Head-up display with concave mirror optimization and / or lowering of concave mirror to parking position by means of eccentric device

Abstract

The invention relates to a projection unit for a field-of-view display device for use in a vehicle, comprising: an imaging unit which is designed to generate a light beam having display content; a concave mirror arranged and configured in the light path such that the light beam exits the projection unit in a predetermined form and direction in order to be subsequently reflected by a partially transparent reflecting plate arranged within the field of view of the user to the eye box of the user and present the display content in the form of a virtual image behind the reflecting plate to the user; in order to adjust the position of the eye box, the concave mirror can rotate around a mirror rotating shaft firmly connected with the concave mirror through a driver, and therefore the concave mirror can be rotatably supported in a main supporting part. The main support is eccentrically supported in a secondary support, which can be driven by means of at least one driver rotating together with the mirror axis of rotation in order to rotate about an eccentric axis of the secondary support, which is fixed relative to the projection unit. This causes a superimposed translational movement of the mirror axis of rotation and of the concave mirror in a direction transverse to the mirror axis of rotation.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a projection unit for a field-of-view display device, also known as a head-up display (HUD), which can be applied in particular to motor vehicles or other land, air or water vehicles. Such a field-of-view display device is configured to generate a virtual image entering the user's field of view by reflection on a vehicle windshield (in particular the front windshield) or a composite panel specifically provided therefor, which is arranged within the user's field of view. The present invention also relates to such a field-of-view display device and a vehicle equipped with the same. Background Art

[0002] In particular, for motor vehicles, it is known to use a head-up display to superimpose information such as speed limits or other useful navigation and vehicle operation tips in the form of virtual images on the real environment image in front of the vehicle observed by the driver, so that the driver can read the display information without having to shift their line of sight from the road. To this end, the head-up display includes a reflector arranged within the driver's field of view, which is substantially transparent to ambient light incident from the rear and can be configured as a section of the front windshield or as a composite panel arranged in front of the front windshield on the inside of the vehicle. In a conventional structure, the head-up display includes a projection unit installed inside the instrument panel below the front windshield for generating the display content. The projection unit typically includes a display screen for generating a light beam with the desired display content, and suitable imaging and projection optical systems for shaping the generated light beam and guiding it to the reflector so that it is reflected from the reflector into the driver's eyes, enabling the driver to see the virtual display image at a suitable size and distance behind the reflector. In a conventional head-up display structure, the projection optical system includes a concave mirror, the size of which is linearly proportional to the size of the virtual display area, thus also limiting the size of the virtual display area.

[0003] Installing such a head-up display in a vehicle is very complex, especially due to space limitations and other reasons. An important component of its projection unit is a transparent cover plate (also known as cover glass), which closes the protective housing of the projection unit on the exit side and transmits the generated light beam. The cover plate should be constructed such that no direct or indirect light reflections from external light, especially sunlight reflected on the cover plate, enter the optical path of the head-up display and thus into the driver's eyes. Additionally, this results in a specific curved cover plate shape for guiding interfering light reflections out of the optical path, which is also known as geometric anti-reflection, and requires the cover plate to have a relatively large size in the vehicle height direction. Here, when designing the cover plate, the influence of the vehicle structure space, such as the space reserved for its design and layout, must be considered. Among the internal components of the head-up display, the concave mirror particularly poses a limitation to the cover plate design because the cover plate must maintain a predetermined minimum distance from the concave mirror in the vehicle height direction.

[0004] When the head-up display is not in use, the concave mirror is usually in its parked position, at which time the vertical distance between the cover plate and the concave mirror is usually the smallest. The parked position is usually achieved by rotating the concave mirror around its axis of rotation, so that its focus moves out of the optical path of the head-up display to prevent the light entering the projection unit from the outside from being undesirably focused on the light- and heat-sensitive optical and electronic components of the head-up display.

[0005] The size of the concave mirror is also affected by opto-mechanical limitations. Different drivers sit at different positions in the vehicle according to their height. To enable each driver to obtain the best head-up display viewing effect and eye box position for them, adjustment possibilities are provided, which can also be achieved by rotating the concave mirror around the aforementioned axis of mirror rotation. Here, since the optical paths to the eye box positions of different drivers are different, the areas of the concave mirror effectively used by different drivers are usually also different. To cover different seating positions, the size of the concave mirror is usually larger than the size required for only one fixed preset seating position in the vehicle. The optical performance is optimized considering the different adjustment possibilities of the concave mirror. This usually leads to a compromise because the fixed preset axis of rotation limits the degree of freedom for optimization. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative projection unit for a field-of-view display device or a projection unit improved in terms of structural space, optical performance, and / or other aspects, which is particularly suitable for use in a vehicle.

[0007] This object is achieved by a projection unit according to claim 1 and a field-of-view display device comprising the projection unit and a vehicle equipped with the field-of-view display device according to the co-pending independent claims. Further design aspects are given in the dependent claims. All further features and effects described for the projection unit in the claims and the following description apply equally to the field-of-view display device and the vehicle, and vice versa.

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a projection unit for a field-of-view display device, which can be applied in particular to a vehicle. The field-of-view display device can be configured, for example, as a head-up display (HUD). The vehicle can be a motor vehicle or any other land, air or water vehicle.

[0009] The projection unit has an imaging unit (also referred to as an image generation unit, PGU), which is configured to generate a light beam with the desired display content. In principle, any image generation technology particularly suitable for a vehicle can be used for the imaging unit. It can in particular be a display screen, such as a flat panel display or a waveguide display, but it can also be a projection system, such as a digital light processing (DLP) projector, or a diffuser screen illuminated or scanned by a light beam, etc.

[0010] In the optical path of the light beam generated by the imaging unit, the projection unit (apart from optional other optical elements for light beam shaping and steering) includes a concave mirror, which is arranged and designed such that the light beam leaves the projection unit in a preset desired form and direction, so as to be subsequently reflected by at least a partially transparent reflector arranged in the user's field of view to the user's eye box, thereby presenting the display content to the user in the form of a virtual image behind the reflector. The reflector can be formed, for example, by a section of the vehicle windshield or an additional combined panel provided. Thus, it is a component of the field-of-view display device described below, but not necessarily a component of the projection unit. For example, in the case of using the vehicle windshield, the projection unit can be manufactured and sold without including the reflector. However, in the case of an additional combined panel provided, it can also be integrated in the projection unit in a known manner (for example, movably integrated). Here, the eye box of the field-of-view display device is understood in the usual way as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional spatial region from which the relevant user can unrestrictedly see the virtual image.

[0011] The concave mirror can be rotated about the mirror rotation axis by a suitable drive to adjust the eye box according to the height and seating position of different users. The mirror rotation axis is a fixed component of the concave mirror or is otherwise firmly connected to the concave mirror. The rotation drive can be configured, for example, as an electric motor or other type of actuator, which is directly or via a transmission connected to the mirror rotation axis. The mirror rotation axis can be rotatably supported, for example, at each of its two ends in a respective main support member. If one of the two ends of the mirror rotation axis is supported in a main support member fixed relative to the projection unit, then this end is particularly suitable for driving. Otherwise, the drive can also be integrated, for example, in a movably mounted main support member.

[0012] Here, at least at one end of the mirror rotation axis, the relevant main support member is eccentrically supported in a rotatable secondary support member. This secondary support member (also referred to as an eccentric device) can be driven by at least one driving member that rotates together with the mirror rotation axis to rotate about an eccentric axis fixed / position-fixed relative to the projection unit. The corresponding driving member can be firmly connected to the mirror rotation axis and thus rotate together, and engages with the secondary support member through a mechanical stop to transmit force.

[0013] When the mirror rotation axis is rotationally driven by its drive, the secondary support member is also simultaneously driven by the at least one driving member to rotate about the eccentric axis. Thereby, the main support member in which it is eccentrically supported also rotates about the eccentric axis. Thus, accompanying the rotational movement of the concave mirror about its mirror rotation axis, there is also a superimposed (approximate) translational movement of the mirror rotation axis and the concave mirror in a direction transverse to the mirror rotation axis. The additional degrees of freedom obtained during the adjustment of the concave mirror can be used to optimize various aspects such as its optical performance, dimensions, and / or installation in the available space. Some optimization examples will be described below. In particular, the problem mentioned at the beginning can be solved in this way:

[0014] The superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis and the concave mirror in a direction transverse to the mirror rotation axis can be realized, for example, as a lowering of the concave mirror in the vehicle height direction. Thereby, compared with the conventionally fixed support manner of the mirror rotation axis, the concave mirror can be lowered lower when reaching the parked position, and the structural space conflict with the projection unit cover plate in the parked position mentioned at the beginning can be overcome. Alternatively or additionally, the superimposed translational movement proposed here during the rotation of the concave mirror can also be used to optimize its optical performance and / or dimensions during the operation of the projection unit, especially during the adjustment of the eye box.

[0015] The specific relationship between the driven rotational movement of the concave mirror about its mirror rotation axis and the translational movement of the concave mirror in a direction transverse to its mirror rotation axis caused by one or more passive driving elements can be influenced by specifically selected structural details, such as the radial distance and angular position of the main support element supported in the secondary support element, or the way of movement or mechanical engagement of the driving element in the secondary support element.

[0016] The main support element at one or both ends of the mirror rotation axis can be configured, for example, as a ball head to achieve the maximum possible mobility of the mirror rotation axis. The main support element supported in the secondary support element can be supported in a position-fixed manner therein, in particular fixed, especially at a point fixed relative to the secondary support element and maintaining a predetermined radial distance from the eccentric shaft. In order to again achieve the maximum possible mobility of the mirror rotation axis, the main support element can be especially slidably or rollably supported in the secondary support element.

[0017] Therefore, one concept of the above projection unit is that, in order to adjust the concave mirror, the mirror rotation axis, which is firmly connected to the concave mirror and can be actively rotated by a (rotational) drive, is eccentrically supported in a secondary support element that can rotate about another axis (eccentric axis), and the secondary support element is passively rotated together with the mirror rotation axis by one or more driving elements. This can be designed to adjust the concave mirror to the above parking position, and / or to adjust or adapt the eye box according to the user during the operation of the field-of-view display device (e.g., during vehicle driving). Thereby, in particular, the optical performance of the entire system can be optimized, and / or the structural space requirement of the field-of-view display device can be reduced by minimizing the concave mirror area and / or by additional lowering, raising, or other lateral movements of the rotatable concave mirror.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the projection unit further includes a protective housing that protects the above elements of the projection unit from the outside. The protective housing has a transparent cover plate that closes the housing on the exit side and transmits the light beam emitted by the projection unit during operation. Here, the parking position of the concave mirror can be adjusted by a predetermined angular position of the mirror rotation axis, in which the focus or the principal optical axis of the concave mirror is located outside the optical path provided for the operation of the projection unit. In this embodiment, the mirror rotation axis is supported in the secondary support element such that when the concave mirror is adjusted from the working position to its parking position, the rotation of the secondary support element associated with the required rotation of the mirror rotation axis will result in a superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis and the concave mirror in a direction away from the cover plate. For a projection unit installed in a vehicle dashboard, this corresponds to a lowering of the mirror rotation axis in the vehicle height direction (at least on one side, i.e., occurring at one of its ends). Figures 2a to 4b Examples of some suitable positions of the main support element and the driving element in the secondary support element are shown, for example.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the at least one driving member is connected to the secondary support member or engages with a groove, opening or projection formed on the secondary support member, such that the secondary support member is driven by the at least one driving member to perform a corresponding rotation about its eccentric axis each time the mirror rotation axis rotates. In this embodiment, by appropriately selecting the relative arrangement of the mirror rotation axis, the eccentric axis and the driving member, the adjustment of the concave mirror during the operation of the projection unit and during the adjustment of the above-mentioned parking position can be optimized by using the superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis.

[0020] In an alternative embodiment thereto, for each driving member, the secondary support member has a driving member groove or slideway in which the main support member supported therein around the mirror rotation axis extends within a predetermined angular segment. Here, the corresponding driving member groove or slideway is designed such that the relevant driving member moves freely during the rotation of the mirror rotation axis required for adjusting the eye box during the operation of the projection unit, while during the additional rotation of the mirror rotation axis required for adjusting the parking position of the concave mirror, the driving member stops at one end of the driving member groove or slideway, thereby causing the secondary support member to rotate about its eccentric axis. Here, the secondary support member can be designed, for example, to achieve the maximum possible space optimization in the parking position, without affecting the mirror adjustment during operation.

[0021] The mirror rotation axis and the eccentric axis can be arranged, for example, substantially parallel to each other and maintaining a predetermined axial spacing therebetween. Alternatively thereto, the mirror rotation axis and the eccentric axis can also be arranged to intersect each other, especially maintaining a predetermined minimum spacing such that the two axes do not intersect. In particular, an (angle varying during rotation) acute angle can be formed between the orthogonal projection of the eccentric axis on the plane where the eccentric axis is located and the mirror rotation axis, and this acute angle is significantly less than 90°, for example, always less than 80°, 70°, 60°, 50°, 40°, 30° or 20°.

[0022] In a specific design, the mirror rotation axis and / or its main support member and / or the secondary support member are provided with an automatic axial length adjustment device, such that the length of the mirror rotation axis automatically adapts to the possibly varying distance between the main support members at its two ends during the rotation of the secondary support member. For example, for this purpose, a length compensation spring mechanism can be provided at one end or both ends of the mirror rotation axis, or the mirror rotation axis can be constructed as a profile shaft and / or a telescopic shaft composed of at least two coaxially sleeved rod segments, and these rod segments can in turn be extended to the corresponding available axial length by a suitable spring mechanism.

[0023] According to another aspect, a field-of-view display device is provided, which is particularly applied to a vehicle. In addition to the projection unit introduced here, the field-of-view display device further includes at least partially transparent reflector plates arranged in the optical path of the light beam emitted by the projection unit, which can in particular be configured as a partial section of the vehicle windshield or other vehicle glass, or as an additionally provided combined plate. Here, the reflector plate is arranged and designed within the field of view of the user (such as the driver or other occupants of the vehicle) such that it reflects the light beam to a predefined eye box for the user, so that display content in the form of a virtual image behind the reflector plate can be presented to the user, and this content is indeed presented when the field-of-view display device is operating.

[0024] According to another aspect, a vehicle is provided, in particular a motor vehicle or any other land, air or water vehicle. The spatial orientation terms used here, such as "above", "below", "front", "side", "horizontal", "vertical", etc., are relative to the generally vehicle-fixed Cartesian coordinate system, which has mutually perpendicular longitudinal, lateral and height directions. The vehicle has vehicle glass that at least partially defines the passenger compartment, in particular the windshield, and is equipped with the above-mentioned field-of-view display device, the projection unit of which is arranged within the passenger compartment, and the reflector plate of which is configured as a section of the vehicle glass or a combined plate arranged within the passenger compartment. For example, the projection unit can be directly mounted below the upper side of the vehicle instrument panel such that the light beam emitted by the projection unit is projected onto the windshield arranged above the instrument panel or a combined plate in front of the windshield within the field of view of the driver or other passengers.

[0025] Here, the translational movement of the mirror rotation axis generated by the secondary support includes its unilateral or bilateral descent or ascent in the height direction of the vehicle-fixed Cartesian coordinate system.

[0026] According to one embodiment, in the projection unit, the above-mentioned parked position of the concave mirror can be adjusted by a predefined angular position of the mirror rotation axis. Here, for the predefined working angular range of the mirror rotation axis required to adjust the eye box during the operation of the projection unit, an electromechanical or mechanical fixing device for supporting the mirror rotation axis in the main support is provided, which is configured to suppress the vibration of the concave mirror caused by vehicle movement during vehicle driving. Here, the projection unit is configured to automatically release (i.e., unlock) the fixing device to adjust the concave mirror to the parked position after leaving the working angular range of the mirror rotation axis. Description of the Drawings

[0027] The above aspects of the present invention, their embodiments and specific designs will be explained in more detail below with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. The drawings are schematic illustrations and should not therefore be understood as being drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a part of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a field of view display device;

[0029] Figure 2a is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of an example in which the mirror rotation axis of the concave mirror of the field of view display device is eccentrically supported in a rotatable secondary support member, and the concave mirror is in the working position when viewed from the direction of the mirror rotation axis;

[0030] Figure 2b is the same as Figure 2a the same cross-sectional view, but at this time the concave mirror is in the parked position;

[0031] Figure 3a is Figure 2a a longitudinal sectional view of the concave mirror of Figure 2a and its eccentric support in a rotatable secondary support member, with the observation direction being the direction of the mirror rotation axis, and the concave mirror is in the same working position as

[0032] Figure 3b is the same as Figure 3a the same longitudinal sectional view, but at this time the concave mirror is in the same parked position as Figure 2b ;

[0033] Figure 4a is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of another example in which the mirror rotation axis of the concave mirror of the field of view display device is eccentrically supported in a rotatable secondary support member, and the concave mirror is in the working position when viewed from the direction of the mirror rotation axis; and

[0034] Figure 4b is the same as Figure 4a the same cross-sectional view, but at this time the concave mirror is in the parked position. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0035] All different embodiments, variants, and specific design features of the projection unit, field of view display device, and vehicle according to the above aspects of the present invention mentioned in the above description and in the subsequent claims can be implemented in the Figures 1 to 4b example shown, in particular, can also be added to the features shown in the figures or implemented as an alternative thereto. Therefore, all these will not be repeated below. For the Figures 1 to 4b respective features shown in

[0036] Figure 1A partial view of a vehicle 1 with a field-of-view display device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a vertical longitudinal sectional view. Here, the field-of-view display device 2 is merely exemplary configured as a head-up display (HUD). The spatial orientation terms used in describing this and other examples, such as "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "front", "rear", "side", etc., are with respect to the common vehicle-fixed Cartesian coordinate system K, which has mutually perpendicular longitudinal, lateral, and height directions X, Y, and Z of the vehicle 1.

[0037] The field-of-view display device 2 is configured to generate a virtual image V in the field of view of a user (e.g., the driver of the vehicle 1), which is only shown in Figure 1 by determining an eyebox E for its eyes in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. In this example, the eyebox E is defined as a two-dimensional spatial region perpendicular to the central ray of the field-of-view display device 2, from which the virtual image V can be seen with a preset display quality. Here, the vehicle 1 is merely exemplary a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle is only shown in Figure 1 by its front windshield 3, a dashboard 4 extending below the front windshield and not shown in detail, and a roof 9 extending above the front windshield.

[0038] The field-of-view display device 2 includes a projection unit 5, which is arranged inside the dashboard 4 below the front windshield 3 in this example and is protected outwardly by a housing 10 against interfering factors such as dust and moisture. The projection unit 5 contains an imaging unit 6 configured to generate a light beam L with the desired display content. The light beam L emitted by the imaging unit 6 is simply shown by the above-mentioned central ray of the field-of-view display device 2, which is typically guided, for example, from the center of the imaging unit 6 towards the center of the eyebox E.

[0039] In the optical path of the generated light beam L, in this example, an optional folding mirror 7 for additionally folding the optical path (which can also be omitted in the present invention) and a concave mirror 8 opposite thereto are provided. The concave, curved front side of the concave mirror 8 faces the folding mirror 7 (or the imaging unit 6 if there is no folding mirror), and the concave, curved front side is configured here as a free surface so that the light beam L leaves the projection unit 5 in a suitable form and direction by reflection on this free surface, in order to be subsequently reflected from the front windshield 3 to the eyebox E. Thus, the front windshield 3 serves as the reflecting surface of the field-of-view display device 2 described here.

[0040] Towards the front windshield 3, the housing 10 of the projection unit 5 is closed by a cover 11 which is transparent to the generated light beam L and is designed in this example both for mechanical protection of the projection unit 5 and for protecting it from disruptive reflections of sunlight and ambient light. In this example, the cover 11 is located slightly lower than the adjacent upper side O of the instrument panel 4 and has a concavely curved outer surface for the geometric anti-reflection described further above. The latter requires that the cover 11 has a Figure 1 The considerable overall size is visible in the

[0041] The concave mirror 8 can be driven by a driver M (see Figure 3a ) is rotated around the mirror rotation axis A1 firmly connected thereto to adjust the position of the eye box E according to different user heights and user sitting positions. Here, by means of a predetermined angular position of the mirror rotation axis A1, the parking position P of the concave mirror 8 can also be adjusted, in which the focus or the main optical axis of the concave mirror 8 is located outside the optical path provided for the operation of the projection unit 5. Figure 1 1 and 2 , a rotation 12 of the mirror rotation axis A1 is indicated by a rotation arrow when the concave mirror 8 is adjusted from the working position shown by way of example into its parking position P.

[0042] like Figure 1 It can be seen that the concave mirror 8 has a maximum offset in the height direction Z of the vehicle 1 in its parking position P and thus affects the design of the cover plate 11 located above it, for which a predetermined minimum distance must be maintained from the concave mirror 8. This in turn has a direct restrictive influence on the design of the instrument panel 4 and other technical components of the vehicle 1 in the environment around the field of view display device 2. In order to solve this problem, in the present embodiment, the concave mirror 8 is not adjusted to the parking position P by a pure rotational movement about its mirror rotation axis A1 as usual, but by an additional lowering movement with the help of an eccentric device, as in Figures 2a to 4b Some examples are shown in the figure.

[0043] Figure 2a An example of eccentric support of the mirror rotation axis A1 of the concave mirror 8 of the field display device according to one embodiment of the present invention in the rotatable secondary support 14 is shown. It can be particularly Figure 1 The figure shows a cross-sectional view along the mirror rotation axis A1, when the concave mirror 8 is in the working position (e.g. Figure 1 shown). Figure 2b Shown with Figure 2a The same cross-sectional view, now the concave mirror 8 has been adjusted to its parking position P (e.g. Figure 1 shown).

[0044] Figure 3a Shown Figure 2aLongitudinal sectional view of the concave mirror 8 and its eccentric support in the rotatable secondary support 14, with the viewing direction being the direction of the mirror rotation axis A1. The concave mirror 8 is in the same Figure 2a operating position. In other words, Figure 3a the view of Figure 3a can be said to show the concave mirror 8 from the driver's perspective, that is, from the viewing direction along the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle 1. Figure 3b shows the same longitudinal sectional view as Figure 3a when the concave mirror 8 has been adjusted to its parking position P as shown in Figure 2b .

[0045] During the operation of the projection unit 5, within the working angle range of the mirror rotation axis A1 for adjusting the eye box, the distance between the cover plate 11 and the concave mirror 8 is the largest. Beyond this range, within the angle range for adjusting the concave mirror 8 to the parking position P, (if there is no additional downward movement) due to the asymmetry of the front windshield and the vehicle geometry, from the driver's perspective, especially Figures 3a to 3b the right end of the mirror rotation axis A1 in Figures 3a to 3b will be too close to Figure 1 the cover plate 11 with the desired anti-reflection geometry shown in Figure 1 . To solve this problem, Figures 2a to 2b and Figures 3a to 3b the solution proposed in Figures 3a to 3b therefore stipulates that only when adjusting the concave mirror 8 to the parking position P and, purely by way of example, only on one side, that is, at the aforementioned right end of the mirror rotation axis A1 (similarly feasible on both sides), the concave mirror 8 is lowered to the parking position P in the narrow area relative to the cover plate 11 by means of a suitable eccentric movement mechanism.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3a , for this purpose, in this example, the main support 15 (in which the left end of the mirror rotation axis A1 is rotatably supported) is constructed as a fixed bearing, and its fixation relative to the projection unit 5 or in the housing 10 is shown by a triangular fixing device. Therefore, this support part is also particularly suitable for connecting the mechanical drive M for the mirror rotation axis A1; but this is not absolutely necessary. The main support 15 is designed as a ball head, for example, in order to provide the necessary freedom of movement for the opposing support part at the second end of the mirror rotation axis A1. When the opposing support part is designed as a movable bearing, the main support 16 (in which the right end of the mirror rotation axis A1 is rotatably supported) can also be designed as a ball head. In this example, the adjustment of the concave mirror 8 for the normal operation of the field of view display device 2, especially for adjusting the eye box position, is achieved by means of two main supports 15 and 16, which is carried out, for example, during the driving of the vehicle 1.

[0047] The main support member 16 is eccentrically mounted herein in the secondary support member 14 (eccentric device) in such a manner that it is fixed or supported at a fixed position in the secondary support member at a predetermined distance from the eccentric shaft A2, for example, by sliding or rolling support. The secondary support member 14 can rotate about the eccentric shaft A2 fixed in the projection unit 5 or its housing 10. For this purpose, the secondary support member 14 is rotatably supported in a bearing block 17 fixed relative to the projection unit 5 or its housing 10, where the bearing block is purely exemplarily designed as rectangular or shown as rectangular. In the present example, the secondary support member 14 is driven to rotate 13 by at least one driving member 18 (only one is shown purely exemplarily), and the driving member 18 is firmly connected to the mirror rotation axis A1 and thus rotates together.

[0048] For the adjustment of the concave mirror 8 during operation (for example, to adjust the eye box during the running of the vehicle 1 or to adjust the eye box for the running of the vehicle), the driving member 18 moves freely in Figure 2a a driving member slideway 19 formed on the secondary support member 14 and extending around the mirror rotation axis A1 over an angular segment corresponding to the operating angle range of the above-mentioned mirror rotation axis A1. In other words, the driving member 18 moves freely in the slideway 19 here without driving the secondary support member 14 to rotate about the eccentric shaft A2.

[0049] When exceeding the range of this operating adjustment of the concave mirror 8, the driving member 18 will stop at one end of the slideway 19 as shown in Figure 2a and 2b shown. By further rotating 12 about the mirror rotation axis A1, the concave mirror 8 is introduced into its parked position P, at which time the secondary support member 14 is also driven to rotate 13 about its eccentric shaft A1 by the at least one driving member 18 (preferably two driving members together with two corresponding slideways). Thereby, the concave mirror 8 descends along the height direction Z of the vehicle 1, and in the present example, the distance between the concave mirror 8 and the cover plate 11 increases by a height amount ΔZ, which depends on the specific position of the main support member 16 in the secondary support member 14 and its distance from the eccentric shaft A2. This descent amount ΔZ is also shown in Figures 3a to 3b shown. Bilateral descent can also be achieved in a similar manner, that is, the main support member 15 also descends.

[0050] Figure 4a and Figure 4b show Figures 2a to 3bExtended solution of the illustrated embodiment, wherein the lowering or raising of the concave mirror 8 by eccentric drive in a direction transverse to its mirror rotation axis A1 can alternatively or additionally be used for adjusting the concave mirror during operation, in particular for adjusting the eye box. For this purpose, in this example, instead of the elongated drive element slideway 19, a drive element opening 20 is provided in the secondary support 14, into which the at least one drive element 18 is inserted and the inner diameter of which is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the drive element 18. Thereby, every time the mirror rotation axis A1 rotates 12, the secondary support 14 is driven to rotate 13 about the eccentric axis A2, which can be utilized as an additional translational degree of freedom during the adjustment of the concave mirror. By appropriately selecting the geometric parameters of the eccentric support of the mirror rotation axis A1 in the secondary support 14, in addition to the above-mentioned lowering to the parked position P, this can also be used to additionally optimize the optical performance of the field-of-view display device 2 during operation, and / or to better utilize the effective area of the concave mirror when adjusting the eye box, i.e., for reducing the required size of the concave mirror, and more. In addition, all of the above regarding Figures 2a to 3b applies equally here.

[0051] Depending on the support diameter of the mirror rotation axis A1 in the secondary support 14 and the distance between the drive element 18 and the mirror rotation axis A1, the superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis A1 during its rotation can be specifically adjusted according to the desired design parameters (such as the optical performance of the field-of-view display device 2, space limitations, etc.). Similarly, here, due to the eccentric support of the mirror rotation axis A1 shown, compared with the traditional support, the concave mirror 8 can be lowered further in the Z direction to reach its parked position P.

[0052] List of reference numerals:

[0053] 1 Vehicle

[0054] 2 Field-of-view display device

[0055] 3 Windshield

[0056] 4 Instrument panel

[0057] 5 Projection unit

[0058] 6 Imaging unit

[0059] 7 Folding mirror

[0060] 8 Concave mirror

[0061] 9 Roof

[0062] 10 Housing

[0063] 11 Cover

[0064] 12 Rotation of the mirror rotation axis

[0065] Rotation of 13 secondary support members

[0066] 14 Secondary support members

[0067] 15, 16 Main support members for opposite ends of the mirror rotation axis

[0068] 17 Bearing housing

[0069] 18 Driving member

[0070] 19 Driving member slideway or groove

[0071] 20 Driving member opening

[0072] L Light beam

[0073] O Upper side of the instrument panel

[0074] A1 Mirror rotation axis

[0075] A2 Eccentric shaft

[0076] E Eyebox

[0077] M Driver of the mirror rotation axis

[0078] P Parking position of the concave mirror

[0079] K Vehicle-fixed coordinate system

[0080] X, Y, Z Longitudinal, lateral and height directions of the vehicle

[0081] V Virtual image.

Claims

1. A projection unit (5) for a field of view display device (2), the projection unit being used in particular in a vehicle (1), the projection unit comprising: - an imaging unit (6) which is designed to generate a light beam (L) having a desired display content; a concave mirror (8) which is arranged in the beam path of the generated light beam (L) and is configured such that the light beam (L) leaves the projection unit (5) in a predetermined form and direction so as to be subsequently reflected by a partially transparent reflector arranged in the user's field of view to the user's eye box (E) and thereby present a display content to the user in the form of a virtual image (V) behind the reflector; In order to adjust the position of the eye box, the concave mirror (8) can be rotated around a mirror rotation axis (A1) firmly connected to the concave mirror by a drive (M), and the mirror rotation axis is rotatably supported in a main support (16); and The main support (16) is eccentrically supported in a secondary support (14) at least at one end of the mirror rotation axis (A1), and the secondary support can be driven by means of at least one driving member (18) rotating together with the mirror rotation axis (A1) to rotate (13) around an eccentric axis (A2) of the secondary support fixed relative to the projection unit (5), which causes a superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis (A1) and thereby the concave mirror (8) in a direction transverse to the mirror rotation axis.

2. The projection unit (5) according to claim 1, wherein: - the main bearing (15, 16) at one or both ends of the mirror rotation axis (A1) is configured as a ball head; and / or The main support (16) is supported in a fixed position, in particular in a sliding or rolling manner, in the auxiliary support (14), in particular at a point fixed to the auxiliary support (14) at a predetermined radial distance from the eccentric shaft (A2).

3. The projection unit (5) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: - a housing (10) for protecting the projection unit (5) outwardly; and a transparent cover (11) which closes the housing (10) on the outlet side and transmits the light beam (L) emitted by the projection unit (5); wherein a parking position (P) of the concave mirror (8) can be adjusted by a predetermined angular position of the mirror rotation axis (A1), in which the focus or the main optical axis of the concave mirror (8) is located outside the optical path provided for the operation of the projection unit (5); and When the concave mirror (8) is adjusted from its working position to its parking position (P), a rotation (13) of the auxiliary support (14) associated with the rotation (12) of the mirror rotation axis (A1) required for this purpose causes a superimposed translational movement of the mirror rotation axis (A1) and thus of the concave mirror (8) in a direction away from the cover plate (11).

4. The projection unit (5) according to claim 3, wherein: The at least one driving member (18) is connected to the auxiliary support (14) or engages with an opening (20) or a protrusion formed on the auxiliary support (14), so that the auxiliary support (14) is driven by the at least one driving member (18) to perform a related rotation (13) around its eccentric axis (A2) each time the mirror rotation axis (A1) rotates (12).

5. The projection unit (5) according to claim 3, wherein: - the secondary support (14) is provided with a drive groove or slideway (19) for each drive (18) extending within a predetermined angular section around the main support (16) of the mirror rotation axis (A1); and - The corresponding driving member groove or slideway (19) is designed so that the relevant driving member (18) can move freely in the driving member groove or slideway during the rotation of the mirror rotation axis (A1) required for adjusting the eye box when the projection unit (5) is in operation, and during the further rotation (12) of the mirror rotation axis (A1) required for adjusting the parking position (P) of the concave mirror (8), the driving member stops at one end of the driving member groove or slideway (19) and thereby rotates the auxiliary support (14) around its eccentric axis (A2).

6. The projection unit (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The mirror rotation axis (A1) and the eccentric axis (A2) are arranged parallel to each other and at a predetermined axis distance from each other; or The mirror rotation axis (A1) and the eccentric axis (A2) are arranged alternately with each other.

7. The projection unit (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The mirror rotation axis (A1) and / or its main support (15, 16) and / or the auxiliary support (14) are constructed with an automatic axis length adjustment device so that the length of the mirror rotation axis (A1) automatically adapts to the distance between the main supports (15, 16) at its two ends that may change when the auxiliary support (14) rotates (13).

8. A field of view display device (2), the field of view display device being particularly used in a vehicle (1), the field of view display device comprising: - A projection unit (5) according to any one of the preceding claims; and - a reflector arranged in the beam path of the light beam (L) emitted by the projection unit (5), in particular an at least partially transparent reflector; The reflector is arranged and designed within the user's field of view so that it reflects the light beam (L) to the eye box (E) predetermined for the user, thereby presenting the user with display content in the form of a virtual image (V) behind the reflector.

9. A vehicle (1), in particular a motor vehicle, having a vehicle-fixed Cartesian coordinate system (K) with longitudinal, transverse and height directions (X, Y, Z) which are perpendicular to one another, the vehicle comprising: - a vehicle glass, in particular a front windshield (3), which at least partially delimits the passenger compartment; as well as - A field of view display device (2) according to claim 8, wherein the projection unit (5) of the field of view display device is arranged in the passenger compartment, in particular, arranged inside the instrument panel (4) arranged below the front windshield (3) or arranged directly below the upper side (O) of the instrument panel, and the reflective plate of the field of view display device is configured as a section of the vehicle glass or as a composite plate arranged in the passenger compartment, The translational movement of the mirror rotation axis (A1) generated by the rotation (13) of the auxiliary support (14) comprises a unilateral or bilateral lowering (ΔZ) or raising of the mirror rotation axis in the height direction (Z) of a vehicle-fixed Cartesian coordinate system (K).

10. The vehicle (1) according to claim 9, wherein: In the projection unit (5), the parking position (P) of the concave mirror (8) can be adjusted by a predetermined angular position of the mirror rotation axis (A1), in which the focus or the main optical axis of the concave mirror (8) is located outside the optical path provided for the operation of the projection unit (5); For a predetermined working angle range of the mirror rotation axis (A1) required for adjusting the eye box when the projection unit (5) is in operation, an electromechanical or mechanical fixing device for supporting the mirror rotation axis (A1) in the main support (15, 16) is provided, and the fixing device is configured to suppress vibration of the concave mirror (8) caused by the movement of the vehicle during the driving of the vehicle (1); and The projection unit (5) is configured to automatically open the fixing device after leaving the working angle range of the mirror rotation axis (A1) to adjust the concave mirror (8) to a parking position (P).

Images