Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2002-06-18
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C248S919000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06407909
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal unit, in particular, a POS (Point Of Sale) terminal unit which has a touch panel, an angle of which panel can be changed.
Such a POS terminal unit is demanded to require reduced man-hours for being assembled in a factory, and, also, easy maintenance of a touch panel thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1A
,
1
B and
1
C shows a POS terminal unit
10
in the related art. The POS terminal unit
10
includes a body unit
11
and a display panel unit
12
. The left and right sides of the display panel unit
12
are connected to the body unit
11
by using hinge modules
13
, and, thus, the display panel unit
12
is attached to the body unit
11
, so that the inclination angle of the display panel unit
12
can be adjusted. The display panel unit
12
has a liquid crystal display device, and has a touch panel which covers the display screen of the liquid crystal display device. The angle of the display panel unit
12
is adjusted so that an operator can easily view the display screen of the liquid crystal display device and also can easily operate the display panel unit
12
. The operator operates the display panel unit by pushing a desired position of the display screen by using his or her finger.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, each of the hinge modules
13
includes a fixed-side bracket
20
, a fixed-side shaft
22
which is fixed to the fixed-side bracket
20
by using screws
21
and projects from the fixed-side bracket
20
, a rotation-side shaft
23
which is connected to the fixed-side shaft
22
and can rotate, a coil spring
24
which is provided over the circumferential surface of the fixed-side shaft
22
and the circumferential surface of the rotation-side shaft
23
and presses the circumferential surface of the fixed-side shaft
22
and the circumferential surface of the rotation-side shaft
23
, and a rotation-side bracket
25
. The fixed-side bracket
20
of the hinge module
13
is fixed to the body unit
11
by using screws. The rotation-side bracket
25
is fixed to the display panel unit
12
by using screws, and two nail portions
25
a
1
and
25
a
2
of the rotation-side bracket
25
are fitted into a pair of cut-out portions
23
b
1
and
23
b
2
of a flange
23
a
provided at the end of the rotation-side shaft
23
, respectively. As mentioned above, the coil spring
24
extends over the circumferential surface of the fixed-side shaft
22
and the circumferential surface of the rotation-side shaft
23
, and presses the circumferential surface of the fixed-side shaft
22
and the circumferential surface of the rotation-side shaft
23
. As a result, a considerably large torque is required for rotating the rotation-side shaft
23
.
When an operator holds the top of the display panel unit
12
by his or her hand and applies a large force to the display panel unit
12
, the rotation-side shaft
23
rubs against the coil spring
24
and rotates. As a result, the inclination angle of the display panel unit
12
is changed. Then, even when the operator removes the hand from the display panel unit
12
, the inclination angle of the display panel unit
12
does not change and the display panel unit
12
is maintained in this inclination angle. Even when the operator operates the display panel unit so that the operator pushes a desired position of the display screen of the display panel unit
12
by using his or her finger, the display panel unit
12
is maintained in this inclination angle.
As shown in
FIG. 1C
, a stand
15
is caused to adhere to the body unit
11
by using a double-sided tape, and a POP (Point Of Purchase)
16
or the like is supported on the stand
15
.
In the POS terminal unit
10
in the related art, as mentioned above, the two nail portions
25
a
1
and
25
a
2
of the rotation-side bracket
25
, which is fixed to the display panel unit
12
by using the screws, are fitted into the pair of the cut-out portions
23
b
1
and
23
b
2
of the flange
23
a
at the end of the rotation-side shaft
23
. Thus, the display panel unit
12
is coupled with the body unit
11
.
The POS terminal unit
10
is assembled in a factory as follows: the display panel unit
12
is in a condition in which a cover
12
a
has not been attached; the rotation-side bracket
25
is fitted to the rotation-side shaft
23
; in this condition, the rotation-side bracket
25
is fixed to a body
12
b
of the display panel unit
12
; and, then, the cover
12
a
is attached to the body
12
b.
Thus, many man-hours are required for assembling the POS terminal unit
10
. As a result, it is difficult to shorten a period required for the POS terminal unit to be delivered to a customer once an order is made by the customer.
Further, a case in which the POS terminal unit
10
set in a store is maintained will now be considered. For a purpose of maintenance or the like, the display panel unit
12
may be detached from the body unit
11
. Further, another display panel unit
12
may be attached to the body unit
11
. In such a case, it is necessary to detach the cover
12
a
from the body
12
b,
and loosen the screws by which the rotation-side bracket
25
is fixed to the display panel unit
12
. Thus, many man-hours are required for the maintenance.
Further, the number of parts of the hinge modules
13
is large, and, therefore, the hinge modules
13
are expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal unit in which the above-described problems are solved.
A terminal unit, according to the present invention, comprises:
a body unit; and
a display panel unit which is attached to the body unit in a manner in which an inclination angle of the display unit can be changed,
wherein:
the display panel unit has a shaft;
the body unit has a shaft supporting portion which has a cut-out having an entrance portion;
the shaft is caused to pass through the entrance portion of the cut-out of the shaft supporting portion and is fitted into a depth portion of the cut-out, the display panel unit thus being attached to the body unit; and
the direction in which force is applied to the shaft when the display panel unit is operated is different from the center line of the cut-out by a predetermined angle.
Because the shaft is caused to pass through the entrance portion of the cut-out and is fitted into the depth portion of the cut-out, and, thus, the display panel unit is attached to the body unit, it is possible to attach the display panel unit to the body unit without disassembling the display panel unit. Therefore, it is possible for the body unit and the panel display unit to be assembled separately, and, then, for the thus-assembled display panel unit to be assembled on the thus-assembled body unit. Thus, it is not necessary to disassemble a portion of the assembled display panel unit when the display panel unit is assembled on the body unit. Thus, assembling of the terminal unit is easy, and, thereby, the terminal unit can be delivered within a period shorter than that in the case of the related art. Further, it is possible to detach the display panel unit from the body unit as a result of moving the shaft to the direction of the entrance portion, causing the shaft to pass through the entrance portion, and, thus, removing the shaft from the cut-out. Thus, maintenance of the display panel unit can be easily performed.
Further, because the direction in which force is applied to the shaft when the display panel unit is operated is different from the center line of the cut-out by a predetermined angle, the shaft is pressed against a side wall of the cut-out when the display panel unit is operated, and, thereby, the shaft is prevented from slipping out of the cut-out. As a result, when an operator operates the display panel unit so that the operator pushes the display panel unit, the shaft does not move from the depth portion of the cut-out to the entrance portion, that is, the shaft is maintained in the depth portion of the cut-out. As a result, the portion of
Ishii Noboru
Kato Shin-ichi
Miyazawa Kenichi
Ogashiwa Kazuo
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