Display apparatus and method

A display apparatus having a display module, to display a picture, includes a front casing positioned adjacent to a front and side of the display module, and a rear casing positioned in a rear of the display module and with a plurality of air slits, to dissipate heat generated in the display module. The front casing includes an insulator, to prevent the heat generated in the display module from being transferred exterior of the front casing. The display apparatus prevents heat from being transferred from a display module to the exterior of a front casing. Further, debris created while a screw is inserted does not fall toward the display module, thereby preventing the display module from a malfunction due to the fallen debris.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Applications Nos. 2003-53838, filed Aug. 4, 2003, and 2003-53837, filed Aug. 4, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly, to a display apparatus structurally improved, and preventing heat generated in a display module from being transferred to a front casing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a display apparatus includes a television, a monitor for a computer, etc., and includes a display module to display a picture, and a casing to support the display module.

The display module displays a picture by using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), or an PDP (Plasma Display Panel), etc.

Hereinafter, a display module including a PDP, and a circuit board to drive the PDP, will be described.

As demand for such display apparatus increases, methods have been developed to shield components, or a user, from EMI (electromagnetic interference) generated in the display apparatus. Further, various display apparatuses improved in outer appearance including decorations have been proposed because of marketplace demands.

FIGS. 1 and 2are partial, sectional views of a conventional display apparatus.

As shown inFIG. 1, a display apparatus101includes a display module110to display a picture, a front casing120provided in the front and sides of the display module110, and a rear casing130provided in the rear of the display module110and attached to the front casing120.

The display module110includes a PDP113to display a picture, and a circuit board118to drive the PDP113. Further, an optical filter140is provided in front of the display module110.

The front casing120includes a filter support125in a front thereof, to support the optical filter140, and an attachment section123, in a rear thereof, to which a screw135is inserted to attach the front casing120with the rear casing130. The front casing120is made of material containing aluminum.

The rear casing130has a through hole133, in a front thereof, through which the screw135passes, to attach the front casing120with the rear casing130. Further, the rear casing130has a plurality of air slits131, to dissipate heat generated in the display module110.

The optical filter140is supported by the filter support125of the front casing120with a filter supporting bracket145.

The filter supporting bracket145has a first part attached to a back of the front casing120with a screw, and a second part supporting an edge of the optical filter140.

However, in the conventional display apparatus, the display module110is exposed to an upper side120aof the front casing120, so that air, heated by the display module110, rises and remains near the upper side120a, thereby heating the upper side120aof the front casing120.

Further, in the conventional display apparatus, debris may fall on the circuit board118during the process of inserting the screw135in the attachment section123of the front casing120through the through hole133of the rear casing130, to attach the front casing120with the rear casing130. A malfunction due to the fallen debris may occur in the circuit board118.

As shown inFIG. 2, a conventional display apparatus includes a front casing202with a filter support201, in front thereof. An optical filter203is provided to the rear of the filter support201to shield the EMI, and a filter supporting bracket204is attached to the front casing202with a screw207, in the rear of the optical filter203, to support the optical filter203. A decorative member205is attached to a front side of the front casing202. A rear casing206is attached to the rear of the front casing202.

The decorative member205is separately added to the front of the existing front casing202to improve the outer appearance, and attached to the front casing202with a screw208.

However, in the conventional display apparatus, even though its design is improved by the decorative member205, a coupling means is required, such as the screws207and208, to attach the filter supporting bracket202supporting the optical filter203and the decorative member205to the front casing202, respectively. Thus, assembly is complicated and inefficient.

Further, since the number of components and the number of assembling processes are relatively increased, production costs are increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a display apparatus to prevent heat from being transferred from a display module to the exterior of a front casing.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a display apparatus, to decrease the probability of malfunction.

It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a display apparatus having a decorative member supporting an optical filter, in addition to improving the outward appearance of the apparatus.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a display apparatus having a display module to display a picture including a front casing adjacent to a front and side of the display module and a rear casing in the rear of the display module having a plurality of air slits through which heat generated in the display module is dissipated. The front casing includes an insulator preventing the heat generated in the display module from being transferred to the exterior of the front casing.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the insulator forms an air space insulating an upper side of the front casing from the display module.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the front casing is attached to the rear casing with a screw, and the front casing is provided with an attachment boss with which the screw is coupled without passing, and the rear casing is provided with a through hole, through which the screw passes.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the insulator forms the air space insulating lateral sides of the front casing from the display module.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the front casing is made of material containing aluminum.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a display apparatus, having a display module to display a picture includes a front casing, an insulator to prevent the heat generated in the display module from being transferred to the exterior, and a filter support, in a front thereof. An optical filter is in front of the filter support, to shield EMI. A decorative member is in front of the optical filter and supports the optical filter by being attached to the front casing. A rear casing is attached to the rear of the front casing to conduct EMI away from the front casing.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the decorative member is attached to the front casing with a screw.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the decorative member is nonconductive.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the decorative member is made of material containing synthetic resin.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the front casing is made of material containing aluminum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A display apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention displays a picture by using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), or a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), etc.

Hereinafter, the display apparatus including the PDP will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

As shown inFIGS. 3 through 5, the display apparatus1, according to an aspect of the present invention includes a display module10, to display a picture, a front casing20adjacent to a front and sides of the display module10, and a rear casing30provided to the rear of the display module10.

The display module10includes a PDP13, to display a picture, and a circuit board18, to drive the PDP13. Further, an optical filter40is in front of the display module10.

The PDP13includes a front substrate14, and a rear plate16spaced from the front substrate14, to form a plasma discharging space15. The PDP13is driven to display a picture, by the circuit board18that is to the rear of the PDP13. Both the PDP13and the circuit board18generate significant heat while operating.

The optical filter40is in front of the PDP13, thereby protecting the PDP13and filtering a picture displayed on the PDP13. Further, the optical filter40is supported by a filter support25(to be described later) of the front casing20and a decorative support member45(to be described later) in the front of the front casing20. Further, the optical filter40is a glass substrate coated with a conductive film made of material having high conductivity, and is grounded to the rear casing30through the filter support25of the front casing20. That is, the optical filter40filters the EMI generated in the display module10before the EMI exits the front of the display module reaching a user. The EMI is conducted to the rear casing30through the front casing20due to contact with the conductive film. The optical filter40may have various configurations as required.

The decorative support member45has a fastener47corresponding to an attachment hole27(to be described later) in the front casing20so as to allow attachment to the front casing20with a second screw49. Further, the decorative support member45is attached to the front of the front casing20, thereby improving outer appearance and, together with the front casing20, supporting the optical filter40. That is, the decorative support member45is employed for both decorating the display apparatus and supporting the optical filter40.

The front casing20includes an insulator21, to prevent the heat generated in the display module10from being transferred to the exterior of the front casing20. Further, the front casing20includes an attachment boss23, to which a first screw35is inserted, so as to attach the front casing20to the rear casing30and the filter support25, contacting a rear edge of the optical filter40and supporting the optical filter40. According to an aspect of the present invention, the front casing20is made of material containing aluminum.

The attachment boss23allows the first screw35, inserted through the rear casing30, not to pass therethrough, but to be coupled therein.

The rear casing30has a plurality of air slits31, to dissipate the heat generated in the display module10. Further, the rear casing30has a through hole33, through which the first screw35is passed, corresponding to the attachment boss23of the front casing20. The rear casing30is made of material having sufficient conductivity to conduct the EMI from the front casing20.

The insulator21forms an air space22allowing an upper side20aof the front casing20to be insulated from the display module10. That is, the insulator21is placed between the upper side20aof the front casing20and the display module10, thereby forming the air space22, to insulate the upper side20aof the front casing20from the display module10. Thus, air heated by the heat generated in the display module10is prevented, by the insulator21, from directly contacting the upper side20aof the front casing20. Further, heat transfer is prevented by the air space22, thereby preventing the upper side20aof the front casing20from being heated by the air heated by the display module10.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the display apparatus1is assembled as follows.

First, the display module10is attached to either the front casing20or the rear casing30. Further, the optical filter40is positioned on the filter support25of the front casing20, and then the edge of the optical filter is supported by the decorative support member45with the second screw49.

Further, the rear casing30is attached to the front casing20with the first screw35. The first screw35is coupled to the attachment boss23of the front casing20without passing therethrough, so that any debris created between the attachment boss23and the first screw35is prevented from falling toward the display module10, thereby preventing the display module10from experiencing a malfunction due to the fallen debris.

Thus, assembly of the display apparatus1is simplified. When such an assembled display apparatus1is operated, air near the display module10is heated during operation, and the heated air rises and is dissipated through the air slits31of the rear casing30. Further, any high temperature air that is not dissipated remains in an upper part of the front casing20, but does not directly contact the upper side20aof the front casing20because of the insulator21provided in the front casing20. Thus, heating of the upper side20aof the front casing20is prevented.

Further, the decorative support member45not only improves the outer appearance of the display apparatus, but also supports the optical filter40without requiring a filter bracket as used in a conventional apparatus. Therefore, the number of components and the number of assembling processes are relatively decreased, and consequently economize the manufacturing process.

In the above-described aspects of the present invention, the insulator21is provided in the upper part of the front casing20. However, the insulating part may alternatively be positioned opposite lateral parts of the front casing so as to form air spaces, to insulate opposing lateral sides of the front casing from the display module.

In the above-described aspects of the present invention, the front casing20is made of material containing aluminum. However, the front casing may alternatively be made of a plastic material or other metallic materials.

As described above, an aspect of the present invention provides a display apparatus to prevent heat from being transferred from a display module to the exterior of a front casing.

Further, an aspect of the present invention provides a display apparatus in which debris created upon insertion of a screw does not fall toward the display module, thereby preventing a malfunction of the display module due to fallen debris.

Still further, an aspect of the present invention provides a display apparatus in which a decorative support member both improves an outer appearance and supports an optical filter, so that the number of components is decreased and assembling efficiency is enhanced.