Illumination – Plural light sources – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-05
2002-12-17
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Plural light sources
With support
C362S561000, C362S099000, C362S035000, C362S029000, C361S689000, C349S065000, C349S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable case, and more particularly to a foldable case having a back light that a specific printed or injection-molded mark and a logo are emitted on a foldable case with which a liquid crystal display unit is integrally formed.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, various electronics products having a liquid crystal display unit are being compact to be portable. For example, a cellular phone or a lap-top computer is manufactured to come out in a market in a manner that a liquid crystal display unit, such as an LCD, is integrally formed at a foldable case which is rotatably opened and closed with a main body, facilitating using and carrying.
As a foldable electronic product having a liquid crystal display unit, the lap-top computer is taken for an embodiment of the present invention and will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1
shows a construction of a general lap-top computer in accordance with a conventional art.
As shown in the drawing, the general lap-top computer includes a foldable case
10
with which a liquid crystal display unit
30
implemented as an LCD is integrally formed, and a main body part
50
hinged with the foldable case
10
. The main body part
50
includes a power source button
40
and a key board
60
formed at one side thereof.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the LCD implementing the liquid crystal display unit
30
includes a light emitting part
21
forming a predetermined empty space in contact with a front inner surface of the case
20
, from viewing that the outer side of the foldable case
10
is regarded as a back side surface, forming an empty space; a liquid crystal element
22
formed on the light emitting part
21
for selectively blocking the light emitted from the light emitting part by an applied electric signal to display a text or an image; and a transparent protective plate
23
formed in contact with the whole side surface of the liquid crystal element
22
, for protecting the liquid crystal element
22
.
The front inner surface of the case
20
contacting the light emitting part
21
which forms an empty space serves as a reflector so that the light generated from a light source of the light emitting part
21
is collectively projected on a display surface of the liquid crystal display unit
30
after passing the liquid crystal element
22
and the transparent protective plate
23
.
The power source button
40
formed at the main body part
50
is functioned as a main power source of the lap-top computer, to simultaneously turn on or turn off the power source of the system and the display unit
30
. In case where a user intends to finish using of the lap-top computer, typically, he or she switches off the power source button
40
and rotatably combines the foldable case
10
to the main body part
50
for keeping or carrying.
However, as for the conventional .lap-top computer, in case where the user inadvertently rotates the foldable case to the main body part in a state that the power source button is not switched to the OFF terminal, a problem arises that the user could not recognize whether the power source of the liquid crystal display unit has been turned on or turned off.
Failure to recognize the ON/OFF state of the liquid crystal display unit consuming much power is a big problem in view of characteristics of the lap-top computer carried with battery mounted.
Meanwhile, a recent tendency shows that a mark or a logo is attached on the outer surface of the foldable case for a product promotion or a brand image creation. In this respect, however, an attachment of a simple mark or a log does not satisfy the diverse desires of users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable case having a back light by which the ON/OFF state of a power source of a liquid crystal display unit can be easily recognized even in a state that a foldable case is closed, and a specific mark or logo printed or injection-molded on an outer surface of the foldable case integrally formed with the liquid crystal display has a back light, so that divers desires of users can be satisfied as well as providing an elegant appearance.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a foldable case having a back light including: a light emitting part formed having an empty space in contact with a front inner surface of the case and a rear side surface of a liquid crystal element, for evenly distributing light, a liquid crystal element installed at the front surface of the light emitting part, and selectively blocking the light emitted from the light emitting part to display a text or an image; a transparent protective plate formed in contact with the front surface of the liquid crystal element to protect the liquid crystal element; and a case for supportedly combining the light emitting part, the liquid crystal element and the transparent protective plate, reflecting the light of the light emitting part so as to be injected onto the whole surface of the liquid crystal element, and having a light transmittance hole on the section of its body so as to have a back light on a specific mark or logo of the rear surface thereof.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5815225 (1998-09-01), Nelson
patent: 5918396 (1999-07-01), Jung
An Myung Sup
Choi Jin Kwan
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Husar Stephen
LG Electronics Inc.
Zeade Bertrand
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