JP2008068767A - Head-up display device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a head-up display device capable of preventing extraneous light from being reflected by a transparent panel and reaching the driver's eyes and having a good appearance on the top surface of the instrument panel. In addition, on the front windshield 11 side of the transparent panel 4, a shutter 5 having a shaft 52 along the surface and a plurality of louvers 51 rotatable around the shaft 52 and the shafts 52 arranged in parallel is disposed. did. Accordingly, the length of each louver 51 in the open state of the shutter 5, that is, the front windshield from the instrument panel 12 while preventing the extraneous light from being reflected by the transparent panel and reaching the driver's eyes. 11 can be shortened, the appearance around the instrument panel 12 can be improved.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a head-up display device for a vehicle, and is suitable for use in, for example, an automobile.

  As a conventional head-up display device, for example, a display is projected onto a windshield through an opening provided on the surface of the instrument panel, from a display installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle, A structure having a transparent panel disposed so as to close the opening, and having a preventing means for preventing extraneous light that has passed through the windshield and entered the vehicle interior from being reflected by the transparent panel and reaching the eyes of the driver (See Patent Document 1).

  In this conventional head-up display device, the transparent panel prevents dust and water droplets from entering the inside of the instrument panel through the opening.

As another conventional head-up display device, the display device projects an image from the display device installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle onto the windshield through an opening provided on the surface of the instrument panel. In some cases, a shutter is provided to cover the opening, and the opening is opened when the head-up display device is used, and the opening is closed when the head-up display device is not used (see Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-90728 JP 2003-237411 A

  In the head-up display device described in Patent Document 1, the preventive means for preventing the reflected light from the surface of the transparent panel from reaching the driver's eyes is a protrusion provided on the instrument panel or the transparent panel. It is the diffuse reflection part of the cross-sectional sawtooth shape provided. The former looks bad in appearance, and the latter may cause distortion of the image projected on the windshield. In addition, in the head-up display device described in Patent Document 1, external light incident on the passenger compartment may directly shine on the display from the opening, and the display may deteriorate.

  On the other hand, in the head-up display device described in Patent Document 2, by providing a shutter and closing the shutter when the head-up display device is not used, it is possible to prevent the display device from being deteriorated by direct exposure to external light. However, the patent document does not describe a measure for preventing extraneous light from being reflected by the transparent panel and reaching the driver's eyes when the head-up display device is used.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has been devised in the configuration of the head-up display device to prevent external light from being reflected by the transparent panel and reaching the driver's eyes. An object of the present invention is to provide a head-up display device having a good appearance on the upper surface of the panel.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The head-up display device according to claim 1 of the present invention projects the display image displayed on the display driven by the control unit toward the front windshield of the vehicle and forms an image in front of the front windshield. A head-up display device that allows a driver to visually recognize a virtual image of an image, and the indicator is installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle, and is provided on the surface of the instrument panel to allow light traveling from the indicator to the front windshield to pass therethrough. A shutter comprising an opening, a translucent member disposed so as to close the opening, and a plurality of plate members each having an axis along the surface and rotatable about the axis. The shutter corresponds to the opening and is disposed on the front windshield side of the translucent member. Each axis is driven to rotate while maintaining a parallel relationship, and in the fully closed state of the shutter, each plate member partially overlaps with an adjacent plate member, and the shutter has each axis substantially parallel to the surface of the instrument panel. And it is arrange | positioned substantially parallel to the width direction of a vehicle.

  As a measure to prevent the reflected light of the extraneous light incident on the translucent member provided in the opening from entering the driver's eyes, the reflected light toward the driver's eyes is blocked on the way, or the external It is conceivable to block light in front of the translucent member so that light does not enter the translucent member. At the same time, it must be ensured that such light blocking means does not block light from the display heading from the opening to the front windshield.

  In the configuration described above, the plurality of plate members constituting the shutter are arranged in parallel to each other. When the shutter is in an open state, that is, when the head-up display device is used, each plate member has a posture that is substantially parallel to the traveling direction of light from the display that passes through the opening and travels toward the front windshield. In other words, the surface of the translucent member in the opening is in a state of being partitioned into a plurality of sections by each plate member. That is, the plate member is arranged in a wall shape on the front windshield side of each section of the translucent member. As a result, when extraneous light entering the vehicle interior through the front windshield reaches the opening of the instrument panel, it is blocked by the plate member and does not enter the surface of the translucent member or enters the translucent member. However, it is blocked by the plate member, and the reflected light there is prevented from going toward the driver's eyes or being incident on the front windshield and being reflected there and going to the driver's eyes.

  By the way, each plate member should just perform the function mentioned above with respect to the part surrounded by the plate member and plate member of the translucent member surface instead of the whole surface of a translucent member. Therefore, the length of each plate member, that is, the length in the direction from the instrument panel toward the front windshield can be shortened. Thereby, it can suppress to the minimum that each board member obstructs the light from the indicator which passes an opening part and goes to a front windshield. Furthermore, since the above-described length of each plate member can be shortened, the appearance around the instrument panel when using the head-up display device can be improved.

  In the above-described configuration, each plate member partially overlaps an adjacent plate member when the shutter is fully closed. Therefore, when the head-up display device is not used, the opening is completely blocked, and it is possible to reliably prevent the display from being deteriorated by being directly irradiated by external light.

  As described above, a head-up display device capable of suppressing the reflected light of the extraneous light incident on the translucent member provided in the opening and entering the driver's eyes and having a good appearance on the upper surface of the instrument panel is provided. can do.

  The head-up display device according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that each plate member of the shutter is on the same plane as or below the instrument panel surface when the shutter is fully closed.

  According to such a configuration, since the shutter does not protrude from the surface of the instrument panel when the shutter is fully closed when the head-up display device is not used, the appearance around the instrument panel can be improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head-up display device comprising: driving means for rotating the shutter axes to open / close the shutter; driving means for rotating the shutter axes to open / close the shutter; Control means for controlling the means, and the control means controls the driving means so as to open and close the shutter according to the use state of the display.

  According to such a configuration, there is no need for the driver to make fine adjustments manually, and the reflected light of the extraneous light incident on the translucent member provided at the optimal position, i.e., the opening is automatically set to the shutter position. It can be set as the position which can suppress that it injects into a driver | operator's eyes, and can maintain the favorable visibility of a head-up display apparatus.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head-up display device comprising detection means for detecting the eyeball position of the driver of the vehicle, and the control means is a drive means for opening and closing the shutter based on a detection signal from the detection means. It is characterized by controlling.

  The positional relationship between the opening of the instrument panel and the driver's eyeball varies depending on the driver's physique, sitting posture, etc. The optical path of the display light that goes is changed accordingly. For this reason, in order to maintain good visibility of the virtual image formed by the head-up display device, that is, to maintain the brightness of the virtual image high, the members that have each shutter plate member in a posture parallel to the display light are displayed. It is necessary not to block light. Therefore, with the configuration like the head-up display device according to claim 4 of the present invention, even if the position of the driver's eyeball fluctuates, the shutter posture is always automatically controlled optimally, and the virtual image Visibility can be maintained well.

  Hereinafter, a case where the head-up display device according to the present invention is applied to a head-up display device 1 mounted on an automobile will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The head-up display device 1 is disposed inside the instrument panel 12 disposed in front of the driver's seat of the automobile, facing the front windshield 11 as shown in FIG. The head-up display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a speedometer that digitally displays the traveling speed of an automobile, for example.

  Below, the structure of the head-up display apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  As the liquid crystal display 2 that is a display, for example, a dot matrix type liquid crystal display is used, and a number that indicates the traveling speed of the automobile is formed on the screen as a display image. This display image is transmitted and illuminated by light from a backlight (not shown) and emitted in the left direction of FIG.

The reflecting mirror 3 reflects display image light radiated from the liquid crystal display 2 toward the front windshield 11. The liquid crystal display 2, the reflecting mirror 3 and the like are, for example, a casing formed of a resin material or the like. 10 is fixed while maintaining a predetermined positional relationship. The casing 10 is housed and fixed in the instrument panel 12 as shown in FIG.

  An opening 12 a is provided on the upper surface of the instrument panel 12 so that light from the liquid crystal display 2 disposed in the instrument panel 12 is incident on the front windshield 11.

  On the inner side (lower side in FIG. 1) of the opening 12a of the instrument panel 12, a transparent panel 4 that is a translucent member is disposed so as to close the opening 12a. The transparent panel 4 is formed of, for example, a colorless and transparent glass plate or a polycarbonate resin plate. By providing the transparent panel 4, foreign matter such as dust, coins, water droplets or the like enters the casing 10 through the opening 12 a while transmitting the light from the liquid crystal display 2 toward the front windshield 11. Can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a shutter 5 is disposed on the transparent panel 4 on the front windshield 11 side. Hereinafter, the structure of the shutter 5 will be described.

  The shutter 5 is formed by arranging a plurality of louvers 51 which are a plurality of plate members. The louver 51 is formed from a resin material or a metal material in a substantially rectangular shape extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The louver 51 has an axis 52 along its surface, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The louver 51 is supported around the shaft 52 so as to be rotatable. The plurality of louvers 51 constituting the shutter 5 are arranged in parallel with each other and with the axes 52 in parallel. Furthermore, each axis | shaft 52 is arrange | positioned in parallel with the surface of the instrument panel 12, in parallel with the virtual plane which contains the periphery of the opening part 12a in detail, and the width direction of the said motor vehicle. In other words, “parallel to the width direction of the automobile” means a direction perpendicular to the viewing direction in which the driver sees the virtual image K formed by the head-up display device 1.

  All the louvers 51 constituting the shutter 5 are rotationally driven around the respective axes 52 while maintaining a parallel relationship with each other. FIG. 1 shows a usage state of the head-up display device 1, and each louver 51 has a posture in which the display light P from the liquid crystal display 2 can travel toward the front windshield 11 as shown in FIG. Is held in. On the other hand, when the head-up display device 1 is not in use, each louver 51 is in a fully closed posture so as to cover the opening 12a, as shown in FIG. When the shutter 5 is fully closed, each louver 51 partially overlaps the adjacent louver 51 as shown in FIG. Thereby, extraneous light, for example sunlight, is interrupted | blocked and it can prevent that the liquid crystal display 2 deteriorates by being irradiated with sunlight. In the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shutter 5 is located below the surface of the instrument panel 12 in both the opened state (see FIG. 1) and the closed state (see FIG. 2). positioned.

  Next, the driving means of each louver 52 in the shutter 5, that is, the driving mechanism will be described mainly based on FIG.

  Each louver 51 is held by a frame (not shown) so as to be rotatable around a shaft 52. Here, the shaft 52 means the rotation center of the louver 51, and the substance thereof may be formed as a separate part from the louver 51 and fixed to the louver 51, or may be formed integrally with the louver 51. It may be configured. In the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the louvers 51 are supported by frames (not shown) at both ends thereof, that is, both ends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. Each axis | shaft 52 is arrange | positioned on the same straight line, as shown in FIG.

  A gear 53 is fixed to one end of the shaft 52 coaxially with the shaft 52 as shown in FIG. A spur gear is used as the gear 53. The gears 53 of all the louvers 51 have the same specifications, that is, the modules, the number of teeth, and the like. Here, the gear 53 is formed from a resin material or a metal material. The louver 51 may be manufactured by molding with a resin material and the gear 53 may be molded integrally with the louver 51. A control rack 6 is held in a frame (not shown) so as to mesh with all the gears 53 and move in the left-right direction in FIG. The teeth 61 of the control rack 6 can mesh with the gear 53, that is, are formed of the same module. When the control rack 6 moves in the left-right direction in FIG. 3, all gears 53 that mesh with the gears 61 rotate at the same angle, whereby all louvers 51 rotate around the shaft 52 by the same angle. Accordingly, all the louvers 51 are rotationally driven around the respective axes 52 while maintaining a parallel relationship with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an idler gear 8 that meshes with the teeth 61 of the control rack 6 and a gear 72 that meshes with the idler gear 8 are disposed inside the instrument panel 12 and outside the opening 12 a. Further, the gear 72 is fixed to the shaft 71 of the motor 7. When the motor 7 is energized to generate rotational torque, the torque is transmitted to the gear 53 via the gear 72, the gear 8, and the control rack 6, and the louver 51 rotates simultaneously with the rotation of the gear 53. That is, the gear 53, the control rack 6, the idler gear 8, the gear 72, and the motor 7 constitute a driving unit for the shutter 5. Here, as the motor 7, a general DC motor, a stepping motor, or the like is used.

Next, the electrical circuit configuration and operation of the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown in the electrical circuit configuration block diagram of FIG. The battery 16 is always supplied with electric power. Further, the controller 9 is connected so that the ignition switch 15 can detect its operating state (ON or OFF).

  The controller 9 is connected to a speed sensor 14 for detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle so that a detection signal can be input. As the speed sensor 14, for example, a sensor that detects the rotational speed of a propeller shaft (not shown) that is an output shaft of the transmission is used. The controller 9 is connected to an eye position sensor 13 serving as detection means for detecting the position of the driver's eyeball E so that a detection signal can be input. As the eye position sensor 13, for example, a CCD image sensor (Charge Coupled Device Image Sensor) is used. The eye position sensor 13 is installed in a position facing the driver's face in the passenger compartment, for example, on the instrument panel 12 or the like. The means for detecting the position of the driver's eyeball E need not be limited to the eye position sensor 13, and other types of detection means may be used. For example, the position of the driver's seat in the front-rear direction of the automobile and the angle of the backrest may be detected, and the eyeball E position of the driver may be calculated based on these detection data.

  On the other hand, the controller 9 is connected to the liquid crystal display 2 and the motor 7 which are the control objects.

  (1) When the ignition switch 15 is OFF.

  In this case, the controller 9 detects that the ignition switch 15 is OFF, and stops the display drive of the liquid crystal display 2. At the same time, the controller 9 energizes the motor 7 until the shutter 5 is in the closed position, that is, the position shown in FIG.

  (2) When the ignition switch 15 is turned on.

  When the ignition switch 15 is turned on by the driver, the controller 9 detects it and starts display control of the head-up display device 1.

  The controller 9 energizes the motor 7 to drive the shutter 5 that has been in the closed position to the open position. When the shutter 5 is in the open position, each louver 51 assumes a posture substantially parallel to the display light P from the liquid crystal display 2. At the same time, the controller 9 calculates the traveling speed of the vehicle based on the detection signal from the speed sensor 14, and drives the liquid crystal display 2 so as to display the calculated traveling speed numerically. Therefore, the display light P from the liquid crystal display 2 travels toward the front windshield 11, is reflected by the front windshield 11 and enters the driver's eyeball E. As a result, a reflected virtual image K of the liquid crystal display 2 is formed in front of the front windshield 11 (left side in FIG. 1), and the driver visually recognizes this virtual image K as a digital speedometer.

By the way, when the position of the driver's eyeball E changes, the incident point on the front windshield 11 of the display light P incident on the driver's eyeball E moves to reach the front windshield 11 from the reflector 3. The optical path of the display light P also changes. When the louver 51 and the display light P are not parallel, a part of the display light P is blocked by the louver 51 and the virtual image K becomes dark or the shadow of the louver 51 is reflected in the virtual image K. descend. For this reason, in order to maintain good visibility of the virtual image K formed by the head-up display device 1, the posture of the louver 51 is always parallel to the display light P from the reflecting mirror 3 to the front windshield 11. Therefore, in the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the eye position E of the driver is detected by the eye position sensor 13, and the controller 9 calculates the optimal position of the louver 51 based on the detected position. The motor 7 is driven so that the louver 51 is in the optimum position.

  (3) When the ignition switch 15 is turned off.

  When the ignition switch 15 is turned off by the driver, the controller 9 detects this, stops driving the liquid crystal display 2 and energizes the motor 7 to drive the shutter 5 to the closed position.

  As described above, in the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display light P from the liquid crystal display 2 installed in the instrument panel 12 is transmitted to the opening 12a of the instrument panel 12. The transparent panel 4 is disposed so as to pass through and enter the front windshield 11 and close the opening 12a, and a plurality of louvers 51 each having a shaft 52 along the surface and rotatable about the shaft 52 are provided for each shaft. The shutter 5 which arrange | positions 52 in parallel is provided. Further, the shutter 5 corresponds to the opening 12a and is disposed on the front windshield 11 side of the transparent panel 4. The shutter 5 is driven to rotate each shaft 52 while maintaining the relationship that the louvers 51 are always parallel to each other. In the fully closed state of the shutter 5, each louver 51 partially overlaps the adjacent louver 51, and the shutter 5 is arranged with each shaft 52 substantially parallel to the 12 surface of the instrument panel and substantially parallel to the width direction of the vehicle. .

  By configuring the shutter 5 with a plurality of louvers 51 parallel to each other, the length of each louver 51 in the open state of the shutter 5, that is, the length in the direction from the instrument panel 12 toward the front windshield 11 is shortened. Can do. As a result, the length in the direction from the instrument panel 12 toward the front windshield 11 in the opened state of the shutter 5, in other words, the length in the vertical direction of the automobile can be shortened. This makes it possible to improve the appearance around the instrument panel 12 when the head-up display device 1 is used.

  In addition, since each louver 51 partially overlaps the adjacent louver 51 in the fully closed state of the shutter 5, the liquid crystal display 2 is irradiated with external light when the head-up display device 1 is not used. Deterioration can be reliably prevented.

  Here, since the opening 12a, that is, the transparent cover 4 is in front of the driver, the case where external light from the front upper side of the automobile is incident on the opening 12a and reflected by the transparent cover 4 is felt most dazzling for the driver. It is. In the head-up display device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the shutter 5 is arranged with the shaft 52 of the louver 51 substantially parallel to the 12 surface of the instrument panel and substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction. Thereby, the reflected light on the transparent cover 4 of the extraneous light from the front upper part of the vehicle can be effectively blocked and prevented from entering the driver's eyes.

  Further, in the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shutter 5 is disposed below the surface of the instrument panel 12 in both the opened state (see FIG. 1) and the closed state (see FIG. 2). It is installed to be. Thereby, the surface of the instrument panel 12 can be made flat, and the appearance of the instrument panel 12 can be made favorable.

  In the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the opening and closing operation of the shutter 5 is performed by driving the motor 7 by the controller 9 and the eye position E of the driver is detected by the eye position sensor 13. Based on this, the posture of the louver 51 is controlled to the optimum position, that is, the posture parallel to the display light P from the reflecting mirror 3 to the front windshield 11. Thereby, a part of the display light P is blocked by the louver 51 and the virtual image K is prevented from being deteriorated due to darkness of the virtual image K or the shadow of the louver 51 being reflected in the virtual image K. It is possible to maintain good visibility at all times.

  As described above, the head-up display device 1 that can suppress the reflected light of the extraneous light incident on the transparent panel 4 provided in the opening 12a from entering the eyes of the driver and has a good appearance on the top surface of the instrument panel 12. Can be provided.

  In the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the motor 7 is used as a drive source for the opening / closing operation of the shutter 5. However, the motor 7 is not limited to the motor 7. For example, a linear solenoid, a direct acting cylinder by fluid pressure, or the like may be used.

  In the head-up display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the display information is the traveling speed of the automobile. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of information may be displayed. For example, a driving instruction display of a navigation system may be used. In particular, if the head-up display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention displays information that the driver needs to frequently check while driving a vehicle, the advantage as the head-up display device, that is, the state of gazing forward during traveling While using the head-up display device 1, it is possible to prevent the extraneous light from being reflected by the transparent panel 4 and reaching the driver's eyes while taking advantage of the fact that information can be confirmed with a slight gaze movement from The head-up display device 1 having a good appearance on the upper surface of the panel 12 can be provided.

It is sectional drawing at the time of use (shutter open state) of the head-up display apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing at the time of non-use of the head-up display apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention (shutter fully closed state). It is the III section enlarged view in FIG. It is an electric circuit block diagram of the head up display device 1 by one embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Head-up display device 2 Liquid crystal display (display)
3 Reflector 4 Transparent panel (Translucent member)
5 Shutter 51 Louver (plate member)
52 shaft 53 gear (drive means)
6 Control rack (drive means)
61 teeth 7 motor (drive means)
71 Shaft 72 Gear (drive means)
8 Idler gear (drive means)
9 Controller (control means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Casing 11 Front windshield 12 Instrument panel 12a Opening 13 Eye position sensor 14 Speed sensor 15 Ignition switch 16 Battery E Eyeball K Virtual image P Display light Q Sunlight

Claims (4)

A head-up display device that projects a display image displayed on a display driven by a control unit toward a front windshield of a vehicle, and allows a driver to visually recognize a virtual image of the display image formed in front of the front windshield. Because
The indicator is installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle,
An opening that is provided on the surface of the instrument panel and allows light from the display to go to the front windshield;
A translucent member disposed so as to close the opening;
A plurality of plate members each having a shaft along the surface and rotatable around the shaft, and each of the shafts being arranged in parallel.
The shutter corresponds to the opening and is disposed on the front windshield side of the translucent member,
The shutter is driven to rotate each shaft while maintaining the relationship that the plate members are always parallel to each other,
In the fully closed state of the shutter, each plate member partially overlaps the adjacent plate member,
The head-up display device, wherein the shutter is arranged such that each axis is substantially parallel to the surface of the instrument panel and substantially parallel to the width direction of the vehicle.   2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein each plate member of the shutter is on the same plane as or below the surface of the instrument panel when the shutter is fully closed. Driving means for rotating the respective axes of the shutter to open and close the shutter;
Driving means for rotating the respective axes of the shutter to open and close the shutter;
Control means for controlling the driving means,
The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the driving unit to open and close the shutter according to a use state of the display. A detection means capable of detecting the eyeball position of the driver of the vehicle;
The head-up display device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the driving unit to open and close the shutter based on a detection signal from the detection unit.

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