Head-up display device

Abstract

The utility model provides a head-up display device with excellent manufacturability. A head-up display device (1) according to the present embodiment is provided with: a concave mirror unit (13) having a mirror that reflects display light (L) and a holder that rotatably supports the mirror; a housing (16) having a housing space for housing the concave mirror unit (13); a motor unit (14) that is connected to the frame on the outside of the housing space of the housing (16) and that rotates the concave mirror unit (13); and a motor housing (21) which accommodates the motor unit (14) in a fixed state and is fixed to the outside of the accommodation space of the housing (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a head-up display device. Background Technology

[0002] A head-up display has a reflector for reflecting light emitted from the display. The reflector is supported by a reflector frame and is supported in a manner that allows it to rotate about a rotation axis, depending on the display position of the image, thereby making the emission angle of light from the head-up display variable.

[0003] The mirror mount is connected to and driven by a motor unit. The motor unit is fixedly disposed inside or outside the housing space that supports the mirror mount, etc.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-107164

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-118835 Utility Model Content

[0008] The problem to be solved by utility models

[0009] When the motor unit is fixed inside the housing's accommodating space, it needs to be positioned within a limited space that does not obstruct the light path. On the other hand, fixing the motor unit outside the housing's accommodating space offers greater flexibility in placement compared to fixing it inside, but requires a structure to connect the motor unit to the mirror mount positioned in a separate location. Furthermore, a structure is also needed to fix the motor unit to the outside of the housing, complicating the housing's structure. Therefore, a head-up display device is needed that can achieve both motor unit fixation and connection between the motor unit and the mirror mount using a simple structure.

[0010] This invention was made in consideration of the following circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a head-up display device with excellent manufacturability.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] To address the aforementioned issues, the head-up display device of this invention comprises: a reflector unit having a reflective surface for reflecting display light and a frame for rotatably supporting the reflective surface; a housing having a housing space for housing the reflector unit; a motor connected to the frame outside the housing housing space for rotating the reflector unit; and a motor housing for housing the motor in a fixed state, fixed outside the housing housing space.

[0013] Utility Model Effect

[0014] The head-up display device of this invention exhibits excellent manufacturability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the system architecture of the HUD in this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the lower housing, the concave mirror unit, and the motor housing.

[0017] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the connection between the motor unit and the concave mirror frame.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the motor unit and the motor housing.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a view showing the appearance of the motor housing, which is specifically fixed to the lower housing.

[0020] Figure 6 This is an external view of the window used to illustrate the motor housing.

[0021] Symbol Explanation

[0022] 1: Head-up Display (HUD); 2: Vehicle; 3: Instrument Panel; 4: Windshield; 5: Visual Observer; 8: Opening; 11: Display Unit; 12: Plane Mirror Unit; 13: Concave Mirror Unit (Reflector Unit); 14: Motor Unit; 15: Control Unit; 16: Housing; 17: Lower Housing; 17a: Through Hole; 18: Upper Housing; 19: Opening; 20: Light Transmitter; 21: Motor Housing; 21a: Bottom Surface; 21b: Side Wall; 23: Window; 24: Cover; 31: Concave Mirror Frame; 32: Concave Mirror Support; 33: Connecting Part; 34: Lower End; 41: Base; 42: Motor; 43: Conversion Unit; 44: Guide Rail; 45: Sliding Part; 46: Connecting Component; AX: Rotation Axis; DA: Visible Area; L: Display Light; V: Virtual Image. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of the head-up display device of this utility model are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The head-up display device of this utility model can be applied to head-up display devices (HUDs) mounted on vehicles such as automobiles or motorcycles, ships, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery.

[0024] Figure 1This is a diagram illustrating an example of the system structure of the HUD1 in this embodiment. In the following description, "front," "rear," "up," "down," "right," and "left" are... Figures 1 to 6 The definitions of “Fr.”, “Re.”, “To.”, “Bo.”, “R”, and “L” correspond to each other.

[0025] HUD1 is mounted on the dashboard 3 of vehicle 2, and emits display light L from the opening 8 of dashboard 3. HUD1 projects the display light L from the rear of vehicle 2 (rear in the direction of travel) onto the windshield 4 (the projected component) of vehicle 2 and reflects it. When a visual observer 5, acting as a passenger of vehicle 2 (e.g., the driver), observes the windshield 4 from the visible area DA, they can visually observe the virtual image V displayed in front of vehicle 2 relative to the windshield 4 based on the display light L. The display light L may indicate, for example, the vehicle speed or vehicle information such as warning messages or route guidance information.

[0026] The HUD1 mainly includes a display unit 11, a plane mirror unit 12, a concave mirror unit 13 (reflector unit), a motor unit 14, a control unit 15, a housing 16 that houses these components, and a motor housing 21.

[0027] Display unit 11 is a display for displaying images, such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a projector using rear projection. Display unit 11 displays an image representing vehicle information and emits display light L representing that image.

[0028] The plane mirror unit 12 has a plane mirror that reflects the display light L emitted from the display unit 11 towards the concave mirror unit 13. The concave mirror unit 13 has a concave mirror (a reflector forming a reflective surface) that reflects the light reflected by the plane mirror unit 12 towards the windshield 4. Furthermore, the concave mirror unit 13 rotates about the rotation axis AX. For example, the concave mirror unit 13 moves the visible area DA vertically to change the position of the display light L projected onto the windshield 4 so that the position of the visible area DA is aligned with the eye level of the visual observer 5. Additionally, the concave mirror unit 13 rotates the concave mirror between a display position (first position) and a parking position (second position). The display position is the orientation of the concave mirror unit 13 where the display light L reflected by the concave mirror is projected onto the windshield 4. The parking position is the orientation of the concave mirror unit 13 where the display light L reflected by the concave mirror is not projected onto the windshield 4. Details of the concave mirror unit 13 will be explained later.

[0029] Motor unit 14 (motor) is a drive mechanism connected to the concave mirror unit (frame) outside the receiving space of lower housing 17 (housing) and used to rotate the concave mirror unit 13 (concave mirror) about the rotation axis AX. Motor unit 14 is housed in motor housing 21 and fixed to the outside of lower housing 17. Details of motor unit 14 will be described later.

[0030] The control unit 15 is a control circuit board that controls the display unit 11 and the motor unit 14. The control unit 15 causes the display unit 11 to display an image indicating vehicle information. In addition, the control unit 15 controls the motor unit 14 and causes the concave mirror unit 13 to rotate around the rotation axis AX.

[0031] The housing 16 is a black resin housing such as polycarbonate. The housing 16 has a lower housing 17 and an upper housing 18. The housing 16 has a receiving space formed by the lower housing 17 and the upper housing 18. The housing 16 houses the display unit 11, the plane mirror unit 12, the concave mirror unit 13, and the control unit 15 within this receiving space. The upper housing 18 has an opening 19 for projecting the display light L to the outside of the housing 16. The upper housing 18 has a light-transmitting sheet 20 covering the opening 19.

[0032] The motor housing 21 houses the motor unit 14 while the motor unit 14 is fixed in place by screws or the like. The motor housing 21 is fixed to the outside of the housing space of the housing 16 by screws or the like.

[0033] Next, the structure of the concave mirror unit 13, the motor unit 14, and the motor housing 21 will be described in detail.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the lower housing 17, the concave mirror unit 13, and the motor housing 21. It is a perspective view of the lower housing 17.

[0035] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the connection between the motor unit 14 and the concave mirror frame 31.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the motor unit 14 and the motor housing 21.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a view showing the appearance of the motor housing 21, which is fixed to the lower housing 17.

[0038] Figure 6 This is an external view illustrating the window 23 of the motor housing 21.

[0039] The concave mirror unit 13 has a concave mirror frame 31 that rotatably supports the concave mirror. The concave mirror frame 31 has a concave mirror support portion 32 and a connecting portion 33. The concave mirror support portion 32 has a concave surface corresponding to the shape of the concave mirror, and the concave mirror is fixed, for example, by double-sided tape or adhesive. The connecting portion 33 is a portion extending downward from the concave mirror support portion 32, and is connected via a lower end 34 (…). Figure 3 It is connected to the motor unit 14. Here, as shown... Figure 2As shown, the lower housing 17 has a through hole 17a through which the connecting portion 33 passes from top to bottom. The connecting portion 33 extends out of the receiving space of the lower housing 17 through the through hole 17a, and its lower end 34 extends to the bottom of the lower housing 17.

[0040] In addition, the concave mirror of the concave mirror unit 13 can also be directly disposed on the reflective surface of the concave mirror frame, and such a reflective surface is formed on the concave mirror frame by methods such as vapor deposition.

[0041] The motor housing 21 is a housing having a bottom surface 21a and four side walls 21b rising from the bottom surface 21a, with an opening at the top. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the motor housing 21 has a window 23 on its right side wall 21b. The window 23 is, for example, a circular hole for connecting the lower end 34 of the visual observation connector 33 to the motor unit 14 (connecting member 46). The window 23 is positioned such that it serves as the connection point for the visual observation connector 33 (concave mirror frame 31) when connected to the motor unit 14 in the parking position. Furthermore, the motor housing 21 also has a cover 24 that covers the window 23 after it has functioned. The cover 24 is fixed to the window 23, for example, by being inserted from the outside of the motor housing 21, to prevent the intrusion of dust or moisture. Preferably, the cover 24 has a structure that prevents it from falling off due to vibrations of the vehicle 2 during use once inserted.

[0042] The motor housing 21 is located outside the receiving space of the housing 16 and below and in front of the lower housing 17, and is fixed to the outer surface of the lower housing 17 by screws. The motor housing 21 is configured such that its opening overlaps with the through hole 17a of the lower housing 17.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the motor unit 14 mainly includes a base 41, a motor 42, a conversion part 43, a guide rail 44, a sliding part 45, and a connecting part 46.

[0044] The base 41 supports the motor 42, the conversion part 43, the guide rail 44 and the sliding part 45 as a whole.

[0045] The motor 42 generates rotational motion around its axis under the control of the control unit 15. The conversion unit 43 is connected to the motor shaft, converting the rotational motion of the motor shaft into linear motion of the slider 45. The guide rails 44 are a pair of rails disposed on the base and extending in the direction of linear motion. The slider 45 is connected to the conversion unit 43 and moves linearly along the guide rails. The connecting member 46 opens the upper leaf spring-like member in a manner that allows it to receive the connecting portion 33 of the concave mirror frame 31. The connecting member 46 is fixed to the slider 45, for example, by fitting. The connecting member 46 clamps and fixes the inserted connecting portion 33, transmitting the linear motion of the slider 45 to the concave mirror frame 31 via the connecting portion 33. Thus, the concave mirror frame 31 rotates about the rotation axis AX.

[0046] The motor unit 14 is fixed to the bottom surface 21a of the motor housing 21 via the base 41 using screws or the like. That is, the motor unit 14 is not directly fixed to the lower housing 17, but is fixed to the lower housing 17 via the motor housing 21 after being fixed to the motor housing 21.

[0047] Next, the steps for connecting the concave mirror unit 13 and the motor unit 14 (during the assembly of HUD1) will be explained.

[0048] The concave mirror unit 13 is rotatably supported on the lower housing 17 at a predetermined position and housed within the receiving space of the housing 16. The connecting portion 33 of the concave mirror holder 31 passes through the through hole 17a of the lower housing 17 and is disposed on the outside of the lower housing 17. At this time, it is preferable that the concave mirror unit 13 is in the parking position. This is because the concave mirror unit 13 is normally in the parking position when the HUD1 is shipped from the factory, so by setting it to the parking position during assembly, a process can be carried out in subsequent processes without changing the orientation of the concave mirror unit 13.

[0049] While visually observing through the opening at the top of the motor housing 21, the operator inserts the connecting portion 33 of the concave mirror holder 31 into the connecting member 46, simultaneously assembling the motor housing 21 with the lower housing 17. Because the final connection of the connecting portion 33 and the connecting member 46 results in the opening of the motor housing 21 being covered by the lower housing 17, visual observation is impossible. However, because the motor housing 21 has a window 23, even after the motor housing 21 is fixed to the lower housing 17, the connection status of the connecting portion 33 and the connecting member 46 can be visually observed through the window 23.

[0050] When the connection between the connecting part 33 and the connecting member 46 is in a proper connection state, the motor housing 21 is fixed to the lower housing 17 by means of threaded fastening or the like. In addition, in order to prevent dust or moisture from entering through the window 23, the window 23 is covered by a cover 24.

[0051] In this type of HUD1, the motor unit 14 is not housed within the lower housing 17 of the HUD1 itself, but rather housed within and fixed to the motor housing 21 that houses the motor unit 14, and then fixed to the lower housing 17 via the motor housing 21. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the structural complexity of the lower housing 17 for fixing the motor unit 14, or to reduce the limitations of the configuration compared to the case where it is housed within a housing space.

[0052] Furthermore, by housing the motor unit 14 within the motor housing 21, the connection between the concave mirror unit 13 and the motor unit 14 cannot be visually observed during assembly. In contrast, the connection point can be visually observed through the window 23 provided in the motor housing 21, thus reducing the risk of connection defects.

[0053] Therefore, the HUD1 of this embodiment can improve manufacturability.

[0054] Several embodiments of this utility model have been described, but these embodiments are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the utility model. These embodiments or their variations are included within the scope or spirit of the utility model, and are included within the scope of the technical solutions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0055] For example, the structure of the motor unit 14 described above is one example. As long as the concave mirror unit 13 can be rotated around the rotation axis AX, the structure is not limited to the above.

[0056] In the above embodiment, a control unit, which is a control circuit board, is shown to be housed as control unit 15 within the housing 16. However, the control circuit board may be disposed outside the housing space of the lower housing 17 (e.g., on the outer bottom surface). In this case, since the housing space does not require a housing space for the control circuit board, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of components is increased.

[0057] When the control circuit board is disposed outside the housing space, the head-up display has: a control circuit board disposed outside the housing space together with the motor unit 14; a cover formed of metal or synthetic resin covering the control circuit board; and a wiring harness formed on the motor unit 14 and electrically connected to the control circuit board. In particular, the motor housing 21 may form a wiring opening through which the wiring harness is inserted, and the cover forms an overlapping portion that covers the wiring opening from the side opposite to the lower housing 17.

[0058] In this head-up display configuration, the overlapping portion that overlaps with the wiring opening allows for easy installation while ensuring dust protection of the wiring space. For example, if the cover is installed before the motor housing 21, and the motor housing 21 is installed after the wiring harness is connected to the circuit board, the wiring harness becomes excessively long for assembly, complicating the assembly process. In this respect, the aforementioned structure, which allows the cover to be installed after the more complex assembly process of the motor housing 21, demonstrates superior manufacturability.

Claims

1. A head-up display device, characterized in that, have: A reflector unit having a reflective surface that reflects display light and a frame that rotatably supports the reflective surface; A housing having a receiving space for accommodating the mirror unit; A motor, which is connected to the frame outside the receiving space of the housing, rotates the reflector unit; as well as A motor housing that houses the motor in a fixed state is fixed to the outside of the housing's receiving space.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor housing has a window for visual observation of the connection between the frame and the motor.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It further includes a cover that covers the window portion.

4. The head-up display device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The head-up display device displays a virtual image by projecting the display light reflected by the reflective surface onto the projected component. The reflector unit rotates between a first position where the display light reflected by the reflective surface projects onto the projected component and a second position where the display light reflected by the reflective surface does not project onto the projected component. The window is used for visual observation of the connection portion when the frame is in the second position.

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