Motor vehicle cockpit with an instrument unit and a shadow region

• US 9,139,233 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Frommann, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US14/097,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 296/70, 296/193.02, 296/72, 180/90, 356/638, 345/7, 368/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/18 Information management
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/18 Information management
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/37 Glare prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/415 Glare prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/14 Dashboards as superstructure sub-units other dashboard aspects B60K

Abstract

A motor vehicle cockpit is provided that includes, but is not limited to, an instrument unit with an instrument, an at least partially transparent cover arranged on the instrument unit, a shadow region, which is arranged relative to the cover so that the shadow region is mirrored in the cover viewed from a driver'"'"'s eye. The shadow region is closed on a side facing the driver'"'"'s eye.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle cockpit, comprising:

an instrument unit;

an at least partially transparent cover arranged on the instrument unit; and

a shadow region that is arranged relative to the at least partially transparent cover so that the shadow region is mirrored in the at least partially transparent cover seen from a driver position;

wherein the shadow region is closed on a side facing the driver position.

2. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1,

wherein the instrument unit is arranged on an instrument panel, and

wherein the shadow region is arranged on a steering column cover.

3. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region is arranged on the instrument unit.

4. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region is arranged on an assembly strip that is arranged in front of the instrument unit.

5. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially transparent cover is curved about a vehicle transverse axis.

6. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially transparent cover is curved about a vehicle vertical axis.

7. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially transparent cover is inclined towards the bottom.

8. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region is tinted black.

9. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region has a light-absorbing surface.

10. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region is further arranged relative to the at least partially transparent cover such that light rays from the partially transparent cover is reflected into the shadow region.

11. The motor vehicle cockpit according to claim 1, wherein the shadow region is further arranged relative to the at least partially transparent cover such that no direct light enters the shadow region.