Head-up display device

Abstract

To provide a head-up display device which is excellent in manufacturability.SOLUTION: A head-up display device 1 according to an embodiment includes: a concave mirror unit 13 having a reflection mirror which reflects display light L and a holder rotatably supporting the reflection mirror; a case 16 having a storage space which stores the concave mirror unit 13; a motor unit 14 which is connected to the holder at the outside of the storage space of the case 16 and rotates the concave mirror unit 13; and a motor case 21 which houses the motor unit 14 in a fixed state and is fixed to the exterior of the storage space of the case 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head-up display device.

Background Art

[0002] The head-up display device has a mirror for reflecting light emitted from a display. The mirror is supported by a mirror holder and is rotatably supported around a rotation axis according to the display position of the display image or the like, thereby making the emission angle of light from the head-up display device variable.

[0003] The mirror holder is connected to a motor unit having a motor and is driven by the motor unit. The motor unit is fixed and disposed inside or outside the accommodation space of a case that supports the mirror holder and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When fixing the motor unit inside the accommodation space of the case, it is necessary to arrange it in a limited space so as not to block the optical path. On the other hand, when fixing the motor unit outside the accommodation space of the case, the degree of freedom in arrangement is higher than when it is fixed inside, but it is necessary to provide a structure for connecting the mirror holder arranged at a distant position and the motor unit. In addition, it is also necessary to provide a structure for fixing the motor unit outside the case, which complicates the structure of the case. For this reason, a head-up display device capable of fixing the motor unit and connecting the motor unit and the mirror holder with a simple structure is required.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a head-up display device excellent in manufacturability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The head-up display device of the present disclosure includes a mirror unit having a reflecting surface that reflects display light and a holder that rotatably supports the reflecting surface, a case having an accommodation space for accommodating the mirror unit, a motor that is connected to the holder outside the accommodation space of the case and rotates the mirror unit, and a motor case that houses the motor in a fixed state and is fixed outside the accommodation space of the case.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] The head-up display device of the present disclosure is excellent in manufacturability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] An embodiment of the head-up display device of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The head-up display device of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, head-up display devices (HUD, Head Up Display) mounted on vehicles such as automobiles and motorcycles, ships, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of the HUD1 in the present embodiment. In the following description, “front (front surface)”, “rear (rear surface)”, “upper”, “lower”, “right” and “left” follow the definitions “Fr.”, “Re.”, “To.”, “Bo.”, “R” and “L” in FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0012] The HUD1 is mounted on the instrument panel 3 of the vehicle 2 and emits display light L from the opening 8 of the instrument panel 3. The HUD1 projects and reflects this display light L from the rear (rearward in the traveling direction) of the vehicle 2 onto the windshield 4 (projection member) of the vehicle 2. When the viewer 5 (for example, the driver), who is a passenger in the vehicle 2, looks at the windshield 4 from the visible region DA, the viewer 5 can visually recognize the virtual image V based on the display light L that is displayed in front of the vehicle 2 with respect to the windshield 4. The display light L represents, for example, vehicle information such as the traveling speed of the vehicle 2, warning information of the vehicle 2, and route guidance information.

[0013] The HUD1 mainly includes a display unit 11, a flat mirror unit 12, a concave mirror unit 13 (mirror unit), a motor unit 14, a control unit 15, a case 16 that houses these, and a motor case 21.

[0014] The display unit 11 is a display device that displays images, such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a rear projection type projector. The display unit 11 displays an image representing vehicle information and emits display light L representing this image.

[0015] The plane mirror unit 12 has a plane mirror that reflects the display light L emitted from the display unit 11 toward the concave mirror unit 13. The concave mirror unit 13 has a concave mirror (a reflecting mirror that forms a reflecting surface) that reflects the light reflected by the plane mirror unit 12 toward the windshield 4. Further, the concave mirror unit 13 rotates around the rotation axis AX. For example, the concave mirror unit 13 changes the position of the display light L projected onto the windshield 4 in order to align the position of the visible region DA with the eye height of the viewer 5, and moves the visible region DA up and down. Also, the concave mirror unit 13 rotates the concave mirror between the display position (first position) and the parking position (second position). The display position is the posture 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 posture 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 described later.

[0016] The motor unit 14 (motor) is a drive mechanism that connects to the concave mirror unit (holder) outside the accommodation space of the lower case 17 (case) and rotates the concave mirror unit 13 (concave mirror) around the rotation axis AX. The motor unit 14 is housed in the motor case 21 and fixed to the outside of the lower case 17. Details of the motor unit 14 will be described later.

[0017] 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 representing vehicle information. Also, the control unit 15 controls the motor unit 14 to rotate the concave mirror unit 13 around the rotation axis AX.

[0018] The case 16 is a black resin case such as polycarbonate. The case 16 has a lower case 17 and an upper case 18. The case 16 has an accommodation space formed by the lower case 17 and the upper case 18. The case 16 houses the display unit 11, the plane mirror unit 12, the concave mirror unit 13, and the control unit 15 in this accommodation space. The upper case 18 has an opening 19 for emitting the display light L to the outside of the case 16. The upper case 18 has a light-transmitting sheet 20 that covers this opening 19.

[0019] The motor case 21 houses the motor unit 14 in a state where the motor unit 14 is fixed by screws or the like. The motor case 21 is fixed by screws or the like outside the accommodation space of the case 16.

[0020] Next, the configurations of the concave mirror unit 13, the motor unit 14, and the motor case 21 will be described in detail.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a view showing the lower case 17, the concave mirror unit 13, and the motor case 21, and is a perspective view of the lower case 17. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the connection state of the motor unit 14 and the concave mirror holder 31. FIG. 4 is a view showing the motor unit 14 and the motor case 21. FIG. 5 is an external view particularly showing the motor case 21 fixed to the lower case 17. FIG. 6 is an external view for explaining the window portion 23 of the motor case 21.

[0022] The concave mirror unit 13 has a concave mirror holder 31 that rotatably supports a concave mirror. The concave mirror holder 31 has a concave mirror support portion 32 and a connection portion 33. The concave mirror support portion 32 has a concave surface corresponding to the shape of the concave mirror, and fixes the concave mirror with, for example, a double-sided tape or an adhesive. The connection portion 33 is a portion formed to extend downward from the concave mirror support portion 32, and is connected to the motor unit 14 at the lower end 34 (FIG. 3). Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower case 17 has a through hole 17a that penetrates the connection portion 33 from above to below. The connection portion 33 extends outside the accommodation space of the lower case 17 by passing through this through hole 17a, and the lower end 34 extends to below the lower case 17. Note that the concave mirror of the concave mirror unit 13 may be a reflecting surface directly provided on the concave mirror holder, and such a reflecting surface is formed on the concave mirror holder by a method such as vapor deposition.

[0023] The motor case 21 has a bottom surface 21a and four side walls 21b rising from the bottom surface 21a, and is a case with an open upper side. As shown in FIG. 6, the motor case 21 has a window portion 23 in the right side wall 21b. The window portion 23 is, for example, a circular hole for visualizing the connection portion between the lower end 34 of the connection portion 33 and the motor unit 14 (connection member 46). The position of the window portion 23 is determined so as to visualize the connection portion when the connection portion 33 (concave mirror holder 31) is connected to the motor unit 14 in the parking position. Further, the motor case 21 further has a lid 24 that covers the window portion 23 after the window portion 23 has functioned. The lid 24 is fixed to the window portion 23 by being fitted, for example, from the outside of the motor case 21, and prevents the intrusion of dust, moisture, etc. The lid 24 preferably has a structure that does not come off due to vibrations of the vehicle 2 during use after being once fitted.

[0024] The motor case 21 is fixed by screws outside the accommodation space of the case 16 and in front of and below the lower case 17, facing the outer surface of the lower case 17. The motor case 21 is arranged such that the opening overlaps the through hole 17a of the lower case 17.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the motor unit 14 mainly includes a base 41, a motor 42, a conversion unit 43, a rail 44, a slider 45, and a connection member 46.

[0026] The base 41 integrally supports the motor 42, the conversion unit 43, the rail 44, and the slider 45.

[0027] The motor 42 generates a rotational motion around the motor shaft based on the control of the control unit 15. The conversion unit 43 is connected to the motor shaft and converts the rotational motion of the motor shaft into a linear motion of the slider 45. The rail 44 is disposed on the base and is a pair of rails 44 extending along the direction of the linear motion. The slider 45 is connected to the conversion unit 43 and linearly moves on the rail. The connection member 46 is a leaf spring-like member with an open upper portion so that the connection portion 33 of the concave mirror holder 31 can be received. The connection member 46 is fixed to the slider 45, for example, by fitting. The connection member 46 sandwiches and fixes the inserted connection portion 33 and transmits the linear motion of the slider 45 to the concave mirror holder 31 via the connection portion 33. Thereby, the concave mirror holder 31 rotates about the rotation axis AX.

[0028] The motor unit 14 is fixed to the bottom surface 21a of the motor case 21 by screws or the like via the base 41. That is, the motor unit 14 is not directly fixed to the lower case 17, but is fixed to the motor case 21 first, and then fixed to the lower case 17 via this motor case 21.

[0029] Next, the procedure for connecting the concave mirror unit 13 and the motor unit 14 (when assembling the HUD1) will be described.

[0030] The concave mirror unit 13 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the case 16 while the rotation axis AX is rotatably supported at a predetermined position of the lower case 17. The connection part 33 of the concave mirror holder 31 penetrates the through hole 17a of the lower case 17 and is disposed outside the lower case 17. At this time, the concave mirror unit 13 is preferably in the parking position. Since it is common for the concave mirror unit 13 to be in the parking position at the time of shipment of the HUD1, by setting it to the parking position from the time of assembly, the step of changing the posture of the concave mirror unit 13 in the subsequent process can be made unnecessary.

[0031] While visually observing from the opening above the motor case 21, the operator combines the motor case 21 with the lower case 17 while inserting the connection part 33 of the concave mirror holder 31 into the connection member 46. The final connection state between the connection part 33 and the connection member 46 cannot be visually observed because the opening of the motor case 21 is covered by the lower case 17. However, since the motor case 21 has the window part 23, the connection state between the connection part 33 and the connection member 46 can be visually observed from the window part 23 even after the motor case 21 is fixed to the lower case 17.

[0032] When the connection state between the connection part 33 and the connection member 46 is suitable, the motor case 21 is fixed to the lower case 17 by screws or the like. Further, the window part 23 is covered with the lid 24 so that dust, moisture, etc. do not enter from the window part 23.

[0033] Such a HUD1 accommodates and fixes the motor unit 14 in the motor case 21 that houses the motor unit 14, rather than in the lower case 17 itself of the HUD1, and fixes it to the lower case 17 via the motor case 21. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the complication of the structure of the lower case 17 for fixing the motor unit 14 and to suppress the arrangement constraints as compared with the case of being housed in the accommodation space.

[0034] Further, by housing the motor unit 14 in the motor case 21, the connection state between the concave mirror unit 13 and the motor unit 14 cannot be visually observed during the assembly of the motor unit 14. In contrast, since the motor case 21 has the window portion 23, the connection portion can be visually observed, so that connection failures can be reduced.

[0035] Therefore, the HUD 1 in the present embodiment can improve manufacturability.

[0036] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

[0037] For example, the configuration of the motor unit 14 described above is an example, and is not limited to the above configuration as long as the concave mirror unit 13 can rotate around the rotation axis AX.

[0038] In the above embodiment, an aspect is shown in which the control unit, which is a control circuit board, is housed in the case 16 as the control unit 15. However, the control circuit board may be installed outside the accommodation space of the lower case 17 (for example, the outer bottom surface). In that case, since the accommodation space does not need to be an accommodation space for the control circuit board, the degree of freedom in arranging the members increases. When the control circuit board is installed outside the accommodation space, the head-up display includes a control circuit board installed outside the accommodation space together with the motor unit 14, a cover formed of metal or synthetic resin that covers the control circuit board, and a harness formed on the motor unit 14 and electrically connected to the control circuit board. In particular, the motor case 21 preferably forms a wiring opening through which the harness is inserted, and the cover preferably forms a wrap portion that covers the wiring opening from the side opposite to the lower case 17. In the head-up display configured as described above, the presence of the wiring opening and the wrapping portion that wraps around it ensures the dustproofness of the wiring space while facilitating attachment. For example, if the cover is attached before the motor case 21, the motor case 21 will be attached after connecting the harness to the circuit board, making the harness longer than necessary for the assembly work and complicating the assembly work. In this regard, the above-described configuration that allows the cover to be attached after attaching the relatively complicated motor case 21 is excellent in manufacturability.

Explanation of Signs

[0039] 1 Head-up display device (HUD, Head Up Display) 2 Vehicle 3 Instrument panel 4 Windshield 5 Viewer 8 Opening 11 Display portion 12 Plane mirror unit 13 Concave mirror unit (reflector unit) 14 Motor unit 15 Control unit 16 Case 17 Lower case (case) 17a Through hole 18 Upper case 19 Opening 20 Translucent sheet 21 Motor case 21a Bottom surface 21b Side wall 23 Window portion 24 Cover 31 Concave mirror holder (holder) 32 Concave mirror support portion 33 Connection portion 34 Lower end 41 Base 42 Motor 43 Conversion portion 44 Rail 45 Slider 46 Connection member AX Rotation Axis DA Visible Area L Display Light V Virtual Image

Claims

1. A mirror unit having a reflecting surface that reflects display light, and a holder that rotatably supports the reflecting surface, A case having an accommodation space for accommodating the mirror unit, A motor that is connected to the holder outside the accommodation space of the case and rotates the mirror unit, A motor case that houses the motor in a fixed state and is fixed outside the accommodation space of the case, a head-up display device.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein the motor case has a window portion for visually recognizing a connection portion between the holder and the motor.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 2, further comprising a lid that covers the window portion.

4. The head-up display device projects the display light reflected by the reflecting surface onto a projection member to display a virtual image, The mirror unit rotates between a first position where the display light reflected by the reflecting surface is projected onto the projection member and a second position where the display light reflected by the reflecting surface is not projected onto the projection member, The head-up display device according to claim 2, wherein the window portion allows the connection portion to be visually recognized when the holder is in the second position.

Images