminum. In these embodiments, the material for making the link arm 214 may provide sufficient rigidity to achieve the sustainability and durability of the link arm 214, without including smoothness of movement of the link arm 214, so as to withstand forces of several thousand Newtons as the link arm 214 moves back and forth along the rail 734.

[0069] Figure 9 shows an exploded view of part of the display assembly 106 of Figure 7 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 9 shows the display assembly 106 which includes at least a motor transmission 216 including a gearbox and motor assembly, a spindle 738, a rail nut 740, an upper link arm 214-1, a lower link arm 214-2, a bearing support 736, and a rail housing 220.

[0070] Figure 10 shows a top perspective view of some exemplary integrations of the display assembly 106 and solar display panel 1042 of Figure 7, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition to being used to tilt the display 104 as shown in Figures 1 to 6, the display assembly 106 may be used to tilt the solar display panel 1042 as shown in Figure 10. Although not shown in Figure 10, the display assembly 106 may be used to deploy a flat panel display, television monitor, or similar, mounted on the wall of a room in a building or under other background settings.

[0071] Figure 11 shows a front perspective view of an exemplary integration of the display assembly 106 (only the motor transmission 216 of the display assembly 106 is shown), the display 104, and the dashboard 102 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 11, the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 fit into the dashboard 102. More specifically, a recessed area is provided in the dashboard 102 to accommodate the display 104. Figure 1 shows the display 104 in its initial or home position, where the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 may fit along the recessed area of ​​the dashboard 102. In some embodiments, in the home position, the surface of the display 104 may be coplanar with the surface of the dashboard 102. In some embodiments, the edges 108, 110, and 112 of the display 104 form a flush fit with the surface of the dashboard 102 when in the home position.

[0072] Figure 12 shows an exemplary top perspective view of the integration of the display assembly 106, display 104, and dashboard 102 of Figure 1, according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 12 shows the display 104 in its initial or home position. Figure 12 shows various parts of the display assembly 106, including the motor transmission 216, center pin 218, link arm 214 (e.g., upper link arm), groove 222, and rail housing 220.

[0073] The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the disclosure to the very form or specific field of use disclosed. Therefore, it is intended that various alternative embodiments and / or variations of the disclosure, whether expressly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having described embodiments of the disclosure in this manner, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure is limited only by the claims.

[0074] In the aforementioned specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, the various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, this description should be considered illustrative and is intended to teach those skilled in the art how to create and use various embodiments of the disclosed display assemblies.

[0075] It should be understood that the forms of disclosure shown and described herein should be interpreted as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes, or steps may be substituted for those representatively shown and described herein. Furthermore, certain features of this disclosure may be used independently of the use of other features, as will become apparent to those skilled in the art after benefiting from this description of the disclosure. Expressions such as “including,” “comprising,” “incorporating,” “consisting of,” “have,” and “is” used to describe and claim this disclosure are intended to be interpreted in a non-exclusive manner, that is, to allow for the existence of items, components, or elements not expressly described herein. Singular references should be interpreted as relating to plurals as well. Furthermore, the various embodiments disclosed herein should be interpreted in an illustrative and descriptive sense and should not be interpreted as limiting the disclosure in any way.

[0076] All references to joining (e.g., attachment, fastening, joining, connection, etc.) are used solely to aid the reader's understanding of this disclosure and should not create any limitation with respect to the location, orientation, or use of the systems and / or methods disclosed herein. Therefore, where there is a reference to joining, it should be interpreted broadly. Furthermore, such references to joining do not necessarily imply that the two elements are directly connected to each other. In addition, but not limited to, all numerical terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” “primary,” “secondary,” “main,” or any other common terms and / or numerical terms should also be interpreted solely as identifiers to aid the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations, and / or modifications of this disclosure, and should not create any limitation with respect to the order or priority of any element, embodiment, variation, and / or modification compared to or with respect to any other element, embodiment, variation, and / or modification.

[0077] The exemplary algorithms described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware (e.g., ASIC or FPGA devices), computer software running on computer hardware, or a combination of both. Furthermore, the various exemplary logic blocks and modules described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or executed by machines designed to perform the functions described herein, such as processor devices, digital signal processors ("DSP"), application-specific integrated circuits ("ASIC"), field-programmable gate arrays ("FPGA") or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The processor device may be a microprocessor, but in alternative examples, the processor device may be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, or a combination thereof. The processor device may include electrical circuits configured to process computer-executable instructions. In another embodiment, the processor device includes an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logical operations without processing computer-executable instructions. Processor devices can be implemented as combinations of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although this specification primarily describes digital technologies, processor devices may also include primarily analog components. For example, some or all of the rendering techniques described herein can be implemented in analog circuits, or mixed analog and digital circuits.Computing environments can include, but are not limited to, any type of computer system based on a microprocessor, mainframe computer, digital signal processor, portable computing device, device controller, or in-device computing engine, to name a few.

[0078] It should also be understood that one or more of the elements shown in the drawings / figures may be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner to be useful for a particular application, or may be removed or rendered as non-functional in certain cases.

Claims

1. A display assembly for deploying a display, wherein the display includes a first edge and a second edge, both of which fit into the dashboard of a vehicle while in an initial position, and the display assembly is A rail housing that structurally forms the first rail and the second rail, A first link arm configured to connect to the aforementioned display, A second link arm configured to connect to the aforementioned display, A motor transmission configured to drive the first link arm along the first rail and the second link arm along the second rail, Equipped with, During deployment, the display assembly comprises at least one motor transmission that drives the first link arm along the first rail at a first speed and the second link arm along the second rail at a second speed different from the first speed, so that the display does not interfere with the dashboard of the vehicle.

2. The display assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a central arm configured to be attached to the display, wherein the rail housing further comprises a central groove, and the central arm is configured to move along the central groove when deployed.

3. The display assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a central pin configured to be fastened to the central arm, wherein the minimum distance between the center of the central pin and the rail housing is less than 0.15 mm.

4. The display assembly according to claim 2, wherein the central groove comprises an outer edge configured to guide the movement of the central arm around the initial position.

5. The display assembly according to claim 1, wherein the display is not tilted toward the first edge or toward the second edge in the initial position, and the display tilts 11 degrees toward the second edge during deployment.

6. The display assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first link arm is close to the first edge, the second link arm is close to the second edge, and the first speed is about twice the second speed.

7. The display assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first link arm is driven by a reed motor of the at least one motor transmission, and the second link arm is driven by a follower motor of the at least one motor transmission, the speed of the follower motor being determined based on the speed of the reed motor.

8. The display assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second edge does not come into contact with the dashboard during deployment.

9. The display assembly according to claim 1, wherein, while the display is in the initial position, the surface of the display facing the user and the surface of the dashboard facing the user are on the same plane.

10. An assembly for deploying a display to the dashboard, A rail housing configured to be coupled to the dashboard, comprising a rail housing having a groove, A left link arm configured to extend and retract the left side of the display relative to the rail housing, A right link arm configured to extend and retract the right side of the display relative to the rail housing, At least one motor coupled to at least one of the left link arm or the right link arm, A central arm, which is engaged by the groove and configured to guide the movement of the display during deployment, An assembly comprising:

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one motor comprises a first motor and a second motor, the first motor configured to drive the left link arm to extend and retract the left side of the display, and the second motor configured to drive the right link arm to extend and retract the right side of the display.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein when the right link arm extends to the upper limit on the right side of the display, the display is tilted to the left by approximately 11 degrees.

13. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the left link arm moves at a first speed, and the right link arm moves at a second speed, the first speed being about twice or half of the second speed.

14. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the rail housing comprises a left rail and a right rail, the left link arm moves along the left rail to extend and retract the left side of the display relative to the rail housing, and the right link arm moves along the right rail to extend and retract the right side of the display relative to the rail housing.

15. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the groove has an outer edge configured to guide the movement of the central arm when the display is near the home position.

16. An assembly for deploying a display having first and second edges that fit into a recessed region of a structure while in the home position, A rail housing that structurally forms the first rail and the second rail, A first link arm configured to connect to the aforementioned display, A second link arm configured to connect to the aforementioned display, Equipped with, The first link arm is driven at a first speed along the first rail by at least one motor transmission, and the second link arm is driven at a second speed different from the first speed along the second rail by at least one motor transmission, thereby ensuring that the display does not interfere with the structure during deployment.

17. The assembly according to claim 16, further comprising a central arm configured to be attached to the display, wherein the rail housing comprises a groove, and the central arm is configured to move along the groove when deployed.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the groove comprises an outer edge configured to guide the movement of the central arm around the home position.

19. The assembly according to claim 18, wherein the display does not tilt toward the first edge or toward the second edge in the home position, and the display tilts toward the second edge when unfolded.

20. The assembly according to claim 19, wherein the first link arm is close to the first edge, the second link arm is close to the second edge, and the first speed is about twice the second speed.

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