Abstract:
A combination frame for fixing a display panel module on a display shell is described. The combination frame is constructed by two crossbeams, two vertical beams, and a plurality of coupling devices. The coupling devices adjust an interior size of the combination frame for coupling to the display panel module exactly. The combination frame utilizes adjusting members to fine-adjust an outline size of the combination frame, and further utilizes a backboard to enhance the strength of the combination frame and fix a control circuit board of the flat panel display.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 93128621, filed Sep. 21, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a fixing frame for fixing a display panel module on a display shell. More particular, the present invention relates to a combination frame for fixing a display panel module on a display shell.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Due to great progress in the electronic industry and flat panel display manufacture technology, the quality of the flat panel display is enhanced and the price thereof is reduced. The flat panel display is widely applied in both displays for personal computer and televisions for watching TV programs and enjoying the multimedia entertainment. Therefore, the quantity and the size of the flat panel displays have gradually increased in the market.  
         [0004]     A conventional 15″ or 17″ display panel for a personal computer has gradually been replaced with larger display panels such as the 19″ or 21″ display panel. In addition, the size of the flat panel display for a television is also growing quickly; for example, a 37″ TFT-LCD (Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) panel, and a 42″ or a 63″ plasma display panel are in use now.  
         [0005]     Due to different suppliers, current display panel modules have different outline dimensions and coupling components, although the active areas thereof are the same in size. These differences result in a problem for product design and manufacturing process. For guaranteeing quality requirements, a smooth yield, and a smooth shipment of the flat panel displays, the flat panel displays are necessary to design to adapt to the display panel modules from different suppliers. The display panel modules from different suppliers must be installed in a same display shell for a same size display.  
         [0006]     To fix the display panel module on a front bezel of the shell of the flat panel display, the flat panel display usually uses a frame to adapt the display panel module to the front bezel. Conventionally, the frame for fixing the display panel module is formed with a one-body design. Therefore, the frames are designed and manufactured with different dimensions and shapes fitting different display panel modules from different suppliers to the same front bezel.  
         [0007]     However, due to size increase of the flat panel display, the tooling cost of the frame is therefore rapidly increased. The frames have to adapt different display panel modules from different suppliers to the same front bezel, making frame uniformity and tooling cost reductions difficult.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination frame to reduce the tooling cost and increase application flexibility thereof.  
         [0009]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination frame utilizing various coupling devices to fix the display panel module on the frame so as to reduce the manufacturing cost of the frame.  
         [0010]     To accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a combination frame for fixing a display panel module on a display shell, and generally on a front bezel of the display shell. The combination frame includes two crossbeams, two vertical beams, adjusting members, and a plurality coupling devices. The adjusting members couple the crossbeams to the vertical beams for adjusting the exterior dimension of the combination frame, and the coupling devices can adjust the interior dimension of the combination frame for precisely coupling with the display panel module.  
         [0011]     The coupling device can be a fixing hole, a concave fixing hole, or a fixing stud. The fixing hole can be a round fixing hole or a fixing slot. The concave fixing hole can be a round concave fixing hole or a quadrilateral concave fixing hole. The adjusting member further includes an adjusting slot, for example, an oblong hole or an elliptical hole, to adjust the exterior dimension of the combination frame. The combination frame further includes a backboard in the rear of the combination frame for coupling to the crossbeams and the vertical beams. The backboard both enhances the strength of the combination frame and fixes a display control circuit board thereon.  
         [0012]     The combination frame according to the present invention both reduces the tooling cost of the fixing frame of the display panel modules and allows the combination frame to couple precisely the display panel modules from different sources to the display shell. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost of the flat panel display can be reduced. In addition, the utility rate of the tooling can be increased, and the volume and weight of the tooling can be also reduced so as to decrease the manufacturing cost of the combination frame. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention are more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a preferred embodiment of a combination frame according to the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a enlarged partial view of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates some preferred embodiments of coupling devices for the combination frame according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined by referencing the appended claims.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a preferred embodiment of a combination frame according to the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the combination frame  100  according to the present invention includes a first vertical beam  110 , a second vertical beam  120 , a first crossbeam  140 , and a second crossbeam  130 . The second crossbeam  130  further utilizes an adjusting member  122  to couple to the second vertical beam  120  so as to fine-tune vertically and/or horizontally the appearance dimensions of the combination frame  100 . The adjusting member  122  can also be utilized to couple the second crossbeam  130  to the first vertical beam  110 , and the first crossbeam  140  to the first vertical beam  110  or the second vertical beam  120  (not shown). Therefore, the combination frame  100  can fine-tune the appearance dimensions thereof according to a practical requirement. The adjusting member  122 , for example, an oblong hole or an elliptical hole, can couple and adjust the vertical beam to the horizontal beam.  
         [0019]     The first crossbeam  140  further includes a coupling device  142  to fine-tune an interior dimension of the combination frame  100  for precisely coupling various display panel modules  160  having different dimensions. Accordingly, the combination frame  100  can precisely couple to various display panel module  160  from different suppliers.  
         [0020]     The combination frame  100  further includes a backboard  150  to enhance the total strength of the combination frame  100  and provide an area for installation of a control circuit board thereon. The backboard  150  includes a cable hole  152  to allow the signal and power cable of the display panel module  160  to pass therethrough so as to electrically connect to the circuit board installed on the backboard  150 . Furthermore, two ends of the first crossbeam  140  and the second crossbeam  130  utilize composite reinforced folds  144  to enhance the strength of the crossbeams.  
         [0021]     After the display panel module  160  is installed on the combination frame  100  along a direction  180 , the combination frame  100  is coupled to the front bezel  170  along a counter direction of the direction  180 . Therefore, even display panel modules  160  from different suppliers can be coupled to the front bezel  170  by way of the combination frame  100  according to the present invention. The user can therefore see images shown on the display panel module  160  through the display window  174 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates an enlarged partial view of  FIG. 1 . The combination frame according to the present invention utilizes the composite reinforced folds  248  to enhance the strength of the crossbeam. Two planes perpendicular to each other, a horizontal plane  246  and a vertical plane  244 , of the first crossbeam  240  are further coupled together with fixing holes  250  at the end portion of the first crossbeam  240  to further enhance the strength of the first crossbeam  240 . The fixing hole  250  can be coupled together by, for example, a rivet joint, a rivet joint without the rivet, or a screw joint, to enhance the strength of the first crossbeam  240 .  
         [0023]     Coupling device  242  of the first crossbeam  240  are utilized to couple to a display panel module having a similar dimension to the interior dimension of the combination frame. The display panel module is fixed on the first crossbeam  240  by inserting screws or fixing pins through the fixing hole  242  to couple to the display panel module. In addition, the coupling device  242  is used to fine-tune an interior dimension of the combination frame for precisely coupling various display panel modules having different dimensions.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates some preferred embodiments of coupling devices for the combination frame according to the present invention. The coupling device can be a fixing hole  302 , a concave fixing hole  304 , a quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306 , a fixing stud  308 , and/or a fixing slot  310 . The fixing hole  302  and the fixing slot  310  are planar fixing holes formed on the sheet metal to fix a display panel module having a similar dimension. The fixing slot  310  further provides a lateral offset fixing function for fixing the display panel module. The concave fixing hole  304 , the quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306 , and the fixing stud  308  can precisely fix a display panel module having a dimension deviation. The concave fixing hole  304  of the combination frame according to the present invention can fix a display panel module having a slight dimension deviation. The quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306  can fix a display panel module having a larger dimension deviation. In addition, the fixing stud  308  can fix a display panel module having a further larger dimension deviation. The fixing slot  310  can further combine with the concave fixing hole  304 , the quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306 , or the fixing stud  308  to enable the concave fixing hole  304 , the quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306 , the fixing stud  308  to have the lateral offset fixing function.  
         [0025]     The concave fixing hole  304  and the quadrilateral concave fixing hole  306  are preferably formed on the crossbeam or the vertical beam, directly. However, the fixing stud  308  is preferably formed with a desired dimension and then coupled to the crossbeam or the vertical beam.  
         [0026]     With the combination frame according to the present invention, various display panel modules having different dimensions or different coupling elements can be precisely fixed on the combination frame by way of the coupling devices designed on the crossbeams or the vertical beams. Therefore, the display panel module can be safely and reliably fixed on the combination frame and then coupled to the front bezel of a display.  
         [0027]     The first vertical beam and the second vertical beam of the combination frame can be designed symmetrically so as to be produced with the same tooling and reduce the tooling cost of the combination frame. In the same manner, the first crossbeam and the second crossbeam can also be produced symmetrically to reduce further the tooling cost thereof. The combination frame can further utilize various coupling device with different heights to fit exterior dimensions of various display panel modules from different suppliers. Accordingly, the cost of the frame for fixing the display panel module can be reduced. In addition, the combination frame can precisely fix the display panel module and the display front bezel to fix effectively the display panel module in the display shell.  
         [0028]     As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended that various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.