Display depolarizer

• US 5,408,357 A
• Filed: 11/09/1992
• Issued: 04/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beukema, Jack A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US07/973,680
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 340/705, 362/83.1, 359/838, 359/839, 359/884, 359/872, 359/871, 359/804, 359/493, 359/494, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/488.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00

Abstract

A high-contrast reflective display for use under high ambient light conditions for individuals wearing sunglasses and particularly polarized sunglasses includes a reflective target for a light emitting source of information to be displayed. The target is a relatively thin transparent polymeric film having a metalized rear reflective surface. The film, in a preferred embodiment, is a Mylar film having a thickness of from about 0.001-0.005 inches with a neutral density tint. The metal coating was aluminum vacuumed deposited on the film layer. The composite target can be adhered to a support using a suitable bonding adhesive applied to the metalized film.

Claims

1. A vehicle accessory including a reflective display system for projecting an optical image to a viewer from a light emitting source of information to be displayed which projects light along an axis offset from the line-of-sight of the viewer, comprising:

an accessory housing;

a light emitting source generating information to be displayed to a viewer, said source mounted within said housing;

a target member positioned on said housing in spaced relationship to said source and in a viewer'"'"'s line-of-sight;

a highly reflective coating applied to said target member for receiving and reflecting incident light at an angle of about 45°

from said light emitting source such that optical energy directed toward a transparent film from said light emitting source is reflected in a viewer'"'"'s line-of-sight, said target member characteristically acting as a polarizer at said angle of about 45°

for polarizing said light from said light emitting source; and

a tinted transparent film applied to said reflective coating for preventing the polarization of light, said film being tinted whereby said target member and said tinted transparent film present a high contrast, non-polarized display to a viewer.

2. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 1 wherein said reflective coating is a metalized layer.

3. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 2 wherein a target support member is mounted at an acute, non-zero angle to said source.

4. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 3 including a self-sticking pressure sensitive adhesive layer on said metalized layer for adhering said metalized layer to a support member on said housing.

5. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 4 wherein said tinted film is a polyester film with a thickness of from 0.001 to 0.005 inch.

6. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 5 wherein said metalized film comprises aluminium.

7. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 6 wherein said source is a vacuum-fluorescent display.

8. A reflective display for reflecting unpolarized light from a light emitting display source in a rearview mirror to a viewer and for preventing significant polarization of such light such that viewers wearing polarized sunglasses can view the display information, comprising:

a target member including a surface oriented at about 45°

to the light from the light emitting display source;

a tinted transparent film;

a reflective metal coating on one side of said tinted film, said reflective metal coating characteristically acting as a polarizer at said angle of about 45°

for polarizing the light from said light emitting display source, but said tinted transparent film characteristically preventing the polarization of light at said angle; and

a self-sticking, pressure sensitive adhesive layer on said metal coating for mounting one side of said film to said surface of said target member in the rearview mirror such that light reflects from said metal coating through said tinted film to a viewer without being polarized thereby.

9. The display as defined in claim 8 wherein said tinted film comprises a tinted polyester film with a thickness of from about 0.001 to 0.005 inches.

10. The display as defined in claim 9 wherein said metal coating comprises aluminium vacuum deposited on said tinted polyester film.

11. A vehicle accessory assembly having a reflective target for projecting an optical image display to a viewer using a light emitting source positioned behind a rearview mirror and a target positioned on a rearview mirror housing, comprising:

accessory housing;

a light emitting source of information to be displayed, said light emitting source mounted within said housing;

target member mounted on said housing in spaced, aligned relationship to said light emitting source and including a highly reflective surface for reflecting optical energy directed toward said target from said light emitting source in line with a viewer'"'"'s line-of-sight, said highly reflective surface being oriented at about 45°

to the light emitted from said light emitting source, said angle causing said target member to characteristically act as a polarizer for polarizing light from said light emitting source; and

a transparent tinted layer of material positioned between said light emitting source and said target means for increasing the contrast of the displayed image such that a non-polarized optical energy is reflected from said target to present a high contrast display for viewing by an occupant of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle accessory assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing includes a target backing support for mounting said target member at an angle to said source.

13. The vehicle accessory assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said reflective surface is a metalized film.

14. The vehicle accessory assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said source is a vacuum fluorescent display.

15. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a rearview mirror housing;

a rearview mirror attached to the housing in a location so that, when mounted in a vehicle, a person operating the vehicle can see images behind the vehicle by looking at said rearview mirror;

a light emitting source mounted in said housing behind said rearview mirror for generating display information in the form of a pattern of light to be displayed to the person operating the vehicle; and

a reflector positioned on said housing for reflecting the pattern of light from said light emitting source toward the person at an angle of about 45°

to said reflector so that the display information can be seen, the reflector being made of a material which characteristically polarizes light reflected therefrom at said angle of about 45°

, and means covering said reflector to prevent the polarization of the reflected pattern of light so that a person, when wearing polarized sunglasses, can still see the pattern of light and read the display information.