On-vehicle display unit

• US 6,580,562 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Takanori, Aoki, Kunimitsu, Nakamura, Go, Takada, Yoshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/910,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/633, 359/626, 359/13, 359/627, 359/629, 359/634, 359/639, 359/640, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 353/13, 353/28, 353/69
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/66 Projection screens or combiners
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

In the on-vehicle display unit 5, an indicated image on an indication surface 51a of the display 51 is reflected by a semi-transparent mirror 55 to be directed above a dashboard 1 through a window 59b formed in a cover plate 59a disposed on an upper surface 1a of the dashboard 1. Thereby, the image is projected on a windscreen 3. The semi-transparent mirror 55 is moved in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that the vertical position of a projection point P₁ or P₃ of the image S₁ or S₃ on the windscreen 3 is changed such that the image is superimposed over the foreground at which a driver of the vehicle is looking. The cover plate 59a is supported by a cover support construction 59c so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle relative to the upper surface 1a of the dashboard 1.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle display unit for projecting an image on a screen, the image displayed on a display in a dashboard of a vehicle, the screen disposed above the dashboard and extended diagonally in a vertical plane relative to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the screen being transparent so that the foreground is visible through the screen with the image projected on the screen being superimposed over the foreground, the on-vehicle display unit comprising:

a reflecting mirror disposed in the dashboard for reflecting light emitted from the image displayed on the display toward the screen;

wherein the reflecting mirror can be located at a plurality of different positions in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and

a second reflecting element spaced from the display in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the mirror is a semi-transparent mirror which can pass partially light emitted from the display toward the second reflecting element, the second reflecting element reflecting the light toward the semi-transparent mirror such that the light is reflected toward the screen by the semi-transparent mirror.

2. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a transfer mechanism supporting the mirror such that the mirror is movable in the longitudinal direction, wherein the transfer mechanism can locate the mirror at any of the different positions.

3. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the screen has a curved surface with different inclination angles relative to the longitudinal direction, and the transfer mechanism has an inclination angle adjusting device for changing the inclination angle of the mirror relative to the longitudinal direction in conformity with the inclination angle of the curved screen surface on which the image is projected when the mirror is moved in the longitudinal direction.

4. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of the mirrors and a mirror moving mechanism for selectively moving each of the mirrors forward and backward for reflecting light emitted from the image displayed on the display such that each of the mirrors can be located at each of the different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

5. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the screen has a curved surface with different inclination angles relative to the longitudinal direction, and each of the mirrors has a predetermined inclination angle relative to the longitudinal direction according to the inclination angle of the screen surface on which the image is projected.

6. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises an image magnifying optical element disposed in the dashboard for magnifying the image which is delivered to the semi-transparent mirror.

7. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the image magnifying optical element is a Fresnel lens having a flat surface at one side thereof and a Fresnel surface at the other side thereof, the flat surface facing the second reflecting element in an optical axis direction of the image emitted from the display.

8. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a window disposed on an upper surface of the dashboard and a transfer mechanism for moving the window in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the window partially allowing light of the image reflected from the mirror to pass through the window toward the screen.

9. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 8 which further comprises a window closing mechanism for closing the window.

10. An on-vehicle display unit for projecting an image on a screen by way of a mirror, the image displayed on a display in a dashboard of a vehicle, the screen disposed above the dashboard, the mirror being movable in the dashboard so that the image projected on the screen is movable, the on-vehicle display unit comprising:

a window disposed on an upper surface of the dashboard, the window partially allowing light of the image reflected from the mirror to pass through the window toward the screen and

a transfer mechanism for moving the window along the upper surface of the dashboard according to a variable position of the image projected on the screen.

11. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the mirror is inclined by a predetermined angle relative to a central optical axis of the image emitted from the display, the mirror being movable in the dashboard so as to align with the central optical axis, and the transfer mechanism can move the window to align the window with the central optical axis.

12. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein the mirror is supported by a holder, and the window is defined in a cover movably supported on the upper surface of the dashboard to align with the optical axis, the cover attached to the holder through a connection member.

13. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the window is defined in a cover movable on the upper surface of the dashboard in conformity with a variable position of the image on the screen, and the cover has a plurality of bar plates which are joined to one another along a folding line intersecting with a movement direction of the cover, each bar plate being foldable along the folding line.

14. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 10 which further comprises a closing mechanism for closing and opening the window.

15. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 10 wherein the window is covered by a transparent cover having a surface facing upward from the dashboard, the surface being treated with by a reflection limiting process.

16. The on-vehicle display unit as claimed in claim 10 which further comprises a transparent cover for covering the window and a shade defined at a periphery of the window, the shade raised from the upper surface of the dashboard, the cover having a surface facing upward above the dashboard, the surface being able to reflect light projected on the surface toward the shade.