Vehicle mirror with image display function and method of manufacturing the same

• US 10,800,333 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Anzai, Akihiro, Oki, Kazuhiro, Ichihashi, Mitsuyoshi, Taguchi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kakalec, Kimberly N.
• Application Number:
  US15/834,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20180105110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/083 Anti-glare mirrors, e.g. "day-night" mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3016 involving passive liquid crystal elements optical properties of liquid crystals G02F1/0063; polarising elements associated with active liquid crystal devices G02F1/133528
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1335 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13

Abstract

According to the invention, there are provided a vehicle minor with an image display function including: an image display device; and a half mirror, in which the half minor includes a reflection layer, and the reflection layer is inclined with respect to a surface of an image display portion of the image display device, and a method of manufacturing a vehicle mirror with an image display function including: positioning a half minor including a reflection layer on a surface of an image display portion of an image display device such that the half mirror is inclined with respect to the surface of the image display portion. In a vehicle minor with an image display function according to the invention, image visibility is hardly reduced by outside light.

Claims

1. A vehicle mirror with an image display function comprising:

an image display device; and

a half mirror,

wherein the half mirror includes a reflection layer, and

the reflection layer is inclined with respect to a surface of an image display portion of the image display device,

wherein the reflection layer is a circular polarization reflection layer,

wherein the circular polarization reflection layer includes (a) a cholesteric liquid crystal layer or (b) a linear polarization reflection plate and a ¼

wavelength plate, from the image display device side, and

when the circular polarization reflection layer includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the vehicle mirror with an image display function further comprises;

a ¼

wavelength plate,

wherein the vehicle mirror with an image display function includes the image display device, the ¼

wavelength plate, and the circular polarization reflection layer in this order,

wherein the circular polarization reflection layer is a layer in which a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase is fixed,

wherein the vehicle mirror with an image display function is a rearview mirror installed higher than a driver, and

the reflection layer is inclined with respect to the surface of the image display portion of the image display device such that a distance between the reflection layer and the surface of the image display portion of the image display device increases toward an upper part of the half mirror.

2. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein an inclination angle of the reflection layer with respect to the surface of the image display portion is 3°

to 10°

.

3. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1, when the circular polarization reflection layer includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer,

the circular polarization reflection layer includes three or more cholesteric liquid crystal layers.

4. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein the circular polarization reflection layer and the 1/4 wavelength plate are in direct contact with each other.

5. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein the half mirror includes a front surface plate, and

the vehicle mirror with an image display function includes the image display device, the reflection layer, and the front surface plate in this order.

6. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein an air layer is included between the surface of the image display portion and the half mirror.

7. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein an adhesive layer is included between the surface of the image display portion and the half mirror.

8. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1,

wherein the image display device and the half mirror are integrally formed in a frame provided on side surfaces of the half mirror.

9. The vehicle mirror with an image display function according to claim 1, wherein the image display device is a liquid crystal display device.