Indication device

Abstract

To provide a display device that can be miniaturized. [Solution] The display device 10 for displaying display content D1 comprises a transparent resin plate 21, a printed layer 22 formed on the resin plate 21 which displays colored areas E1 and E2 of a specific color in a visible state when no light is incident from the back, and is formed so that the colored areas E1 and E2 of the specific color are not visible when light is incident from the back, and a dimming unit 23 located on the back side of the resin plate 21 which dimmes the light from the back to the printed layer 22. The printed layer 22 is made visible to the viewer by the dimming unit 23 setting a light-shielding state in an area of ​​the shape corresponding to the display content D1 and displaying black display content C1, and by the dimming unit 23 setting a light-transmitting state in an area of ​​the shape corresponding to the display content D1 and not displaying black display content C1, the display content D1 of the specific color is made invisible to the viewer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a display device.

Background Art

[0002] The display described in Patent Document 1 includes a display panel having a plurality of indicator display portions, and a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on the back side of the display panel for lighting the indicator display portions respectively.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the configuration described in the above Patent Document 1, since a plurality of light-emitting elements are disposed on the back side of the display panel, the size of the display is increased.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide a display device capable of achieving miniaturization.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, a display device according to this disclosure is a display device for displaying display content, a transparent resin plate, an appearance switching layer formed on the resin plate, which displays a specific color visibly when light does not enter from the back side, and is formed so that the specific color is not visible when light enters from the back side, a light control portion located on the back side of the resin plate for controlling the light from the back side to the appearance switching layer, and includes the appearance switching layer is The dimming unit makes the display content of a specific color visible to the viewer by shaping an area corresponding to the shape of the display content into a light-shielding state. The dimming unit makes the area corresponding to the shape of the display content transparent, thereby making the display content of a specific color invisible to the viewer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, miniaturization can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a display device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a printed layer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the printing layer and dimming unit when displaying content according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the printed layer and dimming unit when the display content is hidden according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A display device according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This display device is mounted on a vehicle, for example, a motorcycle. As shown in Figure 1, the display device 10 includes a first display unit 20, a second display unit 30, and an illumination unit 40. In the following explanation, the X direction is the left-right direction from the viewer's perspective, the Y direction is the up-down direction from the viewer's perspective, and the Z direction is the depth direction from the viewer's perspective.

[0010] The second display unit 30 displays vehicle information such as vehicle speed, remaining fuel, and navigation information, or entertainment information. The second display unit 30 comprises a display panel 31, a case 32, and an illumination unit (not shown). The case 32 is made of a light-shielding resin or metal and houses the display panel 31 and the illumination unit (not shown). The case 32 has an opening 32a that opens towards the viewer (mainly the driver). The opening 32a has a rectangular shape that is long in the X direction and short in the Y direction.

[0011] The display panel 31 is positioned inside the case 32 so as to cover the opening 32a. The display panel 31 is a rectangular plate that is long in the X direction and short in the Y direction. The display panel 31 is a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type liquid crystal panel. Under the control of the control unit (not shown), the display panel 31 receives illumination light from the illumination unit (not shown) while displaying vehicle information, etc. This makes the display image on the display panel 31 visible to the viewer.

[0012] The first display unit 20 displays display content D1 and D2 within areas A1 and A2, respectively. Display content D1 and D2 consist of characters, shapes, and / or symbols. Area A1 and display content D1 are located above area A2 and display content D2. Display content D1 is a warning icon, specifically a symbol with an exclamation mark inside a triangle. Display content D2 is a directional arrow. The first display unit 20 is installed on the top surface of the second display unit 30. The first display unit 20 is shaped like a rectangular plate, longer in the X direction and shorter in the Y direction.

[0013] The thickness (length in the Z direction) of the first display unit 20 is formed to be thinner than the thickness of the second display unit 30. The length of the first display unit 20 in the Y direction is formed to be shorter than the length of the second display unit 30 in the Y direction. The length of the first display unit 20 in the X direction is formed to be approximately the same length as the opening 32a of the second display unit 30.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the first display 20 includes a resin plate 21, a printing layer 22, a dimming unit 23, and an adhesive layer 24. The resin plate 21, the printing layer 22, the dimming unit 23, and the adhesive layer 24 are laminated so as to be arranged in the Z direction. The first display 20 is not covered by a case or the like and is configured to directly receive external light SL such as sunlight.

[0015] The resin plate 21 is formed of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate or PMMA (acrylic). Among the components of the first display 20, the resin plate 21 is located on the front side closest to the viewer P. The resin plate 21 is not limited to a transparent resin material and may be a light-transmitting material. For example, it may be formed of transparent glass or the like.

[0016] The printing layer 22 is formed on the back surface of the resin plate 21. The printing layer 22 is a visual recognition state switching layer whose visibility from the viewer P changes according to the surrounding light conditions. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the printing layer 22 includes colored regions E1 and E2 colored with a specific color. The colored region E1 is set in an area corresponding to the region A1, and the colored region E2 is set in an area corresponding to the region A2. This specific color is a color, for example, yellow, red, orange, blue, light blue, black, green, white, wood grain color, or metallic color. The colored regions E1 and E2 may be different colors or the same color according to the contents of the display contents D1 and D2. Also, a plurality of colors among the specific colors may be used within one colored region E1 or E2. The regions other than the colored regions E1 and E2 of the printing layer 22 are formed so as to be colorless and transparent when viewed from the viewer P.

[0017] The colored regions E1 and E2 of the printing layer 22 are visible to the viewer P when the back side of the colored regions E1 and E2 is shielded from light, and are invisible when the back side of the colored regions E1 and E2 is not shielded from light. In the example shown in Figure 2, the light-adjusting unit 23 shields the back side of the colored region E1, while leaving the back side of the colored region E2 unshielded. In this case, ambient light SL, such as sunlight, is reflected by the colored region E1, and the reflected light Sr becomes stronger than the transmitted light that passes through the colored region E1. The viewer P receives this reflected light Sr and becomes able to see the colored region E1. Furthermore, because the transmitted light St, which is the ambient light SL that passes through the colored region E2, becomes stronger than the reflected light, the colored region E2 becomes invisible to the viewer P and appears colorless and transparent.

[0018] The printed layer 22 employs a known screen printing technique that switches between two printed layers, one visible to the viewer, depending on whether the light source is on or off. A printed material using this known technique comprises two printed layers, an RGBW printed layer and a CMYK printed layer, and a smoke layer between the two printed layers. The RGBW printed layer is located on the viewpoint side, and the CMYK printed layer is located on the light source side. The interference light from the halftone dots on the RGBW printed layer and the transmitted light from the halftone dots on the CMYK printed layer are additively mixed by the human eye. For example, when the light source is turned off, the image on the RGBW printed layer, which is in front of the viewpoint, is visible due to reflected ambient light. When the light source is turned on, the light transmitted from the light source through the CMYK printed layer becomes stronger, and the image on the CMYK printed layer becomes visible. In the printing layer 22 of this embodiment, instead of switching the light source on and off as in the known technology, the visibility of the colored areas E1 and E2 of the printing layer 22 corresponding to the RGBW printing layer is switched by the dimming unit 23 to switch whether or not light is blocked on the back side of the printing layer 22. The printing layer 22 comprises a first color pattern layer composed of a plurality of first color dots, a second color pattern layer composed of a plurality of second color dots provided on the first color pattern layer, and a third color pattern layer composed of a plurality of third color dots provided on the second color pattern layer.

[0019] The dimming section 23 is bonded to the back of the printed layer 22 via an adhesive layer 24. The adhesive layer 24 consists of an optical clear adhesive (OCA) or an optical clear resin (OCR).

[0020] The dimming unit 23 is a liquid crystal display, specifically a passively driven segment-type liquid crystal display (LCD). The dimming unit 23, under the control of the control unit (not shown), switches between a light-shielding state and a light-transmitting state for each segment, thereby switching the black display content C1 and C2 in areas A1 and A2 between a display state and a hidden state, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the back side of the printed layer 22 is shielded from light by the displayed black content C1 and C2. As a result, ambient light SL is reflected at the locations corresponding to the black content C1 and C2 within the colored regions E1 and E2, and this reflected light Sr reaches the viewer P. This makes the display content D1 and D2 of specific colors visible within the colored regions E1 and E2 of the printed layer 22.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, when the black display content C1 and C2 disappears, the ambient light SL that passes through the colored areas E1 and E2 becomes dominant, and the display content D1 and D2 of the specific color cannot be seen within the colored areas E1 and E2 of the printed layer 22, making the colored areas E1 and E2 appear colorless and transparent. As described above, when the black-displayed content C1 and C2 are switched between the displayed and hidden states, the displayed content D1 and D2 are switched between the displayed and hidden states.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the illumination unit 40 emits illumination light IL towards the first display unit 20 from the front lower side of the first display unit 20 to illuminate the first display unit 20. The illumination unit 40 is provided on the upper surface of the case 32 of the display panel 31 and is elongated along the X direction. The illumination unit 40 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) and is turned on at night and off during the day. The lighting unit 40 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a light guide, etc. The lighting unit 40 may also be equipped with a collimator lens to enhance the directivity of the light directed toward the first display unit 20. The illumination light IL from the lighting unit 40 acts in the same way as the ambient light SL (sunlight) described above. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 6, the back side of the colored area E1 is shielded from light. In this case, the viewer P receives reflected light Sr from the illumination light IL reflected by the colored area E1, making the colored area E1, and consequently the displayed content D1, visible. On the other hand, the back side of the colored area E2 is not shielded from light, and the illumination light IL passes through the colored area E2, making the colored area E2, and consequently the displayed content D2, invisible. In this way, it becomes possible to switch the display of content D1 and D2 on and off, even at night.

[0024] (effect) According to the embodiment described above, the following effects are achieved. (1) The display device 10 for displaying display content D1 and D2 comprises a transparent resin plate 21, a printed layer 22 which is an example of an appearance switching layer formed on the resin plate 21 and which displays colored areas E1 and E2 of a specific color in a visible state when no light is incident from the back side, and is formed so that the colored areas E1 and E2 of a specific color are not visible when light is incident from the back side, and a dimming unit 23 located on the back side of the resin plate 21 for dimming the light from the back side to the printed layer 22. The printed layer 22 is made visible to the viewer by the dimming unit 23 by making areas of the shape corresponding to the display content D1 and D2 a light-shielding state and displaying black display content C1 and C2, and by making areas of the shape corresponding to the display content D1 and D2 a light-transmitting state and not displaying black display content C1 and C2, thereby making the display content D1 and D2 of a specific color invisible to the viewer. With this configuration, the display of display content D1 and D2 can be switched on and off depending on whether the dimming unit 23 blocks light or not, and there is no need to place light source elements such as LEDs on the back side of the printed layer 22. Therefore, the display device 10 can be made smaller. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to increase the luminescence brightness of the light-emitting element to improve the visibility of the indicator display under sunlight, which increases power consumption. In this respect, the above configuration makes it possible to display specific colored display content D1 and D2 using ambient light SL such as sunlight, thus reducing the power consumption related to the illumination of the LEDs.

[0025] (2) The display device 10 is located closer to the viewer than the resin plate 21 and includes an illumination unit 40 that emits illumination light IL onto the printed layer 22. With this configuration, even at night, the illumination light IL makes it possible to see the display content D1 and D2 of specific colors.

[0026] (3) The display device 10 includes an adhesive layer 24 that allows light to pass through between the printed layer 22 and the dimming unit 23. With this configuration, the adhesive layer 24 prevents a gap from forming between the printing layer 22 and the dimming section 23, thereby improving the display quality of the display content D1 and D2.

[0027] (4) The dimming unit 23 is a segment-type liquid crystal display, and switches between a display state and a non-display state of black display content C1 and C2 corresponding to display content D1 and D2, and by displaying the black display content C1 and C2, it puts the area corresponding to the shape of display content D1 and D2 into a light-shielding state. This configuration allows the dimming unit 23 to be constructed inexpensively and simply. Furthermore, even when using a segment-type liquid crystal display, the dimming unit 23 and the printing layer 22 work together to display specific color content D1 and D2.

[0028] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and drawings described above. Modifications (including the deletion of components) can be made as appropriate, provided they do not alter the essence of this disclosure. An example of such a modification is described below.

[0029] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the display device 10 was mounted on a motorcycle, but it may also be mounted on a vehicle other than a motorcycle (including construction machinery). Furthermore, the display device 10 does not have to be mounted in a vehicle and may be a standalone product.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the printed layer 22 appeared colorless and transparent when the back side of the colored regions E1 and E2 was not shielded from light. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the colored regions E1 and E2 of the printed layer 22 may be visible as white or cream when the back side of the colored regions E1 and E2 is not shielded from light. In the above embodiment, the lighting unit 40 was provided on the upper surface of the case 32, but it may be provided at a location away from the case 32. In the above embodiment, the lighting unit 40 may be illuminated even during the daytime. In the above embodiment, the lighting unit 40 may be omitted. In the above embodiment, the second indicator 30 may be a pointer-type indicator. In the above embodiment, the second display unit 30 may be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 10…Display device, 20…First display unit, 21…Resin plate, 22…Printed layer, 23…Dimming unit, 24…Adhesive layer, 30…Second display unit, 31…Display panel, 32…Case, 32a…Opening, 40…Illumination unit, A1, A2…Area, C1, C2…Black display content, D1, D2…Display content, E1, E2…Colored area, P…Viewer, IL…Illumination light, SL…External light, Sr…Reflected light, St…Transmitted light

Claims

1. A display device that displays content, A transparent resin plate, An appearance switching layer is formed on the resin plate, which displays a specific color visibly when no light is incident from the back side, and is formed so that the specific color is not visible when light is incident from the back side. The resin plate is located on the back side and includes a dimming unit that dims the light from the back side to the exterior switching layer, The aforementioned appearance switching layer is The dimming unit makes the display content of a specific color visible to the viewer by shaping an area corresponding to the shape of the display content into a light-shielding state. The dimming unit makes the area corresponding to the shape of the display content transparent, thereby making the display content of a specific color invisible to the viewer. Display device.

2. It is located closer to the viewer than the aforementioned resin plate and includes an illumination unit that emits illumination light onto the aforementioned exterior switching layer. The display device according to claim 1.

3. A light-transmitting adhesive layer is provided between the appearance switching layer and the dimming section. The display device according to claim 1.

4. The dimming unit is a segment-type liquid crystal display, which switches between a display state and a non-display state of black display content corresponding to the display content, and by displaying the black display content, it makes a light-shielding state of an area of ​​the shape corresponding to the display content. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images