US 5,266,930 A · Display apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a display apparatus which can display information well and does not compromise the feel of a helmet in which the display apparatus is incorporated. The helmet has a front opening formed therein and has a transparent shield mounted thereon so as to cover the front opening. The display apparatus incorporates a display unit disposed on the inner side of the helmet for displaying information thereon. Display light from the display unit is reflected toward a visual point position by an inner face of the shield so that an observer visually observes a virtual image of the display information of the display unit from within the helmet through the shield. The display unit is disposed on the inner side of a chin portion of the helmet so as to not to create any obstruction to the observer.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A display apparatus for use with a helmet which has a front opening formed therein and has a transparent shield mounted thereon so as to cover said front opening, said display apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying information thereon, said display unit being disposed on an inner side of a chin portion of said helmet such that display light therefrom is reflected toward a visual point position on an inner face of said shield to allow an observer to visually observe a virtual image of the display information of said display unit from within said helmet through said shield;
means for supporting said display unit for pivotal motion about two perpendicular axes which intersect each other, said supporting means including a support shaft fixedly connected to said display unit, and holding arms fixedly attached to an interior of the chin portion and adjustably connected to the support shaft;
and
manually operable means for fixing said display unit about the two perpendicular axes with respect to said helmet, said manually operable means including an adjusting shaft connected to said display unit for effecting manual adjustment of said display unit about the two perpendicular axes, and adjustment locking means connected to the adjustment shaft for locking an adjusted position of said display unit.

1 more element

A display apparatus for use with a helmet which has a front opening formed therein and has a transparent shield mounted thereon so as to cover said front opening, said display apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying information thereon, said display unit being disposed on an inner side of a chin portion of said helmet such that display light therefrom is reflected toward a visual point position on an inner face of said shield to allow an observer to visually observe a virtual image of the display information of said display unit from within said helmet through said shield, wherein
the chin portion of said helmet is movably mounted on a main body portion of said helmet for movement between two positions with respect to the main body portion of said helmet, said shield being mounted at a lower end thereof for pivotal motion on the chin portion so that the movement of the chin portion changes an inclination of said shield while maintaining said shield in the mounted condition thereon, and said display unit is mounted for rocking motion between two positions about a fixed axis with respect to the main body portion of said helmet, said display unit being rocked in response to movement of the chin portion between the two positions.

A display apparatus for use with a helmet which has a front opening formed therein and has a transparent shield mounted thereon in such a manner as to cover said front opening, said display apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying information thereon, said display unit being disposed on the inner side of a chin portion of said helmet such that display light therefrom is reflected toward a visual point position by an inner face of said shield to allow an observer to visually observe a virtual image of the display information of said display unit from within said helmet through said shield;
means for supporting said display unit for pivotal motion about a fulcrum at a fixed point on or in the proximity of an optical axis of display light from said display unit;
unit driving means for changing the orientation of said display unit about said fulcrum;
a reference light source disposed on said display unit for emitting reference light toward said shield to indicate, with a point on said shield at which the reference light is reflected, a position of said fulcrum when said shield is viewed;
angle detecting means for detecting orientation of said display unit, a transparent touch panel disposed on an outer face of said shield indicating said point thereon as a portion to be depressed;
and
controlling means for identifying said depressed portion on said touch panel and controlling, in accordance with the thus identified depressed position and the orientation of said display unit detected by said angle detecting means, said unit driving means to pivot said display unit so that the optical axis of the display light from said display unit may be directed to the position of the identified depressed portion on said touch panel.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Display apparatus

Life of this patent

Display apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19