Clamping apparatus for fixing a small electronic camera on an LCD panel

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6239841
  • Patent Number
    6,239,841
  • Date Filed
    Monday, September 20, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 29, 2001
    23 years ago
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