Display device with aligning element for displaying information

Abstract

The invention relates to a display device (1) for displaying information, having an optical body (30) and a primary display element (10) which is designed to emit light for displaying information and couple same into the optical body (30) on a first plane (31), wherein the optical body (30) is designed to deflect the coupled light to a second plane (32) in order to display information to a viewer, and an aligning element (40) is arranged upstream of the the optical body (30), said aligning element being designed to align the light emitted from the primary display element (10) in a main direction (A) before being coupled into the optical body (30).

Description

[0001] Display device with directional element for displaying information

[0002] Description:

[0003] The invention relates to a display device with a directional element for displaying information, in particular in a motor vehicle.

[0004] A variety of display devices based on various operating principles are known from the prior art. It is also known to couple the light generated by a display or display element into an adjacent optical body, redirect it within the optical body, and thereby make it visible to the viewer.

[0005] Because the light is redirected in the optical body, the viewer no longer looks directly at the display, but only at the aesthetically pleasing optical body in which the light is specifically directed or reflected.

[0006] The problem, however, is that when the light is coupled from the display element into the optical body, light scattering can occur or the light coupled in for the information display cannot be directed exclusively in the specified direction.

[0007] Furthermore, it is possible that at certain viewing angles the viewer does not look at the light directed by the optical body, but rather directly through the optical body at light generated by the display or display element, so that the image perceived by the viewer through the light is distorted or mirror-inverted and in any case negative for the readability of the display device.

[0008] The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages and of providing a display device on which a viewer looking at the optical body can perceive an image or information essentially exclusively in the intended manner.

[0009] This problem is solved by the combination of features according to patent claim 1.

[0010] According to the invention, a display device for displaying information, in particular in a motor vehicle, is therefore proposed. The display device has an optical body and a primary display element, which can be, for example, a display with backlighting or another suitable coupling source. The display device is designed to emit light for displaying information or generally for generating images and to couple it into the optical body at a first plane, in particular at a coupling surface of the optical body lying in the first plane. Furthermore, the optical body is designed to redirect the coupled-in light to a second plane for displaying information for a viewer, i.e., in particular, to reflect it.Accordingly, by looking at the second plane or at a display surface mentioned below, the observer can detect the light coupled in by the primary display element in the first plane and read the information. According to the invention, a directing element is arranged upstream of the optical body, which is designed to direct the light emitted by the primary display element in a main direction before coupling into the optical body, so that the scattered light components of the coupled light are eliminated or reduced, or the scattered light components are aligned in the main direction.

[0011] The principal direction is understood in particular to be a direction orthogonal to the first plane. Alternatively, the principal direction can also be defined as a direction that, reflected at the third plane (explained further below), is orthogonal to the second plane.

[0012] By directing or aligning the light, the illumination angle in the main direction is restricted, allowing the light propagating in the main direction to be redirected as intended within the optical body. Accordingly, the viewer perceives no or at least reduced light when looking directly at the primary display element.

[0013] An advantageous development provides that the directing element is a film with at least one layer, in particular made of plastic. Furthermore, it can be a film with at least one layer made of PMMA. Furthermore, the directing element can form optical structures for directing the light, which limit the optical illumination angle of the light emitted by the primary display element in the main direction.

[0014] The optical structures can be linear lenses and / or prism structures and / or, in particular, laser-generated light barriers or lamellae that absorb light outside the main direction and / or direct it into the main direction. By directing the scattered light components into the main direction, the brightness of the light in the main direction is simultaneously increased.

[0015] Furthermore, the directing element can be multi-layered, wherein a layer having the optical structures is arranged between two transparent layers which are covered in particular by a protective layer on their respective sides facing away from the optical structures.

[0016] The layer containing the optical structures can, for example, be a lamella layer and thus contain the light barriers. The lamellae or light barriers can be formed, in particular, from acrylic resins and / or carbon black.

[0017] The two transparent layers between which the layer having the optical structures is arranged can be made of polycarbonate, for example.

[0018] The protective layers that cover the transparent layers can be matte or glossy and can provide or form abrasion protection.

[0019] The transparent layers preferably have a thickness between 100 and 150 pm, and preferably 125 pm. The lamella layer further preferably has a thickness between 100 and 300 pm, and in particular 200 pm. The spacing of the individual parallel lamellae or light barriers in the lamella layer is preferably between 50 and 100 pm, and in particular 72 pm, with the lamellae themselves having, for example, a thickness of less than 5 pm, and more particularly being 1 pm thick.

[0020] Further layers and, for example, connecting layers between the lamella layer and the transparent layers as well as the protective layer can have a very small and therefore negligible thickness.

[0021] The total thickness of the straightening element, ie the extension in the main direction, is preferably less than 1 mm and in particular in a range of 0.4 to 0.7 mm, in particular 0.53 mm.

[0022] The directing element can be arranged between the primary display element and the optical body. Alternatively, the primary display element can comprise a backlight, a display, and the directing element, wherein the directing element is arranged after the backlight and before or after the display.

[0023] The optical body is preferably an optical crystal, i.e., rigid. This also allows the optical body or optical crystal to be embedded in a support only in the region of the first plane and to be essentially free on its other sides.

[0024] If the display device is integrated, for example, into a steering handle of a motor vehicle, a side of the optical body forming the first plane can be embedded in a steering rim or handle section of the steering handle, so that the optical body can protrude relative to the steering rim or handle section. Of course, the optical body can still be covered by design or functional elements, such as films or the like, although these do not have a supporting or load-bearing function for the optical body. Preferably, the optical body has a coupling surface in the first plane, at which the light or the image generated by the primary display is coupled into the optical body. Additionally or alternatively, the optical body can have a display surface in the second plane, onto which the light or the image is directed to display information for the viewer or leaves the optical body.Furthermore, the optical body can additionally or alternatively have a reflective surface in a third plane, at which the light coming from the first plane is deflected to the second plane, and wherein the third plane is arranged at an angle of 20° to 70°, in particular 40° to 50°, and more particularly 45°, relative to the light coming from the first plane, i.e., the light traveling in the main direction, incident on the third plane. For improved light deflection, the reflective surface can be provided with a light-reflecting coating.

[0025] If the optical body is designed to reflect the coupled-in light for displaying information for a viewer at a reflection surface and to redirect it to a second plane, ie in particular to reflect it, wherein the second plane is inclined correspondingly to the first plane, it can be provided that the reflection surface of the optical body is provided with at least one coating for reflecting the light.

[0026] It should be noted that with conventional designs, too little of the light coupled into the optical body at the first plane is reflected by the reflective surface, which often makes the image generated in the second plane or on the display surface darker or too dark. Furthermore, the non-reflected light can escape from the optical body at the third plane, in which the reflective surface runs, and thus be undesirably perceived by the viewer. The fact that the light is not completely reflected is often because the reflective surface or the second plane in which it lies is at an angle of approximately 40 to 50° to the incident light coupled in at the first plane. Depending on the material chosen for the optical body, complete total internal reflection is not yet possible.However, such an angle is necessary or at least advantageous for the information display.

[0027] Accordingly, it may be provided to provide an additional coating or layer to improve the reflection properties of the reflection surface.

[0028] According to an advantageous development, it is proposed that the coating comprise at least one layer of a metal, in particular aluminum or silver. If the coating comprises multiple layers, it is preferably provided that at least one of the layers is formed from a metal.

[0029] Furthermore, the reflective surface of the optical body can be coated with several, in particular alternating, layers to reflect the light to form the coating, forming an optical resonator. The alternating layers or the resonator formed thereby are designed to shift the reflected light relative to the incident light by a phase of λ / 2 or a multiple of λ / 2.

[0030] At least part of the layers forming the optical resonator may be made of indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0031] The coating, or at least one layer forming the coating, is particularly preferably vapor-deposited, so that correspondingly thin layers can be achieved. Additionally, the display device can have a secondary display element, which is preferably arranged adjacent to the third plane and configured to emit light for displaying information and to couple it into the optical body.

[0032] The secondary display element can be designed to couple light into the optical body orthogonally to the second plane or to the display surface, and in particular at the reflective surface. For this purpose, a coating, optionally provided on the reflective surface, can be designed to be translucent on one side.

[0033] A display provided on the display surface can accordingly be provided jointly by the primary display element and the secondary display element, wherein the images and / or information generated by the first display element and the second display element via the respectively coupled-in light can be arranged next to one another to generate the display on the display surface and / or can at least partially superimpose one another.

[0034] In addition, an anti-glare and / or anti-reflective coating may be provided, in particular completely covering the display surface, in order to increase the quality or contrast of the image.

[0035] The features disclosed above can be combined as desired, as long as this is technically possible and they do not contradict each other.

[0036] Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are presented in more detail below, together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. They show:

[0037] Fig. 1 shows a steering handle of a motor vehicle with two display devices integrated therein; Fig. 2 shows a conventional display device;

[0038] Fig. 3 shows a first variant of a display device according to the invention;

[0039] Fig. 4 shows a second variant of a display device according to the invention;

[0040] Fig. 5 Layer structure of a straightening element;

[0041] Fig. 6 Top view in main direction of a straightening element.

[0042] The figures are schematic examples. Identical reference numerals in the figures indicate identical functional and / or structural features.

[0043] For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 depicts a steering handle 2 of a motor vehicle into which two display devices 1 are integrated. Referring to the structure explained with Figures 2, 3, and 4, the primary display element 10 is embedded in the circumferential steering rim 50 of the steering handle 2, with the optical body 30 projecting radially inward from the steering rim and being essentially free of further support elements.

[0044] To illustrate the problem, Figure 2 shows a display device 1 without the directional element 40 according to the invention. The primary display element 10 couples light or the image generated thereby into the first plane 31 of the optical body or optical crystal 30, wherein, in addition to the first light L1 coupled in along the main direction A, scattered light L2 is also coupled in, which is at an angle to the main direction A.

[0045] Because the scattered light L2 may not be reflected or directed incorrectly in the optical crystal 30, it may happen that a viewer B can see the scattered light L2 in certain positions, resulting in a distorted and unwanted image. Since the light L1 for information display is intended to be reflected exactly once in the optical crystal 30, specifically at the third plane, and thus mirrored, the image captured by viewer B in Figure 2 is, for example, upside down.

[0046] In order to avoid such a faulty image, it is provided - as shown in Figure 3 - that a directing element 40 is connected upstream of the coupling of the light generated by the primary display element 10 into the optical body or here into the optical crystal 30, so that the scattered light L2 is directed in the main direction A, ie the light L2 intended for the information display is amplified or absorbed, so that essentially only the light L1 running parallel to the main direction A is coupled into the optical body 30 for the information display.

[0047] This light L1 coupled into the optical crystal 30 at the first level 31 or at the coupling surface 34 provided in the first level 31 is reflected at the third level 33 or the reflection surface 36 provided there and is thus directed into the second level 32 or onto the display surface 35 provided there, so that a viewer B can correctly read and perceive the image generated by the light L1 or the information generated by the light L1.

[0048] Furthermore, a veneer 51 covering the optical crystal 30 from the primary display element 10 can be provided, so that an edge of the optical crystal 30 formed at the intersection line of the first plane 31 and the second plane 32 and preferably also the primary display element 10 are not visible to the viewer B.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a variant according to Figure 3, wherein a coating 37, which may be an anti-glare and / or anti-reflection coating, is further provided on the display surface 35 to improve the quality or contrast of the image. Furthermore, in Figure 4, a specular reflective coating 38 is provided on the reflective surface 36 to improve reflection at the reflective surface 36.

[0050] To supplement the display, secondary display elements 20, 21 can also be provided, which can be arranged alternatively to one another or together on a side of the optical crystal 30 opposite the second plane 32. These can couple a light L3, L4 orthogonally to the main direction or to the second plane 32 into the optical body 30, by means of which an image can be generated on the display surface 35, which image overlays and / or supplements the image generated by the primary display element 10 on the display surface 35.

[0051] Thus, the light L4 coupled in by the secondary display element 20 is intended to expand the image generated by the primary display element 10, so that the image generated for the viewer B becomes larger.

[0052] In contrast, light L3 coupled therefrom to the secondary display element 21 is intended to superimpose the image generated by the primary display element 10, so that the superimposed images together form an information display for the viewer.

[0053] The straightening element 40 according to Figures 3 and 4 may be a straightening element 40 according to Figures 5 or 6.

[0054] Such a straightening element 40 essentially has five layers, between which, however, additional connecting layers can be provided.

[0055] The central lamella layer 41 is sandwiched between two transparent layers 42, 43, in this case made of polycarbonate. Furthermore, a connecting layer 46 is provided, which lies between the lamella layer 41 and one of the transparent layers or the transparent layer 46. Furthermore, a matte coating 45 with abrasion protection and a glossy coating 44 with abrasion protection are provided as protective layers 44, 45.

[0056] The polycarbonate layers 42, 43 have a thickness of 125 μm, and the lamella layer 41 has a thickness of 200 μm. The thicknesses of the other layers can be neglected in comparison. The total thickness is 0.53 mm with a tolerance of 0.08 mm.

[0057] The lamellae 47 of the lamella layer 41 are - as can be seen in Figure 6 - arranged horizontally to direct the light L1 and have a distance of

[0058] 72 pm on.

[0059] The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable that utilize the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments.

[0060] * * * * *

Claims

Patent claims 1. A display device (1) for displaying information, comprising an optical body (30) and a primary display element (10) which is designed to emit light for displaying information and to couple it into the optical body (30) at a first plane (31), wherein the optical body (30) is designed to redirect the coupled-in light to a second plane (32) for displaying information for a viewer (B), characterized in that a directing element (40) is connected upstream of the optical body (30) and is designed to direct the light emitted by the primary display element (10) in a main direction (A) before it is coupled into the optical body (30).

2. Display device according to claim 1, wherein the directing element (40) is an at least single-layer film made of plastic.

3. Display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the directing element (40) forms optical structures for directing the light, which restrict an optical illumination angle of the light emitted by the primary display element (10) in the main direction (A).

4. Display device according to claim 3, wherein the directional element (40) is multi-layered, and wherein a layer (41) having the optical structures is arranged between two transparent layers (42, 43) which are covered on their respective side facing away from the optical structures by a respective protective layer (44, 45).

5. Display device according to the preceding claim, wherein the optical structures are line lenses and / or prism structures and / or light barriers (47) which absorb light outside the main direction (A) and / or direct it into the main direction (A).

6. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the directing element (40) is arranged between the primary display element (10) and the optical body (30) or wherein the primary display element (10) has a backlight, a display, and the directing element (40) which is arranged after the backlight and before or after the display.

7. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical body (30) is an optical crystal.

8. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical body (30) has a coupling surface (34) in the first plane (31), at which the light is coupled into the optical body (30), and / or wherein the optical body (30) has a display surface (35) in the second plane (32) on which the light is directed to the information display, and / or wherein the optical body (30) has a reflection surface (36) in a third plane (33) at which the light coming from the first plane (31) is deflected to the second plane (32), and wherein the third plane (33) is arranged at an angle of 20° to 70° with respect to the incident light coming from the first plane (31).

9. Display device according to the preceding claim, The reflective surface (36) of the optical body (30) is provided with at least one coating (38) for reflecting the light. The display device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a secondary display element (20, 21) configured to emit light for displaying information and to couple it into the optical body (30).

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