Vehicular display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9329319-B2
Application number	US-201414311693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A vehicular display apparatus includes a light source and a light guide member. The light guide member includes (i) an interior portion that receives light from the light source and (ii) outer faces that reflect the light repeatedly to permit the light to propagate in the interior portion. The light guide member further includes a viewable portion and a light absorption member serving as a light attenuation portion. The viewable portion reflects a part of the light propagating in the interior portion towards a viewer side so as to appear to be luminous. The light absorption member absorbs a part of light reflected by the outer face.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular display apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:
a light source; and
a light guide member that is linearly extended, the light guide member including
an interior portion that receives light from the light source, and
outer faces that reflect the light repeatedly to permit the reflected light to propagate in the interior portion,

the light guide member further including:
a viewable portion that reflects a part of the light propagating in the interior portion towards a viewer side so as to appear to be luminous, and
a light absorption member serving as a light attenuation portion that absorbs the light reflected by the outer faces,

wherein:
the viewable portion is provided on the outer face that is located on a side opposite to the viewable side of the light guide member; and
the light absorption member is provided on the outer face that is located on a lower side of the light guide member, only in a far end of a path of the light propagating through the interior portion of the light guide member that is linearly extended.

2. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light guide member is provided to receive a cover that covers the outer face.

3. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the cover hides the light absorption member from the viewer side.

4. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the cover includes a contact portion that contacts the light absorption member and a non-contact portion that faces the light guide portion via an air gap.

5. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light absorption member includes an edge on a side closer to the light source, the edge being formed to be curved and tapered.

6. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid crystal display portion;
an alarm display portion provided to be below the liquid crystal display portion; and
a decorating display portion provided to be between the liquid crystal display portion and the alarm display portion and linearly extending along a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus to output light,
wherein:
the decorating display portion includes the light guide member;
the light guide member receives the light from the light source at a center position in a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus; and
the light, which is received at the center position of the light guide member, propagates through the interior portion in the left and right direction towards each end of both ends of the left and right direction and is attenuated at each end of the both ends by the light absorption member.

7. A vehicular display apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:
a light source; and
a light guide member including
an interior portion that receives light from the light source, and
outer faces that reflect the light repeatedly to permit the reflected light to propagate in the interior portion,

the light guide member further including:
a viewable portion that reflects a part of the light propagating in the interior portion towards a viewer side so as to appear to be luminous, and
a light attenuation portion that absorbs or diffuses the light reflected by the outer faces,

wherein:
the light guide member is provided to receive a cover that covers the outer face; and
the cover hides the light attenuation portion from the viewer side.

8. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the light attenuation portion is provided to oppose a far end region of the viewable portion, the far end region containing a far end of a path of the light.

9. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a liquid crystal display portion;
an alarm display portion provided to be below the liquid crystal display portion; and
a decorating display portion provided to be between the liquid crystal display portion and the alarm display portion and linearly extending along a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus to output light,
wherein:
the decorating display portion includes the light guide member;
the light guide member receives the light from the light source at a center position in a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus; and
the light, which is received at the center position of the light guide member, propagates through the interior portion in the left and right direction towards each end of both ends of the left and right direction and is attenuated at each end of the both ends by the light attenuation portion.

10. A vehicular display apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:
a light source; and
a light guide member including
an interior portion that receives light from the light source, and
outer faces that reflect the light repeatedly to permit the reflected light to propagate in the interior portion,

the light guide member further including:
a viewable portion that reflects a part of the light propagating in the interior portion towards a viewer side so as to appear to be luminous, and
a light attenuation portion that absorbs or diffuses the light reflected by the outer faces,

wherein:
the light guide member is provided to receive a cover that covers the outer face; and
the cover includes a contact portion that contacts the light attenuation portion and a non-contact portion that faces the light guide portion via an air gap.

11. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the light attenuation portion is provided to oppose a far end region of the viewable portion, the far end region containing a far end of a path of the light.

12. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a liquid crystal display portion;
an alarm display portion provided to be below the liquid crystal display portion; and
a decorating display portion provided to be between the liquid crystal display portion and the alarm display portion and linearly extending along a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus to output light,
wherein:
the decorating display portion includes the light guide member;
the light guide member receives the light from the light source at a center position in a left and right direction of the vehicular display apparatus; and
the light, which is received at the center position of the light guide member, propagates through the interior portion in the left and right direction towards each end of both ends of the left and right direction and is attenuated at each end of the both ends by the light attenuation portion.

13. A vehicular display apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:
a light source; and
a light guide member including
an interior portion that receives light from the light source, and
outer faces that reflect the light repeatedly to permit the reflected light to propagate in the interior portion,

the light guide member further including:
a viewable portion that reflects a part of the light propagating in the interior portion towards a viewer side so as to appear to be luminous, and
a light attenuation portion that absorbs or diffuses the light reflected by the outer faces, wherein

the light attenuation portion includes an edge on a side closer to the light source, the edge being formed to be curved and tapered.

14. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the light attenuation portion is provided to oppose a far end region of the viewable portion, the far end region containing a far end of a path of the light.

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Naoto
• Yamamoto Takuo
• Kasai Mika
• Kobe Ryo

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K37/02

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G02B6/0058

  varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide · CPC title

• B60Q3/004

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G02B6/001 Primary

  the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre · CPC title