Heads-up display with irrigation trough

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969582-B2
Application number	US-201916532990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2019
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A heads-up display (HUD) system is disclosed in various embodiments. The HUD system includes a window plate defining an opening to enable light emitting from HUD components to pass therethrough. The window plate includes an inner trough wall and an outer trough wall that cooperate to define a trough therebetween that at least partially surrounds the opening. A transparent cover is attached to the window plate and covers the opening. The cover has a perimeter and an overhang portion located along at least a portion of the perimeter. The opening has a center and the overhang portion extends further from the center than the inner trough wall to facilitate liquid traveling across the cover to enter the trough and inhibit the liquid from entering an interface between the cover and the window plate. The outer trough wall can have a raised profile relative to the cover to protect the cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heads-up display (HUD) assembly comprising:
a main case;
a window plate connected to the main case, the window plate defining an opening configured to enable light emitting from HUD components to pass therethrough, the window plate further including an inner trough wall and an outer trough wall that define a trough therebetween that at least partially surrounds the opening; and
a transparent cover attached to the window plate and covering the opening, the cover having a perimeter and an overhang portion located along at least a portion of the perimeter, wherein the overhang portion extends beyond the inner trough wall and is not directly supported from beneath by the window plate.

2. The HUD assembly of claim 1 , wherein the overhang portion extends beyond the inner trough wall by at least 0.5 millimeters.

3. The HUD assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner trough wall has a first height, and the outer trough wall has a second height exceeding the first height.

4. The HUD assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second height exceeds a sum of the first height and a thickness of the cover such that the outer trough wall has a raised profile compared to the cover.

5. The HUD assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough has a width in a range of 2 to 10 millimeters.

6. The HUD assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trough has a depth defined between a floor of the trough and the inner trough wall, wherein the depth is at least 4 millimeters.

7. The HUD assembly of claim 1 , wherein no adhesives are provided to attach the cover to the window plate.

8. A heads-up display (HUD) assembly comprising:
a cover having a perimeter; and
a window plate supporting the cover from beneath, the window plate having a trough defined about at least a portion of the perimeter of the cover, wherein the trough has an outer trough wall that has a raised profile compared to the cover.

9. The HUD assembly of claim 8 , wherein the outer trough wall extends higher than the cover such that the cover is recessed within the outer trough wall.

10. The HUD assembly of claim 8 , wherein the window plate further includes an inner trough wall that, in combination with the outer trough wall, forms the trough, wherein the inner trough wall is shorter than the outer trough wall.

11. The HUD assembly of claim 10 , wherein the outer trough wall has a height that exceeds a sum of a height of the inner trough wall and a thickness of the cover.

12. The HUD assembly of claim 10 , wherein the perimeter of the cover overhangs the inner trough wall to cover at least a portion of the trough.

13. The HUD assembly of claim 12 , wherein the perimeter of the cover extends beyond the inner trough wall by a distance of at least 0.5 millimeters.

14. The HUD assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cover has an upper surface and the window plate has an upper surface, and a gap exists between an entity of the perimeter of the cover and the window plate such that no portion of the upper surface of the cover is flush or continuous with the upper surface of the window plate.

15. A vehicular heads-up display (HUD) system comprising:
a window plate defining an opening configured to enable light emitting from HUD components to pass therethrough, the window plate including an inner trough wall and an outer trough wall that cooperate to define a trough therebetween that at least partially surrounds the opening; and
a transparent cover attached to the window plate and covering the opening, the cover having a perimeter and an overhang portion located along at least a portion of the perimeter, wherein the opening has a center and the overhang portion extends further from the center than the inner trough wall to facilitate liquid traveling across the cover to enter the trough and inhibit the liquid from entering an interface between the cover and the window plate.

16. The vehicular HUD system of claim 15 , wherein the overhang portion of the cover is not directly supported from beneath by the window plate.

17. The vehicular HUD system of claim 15 , wherein:
the inner trough wall has a first height;
the cover has a thickness;
the outer trough wall has a second height; and
the second height exceeds a sum of the first height and the thickness of the cover such that the outer trough wall has a raised profile compared to the cover.

18. The vehicular HUD system of claim 15 , wherein the trough includes a floor and the window plate defines a run-off region that has a floor contiguous with the floor of the trough and travels downward to facilitate a run-off of liquid traveling in the trough.

19. The vehicular HUD system of claim 18 , wherein the trough has a depth that is equal to a depth of the run-off region.

20. The vehicular HUD system of claim 15 , wherein the overhang portion extends beyond the inner trough wall by at least 0.5 millimeters.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Degiulio Dominic
• Yang Roger
• Matsui Yusuke

Classifications

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• G02B27/0149 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features (G02B27/0176 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60K2360/691

  Housings · CPC title