Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021268906-A1
Application number	US-202117324540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 2, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle body structure, comprising an image capturing apparatus configured to capture an image of a left-rearward area and a right-rearward area of a vehicle, and a display apparatus including a left-side display unit configured to display the left-rearward area and a right-side display unit configured to display the right-rearward area, wherein when viewed in a vehicle body front-and-rear direction, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are respectively fixed at a left-side end part and a right-side end part of a vehicle cabin forward structure so as to be positioned higher than a center of a steering wheel and lower than an upper end of the steering wheel.

First claim

1 . A vehicle body structure, comprising:
an image capturing apparatus configured to capture an image of a left-rearward area and a right-rearward area of a vehicle; and a display apparatus including a left-side display unit configured to display the left-rearward area and a right-side display unit configured to display the right-rearward area, wherein when viewed in a vehicle body front-and-rear direction, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are respectively fixed at a left-side end part and a right-side end part of a vehicle cabin forward structure so as to be positioned higher than a center of a steering wheel and lower than an upper end of the steering wheel, and the vehicle body structure further comprises an indicator configured to indicate a state of the left-side display unit and/or the right-side display unit, the indicator being provided below the left-side display unit and/or the right-side display unit and at a position away from the steering wheel in a left-and-right direction.

2 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the vehicle body front-and-rear direction, a spoke of the steering wheel extends in a left-and-right direction when the steering wheel is in an attitude for causing the vehicle to travel straight, and the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are at least partially positioned higher than the spoke.

3 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein a concave part is formed between a rim and the spoke of the steering wheel, and when viewed in the vehicle body front-and-rear direction, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are positioned in such a manner that lower end parts thereof overlap with the concave part in a vehicle width direction.

4 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 3 , wherein
the left-side display unit or the right-side display unit is configured to display an icon indicating the state of the left-side display unit and/or the right-side display unit, at an upper edge on an inner side in the left-and-right direction of the left-side display unit or the right-side display unit, and the icon is displayed such that a gap is formed between the icon and the concave part when viewed in the vehicle body front-and-rear direction.

5 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein,
in a driver's line of sight based on a predetermined law, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are positioned in such a manner that an edge, on an inner side in the vehicle width direction, of one of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit overlaps with the steering wheel, and the display apparatus is configured to be capable of displaying a vehicle body on an edge, on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit, when in an initial state, and one of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit, which is in a side of the steering wheel, displays the vehicle body so as to overlap with the steering wheel on its edge on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

6 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from the vehicle body front-and-rear direction, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are positioned higher than a lower end, and lower than an upper end, of an instrument panel.

7 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
a position and an attitude of the steering wheel can be adjusted, and when the steering wheel is in a predetermined position and attitude, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are positioned higher than the center of the steering wheel and lower than the upper end of the steering wheel.

8 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are fixed in an attitude inclined relative to the vehicle body front-and-rear direction in such a manner that the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit face inward in the vehicle width direction.

9 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 8 , wherein
the display apparatus further includes an eave portion forming frames of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit in an upper side of each of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit, and the eave portion is less inclined than each of the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit when viewed from above.

10 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an instrument panel provided in the vehicle cabin forward structure; and a monitor, which differs from the instrument panel, configured to display map information and/or moving images, wherein when viewed from the vehicle body front-and-rear direction, the left-side display unit and the right-side display unit are provided in both side of the instrument panel and the monitor, respectively, and between an upper edge and a lower edge of the monitor.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hayashida Yoshimasa
• Shigefuji Yasuyuki
• Myoi Akinori
• Seki Susumu

Classifications

• B60R1/26 Primary

  to the rear of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60K35/285

  for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points · CPC title

• B60K35/60 Primary

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60R2300/8046

  for replacing a rear-view mirror system · CPC title