Image display device

Abstract

To provide an image display device that allows a user to adjust an initial position of a reflective member.SOLUTION: An HUD 1 provided herein comprises a concave mirror 4 for reflecting light for displaying a predetermined image, a rotary mechanism for turning the concave mirror 4, and an adjustment mechanism for turning the concave mirror 4. The concave mirror 4 is configured to be displaceable with respect to a reference position by the rotary mechanism so as to display a virtual image at a position suitable for an occupant of a vehicle 10. The rotary mechanism is used to adjust an initial position of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image display device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a head-up display (HUD) having a concave mirror configured to be rotatable by a rotation mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-28036 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when assembling individual parts to manufacture a HUD, variations in the precision of each part make it difficult to install the concave mirror in the intended position. Furthermore, increasing the precision of each part in order to install the concave mirror in the intended position increases manufacturing costs.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image display device that is capable of adjusting the initial position of a reflecting member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An image display device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: An image display device configured to display a predetermined image as a virtual image toward an occupant of a vehicle, a reflecting member that reflects light for displaying the predetermined image; a rotation mechanism that rotates the reflecting member; an adjustment mechanism that rotates the reflecting member, the reflecting member is provided so as to be displaceable with respect to a reference position by the pivot mechanism so that the predetermined image is displayed at a position suitable for an occupant of the vehicle, The adjustment mechanism adjusts the initial position of the reflecting member to the reference position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an image display device that is capable of adjusting the initial position of a reflecting member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a head-up display (HUD) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the side of a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a part of the HUD. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2, viewed from the direction of the arrow. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the concave mirror is at a first position displaced vertically from the reference position shown in FIG. 3 due to viewing zone adjustment. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the concave mirror is at a second position displaced horizontally from the reference position shown in FIG. 3 due to viewing zone adjustment. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the initial position of the concave mirror is located in the vertical direction from the reference position shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a drive mechanism when the initial position of the concave mirror is located in the horizontal direction from the reference position shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a driving mechanism of a modified example when the concave mirror is located at a reference position. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the concave mirror is at a third position displaced vertically from the reference position shown in FIG. 8 due to viewing zone adjustment. [Figure 10]9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the concave mirror is at a fourth position displaced horizontally from the reference position shown in FIG. 8 due to viewing zone adjustment. [Figure 11] 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the initial position of the concave mirror is located in the vertical direction from the reference position shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 12] 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the drive mechanism when the initial position of the concave mirror is located in the horizontal direction from the reference position shown in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the rightward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the leftward direction of the illustrated structure. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 is defined as the forward direction.

[0010] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the HUD 1 is mounted on a vehicle 10. For example, the HUD 1 is disposed in the dashboard of the vehicle 10. The HUD 1 functions as a visual interface between the vehicle 10 and an occupant of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the HUD 1 is configured to display predetermined information as a virtual image toward the occupant of the vehicle 10 so that the predetermined information is superimposed on a real space outside the vehicle 10 (for example, the surrounding environment in front of the vehicle 10). The predetermined information is displayed as a still image or a moving image (video). The HU 1 is an example of an image display device. The vehicle 10 is an example of a displacing body.

[0011] The HUD 1 comprises a HUD main body 2, an image generation unit (PGU: Picture Generation Unit) 3, a concave mirror 4, a drive mechanism 5, and a control unit 6. The HUD main body 2 has a housing 21 and an exit window 22. The image generation unit 3, the concave mirror 4, part of the drive mechanism 5, and the control unit 6 are arranged inside the housing 21. The exit window 22 is made of a transparent plate that transmits visible light.

[0012] The image generation unit 3 is configured to generate a predetermined image for forming a virtual image and emit light constituting the image (hereinafter referred to as image light). The image light emitted from the image generation unit 3 is, for example, visible light. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the image generation unit 3 includes a light source, optical components, and a display device. The light source is, for example, an LED light source or a laser light source. The LED light source is, for example, a white LED light source. The laser light source is, for example, an RGB laser light source configured to emit red laser light, green laser light, and blue laser light, respectively. The optical components include a prism, a lens, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. as appropriate. The optical components transmit the light emitted from the light source and emit it toward the display device. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a DMD (Digital Mirror Device), etc. The drawing method of the image generation unit 3 may be a raster scan method, a DLP (Digital Light Processing) method, or an LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) method. When the DLP system or the LCOS system is adopted, the light source of the image generating unit 3 may be an LED light source. When the liquid crystal display system is adopted, the light source of the image generating unit 3 may be a white LED light source.

[0013] The concave mirror 4 is disposed on the optical path of the image light L1 emitted from the image generation unit 3. In this example, the concave mirror 4 is disposed in front of the image generation unit 3. The concave mirror 4 is configured to reflect the image light L1 emitted from the image generation unit 3 on a reflecting surface 41 and reflect it toward the windshield 11. The concave mirror 4 has a reflecting surface that is curved concavely. The concave mirror 4 reflects the image light L1 emitted by the image generation unit 3 so that the image of the light emitted and formed by the image generation unit 3 is formed on the windshield 11 at a predetermined magnification.

[0014] The concave mirror 4 has a main body 4A including a reflecting surface 41 and a pivot shaft 4B. The pivot shaft 4B extends in the left-right direction from the main body 4A. The pivot shaft 4B is configured to be rotatable around a pivot axis A extending in the left-right direction. The main body 4A integrated with the pivot shaft 4B rotates around the pivot axis A in conjunction with the rotation of the pivot shaft 4B. The concave mirror 4 is an example of a reflecting member.

[0015] The drive mechanism 5 is connected to the rotation shaft 4B of the concave mirror 4, and is configured to rotate the rotation shaft 4B about the rotation axis A.

[0016] The control unit 6 is configured to control the operation of each part of the HUD 1. The control unit 6 is connected to a vehicle control unit 12 that controls the traveling of the vehicle 10. The control unit 6 can be realized by one or more processors and memory. Examples of the processor include a CPU, an MPU, and a GPU. Examples of the memory include a ROM and a RAM. In this case, the ROM is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program that executes processing related to the operation of each part of the HUD 1. A general-purpose microprocessor specifies at least a part of the computer program stored on the ROM, expands it on the RAM, and executes the above-mentioned processing in cooperation with the RAM.

[0017] For example, the control unit 6 controls the operation of the image generation unit 3. Specifically, the control unit 6 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the image generation unit 3 based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 12, and transmits the control signal to the image generation unit 3. The vehicle driving information includes, for example, information related to the driving of the vehicle 10 (for example, vehicle speed, information related to autonomous driving, etc.). The surrounding environment information includes, for example, information related to objects present outside the vehicle 10 (pedestrians, other vehicles including a vehicle ahead, signs, etc.).

[0018] The control unit 6 controls the operation of the concave mirror 4. Based on position adjustment information for the virtual image (virtual image object O) transmitted from the vehicle control unit 12, the control unit 6 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the concave mirror 4 and transmits the control signal to the drive mechanism 5. Based on the control signal, the drive mechanism 5 rotates the rotation shaft portion 4B of the concave mirror 4 about the rotation axis A. The position adjustment information for the virtual image includes, for example, operation input information from the occupant transmitted from an input device 13 that accepts operations by the occupant of the vehicle 10 to adjust the position of the virtual image shown in FIG. 1 .

[0019] In the HUD 1 configured as described above, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the image light L1 emitted from the image generation unit 3 is reflected by the concave mirror 4 and then emitted from the exit window 22 of the HUD main body 2. The image light L1 emitted from the exit window 22 is irradiated onto the windshield 11. A portion of the light irradiated onto the windshield 11 from the exit window 22 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant recognizes the image light L1 emitted from the HUD main body 2 as a virtual image formed at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield 11. In this way, the image generated by the image generation unit 3 is superimposed on the real space in front of the vehicle 10 through the windshield 11, and as a result, the occupant can visually recognize a virtual image object O formed by a predetermined image as floating above the road located outside the vehicle 10.

[0020] Furthermore, when the passenger operates the input device 13, the drive mechanism 5 rotates the concave mirror 4 around the rotation axis A. As a result, the position of the virtual image is displaced in the vertical direction. In this way, the passenger can adjust the position of the virtual image according to the height of their eyes.

[0021] (Configuration of drive mechanism 5) Next, the configuration of the drive mechanism 5 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a portion of the HUD 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2, viewed from the direction of the arrows.

[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 5 includes a transmission member 51, a displacement member 52, a feed mechanism 53, and an adjustment gear .

[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the transmission member 51 transmits the displacement of the displacement member 52 to the concave mirror 4. The transmission member 51 has a first end 511 and a second end 512. The first end 511 is fixed to the rotation shaft 4B of the concave mirror 4. The cylindrical portion 522B of the adjustment nut 522 of the displacement member 52 is attached to the second end 512. In other words, the adjustment nut 522 is attached to the concave mirror 4 via the transmission member 51. The transmission member 51 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis A together with the rotation shaft 4B of the concave mirror 4.

[0024] The displacement member 52 has an adjustment rod 521 and an adjustment nut 522. The adjustment rod 521 has a rod shape extending along a rotation axis A1 (in this example, in the vertical direction). The adjustment rod 521 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis A1. The adjustment rod 521 is configured to be displaceable along the rotation axis A1. A threaded portion 521A is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the adjustment rod 521.

[0025] The adjustment nut 522 engages with the upper part of the adjustment rod 521. In this example, the adjustment nut 522 has a spherical portion 522A, a cylindrical portion 522B, and a connecting portion 522C. The spherical portion 522A has a through hole through which the adjustment rod 521 is inserted. A threaded portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole, which meshes with the threaded portion 521A formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the adjustment rod 521. The cylindrical portion 522B is formed to surround the spherical portion 522A. The cylindrical portion 522B is fitted into a through hole provided in the second end portion 512 of the transmission member 51. The connecting portion 522C connects the spherical portion 522A and the cylindrical portion 522B. The connecting portion 522C is an elastically deformable portion.

[0026] As will be described later, the transmission member 51 rotates about the rotation axis A, while the adjusting nut 522 moves linearly along the rotation axis A1. Therefore, when the adjusting nut 522 is displaced, the angle between the direction in which the second end 512 of the transmission member 51 extends and the rotation axis A1 is displaced. At this time, the connecting portion 522C of the adjusting nut 522 is elastically deformed, thereby allowing the position of the second end 512 to change with respect to the rotation axis A1. Note that, in order to more easily allow the position of the second end 512 to change with respect to the rotation axis A1, the through hole provided in the second end 512 may be configured so that its diameter increases downward.

[0027] The feeding mechanism 53 has a housing 531. The housing 531 is fixed to the outside of the housing 21 of the HUD main body 2. An adjustment rod 521 is disposed inside the housing 531, and an upper portion of the adjustment rod 521 is exposed from the housing 531. The feeding mechanism 53 is configured to displace the adjustment rod 521 along the rotation axis A1 relative to the housing 531 without rotating the adjustment rod 521.

[0028] The feed mechanism 53 includes a motor 532 and a gear mechanism within a housing 531. The gear mechanism is configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor 532 into linear motion along the rotation axis A1 of the adjustment rod 521. In this example, the gear mechanism includes a first gear 533, a second gear 534, a third gear 535, and a fourth gear 536. The motor 532 has an output shaft. The first gear 533 is configured to rotate integrally with the output shaft of the motor 532. The second gear 534 is connected to the first gear 533 and configured to rotate with the rotation of the first gear 533. The third gear 535 is connected to the second gear 534 and configured to be displaced up and down with the rotation of the second gear 534. The fourth gear 536 is connected to the third gear 535. For example, a threaded portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fourth gear 536 to mesh with a threaded portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the third gear 535. When third gear 535 is displaced up and down due to the rotation of second gear 534, the vertical displacement of third gear 535 is transmitted to fourth gear 536. That is, fourth gear 536 is displaced up and down integrally with third gear 535. Fourth gear 536 engages with adjustment rod 521 so that adjustment rod 521 can be displaced up and down integrally with fourth gear 536 and so that adjustment rod 521 can rotate relative to fourth gear 536. For example, a convex rib extending toward adjustment rod 521 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of fourth gear 536, and a groove corresponding to this convex rib is provided around the entire outer circumferential surface of adjustment rod 521. The engagement between the convex rib and the groove transmits the vertical displacement of fourth gear 536 to adjustment rod 521. On the other hand, as will be described later, the rotation of the adjustment rod 521 about the rotation axis A1 caused by the rotation of the adjustment gear 54 is not transmitted to the fourth gear 536. As a result, even when the motor 532 is operated, the adjustment rod 521 does not rotate about the rotation axis A1 but is displaced in the vertical direction.

[0029] The adjustment gear 54 is attached to the housing 531. The adjustment gear 54 is attached so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis A1. The adjustment gear 54 has an operation receiving unit 541 exposed to the outside of the housing 531. The operation receiving unit 541 receives operations by an operator to adjust the initial position of the concave mirror 4. When the operator turns the operation receiving unit 541, the adjustment gear 54 turns.

[0030] The adjustment gear 54 supports the adjustment rod 521 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis A1 together with the adjustment rod 521 and so as to be displaceable along the rotation axis A1. Specifically, the adjustment gear 54 has a recess 542 into which the lower end 521B of the adjustment rod 521 fits. The lower end 521B of the adjustment rod 521 is configured to fit into the recess 542 of the adjustment gear 54 when rotating and to disengage from the recess 542 of the adjustment gear 54 when displacing up and down. For example, the lower end 521B of the adjustment rod 521 is provided with a ridge extending along the rotation axis A1, and the inner circumferential surface of the adjustment gear 54 is provided with a groove extending along the rotation axis A1 that corresponds to the ridge. The rotational movement of the adjustment gear 54 is transmitted to the adjustment rod 521 by the fit between the ridge and the groove. On the other hand, the vertical displacement of the adjustment rod 521 is not transmitted to the adjustment gear , and the adjustment rod 521 is displaced along the rotation axis A1 relative to the adjustment gear .

[0031] (Visual range adjustment) 3 to 5, the operation of the drive mechanism 5 when an occupant of the vehicle 10 changes the position of the virtual image (hereinafter referred to as viewing zone adjustment) will be described. In this example, the position of the concave mirror 4 shown in Fig. 3 is set as a reference position P0, and a case will be described in which the occupant changes the position of the virtual image formed by the image light L1 reflected by the concave mirror 4 at the reference position P0.

[0032] In this specification, the reference position of the concave mirror 4 refers to the standard position of the concave mirror 4 of the HUD 1 mounted on the vehicle 10 at the time of shipping of the vehicle 10. In addition, in this specification, displacement of the "reference position" of the concave mirror 4 means displacement of the posture or orientation of the concave mirror 4 around the rotation axis A.

[0033] For example, when the occupant operates the input device 13 (FIG. 1) to change the position of the virtual image to match eye height, the control unit 6 drives the feed mechanism 53 of the drive mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 3. This causes the rotation shaft of the motor 532 to rotate. The power of the motor 532 is then transmitted to the adjustment rod 521 via the first gear 533, the second gear 534, the third gear 535, and the fourth gear 536. This causes the adjustment rod 521 to be displaced up and down relative to the adjustment gear 54 without rotating.

[0034] Adjustment nut 522 is engaged with adjustment rod 521 and moves up and down integrally with adjustment rod 521. As a result, second end 512 of transmission member 51 attached to adjustment nut 522 moves up and down, causing transmission member 51 to rotate about rotation axis A. Then, rotation shaft 4B of concave mirror 4 rotates together with transmission member 51, causing concave mirror 4 to rotate about rotation axis A and move from reference position P0 to a predetermined position. This changes the vertical display position of the virtual image.

[0035] Figure 4 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 5 when the viewing zone adjustment causes the concave mirror 4 to be at a first position P1 displaced vertically from the reference position P0 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 5 when the viewing zone adjustment causes the concave mirror 4 to be at a second position P2 displaced horizontally from the reference position P0 shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, in Figures 4 and 5, the specific configuration of the feed mechanism and hatching indicating cross sections are omitted.

[0036] 4, when feed mechanism 53 displaces adjustment rod 521 downward along rotation axis A1 from the position shown in FIG. 3, the position of adjustment nut 522 relative to housing 531 changes while maintaining the meshing position of adjustment nut 522 with adjustment rod 521. As a result, concave mirror 4 rotates about rotation axis A so that reflecting surface 41 faces downward, and is displaced from reference position P0 illustrated in FIG. 3 to first position P1.

[0037] 5, when the feed mechanism 53 displaces the adjustment rod 521 upward from the position shown in FIG. 3, the position of the adjustment nut 522 relative to the housing 531 changes while maintaining the meshing position of the adjustment nut 522 with the adjustment rod 521. As a result, the concave mirror 4 rotates about the rotation axis A so that the reflecting surface 41 faces upward, and is displaced from the reference position P0 shown in FIG. 3 to the second position P2.

[0038] In this way, by driving the feed mechanism 53 to displace the position of the concave mirror 4 from the reference position P0 to a predetermined position, the position of the virtual image can be adjusted so that the virtual image is displayed at a position suitable for the occupant. In other words, the transmission member 51, the displacement member 52, and the feed mechanism 53 are an example of a rotation mechanism.

[0039] In the above example, a case has been described in which the occupant changes the position of the virtual image corresponding to the reference position P0 of the concave mirror 4. However, for example, if the occupant registers the changed position of the virtual image as the standard position of the virtual image, the concave mirror 4 can be configured to be displaced from the position corresponding to the registered standard position of the virtual image when the viewing zone adjustment is performed.

[0040] (Initial adjustment) Next, the operation of the drive mechanism 5 when a worker adjusts the initial position of the concave mirror 4 to a reference position (hereinafter referred to as initial adjustment) in a factory assembling the HUD 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 6 and 7.

[0041] In this specification, the initial position of the concave mirror 4 refers to the position immediately after the HUD 1 is assembled, and may differ from the reference position of the concave mirror 4 at the time of shipping the vehicle 10 due to variations in precision of each part of the HUD.

[0042] For example, when an operator turns operation receiving portion 541 of adjustment gear 54 shown in FIG. 3 to adjust the initial position of concave mirror 4 to reference position P0, adjustment rod 521 also rotates together with adjustment gear 54. When adjustment rod 521 rotates, adjustment nut 522 displaces up and down along thread portion 521A formed on the upper portion of adjustment rod 521. That is, adjustment rod 521 rotates but does not displace up and down; only adjustment nut 522 displaces relative to adjustment rod 521. As a result, second end 512 of transmission member 51 attached to adjustment nut 522 displaces up and down, and transmission member 51 rotates about rotation axis A. Then, rotation shaft portion 4B rotates together with transmission member 51, causing concave mirror 4 to rotate about rotation axis A and displace from the initial position to reference position P0.

[0043] Fig. 6 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 5 when the initial position P3 of the concave mirror 4 is more vertically aligned than the reference position P0 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 5 when the initial position P4 of the concave mirror 4 is more horizontally aligned than the reference position P0 shown in Fig. 3. Note that the feed mechanism and the hatching indicating the cross section are omitted in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0044] For example, when adjustment gear 54 is rotated in a first direction in the state shown in Fig. 6, adjustment rod 521 also rotates in the first direction. As a result, the meshing position of adjustment nut 522 with adjustment rod 521 changes while maintaining the relative position of adjustment rod 521 with housing 531, and adjustment nut 522 is displaced upward relative to adjustment rod 521. The upward displacement of adjustment nut 522 causes concave mirror 4 to rotate about rotation axis A so that reflective surface 41 faces upward, and displaces from initial position P3 to reference position P0 shown in Fig. 3.

[0045] 7, when adjustment gear 54 is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, adjustment rod 521 also rotates in the second direction. As a result, the meshing position of adjustment nut 522 with adjustment rod 521 changes while maintaining the relative position of adjustment rod 521 with housing 531, and adjustment nut 522 is displaced downward relative to adjustment rod 521. The downward displacement of adjustment nut 522 causes concave mirror 4 to rotate about rotation axis A so that reflective surface 41 faces downward, and displaces from initial position P4 to reference position P0 shown in FIG. 3.

[0046] In this way, when adjusting the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4, the position of the concave mirror 4 can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment gear 54 to displace the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position P0. In other words, the transmission member 51, the displacement member 52, and the adjustment gear 54 are an example of an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment gear 54 is an example of an operating part. The lower end 521B of the adjustment rod 521 is an example of a fitting part.

[0047] According to the HUD 1 of the present disclosure, the adjustment mechanism can adjust the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position P0. This makes it possible to adjust the deviation of the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4 if the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4 deviate from the reference position due to variations in the precision of each component when assembling the HUD 1. Furthermore, because the initial positions P3, P4 of the concave mirror 4 can be adjusted without increasing the precision of each component, increases in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0048] In addition, the adjustment rod 521 used in the viewing zone adjustment to adjust the position of the virtual image by the occupant can also be used for the initial adjustment to adjust the initial positions P3 and P4 of the concave mirror 4, thereby preventing an increase in the number of parts used in the initial adjustment of the concave mirror 4.

[0049] Furthermore, when adjustment gear 54 is rotated, adjustment rod 521 rotates, and the meshing position of adjustment nut 522 with adjustment rod 521 changes while maintaining the relative position of adjustment rod 521 with housing 531, thereby adjusting concave mirror 4 from the initial position to the reference position. When feed mechanism 53 is operated, adjustment rod 521 is displaced along rotation axis A1, and the position of adjustment nut 522 with respect to housing 531 changes while maintaining the meshing position of adjustment nut 522 with adjustment rod 521, thereby adjusting concave mirror 4 from the reference position so that the virtual image is displayed in a position suitable for the occupant. In this way, adjustment rod 521, which is used in viewing zone adjustment to adjust the position of the virtual image by the occupant, can also be used for initial adjustment to adjust initial positions P3 and P4 of concave mirror 4, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of parts used in the initial adjustment of concave mirror 4.

[0050] In another case, feed mechanism 53 has motor 532 and a gear mechanism that converts the rotational motion of motor 532 into linear motion along rotation axis A1 of adjustment rod 521. This allows adjustment rod 521 to be displaced along rotation axis A1 during viewing zone adjustment, and to be rotated around rotation axis A1 during initial adjustment.

[0051] The displacement member 52 of the drive mechanism 5 is not limited to the configuration exemplified in FIG.

[0052] (Modification of the driving mechanism 5) Next, the configuration of a modified example of the displacement member 52 of the drive mechanism 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0053] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a modified driving mechanism 7 when the concave mirror 4 is located at reference position P10. Note that hatching indicating cross sections is omitted in Figure 8. Furthermore, since the configuration of the feed mechanism of driving mechanism 7 is the same as the configuration of the feed mechanism of driving mechanism 5, illustration and detailed description of the motor and gears of the feed mechanism are omitted.

[0054] The drive mechanism 7 includes a transmission member 71 , a displacement member 72 , a feed mechanism 73 , and an adjustment bolt 74 .

[0055] As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the transmission member 71 transmits the displacement of the displacement member 72 to the concave mirror 4. The transmission member 71 has a first end 711 and a second end 712. The first end 711 is fixed to the rotation shaft 4B of the concave mirror 4. A receiving portion 722 of the displacement member 72 is attached to the second end 712. In other words, the receiving portion 722 is attached to the concave mirror 4 via the transmission member 71. The transmission member 71 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis A together with the rotation shaft 4B of the concave mirror 4.

[0056] The displacement member 72 has an output rod 721 and a receiving portion 722. The output rod 721 has a rod shape extending along the axis C (in this example, in the vertical direction). A spherical portion 721A is formed at the tip of the output rod 721. The receiving portion 722 has a surface against which the spherical portion 721A of the output rod 721 abuts. The spherical portion 721A is an example of an abutting portion.

[0057] The feed mechanism 73 has a housing 731. The housing 731 is disposed within the housing 21 of the HUD main body 2 and is configured to be displaceable relative to the housing 21. An output rod 721 is disposed within the housing 731, and an upper portion of the output rod 721 is exposed from the housing 731. The feed mechanism 73 is configured to displace the output rod 721 along the axis C relative to the housing 731 without rotating the output rod 721. For example, the feed mechanism 73 has a motor and a gear mechanism as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0058] The adjustment bolt 74 extends along the rotation axis A2. The rotation axis A2 extends along the axis C. The adjustment bolt 74 is attached to the housing 21 of the HUD main body 2 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis A2. The adjustment bolt 74 has an operation receiving unit 741 that is exposed to the outside of the housing 21 of the HUD main body 2. The operation receiving unit 741 receives operations by an operator to adjust the initial position of the concave mirror 4. When the operator turns the operation receiving unit 741, the adjustment bolt 74 turns.

[0059] The adjustment bolt 74 is configured to displace the feed mechanism 73 along the rotation axis A2 relative to the housing 21 of the HUD main body 2. In this example, the upper part of the adjustment bolt 74 engages with the housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73. A threaded portion 74A is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the adjustment bolt 74. The housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 has an attachment portion 731A with which the adjustment bolt 74 engages. The attachment portion 731A has a through hole through which the adjustment bolt 74 passes. A threaded portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole, which engages with the threaded portion 74A formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the adjustment bolt 74.

[0060] (Visual range adjustment) Next, the operation of the drive mechanism 7 when an occupant of the vehicle 10 changes the position of the virtual image will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0061] For example, when the occupant operates the input device 13 (FIG. 1) to change the position of the virtual image to match the eye height, the control unit 6 drives the feed mechanism 73 of the drive mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the output rod 721 is displaced up and down without rotating.

[0062] Receiving portion 722 is displaced up and down in accordance with the vertical displacement of output rod 721. As a result, second end portion 712 of transmission member 71 attached to receiving portion 722 is displaced up and down, and transmission member 71 rotates about rotation axis A. Then, as rotation shaft portion 4B rotates together with transmission member 71, concave mirror 4 rotates about rotation axis A and is displaced from reference position P10 to a predetermined position. As a result, the display position of the virtual image in the vertical direction changes.

[0063] Figure 9 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 7 when the viewing zone adjustment has caused the concave mirror 4 to be at a third position P11 displaced vertically from the reference position P10 shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 7 when the viewing zone adjustment has caused the concave mirror 4 to be at a fourth position P12 displaced horizontally from the reference position P10 shown in Figure 8. Note that in Figures 9 and 10, the illustration of the feed mechanism 73 and the hatching indicating the cross section are omitted.

[0064] 9, for example, the position of the output rod 721 relative to the housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 changes when the feed mechanism 73 displaces the output rod 721 downward along the axis C from the position shown in FIG. 8. As a result, the concave mirror 4 rotates about the rotation axis A so that the reflecting surface 41 faces downward, and is displaced from the reference position P10 illustrated in FIG. 8 to a third position P11.

[0065] 10, for example, the position of the output rod 721 relative to the housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 changes when the feed mechanism 73 displaces the output rod 721 upward from the position shown in FIG. 8. This causes the concave mirror 4 to rotate about the rotation axis A so that the reflecting surface 41 faces upward, and the concave mirror 4 is displaced from the reference position P10 shown in FIG. 8 to a fourth position P12.

[0066] In this way, when the occupant adjusts the position of the virtual image, the position of the virtual image can be adjusted by driving the feed mechanism 73 to displace the position of the concave mirror 4 from the reference position P10 to a predetermined position. In other words, the transmission member 71, the displacement member 72, and the feed mechanism 73 are an example of a rotation mechanism.

[0067] In the above example, a case has been described in which the occupant changes the position of the virtual image corresponding to the reference position P10 of the concave mirror 4. However, if the occupant registers the changed position of the virtual image as the standard position of the virtual image, then when the viewing zone adjustment is performed, the concave mirror 4 will be displaced from the position corresponding to the registered standard position of the virtual image.

[0068] (Initial adjustment) Next, the operation of the drive mechanism 7 when an operator adjusts the initial position of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position P10 in the HUD 1 assembly factory will be described with reference to FIGS. 8, 11, and 12. FIG.

[0069] For example, when an operator turns the operation receiving portion 741 of the adjustment bolt 74 shown in FIG. 8 to adjust the initial position of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position P10, the adjustment bolt 74 rotates. When the adjustment bolt 74 rotates, the mounting portion 731A of the housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 is displaced up and down along the threaded portion 74A formed on the upper portion of the adjustment bolt 74. This causes the housing 731 that accommodates the output rod 721 to displace up and down, and the output rod 721 displaces the receiving portion 722 up and down. The vertical displacement of the receiving portion 722 displaces the second end 712 of the transmission member 71 attached to the receiving portion 722 up and down, and the transmission member 71 rotates around the rotation axis A. Then, as the rotation shaft 4B rotates together with the transmission member 71, the concave mirror 4 rotates around the rotation axis A and is displaced from the initial position to the reference position P10.

[0070] Fig. 11 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 7 when the initial position P13 of the concave mirror 4 is more vertically aligned than the reference position P10 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 12 illustrates the configuration of the drive mechanism 7 when the initial position P14 of the concave mirror 4 is more horizontally aligned than the reference position P10 shown in Fig. 3. Note that the feed mechanism and the hatching indicating the cross section are omitted in Figs. 11 and 12.

[0071] 11, when adjustment bolt 74 is rotated in the first direction, the meshing position of adjustment bolt 74 with mounting portion 731A of housing 731 changes, causing housing 731 of feed mechanism 73 to displace upward along rotation axis A2 with respect to housing 21 of HUD main body 2 while maintaining the relative position of output rod 721 with respect to housing 731. This causes output rod 721 to displace upward, and receiving portion 722 to also displace upward. Due to the upward displacement of receiving portion 722, concave mirror 4 rotates about rotation axis A so that reflective surface 41 faces upward, and is displaced from initial position P13 to reference position P10 shown in FIG. 8.

[0072] 12, when the adjustment bolt 74 is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the meshing position of the adjustment bolt 74 with respect to the mounting portion 731A of the housing 731 changes, and the housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 is displaced downward along the rotation axis A2 with respect to the housing 21 of the HUD 1 while maintaining the relative position of the output rod 721 with respect to the housing 731. This causes the output rod 721 to be displaced downward, and the receiving portion 722 to be displaced downward as well. The downward displacement of the receiving portion 722 causes the concave mirror 4 to be rotated about the rotation axis A so that the reflecting surface 41 faces downward, and the concave mirror 4 is displaced from the initial position P14 to the reference position P10 shown in FIG. 8.

[0073] In this way, when adjusting the initial positions P13, P14 of the concave mirror 4, the position of the concave mirror 4 can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment bolt 74 to displace the initial positions P13, P14 of the concave mirror 4 to the reference position P10. In other words, the transmission member 71, the displacement member 72, and the adjustment bolt 74 are an example of an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment bolt 74 is an example of an operation unit. The housing 21 of the HUD main body 2 is an example of a first housing. The housing 731 of the feed mechanism 73 is an example of a second housing.

[0074] According to the HUD 1 having the modified driving mechanism 7, the initial adjustment of the concave mirror 4 is performed by displacing the position of the feed mechanism 73 using the adjustment bolt 74, so that the initial adjustment of the concave mirror 4 can be performed with a simple configuration.

[0075] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the reference positions P0 and P10 of the concave mirror 4 were described as the position of the concave mirror 4 shown in Figure 3 or the reference of the concave mirror 4 shown in Figure 8, but the reference position of the concave mirror is not limited to the position shown in Figure 3 or Figure 8.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the position adjustment information of the virtual image includes operation input information of the occupant transmitted from the input device 13. However, the position adjustment information of the virtual image may also include, for example, position information of the occupant's viewpoint E captured by a camera (not shown) arranged inside the vehicle.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the image light L1 emitted from the image generating unit 3 may be configured to be incident on the concave mirror 4 via an optical component such as a plane mirror or a convex mirror.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the reflecting member that reflects the image light onto the windshield 11 is the concave mirror 4. However, the reflecting member that reflects the image light onto the windshield 11 may be a plane mirror or the like.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the light emitted from the image generation unit 3 is reflected by the concave mirror 4 and irradiated onto the windshield 11. However, for example, the image light L1 reflected by the concave mirror 4 may be irradiated onto a combiner (not shown) provided inside the windshield 11. The combiner is formed, for example, of a transparent plastic disk. A portion of the light irradiated onto the combiner from the image generation unit 3 of the HUD main body 2 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E, similar to when light is irradiated onto the windshield 11.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the control unit 6 and the vehicle control unit 12 are provided as separate components, but they may also be configured as an integrated unit.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the HUD 1 is given as an example of an image display device, but the present invention is not limited to this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 HUD 2 HUD main body 21 Housing 22 Exit window 3. Image generation section 4 concave mirror 4A Main body 4B Rotating shaft 41 Reflective surface 5 Drive mechanism 51 Transmission member 511 First end 512 Second end 52 Displacement member 521 Adjustment rod Section 521A 521A Threaded Part 521B Lower end 522 Adjustment nut 522A Spherical part 522B Cylindrical part 522C connection part 53 Feeding mechanism 531 Housing 532 Motor 533 First Gear 534 Second Gear 535 Third Gear 536 Fourth Gear 54 Adjustment gear 541 Operation reception section 542 recess 6 Control Unit 7 Drive mechanism 71 Transmission component 711 First end 712 Second end 72 Displacement member 721 Output Rod 721A Spherical part 722 Receiving part 73 Feeding mechanism 731 Housing 731A Mounting part 74 Adjustment bolt 74A threaded part 741 Operation Reception Unit 10 vehicles 11 Windshield 12 Vehicle control unit 13 Input Devices

Claims

1. An image display device configured to display a predetermined image as a virtual image toward an occupant of a vehicle, a reflecting member that reflects light for displaying the predetermined image; a rotation mechanism that rotates the reflecting member; an adjustment mechanism that rotates the reflecting member, the reflecting member is provided so as to be displaceable with respect to a reference position by the pivot mechanism so that the predetermined image is displayed at a position suitable for an occupant of the vehicle, The adjustment mechanism adjusts the initial position of the reflecting member to the reference position.

2. The rotation mechanism includes: an adjustment nut attached to the reflecting member; an adjustment rod having a threaded portion that meshes with the adjustment nut, extending along a rotation axis and being rotatable about the rotation axis; a feeding mechanism having a housing that accommodates a portion of the adjustment rod and displacing the adjustment rod along the rotation axis relative to the housing; The adjustment mechanism includes: the adjusting nut; The adjustment rod; an operating portion attached to the housing, rotating together with the adjustment rod about the rotation axis, and supporting the adjustment rod so as to be relatively displaceable along the rotation axis; When the operating portion is rotated, the adjustment rod rotates, and the meshing position of the adjustment nut with respect to the adjustment rod changes while maintaining the relative position of the adjustment rod with respect to the housing, thereby adjusting the reflection member from the initial position to the reference position, 2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein when the feed mechanism is operated, the adjustment rod is displaced along the rotation axis, thereby changing the position of the adjustment nut relative to the housing while maintaining the meshing position of the adjustment nut relative to the adjustment rod, thereby adjusting the reflecting member from the reference position so that the specified image is displayed in a position suitable for an occupant.

3. The feed mechanism includes: A motor; a gear mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion along the rotation axis of the adjustment rod; The image display device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

4. a first housing that accommodates the reflecting member; The rotation mechanism includes: a receiving portion attached to the reflecting member; an output rod having an abutment portion that abuts against the receiving portion, extending along an axis and being displaceable along the axis; a feed mechanism having a second housing that accommodates a portion of the output rod and that displaces the output rod along the axis relative to the second housing, The adjustment mechanism includes: The feed mechanism; an operating unit having a threaded portion that engages with the second housing, extending along the axis and being rotatable about the axis, and displacing the feed mechanism along the axis relative to the first housing; It is equipped with When the operating portion is rotated, an engagement position of the operating portion with respect to the second housing changes, thereby adjusting the reflecting member from the initial position to the reference position while maintaining the relative position of the output rod with respect to the second housing, 2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein when the feed mechanism is operated, the output rod is displaced along the axis, thereby changing the position of the output rod relative to the second housing, thereby adjusting the reflecting member from the reference position so that the predetermined image is displayed in a position suitable for an occupant.

Images