FR3051406B1 - COMBINED INSTRUMENTS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE DASHBOARD WITH INCREASING OPTICAL REFLECTION MEANS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an instrument cluster for a motor vehicle instrument panel comprising a digital display screen (20) capable of displaying a source image (21) generated by a graphical calculator and representing a multitude of indicator modules intended for driver of said vehicle; characterized in that it further comprises a magnifying reflecting plate (30) located below said digital display screen (20) and being inclined with respect to said digital display screen (20) so as to reflect said source image (21) by directing said conductor so that the latter perceives in its field of vision an enlarged virtual image (31) located beyond said blade (30).

Description

COMBINED INSTRUMENTS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE DASHBOARD WITH INCREASING OPTICAL REFLECTION MEANS.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an instrument cluster for a motor vehicle dashboard.

Background of the invention

Conventionally composed of a plurality of analog dials with hands associated with indicator lights, the instrument handsets are used to provide the driver with a multitude of data relating to the operation of a motor vehicle, such as, for example, its instantaneous speeds and average engine speed, fuel level or even average fuel consumption. They also make it possible to display warning signals (excessive engine temperature, insufficient oil level or even non-closing of a door) and indicators indicating the activation of certain vehicle devices (turn signals, parking brake, lights). position, crossing or road).

The mid-1990s saw the emergence of new types of instrument handsets devoid of needle dials and featuring a rectangular flat-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying all the necessary information to the driver. Such a handset is for example described in the German patent application DE 196,23,406.

Recently, some mid-range and high-end vehicles are equipped with digital instrument handsets featuring an active matrix LCD color display panel (LCD-TFT), similar to those found on televisions and TVs. computer monitors.

The latter, which offer a very good image quality in terms of resolution, contrast and brightness, are further configurable by the driver of the vehicle via controls located on the steering wheel or below the display panel. It can therefore choose at least in part the modules he wants to see on the screen and their style and background.

To display all the desired information while offering the driver a satisfactory visual comfort, the display panel must have a definition of HD type (720p or 1080p) and a consistent diagonal of at least ten inches ( about 25 cm).

This category of display slabs unfortunately has a high cost, which restricts its implementation to high-end vehicle models.

In addition, the incorporation of such a large rectangular flat screen within a dashboard, induces a consequent limitation of the possibilities of style and thus imposes a particularly important integration effort in the design phase of this dashboard.

Object and summary of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to provide a digital instrument cluster economic manufacturing and also providing a satisfactory visual comfort to the driver.

It proposes for this purpose a instrument cluster for a motor vehicle dashboard comprising a digital display screen capable of displaying a source image generated by a graphics calculator and representing a multitude of indicator modules for the driver of said vehicle; characterized in that it further comprises a magnifying reflecting plate located below said digital display screen and being inclined with respect thereto so as to reflect said source image towards said conductor so that the latter perceives it in its field of view an enlarged virtual image located beyond said blade.

While presenting a particularly reasonable cost of production due to the use of a small digital display screen, the instrument cluster according to the invention makes it possible to offer the driver a large display surface. ensuring optimum user comfort. On the other hand, the instrument cluster according to the invention can be easily integrated and particularly harmoniously with any type of motor vehicle dashboard, since the shape and size of the reflecting plate can be modulated. almost limitless to best match the configuration and style of this dashboard. The visual experience offered is thus much richer and more pleasing than the flat and rectangular display of current digital handsets.

According to preferred features of the instrument cluster according to the invention, taken alone or in combination: - said display screen is constituted by an active matrix LCD panel; said display screen has a diagonal of between 15 and 20 cm; said reflecting plate is magnified along a single axis; the magnification factor of said magnifying blade is between 1.2 and 1.6; said magnifying reflecting plate has an inclination of 45 ° with respect to said display screen; said magnifying reflecting plate has a reflectivity coefficient of at least 30%; and / or - said magnifying reflecting plate is tinted. The invention also aims in a second aspect, a dashboard for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it incorporates such a combined instrument.

This dashboard advantageously comprises a visor supporting said digital display screen.

Brief description of the drawings The description of the invention will now be continued by the detailed description of an exemplary embodiment, given below by way of illustration but without limitation, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. a perspective view of a digital instrument cluster according to the invention implanted in the dashboard of a motor vehicle; - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating the principle of operation of the digital instrument cluster according to the invention; FIG. 3 represents an example of a source image projected by the display screen of the instrument cluster according to the invention; and FIG. 4 represents the enlarged virtual image generated by the magnifying mirror of the instrument cluster according to the invention 1 from the image of FIG. 3.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

The digital instrument cluster 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is intended to be integrated with the dashboard of a motor vehicle in the axis of the steering wheel 2 to provide the driver with a multitude of data relating to the operation of this vehicle (for example, its instantaneous and average speeds, its engine speed, its fuel level or even its average consumption) but also to display warning signals (excessive engine temperature, insufficient oil level or non-closing of the engine). 'a door) and telltales indicating the activation of certain vehicle devices (turn signals, handbrake, sidelights, dipped or road lights).

This handset 1 comprises a support 10, a digital display screen 20 and a magnifying reflecting plate 30.

The support 10 comprises a first inclined wall 11 supporting the reflecting plate 30, and a second substantially horizontal wall 12 supporting the display screen 20 and located directly above the blade 30.

Preferably and as illustrated by the embodiment of Figure 1, the first inclined wall 11 is constituted by the upper facade of the dashboard while the second substantially horizontal wall 12 is formed by the visor of this board The digital display screen 20 is advantageously constituted by an active matrix LCD panel (LCD-TFT) preferably having a diagonal of between 6 and 8 inches (ie between 15 and 20 cm) and advantageously equal to 7 inches (about 18 cm).

This type of screen has indeed a low cost and a sufficiently high brightness for the implementation of the invention. The digital display screen 20 is connected to a graphics computer, not shown in the figures, which transmits in real time a source image 21 comprising a number of indicator modules (central instantaneous speed module, FM radio module , fuel gauge module, rev counter module, etc ...) drawn in a certain style (for example "classic" reproducing the display of analogue or "digital" dials in which all the information is displayed in the form digital numbers).

This source image 21, of which FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary possible configuration, is not directly visible to the driver by the substantially horizontal arrangement of the screen 20.

It is of course updated in real time according to the evolution of the data collected by the Intelligent Servicing Unit (BSI) of the vehicle to which this graphic calculator is connected. It is also configurable by the driver of the vehicle using controls located for example on the steering wheel, so that the latter can at least partially select the display modules to display and choose the style to apply them.

Located in the axis of vision of the driver and below the digital display screen 20, the reflecting plate 30 is inclined at 45 ° vis-à-vis the latter way to reflect the source image 21 appearing on this screen in the direction of the driver so that it then perceives an enlarged virtual image 31 in its field of vision beyond this reflecting plate 30.

This blade 30 is formed by a transparent curved substrate preferably glossy and tinted (for example in black) which carries a reflective coating. This substrate is advantageously made of treated glass or a thermoplastic material such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC).

So that this virtual image 31 is visible to the driver in the desired direction, the source image 21 is laterally reversed.

The blade 30 advantageously has a reflectivity coefficient of at least 30% so that the virtual image generated is sufficiently bright.

In addition, the latter is preferably magnified along the single horizontal axis, which makes it possible to obtain, from a slab of 16/9 format that is standard and therefore economical, a virtual image reflected in an elongated format particularly well adapted to the display of the various indicator modules of a combined instrument of a motor vehicle (Figure 4). In such a case, the source image projected by the display screen 20 must be compressed in width (see FIG. 3) so that the reflected virtual image 31 visible by the driver is not deformed (FIG. 4). .

Preferably, the magnification factor of the reflective plate 30 is between 1.2 and 2, so as to limit the optical distortion in the virtual image 31 (especially in its two upper corners).

In order to reduce this distortion phenomenon, optical and / or digital treatments may also be applied respectively to the blade 30 and to the source image 21.

The distance between the display screen 20 and the reflecting plate 30 varying over the entire height of this blade, its radius of curvature therefore also varies over this height in order to obtain a uniform magnification factor.

If, for example, it is desired to obtain an elongated virtual image 31 of 10 inches diagonal (25.4 cm) from a standard 7 inch 16/9 format display screen, this reflective plate 30 should have a magnification factor of 1.6.

In such a case and to keep this uniform magnification factor over the entire height of the reflective plate 30, its radius of curvature continuously varies from 16 cm at its upper edge to 64 cm at its upper edge.

The shape of the contour and the dimensions of the reflecting plate 30 can be chosen freely as long as they allow the driver to visualize all the vehicle data contained in the source image 21, which facilitates the integration of this blade. in the dashboard of the vehicle.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the reflective plate 30 has a hexagonal contour ensuring a visual rendition both original and stylized. Its dimensions are further predetermined so that the virtual image that the driver displays does not include the four corner regions of the source image 21 likely to be the most deformed by the blade 30.

To exploit the entire surface of the source image 21 while preserving the freedom of style, it can be provided instead to use a blade 30 whose dimensions are greater than those of the virtual image 31.

In order to limit the windowing aspect and to obtain a certain visual continuity at the periphery of this virtual image 31, the peripheral zone of the blade 30 surrounding this virtual image 31 may advantageously not be reflective. In such a case, however, a vertical clearance of a few centimeters is provided so that the virtual image 31 that the driver visualizes includes all the vehicle data contained in the source image 21 and whatever its size (and so the height of his gaze).

According to alternative embodiments not shown, the reflecting plate is magnifying according to the two horizontal and vertical axes.

According to other embodiments not shown, the digital display screen is of different type, the latter being for example constituted by an LED matrix display or by a segmented LCD panel.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but encompasses any other embodiment.

Claims (9)

A combination of instruments for a motor vehicle dashboard comprising a digital display screen (20) capable of displaying a source image (21) generated by a graphical calculator and representing a multitude of indicator modules intended for the driver of said vehicle ; further comprising a magnifying reflecting plate (30) beneath said digital display screen (20) and being inclined thereto to reflect said source image (21) towards said conductor so that the last perceives in its field of vision an enlarged virtual image (31) located beyond said blade (30), characterized in that said reflecting plate (30) is magnified along a single axis. 2. Instrument cluster according to claim 1, characterized in that said display screen (20) is constituted by an active matrix LCD panel. 3. Combined instrument according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said display screen (20) has a diagonal between 15 and 20 cm. 4. Instrument cluster according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnification factor of said magnifying blade (30) is between 1.2 and 1.6. 5. Instrument cluster according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said magnifying reflecting plate (30) has an inclination of 45 ° relative to said display screen (20). 6. Instrument cluster according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said magnifying reflecting plate (30) has a reflectivity coefficient of at least 30%. 7. Instrument cluster according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said magnifying reflecting plate (30) is tinted. 8, dashboard for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it incorporates a combination of instruments according to one of claims 1 to 7. 9. Dashboard for a motor vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a visor (12) supporting said digital display screen (20).