Motor vehicle instrument cluster with reflective panel

An instrument cluster for a motor vehicle comprising:

• a generally horizontally oriented, downwardly directed digital display screen that is intended to be hidden from the vehicle passengers and which is adapted to display a source image containing a multitude of indicator modules for the driver of said vehicle, and
• a panel located below the digital display screen, said panel comprising a main central portion, a main upper portion, a lower portion, and lateral portions, wherein at least the main central portion and the main upper portion of said panel are opaque and reflective and said lateral and lower portions are transparent,
• said panel being inclined relative to said display screen so as to reflect said source image toward said driver so that the driver perceives, in his field of vision, a virtual image located in front of said panel,
• said instrument cluster further comprising a plurality of transparent informational symbols provided on the opaque upper portion of said panel and lighting means affixed against a front face of the opaque upper portion of said panel so as to provide backlighting for said informational symbols, whereby said plurality of informational symbols can be individually illuminated.

A motor vehicle comprising a dashboard, a steering wheel, and a digital instrument cluster integrated into the dashboard in an axis of the steering wheel;

• the digital instrument cluster comprising:
• a digital display screen mounted to said dashboard under a cover of said dashboard to be hidden from the vehicle passengers, said digital display screen facing downwardly and being adapted to display a source image containing a multitude of indicator modules for the driver of said vehicle, and
• a panel located below the digital display screen, said panel comprising a main central portion, a main upper portion, a lower portion, and lateral portions;
• wherein at least the main central portion and main upper portion of said panel are opaque and reflective and said lateral and lower portions are, and remain, transparent, said panel being inclined relative to said display screen so as to reflect said source image toward said driver so that the driver perceives, in his field of vision, a virtual image located in front of said panel.