Abstract:
A mechanical and automatic liquid crystal display (LCD) device and particularly to a mechanical and automatic LCD device for automatically and rapidly unloading and storing the LCD panel that is especially suitable for a LCD device which has a display panel foldable upwards for storing includes a case for housing an extendable deck, a coupling mechanism, a display panel holding mechanism and an upward folding actuation means. The structure thus formed can replace the expensive electronic circuit control to enable users to automatically and rapidly unload or retract and store the display panel, and also adjust and remember the viewing angle of the display panel to meet user&#39;s requirements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a mechanical and automatic liquid crystal display (LCD) device and particularly to a mechanical and automatic LCD device for automatically and rapidly unloading and storing the LCD panel that is especially suitable for a LCD device which has a display panel foldable upwards for storing, and also has an viewing angle that may be adjusted and remembered to suit user&#39;s requirements.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     With increasing developments of technology and economics, people have growing demands for leisure, recreation and information. As a result, telematics products such as video and audio devices for use in cars and mobile information equipment have been developed and introduced. Among them Liquid crystal display (LCD) device is an indispensable facility. For the car use LCD devices now on the market, folding and storing operations generally can be categorized into three types, i.e. fully automatic, semi-automatic and manual. The fully automatic type employs electric and precise electronic elements to do control function. The display panel of the display device may be unfolded and turned and anchored on a desired position by one push. However it is very expensive. The semi-automatic and manual types have to be turned and adjusted by people manually to set the display panel at a desired position. While they are less expensive, they are not convenient for use. Hence the conventional display devices all have their share of problems, either expensive or inconvenient to use. There is still room for improvement.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, the present invention aims to provide a mechanical and automatic LCD device. It employs mechanical elements to substitute the expensive electronic circuit control, and enables users to automatically and rapidly unload and store the display panel. The viewing angle of the display panel may be adjusted according to user&#39;s requirements, and the adjusted angle may also be remembered for reuse.  
         [0006]     In order to achieve the foregoing object, the mechanical and automatic LCD device according to the invention mainly includes a case which houses an extendable deck, a coupling mechanism, a display panel holding mechanism and an upward folding adjustment means. By means of the invention users can rapidly unload and store the display panel. The viewing angle of the display panel may be adjusted according to user&#39;s requirements, and the adjusted angle may also be remembered for reuse.  
         [0007]     In one aspect of the invention, the case is hollow and has a window, and has a first channeling mechanism and a second channeling mechanism located respectively on two sides corresponding to each other to guide the extendable deck to retract inwards or extend outwards at desired locations.  
         [0008]     In another aspect of the invention, the extendable deck has a front side pivotally coupled with the display panel holding mechanism, and also is coupled with the first and the second channeling mechanisms for positioning.  
         [0009]     In yet another aspect of the invention, the coupling mechanism is located on one side of the extendable deck to control folding, latching and releasing of the display panel holding mechanism.  
         [0010]     In still another aspect of the invention, the display panel holding mechanism includes a panel for holding a LCD panel and has an upward folding adjustment means housing zone on the back side thereof.  
         [0011]     In another aspect of the invention, the upward folding adjustment means is located in the display panel holding mechanism linking to the extendable deck, and includes an upward folding actuation assembly and an angle adjustment assembly.  
         [0012]     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the coupling mechanism of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the upward folding adjustment means of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the invention in operating condition  1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the invention in operating condition  2 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the invention in operating condition  3 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the coupling mechanism in an operating condition.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a cross section taken on line I-I in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a cross section taken on line II-II in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view of the coupling mechanism in operating condition  1 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the coupling mechanism in operating condition  2 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 13  is a schematic view of the upward folding adjustment means in operating condition  1 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 14  is a schematic view of the upward folding adjustment means in operating condition  2 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 15  is a schematic view of the upward folding adjustment means in operating condition  3 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3  and  4 , the mechanical LCD device according to the invention mainly includes a case  1  which houses an extendable deck  2 , a coupling mechanism  3 , a display panel holding mechanism  4  and an upward folding adjustment means  5 .  
         [0029]     The case  1  is hollow and has a face panel  11  at the front end with a window  111  formed thereon to allow the display panel holding mechanism  4  and related elements to be extended outwards. On one side of the window  111 , there is a slant bucking member  112 . The case  1  has a first channeling mechanism  12  and a second channeling mechanism  13  located respectively on two sides corresponding to each other to guide the extendable deck  2  to retract inwards the case  1  or extend outwards at desired locations. The first channeling mechanism  12  has a first elevation sustaining plate  121  and a sliding rod  123  coupling on a sliding block  122 . The second channeling mechanism  13  has a second elevation sustaining plate  131  and a gear rack  132 .  
         [0030]     The extendable deck  2  is located above the elevation sustaining plates  121  and  131  and may be extended outside the case  1  through the window  111 . The extendable deck  2  has a rear section with one side fastening to the sliding block  122  of the first channeling mechanism  12  and another side has a damper  21  engaging with the gear rack  132  of the second channeling mechanism  13 . The rear end of the extendable deck  2  also has respectively a push lug  22  and  23  on two sides to ram against an elastic reed A located at the front end of the elevation sustaining plates  121  and  131 . The push lug  23  has a binary switch B 1  on an inner side corresponding to a latch tongue B 2  located on the rear side of the case  1 . The front end of the extendable deck  2  has respectively a first and a second pivot seat  24  and  25  fastened to two sides thereof. The first and the second pivot seats  24  and  25  are bridged by a connection deck  26 .  
         [0031]     The coupling mechanism  3  (referring to  FIG. 3 ) is located on one side of the extendable deck  2  to control folding, latching and releasing of the display panel holding mechanism  4 . It includes: 
        a partition  31  located above the extendable deck  2  having a torsional spring housing zone  311  and a notch  312  on one side, and two axle holding docks  313  and  314  extended from two ends adjacent to the notch  312 ;     a hollow first hub  32  for housing an axle C having a hook  321  on one side that has a slant surface and a projection  322  on another side. The projection  322  has a trough  3221  on a rear side;     a hollow second hub  33  for housing the axle C having a lug  331  on one side corresponding to the trough  3221  and a L-shaped strut  332  extended outwards from another side, and a slant bucking block  334  on another side opposite to the L-shaped strut  332  corresponding to the slant bucking member  112  of the face panel  11 ; and     a torsional spring  34  having one end engaging with the L-shaped strut  332  and other end pressing the torsional spring housing zone  311  of the partition  31 . The torsional spring  34  pushes the first and the second hubs  32  and  33  to one side of the partition  31  in normal conditions.        
 
         [0036]     The display panel holding mechanism  4  has a panel  41  for holding a LCD panel  40 . The panel  41  has an upper edge forming a trough  42  corresponding to the hook  321  of the coupling mechanism  3 . The trough  42  has a notch  421 . In the middle portion of the back side of the panel  41 , there are a first and a second pivot docks  45  and  43  on two sides corresponding to the first and second pivot seat  24  and  25  of the extendable deck  2 , and are pivotally coupled with a shaft C 1 . The back side of the display panel holding mechanism  4  further has an upward folding adjustment means housing zone  44  which has respectively a sliding block housing trough  441  and  442  on two sides. In the center there are a spring housing trough  443  and a housing trough  444 , and is covered by a cover plate  446 .  
         [0037]     The upward folding adjustment means  5  is located in the display panel holding mechanism  4  and is connected to the extendable deck  2 . It includes an upward folding actuation assembly SA and an angle adjustment assembly  5 B.  
         [0038]     The upward folding actuation assembly SA is to actuate upward folding of the display panel holding mechanism  4 . It includes: 
        two dampers  51  and  52  located respectively on the outer side of the sliding block housing trough  441  and  442  of the display panel holding mechanism  4 ;     two sliding members  53  and  54  that have one side forming gear racks  531  and  541  corresponding to the dampers  51  and  52 , and a top edge forming axle holes  532  and  542 . The sliding members  53  and  54  have respectively a spring housing trough  533  and  543  to house springs D 1  and D 2 , and anchor one end of the springs D 1  and D 2 . The springs D 1  and D 2  have other end anchored on the bottom of the sliding block housing trough  441  and  442 ; and     an elevation angle push plate  58  which has respectively a stub shaft  581  extended outwards from two sides of the upper end and the lower end to couple with the connection deck  26  of the extendable deck  2  and the axle holes  532  and  542  of the sliding members  53  and  54 .        
 
         [0042]     The angle adjustment assembly  5 B is to adjust and remember the turning elevation angle of the display panel holding mechanism  4 . It includes: 
        an anchor member  55  which has a strut  551  on the front side to compress a spring E located in the spring housing trough  443 , and an anchor gear rack  552  and two elongated notches  553  on the back side thereof; and     an anchor push button  56  located on the front side of the display panel holding mechanism  4  that has a plurality of latch struts  561  to run through apertures  445  of the display panel holding mechanism  4  to fasten to an anchor plate  57  on the back side of the display panel holding mechanism  4 , and is pressed by a spring F in normal conditions. The anchor plate  57  has a gear rack  571  corresponding to the anchor gear rack  552  of the anchor member  55 .        
 
         [0045]     By means of the construction set forth above (referring to  FIGS. 5 through 12 ), when an user wants to retract and store the LCD panel  40 , he/she only has to push and turn the LCD panel  40  to become horizontal. The display panel holding mechanism  4  is turned about the shafts C 1  and C 2  of the first and second hubs  32  and  33  that serve as the axes; the elevation angle push plate  58  of the upward folding actuation assembly SA is driven and turned rearwards because the trough  42  of the panel  41  rams the slant surface of the hook  321  of the first hub  32  when the panel  41  is turned horizontally. After the trough  42  has passed over the slant surface of the hook  321 , the returning elastic force of the torsional spring  34  moves the hook  321  into the trough  42  (meanwhile the L-shaped strut  332  is upright, will be discussed later). Therefore the display panel holding mechanism  4  is prevented from returning. User can continuously push the display panel holding mechanism  4  into the case  1 , and the push lugs  22  and  23  push the elastic reeds A on two sides of the case  1  to extend. When the extendable deck  2  is moved to the rear side of the case  1 , the binary switch B 1  is latched on the latch tongue B 2  to prevent the extendable deck  2  from being extended outwards. Thus the display panel holding mechanism  4  may be housed and stored.  
         [0046]     When the user wants to unload the display panel holding mechanism  4  for viewing, push the display panel holding mechanism  4  again, the binary switch B 1  is released from the latch tongue B 2 , the winding elastic force of the elastic reed A pushes the push lugs  22  and  23 , and the extendable deck  2  is extended outside the case  1 . Meanwhile the damper  21  is engaged with the gear rack  132  of the second channeling mechanism  13  to decelerate the motion so that the extendable deck  2  won&#39;t be moved out too quickly. Once the extendable deck  2  is completely outside the case  1 , the slant bucking block  334  of the second hub  33  will be pushed by the slant surface of the slant bucking member  112  of the face panel  11  to force the first and second hubs  32  and  33  to compress the torsional spring  34 , and the hook  321  of the first hub  32  is moved from the trough  42  to the notch  421  on another side thereby the display panel holding mechanism  4  escapes the constraint of the hook  321  and the extendable deck  2  is completely moved outside of the case  1  to be anchored. The partition  31  of the coupling mechanism  3  is pushed by the returning elastic force of the torsional spring  34  and extended forwards to lift the display panel holding mechanism  4  upright so that users can see the LCD panel  40 .  
         [0047]     Referring to  FIGS. 13, 14  and  15 , adjusting and anchoring the viewing angle of the display panel is accomplished through the angle adjustment assembly  5 B. In normal conditions, the springs D 1  and D 2  pull the sliding members  53  and  54  to make the LCD panel  40  in an upright position. The anchor push button  56  and the gear racks  552  and  571  of the anchor member  55  may be adjusted to different elevations to drive the sliding members  53  and  54  and alter the position of the elevation angle push plate  58 . Therefore user needs only to depress the anchor push button  56  and move the LCD panel  40  to a desired elevation angle for viewing, then release the anchor push button  56  to complete the angular adjustment. When the LCD panel is stored and unloaded next time, it automatically turns to the angle set previously. Thus it can remember the adjusted angle for later use.  
         [0048]     In summary, the mechanical operation provided by the invention is less likely to incur malfunction, and can replace the expensive electronic circuit control, and can automatically and rapidly unload or retract and store the display panel. The viewing angle may also be adjusted to suit user&#39;s requirements. And once adjusted, the invention can remember the adjusted angle for later use.