METER WITH PROJECTOR FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140191567A1
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tominaga, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US13/736,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191567A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/333 Lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/693 Cover plate features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/154 Combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/333 Lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/693 Cover plate features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• 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: B60K 37/02 Arrangement of instruments arrangement of lighting devices for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs

Abstract

A meter device for a vehicle has a meter module protruded on a dashboard. A chassis module installed in the dashboard is extending on a front side of the meter module. The chassis module has a projection module having a laser light source and a reflector. The chassis module further has an indicator module which displays a character or a sign. The chassis module, the meter module, the indicator module, and the projection module are formed in an assembly which can be handled as a single unit. The projection module projects an image on the meter module by reflecting laser light. The laser light is reflected by the reflector toward the meter module from an obliquely lower side on the front side of the meter module. The meter module may have a cover member provided by a liquid-crystal shutter board and/or a touch panel.

Claims

1. A meter with a projector comprising:

a meter module which is disposed on a dashboard of a vehicle in a protruding manner, and has a display device to display condition of the vehicle;

a chassis module which is disposed on the dashboard to be extended on a front side of the meter module; and

a projector module disposed on the chassis module, which has a laser light source and a reflector, and which projects an image on the meter module from the front side of the meter module by scanning laser light supplied from the laser light source.

2. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 1, wherein

the meter module is disposed on the chassis module,

the reflector is disposed on one end of the chassis module at the front side of the meter module, and

the projection module projects the image on the meter module from an obliquely lower side on the front side of the meter module.

3. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an indicator module disposed on one end of the chassis module at the front side of the meter module, which displays a character or a sign, wherein

the reflector is disposed behind the indicator module.

4. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 2, wherein

the meter module is disposed on one end of the chassis module, and

the reflector is disposed on the other end of the chassis module.

5. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 1, wherein

the meter module includes a cover member which covers the display device, and

the projector module projects the image on the cover member.

6. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 5, wherein

the cover member includes a liquid crystal shutter board which is capable of switching between a visible state in which the display device is visible and an invisible state in which the display device is invisible.

7. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 1, wherein

the cover member includes a touch panel which detects touch of a user body.

8. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 1, wherein

the chassis module includes a controller which controls the meter module and the projector module.

9. The meter with a projector claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator module disposed on one end of the chassis module at the front side of the meter module, which displays a character or a sign, wherein

the chassis module includes a controller which controls the meter module, the indicator module, and the projector module, and wherein

the meter module is disposed on the chassis module so that the chassis module, the meter module, the indicator module, and the projector module are formed in an assembly unit which can be handled as a single unit, and wherein

the reflector is disposed on one end of the chassis module at the front side of the meter module, and wherein

the reflector is a movable reflector which scans the laser light supplied from the laser light source, and is disposed behind the indicator module, and wherein

the laser light source is disposed on the controller at a position between the meter module and the reflector, and wherein

the projection module projects the image on the meter module by reflecting laser light supplied from the laser light source toward the front side of the meter module,

the laser light being reflected by the reflector toward the meter module from an obliquely lower side of the front side of the meter module.