Head-up display system including a uniformly reflecting layer and a selectively reflecting layer

• US 5,289,315 A
• Filed: 04/23/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Central Glass Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Central Glass Company Limited
• Inventors: Takamatsu, Atsushi, Tanaka, Katsuto, Makita, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US07/872,027
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 359/634, 359/630, 359/629, 359/589, 359/583, 428/428, 428/432
• US Class Current: 359/634
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0833 comprising inorganic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/28 Interference filters

Abstract

The present invention relates to a head-up display system which includes an element thereof. The element is attached to, for example, an automobile windshield so as to project light rays carrying images of display information onto the element from a luminous source in a car. The element includes first and second reflection layers. The first layer is directly attached to the windshield and has a relatively uniform reflectance throughout visible light spectrum. The second layer is directly formed on the first layer and has a selective reflection against incident visible light of wavelengths in the range from about 500 nm to about 600 nm. Thus, the light rays from the luminous source are displayed on the first and second layers in different colors.

Claims

1. A head-up display system including an element formed on a transparent substrate for projecting light rays carrying images of display information onto the element from a luminous image source, the element comprising:

a first reflection layer which is directly attached to the transparent substrate and onto which the light rays are to be projected, said first reflection layer having a certain reflection characteristic in terms of wavelength of the light rays; and

a second reflection layer which is directly formed on said first reflection layer and onto which the light rays are to be projected, said second reflection layer having another certain reflection characteristic in terms of wavelength of the light rays, wherein the light rays are relatively uniformly reflected by said first reflection layer throughout a visible light wavelength spectrum and selectively reflected, so that the light rays are primarily reflected in a narrow range of said visible light wavelength spectrum, by said second reflection layer, said narrow range extending from about 500 nm to about 600 nm.

2. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second reflection layers are transparent oxide films.

3. A head-up display system according to claim 2, wherein each of said first and second reflection layers is one of a binary oxide film formed of TiO₂ and SiO₂ and a binary oxide film formed of ZrO₂ and SiO₂.

4. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a laminated glass pane.

5. A head-up display system according to claim 4, wherein the laminated glass pane comprises a color glass sheet.

6. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein, with respect to the light rays of wavelengths in the range from 500 nm to 600 nm, reflectance of said second reflection layer is higher than that of said first reflection layer so as to display the images more markedly on the second reflection layer than on the first reflection layer.

7. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein a major surface of said first reflection layer is larger than that of said second reflection layer.

8. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein said second reflection layer is larger than said first reflection layer in thickness.

9. A head-up display system according to claim 1, wherein said transparent substrate is an automobile front windshield.

10. A head-up display system according to claim 6, wherein the light rays have wavelengths in the range from about 500 nm to about 600 nm.