Vehicle Bodywork Display Screen for Changeable Race Graphics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for displaying graphics on racing cars and motorcycles are inefficient, leading to weight, cost, and time issues due to damage from graphic changes, aerodynamic disruptions, and limited flexibility in advertising space, particularly affecting minor teams and motorcycle riders.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a bodywork element with an optically clear plastics inset panel and a flexible display screen that can be controlled to display controllable images, allowing for rapid, effective, and cost-efficient graphic changes without damaging the vehicle's bodywork, and can be applied to both vehicles and riders' protective gear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional vinyl graphics or painted graphics are applied to racing car bodywork, then advertising space is provided, but the bodywork is damaged during removal or painting processes, requiring repairs that add weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible display screen that creates a visual copy of advertising graphics without requiring physical application to the bodywork surface. The display screen shows images that can be changed electronically, eliminating the need for physical vinyl graphics or painted graphics that would damage the carbon fibre bodywork during removal or application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of applying and removing physical graphics (vinyl stickers or painted surfaces) with an electronic display system. The flexible display screen is mounted inside the bodywork and controlled electronically, substituting mechanical graphic changes with electronic image updates that cause no physical damage to the bodywork.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vinyl graphics are removed from carbon fibre bodywork, then advertising space is changed, but the removal force causes delamination of the carbon fibre ply from the honeycomb core
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible display screen creates visual copies of advertising graphics without requiring physical attachment to the bodywork exterior. Images are displayed on the screen and viewed through the bodywork surface, eliminating the need to apply or remove physical graphics that would exert damaging forces on the carbon fibre structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of applying and removing vinyl graphics with an electronic display system. The flexible display screen is mounted internally and controlled electronically, allowing advertising content to be changed without any mechanical forces being applied to the carbon fibre bodywork that could cause delamination.
3Ease of manufacture
If scraping or sanding is performed on bodywork panels for paint refinishing, then graphics are removed, but the outer surface of the carbon fibre ply is breached, weakening it and possibly leading to delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical processes of scraping and sanding with an electronic display system. The flexible display screen shows advertising graphics that can be changed by updating the display content electronically, eliminating the need for any mechanical surface preparation that would breach or weaken the carbon fibre ply.
4Reliability
If repairs are made to damaged bodywork panels using additional carbon fibre layers or structural adhesives, then bodywork integrity is restored, but weight is added to the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for physical repairs with an electronic display system mounted inside the bodywork. Since the display screen does not require application of external graphics that would damage the bodywork, no repairs are needed, and no additional weight is added from repair materials such as carbon fibre layers or structural adhesives.
Data Source
AI summary
A bodywork panel (13,28) for a vehicle such as a racing car (1,2) or a racing motor cycle (27) is fitted with one or more optically clear panels (16), which are profiled to follow the aerodynamic form of the bodywork panel (13,28). A flexible reflective display screen (17), for examples based on e-paper, is mounted to an inner face of each optically clear panel (16) such that an image on the display screen (17) is visible outside the vehicle through the optically clear panel (16). A paint finish on the bodywork panel (13,28) continues over a peripheral region of each optically clear panel (16), concealing a join between it and the bodywork panel (13,28). Images displayed on the display screens (17) via a display controller (25) can thus appear like painted graphics on the bodywork panel (13,28), except that they may be changed as desired. Thus, graphics on the vehicle, such as advertising and sponsorship logos, can be changed at will during a race. Leathers (30,40) worn by racing motor cyclists can be fitted with similar display screens (17) mounted behind optically clear flexible plastic panels (42) sewn to the leathers (30,40).