Vehicle display unit

• US 9,927,642 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Larry, Mark, Burns, Mark Vincent, Joshi, Tanmoy, Badaru, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Shan
• Application Number:
  US14/743,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/688 Frames or decorative parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/691 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/774 on or in the centre console
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/816 Fastening of displays or touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/96 by assembling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• 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: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133314 Back frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13332 Front frames
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133385 with cooling means, e.g. fans

Abstract

A display unit for a vehicle includes a screen module and a cover. A bracket supports the screen module and the cover. The bracket extends between the screen module and the cover and includes an attachment portion configured to engage the vehicle. The bracket also includes a heat sink adjacent the screen module for dissipating heat from the screen module during operation.

Claims

1. A display unit for a vehicle, the display unit comprising:

a screen module including an electronic visual display and a bezel surrounding the electronic visual display;

a bracket supporting the screen module;

a cover supported by the bracket;

the bracket extending between the screen module and the cover and including an attachment portion configured to engage the vehicle, the cover defines a cutout and wherein the attachment portion extends through the cutout;

a frame defining a cavity with the electronic visual display and the bezel disposed in the cavity, the frame being disposed between the bracket and the cavity and including a passage open to the cavity, the bracket including a heat sink extending through the passage and abutting the screen module;

a fastener engaging the bracket and the screen module and extending through the frame between the bracket and the screen module; and

the bracket includes a base mounted to the screen module, the attachment portion extending transversely from the base, wherein both the heat sink and the attachment portion are directly protruded from the base as a single piece of material.

2. The display unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the base is disposed between the screen module and the cover.

3. The display unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fastener is concealed between the screen module and the cover.

4. The display unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame extends around at least a portion of the periphery of the screen module.

5. The display module as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a shelf cantilevered from the frame below the screen module.

6. The display module as set forth in claim 5 wherein the frame is formed of a first material and the shelf is formed from a second material different than the first material, and wherein the frame and the shelf are integrally formed.

7. The display unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover presents a class-A surface.

8. The display module as set forth in claim 1 wherein the screen module includes a liquid crystal display including a light source, and wherein the passage and the heat sink are aligned with the light source.

9. The display module as set forth in claim 8 wherein the light source is elongated along an axis, and wherein the passage and the heat sink are elongated along the axis.

10. The display module as set forth in claim 9 wherein the light source is an elongated row of light emitting diodes.

11. The display module as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heat sink includes a platform and further comprising a thermal pad abutting the platform and the screen module.

12. The display unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the frame is between the bezel and the bracket.

13. An instrument panel comprising:

a support;

a display unit including a bracket mounted to the support and the bracket including an attachment portion configured to engage a vehicle;

the display unit including a screen module and a cover each mounted to the bracket with the bracket disposed between the screen module and the cover, the screen module including an electronic visual display and a bezel surrounding the electronic visual display, the cover defines a cutout and wherein the attachment portion extends through the cutout;

a frame disposed between the bracket and the screen module and including a passage, the bracket including a heat sink extending through the passage and abutting the screen module, the frame defining a cavity with the electronic visual display and the bezel disposed in the cavity, the frame being disposed between the bracket and the cavity and the passage being open to the cavity; and

the bracket includes a base mounted to the screen module, the attachment portion extending transversely from the base, wherein both the heat sink and the attachment portion are directly protruded from the base as a single piece of material.

14. The instrument panel as set forth in claim 13 wherein the instrument panel includes a covering on the support and wherein the cover of the display unit includes a housing portion abutting the covering and a free portion extending from the covering.

15. The instrument panel as set forth in claim 14 wherein the attachment portion extends through the housing portion and engaging the frame.

16. The instrument panel as set forth in claim 15 wherein the frame and the screen module define the cavity therebetween and are connected to each other in the cavity.