Automotive display apparatus including a reflection member movable into and out of a light path

• US 5,140,465 A
• Filed: 04/02/1991
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masao, Itami, Kazuhrio, Yasui, Katsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, John W.
• Application Number:
  US07/679,496
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 350/174, 340/705
• US Class Current: 359/631
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, the automotive display apparatus has two concave mirrors arranged below the windshield in such a way that light from the display of an indicator which shows driving condition information such as car speed is reflected by one of the concave mirrors toward the other concave mirror, which then reflects the light toward the windshield that further directs it toward the driver'"'"'s seat. A drive can thus see a remotely formed virtual display image within a viewing field of the windshield. The first concave mirror, which directly receives light from the indicator and reflects it toward the second concave mirror, is mounted on a plane mirror in such a manner that it can be moved into or out of a light path that extends from the indicator to the second concave mirror. When the first concave mirror is in the light path, the display image is magnified and hence the virtual display image is formed at a remote position from the driver. When the first concave mirror is moved out of the light path, the light is simply reflected by the plane mirror and not magnified so that the virtual display image is formed at a position closer to the driver than the first position. The virtual image position is changed according to the car speed. Other embodiments of the invention include mounting the automotive display apparatus on the ceiling of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An automotive display apparatus comprising:

an indicator for displaying information on driving conditions;

a first magnifying reflection member arranged below a windshield for reflecting light from a display of said indicator to a reflection surface located in front of a driver'"'"'s seat which further directs the light toward the driver'"'"'s seat;

a second magnifying reflection member arranged in a spaced relationship from said first magnifying reflection member for reflecting the light from the display of said indicator toward said first magnifying reflection member,

said first and second magnifying reflection members having focal lengths set so that said indicator lies within a combined focus of said first and second magnifying reflection members such that a driver can see a magnified display image of said indicator within a viewing field of the windshield at a remote position; and

a third reflection member located adjacent to one of said first and second magnifying reflection members in a substantially parallel relationship therewith and having a smaller magnifying power than that of said one of said first and second magnifying reflection members,

wherein one of said two adjacently located reflection members which is located on an inner side to face the other spacedly arranged magnifying reflection member is movable into or out of a light path which extends from said indicator to the reflection surface so that switching said one of said two adjacently arranged reflection members between an in-the-path position and an out-of-the-path position changes a distance from the windshield to the magnified display image.

2. An automotive display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third reflection member is located adjacent to said second magnifying reflection member.

3. An automotive display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third reflection member is a plane mirror.

4. An automotive display apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims 1 to 3, wherein the switching of the distance to the magnified display image is performed when a vehicle speed exceeds a preset speed.