Abstract:
A mounting apparatus for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels is provided. The mounting apparatus includes a bezel, a fixing bracket, a fixing member, a sliding bracket, and a cover. The fixing bracket mounted to the bezel is configured to secure to a side of an LCD panel. The fixing member includes a fixing plate mounted to the bezel and a flange perpendicularly extending from an end edge of the fixing plate. The flange defines an elongated slot. The sliding bracket includes a tab slidable in the elongated slot. The sliding bracket slidable with respect to the fixing member is configured to secure to an opposite side of the LCD panel before being secured to the bezel. The cover is mounted to the bezel for enclosing the LCD panel therebetween.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to a co-pending application entitled with “MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR LCD PANEL”, (application Ser. No. 11/557,106) filed on 6, Nov. 2006, and assigned to the same assignee. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to mounting apparatuses for mounting liquid crystal display (LCD) panels thereon, and particularly to a mounting apparatus which can be adjusted to mount different size LCD panels thereon. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Generally, in a portable computer, including but not limited to devices such as a notebook type personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like, a lid containing an LCD, which serves as a display unit to display a picture, is pivotably connected to a back end of a body. In the conventional portable computer, the lid with a certain width holds an LCD panel with a fixed corresponding width. However, the width of the LCD panel may be slightly different due to imperfections in the manufacturing process. When an LCD panel with a width slightly different to the fixed width is mounted to the lid, the fit may be forced possibly damaging the LCD panel. 
         [0006]    What is needed, therefore, is a mounting apparatus which can adjustably receive different size LCD panels mounted thereon. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A mounting apparatus for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting apparatus includes a bezel, a fixing bracket, a fixing member, a sliding bracket, and a cover. The fixing bracket mounted to the bezel is configured to secure to a side of an LCD panel. The fixing member includes a fixing plate mounted to the bezel and a flange perpendicularly extending from an end edge of the fixing plate. The flange defines an elongated slot. The sliding bracket includes a tab slidable in the elongated slot. The sliding bracket slidable with respect to the fixing member is configured to secure to an opposite side of the LCD panel before being secured to the bezel. The cover is mounted to the bezel for enclosing the LCD panel therebetween. 
         [0008]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus including a cover, a fixing member, and a sliding bracket, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with an LCD panel; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a circled portion  11  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the fixing member and the sliding bracket of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an inverted, isometric view of the cover of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 , without the cover; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a mounting apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention which can adjustably mount different size LCD panels thereon is shown. In this embodiment, the LCD panel is used for displaying alphanumeric or graphic computer data. The mounting apparatus includes a bezel  20 , a cover  80 , a fixing bracket  24 , a fixing member  28 , and a sliding bracket  32 . 
         [0016]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the bezel  20  includes two opposite sides  202 ,  204  and another opposite two sides respectively connecting free ends of the sides  202 ,  204 . Two pairs of fixing posts  206 ,  208  extend up from the bezel  20  adjacent opposite ends of the side  202 , respectively. A guiding protrusion  212  is formed adjacent the fixing posts  206 . A guiding protrusion  214  and a guiding post  210  are formed adjacent the fixing posts  208 . Fixing pins  216 ,  218  extend up from the bezel  20  at opposite ends of the side  204 , respectively. The bezel  20  defines a through hole  220  at each of four corners thereof. The side  202  defines two notches  222 ,  224  at opposite ends thereof, respectively. An opening  228  is formed among the four sides of the bezel  20 . 
         [0017]    The fixing bracket  24  includes a body  240  in the form of an L-shaped configuration. A long portion  240   a  of the body  240  defines a pair of apertures  242  adjacent the opposite ends thereof. A fixing plate  244  extends from an upper side edge of a short portion  240   b  of the body  240 . The fixing plate  244  defines a pair of fixing holes  246  corresponding to the fixing posts  206 , and a guiding hole  248  corresponding to the guiding protrusion  212 . A guiding plate  250  defining a through hole  252  extends from an end edge of the fixing plate  244 . The fixing plate  244  includes a pivot portion  254 . A flange  256  defining a guiding hole  258  and a through hole  260  extends from a lower side edge of a free end of the long portion  240   a  of the body  240 . 
         [0018]    Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the fixing member  28  includes a fixing plate  282  and a pivot portion  284 . The fixing plate  282  defines a fixing hole  286 , a guiding hole  288 , and a guiding hole  290 . A guiding plate  292  defining a through hole  294  extends from an end edge of the fixing plate  282 . A flange  296  defining an elongated slot  298  perpendicularly extends from another end edge of the fixing plate  282 . 
         [0019]    The sliding bracket  32  includes a body  320  in the form of an L-shaped configuration. A long portion  320   a  of the body  320  defines a pair of apertures  322  adjacent opposite ends thereof respectively. A fixing plate  324  defining a pair of elongated fixing holes  326  and an elongated guiding hole  328  extends perpendicularly from an upper side edge of a short portion  320   b  of the body  320 . A tab  330  is punched generally downward from the fixing plate  324  with an end integral with the short portion  320   b  of the body  320 . The tab  330  is below and parallel to the fixing plate  324 . A guiding plate  338  defining an elongated through hole  340  extends from a lower side edge of the short portion  320   b  of the body  320 . A flange  332  defining an elongated guiding hole  334  and an elongated through hole  336  extends from a lower side edge of a free end of the long portion of the body  320 . 
         [0020]    An LCD panel  60  for being mounted to the LCD panel mounting apparatus defines a pair of screw holes  62  in each of two opposite sides thereof. Referring also to  FIG. 4 , the cover  80  includes a locking post  82  defining a screw hole at each of four corners thereof. A side  84  of the cover  80  defines two notches  86 ,  88  at opposite ends thereof, respectively. 
         [0021]    Referring also to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in assembly, the fixing pin  216  and the guiding protrusion  212  of the bezel  20  respectively engage in the guiding holes  258 ,  248  of the fixing bracket  24 , and a pair of screws  360  is inserted through the fixing holes  246  of the fixing bracket  24  to engage in the screw holes of the corresponding fixing posts  206 . Thus, the fixing bracket  24  is mounted to the bezel  20 . The tab  330  of the sliding bracket  32  engages in the elongated slot  298  of the fixing member  28 . A screw  362  is inserted through the guiding hole  288  of the fixing member  28  to engage in a screw hole of the fixing post  210  of the bezel  20 , for mounting the fixing member  28  to the bezel  20 . The fixing pin  218  of the bezel  20  engages in the elongated guiding hole  334  of the sliding bracket  32 . The guiding protrusion  214  of the bezel  20  engages in the guiding hole  290  of the fixing member  28  and the elongated guiding hole  328  of the sliding bracket  32  sequentially. The length of the elongated slot  298  of the fixing member  28  is greater than the length of the tab  330  of the sliding bracket  32 . The sliding bracket  32  is therefore slidable with respect to the bezel  20  in a direction perpendicular to the long portion  320   a . An adjustable receiving space is formed between the bezel  20 , the fixing bracket  24  and the sliding bracket  32 . The LCD panel  60  is accommodated in the receiving space via adjustment of the sliding bracket  32  to cause the receiving space to have a corresponding size as the LCD panel  60 . Most of the LCD panel  60  is exposed in the opening  228  of the bezel  20 . The LCD panel  60  is sandwiched between the long portion  240   a  of the fixing bracket  24  and the long portion  320   a  of the sliding bracket  32  in a first direction, and sandwiched between the short portion  240   b  of the fixing bracket  24 , the short portion  320   b  of the sliding bracket  32 , the flange  256  of the fixing bracket  24  and the flange  332  of the sliding bracket  32  in second direction. Two screws  364  are respectively inserted through the apertures  242  of the fixing bracket  24  to engage in the corresponding screw holes  62  of the LCD panel  60 . Two screws  364  are respectively inserted through the apertures  322  of the sliding bracket  32  to engage in the corresponding screw holes  62  of the LCD panel  60 . Two screws  366  are inserted through the fixing holes  326  of the sliding bracket  32  and the fixing holes  286  of the fixing member  28  sequentially to engage in the corresponding fixing posts  208  of the bezel  20 , for fixing the sliding bracket  32  to the bezel  20 . Four screws (not shown) are respectively inserted through the through holes  220  of the bezel  20 , and sequentially respectively inserted through the through hole  252  of the fixing bracket  24 , the through hole  294  of the fixing member  28 , and the through hole  340  of the sliding bracket  32 , the through hole  336  of the sliding bracket  32 , and the through hole  260  of the fixing bracket  24  to engage in the corresponding locking posts  82  of the cover  80 . 
         [0022]    The notch  86  of the cover  80  and the notch  222  of the bezel  20  cooperatively form a first receiving space for receiving the pivot portion  254  of the fixing bracket  24 . The notch  88  of the cover  80  and the notch  224  of the bezel  20  cooperatively form a second receiving space for receiving the pivot portion  284  of the fixing member  28 . The pivot portions  254 ,  284  are pivotably coupled to a base of a notebook computer. 
         [0023]    When the LCD panel  60  is in need of repair, the cover  80  is detached from the bezel  20  by unscrewing the corresponding screws. After that, the LCD panel  60  can be removed from the receiving space via unscrewing the screws  364 ,  366  and moving the sliding bracket  32  away from the fixing bracket  24  to readily release the LCD panel  60 , without detaching the sliding bracket  32  from the bezel  20 . 
         [0024]    The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiment described therein.