Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2002-06-25
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, C349S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06411501
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 1998-48265, filed on Nov. 11, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a flat panel display device, and more particularly, to a flat panel display device mounting structure on a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat panel display devices include liquid crystal display (LCD) devices which are used widely, plasma display panels (PDP), and field emission displays (FED) which have been studied recently and may be applied to computers in the near future.
For convenience of explanation, the present invention will be discussed with respect to the LCD as an example of a flat screen type display device and a portable computer mounted with the LCD.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a general portable computer such as a laptop or notebook computer typically includes a body
100
, a flat panel display device assembly
110
coupled to the body
100
via a hinge mechanism
124
. The flat panel display device assembly
110
has a flat panel display module
111
and a display case
122
supporting the module
111
. The body
100
has an input device
102
such as a keyboard. As a flat panel display module
111
, the LCD is widely used in portable computers and flat screen monitors.
Referring to
FIG. 2
which shows a conventional assembly structure of the LCD device applied to a conventional portable computer, the display case
122
has a rear case
123
and a front case or frame
121
for mounting the LCD module
130
. The rear case
123
has an outer surface and an inner surface and connecting ribs
123
a
formed at the corners.
The LCD module
130
has an LCD panel
132
, a back light device
134
fixed to the back of the LCD panel
132
, and a metal sash or supporting frame
136
for assembling the panel
132
and the back light device
134
along the edge.
At the comers of the metal sash
136
, corresponding to the positions of the ribs
123
a
of the rear case
123
, a plurality of protrusions
136
a
having holes are formed.
For mounting the LCD module
130
to the case
122
, the LCD module
130
is placed on the rear case
123
and the holes of the metal sash
136
and the ribs
123
a
are fastened together preferably by screws
138
. The front case
121
is coupled to the rear case
123
.
Hereinafter, the way in which the LCD module is mounted to the case from the front toward the rear direction is defined as the front mounting method, and the assembled structure of the LCD module and the case made through the front mounting method is defined as the front mounting structure.
In the front mounting structure of the LCD module
130
, since the protrusions
136
a
require additional space corresponding to the protruded width “d”, the ratio of the display area of the LCD module
130
to the fixed size of the case
122
is reduced.
The front mounting structure may also include an additional feature to further support the LCD panel, as shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
.
Referring to
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, a conventional LCD device assembly
110
includes an LCD panel
112
, a back light device (not shown) for the LCD panel
112
, and a display case
122
supporting an LCD module
111
. The LCD panel
112
and the back light device are assembled by a metal sash
114
along the edges together with a plastic mold frame (not shown) supporting the back light device.
The display case
122
is coupled to a body
120
via a hinge mechanism
124
, which may from the body
120
. The display case
122
and the hinge mechanism
124
allow the LCD device assembly
110
to pivotally move with respect to the body
120
.
Two opposite sides of the metal sash
114
include flanges
114
a
for assembling the LCD module
111
to the display case
122
, and flanges
114
b
for assembling the LCD module
111
to the hinge frame or hinge arm
126
. Hereinafter, the former is referred as a fixing flange and the latter is referred as a mounting flange in this specification for distinction purposes. As shown in
FIG. 3B
, the fixing flanges
114
a
have a protruding width d
2
and the mounting flanges
114
b
have a protruding width d
1
. A screw hole is formed in each of the flanges
114
a
and
114
b
. On the inner or bottom interior surface of the display case
122
, ribs
122
a
are formed corresponding to the holes of the fixing flange
114
a.
To mount the LCD module
111
, the hinge frame
126
and the mounting flanges
114
b
of the metal sash
114
are screwed together, and the fixing flanges
114
a
of the metal sash
114
and the ribs
122
a
are screwed together by bolts
128
.
In the mounting structure shown in
FIG. 3B
, the metal sash or support frame
114
requires side spaces for the flanges
114
a
and
114
b
. Therefore, the side space D (d
1
+d
2
) results in a reduction of the ratio of the display area of the LCD panel
112
relative to the display case
122
. Moreover, as the display panel size increases, the display case
122
becomes undesirably large, especially for a portable computer such as a laptop computer.
To solve the above problem, an assembling structure has been suggested, as shown in
FIG. 4
, which is a partial perspective view. The hinge arm or frame
126
, the case
122
and the side wall portion of the display module
110
are screwed together by bolts
128
. However, although the embodiment shown in
FIG. 4
is a good solution, there may be some instances where it is desired to attach the hinge arm, the case and the side wall portion of the display module without using a screw hole in the side wall portion of the display module or to attach hinge arm with the case (FIG.
3
A).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a portable computer that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to minimize the non-display area of the LCD device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer having a flat panel display device with a maximum display area and a minimal display case size.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a firm mounting structure for a flat panel display device on a computer.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and the in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides, in one aspect, a computer including: a system body having an input device; a display module having a display surface and a rear surface; a display case having a side wall surface; and a hinge pivotally coupling the body to the display module, the hinge including a hinge frame having first and second surfaces, the first surface coupled with the rear surface of the display module, the second surface coupled with the side wall surface of the display case.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a portable computer including: a system body; a display module having a display surface and a side wall surface; a display case having an inner surface; and a hinge pivotally coupling the body to the display case, the hinge including a hinge frame having first and second surfaces, the first surface coupled with the inner surface of the display case, the second surface coupled with the side wall surface of the display module.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a computer including: a system body; a display module having a display surface; a display case having side walls, the display module secured between the side walls of the display ca
Cho Young Woo
Kim Jong Hwan
Park Dae Hee
Chang Yean Hsi
LG Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
Long Aldridge & Norman LLP
Schuberg Darren
LandOfFree
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