Electronic mirror device

1. An electronic mirror device for a vehicle interior and which is used for rearward visual recognition, the electronic mirror device comprising:

an optical element that reflects incident light from a first surface side, and transmits incident light from a second surface side, the second surface side being an opposite side of the first surface side;

a liquid crystal display that includes a liquid crystal panel and a backlight, the liquid crystal panel being proximate to the second side of the optical element and being disposed between the optical element and the backlight, wherein the backlight, in operation illuminates the liquid crystal panel with light and displays an image of a rear view of the vehicle, wherein a direction in which a luminance of the image is maximum is downward with respect to a normal direction of a surface of the liquid crystal panel; and

a switch that switches a use state between a first use state and a second use state, the first use state being a state in which the optical element and the liquid crystal display are integrally tilted by a predetermined tilting angle and the rearward visual recognition is performed by using a reflected image projected on the first surface of the optical element, and the second use state being a state in which the first surface of the optical element is by an angle larger than the predetermined tilting angle and the rearward visual recognition is performed by using the image of the liquid crystal display,

wherein an angle between the direction in which the luminance of the image is maximum and the normal direction of the surface of the liquid crystal panel is larger than the predetermined tilting angle.

2. The electronic mirror device according to claim 1 , wherein

a possible range of a sight line angle α in the first use state is defined based on an eyellipse in the vehicle interior to which the electronic mirror device is mounted, and

when a lower limit value of the sight line angle α is α1, an upper limit value of the sight line angle α is α2, and the tilting angle is θ,

the angle between the direction in which the luminance of the image is maximum and the normal direction of the surface of the liquid crystal panel ranges from (θ+α1) to (θ+α2) inclusive.

3. The electronic mirror device according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum luminance direction of the light illuminated by the backlight is downward with respect to the normal direction of the surface of liquid crystal panel.

4. The electronic mirror device according to claim 3 , wherein:

the backlight includes a planar light emitter and a prism sheet that is disposed on a light emitting surface of the planar light emitter and has a prism surface on a side of the light emitting surface, the prism sheet having a reverse prism shape, and

the prism surface is vertically asymmetrical.

5. The electronic mirror device according to claim 2 , wherein a maximum luminance direction of the light illuminated by the backlight is downward with respect to the normal direction of the surface of the liquid crystal panel.

6. The electronic mirror device according to claim 5 , wherein

the backlight includes a planar light emitter and a prism sheet that is disposed on a light emitting surface of the planar light emitter and has a prism surface on a side of the light emitting surface, the prism sheet having a reverse prism shape, and

the prism surface is vertically asymmetrical.

7. The electronic mirror device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal display and the optical element are arranged generally in parallel.