Head-up display device

Abstract

To provide a head-up display device which prevents distortion of a projected image even when a projection target member is tilted in a front-back direction.SOLUTION: An HUD device 1 disclosed herein comprises a display 20 for emitting display light, and a combiner 30 having a projection target surface configured to receive the display light projected by the display 20 and formed in a rectangular shape with a pair of laterally opposing short sides 31, 32, the short side 31 being longer than the short side 32. The combiner 30 is installed such that the short side 31 of the projection target surface is positioned ahead of the short side 32 on a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head-up display device. [Background technology]

[0002] Some head-up display devices project display light emitted from a display onto a projection member provided in the device itself, rather than onto a windshield provided in a vehicle.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a head-up display device that includes a rectangular, plate-shaped projection member that stands upright in front of a windshield of a vehicle and projects display light emitted by a display onto the projection member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-151588 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The projection member described above is rectangular. Therefore, if the windshield of a vehicle is curved in the longitudinal direction and the head-up display device is placed along the windshield, the projection member's plate surface will tilt in the longitudinal direction. To the user, i.e., the driver of the vehicle, the projection member's outer shape will appear to be deformed rather than rectangular. As a result, the image of the display light will appear distorted.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a head-up display device that prevents the image from appearing distorted even when the projected member is arranged at an inclination in the forward / backward direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the head-up display device of the present invention comprises: an indicator that emits an indicator light; a projection member having a projection surface onto which display light is projected by the display device, the projection member having a rectangular shape with a pair of first and second sides laterally opposed to each other, the first side being longer than the second side; Equipped with The projection member is disposed so that the first side of the projection surface is located further forward of the second side of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the configuration of the present invention, even when the projection target is disposed tilted in the front-to-rear direction, the image is prevented from appearing distorted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a head-up display device according to an embodiment, viewed from the rear side of a vehicle and diagonally from above left. [Figure 3] 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with a head-up display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a conceptual top view of a vehicle equipped with a head-up display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a view of a head-up display device according to an embodiment as viewed from the rear side of a vehicle. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram of a head-up display device according to an embodiment as seen from a driver's perspective; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the specification, the terms "front, rear, left, right, top, bottom" refer to the front, rear, left, right, top, bottom of a vehicle in which the head-up display device is installed.

[0011] A head-up display device (hereinafter referred to as HUD device) according to an embodiment is a device that is installed in a vehicle and projects display light that displays an image, for example, an image including information about the vehicle (such as vehicle speed and navigation information; hereinafter referred to as vehicle information), onto a projection member. This HUD device is disposed along the windshield of the vehicle, so that the projection member is disposed at an angle in the front-to-rear direction. In order to suppress image distortion due to this arrangement, the projection surface of the projection member is formed into a deformed trapezoidal shape.

[0012] The configuration of the HUD device will be described below using an example in which the projection target member is a combiner. First, the overall configuration of the HUD device will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the HUD device 1 includes a case 10, a display 20, and a combiner 30.

[0014] Case 10 is formed in a box shape to accommodate components therein. An opening 11 is formed in the box of case 10, and case 10 is placed on instrument panel 3 of vehicle 2 with opening 11 facing upward. In addition, opening 11 is covered with a dustproof cover 12 made of a colorless and transparent material to prevent foreign matter from entering. A display 20 is accommodated in case 10 to emit display light LT from opening 11 through dustproof cover 12.

[0015] The display device 20 has a backlight 21 that emits light to generate display light LT, and a liquid crystal panel 22 that adjusts the degree of light transmission of the backlight 21 to generate the display light LT that displays an image.

[0016] The backlight 21 is composed of, for example, a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). The backlight 21 is turned on based on a command signal output by a microcomputer (not shown), and emits light at a brightness based on the command signal when turned on. A liquid crystal panel 22 is disposed above the backlight 21, and the backlight 21 illuminates the liquid crystal panel 22 when turned on.

[0017] The liquid crystal panel 22 is configured, for example, by a transmissive TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel 22 has a display section in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, and is controlled by a driver (not shown) to change the light transmittance of each pixel. The liquid crystal panel 22 is irradiated by the backlight 21 described above, and adjusts the light transmittance for each pixel to generate display light LT containing an image. The liquid crystal panel 22 is disposed with its panel surface facing upward, and emits the generated display light LT upward as shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the display device 20 emits the display light LT upward from the opening 11 of the case 10 through the dustproof cover 12. A combiner 30 is provided above the case 10, and as a result, the display light LT is incident on the combiner 30.

[0018] The combiner 30 has a rectangular flat plate shape, the detailed shape of which will be described later. The combiner 30 stands upright on the case 10 by being held by a holder 40, as shown in FIG.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , a holder 40 is provided on the front and upper surface of the case 10, with a shape that is slightly inclined toward the rear B. The holder 40 includes a front cover 41 having an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the rear B, a left wall 42 that extends from the left end of the front cover 41 rearward B beyond the combiner 30 to cover the left side L, and a right wall 43 that extends from the right end of the front cover 41 rearward B beyond the combiner 30 to cover the right side R. The front cover 41 is also provided with a top cover 50 that extends rearward B from its upper portion. With this configuration, the holder 40 surrounds the space above the opening 11, making it difficult for external light to enter. The combiner 30 is attached to the inclined surface of the front cover 41, i.e., the inner wall, facing the space, to reflect the display light LT of the display 20. As a result, the combiner 30 stands on the dust cover 12 of the opening 11 with the plate surface tilted backward B.

[0020] 3, the plate surface of the combiner 30 is inclined toward the driver's seat of the vehicle 2 in the rear B. As a result, the combiner 30 reflects the above-mentioned display light LT and causes the reflected light to reach the driver 4 (also referred to as a user) sitting in the driver's seat in the rear B. As a result, the image of the display light LT is visually recognized by the driver 4.

[0021] 4, the HUD device 1 is attached to the vehicle 2 in a state where it is arranged along the windshield 5 of the vehicle 2. In detail, since the windshield 5 is curved in the front-to-rear direction, the HUD device 1 is attached to the vehicle 2 in a state where the plate surface of the combiner 30 is inclined in the front-to-rear direction.

[0022] In this case, if the surface of the combiner 30 is rectangular and the rectangle is oriented so that each pair of opposite sides extends in the vertical direction, the opposite sides will not be positioned at the same distance from the driver 4, and one of the opposite sides will appear smaller than the other. As a result, the surface of the combiner 30 will not appear rectangular, but will appear distorted into a trapezoid. As a result, the image of the display light LT will be perceived by the driver 4 as distorted.

[0023] Therefore, the plate surface of the combiner 30 is formed in the shape of a trapezoid, which is a modified quadrangle. Next, the configuration of the combiner 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] The combiner 30 is made of a resin that is colored black inside, for example, polycarbonate that is colored black with carbon black, and is formed into a deformed trapezoidal shape using such a material.

[0025] In detail, as shown in FIG. 5, combiner 30 has short side portion 31, short side portion 32 that faces short side portion 31 and forms a pair as an opposite side, long side portion 33, and long side portion 34 that faces long side portion 33 and forms a pair as an opposite side, and these short side portions 31 and 32 and long side portions 33 and 34 form the outer surface shape of combiner 30, which is a deformed trapezoid.

[0026] The short side portions 31 and 32 extend generally in the vertical direction. Of the short side portions 31 and 32, the short side portion 31 is provided on the left side L of the plate surface of the combiner 30 and forms the left side of the rectangular plate surface shape. Furthermore, the short side portion 31 is slightly inclined upward toward the right side R.

[0027] In contrast, the short side portion 32 is located on the right side R of the short side portion 31 and forms the right side of the rectangular plate surface shape of the combiner 30. The short side portion 32 is longer than the short side portion 31. Furthermore, the short side portion 32 slopes upward toward the short side portion 31, i.e., in the direction toward the left side L. The slope is gentler than that of the short side portion 31.

[0028] On the other hand, the long side portions 33 and 34 extend generally in the left-right direction. Of the long side portions 33 and 34, the long side portion 33 is provided on the upper side of the plate surface of the combiner 30 and forms the upper side of the rectangular plate surface shape. The long side portion 33 is formed in a generally horizontal direction.

[0029] In contrast, the long side portion 34 is located below the long side portion 33 and forms the lower side of the rectangular plate surface shape of the combiner 30. The long side portion 34 is longer than the long side portion 33. Furthermore, the long side portion 34 is slightly inclined downward as it extends toward the right side R.

[0030] Returning to FIG. 4 , in the HUD device 1, the right R end of the device is located forward at F than the left L end of the device in a top view. As a result, the right R end of the plate surface of the combiner 30 is located forward at F than the left L end. This means that the right side of the rectangle of the plate surface of the combiner 30 is farther away from the driver 4 than the left side. As a result, if the rectangle of the plate surface of the combiner 30 were rectangular, the right side of the plate surface of the combiner 30 would appear to the driver 4 to be shorter than the left side, and the plate surface would no longer appear rectangular.

[0031] However, in the combiner 30, as shown in Fig. 5, the short side portion 32 corresponding to the right side is longer than the short side portion 31 corresponding to the left side. The length of the short side portion 32 is a length that appears to the driver 4 in the driver's seat of the vehicle 2 to be the same length as the short side portion 31. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, in the combiner 30, the lengths of the short side portions 31 and 32 are made visually approximately the same length, thereby preventing the image of the display light LT from appearing distorted.

[0032] 5, the vertical distance D1 from the bottom end of the short side portion 32 corresponding to the right side to the right edge of the display 20 is smaller than the vertical distance D2 from the bottom end of the short side portion 31 corresponding to the left side to the left edge of the display 20. With this arrangement, the combiner 30 and the display 20 are arranged in such a way that the rectangular display surface of the display 20 reflected on the combiner 30, i.e., the rectangular panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 22, is easily visible as a rectangle.

[0033] 3, the HUD device 1 is disposed on the instrument panel 3 of the vehicle 2, and as a result, is positioned lower than the head of the driver 4. As a result, the bottom side of the rectangular plate surface of the combiner 30 is farther from the driver 4 than the top side. As a result, if the rectangular plate surface of the combiner 30 were rectangular, the driver 4 would see the bottom side of the plate surface of the combiner 30 as being shorter than the top side, and the plate surface would no longer appear rectangular.

[0034] However, in the combiner 30, as in the case of the short side portions 31 and 32, the long side portion 34 corresponding to the lower side is longer than the long side portion 33 corresponding to the upper side, as shown in Fig. 5. The length of the long side portion 34 is such that it appears to the driver 4 in the driver's seat of the vehicle 2 to be the same length as the long side portion 33, as shown in Fig. 6. As a result, in the combiner 30, as in the case of the short side portions 31 and 32, the lengths of the long side portions 33 and 34 are made to be visually approximately the same length, thereby preventing the image of the display light LT from appearing distorted.

[0035] As described above, in the HUD device 1 according to the embodiment, the combiner 30 has a pair of short side portions 31 and 32 that face each other in the left-right direction, and is formed in a rectangular shape with the short side portion 32 being longer than the short side portion 31. The short side portion 32 is located further forward F of the vehicle 2 than the short side portion 31. Therefore, when the driver 4 in the driver's seat of the vehicle 2 views the combiner 30 from behind, the short side portions 31 and 32 are likely to be visually perceived as having equal lengths by the driver 4. As a result, even if the short side portion 32 of the combiner 30 is located further forward F of the vehicle 2 than the short side portion 31 and the combiner 30 is disposed at an angle in the fore-and-aft direction, the image of the display light LT is less likely to be distorted.

[0036] In the combiner 30, the short side portion 32 is inclined upward in a direction approaching the short side portion 31. Therefore, when the driver 4 views the combiner 30 from above, in which the short side portion 32 is disposed further forward F of the vehicle 2 than the short side portion 31, the outline of the combiner 30 appears rectangular. As a result, the image of the display light LT is prevented from appearing distorted.

[0037] Furthermore, in the HUD device 1, the combiner 30 has a pair of long side portions 33 and 34 that face each other in the up-down direction, and the long side portion 34 is longer than the long side portion 33. The long side portion 34 is located below the long side portion 33. Therefore, when the driver 4 looks down at the combiner 30, the long side portions 33 and 34 are likely to be perceived as having the same length as seen by the driver 4. As a result, the image of the display light LT is prevented from appearing distorted.

[0038] Furthermore, the vertical distance D1 from the short side portion 32 of the combiner 30 to the right end of the display 20, i.e., to the right side of the rectangular display surface shape of the display 20, is smaller than the vertical distance D2 from the short side portion 31 of the combiner 30 to the left end of the display 20, i.e., to the left side of the rectangular display surface shape of the display 20. As a result, the rectangular panel surface of the liquid crystal panel 22 of the display 20 reflected on the combiner 30 is likely to be viewed as a rectangle. As a result, the image of the display light LT is prevented from appearing distorted.

[0039] In the claims, the short sides 31 and 32 described in the embodiment are also referred to as the first and second sides. The long sides 33 and 34 are also referred to as the third and fourth sides. The right and left sides of the rectangular display surface of the display device 20 are also referred to as the fifth and sixth sides.

[0040] Although the head-up display device according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0041] For example, in the embodiment, the short side portion 32 of the combiner 30 is located further forward F of the vehicle 2 than the short side portion 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the embodiment, the HUD device 1 is installed in a left-hand drive vehicle 2, so the above-described arrangement is adopted. However, in the case of a right-hand drive vehicle 2, the short side portion 31 of the combiner 30 may be located further forward F of the vehicle 2 than the short side portion 32. In this case, it is preferable that the length of the short side portion 31 is longer than the short side portion 32.

[0042] In the embodiment, the display 20 has a liquid crystal panel 22, but instead of the liquid crystal panel 22, it may have a dial plate on which symbols, letters, etc. indicating vehicle information are displayed. The display 20 may emit display light LT including images of the symbols, letters, etc. on the dial plate by illuminating the dial plate with the backlight 21. Alternatively, the display 20 may have the dial plate in addition to the liquid crystal panel 22, and generate the display light LT by illuminating the liquid crystal panel 22 and the dial plate with the backlight 21.

[0043] In the embodiment, the length of the long side portion 34 is a length that appears to the driver 4 in the driver's seat of the vehicle 2 to be the same length as the long side portion 33, but the quadrangle on the plate surface of the combiner 30 does not have to appear to the driver 4 as a rectangle. For example, the quadrangle on the plate surface of the combiner 30 may simply appear to the driver 4 as a bilaterally symmetrical shape. This is because the image of the display light LT is prevented from appearing distorted. Furthermore, the quadrangle may appear to the driver 4 as a trapezoid whose bottom side is longer than its top side. For example, the quadrangle can have an outline that follows the lane ahead of the vehicle 2, which provides a natural appearance to the driver 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 HUD device 2 vehicles 3. Instrument panel 4. Driver 5 Windshield 10 cases 11 Aperture 12 Dust cover 20 Display 21 Backlight 22 LCD panel 30 Combiner 31,32 Short side 33,34 Long side 40 Holder 41 Front cover 42 Left side wall 43 Right side wall 50 Top cover B Back D1,D2 distance F forward L left side R right side LT display light

Claims

1. an indicator that emits an indicator light; a projection member having a projection surface onto which display light is projected by the display device, the projection member having a rectangular shape with a pair of first and second sides laterally opposed to each other, the first side being longer than the second side; Equipped with The projection member is disposed so that the first side of the projection surface is located further forward of the vehicle than the second side. Head-up display device.

2. The first side is inclined in a direction approaching the second side as it goes upward. The head-up display device according to claim 1 .

3. the quadrangle that is the shape of the projection surface includes a third side and a fourth side that form a separate pair from the first side and the second side, and the third side is longer than the fourth side; The projection member is disposed in a state where the third side of the projection surface is located below the fourth side. The head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the display has a display surface that is rectangular and flat, with a fifth side and a sixth side that form a pair opposite to each other; On the display surface, the fifth side is located closer to the projection target member than the sixth side. The head-up display device according to claim 1 or 2.

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