The invention relates to a viewing device with a housing having a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall having at least one viewing opening for viewing an image displayed in the interior of the housing on an image carrier.
WO 2005/051141 A1 discloses a viewing device of the abovementioned type in the case of which in order to generate a spatial impression of the flat image subjects located on the image carrier, the latter is arranged on the inner surface, curved away from the viewer, of the rear wall of the housing, and the outer surface of the front wall of the housing is curved toward the viewer.
Since the curvatures of the rear and front walls are generally permanently prescribed, such a known viewing device does not permit the viewing form of the image subjects that are to be viewed to be respectively better adapted to the given spatial and viewing conditions, or to be changed. This is the case, in particular, with advertising displays or LCD flat screens in the case of which, for example, the aim is to enhance the spatial impression of the displayed image subjects, something which can, however, be realized only with difficulty because of the light conditions and the viewing angle.
It is the object of the present invention to specify a viewing device that in a simple way permits an optimum display of the image subjects located on the image carrier in one and the same unit.
This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Further, particularly advantageous refinements of the invention are disclosed by the subclaims.
The invention is based in essence on the idea of providing in the housing of the viewing device at least one drive device that acts on the image carrier in such a way that the position of the image carrier can be changed with reference to the viewing opening from a first end position into a second end position, and vice versa.
Owing to the possibility of changing the position of the image carrier by means of a drive device, it is possible for the pictorial representation to be optimally adapted to the respective viewer even if the housing of the viewing device is already located at a fixed location.
Furthermore, a continuously moving change of the image carrier can make the viewer highly attentive, and this is advantageous, in particular, for displays of advertising information on an image carrier for the purpose of sales promotion of the displayed products.
In the case of a first embodiment of the invention, it is provided in order to enhance or diminish the spatial effect of the image subjects that at least two opposite edge regions of the image carrier are held by a holding device in such a way that the drive device can change the curvature of the image carrier with reference to the viewing opening, the edge regions of the image carrier that are displaced laterally during a change in the curvature being held either by a guide of the holding device or by an elastic element.
In a second embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least two opposite edge regions of the image carrier are respectively held by a holding device of rotary design in such a way that in the event of simultaneous rotation of the holding devices in an opposite sense of rotation the curvature of the image carrier can be changed with reference to the viewing opening.
In the case of a third embodiment of the invention, at least two opposite edge regions of the image carrier are respectively held by a holding devices, said holding devices being designed in a fashion capable of mutual displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the image carrier in such a way that in the event of displacement of the holding devices toward one another the curvature of the image carrier can be changed with reference to the viewing opening.
In a modification of this embodiment, it is provided that it is not the edge regions of the image carrier itself, but a transparent, plate-shaped element, arranged on the outside, that is supported in displaceable holders, provided at the sides. When the holders are displaced toward one another, this element then presses on the outside against the image carrier so that the curvature of the image carrier changes with reference to the viewing opening into the interior of the housing.
In the case of a fourth embodiment of the invention, it is provided that in order to emphasize the depth effect of an image subject, the image carrier is supported inside the housing of the viewing device in such a way that it is displaced as a whole by the drive device away from the viewing opening or toward the viewing opening.
In the case of a fifth embodiment of the invention, the drive device comprises three drives, two drives respectively being fastened in opposite edge regions of the image carrier, one drive being fastened on the image carrier in the middle region thereof. Both a parallel displacement and a change in curvature of the image carrier can be produced with the aid of such a viewing device. Furthermore, the image carrier can adopt an oblique position with reference to the housing of the viewing device, or only the edge regions of the image carrier can be curved and the remaining region of the image carrier be of plane design when the drive acting on the middle region of the image carrier comprises a plate-shaped actuator.
It has proved to be particularly advantageous when the drive device is an electric motor drive with an actuator. In this case, the setting of the optimum position of the image carrier can be performed, for example, by means of a remote control from the location of the viewer.
The actuator can be, for example, a zoom mechanism acting on the middle region of the rear side of the image carrier. However, it can also be a slide mechanism (linear guide) acting on the middle, lower or upper edge region of the image carrier.
In the case of simpler embodiments of the inventive viewing device (for example displaying a photograph in a picture frame), the drive device can be a device that can be actuated from outside the housing. Here, for example, an eccentric pressing on the inside against the image carrier can be rotated with the aid of an adjusting wheel partially guided outward.
Furthermore, it has proved to be advantageous to use as drive device a stiff, flat metal or plastic band that is guided through a guide fastened on the rear side of the image carrier and is fastened at one of its ends in a holding device fixed to the housing, and is arranged at its other end such that it can be wound up and/or unwound by a winding mechanism.
A very simple drive device comprises a Bowden cable, the core of the Bowden cable being connected to a fastening device arranged on the rear side of the image carrier. When use is made of a Bowden cable, this can be connected in a simple way to corresponding motor or manual control elements that can be located either on or in the housing of the viewing device, or at another location.
The drive device can, however, be a magnetically operating device in which there is provided an electromagnet that acts on at least one magnetic element that either is formed by the image carrier (for example the shadow mask of a conventional screen device) itself, or is arranged on the rear side of the image carrier or on the lateral end regions of the image carrier. Such drive devices are suitable, in particular, for viewing devices in which the image carrier is located in a hermetically sealed space and thus, in particular, for screen carriers located in vacuo.
Furthermore, the drive devices can be fluidic drives in which, for example, flexible pressure containers of cushion-shaped design are used to change the position of the image carrier. Here, the image carrier can be driven by the corresponding “pressure cushion” both from the rear side and from the front side of the image carrier.
In the case of driving of the image carrier from the rear side, the “pressure cushion” can act on the image carrier directly or via a separate actuator. In the case of driving of the image carrier from the front side, it is either possible to use a separate transparent “pressure cushion” that extends in planar fashion over the entire surface of the image carrier, or the image carrier itself forms a flexible wall of the “pressure cushion”. The wall of this pressure cushion that is opposite the image carrier can then be formed by the front wall—transparent in the region of the viewing opening—of the viewing device.
When use is made of such fluidic drive devices, the latter can be driven in a very simple way with corresponding motor and/or manual control elements that can be located either on or in the housing of the viewing device, or else at another location.
In order to ensure a stable end position of the image carrier, for example, while the viewing device is being transported, it has proved to be expedient when provided in the housing of the viewing device is a stop surface that is arranged in the vicinity of the rear wall and against which the image carrier bears in a form-fitting fashion in its first end position. Furthermore, the front wall can also be designed as front stop surface of the image carrier against which the image carrier bears in a form-fitting fashion in its second end position.
The image carrier can be a flat screen consisting of elastic material. However, other image carriers also come into consideration.
In a way similar to that in the abovementioned WO 2005/051141 A1, it can be provided that the image carrier can be illuminated by at least one light source that can be arranged inside the housing. Here, in the case of an image carrier made from a transparent material, said image carrier can also be illuminated from the rear side of the housing.
Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the following exemplary embodiments explained with the aid of figures, in which:
An inventive viewing device that is, for example, a flat OLED screen is denoted by 1 in
The viewing device 1 comprises a housing 4 having a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3, the front wall 2 having a viewing opening 5 for viewing an image 7 displayed in the interior of the housing 4 on an image carrier 6 (generally square or rectangular).
In the example illustrated, the image carrier 6 is a separate carrier film made from an elastic material, on the front of which is applied a screen film 7 with OLED display (not illustrated) that reproduces the image information. However, the film facing the rear wall 3 can also serve as image carrier given appropriately stably designed screen films.
According to the invention, the viewing device 1 comprises a drive device 8 that acts on the image carrier 6 and comprises an electric motor drive 9 and an actuator 10. The drive device 8 acts on the middle region of the rear side 11 of the image carrier 6 in such a way that the position of the image carrier 6 can be changed with reference to the viewing opening 5 from a first end position into a second end position. In this case, in
The viewing device 1 further includes a stop surface 12 that is arranged in the vicinity of the rear wall 3 and is curved toward the rear wall 3, and on which the image carrier 6 rests in its first end position and thus has a concave curvature. At the edges, the stop surface 12 extends up to the front wall 2 and reinforces the latter.
In the vicinity of the front wall 2, the stop surface 12 includes slot-shaped openings 13 through which the edge regions 14 of the image carrier 6 are plugged. The stop surface 12 therefore serves both as holding device for laterally holding the image carrier, and for the lateral guidance of the image carrier 6 when the curvature of the image carrier 6 and thus also the lateral position of the edge regions 14 of the image carrier 6 change upon actuation of the drive device 8.
In the second end position, the image carrier 6 rests on the inner side 15 of the front wall 2.
As indicated by a dashed line in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Of course, other drive devices can also be used.
Thus, for example,
A further exemplary embodiment of a drive device is shown in
A very simple drive device is illustrated in
When use is made of a Bowden cable 24, the latter can easily be connected to corresponding motorized or manual control elements that can be located either on or in the housing 4 of the viewing device or also at another location.
As may be gathered from
As may be gathered from
Of course, the drive device need not comprise only a single drive, and the respective drive need not necessarily act on the image carrier in the middle region via an actuator.
Thus,
Such a viewing device can be used to undertake a parallel displacement of the image carrier 6 (
However, it is also possible to produce a change of curvature of the image carrier 6 (
This viewing device is particularly advantageous when the image 7 to be displayed is, for example, a film that is wound up or unwound by corresponding spools 36, 37. The reason for this is that in this case after the film has been displayed the purpose of quickly rewinding the film onto one of the spools can be served by displacing the plate-shaped element 33 into its initial position so that it does not touch the film (or, as the case may be, an additional guide or protective foil of the film etc.), and its wear is kept low by avoiding friction with the element 33.
Of course, the invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described above. Thus, the lateral holders illustrated in
Furthermore, the image denoted by the reference numeral 7 need not be a separate body (for example in the form of a film or a paper strip), but it can also be an image projected onto the image carrier by means of a projector so that the image carrier is an irradiatable or transirradiatable image projection surface (flexible projection screen, plastic surface, mirror surface etc.).
Again, the drive device need not necessarily be designed in such a way that the image carrier is displaced symmetrically, rather it is also possible for the image carrier to change asymmetrically, something which can be of particular advantage whenever the viewer views the images displayed on the image carrier from the side.
Furthermore, the drive device can be a device which operates magnetically and is provided with an electromagnet that acts on at least one magnetic element that either is formed by the image carrier (for example the shadow mask of a conventional screen device) itself, or is arranged on the rear side of the image carrier or on the lateral edge regions of the image carrier.
Two corresponding exemplary embodiments are illustrated in
Here,
Furthermore, the drive devices can be fluidic drive devices, flexible pressure containers of cushion-shaped design (pressure cushions) for example, serving to change the position of the image carrier. In this case, the image carrier can be driven both from the rear side and from the front side of the image carrier, driving being possible by utilizing both a variable overpressure and a variable underpressure.
Two corresponding exemplary embodiments are shown in
In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Both a gas (for example air) and a liquid can be used as fluid of the drive device for changing the position of the image carrier.
List of Reference Numerals
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 044 056.8 | Sep 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE06/01628 | 9/13/2006 | WO | 00 | 8/12/2008 |