Background

[0001] A combiner mirror head-up display, combiner mirror heads-up display or HUD is a display device that presents information to a motor vehicle driver, which does not require the driver to look away from the driver's

surroundings. Although they were developed for military aviation, HUDs are becoming relatively common in commercial aircraft and motor vehicles, including automobiles.

[0002] A typical combiner mirror HUD contains three primary

components: a combiner mirror, a projector unit and a video generation computer. The combiner mirror is a semi-transparent polycarbonate component positioned in front of a pilot/driver on which, a virtual picture of a dashboard or instrument panel is displayed to a driver or pilot. It typically has a special coating that reflects monochromatic light proj ected onto the combiner mirror from the projector unit while allowing all other wavelengths of light to pass through. A projection unit projects images onto the combiner mirror for the user to view.

[0003] Some vehicle combiner mirror head-up displays have combiner mirrors that are stored "inside" the vehicle's dash board, i.e., "behind" the instrument panel and which are transported from inside the dashboard to a

"deployed" position. The time required to transport a combiner mirror between a storage position and display position can however be annoying to drivers who are simply unwilling to wait more than a few seconds before driving away from a parked position. A retractable combiner mirror that can quickly move between an in-dash storage position and an upright display position would be an improvement over the prior art. Brief Description of the Figures

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combiner mirror heads-up display positioning system;

[0006] FIG. 2 is a side view of the combiner mirror heads-up display positioning system with the combiner mirror in a parked position; and

[0007] FIG. 3 is the side view of the combiner mirror heads-up display positioning system with the combiner mirror in a deployed position.

Detailed Description

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combiner mirror head-up display positioning system 100. The system 100 comprises a case 102, a cover 124, a lifting mechanism 103 and a combiner mirror 104.

[0009] The case 102 is essentially a container. It fixes all other device components to protect them from dust, moisture, vibrations, etc. It also fixes the combiner mirror head-up display positioning system 100 to the vehicle. The case

102 is thus sized and shaped to "sit" inside a vehicle's dashboard or behind an instrument panel.

[0010] The combiner mirror 104 and cover 123 move at the same time but in opposite directions both radially and axially such that the combiner mirror 104 moves toward and over the cover 123 as the cover 123 moves toward and under the combiner mirror 104.

[0011] The term, "arm" refers to a well-known component of the human body. As used herein, however, "arm" should be construed as a relatively slender projection of a machine part from an axis or fulcrum. An "arm" converts angular motion to essentially linear motion.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the head-up display positioning system

100. It comprises a case 102 and a lifting mechanism 103. The lifting mechanism 103 comprises two pairs of arms, guide tracks, track-guided pins and a movable cover for the case, the cover being attached to the track-guided pins. The arms, guide tracks, pins, movable cover and combiner mirror are supported by two, substantially vertical and substantially parallel fixation plates 105.

[0013] When the positioning system 100 is in use, the lifting mechanism

103 moves the combiner mirror 104 to the right, i.e., up and out of the interior of the case 102 to an upright, fully extended position shown in FIG. 3, while at the same time moving a cover for the case to the left, i.e., down and under the moving combiner mirror 104. The lifting mechanism thus moves the combiner mirror

104 in a first direction while it moves the cove in an opposite second direction, the movement of the combiner mirror and cover being both axial, i.e., toward and away from the interior of the case 102 and radial, i.e., around an axis.

[0014] A first pair of arms 106, are mounted to the sides of the case 102.

First ends 108 of the first arm 106 pivots on a pin 109 extending through a lower portion of the case 102. An opposing second end 112 of the arm 106 pivots on pins 114 that extend through the second ends 112 and through a top portion of a holder 115 for the combiner mirror 104.

[0015] A bottom portion 118 of the combiner mirror holder 114 is pivotally attached to a first end 121 of a second 120 "arm." The second end 122 of the second arm 120 is pivotally attached to an upper region 124 of the case 102.

[0016] Clockwise rotation of the first arm on the pin 109 causes the second end 112 to drive the combiner mirror holder 114 clockwise, which also causes the second arm 120 to also move clockwise. Inasmuch as the second arm 120 is short and its first end 121 is attached to the bottom portion 118 of the combiner mirror holder 114, rotation of the first arm 106 causes the combiner mirror holder 114 and the combiner mirror 104 it holds to pivot around the second end 118 of the second arm in an opposite direction. Stated another way, when the first arm rotates clockwise, the combiner mirror 104 rotates counterclockwise and moves upwardly and out of the case 102. As described below, however, the combiner mirror 104 and cover for the case move together but in opposite directions radially as well as axially, i.e., the combiner mirror 104 moves out of the case 102 in a clockwise direction while the cover moves into the case in a counterclockwise direction.

[0017] A motor driven gear 131 has a first portion of a cam gear 6 driving pin 11 pulling the lever 106 to a display position. After that, a second portion of cam gear 6 is drives pin 150 during a fine positioning movement.

[0018] A cover 123 for the case 102 is configured to translate under the combiner mirror 104 and into the case 102 with, i.e., at the same time or simultaneously with, translation of the combiner mirror 104 out of the case 102 and above the cover 123. Translation of the cover 123 under the combiner mirror 104 and into the case 102 is accomplished by attaching the front edge of the cover 123 to a pin 126 that "follows" or "rides in" a first serpentine-shaped track or slot 128 (guide slots) formed in the two opposing sides of the case 102. The rear edge of the cover 123 is attached to a different pin 130 that follows a different guide slot 129 the shape of which is reminiscent of a quarter circle. As can be seen in the figures, the guide slots are not linear but are instead curved.

[0019] Motor-driven gears 130 and 132 drive a holder 127 for the cover

123. The pins 126 and 130 are "rotatably" attached to the cover holder 127, i.e., the pins can rotate relative to the cover holder. They are coupled to the combiner mirror by virtue of their attachment to the case 102.

[0020] Rotation of a main pinion gear 132 causes a geared cam 134 to rotate the holder 127 downwardly and upwardly to move the cover into and out of the housing respectively. The pins 126 and 130 and the slots 128 and 129 cause the cover 123 to glide counterclockwise and under the combiner mirror 104 as the combiner mirror 104 glides clockwise and over the cove. The combiner mirror 104 is thus deployed while the cover 123 is being retracted, reducing the time required to deploy a combiner mirror and retract a cover that was required by prior art combiner mirror positioning systems.