Indication device

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device that prevents interference with the vehicle body while ensuring the strength of the mounting bracket. [Solution] The display device 100 comprises a display unit 90 for displaying information and a case member 60 for housing the display unit 90, wherein the case member 60 has a mounting portion 64 that protrudes to the outside of the outer walls 61, 62, and the display device 100 is mounted on the vehicle by fixing the mounting portion 64 to the vehicle, wherein the case member 60 has a reinforcing portion 65 consisting of a protruding piece 66 that protrudes into the inside of the outer walls 61, 62 and a rib portion 67 that spans the outer walls 61, 62 and the protruding piece 66, and the reinforcing portion 65 is formed at a position opposite to the mounting portion 64.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional display devices include, for example, those disclosed in Patent Document 1. This display device includes a display unit, a circuit board disposed behind the display unit, a middle case disposed on the circuit board, a back cover that covers the front of the display unit and the middle case, and a lens that further covers the front. It displays various information as an image on the display surface of the display unit. Further, the display device has a mounting stay protruding from the lower case, and the display device is mounted in the instrument panel of the vehicle by fixing the mounting stay and the instrument panel of the vehicle body with screws.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to prevent the mounting stay from breaking, a method of providing ribs so as to straddle the mounting stay and the lower case can be considered, but there is a problem that this rib interferes with the instrument panel.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a display device that can prevent interference with the vehicle body and ensure the strength of the mounting stay.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a display device 100 comprising a display unit 90 for displaying information and a case member 60 for housing the display unit 90, wherein the case member 60 has a mounting portion 64 that protrudes to the outside of the outer walls 61, 62, and the display device 100 is mounted on the vehicle by fixing the mounting portion 64 to the vehicle, wherein the case member 60 has a reinforcing portion 65 comprising a protruding piece 66 that protrudes into the inside of the outer walls 61, 62 and a rib portion 67 that spans the outer walls 61, 62 and the protruding piece 66, and the reinforcing portion 65 is formed at a position opposite to the mounting portion 64. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A view of a display device, which is a first embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure, from the front. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows the lower case as viewed from arrow B in Figure 2. [Figure 4] A figure showing a second embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] A figure showing a third embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] A figure showing a fourth embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] A figure showing a fifth embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] A figure showing a sixth embodiment of the display device of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the display device of this disclosure will be described based on the attached drawings. The display device according to this disclosure is mounted on vehicles such as automobiles and motorcycles, as well as on ships, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery. In this embodiment, as an example, the display device of this disclosure will be described using a display device mounted in the instrument panel 200 of a vehicle as the mounting destination.

[0009] In the following description, "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "right," and "left" follow the definitions "Fr.", "Re.", "To.", "Bo.", "R," and "L" in Figures 1 to 3. The side of the display device 100 that is visible to the user is defined as the "front."

[0010] (First Embodiment) The display device 100 is mounted in the instrument panel 200 of the vehicle and displays various information visible to the driver (e.g., speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, thermometer, odometer, etc.). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the display device 100 houses a display unit 90 inside a housing consisting of a front cover portion 80 and a rear lower case (case member) 60. The cover portion 80 consists of a lining 20 and a lens 10 that covers the front of the lining 20. The display unit 90 consists of a display unit 40 having a display surface 41 at the front, a circuit board 50 positioned behind the display unit 40, and a middle case 30 that covers the display unit 40 and is positioned in front of the circuit board 50. The display unit 90 is mainly housed in the lower case 60.

[0011] The lens 10 is made of light-transmitting inorganic glass or resin (for example, polymethyl methacrylate resin (PMMA)). The lens 10 is attached to the endpiece 20 from the front via a hook or the like, and covers the front of the endpiece 20. The lens 10 protects the inside of the cover portion 80 from dust and other debris.

[0012] The facing 20 is made of a light-blocking synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene resin) of black or the like. The facing 20 is attached to the lower case 60 at the back from the front via hooks or the like. The facing 20 has a front portion 21 and a vertical wall portion 22.

[0013] The front section 21 is formed in a roughly box shape with an open rear and covers the front of the lower case 60. The front section 21 has a display opening 23 and an indicator opening 24. The display opening 23 is a rectangular hole opened in a location facing the display surface 41 of the display unit 40. The indicator opening 24 is a hole opened in a location facing multiple design parts 71 of the display panel 70, which will be described later. The vertical wall section 22 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape so as to surround the display opening 23 and the indicator opening 24.

[0014] The display unit 40 is a display device that displays various information as images on the display surface 41. The display unit 40 has four cylindrical bosses that protrude toward the circuit board 50, and is fixed to the circuit board 50 by inserting screws into these bosses from behind the circuit board 50. The display unit 40 includes a display panel 42 and a backlight unit 43.

[0015] The display panel 42 is, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type liquid crystal display panel. The display panel 42 is, for example, a large panel of 12 inches or more. The display panel 42 has a display surface 41 at the front. The display panel 42 has a pair of surface glass substrates that enclose the liquid crystal layer. Transparent electrodes are formed on the pair of glass substrates using ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or the like. The display panel 42 also has a pair of surface polarizers (polarizing filters) arranged to sandwich the pair of surface glass substrates.

[0016] The display panel 42 is connected to the circuit board 50 via a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) (not shown). The display panel 42 is controlled by a control unit 53 (described later), which applies a driving voltage to the liquid crystal layer via transparent electrodes. This controls the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, changing the transmittance of individual pixels in the display panel 42, thereby displaying an image.

[0017] The backlight unit 43 is provided behind the display panel 42. The backlight unit 43 consists of a light source substrate and a light guide, and illuminates the display panel 42 from behind. The light source substrate mounts a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), which are an example of light sources. The light source substrate is connected to the circuit board 50 via a flexible substrate such as an FPC. When a drive current is supplied to the LEDs, they emit light toward the light guide. The light guide guides the light emitted by the LEDs toward the display panel 42. The light guide is a flat plate-shaped transparent resin (e.g., PMMA).

[0018] The circuit board 50 is, for example, a rigid circuit board in which a copper foil pattern is arranged based on a predetermined electric circuit in a flat plate-shaped epoxy resin, and is formed in a substantially square shape. The circuit board 50 is sandwiched between the return 20 via the middle case 30 on the front surface 51 on the display panel 42 side and the lower case 60 on the back surface 52. The circuit board 50 has a control unit 53, electronic elements not shown, a light source for the design part 71 on the front surface 51, and electronic elements and connectors not shown on the back surface 52.

[0019] The control unit 53 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a GDC (Graphics Display Controller), etc., and executes predetermined arithmetic processing according to a program written in the ROM, for example. The CPU, ROM, RAM, and GDC are composed of IC (integrated circuit) chips and generate heat due to power consumption. The control unit 53 acquires various information, etc. from the vehicle's ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via various sensors, for example. The control unit 53 causes the display unit 40 to display information based on the acquired information.

[0020] The light source for the design part 71 consists of LEDs, and three LEDs are arranged on each of the left and right sides of the display unit 40 to illuminate the design part 71 of the display board 70. The connector penetrates the lower case 60 and is exposed, and is connected to a cable (not shown) extending from the vehicle to receive various information signals.

[0021] The inner case 30 is made of a light-shielding synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene resin) of a white or similar color. The inner case 30 is sandwiched between the lining 20 and the circuit board 50. The inner case 30 covers the outer periphery of the display unit 40. The inner case 30 has a plurality of cylindrical lighting chambers, each housing a light source for the design section 71. The display panel 70 is placed in front of the lighting chambers of the inner case 30.

[0022] The display panel 70 is made of a thin, flat base material of translucent synthetic resin (for example, polycarbonate) and is placed between the inner case 30 and the endpaper 20. The display panel 70 is formed by printing various inks, such as translucent, light-blocking, and light-diffusing inks, on its front and back surfaces. The display panel 70 has multiple design parts 71 in the shape of warning lights, etc., which are formed by die-cutting with light-blocking ink. The design parts 71 are illuminated from behind by a light source and emit light.

[0023] The lower case 60 is made of a white or other resin (for example, polypropylene resin) and is formed in a roughly box shape with an open front, consisting of a bottom portion 61 and side wall portions (outer walls) 62. The lower case 60 houses the display portion 90 and is covered at the front by a cover portion 80. The lower case 60 has a stepped portion 63, a mounting stay (mounting portion) 64, and a reinforcing portion 65.

[0024] The bottom portion 61 is formed to face the circuit board 50. The side wall portion 62 is formed to extend forward from the outer circumference of the bottom portion 61 to cover the outer circumference of the display portion 90.

[0025] The stepped portion 63 is formed by a step-like recess at the corner between the bottom portion 61 and the side wall portion 62, inward (towards the circuit board 50). The stepped portion 63 has a bottom stepped portion 63a, which is the portion of the bottom portion 61 that is offset inward (towards the opening), and a side wall stepped portion 63b, which is the portion of the side wall portion 62 that is offset inward. The circuit board 50 is placed on the lower case 60 by placing its outer circumference on the bottom stepped portion 63a.

[0026] The mounting stays 64 are formed in three locations in the front view of Figure 1: at the center of the upper side of the side wall portion 62 and at the left and right positions on the lower side. The mounting stays 64 are formed in a rectangular shape that protrudes outward from the outer surface 62a of the side wall portion 62. The mounting stays 64 are positioned so that the front surface 64b of the stay is approximately parallel to the display surface 41 (facing the opening side of the lower case 60 or facing forward). The mounting stays 64 have mounting holes 64a through which the mounting holes 64b are inserted in the direction normal to the front surface 64b (front-rear direction). The back surface 64c of the mounting stay 64, opposite to the front surface 64b, is positioned on the instrument panel 200 of the vehicle. The display device 100 is fixed (mounted) to the vehicle by inserting screws S from the front surface 64b into the mounting holes 64a and fixing the screws S to the instrument panel 200 of the vehicle.

[0027] The reinforcing portion 65 is formed in three locations, similar to the mounting stay 64, at the center of the upper side of the side wall portion 62 and at the left and right positions on the lower side. The reinforcing portion 65 has a protruding piece 66 and a rib portion 67. As shown in Figure 3, the protruding piece 66 is formed in a rectangular shape that protrudes inward (into the interior of the lower case 60) from the inner surface 62b of the side wall portion 62.

[0028] The protruding piece 66 protrudes from the side wall portion 62 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the mounting stay 64 protrudes. The protruding piece 66 is positioned such that one front surface (one side) 66a is substantially parallel to and in the same orientation as the front surface 64b of the stay. The protruding piece 66 is formed in a position opposite (facing) the mounting stay 64 with respect to the side wall portion 62. The width W1 of the protruding piece 66 is formed in the same way as the width W2 of the mounting stay 64.

[0029] Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the protruding piece 66 is formed in the same way as the thickness T2 of the mounting stay 64. The single ground contact section A1 where the protruding piece 66 and the inner surface 62b of the side wall are in contact is a region consisting of a width W1 and a thickness T1. The single ground contact section A2 where the mounting stay 64 and the outer surface 62a of the side wall are in contact is a region consisting of a width W2 and a thickness T2. The single ground contact section A1 is positioned to be almost completely opposite to the single ground contact section A2 via the side wall portion 62.

[0030] The rib portion 67 is formed in a triangular shape with a predetermined width so as to span the inner surface 62b of the side wall portion 62 and one front surface 66a of the protruding piece 66. Three rib portions 67 are provided for each protruding piece 66: one on the left and right sides of one front surface 66a and one in the center between them. The rib portion 67 in the center position is formed in the direction normal to the side wall portion 62, at a position approximately symmetrical to the mounting hole 64a with respect to the side wall portion 62. The rib portions 67 at the left and right positions are formed at the ends of the protruding piece 66.

[0031] Furthermore, the reinforcing region on the side wall portion 62 is a region consisting of the height H1 of the reinforcing portion 65, which is made up of the protruding piece 66 and the rib portion 67, and the width W1 of the protruding piece 66. This reinforcing region is positioned to face the single ground contact cross section A2 of the mounting stay 64, with the side wall portion 62 as the boundary. This is also the case in the following embodiments.

[0032] By providing the reinforcing portion 65 in a position that does not interfere with the instrument panel 200, the strength of the side wall portion 62 on which the mounting stay 64 is provided is improved, the natural frequency of the display device 100 including the mounting stay 64 is improved, and the mounting stay 64 becomes less likely to break. In other words, the strength of the mounting stay 64 can be ensured without interfering with the instrument panel 200.

[0033] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the display device according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 4. Parts identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0034] In the first embodiment, the rib portion 67 was located on one front surface 66a side, but in this embodiment, the rib portion 67 is not located on one front surface 66a side, but on one back surface (the other surface) 66b side opposite to one front surface 66a. In addition, a case hole 63c is formed in the bottom stepped portion 63a of the lower case 60 at a position opposite to the protruding piece 66.

[0035] Even if the rib portion 67 is provided in this position, the strength of the side wall portion 62 on which the mounting stay 64 is provided can be improved. Furthermore, by providing the case hole portion 63c, it is possible to mold the lower case 60 using two molds K in the front-rear direction.

[0036] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the display device according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 5. Parts identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0037] In the first embodiment, the rib portion 67 was located on one front surface 66a side, but in this embodiment, the rib portion 67 is located on both one front surface 66a side and one rear surface 66b side. Also, similar to the second embodiment, a case hole 63c is formed in the bottom stepped portion 63a of the lower case 60 at a position opposite to the protruding piece 66.

[0038] By forming it in this way, the strength of the side wall portion 62 can be further improved compared to the first and second embodiments.

[0039] (Fourth embodiment) A fourth embodiment of the display device according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 6. Parts identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the protruding piece 66 was formed in a position symmetrical to the mounting stay 64 with respect to the side wall portion 62. In this embodiment, however, the protruding piece 66 is formed in a position slightly offset toward the bottom portion 61 from the position symmetrical to the mounting stay 64 with respect to the side wall portion 62. The single ground contact section A1 is arranged so that a portion of it faces the single ground contact section A2 via the side wall portion 62.

[0041] Even when formed in this manner, the strength of the side wall portion 62 on which the mounting stay 64 is provided is improved, the natural frequency of the display device 100 including the mounting stay 64 is improved, and the mounting stay 64 becomes less likely to break.

[0042] (Fifth embodiment) A fifth embodiment of the display device according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 7. Parts identical or equivalent to those in the second embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0043] In the second embodiment, the protruding piece 66 was formed in a position symmetrical to the mounting stay 64 with respect to the side wall portion 62. In this embodiment, however, the protruding piece 66 is formed in a position slightly offset from the position symmetrical to the mounting stay 64 with respect to the side wall portion 62, on the opposite side from the bottom portion 61. The single ground contact section A1 is positioned so as not to face the single ground contact section A2 via the side wall portion 62, but the rib portion 67 is positioned so as to face the single ground contact section A2 via the side wall portion 62.

[0044] Even when formed in this manner, the strength of the side wall portion 62 on which the mounting stay 64 is provided is improved, the natural frequency of the display device 100 including the mounting stay 64 is improved, and the mounting stay 64 becomes less likely to break.

[0045] (Sixth embodiment) A sixth embodiment of the display device according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 8. Parts identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the mounting stay 64 was formed on the side wall portion 62, but in this embodiment, the mounting stay 64 and the reinforcing portion 65 are formed on the bottom surface portion (outer wall) 61. The mounting stay 64 is positioned facing upward so that the front surface 64b of the stay is substantially perpendicular to the display surface 41. The rib portion 67 is formed in a triangular shape with a predetermined width so as to span the bottom surface portion 61 and the protruding piece 66. The rib portion 67 is positioned on one front surface 66a side.

[0047] This configuration improves the strength of the bottom surface 61 on which the mounting stay 64 is provided, increases the natural frequency of the display device 100 including the mounting stay 64, and makes the mounting stay 64 less likely to break.

[0048] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0049] In this disclosure, the display unit 90 displays an image using a display unit 40, but it may also be a pointer-type instrument having a well-known structure. Furthermore, the display panel 42 of the display unit 90 may be an organic EL panel.

[0050] Furthermore, the width W1 of the protruding piece 66 is preferably equal to or greater than the width W2 of the mounting stay 64. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the thickness T1 of the protruding piece 66 is preferably equal to or greater than the thickness T2 of the mounting stay 64. The number of rib portions 67 can be set appropriately according to the width of the ribs, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100 display device 200 Instrument Panel 10 lenses 20 Endpapers 21 Front part 22 Vertical wall section 23 Display opening 24 Indicator openings 30 medium cases 40 display units 41 Display surface 42 Display Panel 43 Backlight Unit 50 Circuit boards 51 Front 52 Back 53 Control Unit 60 Lower case (case component) 61 Bottom part 62 Side wall section 63 Stepped section 63a Bottom step 63b Side wall step 63c Case hole 64 Mounting bracket (mounting part) 64a Mounting hole 64b Front of the stay 64c rear of the stay 65 Reinforcement section 66 Projecting piece 66a Single front 66b Single back side 67 Rib section 70 Display board 71 Design Department 80 Cover section 90 Display section K mold

Claims

1. A display unit that displays information, The system comprises a case member for housing the display unit, The case member has a mounting portion that protrudes to the outside of the outer wall, In a display device that is mounted on a vehicle by fixing the aforementioned mounting portion to the vehicle, The case member has a reinforcing portion consisting of a protruding piece that projects into the interior of the outer wall and a rib portion that spans the outer wall and the protruding piece. The display device is characterized in that the reinforcing portion is formed at a position opposite to the mounting portion.

2. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rib portion is arranged on either one surface of the protruding piece or on the other surface opposite to the one surface.

3. The display device according to claim 2, characterized in that the rib portion is arranged on both the one surface and the other surface.

4. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing region of the reinforcing portion, which consists of the protruding piece and the rib portion on the outer wall, is formed at a position opposite to the mounting portion.

5. The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding piece is formed at a position opposite to the mounting portion.

Images