HUD Combiner Positioning With Spring Return and Manual Stow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing head-up display combiner positioning systems are vulnerable to environmental conditions and user interference, as they rely on electrical drives that can corrode or fail, and are prone to mechanical breakdown from unconscious user input.
Innovation Solution
A combiner positioning system driven solely by spring means or manual force, featuring a linear guidance mechanism with adjustable pivot angle and damping, eliminating the need for electrical drives and providing robustness against harsh conditions and user errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If electrical drive means are used to move the combiner, then the positioning can be automated and controlled, but the system becomes vulnerable to corrosion and electrical failure in harsh environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical drive system with a purely mechanical spring-based positioning system. The spring means (15) provides the driving force to move the combiner (2) between stowed and display positions, eliminating motors, electrical connections, and associated corrosion vulnerabilities while maintaining automated positioning through mechanical energy storage and release.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring means (15) serves as a self-contained energy source that automatically propels the combiner without requiring external electrical power. The system uses the spring's stored mechanical energy to perform the positioning function independently, making it self-sufficient and immune to electrical failures.
2Reliability
If locking means are used to hold the combiner in position, then the combiner remains securely positioned, but the system becomes prone to mechanical breakdown from unconscious user input
Solution Approach 1:
The spring means (15) is pre-loaded with mechanical energy in the stowed position, creating a ready-to-act force that automatically overcomes any minor manual interference. This preliminary energy storage ensures the combiner will return to its display position even if accidentally pushed back, without requiring complex locking or sensing mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If a motorized positioning system is used, then precise control is achieved, but the construction becomes complex and vulnerable to environmental defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the entire motorized positioning system with a simple mechanical spring mechanism. This replacement dramatically reduces component count and structural complexity while maintaining positioning precision through the spring's controlled force application and the linear guidance's constrained motion path.
4Volume of moving object
If the combiner is made movable between stowed and display positions, then space is saved when inactive, but the positioning system becomes vulnerable to breakdown from user interference
Solution Approach 1:
The spring means (15) provides self-acting force that automatically returns the combiner to its display position after being pushed back by a user. This self-correcting mechanism eliminates the need for sensors, motors, or complex control systems to detect and correct user interference, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving space-saving mobility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system is highly reliable, easy to construct, and provides consistent haptic feedback, ensuring the combiner remains securely positioned and adjustable for optimal viewing angles, even in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
The positioning means comprise spring means built to move the combiner from a stowed position into a display position
Implementation Method 2
The positioning means comprise a damper built to damp the movement of the spring means
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A combiner positioning system (3) for a head-up display (1), the system (3) comprising a combiner (2) for the head-up display (1), wherein the combiner (2) is movable between a stowed position and a display position, positioning means built to move the combiner (2) from the stowed position into the display position, and actuation means (5) built to disengage locking means (6). The positioning means comprise spring means (4) built to move the combiner (2) from the stowed position into the display position by means of a spring force in case the locking means (6) are disengaged, and the combiner (2) is built to be moved manually from the display position into the stowed position, wherein in the stowed position the combiner (2) is built to lock into place by engaging the locking means (6).