Device for displaying vehicle status using a windshield wiper

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device for displaying vehicle status using a windshield wiper. The device includes: a wiper arm located on the glass of the vehicle; a drive motor located inside a pivot unit connected to one end of the wiper arm and rotating the wiper arm; a light source unit located inside the pivot unit and facing the wiper arm; a reflection unit located in the wiper arm and reflecting the light irradiated by the light source unit; and a controller controlling the rotation speed of the wiper arm and, in response to the rotation position of the wiper arm, controlling the light emitted from the light source unit to be irradiated onto a selected reflection unit among the reflection units to provide a form required by the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device for displaying vehicle status using a windshield wiper. Background Art

[0002] The content in the background art section only provides background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute the prior art.

[0003] Generally, when an abnormality occurs during vehicle driving or the vehicle cannot move due to an accident, the vehicle will stop on the road shoulder or at the location where the abnormality occurs.

[0004] To prevent secondary accidents such as collisions with the following vehicle, vehicle users generally place a safety triangle, a safety warning light, etc. behind the vehicle.

[0005] In one form, technologies related to a safety triangle that is easy to store and install have been developed. However, we found that the disadvantage of the safety triangle is that it is difficult to detect the safety triangle from a long distance because the reflecting member or the light-emitting member indicates danger by reflecting the light emitted from the vehicle.

[0006] In addition, since the safety triangle must be installed at a distance of more than 50 m behind the vehicle, a secondary accident may occur during the installation of the safety triangle.

[0007] Alternatively, warning lights, LEDs, etc. installed on the vehicle can be used to indicate danger. However, on a highway where the vehicle is traveling at high speed, especially at night, using only light to notify vehicle abnormalities has limitations. Therefore, a vehicle approaching from behind at high speed may not be able to recognize the vehicle abnormality, which may lead to a secondary accident.

[0008] Therefore, special vehicles for handling accidents, engineering vehicles, etc. are configured to install an LED sign displaying letters on the roof of each vehicle so that other vehicles can recognize danger, such as an accident, construction, etc. from a distance. However, the LED sign installed on special vehicles, engineering vehicles, etc. is bulky and difficult to install on ordinary vehicles. Moreover, when the LED sign is installed on an ordinary vehicle, the LED sign damages the appearance of the vehicle and the installation cost is too high.

[0009] The above information disclosed in this background art section is only for facilitating the understanding of the background art of the present disclosure and may therefore include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present disclosure provides a device for displaying vehicle status using a windshield wiper that can send vehicle status information to the outside of the vehicle.

[0011] The present disclosure also provides a device for displaying vehicle status using a wiper that selectively irradiates light applied from a light source unit to a reflection unit based on the rotational speed of the wiper arm.

[0012] In another form of the present disclosure, a device for displaying vehicle status uses a wiper including reflection units with different focal lengths, so that status information of the vehicle can be sent to different distances.

[0013] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a device for displaying vehicle status using a wiper, the device including: a wiper arm located on the glass of a vehicle; a pivot unit coupled to one end of the wiper arm; a drive motor located inside the pivot unit and configured to rotate the wiper arm; a light source unit located inside the pivot unit and facing the wiper arm; a reflection unit located in the wiper arm and configured to reflect light irradiated by the light source unit; and a controller configured to control the rotational speed of the wiper arm and, in response to the rotational position of the wiper arm, control the light emitted from the light source unit to irradiate a selected reflection unit among the reflection units to provide a form required by a user.

[0014] In one form, the light source unit may include a digital micromirror device and be tilted at a predetermined angle to correspond to the reflection unit.

[0015] In another form, each reflection unit reflects the light irradiated by the light source unit and forms a focal point at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the wiper arm.

[0016] In another form, adjacent reflection units among the reflection units may form focal points at different distances from the upper surface of the wiper arm.

[0017] In another form, the device may further include a cover located on the upper part of the wiper arm and configured to seal the reflection unit.

[0018] In another form, the controller may be configured to rotate the wiper arm at a speed of 30 revolutions per minute (RPM) or more.

[0019] In another form, the light irradiated by the light source unit may have a luminous intensity of 60 cd to 300 cd.

[0020] In another form, the controller may be configured to control the light source unit to irradiate light when the angle change of the wiper arm is less than 10 degrees.

[0021] In another form, the controller may be configured to rotate the wiper arm in response to an input of an emergency alarm button of the vehicle and control the light source unit to irradiate light corresponding to the alarm type of the vehicle.

[0022] In another form, the controller can rotate the wiper arm in response to an input of a turn signal, and when the rainfall measured by a rain sensor of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined rainfall, control the light source unit to emit light corresponding to the lane change direction of the vehicle.

[0023] In another form, the form requested by the user may include at least one of letters, numbers, or symbols.

[0024] Other aspects and exemplary forms of the present disclosure will be discussed hereinafter.

[0025] Further application areas will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] To better understand the present disclosure, various forms of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a front view of a device for displaying a vehicle state using a wiper according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a view showing a light source unit of a device according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 is a view showing a wiper arm of a device according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 4 is a view showing a reflection unit of a device according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a light source unit of a device according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 6A is a view showing a path of light reflected by a reflection unit of a device according to one form of the present disclosure; and

[0033] Figure 6B is Figure 6A an enlarged view of

[0034] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that in all the drawings, corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding components and features.

[0036] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and represent a somewhat simplified representation of the various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. Specific design features of the present disclosure as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and the use environment.

[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to various forms of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the drawings and described below. While the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the exemplary forms, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the exemplary forms. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover not only the exemplary forms, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalent forms, and other forms within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] In the following description of the exemplary forms, it will be understood that terms such as "section", "device", etc. represent units for handling at least one function or operation, and can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0039] In the following description of the present disclosure, even when the same or similar elements are depicted in different drawings, they are denoted by the same reference numerals, and unnecessary detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0040] In addition, in the following description of the present disclosure, the term "glass" conceptually includes the front glass, the rear glass, and the side glass, and represents all target objects on which the wiper device can be located.

[0041] The present disclosure relates to a device 100 for displaying vehicle status using a wiper, and in the following description, a display device 100 that provides a status display image of a vehicle using a wiper device located on the upper surface of a glass 300 will be described. However, the device 100 can be applied to a wiper arm 110 that can be mounted on a vehicle, particularly on the front or rear of the vehicle, and the target object to which the device 100 is applied is not limited to the rear wiper device.

[0042] Figure 1 is a front view of a device 100 for displaying vehicle status using a wiper located on the upper surface of a glass 300 according to one form of the present disclosure.

[0043] The device 100 is provided on a wiper device located on the upper surface of the glass 300 and includes: a drive motor 200 configured to rotate the wiper arm 110; a pivot unit 120 configured to surround at least a part of the drive motor 200 and accommodate a light source unit 130 therein; a wiper arm 110 configured to have one end coupled to the pivot unit 120; and a wiper (not shown) located between the wiper arm 110 and the glass 300.

[0044] The drive motor 200 located inside the pivot unit 120 includes a rotation unit configured to rotate integrally with the wiper arm 110 and a light source unit 130 positioned above the rotation unit and facing the wiper arm 110.

[0045] One end of the wiper arm 110 is coupled to the pivot unit 120, and the wiper arm 110 extends such that at least a portion of the wiper arm 110 is adjacent to the glass 300, and includes a wiper coupled to the wiper arm 110 and disposed between the glass 300 and the wiper arm 110. In addition, the wiper arm 110 is configured to rotate on the upper surface of the glass 300 by the rotational force of the drive motor 200.

[0046] The reflection unit 140 is disposed at a position on the upper surface of the wiper arm 110 facing the light source unit 130. The light source unit 130 may be configured to face the reflection unit 140 at a predetermined angle. In one form of the present disclosure, a plurality of reflection units 140 may be disposed along the wiper arm 110, and the light source unit 130 may be controlled by the controller 400 to apply light to each of the reflection units 140.

[0047] The light source unit 130 may include a Digital Micromirror Device and is configured to irradiate incident light corresponding to each reflection unit 140. Thus, the light source unit 130 may irradiate a light beam to each of the reflection units 140 spaced apart from each other, or irradiate a plurality of light beams to the reflection unit 140, and is configured to irradiate light set based on a user input or a driving environment of the vehicle to the reflection unit 140. In addition, the controller 400 is configured to control the light source unit 130 based on the rotational speed of the wiper arm 110 to irradiate light to the reflection unit 140 corresponding to the display image.

[0048] The reflection units 140 are disposed along the wiper arm 110 in the longitudinal direction and are configured to have a predetermined angle such that the light irradiated from the light source unit 130 is incident on the reflection units 140 and then reflected. The reflection unit 140 has a shape recessed with respect to the upper surface of the wiper arm 110 and includes a reflection surface facing the light source unit 130. More specifically, at least some of the reflection units 140 are configured to form one focal point and the remaining reflection units 140 are configured to form another focal point such that the light reflected by all the reflection units 140 can form different focal points.

[0049] That is, the reflection units 140 may be arranged at different angles with respect to the wiper arm 110 to form at least one focal point. Additionally, in one form of the present disclosure, two adjacent reflection units 140 are configured to form two different focal points. Accordingly, the reflection units 140 are configured such that the display image of the vehicle state can be recognized at relatively short distances and relatively long distances.

[0050] The controller 400 is configured to control the driving environment of the vehicle, the rotational speed of the wiper arm 110, and the irradiation angle of light from the light source unit 130 (to a position corresponding to the predetermined reflection unit 140). In one form of the present disclosure, the controller 400 controls the rotation of the wiper arm 110 based on a user input related to a display image of the vehicle state and simultaneously controls the light source unit 130 to irradiate light onto the provided reflection unit 140.

[0051] More specifically, the controller 400 controls the wiper arm 110 to rotate at a speed of 30 RPM or more, and the light irradiated by the light source unit 130 has a luminous intensity of 60 cd to 300 cd. In addition, the controller 400 can control the number of times the light source unit 130 irradiates light in consideration of the angular change of the wiper arm 110. In this case, the controller 400 can control the light source unit 130 to irradiate light when the angular change of the wiper arm 110 is less than 10 degrees.

[0052] That is, the controller 400 can control the light irradiation position of the light source unit 130 and the number of times the light source unit 130 irradiates light in consideration of the rotational speed and angular change of the wiper arm 110, so as to display the state of the vehicle through an afterimage effect.

[0053] In addition, the controller 400 can determine the rainfall amount regarding the driving environment of the vehicle, the emergency light flashing (on / off) request signal as an application of the vehicle state display request signal from the user, etc., and control the device 100 based on this. The controller 400 can control the light source unit 130 to irradiate light onto the reflection unit 140 with different focal lengths according to the driving position of the vehicle, and selectively control the display image by identifying the climate environment.

[0054] In one form of the present disclosure, the controller 400 can receive information about the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling, and when the vehicle breaks down and thus becomes difficult to drive, in response to the application of the warning light flashing (on / off) signal, can control the light source unit 130 to irradiate light onto the reflection unit 140 with a long focal length.

[0055] In addition, in another form of the present disclosure, the controller 400 can rotate the wiper arm 110 and control the light source unit 130 to display the state of the vehicle substantially the same as the warning light in response to the application of the warning light flashing (on / off) request signal from the user. In addition, when the rainfall signal received from the rain sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller 400 can display the lane change request state by linking the wiper arm 110 with the turn signal of the vehicle.

[0056] In one form, the controller 400 can determine the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling, the climate information during travel, and whether the vehicle is in a drivable state as the driving environment information of the vehicle, and provide a display image corresponding to the determined driving environment information, calculate the distance to recognize the display image, and can control the light source unit 130 to irradiate light onto the corresponding reflection unit 140.

[0057] The display image can be displayed by simultaneously controlling the light emission time point of the light source unit 130 and the speed of the wiper arm 110 in response to various forms (such as letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) according to the user's settings.

[0058] Figure 2 Shows the connection relationship between the pivot unit 120 and the light source unit 130 located between the pivot unit 120 according to one form of the present disclosure.

[0059] The light source unit 130 is configured to be located inside the pivot unit 120 and rotate integrally with the rotating unit rotated by the drive motor 200. In addition, the light source unit 130 is configured to face an open surface of the pivot unit 120 to which the wiper arm 110 is connected to irradiate light through the open surface of the pivot unit 120.

[0060] The light source unit 130 can adopt a digital micromirror device, so the light source unit 130 can be configured to irradiate light onto at least one reflection unit 140 using a single chip integrated with multiple reflection devices to achieve colors such as red, green, and blue.

[0061] In this way, when the controller 400 controls the time point at which the light source unit 130 irradiates light, various forms of status display messages and various colors can be achieved through the rotation of the wiper arm 110.

[0062] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are enlarged views of the wiper arm 110 including the reflection unit 140 according to some forms of the present disclosure.

[0063] One end of the wiper arm 110 is connected to the pivot unit 120, and the wiper arm 110 includes a wiper connected to the wiper arm 110 and disposed between the glass 300 and the wiper arm 110. The reflection units 140 can be arranged along the length direction of the wiper arm 110 and are configured such that the respective reflection units 140 are spaced apart from each other by the same distance.

[0064] The reflection unit 140 can be a recessed area having a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the wiper arm 110, and the area of the reflection unit 140 facing the light irradiated by the light source unit 130 is deposited or coated with aluminum or silver. Therefore, the reflection unit 140 can be configured to have a reflectivity of more than 90%.

[0065] As shown in the figure, the reflection unit 140 is configured to face the light source unit 130 located in the pivot unit 120 at a predetermined angle to reflect the light incident from the light source unit 130 to a predetermined focal point behind the vehicle. In addition, the reflection unit 140 may be configured to form a different focal point from an adjacent reflection unit 140, and the reflection unit 140 may be configured such that the light incident from the light source unit 130 forms a display image at different positions behind the vehicle through the reflection units 140 having different focal points.

[0066] A cover 150 that is fixed to the wiper arm 110 and is configured to prevent foreign substances from entering the reflection unit 140 is provided on the upper surface of the reflection unit 140. The cover 150 is made of a transparent material such as polycarbonate (PC) or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) to protect the reflection unit 140 and allow the light reflected by the reflection unit 140 to pass through.

[0067] As described above, the reflection unit 140 may include reflection surfaces, each of which is configured to have a predetermined angle with respect to the light source unit 130, and each reflection surface may form a predetermined reflection angle to form at least one focal point. In addition, two adjacent reflection surfaces may be configured to form different focal points. Therefore, the light source unit 130 may be configured to irradiate light to at least two adjacent reflection units 140 simultaneously to provide a display image. Thus, light reflection may be performed such that one display image has two different focal lengths, thereby forming the same display image in two focal point regions at different distances from the vehicle.

[0068] As described above, according to one form of the present disclosure, two adjacent reflection units 140 may be configured to form different focal points, and the display image provided by the device 100 may be recognized at different distances behind the vehicle.

[0069] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pivot unit 120 according to one form of the present disclosure.

[0070] As shown in the figure, a drive motor 200 is provided inside the pivot unit 120, and the wiper arm 110 is coupled to the rotating unit of the drive motor 200. The wiper arm 110 is configured to rotate integrally with the rotating unit rotated by the drive motor 200, and the light source unit 130 coupled to the upper surface of the rotating unit is configured to rotate integrally with the wiper arm 110.

[0071] The drive motor 200 is configured such that electric power from a battery located in the vehicle is applied to the drive motor 200, and the light source unit 130 is configured to be connected to a battery located in the vehicle. Therefore, the controller 400 may control the electric power applied to the drive motor 200 and the light source unit 130, and more specifically, control the rotation speed of the drive motor 200.

[0072] In one form of the present disclosure, the minimum rotational speed of the wiper arm 110 for providing an afterimage effect can be set to 30 RPM, and the light source unit 130 can be controlled to emit light when the angular change of the wiper arm 110 is less than 10 degrees.

[0073] Figure 6A is a view showing the path of light reflected by the reflection unit 140 from the light irradiated by the light source unit 130 according to one form of the present disclosure, and Figure 6B is Figure 6A an enlarged view of

[0074] As shown in the figure, the light source unit 130 irradiates light onto at least one reflection unit 140 located in the wiper arm 110, and the light incident on each reflection unit 140 is reflected to the outer rear of the vehicle. The light source unit 130 can irradiate a light beam corresponding to each reflection unit 140 onto each reflection unit 140, or irradiate multiple light beams onto the reflection unit 140 simultaneously.

[0075] In the reflection unit 140, the reflection unit 140 closest to the light source unit 130 can be referred to as the first reflection unit 141, and Figure 6B shows four reflection units 140: the first reflection unit 141, the second reflection unit 142, the third reflection unit 143, and the fourth reflection unit 144. As shown in the figure, the light incident on the first reflection unit 141 and the third reflection unit 143 and then reflected by the first reflection unit 141 and the third reflection unit 143 can form a focal point at a position close to the upper surface of the wiper arm 110, and compared with the focal point formed by the light reflected by the first reflection unit 141 and the third reflection unit 143, the light incident on the second reflection unit 142 and the fourth reflection unit 144 and then reflected by the second reflection unit 142 and the fourth reflection unit 144 can form a focal point at a position farther from the upper surface of the wiper arm 110.

[0076] That is, even when a display image is shown on the wiper arm 110, the positions where the display image is formed can be made different by the reflection units 140 having different focal lengths, and the device 100 can provide an image that is simultaneously recognizable at a relatively short distance and a relatively long distance from the wiper arm 110.

[0077] As shown in the figure, one form of the present disclosure can provide a device 100 configured to form two different images outside the wiper arm 110 based on the configuration of the reflection units 140 that form two different focal points, namely focal point 1 and focal point 2.

[0078] The present disclosure provides a device 100 for displaying vehicle status using a wiper, which can utilize a light source unit 130 located in a pivot unit 120 to provide an afterimage effect generated when the wiper arm 110 rotates, and provide a display image recognizable at different distances through a combination of reflection units 140 having different focal lengths.

[0079] As is apparent from the above description, the device for displaying vehicle status using a wiper according to one form of the present disclosure has the following effects due to the above configuration and connection and use relationships.

[0080] The device can display the status of the vehicle to the outside, thereby being able to reduce the risk of secondary accidents.

[0081] In addition, the device according to one form of the present disclosure includes reflection units having multiple focal lengths to display the status of the vehicle at different distances, thereby making it easier for other vehicles to recognize the status of the present vehicle.

[0082] The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to exemplary forms. However, those skilled in the art will understand that these forms can be changed without departing from the principles and ideas of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A device for displaying vehicle status using a windshield wiper, comprising: A wiper arm located on the vehicle's glass; A pivot unit coupled to one end of the wiper arm; A drive motor located inside the pivot unit and rotating the wiper arm; A light source unit located inside the pivot unit and facing the wiper arm; A reflection unit located in the wiper arm and reflecting the light irradiated by the light source unit; And A controller configured to: Control the rotation speed of the wiper arm, and In response to the rotation position of the wiper arm, control the light emitted from the light source unit to irradiate a selected reflection unit in the reflection unit to provide a form required by the user.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The light source unit includes a digital micromirror device and is tilted at a predetermined angle to correspond to the reflection unit.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein Each reflection unit in the reflection unit reflects the light irradiated by the light source unit and forms a focal point at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the wiper arm.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein Adjacent reflection units in the reflection unit form focal points at different distances from the upper surface of the wiper arm.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: A cover located on the upper part of the wiper arm and sealing the reflection unit.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller rotates the wiper arm at a speed of 30 revolutions per minute or more, i.e., 30 RPM or more.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein The light irradiated by the light source unit has a luminous intensity of 60 cd to 300 cd.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller controls the light source unit to irradiate light when the angle change of the wiper arm is less than 10 degrees.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to: Rotate the wiper arm in response to an input of the vehicle's emergency alarm button, and Control the light source unit to irradiate light corresponding to the vehicle's alarm type.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to: Rotate the wiper arm in response to an input of a turn signal, and When the rainfall measured by the vehicle's rain sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined rainfall, control the light source unit to emit light corresponding to the vehicle's lane change direction.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein The form required by the user includes at least one of letters, numbers, or symbols.

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