Head-up display device for motor vehicles

• US 5,552,935 A
• Filed: 01/02/1991
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Konig, Winfried, Mock-Hecker, Rudiger, Knoll, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US07/646,758
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359/15, 359/19, 359/619, 359/629, 359/630, 359/483
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/12 lighting onto the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• 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

Head-up displays on motor vehicles often have double images and interfering reflections on the windshield. To avoid these, arrangements of linear polarization filters or shutter foils are suggested, which have particularly high light transmission. Arrangements of filter plates on a combiner inside of the windshield are also advantageous.

Claims

1. An optical device on a motor vehicle which has a windshield (24) for reflecting data in the form of displays, which are generated by display elements by means of a luminous flux in a well in the area of the instrument panel and are projected into the field of the vision of a driver of said vehicle via an optical device through an outlet opening of the well onto the windshield (24) of said vehicle and are reflected in this area by foils or plates, comprising

a first linear polarization filter (11) disposed in the path of the rays of the luminous flux (6) in the area of the outlet opening (3);

a second linear polarization filter (9) disposed in the area of the inside of the windshield (24) and extending with its direction of polarization aligned approximately perpendicularly to the polarization of the first polarization filter (11); and

wherein the second linear polarization filter (9) is disposed at the Brewster angle with respect to the path of the rays of the luminous flux (6).

2. An optical device in accordance with claim 1,

further comprising a transparent combiner (10) located inside of the windshield wherein the second polarization filter (9) is disposed on the transparent combiner (10).

3. An optical device in accordance with claim 2, further comprising,

a further display, located on the combiner (10), and having at least one liquid crystal display (LCD);

and

a third polarization filter (14) located

between the liquid crystal display (LCD) and the windshield (24), in the area of the liquid crystal display (LCD).

4. An optical device in accordance with claim 2,

wherein the angle of inclination of the combiner (10) is adjustable.

5. An optical device in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the second polarization filter (9) is disposed in an intermediate layer of the windshield (24).

6. An optical device in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the second polarization filter (9) is disposed in the lower area of the windshield (24).

7. An optical device in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the brightness of the virtual image, on the second polarization filter (9), is adjustable.

8. An optical device in accordance with claim 3, further comprising,

a lighting device (18) located in a space between the combiner (10) and the windshield (24) for illuminating said liquid crystal display (LCD).

9. An optical device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the angle of inclination of the combiner (10) is adjustable.

10. An optical device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the angle of inclination of the combiner (10) is adjustable.