JP2022190014A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a display device capable of providing a display that is easy for a user to see regardless of the amount of protrusion of a combiner.
A display device according to the present invention comprises: a display member having a light source for emitting a light beam reaching a predetermined area; a plate-like display portion for reflecting the light to form a virtual image; a moving mechanism capable of fixing and holding the display member at a plurality of positions where the display member is slidably moved so as to protrude inward and the amount of protrusion into the predetermined region is a predetermined amount, wherein the light of the light beam in the predetermined region The display device is characterized in that the angle of the display member with respect to the axis is different for each of the plurality of positions of the display member.
[Selection drawing] Fig. 1A

Description

The present invention relates to display devices.

In recent years, for example, a so-called head-up display has begun to be mounted near the driver's seat of a vehicle. A head-up display is a display device that displays images of driving support information such as vehicle information, road information, and navigation information on a translucent display member called an image combiner (hereinafter also simply referred to as a combiner).

The head-up display, for example, displays the driving support information as described above as a virtual image in front of the windshield. The driving support information is superimposed on the scenery in front of the vehicle and viewed by the driver. Therefore, the head-up display can provide the driving support information to the driver without almost moving the line of sight of the driver.

As one of the head-up displays, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle display device that displays a virtual image by reflecting display light emitted from a display device with a reflecting mirror. A configuration for opening and closing the mirror is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-196228

In the display device disclosed in Patent Document 1, angle adjustment is performed after the reflective mirror is completely unfolded. In addition, since the reflecting mirror is rotated and unfolded, if the amount of projection of the reflecting mirror is small, the angle of the reflecting mirror is not appropriate for displaying the virtual image. It has been difficult to display a virtual image by protruding from the housing only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of providing a user-friendly display regardless of the amount of protrusion of a combiner. Another object of the present invention is, for example, to provide a display device capable of adjusting the angle of the combiner regardless of the amount of protrusion of the combiner. Another object of the present invention is, for example, to provide a display device capable of positioning the combiner at the position at the time of the previous deployment with good reproducibility when the combiner is housed after being deployed and then deployed again. Another object of the present invention is, for example, to provide a compact display device.

The display device according to claim 1 comprises a display member having a light source for emitting a light beam reaching a predetermined area, a plate-shaped display portion for reflecting the light beam to form a virtual image, and a display member arranged within the predetermined area. and a moving mechanism capable of fixing and holding the display member at a plurality of positions where the amount of protrusion into the predetermined area is a predetermined amount, and the optical axis of the light beam in the predetermined area. The angle of the display member with respect to is different for each of the plurality of positions of the display member.

4 is a perspective view of the display device according to Example 1 during display operation; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the display device according to Example 1 during area-saving display operation; 3 is a perspective view of the display device according to Example 1 during non-display operation; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a combiner unit of the display device according to Example 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shutter of the display device according to Example 1. FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a display device according to Example 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing how the combiner unit of the display device according to the first embodiment is operated to adjust the angle; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing how the combiner unit of the display device according to the first embodiment is operated to adjust the angle; 4 is a side view of the display device according to Example 1 in all display modes; FIG. 4 is a side view of the display device according to Example 1 in a reduced area display mode; FIG. 4 is a side view of the display device according to the first embodiment during non-display operation; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the display device according to Example 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the display device according to the first embodiment when an example of a display image is displayed in all display modes; FIG. 11 is a rear view of the display device according to the first embodiment when an example of a display image is displayed in the area-saving display mode;

Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the following description, as a display device, for example, a head-up display (HUD) having a combiner as a display unit will be described as an example.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the display device 10 according to the first embodiment during the display operation (when the combiner is deployed) and in the full display mode. FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the display device 10 during the display operation and the area-saving display. FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the display device 10 during non-display operation (when housed in the combiner). The display device 10 is mounted, for example, on a moving object such as an automobile. For example, when mounted in an automobile, the display device 10 is mounted in, for example, a dashboard.

The outer housing 11 as the second housing has a plate-shaped top plate portion TP. In addition, in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in order to illustrate the inside of the outer housing 11, the top plate TP is made transparent, and its outer shape is indicated by a dashed line.

The outer housing 11 has a pair of plate-like side plate portions SP extending from the opposite side portions of the top plate portion TP in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the top plate portion TP and facing each other. In addition, the outer housing 11 extends from the opposing side portions of the top plate portion TP substantially perpendicularly to the extending direction of the top plate portion TP, that is, extends in the same direction as the extending direction of the side plate portions, and faces each other. It has a plate-shaped front plate portion FP and a rear plate portion RP.

In the following description, the direction in which the front plate portion FP and the rear plate portion RP face each other is defined as the depth (front-rear) direction (X-axis direction). Also, the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the side plate portion SP1 will be described as the width direction (Y-axis direction). Also, the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the top plate TP will be described as the height (vertical) direction (Z-axis direction). Also, the direction in which the side plate extends when viewed from the top plate is defined as downward, and the opposite direction is defined as upward.

The top plate TP is provided with an opening OP1 that is a longitudinal opening extending in the width direction (Y direction) of the display device 10 . Further, the top plate TP is provided with an opening OP2 that is aligned with the opening OP1 in the depth direction (X direction) and is spaced further from the front plate portion FP than the opening OP1.

A light source (not shown) is attached to the front plate portion FP. A reflecting mirror ML is provided on the surface of the rear plate portion RP facing the front plate portion FP. The display device 10 is configured such that the light emitted from the light source is reflected by the reflecting mirror ML.

A projecting plate portion 11P projecting upward is provided on the side plate portion SP1. A support hole 13 penetrating the projecting plate portion 11P in the width direction of the display device 10 is provided at the upper end of the projecting plate portion 11P. The support hole 13 is a hole whose upper end is open. The support hole 13 is arranged close to the opening OP1.

The inner housing 15 as the first housing has side plate portions SP2 facing each other in the width direction of the display device 10 . A guide groove GV as a guide structure extending in the vertical direction is provided inside each of the side plate portions SP2. Further, the inner housing 15 is formed with an opening LH through which light emitted from a light source attached to the front plate portion FP of the outer housing 11 passes.

A support pin 17 projecting outward in the width direction of the display device 10 is formed on each upper portion of the side plate portion SP2. Support pins 17 as a support pin structure are fitted into the support holes 13 of the outer housing 11 . The support pin 17 is slidable with respect to the inner surface of the support hole 13 and is rotatably supported with respect to the outer housing 11 . That is, the inner housing 15 is supported by the outer housing 11 so as to rotate or swing in the front-rear direction with respect to the outer housing 11 about the support pins 17 . In other words, the support pin 17 protrudes along the rotation axis of the inner housing 15 with respect to the outer housing 11 .

As described above, the support hole 13 is arranged close to the opening OP1. Therefore, the support pin 17 is supported at a position close to the opening OP1, and the rotation shaft of the inner housing 15 is also close to the opening OP1.

An image combiner unit (hereinafter referred to as a combiner unit) 19 as a display member is a member having a plate-like combiner portion 19A having translucency. The combiner unit 19 is slidably supported on the side plate portion SP2. A plate surface of the combiner portion 19A as a display portion is convexly curved in one direction (the direction of the arrow PD in the figure). For example, the combiner section 19A is configured to form a virtual image in the convex surface side spatial region when the irradiation light is incident from the concave surface side.

In the following description, the direction toward the convexity of the combiner portion 19A (the direction of the arrow PD in the figure) during the display operation (when the combiner is deployed) shown in FIG. . For example, when the display device 10 is installed in the dashboard of a mobile object, the windshield of the mobile object (for example, automobile) exists in front of the display device 10, that is, in the direction of the arrow PD in the drawing. Also, it is assumed that the passenger of the mobile object sees the combiner unit 19 from the rear side of the display device 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, during the display operation (when the combiner is deployed), the combiner unit 19 protrudes upward from the inner housing 15, that is, from the space between the side plate portions SP2 through the opening OP1. standing up. That is, the combiner unit 19 is in the deployed position (also referred to as the extended position). Further, during display operation, irradiation light (light rays) emitted from a light source (not shown) provided in the outer housing 11 passes through the light source opening LH and is reflected by the reflecting mirror ML. The light passes through the opening OP2 and is irradiated to the combiner portion 19A.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in the full display mode in which display can be performed using the entire combiner section 19A, the combiner section 19A is substantially entirely connected to the outer housing 11 and the inner housing through the opening OP1. 15 protruding upwards. This state is also referred to as a fully deployed state in the following description. Moreover, the position of the combiner unit 19 in this state is called a fully projected position.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1B, in the area-saving display mode in which display can be performed using a part of the combiner section 19A, the combiner section 19A can be displayed in the outer housing 11 and the inner housing through the opening OP1. It protrudes about half from the body 15 . This state is also referred to as a half-deployed state in the following description. Moreover, the position of the combiner unit 19 in this state is called a semi-protruding position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1C, the combiner unit 19 is slid to be housed in the outer housing 11 and the inner housing 15, that is, in the space between the side plate portions SP2 of the inner housing 15 during the non-display operation. be. That is, during the non-display operation, the combiner unit 19 is at the storage position within the storage space within the inner housing 15 formed between the two side plate portions SP2.

Further, the opening OP1 is blocked by the shutter 21 during the non-display operation (when the combiner is housed). The shutter 21 is movably provided between a blocking position capable of blocking the opening OP1 and a retracted position within the outer housing 11, for example, a position along the lower surface of the top plate TP. That is, the shutter 21 is brought to the retracted position during the display operation and to the shielding position during the non-display operation. In other words, the shutter 21 is brought onto the path of slide movement of the combiner unit 19 during the non-display operation.

Specifically, for example, before the power of the display device 10 is turned on (before the engine of the automobile is started or the ignition is turned on), the combiner unit 19 is housed in the housing position within the outer housing 11 and the inner housing 15. ing. After that, when the power of the display device 10 is turned on, the combiner unit 19 slides from the retracted position and is arranged at the expanded position. That is, the combiner unit 19 is slidably supported on the side plate portion SP2 and moves between the retracted position and the deployed position.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the combiner unit 19. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the combiner portion 19A is fixed and held by a holding portion 19B. At each end of the holding portion 19B in the width direction of the display device 10, a combiner pin P1 protruding outward in the width direction of the display device 10 and a combiner pin P2 arranged in parallel with the combiner pin P1 in the vertical direction. is provided.

Both of the combiner pins P1 and P2 as pin structures arranged side by side in the vertical direction at one end are slidably inserted into one guide groove GV of the pair of side plate portions SP2. That is, the combiner pins P1 and P2 are engaged with the side plate portion SP2, and the combiner unit 19 is slidable relative to the side plate portion SP2 along the guide groove GV. Thus, the combiner unit 19 is engaged with the inner housing 15 via the combiner pins P1 and P2. Therefore, the combiner unit 19 also rotates according to the rotation of the inner housing 15 about the support pin 17 , and the inclination of the combiner unit 19 with respect to the outer housing 11 also changes.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the shutter 21. As shown in FIG. The shutter 21 has a shutter plate 21A and plate-shaped side portions 21B that rise vertically from both ends of the shutter plate 21A and face each other.

Two shutter pins 21P1 and 21P2 protruding outward in the width direction of the display device 10 are formed on the surfaces of the side portions 21B opposite to the surfaces facing each other. The shutter pins 21P1 and 21P2 slide while being guided along guide holes (not shown) formed in the side plate portion SP2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display device 10 as seen from above. In FIG. 4, the top plate TP is omitted as in FIGS. 1A to 1C.

The first actuator M1 is an electric motor fixed to one inner side of the side plate portion SP2. The first actuator M1 has a worm W attached to its shaft.

The drive shaft 23 extends in the width direction of the display device 10, passes through the side plate portion SP2, and is rotatable with respect to the side plate portion SP2.

The drive shaft 23 is provided with a worm wheel WH that meshes with the worm W and forms a worm gear together with the worm W. That is, the drive shaft 23 is adapted to rotate when the first motor M1 is driven.

The disc gear 25 is a gear that is rotatably attached to the side plate portion SP2 on the outer surface of each of the two side plate portions SP2. The disk gear 25 meshes with gears (not shown) provided at both ends of the drive shaft 23, and rotates accordingly when the drive shaft 23 rotates.

A rotating arm 27 as a rotating member is an arm member connected to the inside of each of the two side plate portions SP2. One end of the rotating arm 27 is connected to the side plate portion SP2 via an arm shaft pin 27A, and is rotatable with respect to the side plate portion SP2 about the arm shaft pin 27A. Moreover, the rotating arm 27 is engaged with the combiner unit 19, and when the rotating arm 27 rotates, the combiner unit 19 slides along the guide groove GV.

A second actuator M2 as a rotation driving section includes a base M2A and a rod M2B held by the base M2A. The rod M2B is held by the base M2A so as to be slidable relative to the base M2A along its axial direction. That is, the rod M2B is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the inner housing 15 with respect to the outer housing 11 . The second actuator M2 is configured to produce reciprocating motion of the rod M2B, and may be, for example, a linear actuator such as an electric cylinder or a solenoid.

The base M2A is fixed to a U-shaped support member 29 . Both ends of the support member 29 are supported by the inner housing 15 via base support pins 29P so as to be rotatable relative to the inner housing 15 about a rotation axis extending in the width direction of the display device 10. It is That is, the base M2A is rotatable around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the inner housing 15 with respect to the outer housing 11 .

A spherical fitting member I is provided at the tip of the rod M2B. The fitting member I is fitted into a receiving portion R as a housing portion formed on the convex portion CP provided on the bottom plate portion BP of the outer housing 11 . The fitting member I is rotatable while being constrained by the receiving portion R. As shown in FIG. That is, the second actuator M2 is rotatable with respect to the outer housing 11 around the fitting member I fitted in the receiving portion R. As shown in FIG.

As described above, the inner housing 15 is rotatable with respect to the outer housing 11 with the support pin 17 as the rotation axis. Therefore, by linearly moving the rod M2B of the actuator M2, the distance between the convex portion CP and the substrate support pin 29P to which the substrate M2A is attached is changed, and the outer housing 11 is moved about the support pin 17 as an axis. It is possible to rotate or swing the inner housing 15 .

[Tilt operation of combiner unit]
The tilting operation for changing the tilt angle of the combiner unit 19 during deployment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of the display device 10 taken along the XZ plane. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the combiner unit is tilted most backward, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view when the combiner unit is tilted most forward and nearly upright.

When the combiner unit 19 is tilted most backward as shown in FIG. 5, the rod M2B is in a state of being most retracted into the base M2A. That is, the convex portion CP and the base support pin 29P are closest to each other, and the inner housing 15 and the combiner unit 19 are tilted most rearward.

When the combiner unit 19 is tilted most forward as shown in FIG. 6, the rod M2B protrudes most from the base M2A. That is, the projection CP and the base support pin 29P are in a state of being most separated, and the inner housing 15 and the combiner unit 19 are in a state of being most forwardly inclined.

As mentioned above, the combiner unit 19 engages the inner housing 15 . Therefore, the combiner unit 19 also rotates with respect to the outer housing 11 in accordance with the rotation of the inner housing 15 about the support pin 17 (see FIGS. 1A to 1C). tilt adjustment can be performed.

In addition, as described above, the support hole 13 is arranged close to the opening OP1.

[Deployment and storage operation of combiner unit]
A moving mechanism for moving the combiner unit 19 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. In addition, the expansion/storage operation performed by the moving mechanism will be described. 7 to 9, only the outline of the outer housing 11 is indicated by a dashed line. 7 to 9 show the light source LS provided on the front plate portion FP of the outer housing 11 and the reflecting mirror ML provided on the rear plate portion RP.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the display device 10 when the combiner unit 19 is housed, that is, when the display device 10 is in a non-display operation.

As described above, the inner surface of the side plate portion SP2 of the inner housing 15 is formed with the guide groove GV into which the combiner pins P1 and P2 of the combiner unit 19 are inserted. The guide groove GV has a curved region GV1 as a curved guide portion that extends downward from the upper end along a forwardly curved curved line. Further, the guide groove GV has a bending region GV2 that bends forward near the lower end.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, the support pin 17 is provided along the guide groove GV, and is supported at a position close to the opening OP1 as described above. Therefore, in the tilting operation described above, the structure is such that the combiner portion 19A hardly interferes with the inside of the opening portion OP1.

The side plate portion SP2 is formed with a guide hole GH1, which is a longitudinal hole into which the shutter pin 21P1 of the shutter 21 is inserted, and a guide hole GH2, which is a longitudinal hole into which the shutter pin 21P2 is inserted. The shutter pins 21P1 and 21P2 are movable along the guide holes GH1 and GH2, respectively.

The disk gear 25 is rotatably attached to the outer surface of the side plate portion SP2. A disk gear is an external gear that has teeth on its outer periphery. A circular gear 25 as a cam member is provided at the end of the drive shaft 23 described above and meshes with the drive gear 23A arranged outside the side plate portion SP2. That is, the disc gear 25 is rotated by driving the first actuator M1 to rotate the drive shaft 23 and the drive gear 23A.

The disk gear 25 has an arm drive groove 25A on the inner surface facing the side plate portion SP2. One end of the arm driving groove 25A is near the center of the disc gear 25 and extends along a curve that moves away from the center as it turns, that is, a spiral curve, and the other end is near the outer periphery of the disc gear 25. A groove.

Further, the disk gear 25 has a shutter driving groove 25B on the outer surface facing away from the side plate portion SP2. The shutter driving groove 25B is formed continuously with linear portions 25B1 and 25B1 extending substantially radially from a predetermined position on the outer surface of the disk gear 25, and extending circumferentially. 25B2 is a groove having a curvilinear portion 25B2.

The rotating arm 27 is an arm having a bent portion. As described above, the rotating arm 27 has the arm shaft pin 27A on the surface facing the inner surface of the side plate portion SP2, and is rotatable about the arm shaft pin 27A with respect to the side plate portion SP2. there is

The rotating arm 27 has an arm driving pin 27B projecting toward the side plate portion SP2 at a bent portion. The arm drive pin 27B is inserted into the arm drive groove 25A of the circular gear 25 through an escape hole EH, which is a through hole formed in the side plate portion SP2. That is, when the disc gear 25 rotates, the rotary arm 27 rotates about the arm shaft pin 27A so that the distance from the center of the arm drive pin 27B and the disc gear 25 changes.

In addition, the rotating arm 27 penetrates in the width direction of the display member 10 at the end opposite to the end where the arm shaft pin 27A connected to the side plate portion SP2 is provided. It has a pin holding hole 27H as an engaging portion. The combiner pin P1 described above is inserted into the pin holding hole 27H. That is, when the rotating arm 27 rotates, force is transmitted to the combiner unit 19 via the combiner pin P1, and the combiner unit 19 slides along the guide groove GV.

The shutter arm 31 is a longitudinal arm member attached to the outer surface of the side plate portion SP2 so as to be rotatable with respect to the side plate portion SP2. The shutter arm 31 is fixed to the outer surface of the side plate portion SP2 by an arm shaft pin 31A so as to be rotatable with respect to the side plate portion SP2. The shutter arm 31 has, at one end, an arm drive pin 31B protruding toward the side plate portion SP2.

The arm driving pin 31B is inserted into the shutter driving groove 25B of the disk gear 25. As shown in FIG. That is, when the disc gear 25 rotates, the shutter arm 31 rotates around the arm shaft pin 31A so that the distance from the center of the arm driving pin 31B and the disc gear 25 changes.

The shutter arm 31 also has a pin holding hole 31H, which is a longitudinal through hole, at the other end. A shutter pin 21P1 is slidably inserted into the pin holding hole 31H. That is, when the shutter arm 31 rotates, force is transmitted to the shutter 21 via the shutter pin 21P1, and the shutter 21 slides along the guide holes GH1 and GH2.

A mechanism including the actuator M1, the worm gear including the worm W and the worm wheel WH, the drive shaft 23, the circular gear 25, and the rotating arm 27 is also referred to as a moving mechanism.

As described above, the circular gear 25 is rotated by driving the first actuator M1 to rotate the drive shaft 23 and the drive gear 23A. As described above, the drive shaft 23 and the first actuator M1 form a worm gear comprising a worm W and a worm wheel WH. Therefore, it is difficult for the circular gear 25 to rotate depending on the force from the circular gear 25 side. Therefore, according to the moving mechanism, it is possible to fix the combiner unit 19 at an arbitrary position by stopping the driving of the first actuator M1 at an appropriate timing.

During the non-display operation shown in FIG. 7, the rotating arm 27 is tilted forward most, and the combiner pin P2 is positioned at the lower end of the guide groove GV. That is, the combiner unit 19 is in the storage position in the space between the side plate portions SP2 of the inner housing 15. As shown in FIG. Also, the shutter arm 31 is in the most raised state, and the shutter pin 21P1 is positioned at the rearmost end of the guide hole GH1. That is, the shutter 21 is at the rearmost position and closes the opening OP1 (see FIGS. 1A to 1C).

From this state, the first actuator M1 (see FIG. 4) is driven to rotate the drive gear 23A and the disk gear 25 to rotate clockwise in the drawing, causing the arm drive pin 27B of the rotating arm 27 to drive the arm. It slides within the groove 25A. As a result, the arm drive pin 27B moves away from the center of the disk gear 25, so that the rotating arm 27 rotates clockwise about the arm shaft pin 27A. This causes the pin holding hole 27H to move upward along the guide groove GV, thereby moving the combiner pin P1 upward. That is, the combiner unit 19 is slid upward along the guide groove GV.

Further, when the disk gear 25 rotates clockwise in the drawing, the shutter drive pin 31B slides within the straight portion 25B1 of the shutter drive groove 25B. As a result, the arm drive pin 27B moves away from the center of the disk gear 25, so that the shutter arm 31 rotates clockwise about the arm shaft pin 31A. As a result, the pin holding hole 31H moves forward along the guide hole GH1, and the shutter pin 21P1 moves forward. That is, the shutter 21 is slid forward along the guide hole GH1.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the display device 10 when the combiner unit 19 is in a semi-expanded state, that is, when the display device 10 is in the area-saving display mode. In FIG. 8, an area irradiated with light rays emitted from the light source LS and reflected by the reflecting mirror ML is shown as an irradiation area LR as a predetermined area. That is, the light source LS is a light source capable of emitting light to the irradiation region LR.

Also, the optical axis of the light beam in the irradiation area is indicated as AX. A line connecting the center of the upper end side and the center of the lower end side of the combiner portion 19A when viewed from the side is indicated as the center line CX of the combiner portion 19A.

In the area-saving display mode, the rotating arm 27 rotates clockwise compared to the non-operating state of the display device 10, the combiner unit 19 moves upward, and the combiner portion 19A moves toward the opening OP1 of the outer housing 11. , and protrudes about half into the irradiation area LR.

Further, compared to the non-operating state of the display device 10, the shutter arm 31 rotates counterclockwise, the shutter pin 21P1 is moved to the frontmost portion of the guide hole GH1, the shutter 21 is moved to the frontmost portion, and is opened. It is in a state of being completely retracted forward from the part OP1.

The angle (acute angle) between the optical axis AX and the center line CX of the combiner portion 19A in the area-saving display mode is α.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the display device 10 when the combiner unit 19 is in the fully extended state, that is, when the display device 10 is in the full display mode. Compared to the area-saving display mode of the display device, the rotating arm 27 rotates further clockwise, the combiner unit 19 moves further upward, and the combiner section 19A passes through the opening OP1 of the outer housing 11. , almost the entirety of which protrudes into the irradiation region LR.

When the arm drive pin 31A passes through the straight portion 25B1 of the shutter drive groove 25B and enters the curved portion 25B2, the shutter 21 is in the forwardmost position. The curved portion 25B2 is formed in the circumferential direction of the disk gear 25, and the distance between the curved portion 25B2 and the center of the disk gear 25 does not change. Therefore, from the area-saving display mode state to the full display mode state, the shutter arm 31 does not rotate while the arm drive pin 31B is within the curved portion 25B2, and the shutter 21 continues to be maintained at the forefront position. .

The angle (acute angle) between the optical axis AX and the center line CX of the combiner portion 19A in the full display mode is β larger than α. This is because the curved region GV1 of the guide groove GV is convexly curved forward, and the combiner unit 19 tilts backward as the combiner unit 19 rises. That is, the combiner portion 19A tilts rearward as the amount of projection from the opening OP1 into the irradiation region LR increases.

Thus, the angle between the optical axis AX and the center line CX of the combiner portion 19A increases as the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A into the irradiation region LR increases. Conversely, the angle between the optical axis AX and the center line CX of the combiner portion 19A decreases as the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A into the irradiation region LR decreases.

In other words, the smaller the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A into the irradiation region LR and the lower the display position, the more the reflecting surface, which is the rear surface of the combiner portion 19A, faces upward. That is, as the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A decreases and the display position becomes lower, the focal direction of the light reflected by the combiner portion 19A tilts upward. Therefore, regardless of the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A, the focus direction of the combiner is directed toward the user who is the driver, and regardless of the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A, it is possible to maintain good visibility from the user.

It should be noted that the curved region GV1 can have various shapes so as to have an appropriate inclination according to the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A. For example, when it is desired to change the inclination of the combiner portion 19A by a constant amount of change according to the amount of protrusion, the curvature of the curved region GV1 may be made constant over the entire region. Moreover, when it is desired to change the amount of inclination of the combiner portion 19A while changing the amount of change according to the amount of protrusion, the curvature of the curved area GV1 may be changed depending on the area. Alternatively, the curved region GV1 may be formed by connecting a plurality of line segments with different slopes.

Further, as described above, in the display device 10, the mechanism for sliding the combiner unit 19 and the mechanism for changing the inclination of the combiner unit 19 by rocking the inner housing 15 are independent. With this configuration, it is possible to slide the combiner unit 19 to the deployed position and the retracted position while maintaining the tilted state of the combiner unit 19 .

By doing so, when repeatedly used under the same conditions, for example, when repeatedly used by the same driver, there is no need to adjust the inclination angle of the combiner unit 19 in the unfolded state each time the combiner unit 19 is accommodated and unfolded. Therefore, the operation time from the stored state to the unfolded state of the combiner unit 19 is shortened.

Further, the angle of the inner housing 15 with respect to the outer housing 11 determines the inclination angle of the combiner unit 19 at the time of deployment. There is no need to change the angle of Therefore, when the combiner unit 19 is deployed again after storage, the combiner unit 19 can be repositioned accurately and reproducibly to the position of the combiner unit 19 before storage.

Further, in the display device 10, the inner housing 15 rotates with respect to the outer housing 11, and a disk-shaped circular gear is used as a member having a cam structure for moving the combiner unit 19. 25 is used. With such a configuration, it is possible to make the inner housing 15 and the outer housing 11 compact, and it is possible to provide a compact display device 10 as a whole.

[Operation Control of Display Device 10]
Operation control of the display device 10 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the control system of the display device 10. As shown in FIG. The control unit CP is connected to the first actuator M1 driven to move the combiner unit 19, the second actuator M2 driven to rotate the inner housing 15, and the light source LS, and controls their operations. do.

The controller CP can control the first actuator M1 so as to change the amount of protrusion of the combiner unit 19 from the outer housing 11 through the opening OP1. That is, the control unit 19 can control the actuator M1 so as to change the amount of protrusion of the combiner unit 19 into the irradiation area LR during the display operation. This amount of protrusion can be varied between a plurality of fixed values. Note that the amount of protrusion may be steplessly changeable.

For example, the control section CP brings the combiner unit 19 to the fully extended position where almost the entire combiner section 19A projects from the outer housing 11 in the full display mode, as shown in FIG. 9 described above. The first actuator M1 can be controlled such that That is, almost all of the combiner portion 19A can be controlled to protrude into the irradiation region LR.

Further, for example, the control part CP brings the combiner unit 19 to a semi-protruding position where approximately half of the combiner part 19A protrudes from the outer housing 11 in the area-saving display mode, as shown in FIG. 8 described above. The first actuator M1 can be controlled to be in a semi-deployed state. That is, it is possible to control so that approximately half of the combiner portion 19A protrudes into the irradiation region LR.

As described above, according to the moving mechanism, the combiner unit 19 can be fixed at an arbitrary position by stopping the first actuator M1. That is, according to the moving mechanism, the combiner portion 19A is slid so as to protrude into the irradiation region LR, and the combiner portion 19A is fixed at a plurality of positions where the amount of protrusion into the irradiation region LR is a predetermined amount. It can be held.

Further, the control unit CP drives the second actuator M2 to rotate the inner housing 15 with respect to the outer housing 11 so as to change the tilt of the combiner unit 19A with respect to the optical axis of the light beam in the irradiation area LR. It is possible to move.

In addition, the control unit CP generates a display image formed by light rays emitted from the light source LS. The controller CP controls the light source LS to emit a light beam including the generated display image from the light source LS.

The control unit CP is connected to a detection device (not shown) that detects the position, speed, moving direction, surrounding conditions, etc. of the vehicle on which the display device is mounted, for example. The control unit CP is also connected to a device (not shown) that generates information displayed on the instrument panel of the vehicle in which it is mounted, for example. That is, the controller CP generates display images based on information from these devices, for example.

This display image may include, for example, vehicle speed, information on the state of the vehicle such as air conditioner settings, information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle such as the speed limit of the current road, or navigation information. good.

The change in the amount of protrusion of the combiner section 19A described above may be performed by a command to the control section CP by a user's operation. Also, the change in the protrusion amount of the combiner portion 19A may be automatically changed according to the amount of information to be displayed.

For example, in a mobile object such as an automobile, it is usually sufficient to display only basic state information of the mobile object such as the speed of the mobile object. The possible area may be reduced. Further, when the navigation system is performing operations such as route guidance, it is necessary to display the route guidance in addition to the above-mentioned basic state information. may be increased.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the display device 10 showing an example of a virtual display image formed by the combiner section 19A in all display modes. As shown in FIG. 11, in the full display mode, the display image displayed by the combiner section 19A includes navigation information display. This navigation information display may include displays such as the distance to the next turn, the direction to turn, the distance to the destination, and the arrival time to the destination. In all display modes, it also displays information about the vehicle's surroundings, such as the current speed of the vehicle and the current speed of the vehicle, as well as the air conditioner temperature and air outlet settings. can be included.

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the display device 10 showing an example of a virtual display image formed by the combiner section 19A in the area-saving display mode. As described above, in the area-saving display mode, only the upper half of the combiner portion 19A protrudes from the opening portion OP1.

In the area-saving display mode shown in FIG. 12, only important information among the information included in the display image in the full-screen display mode may be displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, in the area-saving display mode, part of the information included in the display image in the full-screen display mode, specifically, navigation information and vehicle speed information, is included. good too.

That is, the controller CP changes the display image generated between the full-screen display mode and the area-saving display mode. In other words, the controller CP changes the mode of the display image according to the amount of projection of the combiner part 19A into the irradiation region LR (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

As described above, the aspect of the displayed image can be determined based on which of the plurality of positions the combiner unit 19 is brought to, that is, at which of the plurality of positions it is arranged.

As described above, according to the display device 10, the display image displayed using the combiner section 19A is appropriately changed according to the amount of protrusion of the combiner section 19A from the housing, so that the user can Appropriate information can be presented.

In the above embodiment, the content of information included in the display image is changed according to the amount of protrusion of the combiner section 19A from the housing. However, the information display included in the display image may be reduced or enlarged according to the amount of protrusion of the combiner portion 19A, that is, the increase or decrease of the displayable area.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the combiner unit 19 is fixed at two positions, the fully protruding position and the semi-protruding position, to be in the fully deployed state and the semi-developed state was exemplified. However, the combiner portion 19A can also be fixedly supported at three or more positions. In that case, the control part CP can change the mode of the generated display image according to the amount of protrusion of the combiner part 19A into the irradiation region LR.

Further, in the above embodiment, the base M2A of the second actuator M2 is rotatably engaged with the inner housing 15, and the rod M2B is rotatably engaged with the outer housing 11. . However, the base M2A of the second actuator M2 may be rotatably engaged with the outer housing 11 and the rod M2B may be rotatably engaged with the inner housing 15. FIG.

The various configurations and the like in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be appropriately selected according to the application.

10 Display device 11 Outer casing 11P Protruding plate portion 11P
13 Support hole 15 Inner housing 17 Support pin 19 Combiner unit 19A Combiner part 19B Holding part 21 Shutter 23 Drive shaft 25 Disc gear 25A Arm drive groove 25B Shutter drive groove 27 Rotating arm 29 Support member SP1 Side plate part SP2 Side plate part P1 , P2 combiner pin GV guide groove GV1 curved region GV2 bending region M1 first actuator M2 second actuator M2A base M2B rod I fitting member R receiving portion CP convex portion LS light source ML reflecting mirror CP control portion OP1 opening portion OP2 opening portion LR Irradiation area AX Optical axis CX Center line

Claims (1)

a light source that emits a light beam that reaches a predetermined area;
a display member having a plate-like display portion that reflects the light beam to form a virtual image;
a movement mechanism capable of slidingly moving the display member so as to protrude into the predetermined area and fixing and holding the display member at a plurality of positions where the amount of protrusion into the predetermined area is a predetermined amount;
with
A display device, wherein the angle of the display member with respect to the optical axis of the light beam in the predetermined area differs depending on each of the plurality of positions of the display member.

Images