Collimated projection system with wide horizontal field, with device to increase the vertical field

• US 5,137,348 A
• Filed: 04/16/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Lacroix, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dowling, William C.
• Application Number:
  US07/685,924
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 353/12, 353/11, 353/37, 353/30, 353/98, 353/99, 353/79, 353/122, 359/94, 359/443, 359/449, 359/451, 352/69, 434/38, 434/33, 434/34, 434/35, 434/40, 434/43, 434/44, 434/50
• US Class Current: 353/79
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/32 by projected image G09B9/307, G09B9/36 take precedence

Abstract

In a simulator for helicopters, the images seen are displayed through the bottom windows by means of a system collimated to infinity, including, for each side of the cockpit, a projector (15, 16), a spherical mirror (12, 13) and a screen (17, 18).

Claims

1. A projection system for cockpit-type simulators, comprising:

a first projection device collimated to infinity with a wide horizontal field, for displaying an upper part of a vertical field, said first projection device including several projectors, a spherical mirror with a wide horizontal field and a screen, said screen also having a wide horizontal field;

a second projection device collimated to infinity for displaying each one of two lower lateral parts of the vertical field, said second projection device including for each of said two lower lateral parts of the vertical field, a lower spherical mirror, a lower lateral screen and a lower projector.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the lower projectors are located on each side of a cockpit.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least the spherical mirror having a horizontal wide-field is rigid.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein at least the spherical mirror having a horizontal wide-field is made of glass.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein at least the spherical mirror having a horizontal wide-field is made of a plastic/foam/plastic sandwich material.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the lower projectors are of the light valve type.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the lower projectors are of the liquid crystal type.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the lower projectors are of the high brilliancy cathode-ray tube type.