ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY DEVICE, AND MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY DEVICE

Abstract

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.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A display device, comprising: a flexible display surface element disposed in a housing of the display device; and an adjustable carrier element with a flexible portion and a rigid portion, which is extensively disposed with a front side of the adjustable carrier element, on a rear side of the flexible display surface element, wherein the flexible portion of the carrier element is disposed facing the interior of the housing with respect to an adjustment plane of the carrier element, the rigid portion is configured as a linear guide and is directed towards the external surroundings of the housing with respect to the adjustment plane, and the flexible portion includes, at least one guide element, a stationary guide apparatus with a supporting surface disposed along the adjustment plane, which includes at least one rail element running along the adjustment axis, which is directed such that the at least one guide element is guided along the adjustment axis in the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element, and an adjustment apparatus, which is configured to control a change between a storage position of the display surface element and a roll-out position of the display surface element by a movement of the carrier element, in which the carrier element protrudes further from the housing displaced along the adjustment axis compared to the storage position.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two guide elements, which are disposed in a row along the adjustment axis.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two rows of guide elements.

12. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one rail element extends as a circular arc in the interior of the housing.

13. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the rigid portion of the carrier element and the flexible portion of the carrier element are situated in a plane of the rear side of the carrier element.

14. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one guide element is disposed such that the at least one guide element is outside of the rail element in the storage position and slides into the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element into the roll-out position.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two guide elements, wherein at least a portion of the at least two guide elements is disposed such that the at least two guide elements are outside of the rail element in the storage position and slide into the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element into the roll-out position.

16. A motor vehicle comprising: a display device including, a flexible display surface element disposed in a housing of the display device; and an adjustable carrier element with a flexible portion and a rigid portion, which is extensively disposed with a front side of the adjustable carrier element, on a rear side of the flexible display surface element, wherein the flexible portion of the carrier element is disposed facing the interior of the housing with respect to an adjustment plane of the carrier element, the rigid portion is configured as a linear guide and is directed towards the external surroundings of the housing with respect to the adjustment plane, and the flexible portion includes, at least one guide element, a stationary guide apparatus with a supporting surface disposed along the adjustment plane, which includes at least one rail element running along the adjustment axis, which is directed such that the at least one guide element is guided along the adjustment axis in the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element, and an adjustment apparatus, which is configured to control a change between a storage position of the display surface element and a roll-out position of the display surface element by a movement of the carrier element, in which the carrier element protrudes further from the housing displaced along the adjustment axis compared to the storage position.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two guide elements, which are disposed in a row along the adjustment axis.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two rows of guide elements.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the at least one rail element extends as a circular arc in the interior of the housing.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the rigid portion of the carrier element and the flexible portion of the carrier element are situated in a plane of the rear side of the carrier element.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the at least one guide element is disposed such that the at least one guide element is outside of the rail element in the storage position and slides into the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element into the roll-out position.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the at least one guide element includes at least two guide elements, wherein at least a portion of the at least two guide elements is disposed such that the at least two guide elements are outside of the rail element in the storage position and slide into the rail element upon adjusting the carrier element into the roll-out position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the examples, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0031] FIG. 1 a schematic representation to a first example of a display device and of a motor vehicle according to an example in cross-section, in which the display device is visible in the storage position;

[0032] FIG. 2 a schematic representation to the first example in cross-section, in which the display device is visible in the roll-out position; and

[0033] FIG. 3 a schematic representation to a further second example of the display device, in which a section of the display device is visible in plan view.

DESCRIPTION

[0034] The examples explained in the following are examples of the invention. In the examples, the described components of the examples each represent individual features which may be considered independently of each other, which also each develop the examples independently of each other. Therefore, the disclosure is to include also combinations of the features of the examples different from the illustrated ones. Furthermore, the described examples can also be supplemented by further ones of the already described features of the examples.

[0035] In the figures, identical reference characters each denote functionally identical elements.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates the principle of the motor vehicle 10 according to an example, which can for example be configured as a passenger car, and of the display device 12 according to an example in cross-section.

[0037] The display device 12 comprises a housing 14, which has an opening 16, through which the combination of the carrier element 20 and the display surface element 18 can be extended from and retracted into the housing. If the display device 12 is installed in a motor vehicle 10, the housing 14 can for example be an interior trim element of the motor vehicle 10, for example a center console, a door trim, a control panel or a hood.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows the display device 12 in a position, in which a part of a display surface element 18 is extended from the housing 14 through the opening 16. For example, this can already be the storage position, in which the display surface element 18 is adjusted in a rest position. Alternatively, a larger part of the display surface element 18 or the entire display surface element 18 can be retracted into the housing 14 in the storage position.

[0039] In an example, the display surface element 18 can be configured as a display with organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and is flexible, this means that the display surface element 18 is bendable, pliable and rollable. Alternatively, the display surface element 18 can for example be a screen, and in this option, the display device 12 can additionally comprise a projector, which can be disposed in the motor vehicle 10 such that the projector projects an image onto the display surface element 18 in form of the screen.

[0040] The display surface element 18 is extensively disposed on a carrier element 20, wherein the carrier element 20 is connected to the rear side of the display surface element 18. The front side of the display surface element 18 is that side, on which a display content can be displayed, thus for example the projection surface or the screen surface. A front side 19 of the display surface element 18 can be formed as a touchscreen, thus as a touch-sensitive surface or touch-sensitive screen.

[0041] As in the example of FIG. 1, the carrier element 20 can be made of a flexible material across the entire surface, for example of a metal or a plastic. In the example of FIG. 1, the carrier element 20 includes a rigid, thus non-flexible portion 22, which can be extensively mounted in a recess of the upper portion of the carrier element 20. Therein, the rigid portion 22 can for example be made of a stronger material or for example of a stiff plastic. The rigid portion 22 is located in the upper part of the carrier element 20, thus in that portion of the carrier element 20, which is first shifted out of the opening 16 upon extending the carrier element 20 with the display surface element 18. Thereby, the entire upper portion is rigid. The rigid portion 22 acts as a linear guide and imparts a strength to the display surface element 18 in this upper area such that the display surface element 18 can be extended out of the housing 14 beyond the rigid portion 22.

[0042] In addition, the example of FIG. 1 shows an adjustment apparatus 24 of the display device 12, which can for example include a motor, as well as for example a lever 25, which can be fixed to the carrier element 20, in particular to a rear, inner end of the carrier element 20, to shift the carrier element 20 and thereby also the display surface element 18 out of the housing 14 and/or into the housing 14. Therein, the adjustment axis presets the directions of movement, to the top in the example of FIG. 1, that is through the opening 16 out of the housing 14 and into the housing 14, respectively. The exemplary lever 25 can be adjusted for example up to 90 degrees by the motor for extending the carrier element 20 such that the carrier element 20 with the display surface element 18, as shown in FIG. 2, is then extended from the housing 14 in the roll-out position. Alternatively, the adjustment apparatus 24 can for example comprise a cable pull or hoist or other possibilities of moving a display as may be known to one of ordinary skill in the art, for moving the carrier element 20.

[0043] The detachable form fit between carrier element 20 and the housing 14 is effected by storing the guide elements 26 in a rail element 28 of the guide apparatus 30.

[0044] In an example, the rail element 28 can be configured as a rail or as a groove. Then, the guide elements 26 can be configured as balls or cuboids, and the shapes of the guide elements 26 and of the rail element 28 may be configured to each other such that the guide elements 26 are stored in the rail element 28 in form-fit manner, but can move within the rail along the adjustment axis, thus in the direction of movement.

[0045] Besides the rail element 28, the guide apparatus 20 also includes a linear guide element 32, on which the rigid portion 22 of the carrier element 20 can abut in the storage position (FIG. 1), the flexible portion of the carrier element 20 with the guide elements 26 in the roll-out position (FIG. 2).

[0046] FIG. 2 shows the carrier element 20 after the carrier element 20 has been shifted out by the adjustment apparatus 24. In the rail element 28, the guide elements 26 are almost exclusively in the linear area of the rail element 28 and the rear side of the carrier element 20 with the flexible portion thereof is retained and stabilized by the guide elements 26 in the rail element 28 and by the linear guide 32 in form-fit manner.

[0047] The arcuate configuration of the rail element 28 according to the examples of FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2 ensures that the carrier element 20 can be retracted into the housing 14 and stowed in space-saving manner in the storage position.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a plan view to the carrier element 20 in an area, in which the entire thickness of the carrier element 20 is flexible. FIG. 3 shows an example, according to which the carrier element 20 can comprise two or more rows of guide elements 26, wherein the guide elements 26 are for example each configured as a ball on the one side and as a cuboid on the other side. However, each of the guide elements 26 can optionally be configured as a ball or cuboid. FIG. 3 in particular serves for illustrating that the guide elements 26 can be configured in a fit or in an approximate fit to the respective rail element 28, that is can be supported in the rail element 28 such that the guide elements 26 are retained by the rail element 28 in form fit or in an approximate form fit, but are movable as soon as the adjustment apparatus 24 causes a change between storage position and roll-out position.

[0049] Overall, the example shows how an arrangement for a flexible display surface element 18, in particular a flexible display, can be provided.

[0050] In the arrangement for example for an extendable flexible display, a flexible display carrier is for example coupled to a linear guide. The carrier element 20, thus for example the display carrier, can for example be pushed via an adjustment apparatus 24, for example a motor and simple kinematics.

[0051] In addition, multiple guide elements 26 may be located at the carrier element 20, which run to a second guide unit, the guide apparatus 30. Therein, a guide track of the rail element 28 transitions from a circular arc to a linear portion. The second guide unit has the task to prevent a possible bulge of the flexible carrier.

[0052] A stable support as full-surface as possible for the exemplary display in various extension positions is achieved and thus a secure touch operation is allowed.

[0053] A robust configuration of the entire unit and a stable and secure touch operation belong to the advantages.

[0054] A description has been provided with particular reference to examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).