Flat panel display with wire fixing structure

An exemplary flat panel display includes a back cover having a receiving space, and conductive wires accommodated in the receiving space. The back cover includes an inner surface corresponding to the receiving space. Typically, plural fixing elements for fastening the conductive wires are arranged on the inner surface, which can secure the conductive wires on the back cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to flat panel displays, and particularly to a flat panel display with conductive wires fastened in a receiving space inside the flat panel display.

2. General Background

A popular kind of flat panel display is the liquid crystal display (LCD). LCDs generally have advantages of lightness in weight, a thin profile, flexible sizing, and low power consumption. For these reasons, LCDs are widely used in products such as LCD monitors, laptops, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, and so on. In order to integrate more functions into an LCD device (such as an LCD monitor or a laptop), equipment such as speakers, a camera, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port can be included. Typically, this kind of equipment is electrically connected to a printed circuit board of the LCD device with wires.

A conventional LCD panel of an LCD monitor is shown inFIG. 9. The LCD panel1includes a front cover11, a back cover12, a display module15, a printed circuit board (PCB)13, and a pair of speakers14a,14b. A receiving space is formed between the front cover11and the back cover12, for receiving the display module15, the PCB13, and the speakers14a,14b.

The front cover11defines a central opening111, corresponding to a display region151of the display module15. The back cover12includes an inner side surface121. The speakers14aand14bare located at two ends of a lower side of the inner side surface121. Each speaker14aand14bis connected with a respective wire16. The wires16electrically connect to the PCB13through a connector18. In order to secure the wires16in a proper manner, several pieces of adhesive tape19are used to attach the wires16onto the inner side surface121of the back cover12.

During assembly of the LCD panel1, a roll of adhesive tape19is needed. In general, an operator cuts or tears pieces of adhesive tape19off from the roll one by one, and uses the pieces of adhesive tape19to fix the wires16on the inner side surface121of the back cover12. Typically, several pieces of adhesive tape19are needed to attach the wires16onto the back cover12firmly. Overall, the conventional manual process for fixing the wires16on the back cover12is inconvenient and time-consuming.

SUMMARY

An exemplary of flat panel display includes a first cover, a second cover, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a display module. The first cover has a receiving space for receiving a wire. The first cover further includes a first surface, located corresponding to the receiving space. The first surface has a wire fixing structure for fastening the wire on the first cover. In the preferred embodiment, the wire fixing structure includes a post. The post can for example be cylindrical or a square prism. Additionally, the post usually has a protrusion extending from a free end thereof so as to secure the wire. Furthermore, when the wire fixing structure has three posts, an arrangement of those three posts is like an isosceles triangle. In this situation, lengths of the two equal sides and of the base side and of the height of the isosceles triangle are defined as “m”, “L” and “h” separately where a compound ratio of the m:L:h can be 1.4:2:1. Moreover, a length of the wire fixing structure is defined as “p”, and a compound ratio of “p” and “L” can be 1.5:2. Otherwise, the first cover is usually set with a plurality of speakers which are electrically connected by the wire and further electrically connected to the PCB. The display module is also electrically connected to the PCB. The first cover and the second cover are adapted to engagingly receive the display module and the PCB therebetween.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of various embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, all the views are schematic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, this is an exploded, isometric view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. The LCD panel is shown and described herein for the purposes of describing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that other kinds of flat panel displays are also capable of embodying the principles of the present invention. The LCD panel2includes a front cover21, a back cover22, a display module25, a printed circuit board (PCB)23, and a pair of speakers24a,24b. The front cover21and the back cover22cooperatively form a receiving space, for receiving the display module25, the PCB23, and the speakers24a,24b. The front cover21defines a central opening211, corresponding to a display region251of the display module25.

The back cover22includes an inner side surface221, which defines one side of the receiving space. The speakers24a,24bare located on opposite ends of a lower side2211of the inner side surface221respectively. In the exemplary embodiment, six wire fixing structures2210are provided in a zigzagged arrangement on the lower side2211of the inner side surface221. Each wire fixing structure2210includes three posts2215provided in an isosceles triangle arrangement. In the illustrated embodiment, the posts2215are cylindrical. In alternative embodiments, the posts2215may for example be square prisms.

Referring also toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the speakers24a,24bare each connected to a respective wire26, and the wires26are connected to a connecter28. The connecter28is in turn connected to the PCB23. The wires26are secured through corresponding of the wire fixing structures2210.

In each wire fixing structure2210, a length of each of the two equal sides of the isosceles triangle is defined as “m”, a width of the base side of the isosceles triangle is defined as “L”, and a height of the isosceles triangle is defined as “h”. In the case of the posts2215being cylindrical, a diameter of each post2215is “d”. A length of each post2215(from the lower side2211of the inner side surface221to a free end of the post2215) is defined as “p”. According to a thickness of the wires26, a compound ratio (m:L:h:d:p) of the posts2215in each wire fixing structure2210can be set as 1.4:2:1:1:1.5. For example, when the diameter “d” of each post2215is 3 mm, then the length “m” of the two equal sides is 4.2 mm, the width “L” of the base side is 6 mm, the height “h” of the isosceles triangle is 3 mm, and the length “p” of each post2215is 4.5 mm.

In the exemplary embodiment, when the wires26are secured through the wire fixing structures2210, the wires26have a wavy arrangement adjacent to the lower side2211of the back cover22. The wire fixing structures2210neatly fix the wires26of the speakers24a,24bin safe positions. In assembly of the LCD panel2, unlike in conventional art, there is no need to use pieces of adhesive tape to attach the wires26on the back cover22. Additionally, the posts2215and the back cover22can be conveniently formed as a single body, for example by an injection molding process. Hence, assembly times can be shortened, and costs reduced.

In an alternative embodiment as shown inFIG. 4, a protrusion3217extends from a free end of a top one of three posts3215of each wire fixing structure3210. The protrusion3217extends toward a middle of a base side of an isosceles triangle formed by the three posts3215. The protrusion3217is defined by way of a cutout formed in the top post3215. This configuration enables a wire36to be firmly held by the wire fixing structure3210.

In another alternative embodiment as shown inFIG. 5, each wire fixing structure4210includes only two posts4215. A lower one of the posts4215is cylindrical. An upper one of the posts4215has a protrusion4217extending toward the lower post4215. This configuration enables a wire46to be firmly held by the wire fixing structure4210.

In a further alternative embodiment as shown inFIG. 6, each wire fixing structure5210has two posts5215, which are generally prism-shaped. A top one of the posts5215has a hook5217extending down from a free end thereof and further extending toward the lower side2211of the back cover22. This configuration enables a wire56to be firmly held by the wire fixing structure5210.

In a still further alternative embodiment as shown inFIG. 7, each wire fixing structure6210includes only a single post6215. The post6215has a hook6217extending up from a free end thereof and further extending toward the lower side2211of the back cover22. This configuration enables a wire66to be securely held by the wire fixing structure6210.

In yet further alternative embodiments, the distribution of the wire fixing structures can be varied or added to according to need. For example, referring toFIG. 8, a USB port720may be set on one side of an inside surface of a back cover72. The USB port720is connected to a PCB (not shown) through a wire76which is fixed by a wire fixing structure7210.

The above-described LCD panel2and back covers22,72can have various other alternative embodiments as required. For instance, the number of wire fixing structures can be varied according to the particular configuration of wires employed. For example, when the lengths of the wires are relatively short, as few as one or two wire fixing structures only may be necessary and sufficient. On the other hand, when the lengths of the wires are relatively longer, seven or more wire fixing structures may be required.

Furthermore, the number, arrangement, and configuration of the posts of each wire fixing structure can be varied according to need. For example, each wire fixing structure can have four posts or more than four posts. The posts can be semi-cylindrical, square prisms, triangular prisms, polygonal prisms, hollow cylinders, hollow prisms, etc. Additionally, the compound ratio of m:L:h:d:p can be adjusted accordance to the thickness of the wires used.