Search

US-12617357-B2 - Luminous device for turning on a road vehicle and relative road vehicle

US12617357B2US 12617357 B2US12617357 B2US 12617357B2US-12617357-B2

Abstract

Road vehicle comprising an ignition system for the powertrain system comprising in turn a luminous device integral with the passenger compartment of the road vehicle and comprising a movable part configured to move between an off configuration and an on configuration; the luminous device comprising a display device configured to at least partially assume a first colour and a second colour; wherein the display device is configured to switch from the first colour to the second colour when the movable part switches from the off configuration to the on configuration and vice versa when the movable part switches from the on configuration to the off configuration.

Inventors

  • Jonathan P. Ive
  • Biotz NATERA
  • James McGrath
  • Roger GUYETT
  • Joseph LUXTON
  • Michael Matas
  • Patrick KESSLER
  • Maximilian Romani
  • Vito CONIGLIARO
  • Eugene Whang
  • Jeremy Bataillou
  • Anthony Ashcroft
  • Suhang Zhou
  • Benoit LOUZAOUEN
  • Jemima KISS
  • Christopher Wilson
  • Wan Si Wan

Assignees

  • FERRARI S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20231101
Priority Date
20221104

Claims (11)

  1. 1 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) comprising: four wheels ( 2 ), of which at least one pair of wheels ( 2 ) is driven; a passenger compartment ( 3 ); a powertrain system ( 5 ); an ignition system ( 6 ) of the powertrain system ( 5 ) comprising a luminous device ( 7 ) integral with the passenger compartment ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) and comprising a movable part ( 9 ) configured to move between an off configuration and an on configuration for the ignition of the road vehicle ( 1 ) and vice versa for the switching off of the road vehicle ( 1 ); the ignition system ( 6 ) comprising a detection system ( 10 ), configured to detect the presence or absence of a key inside the passenger compartment ( 3 ), and a control unit ( 11 ), which is connected to the detection system ( 10 ) and to the powertrain system ( 5 ) and is configured to enable power supply to the powertrain system ( 5 ) exclusively when the movable part ( 9 ) is in the switched-on configuration; the luminous device ( 7 ) comprising a display device ( 27 ) configured to at least partially assume a first colour and a second colour; wherein the display device ( 27 ) is configured to switch from the first colour to the second colour when the movable part ( 9 ) switches from the off configuration to the on configuration and vice versa when the movable part ( 9 ) switches from the on configuration to the off configuration; and wherein the ignition system ( 6 ) does not comprise means for sensing the pressure of a pedal, in particular of a brake pedal ( 23 ), further characterized in that second color visually indicates that the ignition system ( 6 ) is available to energize the power supply to the powertrain system ( 5 ) to switch the road vehicle ( 1 ) on without the brake pedal ( 23 ) being depressed when the key presence is detected in the passenger compartment ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ).
  2. 2 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the display device ( 27 ) comprises a screen ( 28 ).
  3. 3 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the luminous device ( 7 ) comprises, in particular is, a button ( 1 ); and/or wherein the luminous device ( 7 ) comprises, in particular is, a lever ( 24 ) pullable and/or rotatable around a respective axis of rotation; and/or wherein the luminous device ( 7 ) comprises, in particular is, a gear lever ( 8 ) rotatable around a respective axis of rotation.
  4. 4 . Vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 and comprising a central tunnel ( 12 ), arranged along an axis (A) of longitudinal symmetry of the passenger compartment ( 3 ); wherein the luminous device ( 7 ) is arranged at the central tunnel ( 12 ), in particular with the movable part ( 9 ) facing upwards.
  5. 5 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the luminous device ( 7 ) comprises a locking system ( 14 ), which is configured to block the movement of the movable part ( 9 ) in case the speed of the road vehicle ( 1 ) is greater than zero and/or a gear is engaged.
  6. 6 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the locking system ( 14 ) comprises a magnetic locking element ( 15 ) selectively operable by the control unit ( 11 ).
  7. 7 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , and comprising a luminous element ( 16 ) inside the passenger compartment ( 3 ), which is configured to assume a third colour when the movable part ( 9 ) is in the on configuration and a fourth colour when the movable part ( 9 ) is in the off configuration, the third colour and the fourth colour being different from each other.
  8. 8 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the ignition system ( 6 ) is configured to emit a signal resulting in a colour change of at least part ( 17 ) of the luminous device ( 7 ).
  9. 9 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the third colour is equal to the second colour and the fourth colour is equal to the first colour.
  10. 10 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the third colour is equal to the first colour and the fourth colour is equal to the second colour.
  11. 11 . Road vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the luminous element ( 16 ) inside the passenger compartment ( 3 ) is a part ( 19 ) of the steering ( 20 ) wheel, in particular a surface arranged at a front airbag; and/or a part of the dashboard ( 4 ) and/or a part of a vehicular roof ( 30 ); and/or indirect passenger compartment lighting devices ( 3 ).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent applications no. 102022000022614 filed on Nov. 4, 2022, no. 102022000022620 filed on Nov. 4, 2022 and no. 102022000022626 filed on Nov. 4, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a luminous device for turning on a road vehicle and to a relative road vehicle. In particular, the present invention has an advantageous, but not exclusive, application in a luminous device for turning on a high-performance road vehicle, to which the description that follows will refer explicitly, but without thus losing its general nature. CONTEXT OF THE INVENTION As known, over recent years, totally electric vehicle systems have increasingly been gaining a foothold, meaning those with a powertrain system provided exclusively with one or more electric motors, aimed at placing an ever-increasing distance between the automobile market and the fossil fuels on which it is still heavily dependent. These vehicles, since they do not have an internal combustion engine, no longer need the so-called “key cycle”, meaning the entire electromechanical procedure that leads to ignition of the combustion engine, such as by means of a starter motor. In light of what has been said, in certain cases, totally electric vehicles have been developed that are configured to switch on (i.e., to activate the powertrain system and allow the gear to be engaged) automatically as soon as the presence of the vehicle key inside the passenger compartment is detected. However, in such electric vehicles, it is basically impossible to switch off the vehicle when the driver is inside it, as it remains active and ready to depart for as long as the key is detected inside the passenger compartment. This leads to an excessive and unnecessary consumption of energy in the case of lengthy periods spent inside the vehicle, with a consequent greater wear of the electronic components responsible for supplying power to the powertrain system. In contrast, however, vehicles have been developed on which, in order to assist drivers accustomed to the “key cycle”, an ignition button of the road vehicle is present which (always after the key has been detected inside the passenger compartment) allows power supply to the powertrain system to be activated manually and therefore the vehicle to start. In these cases, however, in the case of totally electric vehicles, due to their silence, it is not immediately clear to the driver whether the vehicle is switched on and ready to depart, or whether it is necessary to press the button. In any case, on such vehicles, it is nonetheless necessary to press on the brake pedal at the same time, failing which the powertrain system will not switch on. In general, there is a need to lengthen the autonomy of the electric road vehicle, and, at the same time to inform the driver of the state of ignition of said road vehicle in a simple and immediate manner. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a luminous device for turning on a road vehicle and a relative road vehicle that are at least partially free from the problems described here above and, at the same time, are simple and cheap to manufacture. According to the present invention, a luminous device for turning on a road vehicle and a relative road vehicle are provided according to what is claimed in the independent claims that follow and, preferably, in any one of the claims that are directly or indirectly dependent upon the independent claims. The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and form an integral part of this description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Several embodiments of the invention will be described below for a better understanding of it, by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective and schematic view, with parts removed for clarity, of a possible embodiment of a road vehicle according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective and schematic view of part of the interior of the passenger compartment of a first embodiment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 in a switched-off configuration; FIG. 3 is a perspective and schematic view of part of the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 in a first switched-on configuration; FIG. 4 is a perspective and schematic view of part of the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 in a second switched-on configuration; FIG. 5 is a perspective and schematic view of part of the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 in a third switched-on configuration; and FIG. 6 is a perspective and schematic view of part of the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 in a fourth switched-on configuration; FIG. 2A is a perspective and schematic view of part of the inter