Claims
- 1. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting displaying means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a reflecting member for reflecting visible light from said light emitting displaying means toward a driver of said vehicle directly or indirectly by way of a component of said vehicle such as a windshield, said reflecting member being supported for movement between a first position at which said reflecting member totally internally reflects visible light directly from said light emitting displaying means and a second position at which said reflecting member internally reflects part of said visible light from said light emitting displaying means and transmits a remaining part of said visible light therethrough; and
- means for moving said reflecting member between the first position and the second position.
- 2. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflecting member is mounted for turning movement between said first and second positions around a fixed axis with respect to said vehicle.
- 3. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said moving means includes a spring for normally urging said reflecting member toward the first position and externally controllable operating means for moving said reflecting member from the first position to the second position against the urging force of said spring.
- 4. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting display means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a first prism having first and second interfaces defining a prism apex angle therebetween and mounted on a dashboard of said vehicle for movement between first and second positions with said prism apex angle thereof directed upwardly;
- a dark color processed layer formed on a third interface of said first prism; and
- means for moving said first prism between said first and second positions;
- said first prism being disposed such that an incidence angle of a beam of light introduced into said first prism from said light emitting means and directed to a visual point of a driver of said vehicle with respect to said second interface is greater, when said first prism is at the first position, than a critical angle of said first prism wherein light is totally internally reflected, and when said first prism is at the second position, said incidence angle of said beam of light is smaller than the critical angle of said first prism wherein part of said light is internally reflected and a remaining part of said light is transmitted therethrough.
- 5. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a second prism having a substantially same profile as said first prism and adhered to said first prism with the respective second faces thereof held in contact with each other with the prism apex angle thereof directed downwardly such that light from the position of the visual point may pass through said first and second prisms.
- 6. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting displaying means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a reflecting member for reflecting visible light from said light emitting displaying means toward a driver of said vehicle directly or indirectly by way of a component of said vehicle such as a windshield, said reflecting member comprising a plurality of reflecting plates with each reflecting plate having a first face having a comparatively high reflecting rate and a second face having a comparatively low reflecting rate and mounted in a plane for rotation around respective axes fixed with respect to said vehicle, and
- means for rotating said reflecting plates around the respective axes between first and second positions at which said first faces and said second faces of said reflecting plates are opposed to said light emitting displaying means to provide a single reflecting face which reflects visible light from said light emitting displaying means at a comparatively high reflecting rate and a comparatively low reflecting rate, respectively.
- 7. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting displaying means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a reflecting member for reflecting visible light from said light emitting displaying means toward a driver of said vehicle directly or indirectly by way of a component of said vehicle such as a windshield, said reflecting member being mounted for turning movement around an axis fixed with respect to said vehicle between a first position at which said reflecting member totally internally reflects visible light directly from said light emitting displaying means and a second position at which said reflecting member internally reflects part of said visible light from said light emitting displaying means and transmits a remaining part of said visible light therethrough; and
- means for moving said reflecting member between the first position and the second position.
- 8. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said reflecting member is a prism having a triangular section and disposed such that visible light from said light emitting displaying means is introduced into said prism by way of a first interface and then reflected by a second interface and then goes out from said prism by way of a third interface.
- 9. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said prism is a rectangular prism having a section of an isosceles right triangle, the axis of said rectangular prism extending along the center of said second interface of said rectangular prism which is an interface of said rectangular prism corresponding to the oblique side of the isosceles right triangle.
- 10. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said reflecting member is a prism having a triangular section and disposed such that visible light from said light emitting displaying means is introduced into said prism by way of a first interface and then reflected by a second interface and then goes out from said prism by way of a third interface and, when said reflecting member is at the first position, the incidence angle of visible light to said second interface of said prism is a little greater than a critical angle of said prism, but when said reflecting member is at the second position, such incidence angle is a little smaller than the critical angle.
- 11. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting displaying means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a prism for reflecting visible light from said light emitting displaying means toward a driver of said vehicle directly or indirectly by way of a component of said vehicle such as a windshield, said prism having a triangular section and being supported by a supporting means for turning movement around an axis fixed with respect to said vehicle and outside said prism between a first position at which said prism totally internally reflects visible light directly from said light emitting displaying means and a second position at which said prism internally reflects part of said visible light from said light emitting displaying means and transmits a remaining part of said visible light therethrough, said visible light from said light emitting displaying means being introduced into said prism by way of a first interface and reflected by a second interface to exit said prism by a third interface;
- means including a spring for urging said prism toward said first position; and
- means for moving said prism between the first position and the second position.
- 12. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said supporting means includes a supporting member on said dashboard for supporting said first prism for pivotal turning motion between said first and second positions and having said prism secured thereto.
- 13. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein said prism is secured to said supporting member with said first interface thereof opposed to said supporting member, and said light emitting displaying means is mounted on said supporting member in an opposing relationship to said first interface of said prism.
- 14. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a light absorbing layer of a dark color formed on said first interface of said prism.
- 15. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting display means for emitting visible light therefrom;
- a prism having first and second interfaces defining a prism apex angle therebetween;
- a supporting member on a dashboard of said vehicle and supporting said prism for pivotal turning movement between first and second positions with said prism apex angle thereof directed upwardly, said light emitting display means being mounted on said supporting member such that visible light therefrom is introduced into said prism by a third interface;
- a dark color processed layer formed on said third interface of said prism to surround said light emitting display means; and
- means for moving said prism between said first and second positions;
- said prism being disposed such that an incidence angle of a beam of light introduced into said prism from said light emitting means and directed to a visual point of a driver of said vehicle with respect to said second interface is greater, when said prism is at the first position, than a critical angle of said prism wherein light is totally internally reflected, and when said prism is at the second position, said incidence angle of said beam of light is smaller than the critical angle of said prism wherein part of said light is internally reflected and a remaining part of said light is transmitted therethrough.
- 16. A display apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- light emitting display means for emitting visible light therefrom, said light emitting display means being securely mounted to a dashboard of said vehicle or another fixed portion of said vehicle;
- a prism having first and second interfaces defining a prism apex angle therebetween;
- a supporting member on said dashboard of said vehicle and supporting said prism for pivotal turning movement between first and second positions with said prism apex angle thereof directed upwardly;
- a dark color processed layer formed on a third interface of said prism; and
- means for moving said prism between said first and second positions;
- said prism being disposed such that an incidence angle of a beam of light introduced into said prism from said light emitting means and directed to a visual point of a driver of said vehicle with respect to said second interface is greater, when said prism is at the first position, than a critical angle of said prism wherein light is totally internally reflected, and when said prism is at the second position, said incidence angle of said beam of light is smaller than the critical angle of said first prism wherein part of said light is internally reflected and a remaining part of said light is transmitted therethrough.
- 17. A display apparatus for a vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said light emitting display means and said first prism are disposed in a hole formed in said dashboard such that, when said prism is at said first position, light from said light emitting display means is transmitted through a transparent member fitted in said hole and then reflected by said interface of said prism toward the visual point.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-80894[U] |
Jul 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-80584[U] |
Jul 1990 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/737,000 filed Jul. 29, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1409743 |
Oct 1975 |
GBX |
2204421A |
Nov 1988 |
GBX |
2204421 |
Nov 1988 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
737000 |
Jul 1991 |
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