Head-up displaying device for a vehicle

• US 5,677,701 A
• Filed: 02/09/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuyama, Hideki, Kanamori, Naohito
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vail, Seth D.
• Application Number:
  US08/386,151
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/2, 353/13, 353/14, 353/28, 353/29, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 359/1, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/19, 359/22, 359/24, 359/630-633, 359/844, 359/859, 248/349.1, 248/346.1, 248/225.11, 248/229.16, 248/229.26
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0181 Adaptation to the pilot/driver
• 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 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

All components and parts of a head-up displaying device are formed in a unit and secured to a dashboard or a rear panel of a vehicle. The displaying device has a case composed of a base member, a bottom plate and a cover. The base member is secured to the dashboard or the rear panel and forms a turntable with the bottom plate. An image projection unit, a control unit and a reflecting member are housed in the case, and a foldable flat combiner is pivotally secured to the cover of the case. A shade member is formed on the cover to prevent the image projection unit from coming into the driver'"'"'s line of sight. The combiner is held by a holder which forms a hinge using clips secured to the case and shafts formed on the sides of the holder so that the inclination angle of the combiner may be adjusted. The combiner encloses a reflection hologram and an aspherical concave lens formed on the reflection hologram with glass panes or transparent plates made of resinous material which are covered with anti-reflection coatings.

Claims

1. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a case secured to a vehicle interior and having an opening;

a projecting means disposed in said case for projecting a display image;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said projection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside said case;

a combiner secured to said case to receive said display image at said spot for focussing said display image into a virtual image; and

a hinge member connecting said case and said combiner so that said combiner may be inclined;

said hinge member comprises a holder to hold said combiner, said holder having shafts on both sides thereof and U-shaped clips having open ends fitted into said case for securing said shafts therein with such a frictional force as to hold said combiner at a given inclination angle.

2. A head-up displaying device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a turning member disposed between said case and said vehicle interior for rotatably connecting said case with said vehicle interior to adjust said virtual image in a horizontal direction.

3. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said combiner comprises a reflection hologram assembly.

4. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said combiner further comprises two glass panes for covering said hologram assembly on opposite sides thereof and an anti-reflection coating formed on a side of at least one of said glass panes.

5. A head-up displaying device according to claim 1, wherein said case comprises a shade member formed adjacent to said opening on an upper portion of said case for preventing said image projection member from coming into a line of sight of a person viewing said virtual image.

6. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said projecting means comprises a liquid crystal panel forming a prescribed image pattern and a light source, whereby a light beam emitted by said source and passing through said liquid crystal panel is projected as said display image.

7. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a case secured to a vehicle interior and having an opening;

a projecting means disposed in said case for projecting a display image;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said projection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside said case; and

a combiner secured to said case to receive said display image at said spot for focussing said display image into a virtual image;

wherein said combiner comprises a reflection hologram assembly, and

said hologram assembly comprises an aspherical concave lens formed on a surface of a reflection hologram for magnifying said virtual image.

8. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 7 further comprising:

an optical sensor for sensing an ambient light level; and

control means disposed in said case and connected to said optical sensor for automatically dimming said display image in response to an increase in the ambient light level sensed by said optical sensor.

9. A head-up displaying device comprising:

a case secured to a vehicle interior and having an opening;

a projecting means disposed in said case for projecting a display image;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said protection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside said case and;

a combiner secured to said case to receive said display image at said spot for focusing said display image into a virtual image,

wherein said case further comprises a recess formed at an upper surface thereof for use as a tray member.

10. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a case rotatably mounted on a portion of a vehicle and having an opening;

a unit disposed in said case for projecting a display image to be displayed;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said projection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside said case; and

combiner means, secured to said case, for receiving said display image at said spot, magnifying said display image and focussing the magnified image as a virtual image at a point outside said combiner means;

wherein said combiner means comprises a hologram with an aspherical concave lens formed thereon to magnify said display image received thereon.

11. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said combiner means further comprises a hinge connected to said case for changing a vertical position of said virtual image.

12. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said combiner means further comprises a hinge connected to said case to selectively position said combiner means to cover said opening.

13. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said combiner means further comprises a pair of transparent plates covering said hologram on both sides and a anti-reflection coating formed on at least one of said transparent plates on a side of said at least one plate opposite said hologram.

14. A head-up displaying device according to claim 13, wherein said combiner means comprises a hinge connected to said case to selectively position said combiner means.

15. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a case rotatably mounted on a portion of a vehicle and having an opening;

a unit disposed in said case for projecting a display image to be displayed;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said projection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside case; and

combiner means, secured to said case, for receiving said display image at said spot, magnifying said display image and focussing the magnified image as a virtual image at a point outside said combiner means;

wherein said combiner means further comprises a hinge connected to said case for changing a vertical position of said virtual image, and

said hinge comprises a holder connected to said case which has two shafts formed on its ends and two U-shaped clips fitted in said case for holding corresponding shafts therein by a frictional retaining force.

16. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle comprising:

a case having an opening and being rotatably mounted on a front portion of a vehicle;

a unit disposed in said case for projecting a display image;

a reflecting member, disposed in said case and facing said projection unit, for directing said display image through said opening toward a prescribed spot outside said case; and

combiner means secured to said case, for receiving said display image at said spot on a first side of said combiner means magnifying said display image and focusing the magnified image as a virtual image at a point on a second side of said combiner means opposite said first side;

wherein said combiner means comprises a hinge connected to said case to selectively position said combiner means to cover said opening, and

said hinge comprises a holder connected to said case which has two shafts formed on its ends and two U-shaped clips fitted in said case for holding corresponding shafts therein by a frictional retaining force.

17. A head-up displaying device for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said combiner means further comprises a pair of transparent plates covering said hologram on both sides and an anti-reflection coating formed on at least one of said transparent plates on a side of said at least one plate opposite said hologram.

18. A head-up displaying device according to claim 16 further comprising:

a turning member disposed between said casing and said front portion of said vehicle for rotatably connecting said case with said front portion to adjust said virtual image in a horizontal direction.