CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to, and claims the benefit of, a foreign priority application filed in China as Application No. 200810216735.2 on Oct. 10, 2008. The related application is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relatives to display devices and, particularly, to a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices, as a kind of panel display device, are widely used for their high brightness, small weight, and low energy consumption.
Referring to FIG. 11, a commonly used display device 10 is shown. The display device 10 includes a main body 11, a support assembly 12, and four fasteners 13. The support assembly 12 is fixed to the main body 11 by the fasteners 13, providing support thereto. The main body 11 includes four fixed pieces 14, a front frame 15, a liquid crystal module 16, and a rear frame 17. The support assembly 12 includes a base 121, a bracket 122, and a mounting plate 123. The bracket 122 is fixed to the base 121 and the mounting plate 123. The mounting plate 123 defines four through holes 124. The rear frame 17 defines four through holes 171 and eight fixing posts 172. The fixed piece 14 defines two fixing holes 141 and a threaded hole 142.
To mount the fixed pieces 14 to the rear frame 17, the fixing posts 172 pass through the fixing holes 141 and are heated and pressed. Once cooled, the fixing posts 172 are immovable in the fixing holes 141, thus the fixed pieces 14 are fixed on the rear frame 17. After that, the fasteners 13 pass through the through holes 124 and the through holes 171, and are received in the threaded holes 142 of the fixed pieces 14. As such, the main body 11 is fixed to the support assembly 12.
However, the heating and pressing process fixing the fixed pieces 14 to the rear frame 17 requires specific apparatus, and thus assembly of the display device 10 is relatively complex and costly. In addition, the heating and pressing process is very complex, and parameters such as temperature and pressure are difficult to control, possibly affecting product quality.
Therefore, a new display device is desired to overcome the above-described shortcomings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic.
FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a first embodiment of a display device, the display device including a front cover, a fixed piece and a rear cover.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partial view of the rear cover of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the fixed piece of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an assembled, isometric view of the display device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is an assembled, isometric view of the display device of FIG. 1 viewed from another aspect.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partial view of a rear cover of a second embodiment of a display device.
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a fixed piece of the display device of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is an isometric view showing the fixed piece assembled to the rear cover of the display device of FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged, partial view of a rear cover of a third embodiment of a display device.
FIG. 10 is an assembled, enlarged, partial view of a rear cover of the display device of FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is an exploded, isometric view of a commonly used display device, the display device including a front cover, a fixed piece, and a rear cover.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged, partial view showing the fixed piece assembled to the rear cover of FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is an assembled, isometric view of the display device of FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a display device 20 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the display device 20 is a liquid crystal display, although the display device 20 may be of other type. The display device 20 includes a main body 21, a support assembly 22, and at least one fastener 23. The support assembly 22 is fixed to the main body 21 by the at least one fastener 23, providing support thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, four fasteners 23, here threaded nuts, are used.
The main body 21 includes at least one fixed piece 24, a housing 25, and a liquid crystal module 26. The housing 25 includes a front cover 28 and a rear cover 27 enclosing the fixed pieces 24 and the liquid crystal module 26. In the illustrated embodiment, four fixed pieces 24 are used.
The support assembly 22 includes a base 221, a bracket 222, and a mounting plate 223. One end of the bracket 222 is fixed on the base 221, and an opposite end of the bracket 222 is fixed to the mounting plate 223. The rear cover 27 is fixed to the mounting plate 223, thus fixing the main body 21 to the support assembly 22. The mounting plate 223 defines at least one mounting hole 224, with four mounting holes 224 used here.
The rear cover 27 includes four sidewalls 271 connected end-to-end, a protruding portion 272, four connecting portions 273, and four latching units 280. The connecting portions 273 connect the sidewalls 271 with the protruding portion 272. Alternatively, the rear cover 27 may be other shapes, for example, three sidewalls 271 and three connecting portions 273 or more than four sidewalls 271 and more than four connecting portions 273. One or more latching units 280 may also be used. The latching units 280 are fixed to an inner side of the protruding portion 272, such that the latching units 280 and the sidewalls 271 are on the same side of the protruding portion 272. Each latching unit 280 includes two latching pieces 274, four blocks 275, and a fixing hole 276 between the latching pieces 274. The fixing holes 276 of the latching units 280 correspond to the four mounting holes 224. Each of two ends of each latching piece 274 forms a block 275. The rear cover 27 is made of plastic in this embodiment. Two or more latching pieces 274 may be used.
Referring to FIG. 2, each latching piece 274 includes a base portion 277 with a gap in the middle and an elastic deformable portion 278 extending from the base portion 277 in the gap, thus forming a M-shaped latching piece 274. That is, the base portion 277 includes two legs (not labeled) spaced from each other and the deformable portion 278 is disposed between the legs. The deformable portion 278 includes a root 281 connected to the base portion 277 and a hook 279 formed at a free end of the root 281. The hook 279 protrudes towards another latching piece 274 of the latching unit 280. The hook 279 does not touch the protruding portion 272, thus defining a gap therebetween. That is, the deformable portion 278 is shorter than the base portion 277. Each latch piece 274 and each two latch blocks 275 cooperatively define a receptacle to receive a corresponding fixed piece 24.
Referring to FIG. 3, the fixed piece 24 includes a plate 241 and a protrusion 242 formed on the plate 241. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixed piece 24 is a metallic plate. The protrusion 242 defines a fastening hole 243. The fastening hole 243 may be threaded. The fastening hole 243 has a diameter corresponding to that of the fixing hole 276 and the mounting hole 224.
Referring to FIG. 4, during assembly of the fixed pieces 24 to the rear cover 27, each of the fixed pieces 24 is positioned between the latching pieces 274 of one latching unit 280. The fixed piece 24 is pressed towards the protruding portion 272 and deforms the deformable portions 278, such that the fixed piece 24 can pass thereby. Once passed by the fixed pieces 24, the deformable portions 278 return to their original state. The base portions 277 resist ends of the fixed piece 24. The base portions 277, the blocks 275 and the deformable portions 278 prevent the fixed piece 24 from moving in any direction, and as such, the fixed piece 24 is held by the latching unit 280. At this time, the fastening hole 243 aligns to the fixing hole 276.
Referring to FIG. 5, after assembly of the fixed pieces 24 to the rear cover 27, the other components can be assembled. The liquid crystal module 26 is received in the front cover 28, and the rear cover 27 is coupled to the front cover 28. The four mounting holes 224 are aligned to the fixing holes 276 of the rear cover 27, and the fasteners 23 pass through the fixing holes 276 and the mounting holes 224, and engage with the fastening holes 243, thus fixing the main body 21 to the support assembly 22.
In the display device 20, during assembly of the fixed pieces 24 to the rear cover 27, the fixed pieces 24 require only the application of external force, a simple and convenient operation requiring no additional tools or apparatus.
Referring to FIGS. 6-8, a second embodiment of a display device 30 differs from the display device 20 of the first embodiment only in that a latching unit 380 is different from the latching unit 280 of the first embodiment of the display device 20. The display device 30 includes a rear cover 37 and at least one fixed piece 34. At least one latching unit 380 is formed on the rear cover 37. The latching unit 280 includes two latching pieces 374 and a fixing hole 376. The structure of the latching piece 374 is the same as the latching piece 274. Each latching piece 374 includes a base portion 377 with a gap in the middle and an elastic deformable portion 378 extending from the base portion 377 and into the gap, thus forming an M-shaped latching piece 374. The deformable portion 378 includes a hook 379. Differing from the latching piece 274 of the second embodiment, the latching piece 374 does not include a block. The fixed piece 34 includes a plate 341 and two ears 343 at opposite sides of the plate 341. A width of the ear 343 is less than a gap of the base portion 377. The fixed piece 34 also has a protrusion (not labeled) formed on the plate 341 and defining a fastening hole 344. When the fixed piece 34 is held by the latching unit 380, the ears 343 are latched by the hook 379 and the base portions 377. Similar to the display device 20 of the first embodiment, during assembly of the fixed piece 34 to the rear cover 37, the deformable portions 378 are deformed, and return to their original state once the ears 343 have passed. The ears 343 are locked in the gaps of the base portions 377.
It can be seen that the latching unit 380 is simpler than the latching unit 280. Therefore, the display device 30 is simpler than the display device 20 of the first embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, a third embodiment of a display device 40 is shown, differing from the display device 30 of the second embodiment only in that a deformable portion 478 of a latching piece 474 does not include a hook and the fixed piece 44 is different from the fixed piece 34.
Assembly of the fixed piece 44 is similar to that of the fixed piece 24 and the fixed piece 34. A rear cover 47 of the display device 40 includes at least one latching unit 480 including two opposite latching pieces 474 and a fixing hole 476. The latching piece 474 includes a base portion 477 and the deformable portion 478 in a gap of the base portion 477. The fixed piece 44 includes an ear 443 at each end thereof and defines a fastening hole 444. The ears 443 are latched between the rear cover 47 and the deformable portion 478. Since the deformable portion 478 does not include a hook, the display device 40 of the third embodiment is simpler than the display device of the first two embodiments.
Alternatively, the blocks 275 may not be connected to the latching pieces 274, but at two sides of the latching pieces 274. Two blocks 275 on the same side of the latching pieces 274 may be combined to one, that is, the latching unit 280 may include two blocks 275.
Finally, while various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Grant
8059399
