Abstract:
A display housing includes a first housing part including a plurality of first engaging members, a second housing part including a plurality of second engaging members, and a plurality of interlocking members, each of which is snappingly and detachably connected to and interlocks a respective one of the first engaging members and a respective one of the second engaging members. Engagement of each interlocking member with the respective first engaging member prevents relative movement between the first and second housing parts along directions of a first axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, along directions of a second axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, and along directions of a third axis of the Cartesian coordinate system. The first, second and third axes all being perpendicular to one another.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a display housing, and more particularly to a display housing having first and second housing parts connected by interlocking members. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , a conventional display housing for a display panel, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel  12 , normally includes a front frame  11  and a rear frame  14 . Typically, a driving circuit board  13  mounted and coupled electrically to the display panel  12  is also accommodated in the display housing. 
         [0005]    The front frame  11  includes a base wall  111 , and four sidewalls  112  extending respectively from four sides of the base wall  111 . A plurality of lug plates  113  is formed on and protrudes outwardly from the sidewalls  112 . Each of the lug plates  113  is formed with a plurality of holes  114 . The rear frame  14  includes a base wall  141 , and four sidewalls  142  extending from four sides of the base wall  141 . A plurality of hook members  145  is formed on and protrudes from the sidewalls  142  of the rear frame  14 . In assembly, the driving circuit board  13  is mounted and coupled to the display panel  12 . The driving circuit board  13  together with the display panel  12  is then fitted into a frame space defined by the rear frame  14 . The front frame  11  is subsequently impelled toward the rear frame  14  and engaged thereto by snap fitting the hook members  145  into the holes  114  of the lug plates  113 . 
         [0006]    The lug plates  113  are configured to be slightly flexible to permit snap fit engagement of the hook members  145  in the holes  114 . Accordingly, the lug plates  113  often have the form of a thin wall. As a consequence, the lug plates  113  have relatively low mechanical strength and tend to break during the snap fitting. If even only one lug plate  113  of the front frame  11  is broken during assembly, the whole front frame  11  will not pass quality control and must typically be recycled. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of at least one embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a display housing of the present invention, the display housing including first and second housing parts, a plurality of first and second engaging members, and a plurality of interlocking members which can interlock the first and second engaging members. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of portions of the housing of  FIG. 1 , showing one main side of one interlocking member, and how the interlocking member can interlock corresponding first and second engaging members. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the interlocking member of  FIG. 2 , but showing the interlocking member rotated 90° therefrom. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the interlocking member of  FIG. 3 , but showing the interlocking member rotated 180° therefrom and thus showing an opposite main side of the interlocking member. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged, top plan view of a portion of the second housing member and a portion of one of the interlocking members of  FIG. 1 , with part of the interlocking member cut away to show engagement of the interlocking member with a corresponding second engaging member. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing an interlocking member and a first engaging member of a first housing part of a display housing of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but showing an interlocking member and a first engaging member of a first housing part of a display housing of a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, perspective view of a conventional display housing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe various embodiments in detail. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a first embodiment of a display housing of the present invention is suitable for display panels, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel  22 . A driving circuit board  23  is mounted and electrically coupled to the display panel  22 , and is accommodated in the display housing. The display housing includes a first housing part  24 , a second housing part  21 , and a plurality of interlocking members  25 . 
         [0018]    The first housing part  24  has a first base wall  241 , a first 4-sided peripheral wall  242  extending from a periphery of the first base wall  241 , and a plurality of first engaging members  245  formed on the peripheral wall  242  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0019]    The second housing part  21  has a second base wall  211 , a second 4-sided peripheral wall  212  extending from a periphery of the second base wall  211 , and a plurality of second engaging members  214  formed on the second peripheral wall  212  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0020]    Each of the interlocking members  25  is detachably connected to and interlocks a respective first engaging member  245  and a respective second engaging member  214  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) so as to secure the first housing part  24  to the second housing part  21  and to permit the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21  to cooperatively define an accommodating space (not labeled) therebetween. The accommodating space receives the assembly of the display panel  22  and the driving circuit board  23  therein. Each of the interlocking members  25  engages the respective first engaging member  245  and the respective second engaging member  214  in a snap fit engaging manner. The interlocking members  25  have a breaking strength less than those of the first and second engaging members  245 ,  214 , so that in the event of breakage of the interlocking members  25  and/or the first and second engaging members  245 ,  214  during assembly, the breakage is apt to occur at the interlocking members  25 . This protects the first and second engaging members  245 ,  214  from breakage when they are assembled with the interlocking members  25 , whereby the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21  can remain usable. 
         [0021]    Each of the first engaging members  245  has two opposite lug walls  246  and an interconnecting wall  247  therebetween (see  FIG. 2 ). The lug walls  246  protrude from the peripheral wall  242  of the first housing part  24  into the accommodating space. The interconnecting wall  247  interconnects the lug walls  246 , and cooperates with the lug walls  246  and a corresponding portion of the peripheral wall  242  of the first housing part  24  to define a slot  240 . Each of the lug walls  246  defines a first hook hole  248  in spatial communication with the slot  240 . 
         [0022]    Each of the interlocking members  25  has a base plate  251  and two opposite cantilevers  252   a  extending from the base plate  251  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Each of the cantilevers  252   a  has a hook end  259 . The cantilevers  252   a  are received in the slot  240  of the respective first engaging member  245 . The hook ends  259  of the cantilevers  252   a  engage in the first hook holes  248  of the lug walls  246  of the first engaging member  245  in a snap fit engaging manner, respectively. Thereby, in respect of the interlocking member  25  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , relative movement between the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21  in first directions (corresponding to the X-axis shown in  FIG. 2 ) is prevented. The cantilevers  252   a  of each of the interlocking members  25  have a breaking strength less than those of the lug walls  246  of the respective first engaging member  245 , so that in the event of breakage of the interlocking member  25  and/or the first engaging member  245  during assembly, the breakage is apt to occur at the cantilevers  252   a  of the interlocking member  25 . 
         [0023]    Each of the lug walls  246  of each first engaging member  245  has an end defining a shoulder  249  (see  FIG. 2 ). Each of the cantilevers  252   a  of each interlocking member  25  cooperates with the base plate  251  to define an elbow  256 . The elbows  256  of each interlocking member  25  engage the shoulders  249  of the lug walls  246  of the respective first engaging member  245 , respectively. Thereby, in respect of the interlocking member  25  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , relative movement between the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21  in the first directions (X-axis) and in second directions (corresponding to the Y-axis shown in  FIG. 2 ) that are transverse to the first directions (X-axis) is prevented. 
         [0024]    Each of the interlocking members  25  further includes a limiting plate  250   a  extending from the base plate  251  between the cantilevers  252   a.  The limiting plate  250   a  is received in the slot  240  of the respective first engaging member  245 . The limiting plate  250   a  has two opposite main sides, which are substantially in contact with the interconnecting wall  247  of the first engaging member  245  and the peripheral wall  242  of the first housing part  24 , respectively. In addition, each of the cantilevers  252   a  of the interlocking member  25  is substantially in contact with the peripheral wall  242  of the first housing part  24 . Thereby, in respect of the interlocking member  25  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , relative movement between the first and second housing parts  21 ,  24  in third directions (corresponding to the Z-axis shown in  FIG. 2 ) that are transverse to both the first and second directions (X-axis, Y-axis) is prevented. 
         [0025]    The limiting plate  250   a  of each interlocking member  25  has a generally U-shaped profile, and includes two opposite arms  2501  (see  FIG. 3 ). Each interlocking member  25  further includes two parallel reinforcing ribs  254  formed on the base plate  251  and respectively connected to the arms  2501  of the limiting plate  250   a.  In the illustrated embodiment, each arm  2501  and the corresponding reinforcing rib  254  have the same cross-section where they meet, such that the arm  2501  and the reinforcing rib  254  together form a continuous, seamless portion. In addition, the cross-section where one of the arms  2501  and the corresponding reinforcing rib  254  meet is the same as the cross-section where the other arm  2501  and the corresponding reinforcing rib  254  meet. Furthermore, the interlocking member  25  has an integrated, one-piece construction. That is, the interlocking member  25  is a single body of material including all the above-described components. 
         [0026]    Each of the second engaging members  214  has a lip protrusion  2141  (see  FIGS. 2 and 5 ) protruding from the peripheral wall  212  of the second housing part  21  into the accommodating space. The base plate  251  of each of the interlocking members  25  has a hole  255 . The lip protrusion  2141  of each second engaging member  214  is configured to engage in the hole  255  of the base plate  251  of the respective interlocking member  25  in a snap fit engaging manner. The base plate  251  of each interlocking member  25  has a breaking strength less than that of the lip protrusion  2141  of the respective second engaging member  214 , so that in the event of breakage during assembly of the interlocking member  25  and/or the second engaging member  214 , the breakage is apt occur at the base plate  251  of the interlocking member  25 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a display housing of a second embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, a limiting plate  250   b  of each interlocking member  25  extends from the reinforcing ribs  254 . The interconnecting wall  247  of each first engaging member  245  is formed with a second hook hole  2471 . In this embodiment, the limiting plate  250   b  of each interlocking member  25  has a hook end  2502  that engages in the second hook hole  2471  of the interconnecting wall  247  of the respective first engaging member  245  in a snap fit engaging manner. In addition, the limiting plate  250   b  has a main side, which is substantially in contact with the interconnecting wall  247  of the first engaging member  245 . Further, each of the cantilevers  252   a  of the interlocking member  25  is substantially in contact with the peripheral wall  242  of the first housing part  24 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a display housing of a third embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment. However, in the third embodiment, each of the lug walls  246  of each first engaging member  245  has an abutting end  2461 , and a notch  2462  which is defined in the abutting end  2461  and which is in spatial communication with the slot  240 . The base plate  251  of each interlocking member  25  has an elbow  2511 . The cantilevers  252   b  of each interlocking member  25  extend from the base plate  251  at the elbows  2511 . A portion of the base plate  251  of the interlocking member  25  is received in the slot  240  and the notches  2462  of the lug walls  246  of the first engaging member  245 , in such a manner that the elbows  2511  of the base plate  251  of the interlocking member  25  are in contact with the lug walls  246  at inner ends of the notches  2462 . 
         [0029]    With the inclusion of the interlocking members  25  in the display housing, device integrity during manufacture is enhanced. Even if breakage occurs during assembly of the interlocking members  25  and the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21 , the breakage is apt occur at one or more of the interlocking members  25  rather than at the first and second housing parts  24 ,  21 . The first and second housing parts  24 ,  21  are preserved, and any broken or damaged interlocking members  25  can be economically replaced. 
         [0030]    It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts, within the principles of the embodiments, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.