Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6239841
-
Patent Number
6,239,841
-
Date Filed
Monday, September 20, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 29, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Garber; Wendy R.
- Tillery; Rashawn N.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 348 552
- 348 373
- 348 375
- 348 376
- 248 22926
- 248 22807
- 248 23007
- 248 231
- 248 918
- 248 452
- 224 556
- 224 249
- 224 673
- 224 564
- 224 908
- 224 267
- 361 679
- 361 681
- 361 682
- 361 683
-
International Classifications
- B60R700
- A47F714
- H04N5225
- H04N700
-
Abstract
A clamp for fixing a small electronic device on an upper end of a rectangular panel. The upper end of the panel has a horizontal top end, a front edge and a rear edge, the front and rear edges being perpendicular to the top end of the panel. The clamp includes an L-shaped assembly, an elastic module, and a base. A vertical side at the front of the L-shaped assembly engages the top end and the front edge of the panel. An elastic module fixed at a rear end of the L-shaped assembly has an arc-shaped plate bending towards the rear edge of the panel so that the L-shaped assembly will attach tightly to the top end and the front edge of the panel. The base is fixed on the L-shaped assembly and is used to fix the small electronic device. When mounting the clamp to the upper end of the panel, the upper end of the panel will slip across the arc-shaped plate and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate and the L-shaped assembly of the clamp.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamping apparatus, and more particularly, to a clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic camera onto an LCD panel.
2.Description of the Prior Art
With the development of multimedia, the prices of small digital cameras have steadily dropped. In this new era, one need only add a small digital camera to a computer to broadcast images on a network. This small digital camera is usually mounted on top of the computer monitor, and some method to do so is required.
When using a small digital camera together with a notebook computer, a clamping apparatus is needed to fix the small camera on an upper end of the LCD panel of the notebook computer. And because the notebook computer is often folded up or carried, the clamping apparatus must be easy to install and remove. Various prior art methods for fixing a small digital camera onto the notebook computer exist, including adhesives, spring-loaded clamps and screws. However, some of these methods can damage the surface appearance of the notebook computer, and others are inconvenient to install and remove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic camera onto an LCD panel to solve the above mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic device onto an upper end of a substantially rectangular panel, the upper end of the panel comprising a horizontal top end, a front edge and a rear edge, the front and rear edges being perpendicular to the top end of the panel, the clamping apparatus comprising:
an L-shaped assembly having a horizontal side and a vertical front side fixed at a front end of the horizontal side, the horizontal side and the front side of the L-shaped assembly being used for engaging the top end and the front edge of the panel;
an elastic module fixed at a rear end of the horizontal side of the L-shaped assemble having an elastic arc-shaped plate bending upward for engaging the rear edge of the panel so as to make the horizontal side and the front side of the L-shaped assembly attach tightly to the top end and the front edge of the panel; and
a base fixed on the L-shaped assembly and positioned above its horizontal side for fixing the small electronic device;
wherein when mounting the clamping apparatus to the upper end of the panel, the upper end of the panel will slip across the arc-shaped plate and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate and the L-shaped assembly of the clamping apparatus.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the clamping apparatus of the present invention can be easily installed and removed from the panel, and it will not harm the surface of the panel.
This and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a clamping apparatus of the present invention installed on an upper end of a laptop display panel.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the clamping apparatus shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is aside view of the clamping apparatus shown in FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a side view of an alternative clamping apparatus according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Please refer to FIG.
1
and FIG.
2
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a clamping apparatus
10
putted in practice according to the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the clamping apparatus
10
shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a side view of the clamping apparatus
10
. The clamping apparatus
10
is used for fixing a small electronic camera
14
on an upper end of an LCD panel
16
of a notebook computer
12
. The upper end of the panel
16
comprises a horizontal top end
18
, a front edge
20
and a rear edge
22
. The front and rear edges
20
,
22
are perpendicular to the top end
18
of the panel
16
. The clamping apparatus
10
comprises an L-shaped assembly
24
(FIG.
3
), an elastic module
26
, and a base
28
.
The L-shaped assembly
24
has a horizontal side
30
, a vertical front side
32
fixed at a front end of the horizontal side
30
and a rear side
34
fixed at a rear end of the horizontal side
30
. The horizontal side
30
and the front side
32
of the L-shaped assembly
24
are used to engage with the top end
18
and the front edge
20
of the panel
16
. A protective layer
36
, made of elastic material, is fixed to the horizontal side
30
and the front side
32
of the L-shaped assembly
24
for protecting the top end
18
and the front edge
20
of the panel
16
.
The elastic module
26
has an elastic arc-shaped plate
38
installed at the rear side
34
of the L-shaped assembly
24
bending upward for engaging the rear edge
22
of the panel
16
so as to make the horizontal side
30
and the front side
32
of the L-shaped assembly
24
tightly attach to the top end
18
and the front edge
20
of the panel
16
. A protective sheath
40
is installed on an upper end of the arc-shaped plate
38
to prevent the rear edge
22
of the panel
16
from being scratched by the arc-shaped plate
38
. The protective sheath
40
is made of a soft material with a high surface friction. The base
28
is attached to the L-shaped assembly
24
and positioned above its horizontal side
30
for fixing the small electronic camera
14
. The length of the arc-shaped plate
38
is long enough so that the protective sheath
40
is higher than the bottom lip of the front side
32
when the clamping apparatus
10
is installed. This ensures that the clamping forces are even, and so the clamping apparatus
10
will not tilt.
When mounting the clamping apparatus
10
to the upper end of the panel
16
, the upper end of the panel
16
will slip across the arc-shaped plate
38
and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate
38
and the L-shaped assembly
24
of the clamping apparatus
10
. Thus, mounting the small electronic camera
14
to the panel
16
is easily accomplished using the clamping apparatus
10
.
Please refer to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 4
is a side view of an alternative clamping apparatus
50
according to the present invention. The difference between the clamping apparatus
50
and the clamping apparatus
10
is that the clamping apparatus
50
does not have the rear side
34
, and the elastic module
52
is fixed at a rear end of the horizontal side
30
. A curved edge
56
is installed at an upper end of the arc-shaped plate
54
to prevent the rear edge
22
of the panel
16
from being scratched by the upper end of the arc-shaped plate
54
.
The clamping apparatuses
10
,
50
of the present invention use an elastic arc-shaped plate
38
,
54
which bend upward for engaging the rear edge
22
of the LCD panel
16
so as to make the apparatuses
10
,
50
fit securely on the panel
16
. When mounting the clamping apparatus
10
,
50
to the upper end of the panel
16
, the upper end of the panel
16
will slip across the arc-shaped plate
38
,
54
and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate
38
,
54
and the L-shaped assembly
24
of the clamping apparatus
10
. Hence, it is very easy to mount or dismount the clamping apparatuses
10
,
50
of the present invention. In addition, the clamping apparatus
10
,
50
of the present invention has the protective layer
36
, and the protective sheath
40
or the curved edge
56
. These protective elements are designed to avoid damaging the surface appearance of the panel
16
.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic device on an upper end of a substantially rectangular panel, the upper end of the panel comprising a horizontal top end, a front edge and a rear edge, the front and rear edges being perpendicular to the top end of the panel, the clamping apparatus comprising:an L-shaped assembly having a horizontal side for engaging the top end of the panel, a vertical front side fixed at a front end of the horizontal side for engaging the front edge of the panel, and a rear side fixed at a rear end of its horizontal side, the vertical front side being perpendicular to the horizontal side; an elastic module fixed at a lower end of the rear side of the L-shaped assembly having an elastic arc-shaped plate bending towards the rear edge of the panel so as to make the horizontal side and the front side of the L-shaped assembly attach tightly to the top end and the front edge of the panel; and a base fixed on the L-shaped assembly and positioned above its horizontal side for fixing the small electronic device; wherein when mounting the clamping apparatus to the upper end of the panel, the upper end of the panel will slip across the arc-shaped plate and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate and the L-shaped assembly of the clamping apparatus.
- 2. The clamping apparatus of claim 1 wherein a protective sheath is installed on an upper end of the arc-shaped plate to prevent the rear edge of the panel from being scratched by the arc-shaped plate.
- 3. The clamping apparatus of claim 2 wherein the protective sheath is made of soft material with high surface friction.
- 4. The clamping apparatus of claim 1 wherein a curved edge is installed at an upper end of the arc-shaped plate for preventing the rear edge of the panel from being scratched by the upper end of the arc-shaped plate.
- 5. The clamping apparatus of claim 1 wherein a protective layer made of elastic material is installed on the horizontal side and the front side of the L-shaped assembly for protecting the top end and the front edge of the panel attached to it.
- 6. The clamping apparatus of claim 1 wherein the panel is an LCD panel of a notebook computer.
- 7. The clamping apparatus of claim 6 wherein the small electronic device is an electronic camera which is electrically connected to the notebook computer.
- 8. A clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic device on an upper end of a substantially rectangular panel, the upper end of the panel comprising a horizontal top end, a front edge and a rear edge, the front and rear edges being perpendicular to the top end of the panel, the clamping apparatus comprising:an L-shaped assembly having a horizontal side for engaging the top end of the panel, and a vertical front side fixed at a front end of the horizontal side in perpendicular with the horizontal side for engaging the front edge of the panel; an elastic module fixed at a rear end of the horizontal side of the L-shaped assembly having an elastic arc-shaped plate bending towards the rear edge of the panel so as to make the horizontal side and the front side of the L-shaped assembly attach tightly to the top end and the front edge of the panel; and a base fixed on the L-shaped assembly and positioned above its horizontal side for fixing the small electronic device; wherein when mounting the clamping apparatus to the upper end of the panel, the upper end of the panel will slip across the arc-shaped plate and be clamped between the arc-shaped plate and the L-shaped assembly of the clamping apparatus.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5260731 |
Baker, Jr. |
Nov 1993 |
|
5855343 |
Krekelberg |
Jan 1999 |
|