Foldable Vehicle Display Screen for Concealed Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle display screen arrangements either compromise on aesthetics or packaging space, as they either consume visible space when deployed or require complex mechanisms for retraction, failing to address both concerns simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable display screen arrangement that can fold or change form factor, allowing it to be mounted proximate a concealable feature, such as a storage bin, to conceal or expose it based on its position, using flexible or composite screens with hinges, enabling a planar to non-planar transition without complex mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the display screen is statically mounted in the instrument panel, then it is easily accessible and visible, but it consumes surface area that could be used for other purposes and is aesthetically displeasing
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen is made dynamically movable between a deployed position (protruding from the instrument panel for visibility and accessibility) and a retracted position (concealed within the instrument panel to free up surface area). This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by allowing the screen to be both accessible when needed and non-intrusive when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The display screen is nested within the instrument panel structure, allowing it to be stored inside the panel when not in use. This nesting approach enables the screen to occupy minimal space during retraction while still providing full functionality when deployed, thereby preserving instrument panel surface area.
2Ease of manufacture
If the display screen is mounted on a rail to slide out and protrude, then aesthetic concerns are addressed, but the mechanism consumes considerable packaging space leaving no room for storage bins
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen employs a dynamic folding mechanism that allows it to collapse into a compact form and retract into a shallow recess within the instrument panel. This dynamic transformation reduces the space required behind the screen compared to traditional sliding mechanisms, thereby creating room for storage bins while maintaining aesthetic appeal.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving purely in a linear direction (sliding), the display screen utilizes a folding motion that changes its dimensional footprint. By folding the screen along hinges, it reduces its projection in the depth dimension, allowing it to retract into a compact configuration that occupies minimal space behind the instrument panel, thus accommodating storage bins.
3Ease of manufacture
If the display screen is pivotally mounted to rotate in and out of viewing position, then aesthetic concerns are addressed, but packaging space is still consumed by the rotation mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen uses a dynamic folding mechanism with hinges that allows it to collapse and retract into a compact form. This dynamic transformation enables the screen to be aesthetically pleasing when retracted while consuming minimal space for the mechanism, as the folding action requires less clearance compared to rotation mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If the display screen is continuously visible, then it is always accessible, but it creates aesthetic issues and prevents access to underlying features like storage bins
Solution Approach 1:
The display screen is made dynamically movable between deployed and retracted positions. When deployed, it is fully accessible and visible; when retracted, it is concealed within the instrument panel, creating a clean aesthetic appearance and exposing underlying features such as storage bins. This dynamic positioning allows the system to alternate between accessibility and aesthetics based on usage needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A display screen arrangement is disclosed herein. The arrangement includes, but is not limited to a concealable feature adapted to be mounted to an interior surface of a vehicle. The arrangement further includes, but is not limited to, a display screen that is adapted to be mounted to the interior surface of the vehicle proximate the concealable feature. The display screen has a first end and a second end and is configured to move between a retracted position and a deployed position. The first end and the second end are disposed in a first position relative to one another when the display screen is in the deployed position and the first end and the second end are disposed in a second position relative to one another when the display screen is in the retracted position and/or when the display screen transitions between the deployed position and the retracted position.