Motor vehicle with a control panel module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10710458-B2
Application number	US-201616063960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

Arranged between a steering wheel (or more generally, steering handle) and a windshield of a motor vehicle, a control panel module has at least on e operator control element, each arranged on one side of a steering column of the steering wheel. The at least one operator control element is rotatable about an axis of rotation and/or movably at least along a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle with respect, to a driver's seat. An actuator device of the control panel module respectively moves the at least one operator control element response to a control device of the control panel module, depending on at least one enable signal, into an enable position and, depending on at least one position signal, from the enable position into position corresponding in each case the position signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control panel module for a motor vehicle having a steering column in a passenger compartment, comprising:
a housing;
a central part;
at least one operator control element, each arranged on a side of a recess for arranging the control panel module and the steering column of the motor vehicle, and at least one of rotatable about a first rotational axis and movable at least along a predetermined movement direction;
an actuator device configured to respectively move the at least one operator control element;
a control device configured to move, by actuating the actuator device, the at least one operator control element out of the housing of the control panel module, in response to at least one enable signal, into an enable position in which the passenger compartment is maximized and, in response to at least one position signal, out of the enable position and into a position of use corresponding to the position signal; and
a flexible, transparent cover panel holding the at least one operator control element on the central part of the control panel module as a wing element pivotable about a second rotational axis, the flexible, transparent cover panel being held in a flexible fashion in the central part, and the second rotational axis being oriented in a virtual fashion, freely in space.

2. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein each of the at least one operator control element has a touch-sensitive screen, and
wherein the control device is configured to display at least one pixel-based, graphic operator control interface, and to receive a user input via the operator control interface.

3. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein each of the at least one operator control element is surrounded at least in regions by the housing with a gap formed between the housing and the operator control element, the gap having a gap width defined by a current position of the operator control element, and
wherein a comfort device of the motor vehicle is configured to act through the gap into the passenger compartment.

4. The control panel module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the comfort device includes at least one of
a ventilation device having an air outlet region with a cross section, through which there can be a flow, defined by the gap width, and
an ambient lighting device configured to radiate light out of the gap into the passenger compartment.

5. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one operator control element is mounted so as to be at least one of
displaceable in a translatory fashion exclusively along a vehicle longitudinal direction, and
rotatable about the first rotational axis oriented parallel to a vehicle transverse direction.

6. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one operator control element is configured as a plunger part movable into the housing of the control panel module and out of the housing.

7. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover panel is held as a suspended element by at least two clip elements and defines the second rotational axis.

8. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle has a driver's seat,
wherein the control device is configured to receive, as the at least one enable signal, at least one of an ignition-off signal and an activity signal of an autopilot, and/or
wherein the control device is configured to receive, as the at least one position signal, at least one of an ignition-on signal, an approach signal signaling an approaching hand of a person to the at least one operator control element and a seat position signal of the driver's seat.

9. The control panel module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle has a steering handle and one of at least one wing switching element and at least one steering column lever element mounted on the steering column,
wherein an entire intermediate space between the steering handle and the at least one operator control element is configured to be blockage free, and
wherein the one of the at least one wing switching element and the at least one steering column lever element respectively rotates along with the steering handle whenever the steering handle rotates to steer the motor vehicle and is arranged on the steering handle on a side facing the at least one operator control element.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a steering handle on a steering column;
a windshield;
a driver's seat; and
a control panel module arranged between the steering handle and the windshield, including
a central part;
at least one operator control element, each arranged on one side next to the steering column of the steering handle and at least one of rotatable about a first rotational axis and movable at least along a vehicle longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle with respect to the driver's seat,
an actuator device configured to respectively move the at least one operator control element,
a control device configured to move, by activating the actuator device, the at least one operator control element, in response to at least one enable signal, into an enable position in which the passenger compartment is maximized, and, in response to at least one position signal, out of the enable position and into a position of use corresponding to the position signal, and
a flexible, transparent cover panel holding the at least one operator control element on the central part of the control panel module as a wing element pivotable about a second rotational axis, the flexible, transparent cover panel being held in a flexible fashion in the central part, and the second rotational axis being oriented in a virtual fashion, freely in space.

11. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein each of the at least one operator control element is surrounded at least in regions by the housing with a gap formed between the housing and the operator control element, the gap having a gap width defined by a current position of the operator control element, and
further comprising a comfort device of the motor vehicle configured to act through the gap into the passenger compartment.

12. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the comfort device includes at least one of
a ventilation device having an air outlet region with a cross section, through which there can be a flow, defined by the gap width, and
an ambient lighting device configured to radiate light out of the gap into the passenger compartment.

13. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of the at least one operator control element is mounted so as to be at least one of
displaceable in a translatory fashion exclusively along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and
rotatable about the first rotational axis oriented parallel to a vehicle transverse direction.

14. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one operator control element is configured as a plunger part movable into and out the housing of the control panel module.

15. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10 ,
further comprising a driver's seat, and
wherein the control device is configured to receive at least one of
an ignition-off signal and an activity signal of an autopilot, as the at least one enable signal, and
an ignition-on signal, an approach signal signaling an approaching hand of a person to the at least one operator control element and a seat position signal of the driver's seat, as the at least one position signal.

16. The motor vehicle as claimed in

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Hélot Jacques

Classifications

• B60K35/53 Primary

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K37/20

  Dashboard panels · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · 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