Car display layout structure

• US 6,049,288 A
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/019,557
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/815.49, 340/815.4, 340/815.83, 340/815.86, 340/461, 248/27.1, 455/347, 455/348, 348/837, 345/7
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments

Abstract

A display can be retractably provided on an upper surface of an instrument panel. The display can be arranged such that it is not overlapped with an operation lever in a parking position P and a driving position D, to which the operation lever is frequently shifted during driving, in the course of eyeshot of the driver in a driver'"'"'s seat. Hence, the operation lever never obstructs the driver'"'"'s eyeshot looking at a screen of the display. As a result, the driver can easily monitor or watch the screen of the display without obstruction.

Claims

1. A car display layout structure comprising:

a display arranged in a substantially central area of an upper surface of an instrument panel in a width direction of a vehicle; and

an operation lever arranged on a steering wheel side relative to the display, the operation lever extending toward a center in width direction of the vehicle and shifted in a substantially vertical direction between the display and the steering wheel;

wherein

the operation lever is shifted to at least a horizontal position and an upwardly inclined position, and

the display is arranged such that the operation lever in the upwardly inclined position is positioned at a refuge position displaced from a line connecting a driver'"'"'s eyepoint with the display.

2. A car display layout structure according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly inclined position other than a driving position.

3. A car display layout structure comprising:

a case fitted onto an upper surface of an instrument panel, the case including an opening portion on an upper surface thereof;

a display capable of being set to an accommodated state and a standing state, the display in the accommodated state being laid in the case, the display in the standing state being set upright out of the case through the opening portion; and

a hood being laid and closing the opening portion of the case when the display is in the accommodated state, the hood being stood up and opening the opening portion according to a standing operation of the display, the hood being positioned below a tangent line passing though a driver'"'"'s eyepoint to a car hood during the standing operation of the display, and the hood including a portion extending from a top end of the display during the standing operation of the display, and wherein

the display includes a display panel faced to a bottom of the case when the display is in the accommodated state,

a rotating member is attached to rear top end portion of the display in the accommodated state so as to project from a top surface of the display, and

the rotating member comes into contact with a back surface of the hood and pushes up the hood to open the opening portion during the standing operation of the display.

4. A car display layout structure according to claim 3, wherein

a rib in opposition to the rotating member is arranged on the back surface of the hood, and

the rotating member of the display slides on the rib.

5. A car display layout structure comprising:

a case fitted onto an upper surface of an instrument panel, the case including an opening portion on an upper surface thereof;

a display capable of being set to an accommodated state and a standing state, the display in the accommodated state being laid in the case, the display in the standing state being set upright out of the case through the opening portion; and

a hood being laid and closing the opening portion of the case when the display is in the accommodated state, the hood being stood up and opening the opening portion according to a standing operation of the display, the hood being positioned below a tangent line passing through a driver'"'"'s eyepoint to a car hood during the standing operation of the display, and the hood including a portion extending from a top end of the display during the standing operation of the display;

wherein

the hood is made of two members consisting of a first hood and a second hood in order to reduce a height of the hood projected from the opening portion when the display is in the standing state, and

the first hood and the second hood are connected foldably into two pieces such that back surfaces of the first hood and the second hood are opposed to each other when the display is in the standing state.

6. A car display layout structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first hood is biased by a first biasing member so as to close the opening portion,

the second hood is biased by a second biasing member so as to close the opening portion, and

biasing force from the second biasing member is set smaller than biasing force from the first biasing member.

7. A car display layout structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first hood and the second hood are folded into two pieces along a back and forth direction when the display is in the standing state and,

the second hood positioned on a rear side of the hood is folded downward, extends from a top end of the display, and intercepts a light incident into the display panel when the display is in the standing state.

8. A car display layout structure according to claim 7, wherein

a front end of the display in the accommodated state is supported by a pin member rotatably and slidably in a back and forth direction along a guiding member provided in the case,

an upper surface portion of the display is supported by a rotating plate whose one end is supported rotatably to the case,

the second hood is biased by a biasing member with respect to the first hood so as to close the opening portion,

a front end portion of the display in the accommodated state is gradually shifted towards a rear end of the opening portion in a middle of the standing operation of the display,

a rear upper end portion of the display in the accommodated state is shifted forward and upward so as to first come into contact with a back surface of the second hood and then come into contact with a back surface of the first hood in the middle of the standing operation of the display,

the first and second are pushed up integrally when the rear upper end portion of the display is in contact with the second hood, and

the second hood is folded downward by the biasing member when the rear upper end portion of the display is in contact with the first hood.

9. A car display layout structure comprising:

a case fitted onto an upper surface of an instrument panel, the case including an opening portion on an upper surface thereof;

a display capable of being set to an accommodated state and a standing state, the display in the accommodated state being laid in the case, the display in the standing state being set upright out of the case through the opening portion; and

a hood being laid and closing the opening portion of the case when the display is in the accommodated state, the hood being stood up and opening the opening portion according to a standing operation of the display, the hood being positioned below a tangent line passing though a driver'"'"'s eyepoint to a car hood during the standing operation of the display, and the hood including an end portion extending from a top end of the display during the standing operation of the display, wherein

the display arranged under a front window panel,

a tangent line passing through the driver'"'"'s eyepoint to the end portion of the hood passes through a front window panel as the display is set to the standing state, and

the end portion of the hood extends in an opposite direction to the front window panel as the display is set to the standing state.

10. A car display layout structure according to claim 9, wherein

the hood is made of two members consisting of a first hood and a second hood in order to reduce a height of the hood projected from the opening portion when the display is in the standing state, and

the first hood and the second hood are connected foldably into two pieces such that back surfaces of the first hood and the second hood are opposed to each other when the display is in the standing state.

11. A car display layout structure according to claim 10, wherein

the first hood and the second hood are folded into two pieces along a back and forth direction when the display is in the standing state and,

the second hood positioned on a rear side of the hood is folded downward, extends from a top end of the display, and intercepts a light incident into the display panel when the display is in the standing state.

12. A car display layout structure according to claim 9, wherein

an rear end of the hood is positioned below a tangent line passing through driver'"'"'s eyepoint to the car body hood when the display is in the standing state.

13. A car display layout structure according to claim 12, wherein

a steering wheel is arranged on a driver side relative to the display,

an operation lever shifted in a substantially vertical direction is arranged between the display and the steering wheel, and

a display panel of the display in the standing state is arranged such that the operation lever which is shifted to at least one of a driving position and a parking position is positioned at a refuge position displaced from a line connecting driver'"'"'s eyepoint with the display.

14. A car display layout structure according to claim 9, wherein

the display includes a display panel faced to a bottom of the case when the display is in the accommodated state.

15. A car display layout structure according to claim 14, wherein

the case includes a ventilating hole penetrating through the bottom thereof,

the display panel of the display comes into contact with an air passing through the ventilating hole when the display is in the accommodated state.

16. A car display layout structure according to claim 15, wherein

the instrument panel includes a through hole capable of introducing a air in a compartment into the ventilating hole.

17. A car display layout structure according to claim 9, wherein

a front end of the display in the accommodated state is supported by a pin member rotatable and slidably in a back and forth direction, and

the display is supported by a rotating plate whose one end is supported rotatably to the case.

18. A car display layout structure according to claim 17, wherein

the pin member slides back and forth along a guiding member provided in the case,

the guiding member is formed to be inclined front-downward such that its front end is positioned lower and its rear end is positioned higher, and

a lower end of the display is gradually shifted up toward the opening portion of the case during the standing operation.

19. A car display layout structure according to claim 18, wherein

one end of the rotating plate is supported rotatably to an axis on a front side of the case and other end of the rotating plate is supported rotatably to an upper surface of the display in the accommodated state, and

the lower end of the display is gradually shifted toward a rear end of the opening portion during the standing operation.