JP7476780B2 - Display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display device that includes a display unit having a substrate and a number of light sources arranged on the front surface of the substrate, and that displays images by illuminating the light sources of the display unit.

Patent Document 1 describes an optical device for a vehicle, which includes a substrate, a plurality of light sources, a plurality of lens members, a plurality of reflectors, and a plurality of light guides.
The substrate is disposed horizontally. The light sources are disposed on the underside of the substrate and emit light downward. The lens members are disposed in a row in the vertical direction in front of the substrate. The lens members form a display unit. Each reflector is disposed behind the corresponding lens member on the vehicle. Each light guide is disposed between each light source and each reflector.

In the above optical device, the light guide guides the light emitted by the light source to the corresponding reflector. The light emitted from the light guide is reflected by the reflector and passes through the lens member. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the light source, it is possible to display characters, images, etc. on the display unit.

When the light source is not emitting light, if sunlight is irradiated from diagonally above the optical device and shines directly onto the lens member, the sunlight is reflected by the lens member. From the front of the vehicle, the reflected sunlight is visible, and the lens member appears bright. This can cause a phenomenon in which a light source that is not emitting light appears to be emitting light, known as pseudo-luminescence.

Furthermore, if sunlight shines directly on the lens component while the light source is emitting light, the lens component will appear bright, as described above. However, there is little contrast in brightness between the lens component through which light from the light source passes and the lens component through which it does not, making it difficult to distinguish whether the bright phenomenon of the lens component is due to sunlight being irradiated onto it or light emitted by the light source. To make it easier to see that the lens component is brighter due to the light emitted by the light source, it is necessary to make the light source emit light more brightly, i.e., to increase the brightness of the light source and increase the contrast. On the other hand, this will increase the power consumed by the light source.

The optical device is provided with a number of light-shielding members. The light-shielding members are disposed above the lens member and protrude from the lens member toward the front of the vehicle. With the optical device, the light-shielding members prevent direct sunlight from reaching the lens member. This makes it difficult for the pseudo-emission to occur, improving visibility and reducing power consumption.

JP 2020-59445 A

However, in the above optical device, the lens member, reflector, and light guide are disposed further forward of the vehicle than the light source. Therefore, the optical device becomes larger in the direction in which the light from the light source passes through the lens member, or, in other words, in the thickness direction of the display unit. Furthermore, because the light blocking member protrudes further forward of the vehicle than the lens member, the optical device becomes even larger. As a result, the mountability of the optical device on the vehicle decreases. These problems can also occur when the above optical device is mounted on something other than a vehicle.

A display device that solves the above problem includes a display unit that emits light to display an image, the display unit being arranged along a vertical line or inclined relative to the vertical line, a substrate having one surface in its thickness direction as the substrate front surface, and a plurality of light sources arranged on the substrate front surface, the display unit further including eaves that cover each of the plurality of light sources from above, and when the direction extending horizontally along the substrate front surface is defined as the width direction of the light sources and the surfaces on both sides of each light source in the width direction are defined as side surfaces, each eaves includes a main body portion adjacent to the upper part of each light source, a forward extension portion that extends from the main body portion forward beyond the front surface of the light source, and a pair of lateral extension portions that extend from the main body portion to both sides in the width direction beyond the side surfaces of the light source.

According to the above configuration, the eaves cover the corresponding light source from above. Unlike Patent Document 1, in which the lens member, which is the part where light is visible, is arranged at a location away from the light source, the light source is visible. No lens member, reflector, or light guide is arranged in front of each light source. In addition, the eaves do not protrude forward from the lens member.

Therefore, since there is no lens member, reflector, or light guide, and the eaves do not protrude from the lens member, the size of the display device in the thickness direction of the display unit is smaller than that of Patent Document 1.
In the above-mentioned display device, a circuit section comprising a plurality of circuit components is provided on the front surface of the substrate, and it is preferable that some of the plurality of circuit components are arranged in a position covering each light source from above as the eave.

According to the above configuration, the circuit section is made up of multiple circuit components arranged on the front surface of the board. In addition, among the multiple circuit components, the circuit components arranged in the locations that cover each light source from above also function as eaves. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a eaves separately from the circuit components.

In the above display device, it is preferable that a skeleton portion of the canopy is configured by a base material, the base material is formed of a transparent resin material, and a light diffusing material is dispersed in the base material.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to assist the color synthesis of the light emitted from the light source below the eaves by the light diffusing material.

In the above display device, it is preferable that the skeleton portion of the eaves is made of a base material, and that an anti-reflection layer is formed on the upper surface of the base material in each of the forward extension portion and the side extension portions.

When sunlight is irradiated diagonally from above onto the display device and is reflected by the front extension and both side extensions, some of the sunlight may be irradiated onto other light sources located above the eaves, rather than onto the light source that the eaves are intended to block.

At this time, if the other light sources are not emitting light, the reflected sunlight will cause the area to become bright, as described above. False light emission will occur in the other light sources.
Furthermore, if the other light source is made to emit light more brightly in order to make it easier to notice that the light emitted by the other light source has become brighter, power consumption increases.

In contrast, with the above configuration, the reflection of irradiated sunlight is suppressed by the anti-reflection layers in the forward extension section and the side extension sections. This prevents sunlight from irradiating the other light sources. This suppresses pseudo-emission of light sources that are not emitting light. In addition, it is not necessary to make the emitting light sources emit light more brightly.

In the above display device, it is preferable that the forward extension length from the main body is set to a value such that sunlight is blocked by the forward extension and does not directly reach the light source.

By setting the forward extension length of the forward extension part from the main body part so as to satisfy the above condition, direct irradiation of sunlight onto the light source from diagonally above and in front is suppressed.
In the above display device, it is preferable that the lateral extension length of each lateral extension portion from the main body portion is set to a value such that sunlight is blocked by the lateral extension portion and does not directly reach the light source.

By setting the lateral extension length of the lateral extension section from the main body section to satisfy the above conditions, direct sunlight irradiation of the light source from an obliquely upward direction is prevented.

The above display device can ensure visibility by preventing a decrease in contrast caused by pseudo-emission, and can reduce power consumption. It can also reduce the size of the device in the thickness direction of the display unit.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a display device, and is a partial side view showing a state in which the display device is mounted on a vehicle. 1 is a partial plan view showing a state in which a display device according to a first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. FIG. 4 is a partial side view illustrating the forward extension length of a front extension part from a main body part in the display device of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial front view illustrating the lateral extension length of each lateral extension portion from the main body portion in the display device of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a partial side view showing a state in which the display device is mounted on a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a side view of a display device according to a third embodiment.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the display device will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that a filling layer 46, an outer panel 47, and a top coat layer 48, which will be described later, are omitted from Figures 2 and 4. This also applies to Figure 6, which shows a third embodiment, which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a display device 20 is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle 10, such as the front, rear, and side parts. In the first embodiment, the display device 20 is mounted on the front part 10F of the vehicle 10.

The display device 20 includes a display unit 21 that emits light to display an image. The display unit 21 includes a substrate 22 and a plurality of light sources 25.
The substrate 22 is disposed along the vertical line VL, i.e., vertically. The thickness direction of the substrate 22 is the front-rear direction, and one surface in the thickness direction is the substrate front surface 22F. In each figure, "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", and "right" are written to explain the positional relationship of the display device 20. These indicate directions. In the first embodiment, these directions correspond to the directions of the vehicle 10. "Left" and "right" correspond to "left" and "right" when the vehicle 10 is moving forward.

Each light source 25 is composed of a light-emitting diode (LED) chip. Each light source 25 has a light-emitting section 26 and a sealing section 27 laminated on the front surface of the light-emitting section 26, and has an overall rectangular plate shape (see Figure 4). The light-emitting section 26 is equipped with an LED element and an IC that controls the LED element. The sealing section 27 is made of a transparent resin material such as transparent epoxy resin, and serves to protect the light-emitting section 26 from dust, water, etc.

Here, the direction extending horizontally along the substrate front surface 22F is defined as the width direction of the light source 25, and both surfaces of the light source 25 in the width direction are defined as side surfaces 25S.
The light sources 25 are arranged on the front surface 22F of the substrate at a distance from one another in the vertical direction (see FIG. 1). Although not shown, the light sources 25 are also arranged at a distance from one another in the width direction. In this manner, the display unit 21 has a configuration similar to that of an LED matrix panel, and by controlling the operation of each of the light sources 25, it is possible to display information using letters, numbers, figures, symbols, and the like.

The display device 20 further includes a canopy 30 that covers each light source 25 from above. The framework of each canopy 30 is composed of a base material 35. The base material 35 is formed of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate resin (PC). A light diffusing material (not shown) is dispersed in the base material 35. As the light diffusing material, particles having a refractive index different from that of the base material 35 can be used. For example, glass beads, resin powder, etc. can be used as the light diffusing material.

Each canopy 30 has a main body portion 31, a forward extension portion 32, a pair of side extension portions 33, and a pair of connecting extension portions 34.
As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the main body 31 of each canopy 30 protrudes forward from the board front surface 22F of the board 22. The main body 31 of each canopy 30 is adjacent to and above the corresponding light source 25. The forward extension portion 32 of each canopy 30 extends from the main body 31 forward of the front surface 25F of the light source 25. The pair of lateral extension portions 33 of each canopy 30 extend from the main body 31 to both sides in the width direction beyond the side surface 25S of the light source 25. Each of the pair of connecting extension portions 34 of each canopy 30 is located between the forward extension portion 32 and the lateral extension portion 33, connecting them together (see Figure 2).

The lower surface 35B of the base material 35 is formed of a horizontal surface or a sloped surface close to horizontal. The lower surface 35B is spaced upward by a small gap G from the upper surface 25T of the light source 25 located directly below the eaves 30.

The top surface 35T (see FIG. 3) of the base material 35 in the forward extension section 32 and both connecting extension sections 34 is inclined at a certain angle with respect to both the vertical line VL and the horizontal plane HP so that the forward protrusion length from the main body section 31 increases the further downward. This is to ensure that when a person in front of the vehicle 10 looks up at the display device 20, they can see the light source 25 directly above the eaves 30. In other words, this is to ensure that the top surface 35T, or more precisely, the reflection suppression layer 45 on the top surface 35T, which will be described later, does not interfere with viewing the light source 25 directly above the eaves 30.

The forward extension length of the forward extension section 32 from the main body section 31 is defined as L1. The lateral extension length of each lateral extension section 33 from the main body section 31 is defined as L2. The extension lengths L1 and L2 are each set to a value that prevents sunlight SL from being blocked by the eaves 30 and from directly reaching the light source 25. This setting is made so that the following condition is satisfied.

Condition: The light emission state of the light source 25 must be easily visible even during the daytime when the illuminance is high.
Illuminance is a physical quantity that represents the brightness of the light that illuminates the surface of an object, that is, the degree of brightness on a surface illuminated by light. Illuminance is expressed in units of candela.

Sunlight SL directly irradiates the display device 20 mounted on the exterior of the vehicle 10 traveling outdoors, which in the first embodiment is mounted on the front part 10F. When sunlight SL directly irradiates a non-emitting light source 25, the light source 25 emits pseudo-light. The contrast in brightness between the emitting light source 25 and the non-emitting light source 25 becomes small, making it difficult to distinguish whether the light source 25 is emitting light or not. It is possible to ensure visibility by making the emitting light source 25 emit light more brightly, but this has the problem of increasing power consumption.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, if the angle of the sun's position as seen by a person outside the vehicle 10 with respect to the horizon, or, in other words, the angle of sunlight SL with respect to the horizontal plane HP, is taken as the solar altitude H, the ground illuminance varies according to the solar altitude H. The solar altitude H also varies according to the season and time of day. The solar altitude H is maximum at noon in a day. The solar altitude H is maximum (50 degrees or more) during the season at the summer solstice and minimum (50 degrees or less) at the winter solstice. If the ground illuminance at noon on the summer solstice is 130,000 candelas, the ground illuminance at noon on the winter solstice is 16,000 candelas, and the amount of sunlight SL reflected by the light source 25 is reduced. As a rough guideline, if the sunlight SL is blocked by the awning 30 so as not to directly irradiate the light source 25 when the solar altitude H is 45 degrees or more, it is considered that the pseudo-emission of the light source 25 can be effectively suppressed.

The following relationship holds between the solar altitude H, the vertical length A of the light source 25, the gap G between the canopy 30 and the light source 25, and the extended lengths L1 and L2.
tan H = (A + G) / L1
tanH = (A + G) / L2
By modifying the above relational expressions, the following (Equation 1) and (Equation 2) are obtained.

L1 = (A + G) / tan H ... (Equation 1)
L2=(A+G)/tan H (Equation 2)
For example, assume that A = 2.0 mm, G = 0.2 mm, and H = 45 degrees. The forward extension length L1 from the main body 31 and the lateral extension length L2 from the main body 31 are both 2.2 mm. When the extension lengths L1 and L2 are set to the above value (2.2 mm), sunlight SL does not directly irradiate the light source 25 when the solar altitude H is 45 degrees or higher.

When the solar altitude H is less than 45 degrees, the sunlight SL reaching the earth's surface is weaker than when the altitude H is 45 degrees or more, so even if pseudo-emission occurs, it is not noticeable and is unlikely to be a problem.
1 and 3, a reflection suppression layer 45 is formed on at least the upper surfaces 35T of the base material 35 in the forward extension section 32, the side extension sections 33, and both connecting extension sections 34. The reflection suppression layer 45 may or may not be formed on the upper surface 35T of the base material 35 in the main body section 31. The reflection suppression layer 45 may have the function of suppressing reflection of irradiated sunlight SL. In the first embodiment, the reflection suppression layer 45 is formed by applying reflection suppression paint to the upper surface 35T of the base material 35.

An outer panel 47 and a top coat layer 48 are provided in front of the substrate 22 with a filling layer 46 interposed therebetween.
The outer panel 47 is formed of a transparent resin material. The filling layer 46 is formed in a state where the gaps between the substrate 22, all the light sources 25, and all the eaves 30 and the outer panel 47 are filled without any gaps. The filling layer 46 is formed of a material with high visible light transmission performance. For example, a transparent resin material is used as a material that satisfies this condition. It is preferable that the resin material has a refractive index close to that of the outer panel 47. By reducing the refractive index difference, it is possible to suppress reflection at the interface between the outer panel 47 and the filling layer 46. In addition, the filling layer 46 may be formed by using a transparent resin material in which a light dispersing agent is dispersed, provided that the material transmits visible light.

The topcoat layer 48 is formed on the front surface of the outer panel 47 and is located at the front surface of the display device 20. The topcoat layer 48 is formed, for example, by applying a reflection suppressing material to the front or back surface of the outer panel 47. A variable transmission film may also be used as the topcoat layer 48.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment configured as above will be described, along with the effects that accompany the operation.
When sunlight SL is irradiated diagonally from above onto the display device 20, the sunlight SL is blocked by the eaves 30. That is, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, in the first embodiment, the forward extension length L1 of the forward extension portion 32 from the main body portion 31 satisfies the above-mentioned (Formula 1). Therefore, when the solar altitude H is 45 degrees or more, that is, when sunlight SL is irradiated diagonally from above onto the display device 20 at an angle of 45 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane HP, the sunlight SL is blocked by the forward extension portion 32. Direct irradiation of the sunlight SL onto the light source 25 from diagonally above onto the front is suppressed.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, in the first embodiment, the lateral extension length L2 of each lateral extension portion 33 from the main body portion 31 satisfies the above formula 2. Therefore, when the solar altitude H is 45 degrees or more, that is, when sunlight SL irradiates the display device 20 from an obliquely upper side at an angle of 45 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane HP, the sunlight SL is blocked by the lateral extension portion 33. Direct irradiation of the sunlight SL from an obliquely upper side on the light source 25 is suppressed.

By making it difficult for non-emitting light sources 25 to emit pseudo-emissions, the contrast between the brightness of emitting light sources 25 and the brightness of non-emitting light sources 25 increases, improving visibility. Also, less power is required to make the light sources 25 emit light.

In particular, when the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle powered by a battery, the power consumption can be reduced and the burden on the battery can be lightened.
Here, part of the sunlight SL irradiated diagonally from above onto the display device 20 hits the upper surface of the eaves 30. If this sunlight SL is reflected by the upper surface of the eaves 30, the reflected sunlight SL may enter the eyes of a person looking at the display device 20. In this case, the reflected sunlight SL may appear dazzling, and the visibility of the display unit 21 may be impaired.

In this regard, in the first embodiment, the reflection of sunlight SL on the upper surface of the eaves 30 is suppressed by the reflection suppression layer 45. Therefore, the above-mentioned phenomenon in which the reflected sunlight SL appears dazzling is suppressed, and the visibility of the display unit 21 is less likely to be impaired. Therefore, in this respect as well, visibility can be improved.

Furthermore, the base material 35 in each eaves 30 is formed from a transparent resin material, and a light diffusing material is dispersed in this base material 35. Unlike the upper surface 35T, the lower surface of the base material 35 does not have a reflection suppression layer 45 formed thereon. Therefore, it is possible for the light diffusing material to assist in the color synthesis of the light emitted by the light source 25 below the eaves 30.

In the first embodiment, the eaves 30 protrudes forward from the front surface 22F of the substrate and covers the light sources 25 directly from above. Unlike Patent Document 1, in which the lens member, which is the part where light is visible, is arranged away from the light source (substrate), the light source 25 is visible. In the first embodiment, no lens member, reflector, or light guide is arranged in front of each light source 25. Also, the eaves 30 does not protrude forward from the lens member.

Therefore, since there are no lens members, reflectors, or light guides, and the canopy 30 does not protrude from the lens members, in the first embodiment, the dimensions of the display device 20 in the thickness direction of the display unit 21 are smaller than in Patent Document 1. Although the mounting space for the display device 20 is small on the front portion 10F of the vehicle 10, the display device 20 of the first embodiment can be or is easy to mount in the mounting space. Thus, according to the first embodiment, the mountability of the display device 20 on the front portion 10F of the vehicle 10 is improved.

In addition to the above, the first embodiment provides the following effects.
In the first embodiment, the top coat layer 48 made of a reflection-suppressing material is formed on the front surface, which is a portion of the display device 20 that is directly irradiated with sunlight SL. Therefore, the top coat layer 48 suppresses reflection of sunlight SL on the front surface of the display device 20, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in visibility due to reflection of sunlight SL outdoors during the day.

In the first embodiment, the filling layer 46 is provided between the display unit 21 and the outer panel 47 , so that dirt, dust, insects, water, and the like can be prevented from entering the display unit 21 .
By providing the filling layer 46, no air layer is formed between the outer panel 47 and the substrate 22. This improves thermal conduction compared to when an air layer is formed. This allows the heat generated by the light source 25 when it is energized to be quickly diffused. As a result, the effect of heat on the light source 25 can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the front extension portion 32 and both connecting extension portions 34 are formed so that their thickness in the up-down direction increases toward the rear.
Therefore, the strength of the forward expansion portion 32 and both connected expansion portions 34 can be increased compared to when the vertical thickness of the forward expansion portion 32 and both connected expansion portions 34 is uniform and is the same as the thickness of the front end portion of the eave 30.

- In the first embodiment, the eaves 30 are simply arranged above each light source 25, and are not arranged to the side of the light source 25. Therefore, the horizontal viewing angle can be made wider than when the eaves are arranged to the side of the light source.

In the first embodiment, unlike Patent Document 1, a reflector and a light guide are not used, so that the display device 20 can be configured with a smaller number of parts.
In order to prevent sunlight SL from directly irradiating all of the light sources 25 with a single eaves, the eaves must protrude forward by a large amount. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the eaves 30 are provided for each light source 25. Therefore, it is possible to suppress direct irradiation of sunlight SL onto each light source 25 while limiting the forward protrusion length of the eaves 30, thereby improving visibility.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the display device 20 will be described with reference to FIG.
The display device 20 of the second embodiment is mounted on a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 10 that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane HP, such as the hood.

The substrate 22 of the display device 20 is attached to the exterior of the vehicle 10 in a state inclined with respect to the horizontal plane HP, and in a state inclined at about 35 degrees in the second embodiment.
The front-rear direction of the substrate 22 is inclined with respect to both the vertical line VL and the horizontal plane HP and is different from the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The up-down direction of the substrate 22 is inclined with respect to both the vertical line VL and the horizontal plane HP and is different from the up-down direction of the vehicle 10.

Therefore, in order to distinguish between the directions on the board 22 and the directions on the vehicle 10, in FIG. 5, "front", "rear", "up", and "down" refer to the "front", "rear", "up", and "down" of the board 22. Also, in FIG. 5, "(front)", "(rear)", "(up)", and "(down)" refer to the "front", "rear", "up", and "down" of the vehicle 10.

Similar to the first embodiment, the canopy 30 for each light source 25 includes a main body portion 31, a forward extension portion 32, a pair of side extension portions 33, and a pair of connecting extension portions 34.
The main body 31 of each canopy 30 protrudes forward from a portion of the substrate front surface 22F adjacent to and above each light source 25. Since the substrate 22 is inclined as described above, the main body 31 is also inclined with respect to both the vertical line VL and the horizontal plane HP.

The forward extension 32 of each eaves 30 extends forward from the main body 31 beyond the front surface 25F of the light source 25. The side extensions 33 of each eaves 30 extend both sides from the main body 31 beyond the side surface 25S of the light source 25, although not shown.

The upper surface 35T of the base material 35 in the forward extension portion 32 and both connecting extension portions 34 is configured as a horizontal surface or a front-down inclined surface close to the horizontal.
The lower surface 35B of the base material 35 in the forward extension portion 32 and both connecting extension portions 34 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane HP so as to be lower toward the rear. This is to allow a person outside (in front of) the vehicle 10 to see the light source 25 when looking down at the display device 20. In other words, this is to prevent the lower surface 35B from interfering with the view of the light source 25 when looking down at the display device 20 from the front. The angle that the lower surface 35B makes with the horizontal plane HP is defined as the dihedral angle D1. For example, the display device 20 is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle 10 at a height of 1 meter from the ground. Assume that the display device 20 is viewed from a height of 2 meters, for example, 5 meters forward from the vehicle 10. The dihedral angle D1 can be calculated by the following formula 3.

D1 = atan (1000/5000) ≒ 11.3 ... (Equation 3)
From the above (Equation 3), in the second embodiment, the dihedral angle D1 is set to, for example, about 12 degrees.

Since the upper surface 35T and the lower surface 35B are formed as described above, the vertical thickness of each of the front extension portion 32 and both connecting extension portions 34 increases toward the rear.
The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be omitted.

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, although the display device 20 is mounted at an inclined location on the exterior of the vehicle 10, the same effects and advantages can be obtained as in the first embodiment in which the display device 20 is mounted vertically.

In addition to the above, the second embodiment provides the following actions and effects.
When sunlight SL irradiated diagonally from above onto the display device 20 is reflected by the upper surface of the eaves 30, some of the sunlight may be irradiated onto other light sources 25 located above the eaves 30, rather than onto the light source 25 that is the object of blocking the sunlight SL with the eaves 30. In this case, the same phenomenon as that described above in which sunlight SL irradiates the light source 25 directly may occur. That is, there is a risk of pseudo-emission occurring in the light source 25 that is not emitting light. In addition, it is difficult to distinguish whether the phenomenon in which the light source 25 is bright is due to irradiation with sunlight SL or emission of light by the light source 25. In order to make it easier to tell that the light source 25 is brighter due to emission of light, it is necessary to make the light source 25 emit light more brightly.

In this regard, in the second embodiment, the reflection of sunlight SL irradiated onto the upper surface of the eaves 30 is suppressed by the reflection suppression layer 45. Therefore, irradiation of the sunlight SL onto the other light sources 25 is suppressed. The pseudo-emission of the light sources 25 that are not emitting light is suppressed. In addition, it is not necessary to make the light sources 25 that are emitting light emit light more brightly.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the display device 20 will be described with reference to FIG.
Although not described in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, a circuit section 51 that controls the operation of the multiple light sources 25 is provided on the front surface 22F of the board. The circuit section 51 includes multiple circuit components. One of the multiple circuit components is configured by a capacitor 52 for absorbing noise. The capacitor 52 is disposed as the canopy 30 at a position that covers each light source 25 from above. Instead of the capacitor 52, a circuit component such as an inductor or a diode may be used as the canopy 30.

The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be omitted.
Therefore, according to the third embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same functions and effects as the first embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

- The multiple circuit components arranged on the front surface 22F of the board make up the circuit section 51. Among the multiple circuit components, the capacitors 52 arranged in positions that cover each light source 25 from above also function as canopies 30. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide canopies 30 separately from the circuit components.

- By using a capacitor 52 with a large thermal capacity, it is possible to absorb the heat generated by the light source 25 when electricity is applied. This makes it possible to mitigate the rise in temperature of the entire display unit 21 caused by heat generation by the light source 25.

Note that each of the above-described embodiments can also be implemented as modified versions as follows. Each of the embodiments and the following modified versions can be implemented in combination with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.

<About Eaves 30>
A light diffusing and reflecting structure may be provided on the lower surface 35B of the base material 35 of the canopy 30 to diffuse and reflect light irradiated onto the lower surface. For example, the light diffusing and reflecting structure may be formed by roughening the lower surface 35B of the base material 35. Methods for roughening include etching, laser light irradiation, and blasting. Even in this case, the same action and effect as in each of the above-mentioned embodiments in which a light diffusing material is dispersed in the base material 35 made of a transparent resin material can be obtained.

In the first and second embodiments, the canopy 30 may be made of an opaque resin material as long as it has a light blocking function.
In the first embodiment, the lower surface 35B of the base material 35 of each canopy 30 may be inclined so as to become lower toward the rear, similar to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the interval between adjacent light sources 25 in the vertical direction may be wider than that in the first and second embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface of the canopy 30 may be configured as a horizontal surface or an inclined surface close to horizontal.

In the first and second embodiments, each canopy 30 may be disposed in a state in which the main body 31 is in contact with the upper surface 25T of the light source 25 .
In the third embodiment, the heat sink may be provided as the canopy 30 at a location that covers each light source 25 from above.

<Matters other than those mentioned above>
In the first and second embodiments, a variable transmittance layer whose light transmittance is changed depending on the energized state may be provided on the front or back surface of the outer panel 47. The variable transmittance layer is controlled by energization so that the transmittance increases when the light source 25 emits light and decreases when the light source 25 does not emit light. This energization control makes it possible to improve the appearance of the vehicle exterior when the light source 25 does not emit light.

In the first to third embodiments, at least one of the filling layer 46, the outer panel 47, and the top coat layer 48 may be omitted.
In the first and second embodiments, the connecting extension portion 34 may be omitted.

A light emitting element other than an LED may be used as the light source 25 .
<Applicable subjects>
The display device may be mounted on a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 10 other than the front surface 10F, for example, on a side surface or a rear surface.

The display device may be applied to a display device mounted on a vehicle other than the vehicle 10 or a display device mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle.
The display device can be applied to a display device mounted on a fixed object installed outdoors, in addition to a moving object. For example, a road sign installed on a road can be mentioned. Examples of the road sign include a guide sign, a warning sign, a regulation sign, an instruction sign, etc.

Guide signs are road signs that provide road users with information such as the direction and distance to a destination or a passing point.
One type of guide sign is one that is installed on the wall inside a tunnel just before the exit. In general, when a vehicle exits a tunnel, the surroundings suddenly become brighter. When sunlight is irradiated onto the light source of a display device installed near the exit, the displayed content becomes difficult to see. Therefore, by using the display device of the present invention as a display device for a guide sign installed near the exit of a tunnel, visibility can be improved.

Warning signs are road signs that warn of road conditions, potential hazards, etc.
Regulatory signs are road signs that indicate regulations for driving vehicles.
Directional signs are road signs that indicate the main regulations for the road surface on which vehicles are traveling.

Other examples of fixed objects that fall under the category include signs and outdoor advertisements. Signs are used for announcements, notifications, publicity, and advertising, and are usually in the form of a plate. For example, signs may display the name of a store or company located in the area where the sign is displayed, or may display general advertisements. Signs may also display routes, evacuation routes, and warnings. Furthermore, signs that display menus offered by stores, such as menus of dishes served at restaurants, are also included in the above-mentioned fixed objects. The display device of the present invention may be used as a display device in the above-mentioned fixed objects.

20: Display device 21: Display section 22: Substrate 22F: Substrate front surface 25: Light source 25F: Front surface 25S: Side surface 30: Canopy 31: Main body 32: Forward extension section 33: Lateral extension section 35: Base material 35T: Upper surface 45: Anti-reflection layer 51: Circuit section 52: Capacitor (circuit component)
L1, L2...extended length SL...sunlight VL...vertical line

Claims (5)

A display unit that emits light to display information,
The display unit includes a substrate that is disposed along a vertical line or inclined with respect to the vertical line and has one surface in a thickness direction of the substrate as a substrate front surface, and a plurality of light sources that are disposed on the substrate front surface;
The display unit further includes a canopy that covers each of the plurality of light sources from above,
When the direction extending horizontally along the front surface of the substrate is defined as the width direction of the light source, and the surfaces on both sides of each light source in the width direction are defined as side surfaces,
Each eaves is
a body portion adjacent above each light source;
A forward extension portion that extends from the main body portion forward of a front surface of the light source;
a pair of side extension portions extending from the main body portion toward both sides in the width direction beyond the side surface of the light source,
A circuit section including a plurality of circuit components is provided on the front surface of the substrate,
A display device in which some of the plurality of circuit components are disposed at locations that cover the light sources from above as the eaves. The framework of the eaves is made of a base material,
the substrate is made of a transparent resin material,
The display device according to claim 1 , wherein a light diffusing material is dispersed in the base material. The framework of the eaves is made of a base material,
The display device according to claim 1 , wherein an anti-reflection layer is formed on an upper surface of the base in each of the forward extension portion and the side extension portions. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein a forward extension length of the forward extension portion from the main body portion is set to a value such that sunlight is blocked by the forward extension portion and does not directly reach the light source. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lateral extension length of each lateral extension portion from the main body portion is set to a value such that sunlight is blocked by the lateral extension portion and does not directly reach the light source.