Combined display panel

A combined display panel comprising:

• an instrument panel comprising a switchable illumination mechanism;
• an overlapping panel comprising a transparent electroluminescent display panel disposed in front of and overlapping at least part of said instrument panel, said instrument panel and said overlapping panel each comprising an overlapped part and a non-overlapped part, said overlapped part of said instrument panel and said overlapped part of said overlapping panel being adapted to be alternately or concurrently displayed, wherein said illumination mechanism is switchable in accordance with a selection of an image to be displayed by said overlapped part;
• and
• a selective switching mechanism for selectively switching between displaying said overlapped part of said instrument panel, displaying said overlapped part of said overlapping panel, and concurrently displaying both said overlapped part of said instrument panel and said overlapped part of said overlapping panel;
• said transparent electroluminescent display panel comprising a luminescent layer, a pair of insulating layers disposed on respective surfaces of said luminescent layer, a pair of electrode layers disposed on respective surfaces of said insulating layers, and a pair of substrates sandwiching said luminescent layer, said pair of insulating layers, and said pair of electrode layers;
• at least one of said luminescent layer, said insulating layers, said electrode layers, and said substrates facing said instrument panel when said transparent electroluminescent display panel overlaps said instrument panel and constituting a light attenuator for decreasing an intensity of light emitted from said luminescent layer toward said instrument panel.

A display panel assembly disposed in a field of view of a driver of an automobile, said display panel assembly comprising:

• an instrument panel comprising a switchable illumination mechanism;
• an interposed display panel comprising a transparent electroluminescent display panel interposed between said instrument panel and a line of sight of a driver of the automobile, said interposed display panel comprising an overlapped part overlapping an overlapped part of said instrument panel;
• a selective switching mechanism for selectively displaying said overlapped part of said interposed display panel or said overlapped part of said instrument panel so as to alternately or concurrently display said overlapped part of said interposed display panel and said overlapped part of said instrument panel, wherein said illumination mechanism is switchable in accordance with a selection of an image to be displayed by said overlapped part;
• and
• a light attenuator having a predetermined constant attenuation factor, for decreasing a light intensity of light emitted from said electroluminescent display panel toward said instrument panel.

A combined display panel comprising:

• a first display panel having illuminating means adapted to be turned on or off;
• a second display panel disposed in front of the first display panel to overlap at least a part of the first display panel, wherein an overlapped part and a non-overlapped part are formed on the combined display panel, the displays forming part of the overlapped part being selectively switched among three modes, including a first mode in which the first display panel is turned on while the second display panel is turned off, a second mode in which the first display panel is turned off while the second display panel is turned on, and a third mode in which both the first and second display panels are turned on;
• and
• a light attenuator having a predetermined constant transparency, for decreasing an intensity of light emitted from the second panel toward the first panel, the light attenuator being interposed between the first display panel and the second display panel.