JP7697258B2 - Display panel holding structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display panel holding structure, and in particular to a display panel holding structure embedded in a vehicle instrument panel.

Conventionally, a display panel is provided in front of the front seats of a vehicle. For example, the display panel displays a navigation screen or an audio operation screen.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-dash type navigation device that includes a device body and a display panel, of which only the device body is embedded in the instrument panel. In addition, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a display panel that is arranged upright on the top surface of the instrument panel.

JP 2013-177086 A

LEXUS RX INTERIOR DESIGN (https://lexus.jp/models/rx/features/interior_design/)

Incidentally, an opening that opens to the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be provided in the instrument panel, and the display panel may be positioned so as to be exposed from the opening. Positioning the display panel in this manner creates a sense of unity between the display panel and the instrument panel, giving the occupants a clean and tidy impression. In this specification, such a display panel is called a buried display panel. Buried display panels are of a different type from the in-dash type, in which only the device body is buried in the instrument panel, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, and the display panel that is disposed upright on the top surface of the instrument panel, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1.

Recently, display panels installed in vehicles have become larger. It is considered that large embedded display panels (e.g., 12.3-inch display panels) will also be used. When embedded display panels become larger, the height of the top edge of the display panel may become higher. This causes a problem in that the occupants feel a sense of pressure from the display panel.

Furthermore, if the embedded display panel becomes larger, the opening in the instrument panel to expose the display panel must also become larger. This inevitably results in the instrument panel itself becoming larger. If the instrument panel becomes larger, the height of the instrument panel may increase. This can cause the problem that the occupants feel a sense of pressure from the instrument panel.

In particular, a panel member (such as a decorative panel for improving the design) that extends in the vehicle width direction may be provided on the surface of the instrument panel. When such a panel member is provided, the embedded display panel needs to be provided in a position that avoids the panel member. From the perspective of ensuring the visibility of the display panel, it is desirable to provide the embedded display panel as high up as possible, that is, above the panel member. In that case, depending on the position (height) at which the panel member is provided, the upper end of the embedded display panel may be located high, or the height of the instrument panel itself may become high.

The object of the present invention is to reduce the sense of pressure felt by occupants from a recessed display panel and an instrument panel in which the display panel is recessed.

The present invention is a holding structure for a display panel, comprising: an instrument panel having a rear side facing the interior space of a vehicle, the instrument panel having an opening provided on the rear side and at the top of the instrument panel, opening rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and whose upper end is located higher than the upper end of an instrument panel provided in front of the driver's seat ; a panel member provided rearward of the opening in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle width direction; and a display panel disposed forward of the panel member in the fore- and-aft direction of the vehicle, exposed from the opening so that its surface is flush with the rear side , and whose upper end is located higher than the upper end of the instrument panel, wherein a lower region of the display panel is disposed lower than the upper end of the panel member.

According to the above configuration, the embedded display panel is disposed above the panel member, and the display panel can be disposed at a lower position compared to a case in which the lower region of the display panel is not disposed below the upper end of the panel member. At the same time, the position of the opening in the instrument panel for exposing the display panel can also be disposed at a lower position, so the height of the instrument panel can also be made lower.

The present invention can reduce the sense of pressure that occupants feel from a recessed display panel and an instrument panel in which the display panel is recessed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel of a vehicle. 2 is an end view seen from the AA direction in FIG. 1. FIG.

The display panel holding structure according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In this specification, "front" and "rear" refer to the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, "right" and "left" refer to the right and left when facing forward, and "upper" and "lower" refer to the upper and lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In Figures 1 to 3, the X-axis direction represents the vehicle width direction, the Y-axis direction represents the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the Z-axis direction represents the vehicle vertical direction.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle's instrument panel 10. The instrument panel 10 is an interior panel that is located in front of the front seats of the vehicle and below the windshield 12. The instrument panel 10 is a panel-like (plate-like) member made of resin or the like. The instrument panel 10 functions as a cover that houses various devices that are located in front of the front seats.

The surface of the instrument panel 10 is exposed to the interior space of the vehicle, and may be provided with various designs to improve its appearance. In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a decorative panel 14 is provided as a panel member that extends in the vehicle width direction on the surface of the instrument panel 10. The decorative panel 14 is a panel that contributes solely to improving the appearance (in other words, for decoration). Although not limited to this, the decorative panel 14 is, for example, a member in which a film with a design (for example, wood grain, geometric pattern, or uneven shape) is attached to the surface of a resin member. Note that the panel member is not limited to the decorative panel 14, and may be a member provided for purposes other than decoration.

In this embodiment, the decorative panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction from approximately the center in the vehicle width direction, in other words, from the front of the center console to the front of the passenger seat (the front left seat in this embodiment). Of course, the decorative panel 14 may extend across the entire vehicle width direction. In addition, since the decorative panel 14 is a member for improving the design, it is provided at a height that allows it to be clearly seen by passengers sitting in the front seats. In this embodiment, the decorative panel 14 is provided at approximately the same height as the bottom end of the instrument panel 16 provided in front of the driver's seat (the front right seat in this embodiment).

In this embodiment, the panel member (the decorative panel 14 in this embodiment) is a separate component from the instrument panel 10, and is a member that is attached to the instrument panel 10. However, the panel member may also constitute a part of the instrument panel 10. For example, the panel member may be integrally molded as a part of the instrument panel 10.

The instrument panel 10 has an opening 10a that opens to the rear. Specifically, the instrument panel 10 has a rear side 10b that stands in a substantially vertical direction and faces the vehicle interior space, and the opening 10a is provided on the rear side 10b. The opening 10a is substantially rectangular and has a horizontally elongated shape that extends in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the opening 10a is provided in the substantially center of the vehicle width direction, in other words, in front of the center console. The opening 10a is provided forward of the decorative panel 14 (the back side when viewed from the vehicle interior space). In particular, in this embodiment, the opening 10a is provided adjacent to the front side of the decorative panel 14. The opening 10a is provided to expose the display panel 18, which will be described later, to the rear (i.e., the vehicle interior space).

In order to ensure the visibility of the display panel 18, the opening 10a is provided so that its upper portion extends above the upper end of the decorative panel 14 so that the display panel 18 can be positioned above the decorative panel 14. In other words, the opening 10a is provided at a position higher than the decorative panel 14. From the viewpoint of making the height of the instrument panel 10 as low as possible, the opening 10a is provided at the top of the instrument panel 10.

The lower part of the opening 10a extends below the upper end of the decorative panel 14. In this embodiment, the opening 10a is provided adjacent to the front side of the decorative panel 14, so the lower part of the opening 10a is blocked by the decorative panel 14. In other words, the decorative panel 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening 10a.

The display panel 18 is positioned so that it is exposed rearward from the opening 10a. The display panel 18 is positioned so that its surface is approximately flush with the rear side surface 10b of the instrument panel 10, which has the opening 10a. As described above, the opening 10a is provided forward of the decorative panel 14, so the display panel 18 is positioned forward of the decorative panel 14. In particular, in this embodiment, the opening 10a is provided adjacent to the front side of the decorative panel 14, so the display panel 18 is positioned adjacent to the front side of the decorative panel 14.

In this way, the display panel 18 is disposed so as to be exposed from the opening 10a of the instrument panel 10, so the display panel 18 is a recessed display panel. In this embodiment, the display panel 18 is large, for example, 12.3 inches or larger in size.

The surface of the display panel 18 is made of glass. The entire surface of the display panel 18 is made of glass, but the display panel 18 is composed of a display area 22 where the screen is displayed, and a non-display area 24 where the screen is not displayed and which is a part that forms a frame surrounding the periphery of the display area 22.

The display panel 18 is a component that constitutes part of the display device. The display device is composed of a device main body 20 (see FIG. 2) that includes a power supply circuit, a display control circuit, etc., and the display panel 18. The device main body 20 is located in front of the display panel 18 and is covered by the instrument panel 10, so it cannot be seen from inside the vehicle cabin.

Figure 2 is an end view seen from the A-A direction in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a front view of the display panel 18. As shown in Figure 2, the display panel 18 is positioned so that its lower region 18a is lower than the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14. In other words, when viewed from the interior space of the vehicle, the lower region 18a of the display panel 18 is embedded in the rear of the decorative panel 14.

Specifically, first, before the decorative panel 14 is attached to the instrument panel 10, the display device (i.e., the display panel 18 and the device body 20) are inserted from the rear (the vehicle interior space side) into the opening 10a of the instrument panel 10. Then, the display device is fixed at a position where the display panel 18 and the rear side surface 10b (see FIG. 1) of the instrument panel 10 are approximately flush with each other. For example, the side surface of the device body 20 is fixed to the instrument panel 10 by a method such as screwing. Then, the decorative panel 14 is attached to the instrument panel 10. By attaching the decorative panel 14, the lower region 18a of the display panel 18 (and the lower region of the opening 10a) is covered by the decorative panel 14. As a result, the lower region 18a is positioned lower than the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14. In addition, when the decorative panel 14 constitutes a part of the instrument panel 10, the display device is positioned so that the display panel 18 is exposed from the opening 10a by a method other than insertion from the opening 10a (for example, insertion into the instrument panel 10 from another opening).

This allows the display panel 18 to be positioned at a lower position compared to when the lower region 18a is not positioned below the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14. Positioning the display panel 18 at a lower position means that the position of the opening 10a of the instrument panel 10 can also be positioned lower, and therefore the height of the instrument panel 10 itself can also be made lower. In Figures 2 and 3, the position 10c of the upper end of the instrument panel 10 is shown by a dashed line in the case where the height of the lower end 18b of the display panel 18 and the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14 are made the same (i.e., when the lower region 18a is not positioned below the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14).

In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to position the embedded display panel 18 at a lower position, thereby reducing the sense of pressure that the occupant feels from the display panel 18 and the instrument panel 10.

The display panel 18 is arranged so that the display area 22 is not hidden by the decorative panel 14 when viewed from the vehicle interior space. That is, the display panel 18 is arranged so that the lower end 22a of the display area 22 is higher than the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in order to provide the display panel 18 at a position as low as possible, the display panel 18 is arranged so that the height of the lower end 22a of the display area 22 matches the height of the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14. That is, the non-display area 24 located below the display area 22 is arranged lower than the upper end 14a of the decorative panel 14 (in other words, it is inserted into the back side of the decorative panel 14 when viewed from the vehicle interior space). This allows the display panel 18 to be arranged at a lower position without the display area 22 being hidden by the decorative panel 14 when viewed from the vehicle interior space.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 instrument panel, 10a opening, 14 decorative panel, 14a upper end, 18 display panel, 18a lower area, 22 display area, 22a lower end, 24 non-display area.

Claims (3)

an instrument panel having a rear side facing a vehicle interior space, the instrument panel having an opening provided on the rear side and at a top portion of the instrument panel, the opening being open rearward in a vehicle front-rear direction and having an upper end located higher than an upper end of an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat ;
A panel member provided rearward of the opening in the vehicle front-rear direction and extending in the vehicle width direction;
a display panel that is disposed forward of the panel member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, that is exposed through the opening so that its surface is flush with the rear side surface, and that has an upper end located above an upper end of the instrument panel ;
Equipped with
The lower region of the display panel is disposed below the upper end of the panel member.
A display panel holding structure comprising: the display panel includes a display area where a screen is displayed and a non-display area surrounding the display area;
The height of the lower end of the display area is the same as the height of the upper end of the panel member.
2. The display panel holding structure according to claim 1. The panel member is a decorative panel to be attached to the instrument panel.
3. The display panel holding structure according to claim 1 or 2.

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