Vehicular display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690136-B2
Application number	US-201414311671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A vehicular display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display unit and a display plate. The display plate includes a diffusion portion that transmits and diffuses light of a first light source, and a transmission display portion that permits light of a second light source to transmit through and illuminate a prescribed shape portion serving as a status display portion. The liquid crystal display unit provides a liquid crystal display using, as back light, the light diffused by the diffusion portion. The display plate includes a slit in a portion located in between the transmission display portion and the diffusion portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular display apparatus comprising:
a first light source and a second light source;
a display plate including
a diffusion portion that transmits and diffuses first light from the first light source, and
a plurality of transmission display portions, each transmitting second light from the second light source to permit the second light to transmit through and illuminate a prescribed shape portion;

a liquid crystal display unit to provide a liquid crystal display using the first light diffused by the diffusion portion as back light,
the display plate including
a slit formed in a border portion that is defined as being between (i) each of the transmission display portions and (ii) the diffusion portion, the slit having a length and two ends of the length, the length being formed to be extended along the border portion, and
a connection portion that connects the diffusion portion with each of the transmission display portions, the connection portion being arranged to be connected with one of the two ends of the slit,

a light shielding wall to provide a partition between a first light path from the first light source to the diffusion portion and a second light path from the second light source to each of the transmission display portions, the light shielding wall including a convex portion that is inserted into the slit; and
a circuit board to which the first light source and the second light source are mounted;
wherein:
the plurality of transmission display portions are a first transmission display portion and a second transmission display portion;
the first transmission display portion and the second transmission display portion are arranged to be adjacent to each other via a predetermined intervening region in the display plate;
the diffusion portion includes (i) a convexly intervening sub-portion and (ii) a different sub-portion from which the convexly intervening sub-portion is protruding, the convexly intervening sub-portion corresponding to the predetermined intervening region so that the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion is sandwiched between the first transmission display portion and the second transmission display portion;
the slit is formed as each of a first slit corresponding to the first transmission display portion and a second slit corresponding to the second transmission display portion, wherein the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion is sandwiched between the first slit and the second slit;
while the convexly intervening sub-portion protruding from the different sub-portion is provided as reaching a peripheral end of the display plate to separate the first transmission display portion and the second transmission display portion from each other;
the first slit is formed in a first border portion, the first slit having a first length and two first ends of the first length, the first length being formed to be extended along the first border portion,
the first border portion containing a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion connected with the first sub-portion,
the first sub-portion being defined in between (i) the first transmission display portion and (ii) the different sub-portion of the diffusion portion,
the second sub-portion being defined in between (i) the first transmission display portion and (ii) the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion; and

the second slit is formed in a second border portion, the second slit having a second length and two second ends of the second length, the second length being formed to be extended along the second border portion,
the second border portion containing a third sub-portion and a fourth sub-portion connected with the third sub-portion,
the third sub-portion being defined in between (i) the second transmission display portion and (ii) the different sub-portion of the diffusion portion,
the fourth sub-portion being defined in between (i) the second transmission display portion and (ii) the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion,

the display plate is arranged to face the circuit board;
each of the transmission display portions faces the second light source and displays a prescribed shape formed by the prescribed shape portion contained in each of the transmission display portions by transmitting the second light from the second light source through the prescribed shape portion; and
the diffusion portion faces the first light source and transmits and diffuses the first light from the first light source while propagating the first light through an internal portion of the diffusion portion,
the first light propagated through the internal portion of the diffusion portion being prevented from leaking to each of the transmission display portions by the slit.

2. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the connection portion is formed as each of a first connection portion, a second connection portion, a third connection portion, and a fourth connection portion;
the first connection portion is located to be connected with one of the two first ends of the first slit, the one of the two first ends of the first slit facing the different sub-portion of the diffusion portion;
the second connection portion is located to be connected with a different one of the two first ends of the first slit, the different one of the two first ends of the first slit facing the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion;
the third connection portion is located to be connected with one of the two second ends of the second slit, the one of the two second ends of the second slit facing the different sub-portion of the diffusion portion;
the fourth connection portion is located to be connected with a different one of the two second ends of the second slit, the different one of the two second ends of the second slit facing the convexly intervening sub-portion of the diffusion portion.

3. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the convex portion has a shape which is fitted into and passes through the slit.

4. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display plate and the liquid crystal display unit are layered to permit the transmission display portions to visually appear transparently through the liquid crystal display unit,
the vehicular display apparatus further comprising:
a directional plate intervening between the liquid crystal display unit and the diffusion portion of the display plate to transmit the first light diffused by the diffusion portion and provide the transmitted first light with directionality; and
a spacer providing a predetermined space in between the liquid crystal display unit and each of the transmission display portions.

5. A vehicular display apparatus comprising, in sequence:
a circuit board;
light sources mounted to the circuit board, the light sources including a first light source and a second light source;
a light shielding wall providing a partition between (i) a first light from the first light source and (ii) a second light from the second light source, the light shielding wall including a convex portion;
a display plate including
a diffusion portion that transmits and diffuses the first light from the first light source via the light shielding wall while propagating the first light through an internal portion of the diffusion portion, and
a transmission display portion that transmits the second light from the second light source via the light shielding wall to permit the second light to transmit through and illuminate a prescribed shape portion; and

a liquid crystal display unit that provides a liquid crystal display using the first light diffused by the diffusion portion as back light,
the display p

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Naoto
• Yamamoto Takuo
• Kobe Ryo
• Kamon Shinji

Classifications

• G02F1/133524

  Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides · CPC title

• G02F1/133608 Primary

  including particular frames or supporting means · CPC title

• G02F2001/133607

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F1/133603

  with LEDs · CPC title

• G02F1/133607

  the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses · CPC title