Flat display having supporting bracket

A flat display (10) includes a flat display panel (11) movably disposed on a supporting bracket (12). The supporting bracket has an opening (1210) on a top surface and a channel (128) crossing a bottom thereof. At least one cable (15) sequentially passes through the opening and into the channel of the supporting bracket, the cable configured for electrically and/or communicatingly connects the flat display and a host computer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a flat display such as a liquid crystal display, and in particular to a flat display having a supporting bracket with a cable-receiving structure.

BACKGROUND

FIGS. 7 and 8show a conventional liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display (LCD) has a liquid crystal display panel1, a base2, and a supporting arm3. The LCD1panel is pivoted to the supporting arm3via a hinge6.

Generally, signal and power cables are used to connect conventional LCDs to host computers. The signal and power cables attached to each LCD are required to be at least 1.5 to 2.5 m long, in order to enable a desktop or tower computer suite to be suitably set up. When the cables are longer than the distance between the host computer and the LCD, users may deal with the excess portions of the cables by bundling them, laying them on the desk or the floor, or winding them around the supporting arm of the LCD. Each of these measures tends to make the desktop or its environment untidy. In addition, loose cables are liable to cause accidents.

Accordingly, what is needed is an improved supporting bracket for a flat display, by which signal and power cables can be orderly arranged.

SUMMARY

A flat display includes a flat display panel movably disposed on a supporting bracket. The supporting bracket has an opening on a top surface and a channel crossing a bottom thereof. At least one cable sequentially passes through the opening and into the channel of the supporting bracket, the cable configured for electrically and/or communicatingly connects the flat display and a host computer.

The flat display panel is a liquid crystal display panel or another kind of flat display. The opening is at a top surface of the supporting bracket and adjacent to the joint portion. The supporting bracket has at least one partition at the bottom thereof. The supporting bracket has a joint portion with a shaft protruding from a side surface of the joint portion, and the flat display panel is pivoted to the supporting bracket by the hinge and the shaft. The joint portion is hollow to receive the hinge and has a corresponding hole on a surface perpendicular to the hinge. The opening, the hole, and the cross-section of the channel are rectangular, arched, or trapezoid.

A detailed description is given below in relation to various embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1shows a flat display10in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The flat display10can be a liquid crystal display or another kind of flat display. The flat display10includes a flat display panel11and a supporting bracket12. The flat display panel11is pivoted to a joint portion13of the supporting bracket12.

FIG. 2shows the supporting bracket12of the flat display10. The supporting bracket12is gently humped, with the joint portion13provided at a center of the supporting bracket12. The supporting bracket12has a shallow, elongate recess121provided along a center of a top surface thereof, the recess121spanning from a left lateral side of the supporting bracket12to an opposite right lateral side of the supporting bracket12. The joint portion13is seated in a middle of the recess121and integrally connects with the supporting bracket12at a bottom of the recess121. A rectangular opening1210is defined in the supporting bracket12at the recess121, adjacent to a left side of the joint portion13. The opening1210can alternatively be arch-shaped or trapezoidal, or have another suitable shape.

Referring also toFIG. 3, the joint portion13is elongate and hollow, and has an arch-shaped cross-section. A shaft1203integrally extends from the left side of the joint portion13. That is, the shaft1203is located above the opening1210. A keyed hole1202is defined in a right side of the joint portion13, for receiving part of a hinge14therethrough. Thereby, the flat display panel11can be pivoted to the supporting bracket12by the hinge14and the shaft1203. In the illustrated embodiment, the keyed hole1202defines two straight sides and two curved sides. In alternative embodiments, the keyed hole1202can be arch-shaped or trapezoidal, or have another suitable shape.

The supporting bracket12has four corner portions123that function as feet for supporting the supporting bracket12on a surface such as a desktop. Bottom surfaces of the corner portions123are flat and coplanar with each other. When viewed from above, edges of the corner portions123are arcuate. The supporting bracket12also has two connecting edges1241at a front and a rear thereof respectively. The connecting edges1241are arcuate, and interconnect respective corner portions123. The supporting bracket12further has two connecting edges1242at the left and right sides thereof respectively. The connecting edges1242are arcuate, and interconnect respective corner portions123. A length of the arcuate edge of each corner portion123is less than a length of each of the connecting edges1241, and less than a length of each of the connecting edges1242. The configuration of the supporting bracket12is not limited to the above description, and can be varied according to the particular needs of a given application, such as the mechanical strength required by the flat display10.

Referring also toFIG. 4, the supporting bracket12further defines a channel128at a bottom thereof. The channel128is perpendicular to the joint portion13, and spans from the front to the rear of the supporting bracket12. A cross-section defined by the channel128is generally rectangular. A height of the channel128is configured to allow signal and/or power cables of the flat display10to pass through the bottom of the supporting bracket12when the supporting bracket12is on a surface such as a desktop. In the illustrated embodiment, the channel128is defined through a partition (not labeled) that extends from the left side to the right side at the bottom of the supporting bracket12. The partition enhances a mechanical strength of the supporting bracket12.

Referring also toFIG. 5, the supporting bracket12further has a pair of partitions129respectively at the left and right sides of the bottom thereof. The partitions129extend from the front to the rear of the supporting bracket12, and enhance the mechanical strength of the supporting bracket12.

FIG. 6shows the flat display10electrically connected to a host computer20via a signal and/or power cable15. The cable15is first connected to a connector (not shown) at a back side of the flat display panel11, and is arranged to sequentially pass through the opening1210and the channel128of the supporting bracket12. Simultaneously, a signal and/or power cable (not labeled) of a keyboard21and a signal and/or power cable (not labeled) of a mouse22can be positioned along the channel128too. Any excess portions of the cable15can also be received in the channel128under the supporting bracket12, in the case when the cable15is longer than a distance between the host computer20and the flat display10. Thus, the cable15can be positioned in an ordered arrangement. Similarly, any excess portions of the cables of the keyboard21and mouse22can also be received in the channel128, in the case when these cables are longer than a distance between the host computer20and the keyboard21and/or the mouse22.

In other embodiments, the channel128of the supporting bracket12for the flat display10can instead be a channel that spans directly from the left side to the right side of the supporting bracket12, or can instead be a channel that spans obliquely from one side to another side of the supporting bracket12. The channel128can instead define an arcuate, arch-shaped or trapezoidal cross-section, or a cross-section having another suitable shape.

Further, there may instead be a plurality of channels at the bottom of the supporting bracket12. The channels may be parallel to each other or cross each other. Thereby, different cables can be disposed in different channels for an optimal arrangement of cables.

Unlike with conventional LCDs, the supporting bracket12of the flat display10(and each of various alternative embodiments thereof) provides an additional cable receiving space for receiving any excess portions of power and/or signal cables. Thereby, the cables can be positioned in an ordered arrangement.