JP3189670B2 - Display of instrument panel of vehicle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device having a simple structure in which visibility is improved by performing multi-layer display at different viewing distances using an EL light emitting element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since an EL element can be made entirely of a transparent material, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 60-3872 discloses that an EL thin film is formed on a vehicle windshield glass to impair forward visibility. In addition, a display device that performs necessary display has been proposed.

[0003]

By the way, in the display of the instrument panel of the vehicle, etc., there is a case where it is desired to improve the visibility not by a flat display but by a multilayer display according to the type of information. In view of the need for mounting on a vehicle, it is required to realize this inexpensively and easily.

The present invention has been made in view of such a demand,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of performing multi-layer display with a simple and inexpensive structure.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transparent substrate having an EL light emitting portion which is transparent when light is not emitted, and a display provided behind the transparent substrate. And In such a configuration, when the EL light emitting unit does not emit light, the entire transparent substrate is in a transparent state, so that the display behind the display can be visually recognized. On the other hand, when the EL light emitting unit emits light, the display is performed on the near side of the display. In this way, double display with different viewing distances is easily realized .
Further, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the display device has a table.
Is displayed when the transparent substrate is not emitting light, and the transparent substrate is
When performing display by the light emitting unit, the display
The corresponding display portion of the located display is turned off.

[0006] In the invention described in claim 2, EL light-emitting portion formed of a transparent non-emitting time performs display at conductible (12)
And a plurality of displays assembled in a case. A transparent substrate is provided in front of the display, and the display displays the display on the transparent substrate without light emission. Sometimes, when the transparent substrate performs display by the EL light-emitting portion, the corresponding display portion of the display located behind the EL light-emitting portion is turned off. This also
The same operation and effect as the first aspect can be achieved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the display selection means selects the display of the EL light emitting section and the display of the display as appropriate according to the vehicle speed signal. Therefore, the display of the viewing distance close to the focal length of the eyes of the occupant adjusted according to the vehicle speed is selected, and the focus adjustment load of the eyes is reduced. Claim
According to the invention described in Item 4, the EL light emitting portion that is transparent in the non-light emitting state is simply configured.

[0008]

[0009]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention; (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an example in which the display device of the present invention is applied to a speedometer of a vehicle. A dial 4 is covered at the opening of the rectangular box-shaped device case 3 which opens to the right. In the device case 3, an inner unit 21 constituting a display is fixed at the center of the end wall by a screw 22, and a dial 31 for dial illumination is installed above and below the inner unit 21.

[0010] On the entire outer periphery of the front face of the dial 4, a return plate 5 is provided.
And the lower side of the look-up plate 5 projects forward. The pointer shaft 23 protruding from the inner unit 21 is located in a space surrounded by the dial plate 4 through the dial 4, and a base end of the pointer 24 is fixed to a distal end thereof. The device cover 1 is attached to the opening of the return plate 5 in an inclined posture, and the device cover 1 is formed of a transparent substrate whose detailed structure will be described later.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed structure of the transparent substrate 11 of the device cover 1. The transparent substrate 11 has transparent cover glasses 101 and 102 arranged in parallel.
The space between 1 and 102 is sealed with a transparent adhesive 110 at the outer peripheral portion. The sealed closed space 109 is filled with oil, and EL (Electroluminescence) wrapped by the transparent insulating layers 105 and 107.
e) The light emitting layer 106 is provided on the cover glass 102. Transparent electrodes 104 and 108 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating layers 105 and 107, respectively, and one end of a power supply lead wire 103 is connected to the transparent electrode 104.

Such a transparent substrate 11 comprises upper and lower electrodes 1
The portion of the EL light-emitting layer 106 sandwiched between
It becomes the light emitting unit 12. FIG. 3 shows an energizing circuit of the display device. The vehicle speed signal is input to the drive circuit 61, and the inner unit 21 is rotationally driven by an output from the drive circuit 61 according to the vehicle speed. In addition, a GPS (Global Positionin) is applied to the EL light emitting unit 12 in the transparent substrate 11.
g System) A display output corresponding to the right / left turn command is provided from the drive circuit 62 that inputs the right / left turn command signal from the device. Power is supplied to each of the drive circuits 61 and 62 from a battery 64 via an ignition switch 63.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the display device, in which a pointer 24 is provided inside a speed scale 41 printed in an arc on the dial 4.
Is located. The pointer 24 has a narrow main body 242 extending radially from a wide central portion 241. Here, when a left turn command signal is input to the drive circuit 62 (FIG. 3), the drive circuit 62 outputs a predetermined EL light emitting portion 12 in the transparent substrate 11.
As shown in the figure, the distance between the left turn sign 1a and the intersection (300 m in the present embodiment) is displayed on the apparatus cover 1 superimposed on the speed display by the hands 24 as shown in the figure. This left turn display 1a indicates to the occupant the pointer 24
Is displayed in a state of being floated closer to the front than the speed display by the driver, the passenger's attention is sufficiently taken, and there is no possibility that an oversight or the like will occur.

In a state where no current is supplied, the EL light emitting portion 12 in the transparent substrate 11 is kept in a transparent state, so that the visibility of the speed display is not hindered. Various displays such as a warning display indicating a vehicle abnormality, a clock display, an odometer display, and a telephone number display can be displayed on the device cover 1 in addition to the display of turning right and left. (Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows another example of the display device.
In the figure, an apparatus case 3A is a container having an L-shaped cross section that opens forward and forward (upper right in the figure), and has an opening of approximately 45 °.
The transparent substrate 11 having the same structure as that of the first embodiment is covered by the inclination. Inside the closed device case 3A, a fluorescent display tube (VFD) 71A as a display is provided forward on a printed wiring board 72A.

An apparatus case 3B is provided in a horizontal posture along the upper edge of the apparatus case 3A.
Has a U-shaped cross section and opens downward. The printed wiring board 72B installed in the device case 3B
The VFD 71B is directed upward toward the inclined surface of the transparent substrate 11.
Is provided. The transparent substrate functions as a mirror with respect to the VFD 71B, and a virtual image of the VFD 71B is generated at a position behind the VFD 71A as shown by a chain line in the figure.

In the display device having such a structure, the display on the EL light emitting portion 12 (FIG. 2) in the transparent substrate 11 is recognized as being located closest to the occupant. VFD
The display on 71A is recognized as the next closest position through the transparent substrate 11, and the display on the VFD 71B is reflected by the transparent substrate 11 and recognized as the farthest position behind the VFD 71A.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
If the triple display by the upper EL light emitting unit 12 or the VFDs 71A and 71B is selected according to the vehicle speed, and the display at a distant position is selected as the vehicle speed increases, the occupant's eyes which are more distant as the vehicle runs at a higher speed can be selected. Focus adjustment load can be reduced. As shown in the drawing, if the hysteresis x and y are provided for the selection of the display position during acceleration and deceleration, the display position is prevented from being excessively changed, and the visibility is improved.

The transparent substrate 11 for the VFD 71B
It is preferable to form a thin metal film on the substrate surface in order to increase the reflectance of the substrate. Also, besides VFD, EL
An indicator or an analog internal unit similar to that of the first embodiment can be used. Further, the VFD 71
If a transparent substrate having an EL light emitting portion is provided at the position where A and 71B are provided, and a display is further provided behind these, a quintuple display or the like is possible. (Third Embodiment) In the display device shown in FIG.
Is composed of a transparent substrate 11 having the same EL light emitting portion as in each of the above embodiments, and the speed scale is displayed by the EL light emitting portion. Then, both the hands 24 and the inner machine 21 for driving the hands 24 are stored in the device case 3 behind the dial 4.

According to such a structure, the mechanical inner unit 21 can be seen together with the pointer 23 from the front of the display device, and a novel display effect can be obtained. In the structure shown in FIG. 1, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained even if the dial 4 is a transparent substrate having an EL light emitting portion. (Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 8 shows another structure of the transparent substrate 11, and the cover glass 10 sealed with a transparent adhesive 103.
In the closed space 109 between the first and the second 102, the transparent insulating layers 113 and 115 and the transparent electrode have the same structure on the cover glass 101 facing the EL light emitting layer 106 on the cover glass 102 described in the first embodiment. An EL light emitting layer 114 sandwiched between 112 and 116 is formed. In addition, 111 is a power supply lead wire.

If, for example, the light emitting layer 106 is set to emit orange light and the light emitting layer 114 is set to emit green light, the EL light emitting section 12 is turned orange by selecting energization to these light emitting layers 106 and 114. , Green, and a mixture of these colors, yellow, and three kinds of emission colors, thereby further improving the variety of display. (Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 9 to 11 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in addition to the speedometer (hereinafter referred to as speedometer Ms) described in the first embodiment, a tachometer Mt and a water temperature gauge are provided. Mw and fuel gauge Mf are employed in the display device according to the present invention. Tachometer M
t, the water temperature meter Mw, and the fuel meter Mf,
5, 26, and 27, like the hands 24 of the speedometer Ms, extend from the dial 4 to the right side in FIG.
The speed scale 42 of the tachometer Mt, the temperature scale 43 of the water temperature meter Mw, and the remaining fuel scale 44 of the fuel meter Mf are:
Printed on the dial 4 corresponding to the hands 25 to 27.

The internal units (not shown) of the tachometer Mt, the water temperature gauge Mw and the fuel gauge Mf are provided with a speedometer M
s is assembled in the device case 3 in the same manner as the inner machine 21 in FIG. In the fifth embodiment, each of the hands 24 to 27 is a light emitting hand. In addition, this fifth
In this embodiment, a pair of annular return plates 5a and 5b are employed instead of the return plate 5 described in the first embodiment, and the return plate 5a is attached to the dial 4 and to the device case 3. It is mounted on the opposite side.

On the other hand, the return plate 5b is mounted on the return plate 5a via the transparent substrate 11 described in the first embodiment. As a result, the transparent substrate 11 is sandwiched between the double facing plates 5a and 5b on the right side of the dial 4 in FIG. The smoke glass 1A is attached to the opening of the return plate 5b so as to face the transparent substrate 11.

The transparent substrate 11, for example, is energized by the EL light emitting section 12 in response to the input of a left turn command signal to the drive circuit 62, and displays a left turn display pattern Pa as shown in FIG. In this case, the lights are turned off so as to make the tachometer Mt and the water temperature gauge Mw hands and scale display invisible to avoid overlapping display. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In the fifth embodiment constructed as described above, a left turn command signal is input to the drive circuit 62, and at the same time, the hands of the tachometer Mt and the water temperature meter Mw and the scale display are turned off so as to be invisible. As a result, FIG.
As shown by 1, the left turn display pattern Pa is displayed together with the speed display of the speedometer Ms and the remaining fuel display of the fuel gauge Mf.

In this case, the tachometer Mt and the water temperature meter Mw
Are not visible, the left turn display pattern Pa can be clearly recognized through the smoked glass 1A. Here, if the left turn display pattern Pa is enlarged and displayed within a range that does not hinder the speed display of the speedometer Ms and the remaining fuel display of the fuel gauge Mf, the occupant's attention can be sufficiently attracted and the passenger is not overlooked.

Further, a speedometer Ms and a fuel meter Mf
Is not visible, and another display pattern is
The same operation and effect as in the case of the left turn display pattern Pa can be achieved even when the display is performed by the L display unit. In the state where the transparent substrate 11 is not energized, the HL light emitting portion is transparent, so that the display of the speedometer Ms, the tachometer Mt, the water temperature gauge Mw, and the fuel gauge Mf can be clearly recognized through the smoke glass 1A. .

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, in multiplex display, the transparent substrate 11 described in the first embodiment is disposed on the viewing side of the scale plate 4 and the transparent substrate 11 is provided. The left turn display pattern P
An auxiliary display pattern such as a can be displayed. When the auxiliary display pattern is displayed, a display overlapping the auxiliary display pattern among the displays of the speedometer Ms, the tachometer Mt, the water temperature gauge Mw, and the fuel gauge Mf is made invisible.

As a result, more display information can be selectively and conspicuously displayed by effectively utilizing the limited space of the dial 4. In the fifth embodiment, the example in which the left turn display pattern Pa is displayed on the transparent substrate 11 has been described. Instead, as shown in FIG. 12, the user is prompted to wear the seat belt together with the seat belt display pattern Pb. The display pattern Pc indicating the message may be displayed, and the invention is not limited to this, and various auxiliary display patterns may be displayed.

In practicing the present invention, the indicator 24 is used as a light emitting indicator in the first embodiment, and the display contents of the transparent substrate 11 and the speedometer are displayed.
You may implement so that it may display selectively like the said 5th Embodiment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a transparent substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing switching of a display position according to a vehicle speed in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part of a transparent substrate according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of FIG. 10 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
It is sectional drawing which follows the -9 line.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of display in which smoke glass is omitted in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a display example showing a modification of the fifth embodiment, except for smoked glass.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: transparent substrate, 12: EL light-emitting part, 21: inner machine, 24
To 27: pointer, 4: dial, 71A, 71B: fluorescent display tube.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-342223 (JP, A) JP-A-7-159424 (JP, A) JP-A-60-128485 (JP, A) 42514 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60K 35/00 B60Q 3/04 G09F 9/46 G01D 7/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An EL light emitting unit (1) which is transparent when light is not emitted.
2) and a plurality of indicators (21, 24 to 27, 71) provided behind the transparent substrate.
A, 71B), wherein the display performs the display when the transparent substrate is not emitting light, and when the transparent substrate performs display by the EL light emitting unit, the display is located behind the EL light emitting unit. A display device for an instrument panel of a vehicle, wherein a corresponding display portion of a display is turned off. 2. A transparent substrate (11) having an EL light-emitting portion (12) that displays when energized and is transparent when light is not emitted.
And a plurality of displays assembled in a case, a transparent substrate is provided in front of the display, the display, the display, when the transparent substrate is not emitting light
The transparent substrate performs display by the EL light-emitting portion.
At this time, a pair of the indicators located behind the EL light emitting portion
A display device for an instrument panel of a vehicle, wherein a display portion is turned off . 3. The display by the EL light emitting unit and the display.
(71A, 71B) and the display according to the vehicle speed signal.
According you further comprising a display selecting means Yichun selecting
Claim 1 or a display device of an instrument panel of vehicles described in 2. Wherein the pre-SL transparent substrate, opposed at intervals
A closed space (10) is provided between a pair of transparent substrates (101, 102).
9) is formed and configured in the closed space (109).
The transparent insulating layer (105, 107) and the transparent electrode (1
04, 108) between the EL light-emitting layers (106).
Formed to display the instrument panel of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized that you were with the EL light emitting portion.