Head-up display device for motor vehicles

• US 5,566,025 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Knoll, Peter, Konig, Winfried, Mock-Hecker, Rudiger
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US08/443,933
• Time in Patent Office: 516 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 (2) in the area of the instrument panel and are projected into the field of vision of a driver of the vehicle via an optical device through an outlet opening of the well onto the windshield and are reflected in this area by foils or plates, the luminous flux (6) being deflected towards the driver at the plane of separation between air and foil or air and plate, comprising

a first slatted shutter (8) having horizontally extending reflectors (13) layered above one another, said first slatted shutter being disposed in the area of the inside of the windshield (24), and reflecting a portion of the luminous flux toward the driver,

the remaining portion of th luminous flux (6) being absorbed by the reflectors (13).

2. The optical device of claim 1, further including a second slatted shutter (7) having reflectors (13) arranged parallel to the luminous flux and disposed in the outlet opening (3) of the well (2).

3. The optical device of claim 1, further comprising

a transparent combiner (10) located inside of the windshield (24), said first shutter (8) being disposed on the transparent combiner (10).

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

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

5. An optical device in accordance with claim 3,

wherein

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

6. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the first shutter (8) is disposed in an intermediate layer of the windshield (24).

7. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the first shutter (8) is disposed in the lower area of the windshield (24).

8. The optical of claim 1, wherein the brighteners of the virtual image reflected by the first shutter (8) is adjustable.

9. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the reflectors (13) of the first slatted shutter (8) are aligned at the Brewster angle with respect to the path of rays of the luminous flux (6) incident on the slatter shutter (8) and hence the reflectors (13).