Cover Element Suitable for Attachment to a Vehicle Wheel

Abstract

A cover element is suitable for attachment to a vehicle wheel having a hub, a wheel rim provided with a rim well for accommodating a tire, and wheel spokes which connect the hub to the wheel rim. The cover element is designed to cover at least one gap between two wheel spokes that adjoin one another in the circumferential direction. The outer surface of the cover element, at least in regions, is provided with at least one bistable display element, such as an e-paper display element having a display device, or is formed by at least one such element, wherein the display device can be supplied with electrical control signals via a control unit.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. An apparatus adapted for attachment to a vehicle wheel having a wheel hub, a wheel rim provided with a rim base for receiving a tire, and wheel spokes connecting the wheel hub to the wheel rim, comprising: a cover element configured to cover at least one interspace between two circumferentially mutually adjacent wheel spokes; at least one bistable display element comprising a display forming or provided on an outer surface of the cover element, at least in regions; and a control unit by which electric control signals are applied to the display.

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

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

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the at least one e-paper display element is configured to represent color displays on the display.

14. The apparatus 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 of the e-paper display element, and the control unit is configured to thereupon generate corresponding display signals and transmit them to the display.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to set the color displayed by the e-paper display element so as to be alterable.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the outer surface of the cover element is provided, at least in regions, with at least one solar element for generating an electrical power supply for the at least one e-paper display element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein on an inner surface of the cover element that faces away from the outer surface, at least one receiving coil of an inductive electrical power transmission device is provided, via which an electrical power supply for the at least one e-paper display element is transmittable wirelessly from an external electrical power source.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the external electrical power source is from a vehicle electrical system.

19. A vehicle wheel, comprising: a wheel hub; a wheel rim provided with a rim base for receiving a tire; wheel spokes connecting the wheel hub to the wheel rim; and a cover element configured to cover at least one interspace between two circumferentially mutually adjacent wheel spokes; at least one bistable display element comprising a display forming or provided on an outer surface of the cover element, at least in regions; and a control unit by which electric control signals are applied to the display.

20. A motor vehicle comprising at least one vehicle wheel according to claim 19.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a side view of the front left part of motor vehicle equipped with a vehicle wheel realized according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle from FIG. 1 with a cover element represented in partial section; and

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section through an e-paper display element.

PRESENTATION OF PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows the front left side of a motor vehicle 1 having a vehicle body 10, which has a front left wheel arch 14 in a front left fender 12. The wheel arch 14 accommodates a left front vehicle wheel 2, which in a conventional manner is mounted on a structure of the motor vehicle 1 so as to be rotatable and steerable.

[0024] The vehicle wheel 2 provided with a tire 3 is represented in detail in FIG. 2.

[0025] The vehicle wheel 2 has a wheel hub 20, a wheel rim 22, and wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 that extend radially between the wheel hub 20 and the wheel rim 22 and connect these to one another. On its radially outer side the wheel rim 22 is in a conventional manner provided with a rim base 21, in which the tire 3 is accommodated via its tire beads 30.

[0026] Realized in each case between two adjacent wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 there is an open interspace 23′, 24′, 25′, 26′, 27′. A cover element 4 is fitted from the outside of the vehicle onto the metallic main body 2′ of the vehicle wheel 2, which comprises the wheel hub 20, the wheel rim 22 and the wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. The cover element 4 covers the wheel hub 20 and a radially inner region of the wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 with a central circular disk 40, and has wing portions 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 extending radially outward from the circular disk 40, each of which covers one of the interspaces 23′, 24′, 25′, 26′, 27′ between two circumferentially mutually adjacent wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. The cover element 4, together with the surfaces of the wheel spokes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 that face toward the outside of the vehicle, thus realizes a closed wheel disk surface 5 radially inside the wheel rim 22.

[0027] However, the invention is not limited to such a closed wheel disk, but rather the respective interspaces 23′, 24′, 25′, 26′, 27′ may also be only partially closed by the cover element 4, so as 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.

[0028] 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 in the region of the central circular disk and the radial wings 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. This e-paper display element 6 may also be provided only partially, for example as a central display element 60 only in the central circular disk 40, or corresponding e-paper display elements 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 may be provided on the outer surface of each radial wing 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. Each of the e-paper display elements 6, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 is provided with a display device 6′, 60′, 61′, 62′, 63′, 64′, 65′ that faces toward the outside of the vehicle, this being explained in more detail in connection with FIG. 3.

[0029] As represented schematically in FIG. 2, the cover element 4 may be provided—as here in the center of the cover element 4—with at least one solar element 8 that delivers an electrical power supply for the e-paper display element 6, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65. Clearly, the electrical power supplied by the solar element 8 may be stored temporarily in a storage battery (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, there may be at least one receiving coil 9 of an inductive electrical power transmission device, not represented in more detail, provided on the inner surface that faces away from the outer surface of the cover element 4. In this way, an electrical power supply for the e-paper display element 4 delivered by the vehicle electrical system may be transmitted wirelessly to the receiving coil 9, and thus to the display element 6, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, by means of a transmitting coil (not shown).

[0030] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the e-paper display element 6 is provided with a display 6′ that 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.

[0031] 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 respectively opposite electrodes 66′, 66″. The quantity of pigment particles migrating to the upper (transparent) electrode 66′ becomes visible to the viewer as a black or white dot, respectively, in the display window 66.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The display 6′ of the display element 6 can be supplied with electrical control signals via a control unit 7.

[0034] For this purpose, the display 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.

[0035] The control unit 7 is equipped with or preferably wirelessly connected to a selecting or input device 73. 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′, 60′, 61′, 62′, 63′, 64′, 65′, whereupon the control unit 7 generates corresponding display signals, and transmits them to the display 6′, 60′, 61′, 62′, 63′, 64′, 65′, and the display 6′ 60′, 61′, 62′, 63′, 64′, 65′, displays the selected color and/or graphical pattern.

[0036] 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.

[0037] References 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

[0038] 1 motor vehicle [0039] 2 vehicle wheel [0040] 2′ main body of the vehicle wheel [0041] 3 tire [0042] 4 cover element [0043] 5 wheel disk face [0044] 6 e-paper display element [0045] 6′ display device (display) [0046] 7 control unit [0047] 8 solar element [0048] 9 receiving coil [0049] 10 vehicle body [0050] 12 fender [0051] 14 wheel arch [0052] 20 wheel hub [0053] 21 rim base [0054] 22 wheel rim [0055] 23 wheel spoke [0056] 23′ interspace [0057] 24 wheel spoke [0058] 24′ interspace [0059] 25 wheel spoke [0060] 25′ interspace [0061] 26 wheel spoke [0062] 26′ interspace [0063] 27 wheel spoke [0064] 27′ interspace [0065] 30 tire bead [0066] 40 central circular disk [0067] 41 wing portion [0068] 42 wing portion [0069] 43 wing portion [0070] 44 wing portion [0071] 45 wing portion [0072] 60 e-paper display element [0073] 60′ display device [0074] 61 e-paper display element [0075] 61′ display device [0076] 62 e-paper display element [0077] 62′ display device [0078] 63 e-paper display element [0079] 63′ display device [0080] 64 e-paper display element [0081] 64′ display device [0082] 65 e-paper display element [0083] 65′ display device [0084] 66 display window [0085] 66′ electrode [0086] 66″ electrode [0087] 67 display sphere [0088] 67′ housing wall [0089] 67″ interior space of the display sphere [0090] 68 first pigment [0091] 68′ second pigment [0092] 69 fluid [0093] 70 signal line [0094] 71 signal line [0095] 73 input device