Cover Element Adapted for Attaching to a Vehicle Wheel

Abstract

A cover element is adapted for attaching to a vehicle wheel having a wheel hub, a wheel rim provided with a rim base for receiving a tire, and a central body connecting the wheel hub to the wheel rim. The cover element is configured in the shape of a circular disk in order to cover the central body, is distinguished in that the outer surface of the cover element is provided at least in regions with at least one bistable display element, such as an E-paper display element, with a display device, or is formed by at least one such display element. Electric control signals can be applied to the display device via a control unit.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. A cover element adapted for attaching to a vehicle wheel having a wheel hub, a wheel rim provided with a rim base for receiving a tire, and a central body connecting the wheel hub to the wheel rim, the cover element comprising: a circular disk configured to cover the central body, wherein an outer surface of the cover element, at least in regions, is provided with or formed by at least one bistable display element comprising a display device to which electrical control signals are applied via a control unit.

11. The cover element according to claim 10, wherein the bistable display element is an e-paper display element.

12. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein the display device of the e-paper display element covers the outer surface, at least in regions.

13. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein the e-paper display element is configured to represent color displays on the display device.

14. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is equipped with or connected to a selecting or input device, by which a user can select or set colors and/or patterns to be displayed on the display device of the e-paper display element, and the control unit is configured to generate corresponding display signals and transmit the display signals to the display device.

15. The cover element according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is provided with a signal input via which the control unit receives signals representing a current operating state of the vehicle or servicing information, and the control unit is configured so as to display a predefined display on the display device of the e-paper display element in dependence on the signals representing a current operating state of the vehicle or servicing information, and for this purpose generates corresponding display signals and transmits them to the e-paper display element.

16. A vehicle wheel, comprising: a vehicle wheel body comprising a wheel hub, a wheel rim provided with a rim base for receiving a tire, and a central body connecting the wheel hub to the wheel rim; at least one cover element, wherein the cover element is a circular disk and covers the central body, and wherein an outer surface of the cover element, at least in regions, is provided with or formed by at least one bistable display element comprising a display device to which electrical control signals are applied via a control unit.

17. The vehicle wheel according to claim 16, wherein the bistable display element is an e-paper display element.

18. The vehicle wheel according to claim 16, wherein the cover element is connected to the vehicle wheel body in a rotationally fixed manner.

19. The vehicle wheel according to claim 16, wherein the cover element is connected to the vehicle wheel body so as to be rotatable, relative to the latter, about an axis of rotation of the vehicle wheel.

20. A motor vehicle comprising at least one vehicle wheel according to claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a side view of the rear left part of a motor vehicle equipped with a vehicle wheel, realized according to an embodiment of the invention, having a virtually represented rim design;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle wheel from FIG. 1 with the cover element represented in partial section;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section through an e-paper display element; and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the side view of the vehicle from FIG. 1 with a servicing display represented on the vehicle wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows the rear left side of a motor vehicle 1 having a vehicle body 10, which has a rear left wheel arch 14 in a rear left fender 12. The wheel arch 14 accommodates a left rear vehicle wheel 2, which is rotatably mounted in a conventional manner on a structure of the motor vehicle 1.

[0031] The vehicle wheel 2 provided with a tire 3 is represented in detail in FIG. 2.

[0032] The vehicle wheel 2 has a wheel hub 20, a wheel rim 22 and a central body 23, for example realized as a wheel disk, which connects the wheel hub 20 to the wheel rim 22. On its radially outer side the wheel rim 22 is provided, in a conventional manner, with a rim base 21, in which the tire 3 is accommodated via its tire beads 30.

[0033] A cover element 4 in the form of a circular disk is fitted from the outside of the vehicle onto the metallic vehicle wheel body 2′, which comprises the wheel hub 20, the wheel rim 22 and the central body 23. The cover element 4 covers over the wheel hub 20 and the central body 23. Toward the outside of the vehicle, therefore, the cover element 4 forms a closed wheel disk face 5 radially inside the wheel rim 22. However, the invention is not limited to such a closed wheel disk face 5, but through-openings (not represented) may also be provided in the wheel disk face 5 and the central body 23 to allow air to flow between the outside of the wheel and the inside of the wheel, for example for the purpose of cooling brakes or wheel hub motors.

[0034] The outer surface of the cover element 4 that faces away from the vehicle is provided with at least one e-paper display element 6, which is provided with a display device 6′, facing toward the outside of the vehicle, which is explained in more detail in connection with FIG. 3.

[0035] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the display device 6′ has a transparent or translucent upper display window 66, behind which there are a multiplicity of display spheres 67 in the form of microcapsules. The display window 66 simultaneously forms a first flat (upper) electrode 66′. A second flat (lower) electrode 66″ is provided on the rear side of the e-paper display element 6, behind the display spheres 67. Each of the display spheres 67 has a transparent housing wall 67′ enclosing an interior space 67″ of the display sphere 67. The interior space 67″ contains a plurality of first pigments 68 of a first color (in this case, white) and a plurality of second pigments 68′ of a second color (in this case, black) surrounded by a transparent fluid 69, the black pigments 68′ typically being positively charged and the white pigments 68 being negatively charged.

[0036] Upon activation of a positive or negative electric field by application of a voltage to the electrodes 66′, 66″, the black pigments 68′ and the white pigments 68 move to the respective opposite electrodes 66′, 66″. The quantity of pigment particles moving to the upper (transparent) electrode 66′ becomes visible to the viewer as a black or white dot, respectively, in the display window 66.

[0037] This simple e-paper display element 6, shown by way of example in FIG. 3, is only capable of displaying black and white representations. Colors can also be displayed by use of a plurality of different display spheres containing colored pigments in place of the white pigments 68.

[0038] The display device 6′ of the display element 6 can be supplied with electrical control signals via a control unit 7. For this purpose, the display device 6′ is functionally connected to the control unit 7 for the purpose of signal transmission. In FIG. 3, this connection is represented by electrical signal lines 70, 71, which is the case if the control unit 7 is provided on the display element 6. Alternatively, however, this connection may also be wireless.

[0039] The control unit 7 is equipped with, or preferably wirelessly connected to, a selecting or input device 73, as well as to a data storage 74. By means of the selecting and input device 73, a user can select or set the colors and/or patterns to be displayed on the display 6′, whereupon the control unit 7 generates corresponding display signals, for example from values stored in the data storage 74, and transmits them to the display 6′, and the display 6′ displays the selected color and/or graphical pattern.

[0040] In the example of FIG. 1, the control unit 7 effects on the display device 6′ the representation of a wheel rim design 50 having a virtual wheel hub 51 displayed in the center of the display device 6′, coaxially with the physically present wheel hub 20, and having virtual wheel spokes 52, 52′, 53, 53′, 54, 54′, 55, 55′ extending radially from the virtual wheel hub 51 to the wheel rim 22. Since the display device 6′ is mounted to the wheel in a fixed manner, it rotates concomitantly with the vehicle wheel 2, and the virtual wheel rim design 50 rotates with the vehicle wheel 2.

[0041] In the representation of FIG. 4, the control unit 7 receives operating data of the vehicle via a signal input 72, for example from a control device of the vehicle, and thereupon generates display signals, which it transmits to the display device 6′ and which cause a servicing display 56, in this case, by way of example, in the form of a warning symbol for the tire pressure, to be represented on the display device 6′.

[0042] The invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment, which merely serves to provide a general explanation of the core concept of the invention. Rather, within the scope of protection, the device according to the invention may also assume forms of embodiment other than those described above. In this regard, the device may in particular have features that are a combination of the respective individual features of the claims.

[0043] Reference signs in the claims, the description and the drawings serve only for a better understanding of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0044] 1 motor vehicle [0045] 2 vehicle wheel [0046] 2′ vehicle wheel body [0047] 3 tire [0048] 4 cover element [0049] 5 wheel disk face [0050] 6 e-paper display element [0051] 6′ display device (display) [0052] 7 control unit [0053] 10 vehicle body [0054] 12 fender [0055] 14 wheel arch [0056] 20 wheel hub [0057] 21 rim base [0058] 22 wheel rim [0059] 23 wheel disk [0060] 30 tire bead [0061] 50 virtual rim design [0062] 51 virtual wheel hub [0063] 52 virtual wheel spoke [0064] 52′ virtual wheel spoke [0065] 53 virtual wheel spoke [0066] 53′ virtual wheel spoke [0067] 54 virtual wheel spoke [0068] 54′ virtual wheel spoke [0069] 55 virtual wheel spoke [0070] 55′ virtual wheel spoke [0071] 56 servicing display [0072] 66 display window [0073] 66′ electrode [0074] 66″ electrode [0075] 67 display sphere [0076] 67′ housing wall [0077] 67″ interior space of the display sphere [0078] 68 first pigment [0079] 68′ second pigment [0080] 69 fluid [0081] 70 signal line [0082] 71 signal line [0083] 73 input means [0084] 74 data storage