Head-up display and vehicle

• US 10,160,320 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• 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: Yonetani, Yusuke, Kuzuhara, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkney, Dawayne A
• Application Number:
  US15/191,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-634, 359409-410, 359462, 359638-639, 359 13- 14, 359603-636, 359404, 359407, 348115, 345 7, 345 9, 345156, 349 11, 701 1, 310 49 R, 31015632-15635, 310266-268, 31015602, 340438, 340980, 3409951, 34081547, 34081574
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0621 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-up display includes a display device that displays an image toward a vertically downward direction, a first mirror that reflects the image to output reflected light toward a vertically upward direction, and a second mirror that reflects the reflected light from the first mirror to output reflected light toward a vertically upward direction. A vehicle includes the head-up display, and a windshield that reflects the reflected light emitted from the head-up display.

Claims

1. A head-up display comprising:

a display device configured to display an image toward a direction including a downward direction;

a first mirror configured to reflect the image directly from the display device; and

a second mirror configured to reflect reflected light reflected from the first mirror,

wherein each of the reflected light from the first mirror and reflected light from the second mirror is to have a vector component directed toward an upward direction,

wherein the display device and the first mirror are on a same side of the head-up display in a horizontal direction, and

wherein an upper end of a display surface of the display device is lower than an upper end of the second mirror.

2. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a normal vector to the display surface of the display device has a vector component directed toward a downward direction.

3. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein the first mirror is higher than a lower end of the second mirror in a vertical direction.

4. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the first mirror is higher than a lower end of the second mirror.

5. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a size of the second mirror is larger than a size of the first mirror.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a reflection surface of the second mirror is a concave surface.

7. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a reflection surface of the first mirror is a concave surface.

8. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a distance D01 from a center of the display surface of the display device to a center of a surface of the first mirror to a distance D12 from the center of the surface of the first mirror to a center of a surface of the second mirror satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.4<

D01/D12<

0.8.

9. A vehicle comprising:

the head-up display according to claim 1; and

a windshield configured to reflect reflected light output from the head-up display.

10. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein the head-up display is configured such that a direction of light output of the display device does not overlap a direction of light reflection of the second mirror.

11. The head-up display according to claim 10, wherein the head-up display is configured such that the direction of light output of the display device is parallel to the direction of light reflection of the second mirror.

12. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein there are no intervening mirrors between the first mirror and the second mirror.

13. A head-up display comprising:

a display device that displays an image toward a direction including a downward direction;

a first mirror that reflects the image directly from the display device; and

a second mirror that reflects reflected light reflected from the first mirror,

wherein each of the reflected light from the first mirror and reflected light from the second mirror has a vector component directed toward an upward direction,

wherein the display device and the first mirror are on a same side of the head-up display in a horizontal direction, and

wherein an upper end of a display surface of the display device is lower than an upper end of the second mirror.

14. A vehicle comprising:

the head-up display according to claim 13; and

a windshield that reflects reflected light output from the head-up display.

15. The head-up display according to claim 13, wherein there are no intervening mirrors between the first mirror and the second mirror.