Display device

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device capable of improving marketability. The display device comprises a plurality of display units, a light-transmissive, curved, translucent cover 20 that covers the plurality of display units, and a plate-like member 30 provided between the plurality of display units and the translucent cover 20, wherein the plate-like member 30 includes a see-through part 31 through which predetermined information displayed on the plurality of display units (for example, instrument display units 11) is visible and a light shielding layer 30b provided so as to surround the see-through part 31, and at least a portion of the boundary between the see-through part 31 and the light shielding layer 30b is a nonlinear shape.

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 is provided with a display means, 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 see-through portion that allows predetermined information displayed on the display means to be seen from the viewer's side viewing the display means, and a non-transmitting portion provided so as to surround the see-through portion, and at least a part of the boundary between the see-through portion and the non-transmitting portion has a non-linear shape. The protective member is curved along the width direction of the vehicle. It is characterized by:

[0007] The present invention is also characterized in that the display means has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween, the protective member is provided with a concave curved surface portion that corresponds to a first display section among the plurality of display sections and is concave toward the anti-viewer side that is opposite the viewer side, and the boundary portion provided at the plate-shaped member location corresponding to the first display section has opposing first and second boundary lines extending along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the first and second boundary lines are configured to include a curved shape that bulges toward a first imaginary horizontal line along the vehicle width direction that crosses the first display section.

[0008] The present invention is also characterized in that the display means has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween, the protective member is provided with a convex curved surface portion that is convex toward the viewer in correspondence with a second display section among the plurality of display sections, the boundary portion provided at the portion of the plate-like member corresponding to the second display section has opposing third and fourth boundary lines extending along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the third and fourth boundary lines are configured to include curved shapes that bulge in a direction away from a second imaginary horizontal line along the vehicle width direction that crosses the second display section.

[0009] In the present invention, the curvature of the first boundary line located near the eye position of the viewer is greater than the curvature of the second boundary line located far from the eye position of the viewer. Large It is characterized by the fact that

[0010] In the present invention, the curvature of the third boundary line located near the eye position of the viewer is greater than the curvature of the fourth boundary line located far from the eye position of the viewer. Large It is characterized by the fact that

[0011] In the present invention, the top of the concave curve is positioned on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the lowest part of the concave curved surface portion.

[0012] In the present invention, the apex of the convex curve is located on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the apex of the convex curved surface portion. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle display device that can achieve the intended purpose and improve marketability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle 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. 13 is a view showing a part of a plate-shaped member according to a first modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing, in a second modified example of the same embodiment, that the apex of the concave curve of the plate-shaped member is located on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the bottom of the concave curved surface portion of the protective member. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing, in a modified example 2 of the same embodiment, the apex of the convex curve of the plate-shaped member being located on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the apex of the convex curved surface portion of the protection member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] 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).

[0017] 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.

[0018] 1 and 2, the display device D includes a display means 10, a light-transmitting cover 20 as a protective member, 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).

[0019] The display means 10 has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween, 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."

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The multifunction display unit 12 is composed of, for example, 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 (a convex curved surface portion 22 described later) of the translucent cover 20 that faces the multifunction display unit 12 in the front-rear direction.

[0023] 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. Note that the sensor sheet here is provided (attached) to the back surface of the translucent cover 20 (the convex curved surface portion 22), but may be provided on the front surface 12a of the multifunction display unit 12 in some cases.

[0024] 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 is a flat display that displays an image on a flat front surface 13a. The multi-function display unit 12 (or the mirror display unit 13) corresponds to a second display unit described in the claims described below.

[0025] 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. These multiple display units are arranged with a gap between adjacent ones in the left-right direction.

[0026] The light-transmitting cover 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 light-transmitting cover 20 is a curved plate part that matches the design of the instrument panel of the vehicle in which the display device D is mounted, for example.

[0027] The light-transmitting cover 20 has a concave surface portion 21 and convex surface portions 22 and 23 as portions formed into a curved shape. The concave surface portion 21 faces the instrument display unit 11 in the front-rear direction and has a curved shape that is concave toward the rear. The convex surface portion 22 faces the multifunction display unit 12 in the front-rear direction and has a curved shape that is convex toward the front. The convex surface portion 23 faces the mirror display unit 13 in the front-rear direction and has a curved shape that is convex toward the front.

[0028] The plate-like member 30 is a plate-like member that covers the multiple display units from the front side and is provided between the multiple display units and the light-transmitting cover 20. A small gap is provided between the plate-like member 30 and the light-transmitting cover 20. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the plate-like member 30 has see-through portions 31, 32, and 33 that allow predetermined information displayed on each of the multiple display units to be seen from the user side viewing the multiple display units.

[0029] 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, for example, a plate-like member made of a resin having light transmitting properties.

[0030] Here, the above-mentioned light-transmitting cover 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 light-transmitting cover 20, and to improve the sense of unity of the display device D. Note that the light transmittance of each of the light-transmitting cover 20 and the base material 30a is arbitrary, and may be 80% or 30%, etc. Furthermore, the material of the light-transmitting cover 20 and the base material 30a is also arbitrary. For example, the light-transmitting cover 20 may be made of dark-colored inorganic glass.

[0031] In addition, low reflection treatment may be applied to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the translucent cover 20 and at least one of the front and back surfaces of the base material 30a. As an example of low reflection treatment, AR (Anti-Reflection) treatment is applied to the front surface of the translucent cover 20 and the back surface of the base material 30a, and moth eye treatment is applied to the back surface of the translucent cover 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), sputtering, etc. can be used. By preventing reflection in this way, it is possible to reduce the sense of incongruity caused by providing the plate-shaped member 30 in addition to the translucent cover 20, and to improve the sense of unity of the display device D.

[0032] The light-shielding layer 30b is a black printed layer formed on the back surface of the base material 30a by, for example, screen printing. Each of the see-through portions 31, 32, and 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. In other words, the see-through portions 31, 32, and 33 are base material exposed portions where the base material 30a is exposed.

[0033] 4 shows the see-through portion 31 corresponding to the instrument display unit 11 and the see-through portion 32 corresponding to the multi-function display unit 12, but the same is true for the see-through portion 33. 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.

[0034] 2, the plate-like member 30 has planar portions P1-P3 and curved portions C1, C2 as portions having a shape specific to this embodiment. The above-mentioned see-through portions 31-33 are provided on each of the planar portions P1-P3.

[0035] 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.

[0036] The gaps between these flat portions P1-P3 and each of the multiple display portions are set to be generally constant (including exactly constant), for example, about 1 millimeter, and each gap is filled with a light-curing adhesive OB such as OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive) or OCR (Optical Clear Resin). In other words, the plate-shaped member 30 is fixed to the front side of the multiple display portions by the light-curing adhesive OB filled in the gap between the back surface of the flat portion P1 and the front surface 11a of the instrument display portion 11, the gap between the back surface of the flat portion P2 and the front surface 12a of the multifunction display portion 12, and the gap between the back surface of the flat portion P3 and the front surface 13a of the mirror display portion 13.

[0037] The plate-like member 30 and the multiple display units are bonded by a method called optical bonding, in which the plate-like member 30 and the multiple display units are stacked with a photocurable adhesive OB, which is, for example, an ultraviolet (UV) curable adhesive, sandwiched therebetween, and then the adhesive is cured by irradiating light. The set value of the gap between the flat portions P1-P3 and each of the multiple display units is arbitrary, and may be less than or greater than 1 millimeter. However, from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of photocurable adhesive OB, it is preferable that the gap be 1 millimeter or less.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] The see-through portion 31 located on the flat surface portion P1 of the plate-like member 30 is provided at a position facing the concave curved surface portion 21 of the light-transmitting cover 20. That is, in this case, the light-transmitting cover 20 is provided with the concave curved surface portion 21 that is recessed backward in correspondence with the instrument display portion 11 among the multiple display portions.

[0041] In this example, when attention is paid to the see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b that is arranged to surround this see-through portion 31 on all four sides, when the plate-shaped member 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Figure 3, at least a part of the boundary line L1, which is the boundary portion between the see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b, has a non-linear shape.

[0042] More specifically, the boundary line L1 to be provided at the plate-like member 30 corresponding to the instrument display unit 11 includes first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a, L1b as opposing first and second boundary lines extending along the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle, and the first and second horizontal boundary lines 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.

[0043] On the other hand, the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d connecting the ends of the first horizontal boundary L1a and the second horizontal boundary L1b, excluding the first and second horizontal boundaries L1a and L1b, are linear. That is, the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d are formed in a direction perpendicular to the first virtual horizontal line X1. The first horizontal boundary L1a and the second horizontal boundary L1b bulge inward so as to approach each other as they move away from the first and second vertical boundaries L1c and L1d. The curvature of the first horizontal boundary L1a is set to a predetermined value, and the curvature of the second horizontal boundary L1b is set to a predetermined value, and the curvature of the first horizontal boundary L1a and the curvature of the second horizontal boundary L1b are equal.

[0044] Since the first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a, L1b are thus concavely curved, the user is given the illusion that the flat surface portion P1 of the plate-like member 30 is also concavely curved, similar to the concavely curved surface portion 21 of the light-transmitting cover 20, and a sense of curved surface can be imparted to the flat surface portion P1 and the instrument display portion 11 visible through the see-through portion 31. As a result, the display device D can have a unified appearance.

[0045] Further, the see-through portion 32 located on the flat surface portion P2 of the plate-like member 30 is provided at a position facing the convex curved surface portion 22 of the light-transmitting cover 20. That is, in this case, the light-transmitting cover 20 is provided with the convex curved surface portion 22 that is convex toward the front in correspondence with the multi-function display unit 12 among the multiple display units.

[0046] In this example, when attention is paid to the see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b that is arranged to surround this see-through portion 32 on all four sides, when the plate-shaped member 30 is viewed from the front as shown in Figure 3, at least a portion of the boundary line L2, which is the boundary portion between the see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b, has a non-linear shape.

[0047] More specifically, the above-mentioned boundary line L2 to be provided at the plate-like member 30 corresponding to the multifunction display unit 12 includes third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a, L2b as opposing third and fourth boundary lines extending along the vehicle width direction, and the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a, L2b are configured to include a convex curve (curved shape) that bulges in a direction away from a second imaginary horizontal line X2 along the vehicle width direction that crosses the multifunction display unit 12 (dividing the multifunction display unit 12 into approximately two equal parts above and below). This allows the multifunction display unit 12 to be visually recognized by the user as if it were located close to the user.

[0048] On the other hand, the boundary lines L2 are the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a and L2b, and the third and fourth vertical boundary lines L2a and L2b are the third and fourth vertical boundary lines L2a and L2b. line L2c and L2d are linear. That is, the third and fourth vertical boundaries line The third horizontal boundary line L2a and the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b are formed in a direction perpendicular to the second virtual horizontal line X2. line As they move away from L2c and L2d, they bulge outward so as to move away from each other. Note that the curvature of the third horizontal boundary line L2a is set to a predetermined value, and the curvature of the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b is set to a predetermined value, and the curvature of the third horizontal boundary line L2a and the curvature of the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b here are equal.

[0049] Since the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a, L2b are convex curved in this manner, the user is given the illusion that the flat surface portion P2 of the plate-like member 30 is also convexly curved, similar to the convex curved surface portion 22 of the light-transmitting cover 20, and a sense of curved surface can be imparted to the flat surface portion P2 and the multifunction display unit 12 that is visible through the see-through portion 32. As a result, the display device D can have a unified appearance.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 light-transmitting cover 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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 to 53, and the board holder 60, and is formed in a box shape that opens toward the front. A light-transmitting cover 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 light-transmitting cover 20 attached constitutes the exterior case of the display device D.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, the plate-shaped member 30 is provided between the multiple display units and the curved light-transmitting cover 20, and the plate-shaped member 30 has a see-through portion 31 that allows the predetermined information displayed on the instrument display unit 11 to be seen through, and a light-shielding layer 30b that is provided so as to surround the see-through portion 31, and at least a part of the boundary between the see-through portion 31 and the light-shielding layer 30b has a non-linear shape (for example, the above-mentioned first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a and L1b have curved shapes). Also, the plate-shaped member 30 has a see-through portion 32 that allows the predetermined information displayed on the multi-function display unit 12 to be seen through, and a light-shielding layer 30b that is provided so as to surround the see-through portion 32, and at least a part of the boundary between the see-through portion 32 and the light-shielding layer 30b has a non-linear shape (for example, the above-mentioned third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a and L2b have curved shapes).

[0059] Therefore, similar to the curved (concave) shape of the translucent cover 20, the user can be given the illusion that the flat surface P1 of the plate-like member 30 is also curved concavely, and a sense of curvedness can be imparted to the flat surface P1 (or the instrument display section 11 that is visible through the see-through section 31 in addition to the flat surface P). As a result, the translucent cover 20 and the plate-like member 30 (or the translucent cover 20 and the instrument display section 11) are visible to the user in a state of having a sense of unity, and a display device D that can improve marketability can be provided.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and drawings, and can be modified (including the deletion of components) as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0061] (Modification) 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.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the curvature of the third horizontal boundary line L2a is equal to the curvature of the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b. However, in a situation where the eye position of the user (viewer) is above the display device D, as shown in FIG. 5 as a first modified example of the present embodiment, the curvature of the third horizontal boundary line L2a located near the eye position of the viewer is larger than the curvature of the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b located far from the eye position of the viewer. Large In other words, this means that when the third horizontal boundary line L2a is located at the upper part of the see-through part 32 and the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b is located at the lower part of the see-through part 32, and the multi-function display unit 12 is disposed so as to be looked down from the eye position of the viewer, the curvature of the third horizontal boundary line L2a may be larger than the curvature of the fourth horizontal boundary line L2b. Large Even in the case of such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0063] Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the curvature of the first horizontal boundary line L1a is equal to the curvature of the second horizontal boundary line L1b. However, by applying the configuration of the first modified example to both boundaries L1a and L2a, the curvature of the first horizontal boundary line L1a located near the position of the viewer's eyes can be made larger than the curvature of the second horizontal boundary line L1b located far from the position of the viewer's eyes. LargeIn other words, this means that when the first horizontal boundary line L1a is located at the upper part of the see-through part 31 and the second horizontal boundary line L1b is located at the lower part of the see-through part 31, and the instrument display unit 11 is disposed so as to be looked down from the eye position of the viewer, the curvature of the first horizontal boundary line L1a may be larger than the curvature of the second horizontal boundary line L1b. Large Note that the first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a, L1b and the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a, L2b may have any configuration as long as they can give the user the illusion that the plate-like member 30 (flat surface portions P1, P2) is curved in the same manner as the curved surface shape of the light-transmitting cover 20.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the concave curves included in the first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a, L1b were set without taking into consideration the position of the viewer's eyes. However, for example, as a second variant of this embodiment, the apexes T1 of the two concave curves (i.e., the first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a, L1b) may each be positioned on an extension line Y1 connecting the position E of the viewer's eyes and the lowest part S1 of the concave curved surface portion 21, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0065] Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the concave curves included in the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a and L2b are set without considering the position of the viewer's eyes, but according to the configuration of the second modified example, as shown in Fig. 7, the apexes T2 of the two convex curves (i.e., the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a and L2b) may be positioned on an extension line Y2 connecting the position E of the viewer's eyes and the apex S2 of the convex curved surface portion 22. For example, Fig. 6 discloses an example in which the apex T1 is provided near the center of the first and second horizontal boundary lines L1a and L1b, and Fig. 7 discloses an example in which the apex T2 is provided slightly outside the center of the third and fourth horizontal boundary lines L2a and L2b (i.e., on the side of the fourth vertical boundary line L2d).

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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]

[0068] 11 Instrument display 12 Multi-function display 13 Mirror display 20 Translucent cover (protective material) 21 Concave curved part 22, 23 Convex curved part 30 Plate-shaped member 30a base material 30b Light shielding layer (opaque part) 31~33 Transparent section P1~P3 flat part C1, C2 curved section L1, L2 border L1a First horizontal boundary line (first boundary line) L1b Second horizontal boundary line (second boundary line) L1c First vertical boundary line L1d Second vertical boundary line L2a Third horizontal boundary line (third boundary line) L2b Fourth horizontal boundary line (fourth boundary line) L2c Third vertical boundary line L2d 4th vertical boundary line

Claims

1. A display means; 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 see-through portion that allows predetermined information displayed on the display means to be seen from a viewer who views the display means, and a non-transparent portion that is provided so as to surround the see-through portion, At least a part of the boundary between the see-through portion and the non-see-through portion has a non-linear shape, The display device according to claim 1, wherein the protective member has a curved surface extending along a width direction of the vehicle.

2. The display means has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a space therebetween, The protective member is provided with a concave curved surface portion that is concave toward a counter-viewer side that is an opposite side to the viewer side, in correspondence with a first display unit among the plurality of display units, the boundary portion provided at a portion of the plate-like member corresponding to the first indication portion includes opposing first and second boundary lines extending along a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second boundary lines include a curved shape that bulges toward a first imaginary horizontal line that crosses the first display portion and runs along the vehicle width direction.

3. The display means has a plurality of display sections adjacent to each other with a space therebetween, The protective member is provided with a convex curved surface portion that is convex toward the viewer in correspondence with a second display unit among the plurality of display units, the boundary portion provided at a portion of the plate-like member corresponding to the second display portion includes opposing third and fourth boundary lines extending along a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, The display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the third and fourth boundary lines include a curved shape that bulges away from a second imaginary horizontal line along the vehicle width direction that crosses the second display portion.

4. 3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the curvature of the first boundary line located closer to the position of the viewer's eyes is greater than the curvature of the second boundary line located farther from the position of the viewer's eyes.

5. 4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the curvature of the third boundary line located closer to the position of the viewer's eyes is greater than the curvature of the fourth boundary line located farther from the position of the viewer's eyes.

6. 3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the top of the concave curve is positioned on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the lowest part of the concave curved surface portion.

7. 4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the apex of the convex curve is positioned on an extension line connecting the position of the viewer's eyes and the apex of the convex curved surface portion.

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