Display unit for vehicles

• US 6,563,649 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Furuya, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): O NEILL, GARY W
• Application Number:
  US09/921,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 359/625, 359/627, 359/629, 359/630, 359/640, 359/495, 359/496, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/10, 349/57
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• 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

The object is to display an image projected by a display device, installed in a vehicle dashboard, for displaying an information data in the optimum field of vision for a driver and to make a driver recognize visually.

Projected light (image) by a liquid crystal display 12 is polarized (horizontal polarization) by a polarizing plate 12a mounted on the surface of the liquid crystal display 12 and reaches the first polarizing plate 9 through a prism 11. Since the polarizing direction of the first polarizing plate 9 is perpendicular to that of the polarizing plate 12a, the projected image is reflected toward a eye position 6 by the first polarizing plate 9. External incident light on the area AR1, limited by the first polarizing plate 9, is polarized (vertical polarization) by passing the first polarizing plate 9. When the vertical polarized external light goes through the prism 11, the external light is attenuated by the horizontally polarizing plate 12a in front of the liquid crystal display 12 and then the external incident light is cut off on the liquid crystal display.

Claims

1. A display unit for vehicles comprising a display device, installed in a dashboard, for displaying information data, and a reflecting member placed under a windshield to make a driver recognize visually by reflecting a displayed image of the display device, wherein the reflecting member has a prism placed above the display device and a first polarizing means for reflecting the displayed image of the display device passed through the prism toward a direction of a driver'"'"'s field of vision, wherein at least one of the display device or the prism has, on a surface thereof, a second polarizing means, a polarizing direction of which is perpendicular to that of the first polarizing means.

2. The display unit for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting member has the second polarizing means on the surface of the display device.

3. The display unit for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting member has the second polarizing means on the surface of the prism.

4. A display unit for vehicles comprising a display device, installed in a dashboard, for displaying information data and a reflecting member, placed under a windshield, to make a driver recognize visually by reflecting a displayed image of the display device, where in the reflecting member has a selfoc lens with prescribed limit incident angle placed over the display device, and a first polarizing means for reflecting the image of the display device, passed through the selfoc lens, toward a direction of a driver'"'"'s field of vision, wherein the selfoc lens has, on a surface thereof, a second polarizing means a polarizing direction which is perpendicular to that of the first polarizing means.

5. The display unit for vehicles according to claim 4, wherein the limit incident angle area of the above selfoc lens can cover the reflecting field of the first polarizing means.