Display device

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of improving commerciality.SOLUTION: A display device includes a light-transmitting curved protective member that covers display means and a plate-shaped member 30 provided between the display means and the protective member. The plate-shaped member 30 has a first see-through part that allows information displayed in an instrument display unit 11 to be seen through, a second see-through part that allows information displayed in a multifunction display unit 12 to be seen through, and a shaded layer 30b. The boundary portion between the first see-through part and the shaded part 30b includes first and second curved boundary portions L1a and L1b. The boundary portion between the second see-through part and the shaded part 30b includes third and fourth curved boundary portions L2a and L2b. A third curved boundary portion L2a is provided along an extension line H (first extension line H1) of the first curved boundary portion L1a. A fourth curved boundary portion L2b is provided along an extension line H (second extension line H2) of the second curved boundary portion L1b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device mounted on various vehicles such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a display device of this type is known, for example, from the following Patent Document 1. The display device described in Patent Document 1 includes a display unit (display means) as a flat display, a light-transmitting, flat protective member covering the front side of the display unit, and a display plate as a plate-like member provided between the display unit and the protective member.

[0003] The display board has a light-transmitting base material formed in a thin plate shape, and a black light-shielding layer printed on the back surface of the base material except for the display area of ​​the display unit. This results in a rectangular cut-out printed area (see-through area) on the back surface of the base material where no light-shielding layer is formed. A viewer viewing the display device can view the display information displayed in the display area through the protective member and the cut-out printed area. Meanwhile, Patent Document 2 below discloses a configuration in which the protective member placed on the outermost surface of the display device is curved rather than flat in order to improve the appearance quality of the display device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-127800 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-83730 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the curved protective member described in Patent Document 2 is used instead of the flat protective member described in Patent Document 1, the display board with the rectangular cut-out printed portion formed thereon that can be seen through the curved protective member has a flat appearance, resulting in a loss of unity between the protective member and the display board (plate-shaped member) (or between the protective member and the display means), which results in a problem of reduced merchantability. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In order to address the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device that can improve marketability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises a display means having a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween, and a light-transmitting, curved protective member covering the display means, the protective member having a first see-through portion that allows information displayed on a first display section among the plurality of display sections to be seen from a viewer viewing the display means, a second see-through portion that allows information displayed on a second display section among the plurality of display sections to be seen from the viewer, and an opaque portion provided to surround the first and second see-through portions, at least a portion of a boundary portion between the first see-through portion and the opaque portion includes a first non-linear boundary portion, and at least a portion of a boundary portion between the second see-through portion and the opaque portion includes a second non-linear boundary portion, The first non-linear boundary portion and the second non-linear boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to each other as a single concave curve. It is characterized by:

[0007] The present invention also provides a display device comprising a display means having a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween, a light-transmitting, curved protective member covering the display means, and a plate-like member provided between the display means and the protective member, the plate-like member having a first see-through portion that allows information displayed on a first display section among the plurality of display sections to be seen from a viewer viewing the display means, a second see-through portion that allows information displayed on a second display section among the plurality of display sections to be seen from the viewer, and an opaque portion provided to surround the first and second see-through portions, at least a portion of a boundary portion between the first see-through portion and the opaque portion includes a first non-linear boundary portion, and at least a portion of a boundary portion between the second see-through portion and the opaque portion includes a second non-linear boundary portion, The first non-linear boundary portion and the second non-linear boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to each other as a single concave curve. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the present invention, the protective member has a concave curved surface shape that is concave toward the anti-viewer side, which is the side opposite the viewer side.

[0009] In addition, the present invention provides a vehicle having a vehicle body having a first non-linear boundary portion and a second curved boundary portion that are opposed to each other and extend along a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the second non-linear boundary portion includes a third curved boundary portion and a fourth curved boundary portion that are opposed to each other and extend along the vehicle width direction, The first curved boundary portion and the third curved boundary portion are visually recognized as if they are connected to each other as one concave curve, and the second curved boundary portion and the fourth curved boundary portion are visually recognized as if they are connected to each other as one other concave curve. It is characterized by:

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that the first curved boundary line and the second curved boundary line are arranged in a linearly symmetrical positional relationship based on an imaginary line that divides the first display portion into two equal parts above and below. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle display device that can achieve the desired object and improve marketability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]Cross section AA of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a detailed view mainly showing the plate-shaped member in FIG. 2 . [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of a display device according to a first modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 5 . [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a front view of a protective member according to a first modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the protective member shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] A display device D according to one embodiment of this embodiment is provided, for example, in an instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel") located in front of the driver's seat of an automobile, and displays not only information related to the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle information"), but also information other than the vehicle information (for example, entertainment information) to a user (a passenger in the vehicle including the driver).

[0015] In the following, the user side (viewer side) viewing the display device D (the multiple display units described later) will be referred to as the front, and the anti-viewer side, which is opposite the user side viewing the display device D (the multiple display units), will be referred to as the rear, and appropriate explanations will be given.

[0016] 1 and 2, the display device D includes a display means 10, a protective member 20 which is a light-transmitting cover, a plate-like member 30, an inner case 40, circuit boards 51 to 53, a board holder 60, and an outer case 70. As shown in Fig. 1, the display device D has a rectangular shape that is elongated along the direction of the arrow X, which is the left-right direction (i.e., the width direction of the vehicle).

[0017] The display means 10 has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other at intervals in the left-right direction, and is composed of an instrument display section 11, a multifunction display section 12, and a mirror display section 13. Hereinafter, these display sections 11 to 13 are collectively referred to as "a plurality of display sections."

[0018] The instrument display unit 11 is located at the center of the display device D, and is a display medium that displays vehicle-related measurements such as vehicle speed and engine RPM. The instrument display unit 11 is configured, for example, as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type liquid crystal display that is rectangular when viewed from the front. Although detailed illustration of the liquid crystal display is omitted here, the liquid crystal display is configured to include a liquid crystal panel and a backlight that illuminates the liquid crystal panel from behind. The backlight is configured, for example, from an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a light-guiding member that guides light emitted by the LED to the liquid crystal display side. The instrument display unit 11 is a flat display that displays an image on a flat front surface 11a, and corresponds to a first display unit described in the claims below.

[0019] The multi-function display unit 12 is located closer to the center of the vehicle than the instrument display unit 11, and is configured as a CID (Center Information Display) capable of displaying various information. In this embodiment, the display device D is for a left-hand drive vehicle, so the right side of the display device D is the center side of the vehicle.

[0020] The multifunction display unit 12 is configured, for example, with a TFT-type liquid crystal display having a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. For example, a capacitive sensor sheet (not shown) is provided on the front side of the multifunction display unit 12. This sensor sheet is configured to be capable of detecting a touch operation performed when a user's hand touches the front surface of a portion of the protective member 20 that faces the multifunction display unit 12 in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The multifunction display unit 12 is capable of displaying various types of information such as car navigation information, entertainment information, and rear monitor information in response to touch operations detected by this sensor sheet. The multifunction display unit 12 is a flat display that displays images on its flat front surface 12a. The sensor sheet here is provided (attached) to the back surface of the protective member 20, but may be provided on the front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12 in some cases. The multifunction display unit 12 corresponds to a second display unit described in the claims to be described later.

[0022] The mirror display unit 13 is located to the left of the instrument display unit 11, and displays an image simulating a reflected image in a side mirror. Specifically, the mirror display unit 13 displays a side mirror image showing the scenery behind the left side of the vehicle, captured by a side camera (not shown). The mirror display unit 13 is composed of, for example, a TFT type liquid crystal display having a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The mirror display unit 13, which is the third display unit, is a flat display that displays an image on a flat front surface 13a.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the front surface 11a of the instrument display unit 11 is located behind the front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12 and the front surface 13a of the mirror display unit 13. The front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12 is inclined counterclockwise in Fig. 2 relative to the front surface 11a of the instrument display unit 11. The front surface 13a of the mirror display unit 13 is inclined clockwise in Fig. 2 relative to the front surface 11a of the instrument display unit 11.

[0024] The protective member 20 is made of a light-transmitting curved plate material that covers the multiple display units from the front side as shown in Fig. 2. The protective member 20 is a curved plate portion that matches the design of the instrument panel of the vehicle in which the display device D is mounted, for example. The protective member 20 here faces the multiple display units in the front-rear direction and has a concave curved shape with a predetermined curvature that is concave toward the rear.

[0025] The plate-shaped member 30 is a plate-shaped member that covers the multiple display units from the front side and is provided between the multiple display units and the protective member 20. A slight gap is provided between the plate-shaped member 30 and the protective member 20. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the plate-shaped member 30 has a first see-through portion 31 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the instrument display unit 11 among the multiple display units, a second see-through portion 32 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the multifunction display unit 12 among the multiple display units, and a third see-through portion 33 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the mirror display unit 13 among the multiple display units.

[0026] The plate-like member 30 has a light-transmitting base material 30a serving as a base material thereof and a light-shielding layer 30b serving as a non-transmitting portion (see FIG. 4). The base material 30a is a plate-like member made of, for example, a resin having light transmitting properties.

[0027] Here, the protective member 20 is formed of, for example, a dark-colored (semi-transparent) resin material, and the light transmittance is set to about 50%. The base material 30a is formed of, for example, a dark-colored (semi-transparent) resin material, and the light transmittance is set to about 50%. In this way, by restricting the intrusion of external light from the front of the display device D, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity caused by providing the plate-shaped member 30 in addition to the protective member 20, and to improve the sense of unity of the display device D. The light transmittance of each of the protective member 20 and the base material 30a is arbitrary, and may be 80% or 30%, for example. The material of the protective member 20 and the base material 30a is also arbitrary. For example, the protective member 20 may be made of dark-colored inorganic glass.

[0028] In addition, low reflection treatment may be applied to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the protective member 20 and at least one of the front and back surfaces of the base material 30a. As an example of low reflection treatment, an AR (Anti-Reflection) treatment may be applied to the front surface of the protective member 20 and the back surface of the base material 30a, and a moth-eye treatment may be applied to the back surface of the protective member 20 and the front surface of the base material 30a. As a method of low reflection treatment, film lamination, film insert molding (IML: Insert Molding Laminate), etc. can be used. By preventing reflection in this way, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity caused by providing the plate-like member 30 in addition to the protective member 20, and to improve the sense of unity of the display device D.

[0029] The light-shielding layer 30b provided on the plate-shaped member 30 is a black printed layer formed on the back surface of the base material 30a by, for example, screen printing, and is provided so as to surround the first see-through portion 31, the second see-through portion 32, and the third see-through portion 33. Each of the first see-through portion 31, the second see-through portion 32, and the third see-through portion 33 in the plate-shaped member 30 is formed by a portion of the base material 30a where the light-shielding layer 30b is not provided (a cut-out printed portion). In other words, this means that the first see-through portion 31, the second see-through portion 32, and the third see-through portion 33 are base material exposed portions where the base material 30a is exposed.

[0030] The light-shielding layer 30b can be provided on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the base material 30a. The light-shielding layer 30b may be a printed layer having a color other than black, may be formed by coating, or may be a light-shielding sheet fixed to the base material 30a.

[0031] The plate-like member 30 mainly has flat surface portions P1 to P3 and curved surface portions C1 and C2 as shown in Fig. 2. The above-mentioned see-through portions 31 to 33 are provided on each of the flat surface portions P1 to P3.

[0032] The flat portion P1 faces the instrument display unit 11 with a gap in the front-rear direction. The back surface of the flat portion P1 and the front surface 11a of the instrument display unit 11 are set to be generally parallel (including exactly parallel; the same applies below). The flat portion P2 faces the multifunction display unit 12 with a gap in the front-rear direction. The back surface of the flat portion P2 and the front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12 are set to be generally parallel. The flat portion P3 faces the mirror display unit 13 with a gap in the front-rear direction. The back surface of the flat portion P3 and the front surface 13a of the mirror display unit 13 are set to be generally parallel.

[0033] The gaps between the planar portions P1 to P3 and each of the display units are set to be approximately constant (including exactly constant), for example, about 1 millimeter, and each gap is filled with a photo-curable adhesive OB such as OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive) or OCR (Optical Clear Resin). That is, the plate-shaped member 30 is fixed to the front side of the display units by the photo-curable adhesive OB filled in the gap between the rear surface of the planar portion P1 and the front surface 11a of the instrument display unit 11, the gap between the rear surface of the planar portion P2 and the front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12, and the gap between the rear surface of the planar portion P3 and the front surface 13a of the mirror display unit 13. The plate-shaped member 30 and the display units are bonded by a method called optical bonding, in which the photo-curable adhesive OB, which is, for example, an ultraviolet (UV) curable adhesive, is sandwiched between them and then the adhesive is cured by irradiating light.

[0034] The curved surface portion C1 has a curved shape formed so as to cover the gap between the instrument display portion 11 and the multifunction display portion 12 and to connect the instrument display portion 11 and the multifunction display portion 12. Specifically, the curved surface portion C1 is a portion that connects the flat surface portion P1 and the flat surface portion P2, and is located between the front right end portion of the instrument display portion 11 and the front left end portion of the multifunction display portion 12.

[0035] The curved surface portion C2 has a curved shape formed to cover the gap between the instrument display portion 11 and the mirror display portion 13 and to connect the instrument display portion 11 and the mirror display portion 13. Specifically, the curved surface portion C2 is a portion that connects the flat surface portion P1 and the flat surface portion P3, and is located between the front left end portion of the instrument display portion 11 and the front right end portion of the mirror display portion 13.

[0036] The first see-through portion 31 located on the planar portion P1 of the plate-shaped member 30 is provided at a position facing the approximate center portion of the protective member 20 (i.e., the instrument display portion 11). In the case of this example, when attention is paid to the first see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b provided so as to surround the first see-through portion 31 on all four sides, when the plate-shaped member 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 3, at least a part of the boundary portion between the first see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes a first non-linear boundary portion L1.

[0037] More specifically, the above-mentioned first non-linear boundary L1 to be provided at a location on the plate-like member 30 corresponding to the instrument display unit 11 includes at least first and second curved boundary L1a, L1b that are opposed to each other and extend along the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle, and the first and second curved boundary L1a, L1b are configured to include a concave curve (curved shape) that bulges toward a first imaginary horizontal line X1 along the vehicle width direction that crosses the instrument display unit 11 (dividing the instrument display unit 11 into approximately two equal parts above and below). This allows the instrument display unit 11 to be visually recognized from the user side as if it were located far back from the user side.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b are arranged in a positional relationship that is symmetrical with respect to the first imaginary horizontal line X1 as an imaginary line. In other words, the curvature of the first curved boundary L1a and the curvature of the second curved boundary L1b are approximately equal, and the distance between the first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b gradually increases with increasing distance from the imaginary vertical line Y1 as an imaginary center line that approximately bisects the instrument display unit 11 into the left and right.

[0039] On the other hand, the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d connecting the ends of the first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b are linear. In other words, the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d formed as part of the first non-linear boundary L1 are substantially parallel to the imaginary vertical line Y1. The first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b bulge inwardly so as to approach each other as they move away from the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d.

[0040] Further, the second see-through portion 32 located on the planar portion P2 of the plate-shaped member 30 is provided at a position facing a portion of the protective member 20 located on the vehicle center side (i.e., the multifunction display unit 12). In the present example, when attention is paid to the second see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b provided so as to surround the second see-through portion 32 on all four sides, when the plate-shaped member 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 3, at least a part of the boundary portion between the second see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes a second non-linear boundary portion L2.

[0041] More specifically, the above-mentioned second non-linear boundary portion L2, which will be provided at a location on the plate-like member 30 corresponding to the multi-function display unit 12, has at least opposing third and fourth curved boundary portions L2a, L2b extending along the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and the third and fourth curved boundary portions L2a, L2b are configured to include concave curves (curved shapes) in which the distance between the third curved boundary portion L2a and the fourth curved boundary portion L2b gradually becomes wider as the distance from the imaginary vertical line Y1 increases.

[0042] Here, the third curved boundary portion L2a and the fourth curved boundary portion L2b are arranged in a positional relationship that is symmetrical with respect to a second virtual horizontal line X2, which is a virtual line that crosses the multi-function display unit 12 (approximately dividing the multi-function display unit 12 in half vertically).

[0043] On the other hand, the third and fourth vertical boundaries L2c and L2d connecting the ends of the third curved boundary L2a and the fourth curved boundary L2b are linear. That is, the third and fourth vertical boundaries L2c and L2d formed as part of the second non-linear boundary L2 are substantially parallel to the imaginary vertical line Y1. For example, when the part of the third and fourth vertical boundaries L2c and L2d on the first perspective section 31 side is the third vertical boundary L2c, the third curved boundary L2a and the fourth curved boundary L2b are curved so that the distance between them increases as they move away from the third vertical boundary L2c.

[0044] In this example, the first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b form the first non-linear boundary L1, and the third curved boundary L2a and the fourth curved boundary L2b form the second non-linear boundary L2. When attention is paid to the positional relationship between the first curved boundary L1a, which is a part of the first non-linear boundary L1, and the third curved boundary L2a, which is a part of the second non-linear boundary L2, the third curved boundary L2a (second non-linear boundary L2) is provided on an extension line H (first extension line described later) of the first curved boundary L1a (first non-linear boundary L1).

[0045] Similarly, when considering the positional relationship between the second curved boundary L1b, which is part of the first non-linear boundary L1, and the fourth curved boundary L2b, which is part of the second non-linear boundary L2, the fourth curved boundary L2b (second non-linear boundary L2) is located on an extension line H (a second extension line described later) of the second curved boundary L1b (first non-linear boundary L1).

[0046] Specifically, for example, among the extension lines H virtually extended from the first and second curved boundary portions L1a, L1b, if the extension line H corresponding to the first curved boundary portion L1a is defined as the first extension line H1 and the extension line H corresponding to the second curved boundary portion L1b is defined as the second extension line H2, then the first curved boundary portion L1a and the third curved boundary portion L2a will be arranged along the first extension line H1, and the second curved boundary portion L1b and the fourth curved boundary portion L2b will be arranged along the second extension line H2.

[0047] Further, the third see-through portion 33 located on the planar portion P3 of the plate-shaped member 30 is provided at a position facing a portion of the protective member 20 located on the vehicle door side (i.e., the mirror display portion 13). In the present example, when attention is paid to the third see-through portion 33 and the light-shielding layer 30b provided so as to surround the third see-through portion 33 on all four sides, when the plate-shaped member 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 3, at least a part of the boundary portion between the third see-through portion 33 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes a third non-linear boundary portion L3.

[0048] More specifically, the above-mentioned third non-linear boundary portion L3, which will be provided at a location on the plate-shaped member 30 corresponding to the mirror display portion 13, has at least opposing fifth and sixth curved boundary portions L3a, L3b extending along the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and the fifth and sixth curved boundary portions L3a, L3b are configured to include concave curves (curved shapes) in which the distance between the fifth curved boundary portion L3a and the sixth curved boundary portion L3b gradually becomes wider as the distance from the imaginary vertical line Y1 increases.

[0049] Here, the fifth curved boundary portion L3a and the sixth curved boundary portion L3b are arranged in a positional relationship that is symmetrical with respect to the third virtual horizontal line X3, which is a virtual line that crosses the mirror display portion 13 (approximately dividing the mirror display portion 13 into two equal parts above and below) and runs along the vehicle width direction.

[0050] On the other hand, the fifth and sixth vertical boundaries L3c and L3d connecting the ends of the fifth curved boundary L3a and the sixth curved boundary L3b are linear. That is, the fifth and sixth vertical boundaries L3c and L3d formed as part of the third non-linear boundary L3 are substantially parallel to the imaginary vertical line Y1. For example, when the part of the fifth and sixth vertical boundaries L3c and L3d on the first perspective section 31 side is the sixth vertical boundary L3d, the fifth curved boundary L3a and the sixth curved boundary L3b are curved so that the distance between them increases as they move away from the sixth vertical boundary L3d.

[0051] In this example, the first curved boundary L1a and the second curved boundary L1b form the first non-linear boundary L1, and the fifth curved boundary L3a and the sixth curved boundary L3b form the third non-linear boundary L3. When attention is paid to the positional relationship between the first curved boundary L1a, which is a part of the first non-linear boundary L1, and the fifth curved boundary L3a, which is a part of the third non-linear boundary L3, the fifth curved boundary L3a (third non-linear boundary L3) is provided on the extension line H of the first curved boundary L1a (first non-linear boundary L1).

[0052] Similarly, when considering the positional relationship between the second curved boundary L1b, which is part of the first non-linear boundary L1, and the sixth curved boundary L3b, which is part of the third non-linear boundary L3, the sixth curved boundary L3b (third non-linear boundary L3) is located on the extension line H of the second curved boundary L1b (first non-linear boundary L1).

[0053] Specifically, for example, as described above, if the extension line H corresponding to the first curved boundary portion L1a is defined as the first extension line H1, and the extension line H corresponding to the second curved boundary portion L1b is defined as the second extension line H2, then the first curved boundary portion L1a and the fifth curved boundary portion L3a will be arranged along the first extension line H1, and the second curved boundary portion L1b and the sixth curved boundary portion L3b will be arranged along the second extension line H2.

[0054] The inner case 40 is a resin case located on the rear side of the plate-like member 30 and housing a plurality of display units. The front surface of the inner case 40 other than the portion housing the plurality of display units is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the plate-like member 30. Note that, as described above, the plate-like member 30 is fixed to the front surface of each of the plurality of display units via the light-curing adhesive OB, but the portion not filled with the light-curing adhesive OB (for example, the outer edge portion of the plate-like member 30) may be fixed to the front surface of the inner case 40 by an appropriate fixing means such as adhesion, fitting, or screwing.

[0055] Circuit boards 51-53 are located behind inner case 40 and are hard wiring boards on which drive circuits for driving each of the multiple display units are mounted. Circuit board 51 is located behind instrument display unit 11, circuit board 52 is located behind multifunction display unit 12, and circuit board 53 is located behind mirror display unit 13.

[0056] At least one of the circuit boards 51 to 53 is equipped with a control unit (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the display device D. The control unit is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a storage unit including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes an operation program stored in the ROM.

[0057] The control unit also communicates with various systems configured in the vehicle, such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls each part of the vehicle, various sensors, a car navigation device, a backup camera, a TV tuner, and a side camera, and controls the display of information acquired from the various systems on multiple display units. Specifically, the control unit causes the instrument display unit 11 to display images showing vehicle-related measurements such as vehicle speed and engine RPM, the multi-function display unit 12 to display images showing car navigation information, entertainment information, and backup monitor information, and the mirror display unit 13 to display side mirror images.

[0058] The control unit also performs control such as switching the display contents of at least one of the multiple display units in response to a touch operation by the user on the multifunction display unit 12 configured as a touch panel. Note that the touch operation is an input operation performed by touching the front surface of the portion of the protective member 20 that faces the multifunction display unit 12. The control unit can identify the content of the input operation based on the detection signal from the sensor sheet.

[0059] The target devices that can be operated by inputting data via the touch panel are not limited to a plurality of display units, and may be any of the above-mentioned various systems (any ECU in a vehicle, car navigation system, etc.). In this case, the control unit communicates with the target devices by a known method and controls the target devices in response to input data via the touch panel.

[0060] Board holder 60 is a frame located behind inner case 40 and holds circuit boards 51 to 53. Although Fig. 2 shows an example in which circuit boards 51 to 53 are held on the rear side of board holder 60, the circuit boards 51 to 53 may be held in any manner, and may be held on the front side.

[0061] The outer case 70 is a resin case that houses the multiple display units, the plate-like member 30, the inner case 40, the circuit boards 51-53, and the board holder 60, and is formed in a box shape that opens toward the front. The protective member 20 is fixed to the open end of the outer case 70 by an appropriate fixing means such as adhesion, fitting, or screwing. The outer case 70 with the protective member 20 attached constitutes the exterior case of the display device D.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the boundary between the first see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes a first non-linear boundary portion L1, and at least a portion of the boundary between the second see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes a second non-linear boundary portion L2, and the second non-linear boundary portion L2 is provided along the extension line H of the first non-linear boundary portion L1. More specifically, the boundary portion between the first see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes first and second curved boundary portions L1a, L1b as a first non-linear boundary portion L1, and the boundary portion between the second see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b includes third and fourth curved boundary portions L2a, L2b as a second non-linear boundary portion L2, with the third curved boundary portion L2a being provided along the first extension line H1 of the first curved boundary portion L1a and the fourth curved boundary portion L2b being provided along the second extension line H2 of the second curved boundary portion L1b.

[0063] Therefore, in addition to the protective member 20 having a concave curved surface shape (curved shape), the user can be given the illusion that the planar portions P1-P3 of the plate-shaped member 30 are curved, and a sense of curved surface can be imparted to the planar portions P1-P3 (or to the planar portions P1-P3 as well as to the multiple display portions visible through the respective see-through portions 31-33). As a result, it is possible to provide a display device D that allows the protective member 20 and the plate-shaped member 30 (or the protective member 20 and the multiple display portions) to be viewed by the user in a state of having a sense of unity, thereby improving merchantability. Furthermore, in this case, the first curved boundary portion L1a and the third curved boundary portion L2a are viewed from the user as if they were connected as a single concave curve, and similarly, the second curved boundary portion L1b and the fourth curved boundary portion L2b are viewed from the user as if they were connected as another concave curve that faces (in the opposite direction) to the single concave curve, which has the advantage of further emphasizing the sense of unity between the protective member 20 and the plate-shaped member 30 (or the protective member 20 and multiple display portions).

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings. Modifications (including the deletion of components) can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. Modifications are described in detail below.

[0065] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, by providing a light-shielding layer 30b on the plate-shaped member 30, six curved boundary portions L1a, L1b, L2a, L2b, L3a, and L3b are formed at the boundary portions between the transparent portions 31-33 and the light-shielding layer 30b. However, the plate-shaped member 30 may be eliminated, and the curved boundary portions L1a, L1b, L2a, L2b, L3a, and L3b may be provided on the protective member 20 side, rather than on the plate-shaped member 30 side.

[0066] That is, in this modified example 1, the protective member 20 has a first see-through portion 21 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the instrument display unit 11, a second see-through portion 22 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the multifunction display unit 12, and a third see-through portion 23 that allows the user viewing the multiple display units to see through information displayed on the mirror display unit 13. The protective member 20 also has a light-shielding layer 20b as a black printed layer that is provided so as to surround each of the see-through portions 21 to 23. The light-shielding layer 20b has a function equivalent to that of the light-shielding layer 30b employed in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0067] Furthermore, in accordance with the configuration (technical concept) of the above-described embodiment, at least a portion of the boundary between the first see-through portion 21 and the light-shielding layer 20b includes a first non-linear boundary L1 consisting of a first curved boundary L1a and a second curved boundary L1b, at least a portion of the boundary between the second see-through portion 22 and the light-shielding layer 20b includes a second non-linear boundary L2 consisting of a third curved boundary L2a and a fourth curved boundary L2b, and at least a portion of the boundary between the third see-through portion 23 and the light-shielding layer 20b includes a third non-linear boundary L3 consisting of a fifth curved boundary L3a and a sixth curved boundary L3b.

[0068] According to the configuration (technical concept) of the above-mentioned embodiment, the first curved boundary L1a and the third curved boundary L2a, and the first curved boundary L1a and the fifth curved boundary L3a are provided along the first extension line H1, and the second curved boundary L1b and the fourth curved boundary L2b, and the second curved boundary L1b and the sixth curved boundary L3b are provided along the second extension line H2, that is, the second non-linear boundary L2 and the third non-linear boundary L3 are provided along the extension line H of the first non-linear boundary L1. According to this configuration, in addition to the protective member 20 having a concave curved surface shape (curved shape), a curved surface can be given to the multiple display parts visible through the see-through parts 21 to 23. As a result, the protective member 20 and the multiple display sections are visually recognized by the user as having a sense of unity, which can improve merchantability.

[0069] (Other variations) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which each of the multiple display units is composed of a liquid crystal display has been shown, but this is not limited thereto. At least one of the multiple display units may be composed of an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the multiple display units are composed of three display units has been shown, but the multiple display units may be composed of two display units, or may be composed of four or more display units. Note that the information that each of the multiple display units can display is not limited to the above example, and may be any information depending on the purpose.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped member 30 is fixed to the display units by the light-curing adhesive OB that fills the gaps between the flat surfaces P1-P3 of the plate-shaped member 30 and each of the display units, but the light-curing adhesive OB does not have to be used. For example, the plate-shaped member 30 may be fixed to the inner case 40 by an appropriate fixing means such as adhesion, fitting, or screwing. When the light-curing adhesive OB is not used, it is preferable to perform a low-reflection treatment such as an AR treatment on the back surface of the base material 30a of the plate-shaped member 30.

[0071] The vehicle on which the display device D is mounted may not only be a four-wheeled motor vehicle, but also a motorcycle or other vehicle, or may be a vessel, an aircraft, a snowmobile, or other vehicle other than a vehicle. The display device D is preferably provided near the driver's seat of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 11 Instrument display unit (first display unit) 12 Multi-function display unit (second display unit) 13 Mirror display 20 Protective materials 30 Plate-shaped member 30a base material 30b Light shielding layer (opaque part) 31 First Fluoroscopy Section 32 Second Fluoroscopy Section 33 Third Perspective Section H extension line H1 1st extension line H2 2nd extension line L1 First non-linear boundary L1a First curved boundary L1b Second curved boundary L1c First vertical boundary L1d Second vertical boundary L2 Second non-linear boundary L2a Third curved boundary L2b Fourth curved boundary L2c Third vertical boundary L2d Fourth vertical boundary L3 Third non-linear boundary L3a Fifth curved boundary L3b 6th curved boundary L3c Fifth vertical boundary L3d 6th vertical boundary X1 First virtual horizontal line X2 Second virtual horizontal line X3 Third virtual horizontal line Y1 Imaginary vertical horizontal line

Claims

1. A display means having a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a space therebetween; a light-transmitting curved protective member covering the display means; the protective member has a first see-through portion that allows information displayed on a first display unit among the plurality of display units to be seen from a viewer side viewing the display means, a second see-through portion that allows information displayed on a second display unit among the plurality of display units to be seen from the viewer side, and a non-transparent portion provided so as to surround the first and second see-through portions, At least a portion of a boundary between the first transparent portion and the opaque portion includes a first non-linear boundary portion; At least a portion of the boundary between the second transparent portion and the opaque portion includes a second non-linear boundary portion; A display device, characterized in that the first non-linear boundary portion and the second non-linear boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to each other as a single concave curve.

2. A display means having a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a space therebetween; a light-transmitting curved protective member covering the display means; a plate-shaped member provided between the display means and the protective member, the plate-like member has a first see-through portion that allows information displayed on a first display unit among the plurality of display units to be seen from a viewer side viewing the display means, a second see-through portion that allows information displayed on a second display unit among the plurality of display units to be seen from the viewer side, and a non-transparent portion provided so as to surround the first and second see-through portions, At least a portion of a boundary between the first transparent portion and the opaque portion includes a first non-linear boundary portion; At least a portion of a boundary between the second transparent portion and the opaque portion includes a second non-linear boundary portion; A display device, characterized in that the first non-linear boundary portion and the second non-linear boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to each other as a single concave curve.

3. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the protective member has a concave curved surface shape that is concave toward a side opposite the viewer side.

4. the first non-linear boundary portion includes opposing first and second curved boundary portions extending along a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, the second non-linear boundary portion includes opposing third and fourth curved boundary portions extending along the vehicle width direction, the first curved boundary portion and the third curved boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to each other as a single concave curve; 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second curved boundary portion and the fourth curved boundary portion are visually recognized as if they were connected to one another as a single concave curve.

5. 5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the first curved boundary portion and the second curved boundary portion are arranged in a linearly symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a virtual line that divides the first display portion into two equal parts above and below.

Images