Head-up display device

• US 8,519,362 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sekisui Chemical Company Limited (Sekisui)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Labrot, Michael, Jousse, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant, Casey
• Application Number:
  US12/933,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20110073773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 250/461.1
• US Class Current: 250/461.2
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10005 laminated safety glass or glazing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10669 Luminescent agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A laminated windshield incorporating a head up display device and a device displaying an image on such a laminated windshield. The windshield includes an assembly of two transparent sheets of inorganic glass or of an impact-resistant organic material of polycarbonate PC type, connected together by an insert of a thermoformable material or by a multilayer leaf incorporating such an insert, and at least one layer of at least one luminophore material chosen to respond to an exciting incident light wave in the ultraviolet or IR region by re-emitting light radiation in the visible region, the layer being positioned on the windshield, at an angle of vision of a driver, in a region of a layer of opaque material disposed on at least one of edges of the windshield.

Claims

1. A laminated windshield incorporating a head up display device, comprising:

an assembly of two transparent inorganic glass sheets connected together by an insert of a thermoformable material or by a multilayer leaf incorporating such an insert, in an order of;

a first sheet, of which one face of the first sheet is turned towards the outside of the vehicle and the other face of the first sheet is in contact with the insert or multilayer leaf, the other face of the first sheet being in addition coated on at least one of its edges with a layer of an opaque, non-transparent material, or black material,

a second sheet, of which one face of the second sheet is in contact with the insert or the multilayer leaf and the other face of the second sheet is turned towards the inside of the vehicle; and

at least one layer of at least one luminophore material chosen to respond to an exciting incident light wave in the ultraviolet or IR region by re-emitting light radiation in the visible region, the layer being positioned on the windshield, at an angle of vision of a driver, in a region of the layer of the opaque, non-transparent, or black material, and the at least one layer is deposited in a form of a pictogram drawn in a characteristic sign marking vehicle instructions, information, or imminent danger, of the at least one luminophore material chosen to respond to the exciting incident light wave in the ultraviolet or IR region by re-emitting light radiation in the visible region.

2. The windshield as claimed in claim 1:

wherein

the pictogram is positioned on the windshield at the angle of vision of the driver, in the region of the layer of opaque, non-transparent, or black material.

3. A device for displaying an image on a laminated windshield comprising:

a windshield as claimed in claim 2 and a source generating radiation in the UV or IR region, a beam of the radiation being directed towards a zone or zones of the windshield having the pictogram.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the source generating UV radiation may be chosen from sources of electroluminescent diode type, LED, UV laser sources, of solid laser type, a semiconductor diode laser, gas lasers, dye lasers, or an excimer laser.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the source generating UV radiation includes an LED grid.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a lens configured and disposed to concentrate incident UV radiation on the luminophore layer or pictogram.

7. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein an electroluminescent diode is dedicated to displaying the pictogram on the windshield.

8. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least two electroluminescent diodes are dedicated to displaying the pictogram on the windshield.

9. The display device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising

means for modulating power of the generating source according to at least two configurations:

a configuration for night vision, in which power of the source is adjusted so that luminance of the pictogram lies between approximately 30 and approximately 100 Cd/m², and

a configuration for daytime vision in which the power of the source is adjusted so that the luminance of the pictogram lies between approximately 200 and approximately 2000 Cd/m².

10. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the source generating radiation does not comprise a device that modulates and directs the exciting incident light wave.

11. The laminated windshield as claimed in claim 1, wherein the luminophore layer is disposed on the face of the insert or of the thermoplastic leaf turned towards a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

12. The laminated windshield as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoformable material constituting the insert is chosen from the group of PVBs, plasticized PVCs, polyurethane PU, or ethylene vinyl acetates EVA.

13. The laminated windshield as claimed claim 1, wherein the transparent sheets are connected together by a multilayer leaf incorporating a PVB insert, or a leaf comprising a succession of PVB/PET/PVB layers, in which PET is polyethylene terephthalate.

14. The laminated windshield as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a layer of material that does not reflect the exciting radiation, disposed in the assembly before the luminophore layer, or disposed on one of the faces of the second glass sheet.

15. The laminated windshield as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a layer of material reflecting visible light disposed in the assembly before the luminophore layer, or disposed on the inner face of the second glass sheet.