Display unit for vehicle

• US 20060092098A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumura, Takeshi, Yokota, Hiroyuki, Saotome, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/698 Pointers of combined instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• 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: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a display unit for a vehicle. The display unit has an attractive and three dimensional appearance and is manufactured with low cost. A display unit for a vehicle includes a display screen having display areas displaying a plurality of informations about conditions of the vehicle, a first controller for controlling images displayed on the display screen, and a display partition member disposed on a part of the display areas and having an opening, wherein the first controller controls the display screen to display an image of a display design of a dial on a first display area surrounded by the opening of the display partition member and to rotate the image of the display design based on a prescribed display change specifier signal.

Claims

1. A display unit for a vehicle comprising:

a display screen having display areas displaying a plurality of informations about conditions of the vehicle;

a first controller for controlling images displayed on the display screen; and

a display partition member disposed on a part of the display areas and having an opening,

wherein said first controller controls the display screen to display an image of a display design of a dial on a first display area surrounded by the opening of the display partition member and to rotate the image of the display design based on a prescribed display change specifier signal.

2. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of light emitting portions disposed on the display partition member with a prescribed separation and

a second controller for controlling the display screen to control at least one of the plurality of the light emitting portions to light in a different type of lighting other than others,

wherein said second controller controls the display screen to control the different type of lighting to move from the at least one light emitting portion to the others successively in order to change the display based on the prescribed display change specifier signal.

3. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shifter for shifting the display partition member, wherein the first controller controls the display screen to move the image of the display design synchronously with a movement of the display partition member.

4. The display unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shifter supports the display partition member in front of the display screen and includes a frame extending to a rearward of the display screen, a motor fixed on the rear side of the display screen, and a transmission device for moving the frame with a driving power of the motor.

5. The display unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a magnifier lens for magnifying the image of the display design, said lens being attached to the display partition member.

6. The display unit as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a moving sound generator for generating an effective sound for indicating the movement of the display partition member.