Information display device for motor vehicle
First Claim
1. In a motor vehicle having an instrument panel at a front portion of a vehicle cabin and first and second given positions in the vehicle cabin, said first and second given positions being laterally spaced with respect to the vehicle cabin, an information display device comprising:
- a housing installed in said instrument panel, said housing having a window opening which faces toward the vehicle cabin;
a first display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a first image is displayed;
a second display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a second image different from said first image is displayed;
an inclined half mirror installed in said housing, said half mirror being positioned above both said first and second display units, so that image forming light beams from the respective screens of the first and second display units are reflected toward a front of said vehicle by the half mirror; and
a concave mirror installed in said housing to reflect said image forming light beams from said half mirror toward the vehicle cabin through said window opening, the reflected image forming light beams from said concave mirror producing respective magnified virtual images of said first and second images,wherein the respective screens of said first and second display units are laterally spaced with respect to the vehicle cabin, so that the magnified virtual image of said first image can be viewed from only said first given position and the magnified virtual image of said second image can be viewed from only said second given position.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information display device comprises a housing installed in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle. The housing has a window opening facing toward the vehicle cabin. A first display device is installed in the housing and has a screen on which a first image is displayed. A second display device is installed in the housing and has a screen on which a second image is displayed. A half mirror is installed and inclined in the housing in a manner to cover the screens of both the first and second display devices, so that the image forming light beams from the screens are reflected backward by the half mirror. A concave mirror is installed in the housing behind the half mirror, so that the image forming light beams from the half mirror are reflected forward by the concave mirror. The first and second display devices are positioned at laterally spaced positions in the housing, so that first and second virtual magnified images produced by the respective light beams from the concave mirror can be viewed or recognized from only two positions respectively.
32 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. In a motor vehicle having an instrument panel at a front portion of a vehicle cabin and first and second given positions in the vehicle cabin, said first and second given positions being laterally spaced with respect to the vehicle cabin, an information display device comprising:
-
a housing installed in said instrument panel, said housing having a window opening which faces toward the vehicle cabin; a first display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a first image is displayed; a second display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a second image different from said first image is displayed; an inclined half mirror installed in said housing, said half mirror being positioned above both said first and second display units, so that image forming light beams from the respective screens of the first and second display units are reflected toward a front of said vehicle by the half mirror; and a concave mirror installed in said housing to reflect said image forming light beams from said half mirror toward the vehicle cabin through said window opening, the reflected image forming light beams from said concave mirror producing respective magnified virtual images of said first and second images, wherein the respective screens of said first and second display units are laterally spaced with respect to the vehicle cabin, so that the magnified virtual image of said first image can be viewed from only said first given position and the magnified virtual image of said second image can be viewed from only said second given position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. In a motor vehicle having an instrument panel at a front portion of a vehicle cabin, and first and second given positions in the vehicle cabin, said first and second given positions being laterally spaced with respect to the vehicle cabin, an information display device comprising:
-
a housing installed in said instrument panel, said housing having a single window opening which faces toward the vehicle cabin; a first display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a first image is displayed; a second display unit installed in said housing and having an upward facing screen on which a second image is displayed; an inclined half mirror installed in said housing and positioned above both said first and second display units, so that two types of image forming light beams from the respective screens of the first and second display units are reflected toward a front of said vehicle by the half mirror; and a concave mirror installed in said housing to reflect the two types of image forming light beams from said half mirror toward said first and second given positions of said vehicle cabin, respectively, through said single window opening to produce respective magnified virtual images of said first and second images, wherein the reflected two types of image forming light beams from said concave mirror are intersected with each other before reaching to said first and second given positions, and wherein said window opening is sized and arranged so as to permit the magnified virtual images of said first and second images to be viewed from only said first and second given positions, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. In a motor vehicle having an instrument panel at a front portion of a vehicle cabin and driver'"'"'s and front passenger'"'"'s seating positions in the vehicle cabin, an information display comprising:
-
a housing installed in said instrument panel, said housing having a window opening which faces toward the vehicle cabin; a first display unit installed in said housing at a position near said driver'"'"'s seating position, said first display unit having an upward facing screen on which a first image needed by a front seat passenger on said front passenger'"'"'s seating position is displayed; a second display unit installed in said housing at a position near said front passenger'"'"'s seating position, said second display unit having an upwardly facing screen on which a second image needed by a driver on said driver'"'"'s seating position is displayed; an inclined half mirror installed in said housing and positioned above both said first and second display units, so that two types of image forming light beams from the respective screens of said first and second display units are reflected toward a front of said vehicle by said half mirror; and a concave mirror installed in said housing to reflect the two types of image forming light beams from said half mirror toward said vehicle cabin through said window opening to produce respective magnified virtual images of the first and second images, wherein the reflected two types of image forming light beams from said concave mirror are intersected with each other before reaching to said front passenger'"'"'s and driver'"'"'s seating positions, so that the magnified virtual image of the first image can be viewed from only said front passenger'"'"'s seating position and the magnified virtual image of the second image can be viewed from only said driver'"'"'s seating position. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification