Passenger car with a screen forming a roof lining

Abstract

The invention relates to a passenger car (1) having: a roof lining (4) which delimits a passenger compartment (3) in an upward direction; a curved screen (5) which forms a portion of the roof lining (4); and a roof lining trim panel (7) which runs in the manner of a frame on an edge of the roof lining (7) and frames a display surface (6) of the screen (5).

Description

[0001] Passenger car with a screen forming the roof lining

[0002] The invention relates to a passenger car with a screen forming a section of a roof lining.

[0003] Vehicles with a closed roof, i.e., a roof constructed entirely of sheet metal, are familiar in the automotive market. On the inside, these roofs feature a large, usually fabric-covered panel that forms the headliner. To allow more light into the passenger compartment and allow a view of the sky above the vehicle, panoramic glass roofs are becoming increasingly popular in passenger cars.

[0004] However, panoramic glass roofs add a significant amount of weight. In strong sunlight, a greenhouse effect can occur, which can significantly heat up the passenger compartment. Furthermore, panoramic glass roofs do not offer the same level of crash safety as closed vehicle roofs.

[0005] In this context, DE 102013 203 162 A1 discloses a virtual sunroof in which a projector can project the vehicle's surroundings above a vehicle onto a roof lining. This document also mentions that a screen could be used instead. However, the use of a projector could be distracting for the driver, especially at night or under cloudy skies. A screen mounted on the roof lining could be perceived as detrimental to the aesthetics of the vehicle interior.

[0006] 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 developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, a passenger car is provided with a roof lining that defines the upper edge of a passenger compartment; a curved screen that forms a section of the roof lining; and a roof lining that runs like a frame along one edge of the roof lining and frames a display surface of the screen. The roof represents the largest interior surface in the vehicle. Through this embodiment, the present invention enables immersive experiences to be created and the sense of space to be significantly improved by digitally displaying a large portion of the roof lining. By framing the display surface with a roof lining, the impression of a real panoramic glass roof is created, so that the screen is not perceived as intrusive or as aesthetically detrimental. The display surface can be used to create a completely new perception of a vehicle interior.For example, in dreary, cloudy weather, the display surface can play a scenario that creates the impression of driving through a sunny area with palm trees or a sunny mountain landscape, thereby creating a friendlier atmosphere in the vehicle interior. Particularly when stationary, such as during charging, the display surface can be used to display color patterns that have a relaxing effect or induce light therapy. This can be accompanied by sounds and / or music played simultaneously. 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 simulated, whereby the display surface conveys the impression of a panoramic glass roof even more realistically.

[0008] According to a further embodiment of the invention, an inner edge of the headliner is arranged below the display surface relative to a vehicle vertical axis. More specifically, the inner edge of the headliner is arranged below an edge of the display surface. This edge can be configured such that it is designed for visual display or is an extension of the surface that is designed for visual display, and the extension itself is not designed for visual display.

[0009] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the curved screen is flexible in an unassembled state or is already pre-bent. In particular, the screen is only flexible around one axis. This represents a developable bend. If screens that are flexible around two axes (which are perpendicular to each other) become available in the future, these could be used advantageously.

[0010] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the display surface has a minimum area of ​​0.8 square meters. As a result, the display surface occupies the majority of the roof lining, increasing the possibilities for creating a more attractive vehicle interior atmosphere. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the display surface has a larger dimension along a vehicle's longitudinal axis than along a vehicle's transverse axis.

[0011] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the screen is a plate-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, without the housing, i.e. only the panel is used, which, for example, has at least the imaging layers, a carrier substrate, and a transparent protective layer. The display would be applied to a carrier component that ensures the shape and the 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 attachment points or possible passive safety measures without affecting the display panel.

[0012] Alternatively, it would be possible to install a complete screen including the housing. The screen would be flexible or already bent during production and installed in the vehicle.

[0013] 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 creates a high-quality appearance. Laminated safety glass is preferred for mineral glass for occupant safety reasons.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car is provided with roof beams extending along the vehicle's longitudinal axis on both sides, and cross struts extending between the roof beams along the vehicle's transverse axis, which are attached to the roof beams. The screen is attached to the cross struts. This achieves secure attachment without additional installation height compared to previous panoramic glass roofs. Additionally, the screen can be attached to longitudinal members of the vehicle roof.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cross struts are curved. Thus, a curvature of the screen can be achieved by having the cross struts curved, and the curvature of the screen is formed by attaching the screen to the cross struts.

[0016] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the passenger car further comprises 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 surroundings which do not correspond to the actual vehicle surroundings are stored, wherein the contents of the storage medium can be displayed on the display surface. The vehicle surroundings are vehicle surroundings recorded from a bottom-to-top perspective, in particular with a camera mounted on a vehicle roof, so that the perspective is reproduced as realistically as possible, just like through a real glass panoramic roof, and thus a glass panoramic roof is imitated as closely as possible, only with a different vehicle surroundings than the actual vehicle surroundings.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car further comprises loudspeakers connected to the storage medium, wherein the loudspeakers generate sounds matching the representations. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the passenger car further comprises at least one camera for imaging a vehicle environment, in particular above the

[0018] Passenger car, wherein the images captured by the camera can be displayed on the display surface, so that the display surface provides a realistic representation of the vehicle's surroundings above the passenger car. In particular, the camera is mounted on a vehicle roof.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show the following:

[0020] Figure 1 shows a passenger car according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0021] Figure 2 shows a headliner according to an embodiment of the invention viewed from below;

[0022] Figure 3 shows the headliner from Fig. 2 viewed diagonally from below;

[0023] Figure 4 shows the headliner from Fig. 2 with a first

[0024] Motif example;

[0025] Figure 5 shows the headliner from Fig. 2 with a second motif example;

[0026] Figure 6 shows the roof lining from Fig. 2 with a third motif example; Figure 7 shows a sectional view along a yz-plane through the vehicle roof of the passenger car from Fig. 1 , and

[0027] Figure 8 shows a sectional view along an xz-plane through the vehicle roof of the passenger car from Fig. 1 .

[0028] Figure 1 shows a passenger car 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. A coordinate system indicates a vehicle longitudinal axis x, a vehicle transverse axis y, and a vehicle vertical axis z, all of which are perpendicular to one another. The passenger car 1 has a vehicle roof 2 with a passenger compartment 3 located underneath. The vehicle roof 2 has a completely closed roof surface facing outwards or upwards, in particular made of metal or carbon fiber composite material, and an inwards or downwards facing roof liner 4.

[0029] Figure 2 shows a headliner 4 according to an embodiment of the invention, viewed from below, and Figure 3 shows the headliner from Figure 2 viewed obliquely from below. The headliner 4 has a screen 5 with a display surface 6 pointing downwards (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) toward 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 surface 6, is framed by a headliner trim 7, which runs like a frame along one edge of the headliner 4. The headliner trim 7 surrounds the display surface 6 in the form of a completely closed frame, which can be made of one or more parts. The headliner trim 7 is made of plastic, for example, and can be covered with a fabric, leather, or imitation leather.The screen 5 and the headliner 7 can be separate components or can be formed in one piece or as a single component.

[0030] The screen 5 is a plate-like LCD, LED, or OLED panel, which has at least one imaging layer and a carrier substrate. The screen 5 can also be provided with a backlight matrix, particularly in the case of an LCD panel. This allows for the construction of very thin displays.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Figures 4 to 6 show the roof liner from Fig. 2 with example motifs. For example, the display surface 6, as shown in Fig. 4, can show a sunny blue sky, even though it is actually cloudy and gray outside. Fig. 5 shows, by way of example, a sunny palm landscape, even though the passenger car 1 is not actually located in such a landscape or is moving. Such realistic-looking skies, environmental or landscape representations are, for example, recorded in advance and saved on a storage medium (not shown), such as a memory chip or a hard disk. The images are recorded from an upward perspective, in particular along a vehicle vertical axis z, with a moving vehicle, so that the moving images on the display surface reproduce a glass panoramic roof as realistically as possible, even though there is actually no glass panoramic roof.The playback speed can be adjusted to the actual vehicle speed so that the moving images are played back at a speed similar to how a real vehicle environment would move through a glass panoramic roof at this actual vehicle speed.

[0033] The display surface 6 can be used not only to simulate a glass panoramic roof, but also to display fantasy images, such as those shown in Fig. 6. 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 appropriate sounds and / or music. This is particularly useful during charging breaks, during which the vehicle occupants can recover from the stress of driving. Furthermore, the front seats can be folded back when the vehicle is stationary, so that the view of the vehicle occupants sitting on them is directed more upwards.

[0034] Figures 7 and 8 show a vehicle roof of the passenger car 1 from different perspectives. Figure 7 shows a sectional view from the rear, i.e. a sectional view along a yz plane, and Figure 8 shows a sectional side view, i.e. a sectional view along an xz plane. As can be seen in the figures, roof beams 8 are arranged on both sides of the vehicle roof 2 and extend essentially along the vehicle's longitudinal axis x. Extending between these roof beams 8 are a plurality of cross struts 9, the longitudinal ends of which are each fastened to a roof strut 8. The cross struts 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 cross struts 9 are arched or curved outwards. The screen 5 is arranged below (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) the cross struts 9.In a section along a yz plane through one of the cross struts 9 and the screen 5, the screen 5 has the same curvature about the vehicle's longitudinal axis x as the cross strut 9. The screen 5 further has a support component or is mounted on a support component, i.e. the support component is formed integrally with the screen 5 or is manufactured separately from it. This support component, for example in the form of a correspondingly curved plate, ensures the shape of the screen 5 and the connection points to the vehicle. The screen 5, including the support component, is fastened from below to the cross struts 9. The headliner trim 7 frames the screen 5 and its display surface 6 in such a way that an inner edge 10 of the headliner trim 7 (relative to the vehicle's vertical axis z) is arranged below the display surface 6, in particular rests against it.

[0035] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, this illustration and description is to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment. The mere fact that certain features are recited in various dependent claims is not intended to suggest that a combination of these features could not also be used to advantage.

Claims

Claims 1 . Passenger car (1 ) with a roof lining (4) which delimits a passenger compartment (3) at the top; a curved screen (5) which forms a section of the roof lining (4), and a roof lining panel (7) which runs in a frame-like manner along an edge of the roof lining (7) and frames a display surface (6) of the screen (5).

2. Passenger car (1) according to claim 1, wherein an inner edge (10) of the roof lining (7) is arranged below the display surface (6) with respect to a vehicle vertical axis (z).

3. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the curvature of the screen (5) varies over the display surface (6).

4. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the curved screen (5) is flexible in an unassembled state or is already pre-bent.

5. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display surface (6) has a minimum area of ​​0.8 sqm.

6. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display surface (6) along a vehicle longitudinal axis (x) has a larger dimension than along a transverse axis of the vehicle (y).

7. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen (5) is a plate-like LCD, LED or OLED display.

8. 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.

9. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, with roof spars (8) extending on both sides along the vehicle's longitudinal axis (x) and cross struts (9) extending between the roof spars (8) along the vehicle's transverse axis (y) and being fastened to the roof spars (8), the screen (5) being fastened to the cross struts (9).

10. Passenger car (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross struts (9) are curved.

11. 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 surroundings which do not correspond to the real vehicle surroundings are stored, wherein the contents of the storage medium can be displayed on the display surface (6).

12. Passenger car (1) according to claim 11, further comprising loudspeakers connected to the storage medium, the loudspeakers generating sounds corresponding to the representations.

13. Passenger car (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising at least one camera for image recording 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) reproduces a real representation of a vehicle environment above the passenger car (1).

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