Patent ID: 7038638

Claim:
A display apparatus for a vehicle, which is installed in a dashboard of the vehicle and displays a virtual image of information of the vehicle within a field of front view of a vehicle driver by projecting the information of the vehicle displayed on an image plane of an LCD illuminated by a lighting device on a member of projection disposed at an outside of the dashboard, comprising: display-size change means for changing a display size on the image plane of the LCD; and illuminating-area change means for changing an illuminating area in accordance with the changed display size interlockingly with said display-size change means; wherein the lighting device includes a back light having a first light source, a reflector for reflecting light from the first light source and a light-guide plate disposed in parallel to the LCD for radiating plane light to the LCD, the plane light being converted from reflected light by the reflector to be entered into the light-guide plate from an edge thereof, and a second light source to be turned ON when the first light source is turned OFF and apply light onto one surface of the light-guide plate to be reflected on the one surface for illuminating the LCD, wherein the illuminating-area change means has a light-guide plate angle change mechanism for changing an angle of the light-guide plate against the LCD to other than in parallel when the second light source is turned ON.