JP2020116991A - Vehicle display device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle display device which can inhibit glaring felt by occupants without providing a complicated optical system at the outer side of a rear projector body.SOLUTION: A vehicle display device 10 includes: an instrument panel 12 provided within a vehicle cabin and at least partially functions as a screen 22; a projector 24 which is provided behind the screen 22 and radiates projection light for showing images on the screen 22; and a shelf 36 (a structure) which is disposed so as to cover a part of the screen 22 and shields the projection light from the projector 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

This specification discloses a vehicle display device that is mounted on a vehicle and displays various images.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a vehicular display device that displays various images in a vehicle is widely known. Conventionally, many vehicle display devices have a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. Further, in part, there has been proposed a so-called rear projector type vehicle display device that irradiates light representing an image from the back side of the interior panel. According to such a rear projector type display device, an image can be displayed even when the screen (interior panel) is curved or bent three-dimensionally, and the degree of freedom of the screen is improved.

Patent Document 1 discloses such a rear projector type display device for a vehicle. In Patent Document 1, the projector has a reflection portion that reflects projection light representing an image toward a screen (interior panel), and irradiates the screen (interior panel) with the projection light through the reflection portion. There is. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the linear distance from the projector body (light source) to the screen (interior panel), and it becomes difficult for an obstacle to intervene on the optical path of the projection light.

JP, 2008-079838, A

However, in Patent Document 1, since a plurality of reflecting members (mirrors and the like) are provided outside the projector body, the number of parts is increased, resulting in an increase in cost and an increase in weight. On the other hand, when the reflective member is not used, the space inside the vehicle may be limited, and it is difficult to sufficiently separate the rear projector from the occupant. As a result, the optical path distance from the light source to the eyes of the occupant becomes short, and the occupant can easily feel glare.

Therefore, the present specification discloses a vehicle display device capable of suppressing the glare of an occupant without providing a complicated optical system outside the rear projector body.

A vehicle display device disclosed in the present specification is provided with an interior panel that is provided in a vehicle compartment and at least a part of which functions as a screen, and a rear panel that is provided behind the screen and irradiates the screen with projection light representing an image. A projector and a structure that is arranged so as to cover a part of the screen and blocks projection light from the rear projector.

With such a configuration, since a part of the projected light is blocked by the structure, the possibility that the projected light directly enters the eyes of the occupant who is the observer is reduced, and the glare of the occupant can be reduced.

Further, the interior panel faces a seat installed in a vehicle compartment, the rear projector is provided at a height position overlooking a seated person seated in the seat, and the structure is the rear It may be provided diagonally above the light source of the projector. More specifically, the structure may be provided on a line connecting a light source of the rear projector of the previous era and an eye point of a seated person sitting on the seat.

With such a configuration, the projection light that directly enters the eyes of the occupant can be more reliably blocked by the structure, and the glare of the occupant can be more reliably reduced.

Further, the structure may be a shelf projecting from the interior panel into the passenger compartment.

Since the structure has a function as a shelf in addition to the function of blocking the projection light, the space efficiency in the vehicle interior can be further improved.

Further, the interior panel may be curved or bent three-dimensionally.

With such a configuration, the degree of freedom in screen design is further improved.

According to the vehicle display device disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to suppress the glare of the occupant without providing a complicated optical system outside the rear projector body.

It is the figure which looked at the instrument panel of the vehicle in which the display was built from the passenger side. It is an end view in the AA line in FIG. It is an end view in the BB line in FIG.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the display device 10 for a vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view of an instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as “instrument panel 12”) of a vehicle in which a display device 10 is incorporated, viewed from a passenger seat side. 2 is an end view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an end view taken along line BB in FIG.

The display device 10 of this example uses a part of an interior panel provided in a vehicle compartment as a screen 22. Specifically, a part of the instrument panel 12 provided near the front end of the vehicle compartment is used as the screen 22. As is well known, the instrument panel 12 is an interior panel that extends in front of the driver's seat and the passenger seat. The instrument panel 12 is a panel member made of resin or the like. The instrument panel 12 may be configured by a single panel member or may be configured by combining a plurality of panel members. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, the instrument panel 12 includes at least a front panel 14 facing the inside of the vehicle, an upper panel 16 extending obliquely upward from an upper end of the front panel 14, and an oblique lower downward from a lower end of the front panel 14. A lower panel 18 extending in the direction.

The entire instrument panel 12 is a free-form surface that is curved along both the vehicle width direction and the height direction. In front of the driver's seat of the instrument panel 12, instruments (not shown) such as a speedometer are incorporated. In addition, a handle 20 that is handled by a driver is attached near the instruments. Further, the instrument panel 12 also has irregularities and holes for forming a blowout port of an air conditioner, an output port of a speaker and the like (not shown).

Further, in front of the front passenger seat of the instrument panel 12, a shelf 36 projecting toward the front passenger seat is attached. The shelf 36 can be used as a space for passengers sitting in the passenger seat to put luggage such as drinks. The shelf 36 is long in the vehicle width direction, and a part of the shelf 36 partially penetrates the screen 22 described later. The shelf 36 functions as a structure that blocks the projection light from the projector 24 described later, which will be described later.

The front portion of the front passenger seat of the instrument panel 12 functions as a screen 22 of the display device 10. In FIG. 1, the cross-hatched portion indicates the screen 22. As is apparent from FIG. 1, in this example, the screen 22 has a substantially rectangular shape. There is no joint between the panel members in the vicinity of both ends in the width direction of the screen 22, and both ends in the width direction of the screen 22 are seamlessly connected to the outer range of the screen 22. On the other hand, both upper and lower ends of the screen 22 are close to the joint between the front panel 14 and the upper panel 16 or the lower panel 18. As described above, since the entire instrument panel 12 is curved along both the width direction and the height direction, the screen 22 is also curved along the width direction and the height direction, in other words, three-dimensional. It has a free-form surface that is curved or bent.

Here, as a means for displaying an image, conventionally, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel has been widely used. However, it is difficult to form a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel on a free-form surface that is curved or bent three-dimensionally as in this example. Therefore, the display device 10 of this example is a rear projector system in which a projector 24 provided behind the screen 22 irradiates the screen 22 with light showing an image. With such a configuration, an image can be displayed even on a free-form surface that is curved or bent three-dimensionally or an uneven surface having unevenness for forming an air conditioner outlet or the like.

In the rear projector method, the projection light emitted from the projector 24 is transmitted through the screen 22 and scattered, so that an occupant can visually recognize the image. Therefore, the screen 22 transmits and scatters the projection light projected from the projector 24 satisfactorily, while having an opacity to the extent that the projector 24 cannot be seen through when viewed from the driver/passenger side. That is, it needs to be translucent.

In order to have such a configuration, for example, the screen 22 may be configured by a light transmissive semitransparent member such as vinyl resin, acrylic resin, or glass. Further, the screen 22 may be made semi-transparent by applying opaque printing to the surface of the front panel 14 made of a transparent material at an appropriate density. In any case, the screen 22 has a color tone similar to that of the instrument panel 12 in the surroundings when the projector 24 is stopped, while a vivid image can be obtained if the projector 24 is driven and projection light is emitted. It is desirable to project it.

A projector 24 is provided behind the instrument panel 12 (on the vehicle front side of the instrument panel 12 ). The projector 24 projects an image, more specifically, projects projection light representing an image toward the screen 22, and projects an image by the projection light on the screen 22. The projector 24 has a main body 25 that outputs projection light, and a cone cover 32 that extends between the main body 25 and the screen 22 (front panel 14).

The main body 25 includes a light source 26 such as an LED element, a drive unit 30 that forms an original image of an image to be projected, a lens 28 that spreads light from the light source 26 to a desired angle of view, and the like. The drive unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU and a memory, a microdisplay that forms an original image, and the like, and when receiving an image signal from an external device, forms an original image according to the image signal.

The light source 26 emits projection light corresponding to this original image. Here, the “eye” mark in FIG. 2 indicates the position of the eyes of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat, that is, the eye point EP. As is apparent from FIG. 2, the light source 26 of the projector 24 is below the eye point EP. In other words, the light source 26 is located at a position overlooked by the passenger sitting in the passenger seat (however, the light source 26 is actually obstructed by the instrument panel 12 and cannot be seen). The lens 28 is arranged immediately in front of the light source 26, spreads light from the light source 26, and corrects optical distortion.

A cone cover 32 that surrounds the irradiation range extends between the main body 25 and the screen 22. The cone cover 32 is a cover member that is provided to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering the irradiation range and thereby maintain high display quality. The cone cover 32 is made of, for example, resin, and its inner surface is painted black, for example, in order to prevent reflection of light.

The cone cover 32 is a conical cylindrical body having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the screen 22 and having a cross-sectional area that increases toward the screen 22. In this example, since the screen 22 is substantially quadrangular as shown in FIG. 1, the cone cover 32 is also a substantially quadrangular pyramid having a substantially quadrangular cross section. That is, the cone cover 32 includes an upper cover surface 32u located on the upper side of the irradiation range, a lower cover surface 32d located on the lower side, a left cover surface 32l located on the left side, and a right cover surface 32r located on the right side. It has four sides.

Here, of the four surfaces, the right cover surface 32r and the left cover surface 32l, which are located on both sides in the width direction, respectively have, in the middle thereof, a diaphragm portion 40 that projects inward so as to narrow the irradiation range. The diaphragm portion 40 is provided to block light that directly reaches the sealing member 34, which will be described later, and this will be described later.

The tip of the cone cover 32 is fixed to the back surface of the screen 22 via a seal member 34 that is a fixing member. The seal member 34 is made of a material having appropriate elasticity, such as rubber or sponge, so as to fill the gap between the tip of the cone cover 32 and the screen 22, and is adhered and adhered to the back surface of the screen 22.

In the case of the rear projector type display device 10 as described above, an image can be displayed even if the screen 22 has a curved surface or an uneven surface, so that the degree of freedom in design can be improved. However, when such a rear projector type display device 10 is mounted in a vehicle, there is a problem that the distance from the light source 26 to the observer becomes short. That is, the space inside the vehicle is limited, and the installation space for the projector 24 is also limited. Therefore, the projector 24 has to be relatively small, and the distance from the light source 26 to the screen 22 tends to be short. Further, the position of the observer who observes the screen 22, that is, the position of the occupant sitting in the driver's seat or the passenger seat is almost constant, and the distance from the screen 22 to the observer is also limited. As a result, when the rear projector type display device 10 is incorporated in a vehicle, the distance from the light source 26 to the observer tends to be short.

When the distance from the light source 26 to the observer is short, there is a problem that the observer feels glare when the light emitted from the light source 26 directly enters the observer's eyes. In order to avoid such a problem, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of mirrors that reflect and bend the projection light outside the main body 25 of the projector 24. With this configuration, the optical path distance from the light source 26 to the observer can be increased. Then, even if the projection light enters the eyes of the observer, the observer hardly feels glare.

However, when a plurality of such mirrors are provided, other problems such as an increase in the number of parts and an increase in weight are caused. In particular, in the display device 10 for a vehicle, when an optical component such as a mirror is added, a mounting structure for maintaining an appropriate position is required even if it receives a vibration accompanying traveling of the vehicle. It was easy to invite a further increase.

Therefore, in this example, a shelf 36 (structure) that covers a part of the screen 22 from the front side is provided. The shelf 36 is fastened to the front panel 14 by fastening means such as a clip 38 and has a light-shielding property capable of blocking projection light. As shown in FIG. 2, the shelf 36 is mounted diagonally above the light source 26 of the projector 24. In other words, the shelf 36 is located on the straight line L1 that connects the light source 26 and the eye point EP.

With such a configuration, the light traveling from the light source 26 toward the eye point EP is blocked by the shelf 36 in the middle thereof and does not directly enter the eyes of the observer. As a result, strong light does not enter the eyes of the observer, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the observer from feeling glare. That is, by providing the structure (shelf 36) that covers a part of the screen 22, it is possible to reduce the glare for the observer without providing a complicated optical system outside the main body 25 of the projector 24.

Further, in this example, the shelf 36 is provided as a structure that blocks the projection light. As described above, the shelf 36 can be used as a space for an occupant to put luggage and the like, and improves the utility of the vehicle. By using such a member that improves the utility as a structure that blocks the projection light, the space efficiency in the vehicle compartment can be further improved.

By the way, as is clear from the above description, the seal member 34 is in close contact with the boundary portion of the screen 22 on the back surface of the front panel 14. The front panel 14 is semi-transparent because a part of the front panel 14 is used as the screen 22. Therefore, when the seal member 34 is exposed to strong light, the seal member 34 may be seen through from the front side of the front panel 14 and the appearance may be deteriorated.

Therefore, in this example, the diaphragm portion 40 is provided on the left cover surface 32l and the right cover surface 32r to prevent the light from the light source 26 from directly hitting the seal member 34. As described above, the aperture section 40 projects inward of the straight line L2 connecting the light source 26 and the seal member 34, and blocks the light directly going from the light source 26 to the seal member 34. This prevents the seal members 34 located at both ends of the screen 22 in the width direction from being illuminated by the direct light from the light source 26, and prevents the seal members 34 from being seen through.

However, if the diaphragm 40 is located near the screen 22, the seal member 34 may be illuminated by the reflected light of the light that has reached the vicinity of the seal member 34, and may be seen through from the front side. Therefore, in this example, the diaphragm unit 40 is provided at a position slightly away from the screen 22, specifically, within the range of 3/4 on the front side when viewed from the light source 26.

Of course, since part of the projection light is blocked by the diaphragm 40 in this way, the width direction range of the image display range is defined by the straight line L3 connecting the innermost point of the diaphragm 40 and the light source 26. It is defined, and W in FIG. 3 is the widthwise dimension of the image display range of the screen 22.

Further, in this example, the diaphragm portions 40 are provided only on the left cover surface 32l and the right cover surface 32r provided on both sides of the irradiation range in the width direction, and the upper cover surface 32u and the lower cover surface 32d provided on both sides of the irradiation range in the vertical direction. The diaphragm portion 40 is not provided in the. This is because the upper and lower ends of the screen 22 are close to the joint between the panel members, and the seal members 34 located at the upper and lower ends of the screen 22 are inconspicuous. When the seal members 34 located at the upper and lower ends of the screen 22 are conspicuous, it is needless to say that the diaphragm portions 40 are also provided on the upper cover surface 32u and the lower cover surface 32d.

Note that the configurations described so far are examples, and other configurations may be appropriately changed as long as the structure has a structure that covers a part of the screen 22 and shields the projection light. For example, in this example, part of the instrument panel 12 is used as the screen 22, but the screen 22 may be provided on another panel as long as it is an interior panel provided in the vehicle interior. For example, a part of the rear panel of the driver's seat or the passenger's seat may be used as the screen 22 visually recognized by an occupant sitting in the back seat.

Further, the structure is not limited to the shelf 36, and may be another member such as a storage or a handle as long as it can block the projection light. However, it is desirable that the structure has a function other than blocking the projection light. Further, in the present example, the throttle portion 40 is provided in a part of the cone cover 32 in order to prevent the seal member 34 from being transparent, but the throttle portion 40 may be omitted.

10 display device, 12 instrument panel, 14 front panel, 16 upper panel, 18 lower panel, 20 handle, 22 screen, 24 projector, 25 main body section, 26 light source, 28 lens, 30 drive section, 32 cone cover (cover member), 34 Sealing member (fixing member), 36 shelves (structure), 38 clips, 40 throttle part.

Claims (1)

An interior panel that is provided in the vehicle interior and at least a part of which functions as a screen,
A rear projector that is provided behind the screen and irradiates the screen with projection light representing an image;
A structure that is arranged so as to cover a part of the screen and blocks projection light from the rear projector,
A vehicle display device comprising:

Images