Abstract:
A cradle for use with an image display device is provided which allows the image display device to be used while charging. The cradle includes a base member, a supporting member coupled to the base member, and a battery-charging unit provided with the base member to charge a battery of the image display device. The cradle may also include a pivoting cover that acts to cover the charging terminals when no display device is mounted on the cradle. The cover would pivot out of the way to expose the charging terminals when a display device is mounted on the cradle. The cradle may also include a wireless transmitter configured to transmit an image signal to the display device over a wireless link.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to an image display device, and, more particularly to a battery-charging assembly which can recharge a battery of a wireless image display device, and which can also send an image signal to the display device over a wireless link.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Wireless image display devices such as, for example, wireless monitors, may be used in a household capacity as well as in an industrial capacity due to their portability. This type of wireless image display device typically has a built-in rechargeable battery. However, in most cases, the battery-charging assembly is used only for charging the battery, and not for other purposes.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An object to the invention is to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.  
         [0006]     To achieve these and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a cradle and battery charging assembly for an image display device, including a base member, a supporting member coupled to the base member, and a battery charging unit to charge a battery of an image display device mounted thereon. A position of the supporting member may be adjusted so as to adjust a viewing angle of the image display device and allow for use of the image display device while charging.  
         [0007]     A supporting member embodying the invention would typically include a plurality of terminals that are intended to connect with the wireless display device to provide power for charging the battery. In a supporting member embodying the invention, a cover would cover the terminals when no display device is mounted on the supporting member. When a display device is mounted on the supporting member, the terminal cover would be retracted so that the terminals could make contact with corresponding terminals on the wireless display device.  
         [0008]     A device embodying the invention, which is used to support and charge the battery of a wireless display device, may also include a wireless transmitter which is configured to send the display device a display signal over a wireless link  
         [0009]     Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
         [0010]     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an assembly of a cradle and an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a cradle for an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a cradle for an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are exploded views illustrating a battery-charging unit for an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0016]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are exploded views of a charging terminal unit for an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0018]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  3 , a cradle for an image display device  10  may include a base member  30 , a supporting member  20  coupled to the base member  30  to support a rear surface of the image display device  10 , and a battery charging unit  100  provided on the base member  30  to charge a battery of the image display device  10 . The image display device  10  may be supported by the battery-charging unit  100  as well as by the supporting member  20 . A charging terminal unit  200  on the display device may be electrically connected to the charging unit  100  so as to supply electric power from the battery charging unit  100  to the image display device  10  via the charging terminal unit  200  when the battery charging unit  100  is connected to an outer electric source and the charging terminal unit  200  of the image display device  10  is connected thereto.  
         [0019]     The supporting member  20  is designed to support the image display device  10  at a plurality of positions. In one embodiment of the invention, the supporting member  20  supports the image device  10  at a 60-90° angle with respect to a horizontal plane so that the user can use the image display device  10  while also charging the battery of the image display device  10 .  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the supporting member  20  may include a plurality of signal terminals  21  at a rear surface thereof. These signal terminals  21  may include terminals such as, for example, AUDIO IN, VIDEO IN AND S-VIDEO for receiving outer electric power and data. The supporting member  20  may also include a wireless data transmitting unit  22  which is configured to exchange data with the image display device  10  via a wireless link. Such a wireless data transmitting unit  22  may be formed by mounting a variety of electric components on a circuit board to transmit the data to the image display device  10  using an RF transmission technique, an infrared transmission technique, or some other wireless transmission technique.  
         [0021]     As described above, a cradle for an image display device in accordance with the invention is designed to charge the battery of the image display device  10 , and also to support the image display device  10  so as to facilitate its use in a variety of applications. Furthermore, the wireless data transmitting unit  22  provides for wireless data transmission to the image display device  10 .  
         [0022]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an exemplary battery-charging unit  100  for a cradle for an image display device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The battery-charging unit  100  includes a base  110 , a fixing bracket  120 , a circuit board  130 , a terminal protective cover  140 , an upper cover  160 , and a front cover  170 . The base  110  extends from a top of the base member  30  so as to support various components of the battery-charging unit  100 . The base  110  may include seating projections  111  and fixing bosses  112  to position and fix the fixing bracket  120  and the circuit board  130  in place.  
         [0023]     The fixing bracket  120  may include a plurality of penetration holes  127  which correspond to the seating projections  111  and the fixing bosses  128  on the base  110  to facilitate alignment and attachment, and a hook guide  129  which couples the fixing bracket  120  to the upper cover  160 . Protecting cover supports  123  may be provided at both sides of the fixing bracket  120 , extending upward from the fixing bracket  120  by a predetermined height, with hinge holes  124  formed therein to engage a pivot shaft  141  of the terminal protecting cover  140 . This will allow the terminal protecting cover  140  to rotate about the hinge shaft  141 . The protecting cover supports  123  may also include coupling projections  125  and removal preventing projections  126  for preventing the front cover  170  from being removed in either a frontward or an upward direction.  
         [0024]     The fixing bracket  120  positioned as shown in  FIGS. 4-5  prevents the circuit board  130  from being electrically connected to the base  110 , and prevents terminals  131  formed on the circuit board  130  from being electrically connected to each other. Each of the terminals  131  formed on the circuit board  130  may be formed with a predetermined elasticity. By directly forming the terminals  131  on the circuit board  130 , working efficiency can be improved.  
         [0025]     A display  135  may be provided on a portion of the circuit board  130  to display a current operation state. The display  135  may be any type of device, such as, for example, a light emitting diode, which could readily convey such information. The circuit board  130  may also include a main board connection terminal  133  for receiving electric power. After mounting the fixing bracket  120  and the circuit board  130  on the base  110 , they may be secured in position by fixing screws S inserted from either the top or bottom of the circuit board  130 .  
         [0026]     The terminal protecting cover  140  includes pivot shafts  141  at each end, and terminal projecting portions  143  which correspond to respective positions of the terminals  131 . The pivot shafts  141  may be coupled to respective hinge holes  120  of the fixing bracket  124  to allow the terminal protecting cover  140  to be pivoted by application of an external force. The terminal projecting portions  143  allow the terminals  131  to project through the cover and outward when the terminal protecting cover  140  pivots. Thus, in turn, exposes the terminals so that they can contact corresponding terminals on a display device this is mounted on the charging cradle.  
         [0027]     A spring  150  may be provided for each pivot shaft  141  to provide an elastic force which returns the pivoted terminal protecting cover  140  from an open position to its initial, closed position. That is, when the image display device  10  is mounted on the battery charging unit  100 , the terminal protecting cover  140  is in an open position and the terminals  131  are exposed so as to supply electric power to the image display device  10 . When the image display device  10  is separated from the battery-charging unit  100 , the terminal protecting cover  140  is returned to its initial closed position due to the elastic force of the springs  150 , and the terminals  131  are retracted into the terminal protecting cover  140 . Because the terminal protecting cover  140  is disposed between the front cover  170  and the supporting member  20 , the terminals  131  are exposed between the front cover  170  and the supporting member  20  when the terminal protecting cover  140  is pivoted to the open position.  
         [0028]     The front cover  170  may include coupling grooves  171  which correspond to the coupling projections  125  formed on the protecting cover supports  123  of the fixing bracket  120  to preclude removal of the front cover  170  frontward from the fixing bracket  120 . The front cover  170  may also include removal preventing steps  172  and  173  which correspond to the removal preventing projections  126  formed on the protecting cover support  123  of the fixing bracket  120  to preclude removal of the front cover  170  upward from the fixing bracket  120 . The front cover  170  may include a display hole  175  and display window  180 , through which an output from the display  135  may be transmitted.  
         [0029]     The upper cover  160  protects the circuit board  130 , and may include a hook portion  161  which corresponds to the hook guide  129  formed on the fixing bracket  120  to secure the upper cover  160  to the fixing bracket  120 . The position of the upper cover  160  may be further secured by fixing screws S inserted from the bottom of the base  110 . The upper cover  160  also serves to support the image display device  10 .  
         [0030]     As described above, by providing the base member  30 , the battery-charging unit  100  formed on the base member  30 , and the supporting member  20  supporting the image display device  10  on the cradle, a user may recharge the battery of the image display device  10  while also using the image display device  10  and identifying a charging state.  
         [0031]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an exemplary charging terminal unit  200  formed on a bottom of an image display device  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0032]     The charging terminal unit  200  may include a contact point bracket  210 , contact point terminals  220 , and a terminal bracket  230 . The contact point bracket  210  is coupled to the image display device  10 , for example, at a bottom portion of the image display device  10 . Other locations may be appropriate. A bottom of the contact point bracket  210  is indented upward to define a space  215  in which the front cover  170  and the charging terminals  131  of the battery-charging unit  100  are inserted. The contact point bracket  210  may include bracket fixing portions  212  which may be fixed to the image display device  10 , and contact point coupling portions  211  to which respective contact point terminals  220  may be coupled.  
         [0033]     The contact point terminals  220  are electrically connected to the terminals  131  of the battery-charging unit  30  to charge the battery of the image display device  10 . That is, a portion of each contact point terminal  220  which is located in the space  215  of the contact point bracket  210  may be in electrical contact with a corresponding terminal  131 . The contact point terminals  220  may be connected to a circuit board (not shown) disposed in the image display device  10  by cables  240 . Each of the contact point terminals  220  may include a welding hole  222  to which the cable  240  is welded, and a cramping portion  223  to enhance the welding state of the cable  240 .  
         [0034]     Each of the contact point terminals  220  may also include a projection receiving hole  221  to which the terminal bracket  230  is coupled. That is, the terminal bracket  230  may include terminal coupling projections  233  which correspond to the projection receiving holes  221  of the contact point terminal  220  to couple the contact point bracket  210  and the terminal bracket  230 . Terminal coupling projections  233  formed on the terminal bracket  230  may be engaged with the projection receiving holes  221  formed on the contact point bracket  210  and fixing screws S may be inserted through screw holes  231  to secure the terminal bracket  230  to the contact point bracket  210 . Thus, the terminal bracket  230  allows the cables  240  to be more securely fixed to the contact point terminals  220 .  
         [0035]     The contact point bracket  210  may also include a drain hole  214  through which water introduced from an external side can be quickly drained, thereby preventing damage to the circuit.  
         [0036]     The charging terminal unit  200  for an image display device  10  in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein is designed to charge a battery of an image display device  10  as the terminals  131  are inserted in the space  215  formed in the underside of the contact point bracket  210  and the terminals  131  contact respective contact point terminals  220 . An image display device with the above-described charging terminal unit  200  may be associated with the above-described inventive cradle. More particularly, the inventive cradle is designed to conveniently and safely perform a charging operation on the image display device.  
         [0037]     An object of the invention is to provide a cradle with a battery-charging assembly for an image display device which makes it easier to charge a battery of an image display device.  
         [0038]     Another object of the invention is to provide a cradle with a battery-charging assembly for an image display device which can be safely and conveniently used in charging a battery of the image display device.  
         [0039]     Another object of the invention is to provide a battery-charging assembly for an image display device which can be used for charging a battery of an image display device as well as for supporting the image display device.  
         [0040]     Another object of the invention is to provide a cradle for an image display device which can be used for charging a battery of the image display device, which can be used to support the image display device, and which can transmit data to the image display device.  
         [0041]     The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative; and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.