Head-up display

Abstract

A head-up display includes: a screen configured to have a mounting portion formed on a rear surface thereof and an edge contact portion formed on at least one side of the mounting portion; an LCD configured to have a display unit outputting an image of the head-up display and an edge unit surrounding the display unit; a diffusion portion disposed at a rear side of the LCD; and an LCD cover disposed at a rear side of the diffuser and configured to be coupled to the screen to secure the LCD to the screen, where the LCD cover includes a plurality of tensioners configured to apply a pressure to a rear surface of the diffuser to transfer the pressure to the LCD, where the LCD cover is configured to be coupled to the screen to secure the LCD to the screen. The LCD is configured to apply pressure to the screen with pressure received from each of the plurality of tensioners, and wherein, for transferring heat to the screen, the display unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the mounting portion and the edge unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the edge contact portion.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Patent Application No. 10-2023-0151133 filed in South Korea on November 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a head-up display. Background Art

[0004] The content described in this section merely provides background information related to one embodiment of the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.

[0005] Recently, the automotive market tends to prefer smart cars equipped with advanced information technology (IT). Products that improve driving stability and driver convenience are released one after another, and among them, head-up displays (HUDs) are attracting attention.

[0006] A head-up display is a device that displays information on the windshield, which is the front window of the vehicle. The head-up display provides the driver with information such as traffic signals, lane change guidance, the presence of pedestrians in front of the vehicle, navigation, vehicle speed, and remaining fuel level.

[0007] Recently, head-up displays using augmented reality technology have been used. These head-up displays are called augmented reality head-up displays. Augmented reality head-up displays provide information by overlaying virtual images on real images.

[0008] The head-up display uses an aspherical mirror to reflect light emitted from the picture generation unit (PGU) to display it on the windshield.

[0009] The PGU may include a light source that emits light, a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the light source is arranged, a liquid crystal display (LCD) that projects an image, a lens that uniformly converges light transmitted by the light source onto the LCD, a diffusion portion that uniformly spreads the light onto the LCD, etc.

[0010] The LCD absorbs sunlight incident on the head-up display and radiant heat generated by the light source on the PCB, so that the temperature of the LCD increases. If the LCD is continuously exposed to high temperature, the LCD may deteriorate and its reliability may decrease.

[0011] In the past, in order to solve the problem of LCD degradation, a rotation structure of an aspherical mirror using an illuminance sensor has been applied. The rotation structure of the aspherical mirror using an illuminance sensor is intended to be used as a fail-safe function to compensate for the failure of the head-up display, but there is a problem that from the perspective of the passenger, it may be mistaken for a failure of the head-up display. Therefore, a method that can effectively dissipate heat and prevent LCD degradation without adversely affecting the user experience is needed. Summary of the invention

[0012] In view of the above circumstances, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a head-up display capable of allowing an LCD to effectively dissipate heat and prevent degradation of the LCD.

[0013] A head-up display includes: a screen configured to have a mounting portion formed on a rear surface thereof and an edge contact portion formed on at least one side of the mounting portion; an LCD configured to have a display unit that outputs an image of the head-up display and an edge unit surrounding the display unit; a diffuser provided at a rear side of the LCD; and an LCD cover provided at a rear side of the diffuser and configured to be coupled to the screen to fix the LCD to the screen, wherein the LCD cover includes a plurality of tensioners configured to apply pressure to a rear surface of the diffuser to transfer the pressure to the LCD, wherein the LCD is configured to apply pressure to the screen using pressure received from each of the plurality of tensioners, and wherein, in order to transfer heat to the screen, the display unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the mounting portion, and the edge unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the edge contact portion.

[0014] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the head-up display can effectively dissipate heat from the LCD.

[0015] In addition, the head-up display can prevent LCD degradation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing components of a head-up display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a head-up display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an LCD cover according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG.

[0020] Figure 5It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB' in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals preferably represent the same elements, although the elements are shown in different drawings. In addition, in the following description of some embodiments, for the purpose of clarity and brevity, the detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated therein will be omitted.

[0022] In addition, various terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are only used to distinguish one component from another, and do not imply or suggest the substance, order or sequence of the components. Throughout this specification, when a component "includes" or "contains" a component, the component is intended to also include other components, not excluding these components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Terms such as "unit", "module", etc. refer to one or more units for processing at least one function or operation, and these units can be implemented by hardware, software or a combination thereof.

[0023] Each element of the device or method according to the present invention can be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. The functions of each element can be implemented in software, and a microprocessor can be implemented to perform the software functions corresponding to each element.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing components of a head-up display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a head-up display according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an LCD cover according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG.

[0028] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB' in FIG.

[0029] refer to Figures 1 to 5 A head-up display (not shown) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes all or some of a screen 110 , a liquid crystal display (LCD) 130 , a diffusion portion 170 , and an LCD cover 150 .

[0030] The head-up display according to the present disclosure has a structure for cooling the LCD 130 by contacting the LCD 130 and the screen 110 to prevent degradation of the LCD 130. The LCD 130, the screen 110, the diffusion part 170 and the LCD cover 150 according to the present disclosure form a structure for reducing contact thermal resistance.

[0031] Contact thermal resistance (contact conductance) refers to the resistance that hinders heat transfer at the interface of two objects in contact. Even if the two objects seem to be in contact with each other from a macroscopic perspective, the heat transfer may be uneven because the two objects are not in complete close contact from a microscopic perspective.

[0032] The contact heat resistance may be a factor that reduces the heat transfer speed and reduces the heat transfer efficiency. Since the contact heat transfer resistance is minimized, heat may be efficiently transferred, which allows the LCD 130 to be cooled quickly.

[0033] The conditions for reducing the contact thermal resistance of two objects in contact include reducing the surface roughness of the contacting surface, increasing the contact pressure of the contacting surface, and using a material with high thermal conductivity. In the case of increasing the contact pressure, the two objects are in close contact, so heat can be easily transferred.

[0034] The LCD cover 150 according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of tensioners 151 to be described later to generate pressure on the contact surface of the LCD 130 and the screen 110. The contact thermal resistance is reduced due to the pressure applied to the contact surface, thereby allowing heat to be transferred from the LCD 130 to the screen 110 faster.

[0035] The directions used in this specification are defined. The head-up display generates light using a picture generation unit (PGU) (not shown) and emits the light forward. In this specification, front and rear are defined based on the moving path of the light generated by the PGU. In this case, front and rear are relative concepts. Because the light moves from the rear to the front, the screen 110 is arranged at the front and the LCD cover 150 is arranged at the rear. Among the surfaces of the components of the head-up display, the surface arranged to face forward is defined as the front surface, and the surface facing backward is defined as the rear surface.

[0036] The LCD cover 150 is disposed at the rear of the diffusion part 170. The LCD cover 150 may be coupled to the screen 110 to fix the LCD 130 to the screen 110.

[0037] The LCD cover 150 may include a plurality of tensioners 151. The plurality of tensioners 151 improves the contact force between the LCD 130 and the screen 110 to reduce contact thermal resistance and improve heat dissipation performance.

[0038] The plurality of tensioners 151 may be configured to apply pressure to the rear surface of the diffusion portion 170 to transfer the pressure to the LCD 130. According to one embodiment, the plurality of tensioners 151 may protrude from the LCD cover 150. The plurality of tensioners 151 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other. The plurality of tensioners 151 may include a first tensioner 151A, a second tensioner 151B, and a third tensioner 151C.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the first tensioner 151A and the second tensioner 151B may be disposed on both sides of the LCD cover 150 to face each other. The third tensioner 151C may be formed on the other side of the LCD cover 150.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C may be configured to protrude forward to press against the rear surface of the diffuser 170. According to one embodiment, ends of the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C may form surfaces that make surface contact with the rear surface of the diffuser 170.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C may apply pressure by pressing the rear surface of the diffusion portion 170. The pressure generated by the pressurizing action of the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C may also be transmitted to the LCD 130. This is because the pressure from the plurality of tensioners 151 is applied to the LCD 130 through the diffusion portion 170. The LCD 130 may apply pressure to the screen 110 using the pressure from the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C. The pressure on the screen 110 is formed by the pressurizing action of the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C. In other words, a compressive force is applied to the contact surface between the LCD 130 and the screen 110 by the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C, so that the LCD 130 and the screen 110 may be pressed against each other. The contact thermal resistance may be reduced by the pressure applied to the contact surface of the LCD 130 and the screen 110.

[0042] In other words, the heat of the LCD 130 can be dissipated faster through the first to third tensioners 151A to 151C. Since the increased pressure reduces the contact thermal resistance, the LCD 130 can transfer the heat to the screen 110 more quickly. The faster the heat from the LCD 130 is dissipated, the less degradation of the LCD 130 occurs, thereby allowing the performance of the head-up display to be maintained for a longer period of time.

[0043] The LCD cover 150 may include a pair of first hooks 152. According to one embodiment, the pair of first hooks 152 may be formed on both sides of the LCD cover 150 to face each other. The pair of first hooks 152 may be coupled with a pair of first hook coupling portions 115 formed on both sides of the screen 110 to face each other. The pair of first hooks 152 and the pair of first hook coupling portions 115 may be snap-fitted to each other.

[0044] The LCD cover 150 may include a pair of second hooks 153. According to one embodiment, the pair of second hooks 153 may be formed on opposite sides of the LCD cover 150. The pair of second hooks 153 may be coupled with a pair of second hook coupling portions 116 formed on the other side of the screen 110. The pair of second hooks 153 and the pair of second hook coupling portions 116 may be snap-fitted to each other.

[0045] The LCD cover 150 may include a pair of cover guides 154. According to one embodiment, the pair of cover guides 154 may be formed on both sides of the LCD cover 150. According to one embodiment, each of the pair of cover guides 154 may protrude forward from both sides of the LCD cover 150. The pair of cover guides 154 may be engaged with the pair of cover guide grooves 117. The pair of cover guides 154 may include at least one protrusion inserted into the pair of cover guide grooves 117.

[0046] The diffusion part 170 is disposed at the rear of the LCD 130. The diffusion part 170 may control light so that light generated by the light source of the PGU is uniformly incident on the LCD 130. According to one embodiment, the diffusion part 170 may be manufactured in a shape and size corresponding to at least a portion of the LCD 130.

[0047] According to one embodiment, in order to reduce the contact thermal resistance, the diffusion part 170 is configured to press the LCD 130 using the pressure received from the plurality of tensioners 151 .

[0048] According to one embodiment, the diffuser 170 may include a pair of diffuser guides 171 protruding from both sides. Positions of the pair of diffuser guides 171 may be fixed by engaging with a pair of diffuser guide grooves 118 formed on both sides of the screen 110 .

[0049] The LCD 130 is disposed between the screen 110 and the diffusion part 170. The LCD 130 is disposed at the rear of the screen 110. The LCD 130 projects an image using light generated by the light source of the PGU. Since the LCD 130 is in contact with the screen 110, heat generated by the LCD 130 may be transferred to the screen 110. The LCD 130 may be configured to apply pressure to the screen 110 using pressure received from each of the plurality of tensioners 151. The heat generated by the LCD 130 may be transferred to the screen 110 more quickly by the pressure.

[0050] The LCD 130 may include a display unit 131. The display unit 131 is formed at the center of the LCD 130. The display unit 131 projects an image of a head-up display using light generated by a light source of the PGU.

[0051] The front surface of the LCD 130 may be in surface contact with the rear surface of the screen 110. Specifically, the display unit 131 may be in surface contact with the mounting portion 112 formed on the screen 110 to transfer heat to the screen 110. According to one embodiment, the portion of the display unit 131 that is in surface contact with the mounting portion 112 may be formed along an edge of the display unit 131 ( Figure 4 and Figure 5 ). The edges can correspond to Figure 2 10. The portion G indicated by the dotted line in FIG. Unlike what is shown in the figure, the portion where the surface contact is achieved between the display unit 131 and the mounting portion 112 may not be limited to the edge portion of the display unit 131. According to one embodiment, when the image of the head-up display is projected, the edge portion of the display unit 131 may not be used. That is, by configuring the unused edge of the display unit 131 to contact the mounting portion 112 of the screen 110, the LCD 130 may be cooled more quickly. According to one embodiment, the mounting portion 112 may protrude backward to easily achieve surface contact with the display unit 131. When pressure is generated by the plurality of tensioners 151, the display unit 131 and the mounting portion 112 are in close contact with each other to reduce the contact thermal resistance, so that the LCD 130 can dissipate heat more effectively. That is, when pressure is applied, the display unit 131 can transfer more heat to the mounting portion 112 per unit time than when no pressure is applied. The heat generated by the display unit 131 may be transferred to the edge unit 133.

[0052] The LCD 130 may include an edge unit 133. The edge unit 133 may be formed to surround the display unit 131. According to one embodiment, the edge unit 133 may be configured to achieve surface contact with an edge contact portion 113 formed on the screen 110 to transfer heat to the screen 110. According to one embodiment, the edge unit 133 may be configured to achieve surface contact with a support portion 114 formed on the screen 110 to transfer heat to the screen 110.

[0053] The screen 110 is disposed in front of the LCD 130. The screen 110 may be configured to contact the LCD 130 and receive heat from the LCD 130. A compressive force may be applied to a contact surface between the screen 110 and the LCD 130 through a plurality of tensioners 151. Since the contact thermal resistance is reduced by the compressive force, the screen 110 may more effectively receive heat from the LCD 130. In this case, the temperature of the LCD 130 may be reduced faster than when the compressive force is not applied.

[0054] The screen 110 may include a pair of first hook coupling portions 115. According to one embodiment, the pair of first hook coupling portions 115 may be formed on both sides of the screen 110 to face each other. The pair of first hook coupling portions 115 may be coupled to the pair of first hooks 152.

[0055] The screen 110 may include a pair of second hook coupling portions 116. According to one embodiment, the pair of second hook coupling portions 116 may be formed on the other side of the screen 110. The pair of second hook coupling portions 116 may be coupled to the pair of second hooks 153.

[0056] The screen 110 may include a pair of cover guide grooves 117. According to one embodiment, the pair of cover guide grooves 117 may be formed on both sides of the screen 110. The pair of cover guide grooves 117 may be engaged with a pair of cover guides 154.

[0057] The protruding length of the pair of cover guides 154 may be longer than the depth of the pair of cover guide grooves 117. In this case, the stability of coupling of the screen 110 and the LCD cover 150 may be improved.

[0058] The screen 110 may include a pair of diffuser guide grooves 118. According to one embodiment, the pair of diffuser guide grooves 118 may be formed on both sides of the screen 110. The pair of diffuser guide grooves 118 may be engaged with a pair of diffuser guides 171. The position of the diffuser 170 can be stably fixed by the engagement of the pair of diffuser guides 171 and the pair of diffuser guide grooves 118.

[0059] The screen 110 may include a hole 111. The hole 111 may be formed at the center of the rear surface of the screen 110. An image of the head-up display projected from the LCD 130 may pass through the hole 111.

[0060] The screen 110 may include a mounting portion 112. The mounting portion 112 may be formed on the rear surface of the screen 110. The mounting portion 112 may be formed to surround the hole 111. The mounting portion 112 may be located between the hole 111 and the edge contact portion 113. The mounting portion 112 may make surface contact with the display unit 131 to absorb heat from the display unit 131. The mounting portion 112 may protrude backward from the rear surface of the screen 110 to make surface contact with the display unit 131.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the mounting portion 112 may be in surface contact with an edge portion of the display unit 131. In this case, the edge portion of the display unit 131 may be a portion that is not used when the image of the head-up display is projected. That is, the mounting portion 112 is configured to contact the edge portion of the display unit 131 that is not used when the image of the head-up display is projected, so that the mounting portion 112 can more effectively receive heat from the display unit 131.

[0062] The pressure from the plurality of tensioners 151 is applied to the mounting portion 112. Due to the pressure, the mounting portion 112 is in close contact with the display unit 131 and can receive heat from the display unit 131 more effectively.

[0063] The screen 110 may include an edge contact portion 113. According to one embodiment, the edge contact portion 113 may be formed on at least one side of the mounting portion 112. According to one embodiment, the edge contact portion 113 may be formed to surround the mounting portion 112 along the periphery of the mounting portion 112. The edge contact portion 113 may be configured to make surface contact with the edge unit 133. The edge contact portion 113 may receive heat from the edge unit 133 by making surface contact with the edge unit 133. Because the edge unit 133 is configured to absorb heat generated by the display unit 131, and the edge contact portion 113 is configured to absorb heat from the edge unit 133, the edge unit 133 and the edge contact portion 113 serve to prevent the LCD 130 from being deteriorated.

[0064] The pressure from the plurality of tensioners 151 is applied to the edge contact portion 113. Due to the pressure, the edge contact portion 113 is more closely contacted with the edge unit 133 and can receive heat from the edge unit 133 more effectively.

[0065] The screen 110 may include at least one supporting portion 114. The supporting portion 114 may be configured to support a front surface of the LCD 130.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the support portion 114 may be arranged to be spaced a predetermined distance from the mounting portion 112. According to one embodiment, the support portion 114 may be formed to extend a length on the rear surface of the screen 110. The longer the support portion 114 is formed, the more stably the position of the LCD 130 disposed on the rear surface of the screen 110 is fixed.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the support portion 114 may be disposed in front of the third tensioner 151C. In this case, the support portion 114 may support the front surface of the LCD 130 so that the LCD 130 is not affected by the third tensioner 151C ( Figure 4 ) and bends more than a predetermined angle by the pressing action of the third tensioner 151C. The support portion 114 provides a reaction force against the pressing action of the third tensioner 151C to the LCD 130. That is, when the third tensioner 151C presses the rear surface of the LCD 130, the support portion 114 presses the front surface of the LCD 130.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the support portion 114 may make surface contact with the edge unit 133 of the LCD 130 ( Figure 4 ). When external force is applied by the third tensioner 151C, the support portion 114 may pressurize the edge unit 133, and the support portion 114 may effectively absorb heat generated from the edge unit 133. This is because the pressure on the contact surface between the support portion 114 and the edge unit 133 increases and the contact thermal resistance decreases.

[0069] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the screen 110 may be made of heat dissipation plastic. The thermal conductivity of the heat dissipation plastic may be 15 W / mK or more, and preferably 20 W / mK or more. The heat resistance temperature of the heat dissipation plastic may be 130° C. or more. The flexural strength of the heat dissipation plastic may be 1000 kgf / cm 2 or above.

[0070] The head-up display according to the present disclosure may improve thermal performance of the LCD 130 by increasing pressure on portions where the LCD 130 and the screen 110 contact each other using a plurality of tensioners 151 to reduce contact thermal resistance.

[0071] As described above, the LCD cover 150 and the screen 110 are hooked together using a plurality of hooks 152 and 153 and a plurality of hook coupling portions 115 and 116. The hook coupling further increases the contact force between the LCD 130 and the screen 110, which reduces the contact thermal resistance and helps improve the heat dissipation performance of the LCD 130.

[0072] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the concept and scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, for the sake of brevity and clarity, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. The scope of the technical concept of the present embodiment is not limited by the diagram. Therefore, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill that the scope of the claimed invention is not limited by the embodiments explicitly described above, but by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A head-up display, comprising: a screen configured to have a mounting portion formed on a rear surface of the screen and an edge contact portion formed on at least one side of the mounting portion; a liquid crystal display configured to have a display unit that outputs an image of the head-up display and an edge unit surrounding the display unit; A diffusion portion, disposed at the rear side of the liquid crystal display; as well as a liquid crystal display cover disposed at a rear side of the diffuser and configured to be coupled to the screen to fix the liquid crystal display to the screen, wherein the LCD cover comprises a plurality of tensioners configured to apply pressure to a rear surface of the diffuser to transfer the pressure to the LCD, wherein the liquid crystal display is configured to apply pressure to the screen using pressure received from each of the plurality of tensioners, and In order to transfer heat to the screen, the display unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the mounting portion, and the edge unit is configured to achieve surface contact with the edge contact portion.

2. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of tensioners include a first tensioner, a second tensioner, and a third tensioner that protrude from the liquid crystal display cover and are spaced apart from each other.

3. The head-up display according to claim 2, wherein: The first tensioner and the second tensioner are provided on both sides of the liquid crystal display cover to face each other, and The third tensioner is formed on the other side of the liquid crystal display cover.

4. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid crystal display cover comprises: a pair of first hook members formed on both sides of the liquid crystal display cover to face each other; and a pair of second hook members formed on the other side of the liquid crystal display cover, wherein the pair of first hooks are coupled to a pair of first hook coupling portions formed on both sides of the screen to face each other, and The pair of second hooks are coupled to a pair of second hook coupling portions formed on the other side of the screen.

5. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The LCD cover further includes a pair of cover guides on both sides, The screen also includes a pair of cover guide grooves on both sides, and The pair of cover guides are coupled to the pair of cover guide grooves.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The diffuser further includes a pair of diffuser guides protruding on both sides, The screen further includes a pair of diffuser guide grooves on both sides, and The pair of diffuser guides are coupled to the pair of diffuser guide grooves.

7. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The screen further includes a support portion disposed at a predetermined distance from the mounting portion, and The support portion extends a length on a rear surface of the screen and supports a front surface of the liquid crystal display.

8. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: The mounting portion protrudes from the rear surface of the screen to surround a hole formed in the center of the rear surface of the screen.

9. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein: A portion of the display unit that makes surface contact with the mounting portion is formed along an edge of the display unit.

10. The head-up display according to claim 2, wherein: The screen also includes a supporting portion that supports the front surface of the liquid crystal display, and The support portion is disposed in front of the third tensioner and supports a front surface of the liquid crystal display so that the liquid crystal display is not bent more than a predetermined angle due to a pressurizing effect of the third tensioner.

Images