Cab Shading Curtain Layout Around Side Display Screens

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shading devices in vehicle cabs with side-mounted display screens compromise shading effectiveness due to the need to avoid covering the screens, allowing external light to pass through around them, which can bother the driver.

Innovation Solution

A shading device with a main curtain and separate side curtains, all connected to a common shaft, allowing joint movement to cover or uncover the windshield while ensuring the display screens remain visible by adjusting their positions relative to the screens.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the curtain is shortened horizontally to avoid covering display screens, then the display screens remain visible, but the shading function is impaired allowing outside light rays to pass around the screens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of display screensVSAvoidexternal light rays passing through windshield
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The single curtain is divided into multiple separate curtains (main curtain and side curtains) that can be independently positioned. The main curtain covers the central windshield area while side curtains cover lateral regions, allowing comprehensive shading without covering the display screens mounted on the sides.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If a single curtain is used for shading, then the structure is simple, but it cannot provide effective shading when display screens are present on lateral sides

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure of shading deviceVSAvoidexternal light rays
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shading device is segmented into multiple curtains (main curtain and side curtains) carried by a common shaft. This segmentation allows each curtain to cover specific regions of the windshield, achieving effective overall shading while maintaining a relatively simple common shaft structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4342701B1Vehicle having a driving cab equipped with a shading device
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 VOLVO TRUCK CORP
  • EP4342701B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4342701B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4342701B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The vehicle (1) comprises a driving cab (2), which is arranged in front of the vehicle and which comprises a chassis (10), a windshield (20), and a shading device (30) arranged inside the driving cab. The shading device (30) comprises a main curtain (31) and a first side curtain (32; 33), which are separate from each other but carried by a common shaft (34), rotatable relative to the chassis, and which are each kinematically linked to the shaft so as to be jointly moved along the windshield selectively downwardly by unwinding from the shaft and upwardly by winding about the shaft. The vehicle further comprises a camera monitoring system (3) that includes at least one camera (40) capturing images of outside the driving cab, and a first display screen (41; 42) arranged inside the driving cab, positioned on a first one of the two lateral sides, respectively left and right, of the windshield, and vertically aligned with the first side curtain but offset from the main curtain. The shading device (30) is configured to change between a first configuration, in which the main curtain and the first side curtain are entirely disposed higher than a top of the first display screen, and a second configuration, in which a portion of the main curtain is disposed lower than the top of the first display screen without the first side curtain covering the first display screen.