Abstract:
The present invention discloses a plastic frame, a frame unit and a fastener thereof. The frame unit is strip-shaped and has at least one end having an assembling portion. The fastener is used to fix two of the connected assembling portions, and the assembling portions of the frame units are connected and fixed by engaging two surfaces thereof with two surfaces of the fastener. The present invention achieves modularization of plastic frame by providing the frame units and fasteners and assembling them into the plastic frame, which not only saves cost of molding equipment, but also ensures a certain level of fixing strength and flatness.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an assembling component for liquid crystal display device, especially to a plastic frame, a frame unit and a fastener thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Generally speaking, a conventional liquid crystal display module includes components such as a front frame, a liquid crystal display panel, a plastic frame, a backlight module and a back board. The backlight module may be a side-light type backlight module and include optical films, a light guide plate and a light bar. The front frame, the plastic frame and the back board are connected together to form a holding room, and the liquid crystal display panel and the backlight module are to be mounted in the holding room to construct the liquid crystal display module. 
         [0005]    The plastic frame is mainly to fix and hold the liquid crystal display panel and the light guide plate of the backlight module so as to prevent the liquid crystal display panel and the light guide plate of the backlight module from shaking or flipping. Although different types of liquid crystal display modules have similar plastic frame structures, but size of the plastic frame of different liquid crystal display modules may vary by the sizes of the liquid crystal display panels, therefore, the design of the molding device has to be changed according to the frame size, which undoubtedly increases molding cost. 
         [0006]    In order to save the cost, manufacturers design a modular structure for plastic frame by providing multiple frame units and assembling them into one complete plastic frame to meet the requirement of different types of liquid crystal display modules. However, such a modular structure of plastic frame still has a problem of poor flatness on the connection part between the frame units. 
         [0007]    Hence, it is necessary to provide a plastic frame, a frame unit and a fastener thereof to overcome the problems existing in the conventional technology. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In consideration of the shortcomings of the conventional technology, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a plastic frame, a frame unit and a fastener thereof such that the plastic frame can be assembled into different sizes through hook engagements between frame units and corresponding fasteners and further meet the requirements of different types of liquid crystal display modules and ensure that the connection between the frame units and fasteners has certain strength and flatness at the same time. 
         [0009]    In order to achieve to foregoing object of the present invention, the present invention provides a plastic frame having: 
         [0010]    at least two frame units, and each of the frame units is strip-shaped and has at least one end having an assembling portion; the assembling portion has a first concave portion and a second concave portion, wherein a surface of the first concave portion and a surface of the second concave portion are connected and define a first angle; the surface of the first concave portion has a first engaging portion formed thereon, and the surface of the second concave portion has a second engaging portion formed thereon; the assembling portion is used to be correspondingly connected to the assembling portion of another one of the frame units; and
       at least one fastener used to fix two of the connected assembling portions, wherein the fastener has a first board portion and a second board portion, the first board portion and the second board portion are connected and define a second angle; the first board portion has a third engaging portion formed thereon, and the third engaging portion is correspondingly engaged with the first engaging portions of the first concave portions of two of the connected assembling portions of the frame units; the second board portion has a fourth engaging portion formed thereon, and the fourth engaging portion is correspondingly engaged with the second engaging portions of the second concave portions of two of the assembling portions of the frame units.       
 
         [0012]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the frame units is a plastic strip-shaped structure having an L-shaped cross-section. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a length of the fastener is equal to the total length of two of the connected assembling portions. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the first angle is equal to the second angle. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the first angle and the second angle are both 90 degrees. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first, the second, the third and the fourth engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion with the same shape and having a contact surface, wherein the contact surface of the first engaging portion correspondingly abuts the surface of the third engaging portion; and the surface of the second engaging portion correspondingly abuts the surface of the fourth engaging portion. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first, the second, the third and the fourth engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion having a triangle-shaped cross-section. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the assembling portions of the frame units and the fastener have a space therebetween. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion with the same shape; each of the third and the fourth engaging portions is a groove corresponding to the shape of the strip-shaped protrusion. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion having a rectangle-shaped cross-section. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion having a trapezoid-shaped cross-section. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a strip-shaped protrusion having a triangle-shaped cross-section. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a groove having the same shape; and each of the third and the fourth portions is a strip-shaped protrusion corresponding to the shape of the groove. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a groove having a rectangle-shaped cross-section. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and the second engaging portions is a groove having a trapezoid-shaped cross-section. 
         [0026]    The present invention further provides another frame unit being strip-shaped and having at least one end having an assembling portion; the assembling portion has a first concave portion and a second concave portion, wherein the first concave portion and the second concave portion are connected and define a first angle; the surface of the first concave portion has a first engaging portion formed thereon, and the surface of the second concave portion has a second engaging portion formed thereon. 
         [0027]    The present invention further provides a fastener used to fix two connected assembling portions of the foregoing frame units, wherein the fastener has a first board portion and a second board portion, the first board portion and the second board portion are connected and define a second angle; the first board portion has a third engaging portion formed thereon; the second board portion has a fourth engaging portion formed thereon. 
         [0028]    The present invention is to modularize the manufacture of plastic frames by providing a plurality of frame units and fasteners to assemble into a plastic frame. The assembling portions of the frame units are connected and fixed by engaging two surfaces thereof with two surfaces of the fastener so as to achieve a certain level of fixing strength and flatness. The modular design can also save cost on molding equipment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a plastic frame in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2B  is a side view of the first embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; 
           [0033]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the second embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4B  is a side view of the third embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled; 
           [0036]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; 
           [0037]      FIG. 5B  is a side view of the fourth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled; 
           [0038]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; 
           [0039]      FIG. 6B  is a side view of the fifth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled; 
           [0040]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention before being assembled; and 
           [0041]      FIG. 7B  is a side view of the sixth embodiment of a frame unit and a fastener of the present invention after being assembled. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0042]    Following description of each embodiment is referring to the accompanying drawings so as to illustrate practicable specific embodiments in accordance with the present invention. The directional terms described in the present invention, such as upper, lower, front, rear, left, right, inner, outer, side and etc., are only directions referring to the accompanying drawings, so that the used directional terms are used to describe and understand the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0043]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , wherein  FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a plastic frame in accordance with the present invention. The plastic frame of the present invention is constructed by at least two frame units  1  and at least one fastener  2 . 
         [0044]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , each of the frame unit  1  is strip-shaped, and each of the frame units  1  has at least one end having an assembling portion  10 . In more details, in this embodiment, each of the frame units  1  is a plastic strip-shaped structure having an L-shaped cross-section. In this embodiment, the assembling portion  10  has a first concave portion and a second concave portion  12 . A surface of the first concave portion  11  and a surface of the second concave portion  12  are connected together and define a first angleθ  1 , wherein the surface of the first concave portion  11  has a first engaging portion  110  formed thereon, and the surface of the second concave portion  12  has a second engaging portion  120  formed thereon. The assembling portion  10  is used to be connected to the assembling portion  10  of another frame unit  1 , the term “connect” herein means that the end of the frame unit  1  abuts against the end of another frame unit  1  such that the first concave portion  11  of the assembling portion  10  of the frame unit  1  is coplanar connected with the first concave portion  11  of the assembling portion  10  of another frame unit  1 ; meanwhile, the second concave portion  12  of the assembling portion  10  of the frame unit  1  is also coplanar connected with the second concave portion  12  of the assembling portion  10  of another frame unit  1 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the fastener  2  is mainly used for fixing two of the connected frame units  1 . In order to be flatly mounted on two of the connected assembling portions  10 , a length of the fastener  2  is preferably equal to or less than the total length of two of the connected assembling portions  10 . In more details, the fastener  2  has a first board portion  21  and a second board portion  22 , and the first board portion  21  are and second board portion  22  are connected together and define a second angleθ  2 , wherein the first board portion  21  has a third engaging portion  210  formed thereon, and the third engaging portion  210  is used to be correspondingly engaged with the first engaging portions  110  of the first concave portions  11  of the two of the connected assembling portions  10  of the frame units  1 ; and the second board portion  22  has a fourth engaging portion  220  formed thereon, and the fourth engaging portion  220  is used to be correspondingly engaged with the second engaging portions  120  of the second concave portions  12  of the two of the connected assembling portions  10  of the frame units  1 . In this embodiment, the second angleθ  2  is equal to the first angle θ  1  and is preferably 90 degrees. 
         [0046]    The fastener  2  may be a plastic component made of materials as the same as the frame unit  1  or other component having certain resilience. When mounting the fastener  2  on the two of the connected assembling portions  10 , the fastener  2  first are positioned on the assembling portions  10 , wherein the first board portion  21  corresponds to the first concave portion  11 , and the second board portion  22  corresponds to the second concave portion  12 ; then apply a press force to the fastener  2  such that the third engaging portion  210  of the first board portion  21  is engaged with the first engaging portion  110  of the first concave portion  11 , and the fourth engaging portion  220  of the second board portion  22  is engaged with the second engaging portion  120  of the second concave portion  12 ; meanwhile, the first board portion  21  and the second board portion  22 , as a result, are mounted in the first concave portion  11  and the second concave portion  12 , respectively, and thereby the connection between the two of the connected frame units  1  has a flat surface. 
         [0047]    The mounting of the fastener  2  enhances the strength and flatness between the frame units  1 . As for the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the fastener  2  mounted on the two of the connected frame units  1  can prevent the frame units  1  from rotating against each other and only allow the frame units  1  to move along their length direction. In a practical manufacturing process of the plastic frame, small space adjustment between two of the frame units  1  can be achieved to meet the requirement of different lengths. The frame unit  1  may have a transverse extension (not shown in the figure) to be connected with other similar components so as to construct a rectangular plastic frame. The end of the extension may also have the same structure as the above-mentioned assembling portion  10  to connect to other frame unit  1 . 
         [0048]    With reference to  FIGS. 2A and 2B ,  FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the frame unit and the fastener of the present invention before being assembled;  FIG. 2B  is a side view of the first embodiment of the frame unit and the fastener of the present invention after being assembled. With reference to the figures, the first engaging portion  110 , the second engaging portion  120 , the third engaging portion  210  and the fourth engaging portion  220  each is a strip-shaped protrusion having the same shape and has a contact surface ( 1100 ,  1200 ,  2100 ,  2200 ). The contact surface  1100  of the first engaging portion  110  correspondingly abuts the contact surface  2100  of the third engaging portion  210 ; and the contact surface  1200  of the second engaging portion  120  correspondingly abuts the contact surface  2200  of the fourth engaging portion  220 . In this embodiment, the assembling portions  10  of the frame units  1  and the fastener  2  have a space therebetween, that is, there is a space between the first concave portion  11  and the second concave portion  12  of the assembling portion  10  and the first board portion  21  and the second board portion  22  of the fastener  2 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the space may be further filled with adhesive material to further enhance the connection between the fastener  2  and the frame units  1 . Besides, it can be seen from  FIG. 1  that each of the first engaging portion  110 , the second engaging portion  120 , the third engaging portion  210  and the fourth engaging portion  220  is a strip-shaped protrusion having a triangle-shaped cross-section. 
         [0049]    In addition to the first embodiment, the engaging structure between the frame unit  1  and the fastener  2  of the present invention may be designed as other engaging forms without having any space left therein. With reference to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , each of the first engaging portion  110   a  and the second engaging portion  120   a  is a groove having the same shape and having a rectangle-shaped cross-section; and each of the third engaging portion  210   a  and the fourth engaging portion  220   a  is a strip-shaped protrusion corresponding to the shape of the groove. On the contrary, with reference to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , each of the first engaging portion  110   b  and the second engaging portion  120   b  is a strip-shaped protrusion having the same shape and having a rectangle-shaped cross-section; and each of the third engaging portion  210   b  and the fourth engaging portion  220   b  is a groove corresponding to the shape of the strip-shaped protrusion. Otherwise, with reference to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , each of the first engaging portion  110   c  and the second engaging portion  120   c  is a groove having the same shape and having a trapezoid-shaped cross-section; and each of the third engaging portion  210   c  and the fourth engaging portion  220   c  is a strip-shaped protrusion corresponding to the shape of the groove. On the contrary, with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , each of the first engaging portion  110   d  and the second engaging portion  120   d  is a strip-shaped protrusion having the same shape and having a trapezoid-shaped cross-section; and each of the third engaging portion  210   d  and the fourth engaging portion  220   d  is a groove corresponding to the shape of the strip-shaped protrusion. Otherwise, with reference to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , each of the first engaging portion  110   e  and the second engaging portion  120   e  is a strip-shaped protrusion having the same shape and having a triangle-shaped cross-section; and each of the third engaging portion  210   e  and the fourth engaging portion  220   e  is a groove corresponding to the shape of the strip-shaped protrusion. 
         [0050]    Besides, the engaging portions of the frame units and the fastener  2  are not limited to the above-mentioned types of strip-shaped protrusion or groove. The engaging portions of the frame unit  1  may be designed in different forms, such as one of the engaging portions has a hook structure and the other one of the engaging portions is a through hole or a groove structure, as long as the engaging portions of the corresponding fastener  2  have a corresponding structure that matches. 
         [0051]    By the above description, comparing with the modular structure of conventional plastic frames that have a shortcoming of poor flatness of the connection between the frame units, the present invention provides a plastic frame, frame units and a fastener thereof that the plastic frame can be constructed to have different sizes through a way of correspondingly engaging the frame units and fasteners with each other, and meanwhile ensure a certain level of fixing strength and flatness. 
         [0052]    The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications to the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.