AU2016296071B2

AU2016296071B2 - Operator's cab for vehicles and dashboard

Info

Publication number: AU2016296071B2
Application number: AU2016296071A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Guillermo PEREZ GOMEZ; Gotthard Singer
Original assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
Current assignee: Alstom Transportation Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2015-07-20
Filing date: 2016-07-07
Publication date: 2020-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-07
Also published as: EP3325322A1; RU2018106120A3; AU2016296071A1; RU2018106120A; DE102015213592A1; CA2993094A1; WO2017012885A1; CN107921973A

Abstract

The invention relates to an operator's cab or cockpit for vehicles, in particular for rail vehicles, comprising a seat for the vehicle operator and a dashboard having operating and indicating elements, wherein the dashboard (3) consists of a large-format touch-sensitive screen that is curved concavely from the perspective of the vehicle operator, wherein the operating and indicating elements (4, 5) are integrated into the screen without interruption over the entire screen width of the dashboard and can be reached and visually sensed by the vehicle operator.

Description

SPECIFICATION

Operator's Cab for Vehicles and Dashboard

The invention relates to an operator's cab or cockpit for vehicles, in particular for rail vehicles,

comprising a seat for the vehicle operator and a dashboard having operating and indicating elements

and to a dashboard for a vehicle.

Such operator's cabs are known for vehicles of all types in a great variety of designs. They

have a substantially conventional, largely identical appearance. The vehicles comprise an operator's

cab comprising a seat for the vehicle operator and dashboards having operating and indicating

elements for the driving and monitoring operation, which are arranged within the reach and range of

vision of the vehicle operator and in front of the vehicle seat when viewed in the driving direction,

and which, in part, can also be ergonomically adapted. Such operator's cabs are disclosed, for

example, in the publications DElO0 34 854 Al and DE 201 11859 Ul.

In DE 40 05 605 Al, an operator cell in a rail vehicle or bus is described, which comprises a

control and instrument panel constructed with a modular design, wherein the front module has a

curved area and a bent area. Here, the front module has an inclination extending downward towards

the operator. The modules 7 and 8 are not integrated directly in the screen area.

DE 43 19 108 Al relates to a train operator workspace for a local transport rail vehicle

comprising a control and instrument panel arranged in the operating environment and additionally an

associated travel ticket sales device, wherein a partition is arranged between the passenger space and

the train operator workspace. The control and instrument panel is designed in the shape of an arc of

a circle. Here, the surface of the base module is inclined towards the train operator, and the front

module is held chamfered on both sides.

In DE 10 2009 037 680 Al, a cockpit unit and a method for operating the cockpit unit are

described. A dashboard with concavely formed screen, in which the operating and indicating elements are integrated into the screen without interruption over the entire screen width of the dashboard, is not disclosed therein.

In DE 10 2010 011 340 B4, a vehicle operator area with a dashboard is described, which

includes a touchscreen display having different display elements and manually operated operating

elements which, however, are not arranged satisfactorily from an ergonomic viewpoint.

These elements are usually distributed over numerous surfaces of the vehicle. However, here,

important operating elements should be easy to reach for the operator, and important display elements

should be arranged in such a manner that, during the trip, the operator can visually sense the displayed

information in a reliable manner. In addition, the arrangement of the operating and display elements

should not impair the view of the operator onto the environment of the vehicle.

Dashboards are designed today in such a manner that one or more touch-sensitive screens are

incorporated next to, above or under one another in support housings. Since the screens are not

curved, smaller screens are incorporated segment-wise in dashboards. Here, the edges of the screens

limit the usable surfaces for the operation of vehicles, which can only be incorporated discontinuously

in a curvature. This results in different distances to the screen or to the operating elements for the

operator. Moreover, in the case of limitations of the field of view due to dashboards, smaller screens

are used or the dashboards are constructed in such a manner that one can see past them. Although

these methods increase the visible area, they increase it incompletely and as a rule at the expense of

the ergonomics and the manufacturing costs due to the necessary construction changes. Additional

possibilities for increasing the viewing angle in the case of existing limitations caused by dashboards

consist of the use of mirrors or cameras.

Therefore, it is an object of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention to improve

known arrangements for operator's cabs and dashboards in vehicles. An additional or alternative

object is to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

According to the invention, this aim is achieved by the features of Claims 1 and 4.

Advantageous developments of the invention are indicated in the respective associated claims.

Accordingly, the invention contains an operator's cab or cockpit for a vehicle comprising a

seat for the vehicle operator and a dashboard having operating and indicating elements, which is

arranged in front of the seat when viewed in the driving direction, wherein the dashboard consists of

a large-format touch-sensitive screen which is concavely curved from the perspective of the vehicle

operator. Advantageously, the operating and indicating elements are integrated into the screen

without interruption over the entire screen width of the dashboard and can be reached and visually

sensed by the operator. The screen here is curved in such a manner that it is ensured that the operating

elements can be reached without interruption over the entire width of the dashboard, and the

ergonomic requirements, in terms of accessibility, constant distance to the operating elements, and

large fields of view over the entire operating surface of an operator's cab, can be optimized further in

order to increase the safety. In addition, it is provided that the screen is configured so that it is

adjustable in terms of the height and viewing angle thereof to the ergonomic requirements of a seat

for vehicle operators, wherein the screen can be switched to transparent.

The term 'comprising' as used in this specification means 'consisting at least in part of'. When

interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term 'comprising', features other

than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as 'comprise' and

'comprises' are to be interpreted in the same manner.

A dashboard for the operator's cab or cockpit of a vehicle having operating and display

elements, wherein the dashboard consists of a large-format touch-sensitive screen which is curved

concavely from the perspective of the vehicle operator, wherein the operating and display elements

are integrated into the screen without interruption over the entire screen width of the dashboard and

can be reached and visually sensed by the vehicle operator, the screen is configured in such a manner

that the height and viewing angle thereof are adjustable, and it is adaptable to the ergonomic

requirements of a seat for vehicle operators, wherein the screen can be switched to transparent.

The invention enables the steering, operating and monitoring of vehicles of all types by means

of a large-format, curved and touch-sensitive screen. Since conventional screens limit the view of

operators, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the screen can, in addition, be

switched continuously to transparent. As a result, the field of view of the operator during the steering

of the vehicle can be enlarged through the screen. Objects, machine processes, persons or the like,

which would remain covered by conventional screens or cameras used for the purpose of extending

the field of view, can now be viewed through the transparent screen without limitation. The invention

can be used in all types of rail-bound vehicles which use the currently conventional operating panels

or screens for operation and control. However, the invention is not limited to these applications alone;

instead, the invention can also be used for all other types of vehicles on land, in the air or on water.

Additional application fields are, for example, the operation of work machines such as cranes,

excavators and the like.

The invention is explained in further detail below in reference to the embodiment examples

represented in the drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an operator's cab in a vehicle;

Fig. 2 shows a view onto a dashboard in an operator's cab;

Fig. 3 shows a view onto a transparent screen;

Fig. 4 shows a side view onto a dashboard in an operator's cab;

Fig. 5 shows a top view onto a dashboard in an operator's cab according to a preferred

embodiment.

In the figures, an operator's cab and dashboard are represented. In Figure 1, a three

dimensional view of an operator's cab or cockpit of a vehicle is represented. The cockpit 1 comprises

a seat 2 for the vehicle operator and a dashboard 3 having operating and display elements 4, 5, which

is arranged in front of the seat when viewed in the driving direction. The dashboard 3 consists of a

large-format touch-sensitive screen which is concavely curved from the perspective of the vehicle

operator. The operating and display elements 4, 5 are integrated into the screen without interruption, i.e., seamlessly without interruptions through housings of operating and/or display elements, which are inserted into the dashboard, over the entire screen width of the dashboard and, as a result, they can be reached and visually sensed by the vehicle operator. The screen can be switched continuously to be transparent. As can be seen in Fig. 3, during the steering of the vehicle, the field of view of the operator can as a result be increased through the screen. Objects, machine processes, persons (see

Fig. 3) or the like, which would remain covered by conventional screens or cameras used for

broadening the field of view can now be viewed through the transparent screen without limitation.

The screen or the dashboard 3 is arranged in such a manner that the height and viewing angle thereof

are adjustable. The means for setting the screen or adjusting in all the possible axes can be arranged

directly on the dashboard. As a result, it is ensured that the screen can be adapted to the ergonomic

requirements of a seat for vehicle operators. The curvature of the screen depends on the construction

of the cockpit and can be adapted to these constructions.

In Fig. 4, a preferred variant of the screen is represented. The curvature of the screen or

dashboard 3 and the resulting advantages are achieved by the configuration of the radii RI and R2.

In the embodiment example, the radii RI = 1000 mm, and the radius R2 = 1500 mm. The total length

of the screen 3 here extends over 1300 mm. Said embodiment example is only one of a plurality of

possible configuration variants of the screen.

Claims

1. An operator's cab or cockpit for a vehicle comprising a seat for the vehicle operator and a

dashboard having operating and display elements, which is arranged in front of the seat when viewed

in the driving direction, wherein the dashboard consists of a large-format touch-sensitive screen

which is concavely curved from the perspective of the vehicle operator, wherein

- the operating and display elements are integrated into the screen without interruption over

the entire screen width of the dashboard and can be reached and visually sensed by the vehicle

operator;

- the screen is configured in such a manner that the height and viewing angle thereof are

adjustable, and it is adaptable to the ergonomic requirements of a seat for vehicle operators, wherein

the screen can be switched to transparent.

2. A dashboard for the operator's cab or cockpit of a vehicle having operating and display

concavely from the perspective of the vehicle operator,

- wherein the operating and display elements are integrated into the screen without

interruption over the entire screen width of the dashboard and can be reached and visually sensed by

the vehicle operator,

the screen can be switched to transparent.