Device for controlling a function of a vehicle comprising a movable driving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696162-B2
Application number	US-201715461755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A control device includes a driving device for controlling a function of a vehicle, a display device for at least one piece of information relative to this function, and a receiving surface of the driving device and the display device. The control device is mounted translatably on the receiving surface and relative to the display device. The distance between the display device and the driving device is adjustable by moving the control device relative to said the display device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device for controlling at least one function of a vehicle, comprising a driving device for driving said function, a display device for displaying at least one piece of information relative to said function and a surface for receiving said driving device and said display device, wherein said driving device is mounted translatably on the receiving surface and relative to the display device, the distance between the display device and the driving device being adjustable by moving said driving device relative to said display device, wherein the display device is fixed on the receiving surface and translatably immobile relative to said receiving surface, and wherein the display device is mounted in a central area of the dashboard between a driver seat and a passenger seat of the vehicle such that the display device is configured to extend substantially between the driver seat and the passenger seat of the vehicle, wherein the driving device is movable between an extreme close position, in which the driving device is adjacent to and is applied against the display device, and an extreme distant position, in which the driving device extends opposite the passenger seat of the vehicle or between the driver seat and the passenger seat.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation of the driving device is arranged to modify the information displayed by the display device.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device and the display device are connected to a shared computer able to process the signals from the driving device and send driving signals to the display device.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device is formed by a capacitive film extending over a support, said support being mounted translatably on the receiving surface.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device comprises at least one guide element cooperating with a rail formed in the receiving surface so as to allow the translation of the driving device on the receiving surface.

6. The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the driving device comprises two guide elements extending on either side of said driving device and cooperating with two rails formed in the receiving surface.

7. A vehicle trim element comprising a control device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving surface is formed by at least part of the outer surface of the trim element.

8. A vehicle comprising a trim element according to claim 7 , wherein the trim element extends opposite the driver seat and the passenger seat, or between the driver seat and the passenger seat.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , further comprising a return element arranged to return the driving device to its extreme close position.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the return element is arranged to return the driving device to its extreme close position after a certain nonuse time.

11. A control device for controlling at least one function of a vehicle, comprising a driving device for driving said function, a display device for displaying at least one piece of information relative to said function and a surface for receiving said driving device and said display device, wherein said driving device is mounted translatably on the receiving surface and relative to the display device, the distance between the display device and the driving device being adjustable by moving said driving device relative to said display device, wherein the driving device is movable between an extreme close position, in which the driving device is adjacent to and is applied against the display device, and an extreme distant position, in which the driving device extends opposite the passenger seat of the vehicle or between the driver seat and the passenger seat, further comprising a return element arranged to return the driving device to its extreme close position, wherein the return element is a driving element provided on the control device, wherein the driving element is configured to move the driving device automatically without intervention from an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the return element is arranged to automatically return the driving device to its extreme close position after a certain nonuse time.

12. A control device for controlling at least one function of a vehicle, comprising a driving device for driving said function, a display device for displaying at least one piece of information relative to said function and a surface for receiving said driving device and said display device, wherein said driving device is mounted translatably on the receiving surface and relative to the display device, the distance between the display device and the driving device being adjustable by moving said driving device relative to said display device, wherein the driving device comprises at least one guide element cooperating with a rail formed in the receiving surface so as to allow translation of the driving device on the receiving surface, wherein the rail extends toward an interior of the receiving surface, and wherein the display device mounted in a central area of the dashboard between a driver seat and a passenger seat of the vehicle, wherein the driving device is movable between an extreme close position, in which the driving device is adjacent to and is applied against the display device, and an extreme distant position, in which the driving device extends opposite the passenger seat of the vehicle or between the driver seat and the passenger seat.

Assignees

• Faurecia Interieur Ind

Inventors

• Benchikhi Zakaria

Classifications

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K37/20

  Dashboard panels · CPC title

• B60K35/53

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title