Roll-Out Vehicle Display Support for Stable Touch Operation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing extendable displays in motor vehicles, especially those with a combination of rigid and flexible portions, lack sufficient rigidity, which impedes touch operability due to the flexible display bulging and not providing enough resistance.

Innovation Solution

A display device comprising a flexible display surface element combined with a bendable carrier and a linear guide, where the display surface is pulled onto a rail element to form a full-surface support, maintaining stability during extension and allowing secure touch operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a flexible display surface element is used to enable adjustability and retraction, then the display can be extended and retracted, but the display lacks sufficient rigidity and stability for touch operation

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadjustabilityVSAvoidrigidity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier element is divided into a flexible portion and a rigid portion, with the rigid portion serving as a linear guide to provide structural support and stability to the flexible display surface element, enabling both adjustability and touch operability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The carrier element combines flexible and rigid materials or structures, where the rigid portion provides the necessary stiffness for touch operation while the flexible portion enables the display to be extended and retracted

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If a flexible display surface element is used to enable retraction, then the display can be extended and retracted, but the flexible display bulges and does not offer resistance for touch operation

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveretractabilityVSAvoidtouch operability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid portion of the carrier element acts as an intermediary structure between the flexible display surface and the housing, providing a stable support surface that enables touch operation while allowing the display to remain flexible for retraction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the entire display rigid to enable touch operation, the patent inverts the approach by making the carrier element partially rigid and partially flexible, allowing the flexible display surface to be supported by the rigid carrier structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS12193177B2Adjustable display device, and motor vehicle having an adjustable display device

Publication Date: 2025.01.07 AUDI AG

AI summary

In an example, a display device may include a flexible display surface element disposed in a housing of the display device; and an adjustable carrier element having a flexible portion and a rigid portion. The flexible portion of the carrier element faces the interior of the housing, the rigid portion is in form of a linear guide and is directed toward external surroundings of the housing, and the flexible portion has at least one guide element. The display device may include a guide apparatus having a supporting surface positioned along the adjustment plane, which guide apparatus may include at least one rail element running along the adjustment axis, which rail element is directed such that the at least one guide element is guided along the adjustment axis in the rail element as the carrier element is adjusted; and an adjustment apparatus configured to control a change between a storing position and a roll-out position of the display surface element by moving the carrier element.