Indication device

Abstract

To provide a display device that is easily mountable in vehicles. [Solution] The display device 100 allows the user 4 of the vehicle 1 to view an image represented by display light L reflected by a reflective surface 3b provided on the vehicle 1. The display device 100 comprises a display unit 10 that emits display light L and is provided inside the dashboard 2 of the vehicle 1, and a mirror 20 that has a mirror surface 21 that reflects the display light L emitted by the display unit 10 toward the reflective surface 3b. The reflective surface 3b is provided on a ceramic forming part 3a provided in the lower end region of the windshield 3 of the vehicle 1, or is provided on the user 4 side of the ceramic forming part 3a. The mirror surface 21 faces toward the user 4. The mirror 20 is located on the user 4 side of the lower end 3d of the ceramic forming part 3a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a display device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a display device that directly irradiates display light representing an image toward a ceramic forming portion (coloring portion) provided in a lower end region of a windshield of a vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=ID=35]]This type of display device is provided inside the dashboard of a vehicle, but due to the positional relationship between the user (mainly the driver) who views the image and the windshield, there are restrictions on its installation position, so there are problems in terms of vehicle mounting. For example, when the installation angle of the windshield is shallow with respect to the horizontal plane, there is a risk that the installation position of the display device may overlap with the engine room, which is often provided in front of the vehicle.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a display device with good vehicle mounting performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the display device according to this disclosure is a display device that allows a user of the vehicle to view an image represented by the display light by the display light reflected by a reflecting surface provided on the vehicle, provided inside the dashboard of the vehicle and including a display that emits the display light, The dashboard includes a mirror having a mirror surface that is provided inside the dashboard and reflects the display light emitted by the display toward the reflective surface, The reflective surface is provided on a ceramic forming portion located in the lower end region of the vehicle's windshield, or on the user side of the ceramic forming portion. The mirror surface faces the user, The mirror is positioned closer to the user than the lower end of the ceramic forming portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a display device that is easily mountable in vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing how a display device according to one embodiment of this disclosure is mounted on a vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the display device 100 according to this embodiment is installed on the dashboard 2 (including the instrument panel) of the vehicle 1 and emits light representing an image (hereinafter referred to as display light L) toward the ceramic forming section 3a located in the lower end region of the windshield 3 of the vehicle 1. The display light L emitted from the display device 100 passes through a cylindrical body 2a that constitutes part of the dashboard 2 and reaches the ceramic forming section 3a. In the figure, the directions of the vehicle 1 are indicated as front Fd, rear Bd, up Ud, and down Dd. In the following description, the directions front, rear, up, and down refer to the directions shown in the figure unless otherwise specified.

[0011] The ceramic-formed portion 3a is the part of the windshield 3 in which black ceramic is formed by baked-on coating, and is commonly called the black ceramic portion. A reflective surface 3b is formed on the inner surface of the ceramic-formed portion 3a in the windshield 3, which reflects the display light L toward the user 4. The user 4 is, for example, the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0012] The ceramic forming portion 3a may be provided on the inner surface (the surface facing the user 4) of the windshield 3, or on the outer surface of the windshield 3. Furthermore, if the windshield 3 is composed of multiple laminated glass panels, the ceramic forming portion 3a may be provided inside the windshield 3.

[0013] The display light L reflected by the reflective surface 3b is directed toward the user 4. By positioning their viewpoint within the eye box 5, the user 4 can see the virtual image represented by the display light L. To the user 4, this image appears to be displayed on the ceramic forming section 3a. This image, for example, shows various information about the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle information). The vehicle information may include not only information about the vehicle 1 itself, but also external information about the vehicle 1, such as information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The eye box 5 is set to a range in which the user 4 can see the image based on the display light L reflected by the reflective surface 3b.

[0014] The display device 100 comprises a display unit 10 and a mirror 20.

[0015] The display unit 10 is installed inside the cylindrical body 2a of the dashboard 2 and emits display light L towards the front of the vehicle 1. The display unit 10 is also located behind the mirror 20 of the vehicle 1. The display unit 10 is composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, etc., and the emission operation of the display light L is controlled by a controller (not shown). In other words, the controller controls the image represented by the display light L. The display unit 10 may also be composed of a reflective display using a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device), LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), etc.

[0016] The mirror 20 is installed inside the cylindrical body 2a of the dashboard 2 and has a mirror surface 21 that reflects the display light L emitted by the display unit 10 toward the reflective surface 3b. Specifically, the mirror 20 is fixed to the inner wall surface (front inner wall surface) of the cylindrical body 2a such that the mirror surface 21 faces towards the user 4 (towards the rear of the vehicle 1). The mirror 20 fixed to the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body 2a is located directly below the ceramic forming part 3a. Furthermore, the mirror 20 is located on the user 4 side (rear of the vehicle 1) than the lower end 3d of the ceramic forming part 3a.

[0017] In the display device 100, the positional relationship between the display unit 10 and the mirror 20 is set as described above, so the display unit 10 and the mirror 20 can be installed at a position away from the lower end 3d of the ceramic forming part 3a (synonymous with the lower end of the windshield 3) and towards the rear of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the display device 100 is easily mountable on the vehicle 1.

[0018] Mirror 20 is not limited to a specific type, but for example, it is preferably one that reflects visible light and transmits light of a specific wavelength outside the wavelength range of visible light. For example, mirror 20 is composed of a cold mirror that reflects visible light and transmits at least one of ultraviolet and infrared light. By configuring mirror 20 in this way, when sunlight that has entered cylindrical body 2a is reflected by mirror 20 and reaches display 10, it is possible to suppress display 10 from storing heat. As a result, the size of a heat dissipation mechanism such as a heat sink and a cooling fan can be reduced, and the mounting property of display device 100 on vehicle 1 is improved.

[0019] Note that mirror 20 is not limited to a plane mirror, and may be a concave mirror or a free-form surface mirror for correcting distortion of a visible image.

[0020] The display light L reflected by mirror 20 travels through opening 2b formed in dashboard 2 and heads toward the reflection surface. Opening 2b corresponds to the upper end portion of cylindrical body 2a. Here, dashboard 2 has a top surface portion 2c on the side of user 4 (the rear of vehicle 1) with respect to opening 2b. And mirror 20 is provided at a position blocked by top surface portion 2c of dashboard 2 and not visible from user 4 who views the image. Specifically, mirror 20 is provided at a position where virtual line VL connecting the upper end of mirror 20 and the upper end of glove box 5 penetrates top surface portion 2c. By arranging mirror 20 in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unnecessary displays and stray light for user 4.

[0021] The present invention is not limited by the above embodiments and drawings. Within the scope of not changing the gist of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately make changes (including deletion of components).

[0022] In the above, an example where reflection surface 3b is provided in ceramic forming portion 3a of windshield 3 has been shown, but reflection surface 3b may be provided in a combiner located on the side of user 4 (the rear of vehicle 1) with respect to ceramic forming portion 3a (that is, a combiner separate from windshield 3).

[0023] In the above explanation, explanations of publicly known technical matters have been omitted where appropriate to facilitate understanding of this disclosure.

[0024] This invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of this invention is indicated not by the embodiments, but by the claims. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope of the meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 100…Display device 1…Vehicle 2… Dashboard 2a...cylindrical body, 2b...opening, 2c...top part 3…windshield 3a...ceramic forming part, 3b...reflective surface, 3d...bottom end 4...User, 5...Ibox 10...Indicator 20...Mirror, 21...Mirror surface L…Display light VL…Virtual Line

Claims

1. A display device that allows the user of a vehicle to view an image represented by display light reflected from a reflective surface provided on the vehicle, A display unit that emits the aforementioned display light is provided inside the dashboard of the vehicle, The dashboard includes a mirror having a mirror surface that is provided inside the dashboard and reflects the display light emitted by the display toward the reflective surface, The reflective surface is provided on a ceramic forming portion located in the lower end region of the vehicle's windshield, or on the user side of the ceramic forming portion. The mirror surface faces the user, The mirror is positioned closer to the user than the lower end of the ceramic forming portion. Display device.

2. The display light reflected by the mirror passes through the opening formed in the dashboard toward the reflective surface. The mirror is positioned so as to be obscured from the user's side of the dashboard from the opening, and is not visible to the user viewing the image. The display device according to claim 1.

3. The mirror reflects visible light and transmits light of specific wavelengths other than the visible light wavelength range. The display device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images