Display device for data processing equipment

A display device adopted for use on data processing equipment includes a hollow case for housing a turnable axle and an elastic element, a pliable LCD screen wound around the peripheral surface of the axle, and a retaining member fastening to one side of the pliable LCD screen to receive a force from users to pull and turn the axle so that the LCD screen may be stretched outside the case to a use position, and receive image signals from the data processing equipment through a connection port located on one side of the case to generate and display pictures. The elastic element provides a stretch returning elastic force to drive the axle to turn in a reverse direction to wind the LCD screen in a retraction position in the case.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a display device adopted for use on data processing equipment and particularly to a display device for data processing equipment that includes a pliable liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, retractable by rolling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The electronic industry has grown significantly in recent years. Applications of computer equipment are no longer limited to a small number of people. They have been widely used in people's daily life. In general, data processing equipment includes a computer host, input devices and display devices. The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display device was the main stream in the past. Such type of products has a large size, a great thickness, and flickering pictures. The curvature of the screen is difficult to be fabricated without any defect. Nowadays, with the advance of semiconductor technology, the LCD has been developed and introduced. The LCD has the advantage of being thin and small, saves a lot of space, provides steady pictures without flickering, and consumes little electric power. It has gradually replaced the conventional CRT display device.

Now also a pliable LCD screen appears on the market. It adopts the principles and technologies of physics and chemistry to generate pictures. It has the following characteristics:1. Low electric power consumption: compared with the CRT display device or general LCD, the pliable LCD screen consumes much less electric power. One of the special features of the pliable LCD screen is that it consumes almost no electric power when the display picture remains still. This can greatly increase utilization and standby time for handheld data processing devices such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or notebook computer.2. Reduced thickness: While the general LCD has a smaller thickness than the conventional CRT display device, it still takes a substantial space and has a substantial weight that could become a burden for users to carry around. The pliable LCD screen is significantly thinner and has a thickness comparable with a few sheets of paper. It is much easier for users to carry outdoors to do the required data processing tasks.3. Folding and bendable: Besides the lower power consumption and reduced thickness mentioned above, the pliable LCD screen also may be folded or bent like a piece of paper, unlike other display devices on the market. Thus users can use it to read data and information anywhere anytime, and retract it by folding or rolling for storing when not in use.

At present Sharp Co. and NEC Co. of Japan have jointly developed reflective LCD technologies. Toshiba Co. of Japan has devoted research and development efforts in low temperature high polymer silicon liquid crystal technologies, and Minolta Co. of Japan has developed reflective cholesterol liquid crystal material. Iridigm Co. of U.S.A. has developed a fabrication process on glass substrates that is based on a micro electromechanical architecture and coupled with thin film LCD screen manufacturing and Interferometric Modulator (iMod) techniques. It already has satisfactory results in terms of brightness and color. All the companies mentioned above also have prototypes for the pliable LCD screen. Those techniques have reached a well-developed stage, and the related products predicted will be available on the market in the near future.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on the related developments and product characteristics of the pliable LCD screen set forth above, it is natural that the design of data processing equipment also have to be improved to take the advantages of the pliable LCD screen.

Therefore, the present invention aims at providing a display device for data processing equipment. It can generate pictures according to image signals transferred by the data processing equipment, and can be retracted to facilitate carrying.

The display device according to the invention mainly includes a case, an axle, a pliable LCD screen and an elastic element. The case has a housing compartment to hold the turning axle inside. The pliable LCD screen may be wound around the peripheral surface of the axle and housed in the case. The pliable LCD screen has one side fastened to a retaining member for pulling the pliable LCD screen and turning the axle in a positive direction so that the pliable LCD screen may be stretched from the case for a selected distance to a use position. The case has a connection port on one side to receive image signals, transferred from the data processing equipment so that pictures may be generated and displayed for user viewing. The elastic element is held in the housing compartment of the case to provide a stretch returning elastic force to turn the axle in a reverse direction so that the pliable LCD screen may be wound around the outer surface of the axle and can be retracted in the case, to facilitate carrying.

Thus the pliable LCD screen according to the invention may be pulled out from the case to a use position, generating pictures according to the image signals transferred from the data processing equipment. It also may be selectively retracted in the case. Namely, the viewing range of the displaying picture is not restricted. Only the required operation space of the electronic elements has to be considered. The bending property of the pliable LCD screen can further reduce the size of the data processing equipment. This can improve carrying convenience. It is a new design that offers significant benefits.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The display device adopted for use on data processing equipment according to the invention aims to generate and display pictures based on image signals transferred from the data processing equipment. Refer toFIGS. 1,2and3for a preferred embodiment of the invention. The display device according to the invention mainly includes a case10, an axle20, a pliable LCD screen30and an elastic element50. The case10has a housing compartment16and an elongated slot17communicating with the housing compartment16. The case10has a rear side attaching to a radio transmission unit60which is an antenna to receive external radio communication signals. It is connected to a connection port14located at the bottom side of the case10, and can transfer data with a data processing equipment200(also shown inFIG. 4). The case10further includes an electric power module13at the bottom side to provide driving electric energy required for the pliable LCD screen30during operation. Of course, the electric power module13is an optional feature. The electric power also may be obtained from the data processing equipment200through the connection port14(referring toFIG. 4). The case10also has a hump section on the outside to contain an input module70. The input module70is electrically connected to the connection port14. It includes a track ball71and function keys72to enable users to operate and control the data processing equipment200(referring toFIG. 4). Besides, the case10has a expanding slot12is connected to the data processing equipment200via connection port14, and an external memory card (not shown in figure) can insert in to the expanding slot12to link the data processing equipment200for transferring data.

The axle20is turning in the housing compartment16. It is a hollow barrel with a housing chamber21inside. The case10has a leveling member11corresponding to the axle20that runs through the housing chamber21. The elastic element50is a helical spring coupling on the leveling member11. It has two ends engaging respectively with the axle20and the leveling member11. The pliable LCD screen30is a rolling flat sheet. As shown inFIG. 3, the pliable LCD screen30is wound around the peripheral surface of the axle20and housed in the housing chamber16with the axle20. To facilitate explanation, the condition in which the pliable LCD screen30is wound around the peripheral surface of the axle20is called the retraction position. Please be noted that the elastic element50mainly provides a stretch returning elastic force for the axle20. Hence it has to form a coupling relationship with the case10and the axle20. Coupling of the elastic element50to meet the foregoing condition may have many forms. The one disclosed above is merely an example, and should not be deemed as the limitation of the embodiment.

The retaining member40is fastened to one side of the pliable LCD screen30, and is exposed outside the elongated slot17of the case10. It has an aperture41at a desired location, a balance weight42and a suction cup43on the bottom side thereof.

Referring toFIG. 4, when the invention is used on data processing equipment it may be mounted on a table100. The table100has an anchor pillar110and a communication slot120corresponding to the connection port14. The communication slot120is connected to the data processing equipment200. When the case10is mounted on the table100, the connection port14may be inserted into the communication slot120to link the data processing equipment200for transferring data.

Users may grasp the retaining member40and pull the pliable LCD screen30. The axle20is driven and turned in the positive direction so that the pliable LCD screen30may be stretched through the elongated slot17of the case10for a selected range, and moved away from the axle20to release the winding condition. The anchor pillar110has a strut to couple with the aperture41of the retaining member40to maintain the pliable LCD screen30in the stretched condition which is defined as the use position. This is the position where the pliable LCD screen30is pulled by a force to be released from the retraction position around the axle20to the stretched position outside the case10for use. The balance weight42and suction cup43at the bottom side of the retaining member help the pliable LCD screen30to maintain at the use position.

After the foregoing setup operation is completed, the pliable LCD screen30can receive image signals from the data processing equipment200through the connection port14and generate display pictures for user viewing. Users can operate and control the data processing equipment200through the input module70. The radio transmission unit60on the rear side of the case10may be turned to enable the data processing equipment200to transmit external communication signals through the connection port14, or receive radio signals of TV broadcasting so that pictures may be displayed for user viewing.

Retracting of the pliable LCD screen30is simple. The user only has to release the coupling of the retaining member40and the anchor pillar110. As shown inFIG. 3, when the user pulls and stretches the pliable LCD screen30from the case10earlier, the axle20turns in the positive direction, and the elastic element50coupled on the leveling member11and the axle20is deformed under force. Once the coupling relationship between the retaining member40and the anchor pillar110is released, the elastic element50provides a stretch returning elastic force to drive the axle20to turn in the reverse direction. Thus the pliable LCD screen30is driven to the retraction position and winds around the peripheral surface of the axle20, and is housed again in the housing compartment16of the case10as shown inFIG. 1.

In summary, the invention is a new product that fully uses the characteristics of the pliable LCD screen to be retracted and held in the case after use. It provides a new picture viewing method with significant improvements over the conventional techniques and products.