Image display device

• US 10,031,336 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uragami, Susumu, Shiramizu, Takahisa, Kurozuka, Akira, Furuya, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Tony
• Application Number:
  US15/403,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 345156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT

Abstract

An image display device includes a light source, a screen, an optical system and a driving unit. The screen is irradiated with light from the light source to form an image. The optical system generates a virtual image with the light from the screen. The driving unit moves the screen in an optical axis direction. The driving unit includes a holder, one or more elastic members and a driving source. The holder holds the screen. The one or more elastic members support the holder so as to enable the holder to reciprocally move in the optical axis direction. The driving source generates force for moving the holder in the optical axis direction.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a light source;

a screen which is irradiated with light from the light source to form an image;

an optical system which generates a virtual image with the light from the screen; and

a driving unit which moves the screen in an optical axis direction, wherein;

the driving unit includes;

a holder which holds the screen,

a plurality of elastic members which support the holder so as to enable the holder to reciprocally move in the optical axis direction, and

a driving source which generates force for moving the holder in the optical axis direction,

the plurality of elastic members are disposed so as to be arranged in the optical axis direction, and

buckling rigidity of one of the plurality of elastic members is set to be different from buckling rigidity of another one of the plurality of elastic members.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of elastic members restricts a movement of the holder in the optical axis direction of the holder.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the driving source moves the holder in the optical axis direction by electromagnetic drive.

4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the screen has a substantially rectangular shape in outline, and

the driving unit has one or more pairs of the plurality of elastic members,

at least one of the pairs of the plurality of elastic members are arranged in a direction parallel to a short side of the screen so as to sandwich the screen,

at least one of the plurality of elastic members configuring the one of the pairs of the plurality of elastic members has an extensible and contractable structure which meanders in a width direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the one of the plurality of elastic members.

5. An image display device comprising:

a light source;

a screen which is irradiated with light from the light source to form an image;

an optical system which generates a virtual image with the light from the screen; and

a driving unit which moves the screen in an optical axis direction, wherein;

the driving unit includes;

a holder which holds the screen,

one or more elastic members which support the holder so as to enable the holder to reciprocally move in the optical axis direction, and

a driving source which generates force for moving the holder in the optical axis direction,

the screen has a substantially rectangular shape in outline,

the driving source includes a base, a magnetic circuit which is installed on the base, and a coil to which a magnetic field from the magnetic circuit is applied, the coil being installed on the holder,

the magnetic circuit includes;

a pair of first yokes arranged in a direction parallel to a long side of the screen so as to sandwich the screen, which each has a substantially U shape structure including a first inside wall portion disposed at a side near the screen and a first outside wall portion disposed at a side far from the screen,

a pair of first magnets which are installed so as to face each other on an inside surface of each of the pair of first yokes,

a pair of second yokes arranged in a direction parallel to a short side of the screen so as to sandwich the screen, which each has a substantially U shape structure including a second inside wall portion disposed at a side near the screen and a second outside wall portion disposed at a side far from the screen, and

a pair of second magnets which are installed so as to face each other on an inside surface of each of the pair of second yokes, and

the coil is disposed so as to be inserted both in a gap between the pair of first magnets and in a gap between the pair of second magnets.

6. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

the pair of first yokes and the pair of second yokes are disposed such that a side end surface of the first inside wall portion and a surface, which is disposed at a side near the screen, of the second inside wall portion overlap each other, and

one of the pair of first magnets which is installed on the first inside wall portion extends to a side end surface of the second inside wall portion.

7. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

the pair of first yokes and the pair of second yokes are disposed such that a surface, which is disposed at a side near the screen, of the first inside wall portion and a side end surface of the second inside wall portion overlap each other, and

one of the pair of second magnets which is installed on the second inside wall portion extends to a side end surface of the first inside wall portion.

8. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

the base is made of a magnetic material, and

the pair of first yokes and the pair of second yokes are installed on an upper surface of the base.

9. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

each of the pair of first yokes is separated in a longitudinal direction of the each one of the pair of first yokes,

the pair of first magnets are installed on each of separated portions of the each one of the pair of first yokes,

the holder is connected to one of the elastic members through a gap between the separated portions of the each one of the pair of first yokes,

the holder includes;

an inner frame which has a substantially rectangular shape and on which the screen is installed;

an outer frame which has a substantially rectangular shape disposed outside of the inner frame and on which the coil is installed; and

a supported portion which extends outward from the outer frame in a direction parallel to a long side of the screen,

the supported portion passes through a gap between separated portions of the first outside wall portion, and

a part of the supported portion protruding with respect to a surface, which is disposed at a side far from the screen, of the first outside wall portion is connected to the one of the elastic members.

10. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

the holder includes;

an inner frame which has a substantially rectangular shape and on which the screen is installed; and

an outer frame which has a substantially rectangular shape disposed outside of the inner frame and on which the coil is installed, and

the outer frame is connected to one of the elastic members both through a gap between the first outside wall portion and the second outside wall portion, and through a gap between one of the pair of first magnets which is installed on the first outside wall portion and one of the pair of second magnets which is installed on the second outside wall portion.

11. The image display device according to claim 10, wherein:

the inner frame is disposed so as to be displaced in a height direction with respect to the outer frame such that the inner frame is positioned higher than an upper end of the magnetic circuit,

the holder includes a bridge portion which connects between the inner frame and the outer frame,

at least one of the first inside wall portion and the second inside wall portion is separated in a longitudinal direction of corresponding one among the first inside wall portion and the second inside wall portion, and

the bridge portion passes through a gap between separated portions of the first inside wall portion or a gap between separated portions of the second inside wall portion.

12. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein:

the elastic members are plate springs,

a pair of the plate springs are arranged in a direction parallel to a short side of the screen so as to sandwich the screen,

each of the pair of the plate springs has a symmetrical shape in a longitudinal direction of the screen, and is disposed so that a longitudinal direction of the each one of the pair of the plate springs is substantially parallel to a long side of the screen,

the each one of the pair of the plate springs is fixed to the base at a center position in the longitudinal direction of the screen, and is fixed to the holder at both ends of the each one of the pair of the plate springs.

13. An image display device comprising:

a light source;

a first screen which is irradiated with light from the light source to form an image;

a second screen which is irradiated with light from the light source to form an image;

an optical system which generates a virtual image with the light from the first screen and the second screen;

a driving unit which moves the first screen in an optical axis direction; and

an image processing unit which modulates according to an image signal the light with which the first screen and the second screen are irradiated,

wherein the second screen is fixed on the driving unit at a position displaced with respect to the first screen in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction, which is outside of a movement range of the first screen moved by the driving unit.

14. The image display device according to claim 13, wherein the second screen is disposed at a position where the second screen is optically farther from the light source than the first screen is.

15. The image display device according to claim 13, wherein:

the first screen has a substantially rectangular shape, and

the second screen is disposed at a position where the second screen is far from the first screen in a direction parallel to a short side of the first screen.