Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2002-12-24
Feild, Lynn D. (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
06498718
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 98-44475, filed on Oct. 23, 1998 and 98-44973, filed on Oct. 27, 1998, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a flat panel display device, and more specifically, to a flat panel display device mounting structure and a method of mounting the flat panel display device to a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat panel display devices include liquid crystal display devices (LCD) which are being 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 the flat screen type display devices 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 type display device assembly
110
has a flat panel display device
111
and a display case
122
supporting the flat panel display device
111
. The body
100
has an input device
102
such as a keyboard. As a flat panel type display device
111
, the LCD is widely used in portable computers and flat screen monitors.
Referring to
FIG. 2
which shows 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 device
130
. The rear case or frame
123
has an outer surface and an inner surface and connecting ribs
123
a
are formed at the corners.
The LCD device
130
has an LCD panel
132
, a backlight device
134
fixed to the back of the LCD panel
132
, and a supporting frame
136
for assembling the LCD panel
132
and the backlight device
134
along the edge.
At the comers of the supporting frame
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 device
130
to the display case
122
, the LCD device
130
is placed on the rear case
123
and the holes of the supporting frame
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 device 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 device and the case formed through the front mounting method is defined as the front mounting structure.
In the front mounting structure of the LCD device, since the protrusions
136
a
require additional space corresponding to the protruded width d, the display area of the LCD device is reduced in comparison to the fixed size of the display case
122
.
The front mounting structure may also include an additional feature to further support the LCD device as shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
.
Referring to
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, a conventional LCD device assembly
110
includes an LCD panel
112
and a backlight device (not shown) for the LCD panel
112
and display case
122
supporting the LCD device
111
. The LCD panel
112
and the backlight device are assembled by a supporting frame
114
along the edges.
The display case
122
is coupled to a body
120
via a hinge mechanism
124
, which may extend from the body
120
. The display case
122
and the hinge mechanism
124
are assembled through a hinge arm
126
, allowing the flat panel display device assembly
110
to pivotally move with respect to the body
120
.
Two opposite sides of the supporting frame
114
include flanges
114
a
for assembling the LCD device
111
to the display case
122
, and comers include flanges
114
b
for assembling the LCD device
111
to the 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 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 device
111
, the hinge arm
126
and the mounting flanges
114
b
are screwed together, and the fixing flanges
114
a
and the ribs
122
a
are screwed together by bolts
128
.
In the mounting structure shown in
FIG. 3B
, the supporting 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 display area of the LCD panel
112
relative to the display case
122
. Moreover, as the display size increases, the display case becomes undesirably large, especially for a portable computer such as a laptop computer.
To solve the above problem and to provide a large display area with minimal display case size, a new mounting structure is needed for the LCD device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a portable computer and method for mounting a flat panel display device thereon 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 with a maximum display area and a minimal display case size.
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 in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a portable computer includes a body having an information input device; a case coupled to the body and having inner and outer surfaces; and a flat panel display device having a display surface and a rear surface, the rear surface being fixed to the inner surface of the case.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a portable computer includes a body having an information input device; a flat panel display case coupled to the body; a flat panel display device having a display surface and a rear surface; and a hinge mechanism having a hinge mount and a hinge arm fixed to the rear surface of the display device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of mounting a flat panel display device to a hinge mechanism having a hinge mount, a hinge arm, and a pin portion rotating in the hinge mount, the flat panel display device having a display surface and a rear surface, the method including a step of fixing the rear surface of the flat panel display device to the hinge arm. The fixing step is preferably carried out by attaching the hinge arm and the rear surface of the flat display device using a screw.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, an LCD device coupled to an outer case includes an LCD panel having a display surface and a rear surface; a backlight device having a first surface facing the rear surface of the LCD panel and a second surface attached to the outer case; and a supporting frame for assembling the LCD panel and the backlight device.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as clai
Cho Young Woo
Kim Jong Hwan
Chang Yean Hsi
Feild Lynn D.
LG. Philips LCD Co. Ltd.
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
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