COMBINER-POSITIONING APPARATUS FOR VEHICULAR HEAD-UP DISPLAY AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20170315354A1
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Hongsoo, Lee, Jaeseung, Kim, Yongsang
• Granted Patent: US 10,451,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/66 Projection screens or combiners
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1529 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/66 Projection screens or combiners
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/67 Foldable or movable displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/04 Arrangement of fittings on dashboard of instruments B60K37/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0163 Electric or electronic control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A combiner-positioning apparatus for a vehicular head-up display is provided. The combiner-positioning apparatus includes a drive unit for supplying a driving force, a combiner assembly including a combiner, the combiner being projected and exposed to an outside or retracted or hidden into a slot formed in a dashboard by the driving force, a guide unit for guiding sliding movement of the combiner assembly in a vertical direction, and a power transmitter for transmitting the driving force to the combiner assembly.

Claims

1. A combiner-positioning apparatus for a vehicle head-up display mountable in a dashboard of a vehicle, the dashboard including a slot, the combiner-positioning apparatus comprising:

a driver configured to supply a driving force;

a combiner assembly including a combiner, the combiner assembly being configured to project and expose the combiner to an outside and to retract and cover the combiner in the slot based on the driving force;

a guide mechanism configured to guide movement of the combiner assembly in a vertical direction; and

a power transmitter configured to transmit the driving force to the combiner assembly.

2. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the combiner assembly includes a lifting module having a lifting rail, and

wherein the power transmitter includes a cam wheel including a combiner-driving boss, the combiner-driving boss being linearly moveable along the lifting rail.

3. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a major surface of the cam wheel is disposed so as to face the combiner.

4. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide mechanism includes a movement guide rail, and

wherein the combiner assembly includes a holder to hold the combiner, the holder including a combiner-moving boss, and the combiner-moving boss being movable along the movement guide rail.

5. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the combiner-moving boss comprises:

a first pin; and

a second pin spaced apart from the first pin,

and

wherein the movement guide rail comprises;

a first guide rail configured to guide movement of the first pin; and

a second guide rail configured to guide movement of the second pin.

6. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first guide rail comprises:

a first movement guide path configured to guide movement of the combiner assembly; and

a pivot point configured to serve as a pivot axis to allow the combiner to be tilted.

7. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second guide rail comprises:

a second movement guide path configured to guide movement of the combiner assembly; and

a tilting guide path configured to guide pivoting movement of the combiner when the combiner is tilted.

8. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the combiner assembly is pivotally moved about the first pin when the first pin is located at the pivot point.

9. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the holder and the lifting module are elastically coupled to each other via an elastic member,

wherein the holder includes a pin, and

wherein the lifting module includes an orbital ring configured to guide movement of the pin while the elastic member is compressed.

10. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the combiner is tilted about the pin when the elastic member is compressed by the driving force.

11. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a lower end of the holder is inclined downward in a forward direction.

12. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the combiner is tilted based on the driving force.

13. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slot cover configured to open and close the slot.

14. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the combiner assembly includes a lifting module, and

wherein the combiner-positioning apparatus further comprises a lever, the lever having a first end connected to the slot cover and a second end connected to the lifting module.

15. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the lever is rotatable about a rotational shaft, the rotational shaft being positioned closer to the lifting module than the slot cover when the combiner is retracted and covered.

16. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the lever is curved.

17. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the guide mechanism includes a movement guide rail,

wherein the combiner assembly includes a holder to hold the combiner, the holder including a combiner-moving boss, and the combiner-moving boss being movable along the movement guide rail, and

wherein the lever is connected to the combiner assembly via the combiner-moving boss.

18. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a crossbar link including a pair of pins,

wherein the combiner assembly includes a lifting module having a pair of lifting rails, and

wherein the pair of pins is linearly movable along the pair of lifting rails.

19. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the power transmitter comprises:

a bilateral lead screw; and

a worm gear module configured to transmit the driving force to the bilateral lead screw.

20. The combiner-positioning apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a pair of sliders, the pair of sliders being threadedly engaged with the bilateral lead screw, and the pair of sliders being connected to respective ends of the crossbar link.