Abstract:
A video display or screen cover which is preferably of a scale for covering large video walls (combinations of multiple video screens, such as in a matrix). The video display cover is for large screens and as such includes a series of coils and cords to fasten a transparent cover over a large expanse with sufficient surface tension to withstand contacts and blows from people and objects. The transparent cover is attached to a frame and the tension of the coils and cords applies surface tension to the surface of the transparent cover. The frame is preferably metal and sturdy and further has brackets to mount it to a wall.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to television display protection and more particularly to video screen and wall displays that provide a tensioned transparent cover over video displays and scoreboards to shield the displays from contact with projectiles and other potentially damaging items. 
     The preferred embodiment has a frame that encompasses the video screen, brackets in the corners for mounting to a wall and a system of coils and cords to fasten the transparent cover to the frame and add tension to the face of the cover. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     Display protection devices have been used for many years to guard television screens and other delicate electronic display devices from being scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged. These display devices over the years have become increasingly larger and more expensive and thus there exists a continuing demand and need to protect these larger electronic display devices from damage that is equivalent to the protection provided by small screen protection devices. 
     In addition, video walls and scoreboards are being designed with very expensive liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, and light-emitting diode (LED) televisions organized in ever increasing numbers into rectangular grid patterns to produce single viewing displays with very large surface areas. The inventor has realized these larger surface area video walls and large video screens are much more difficult to protect with traditional television screen protection technology. The larger the surface area of the video wall, the higher the potential for the transparent protective sheet to flex inward, contact the display screen(s), and cause damage to the video wall when a projectile, such as a basketball, makes contact with the screen protection device. 
     Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a protective covering for large video walls and video screens. It is another object of this invention to provide protective covering a large expanse of a video wall or screen with sufficient tension to deflect impacts from people, projectiles and such that otherwise would hit the display. It is another object of this invention to provide a tensioning mechanism for the cover that is adjustable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to solve these and other needs in the art, the inventor hereof has succeeded in designing a video wall cover that in one exemplary embodiment includes a frame assembly made up of top, bottom, left and right angular sides. The angular sides define a rectangular region bound by a front, top, bottom, left and right plane, all having inner and outer surface panels, with a rear facing opening. The front plane is comprised of the front facing portions of all four angular sides. Mounting brackets, a face panel, and a face panel tensioning system are further included with the frame assembly. The face panel tensioning system is comprised of a series of high tensile cords and coils tied to, looped around or otherwise connected to tensioner brackets made of metal rods or bolts either welded or otherwise fastened at even intervals around the perimeter of and to the inner surface panel of the front plane and to the inner surface panel of the top, bottom, left or right plane perpendicular to the attachment point of the rod on the inner surface panel of the front plane. 
     For example, the face panel may comprise a transparent sheet of plastic like material (e.g. polycarbonate resin or Poly(methyl methacrylate) thermoplastics, etc). That material is positioned adjacent to the inner front plane, perpendicular to the inner facing top, bottom, left and right planes and contained within the rectangular region formed by these planes. The face panel has holes drilled at an offset distance from the outer edge of the face panel spaced evenly around the perimeter of the outside edge perpendicular to the tensioner bracket locations on the frame assembly. The cons and high tensile cords are attached between the holes on the outer edge of the face panel and the corresponding tensioner brackets on the frame assembly. This method of attachment of the face panel and frame assembly allows the face panel to be pulled by the coils and high tensile cords toward each corresponding top, bottom, left and right side and creates tension on the face panel so as to eliminate the possibility of the face panel flexing when struck by a projectile and causing damage to the video screen. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples below, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a video wall cover according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of the video wall cover shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 1  when installed over a 3×3 matrix video wall; 
         FIG. 4  is a back view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a right side view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a right side view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3  when fastened to mounting plywood; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the video wall cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a back view of the top angular side of the frame assembly of  FIG. 13  showing the face panel tensioning system where high tensile cord is used to hold the top edge of the face panel in a fixed position; 
         FIG. 11  is a back view of the bottom angular side of the frame assembly of  FIG. 13  showing the face panel tensioning system where coils are used to pull the bottom edge of the face pan&amp; away from the top edge of the face panel shown in  FIG. 10  creating tension on the face panel; 
         FIG. 12  is the back view of a corner mounting bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a back perspective view of the frame assembly of the video wall cover of  FIG. 1  showing four corner mounting brackets; and 
         FIG. 14  is a back perspective view of the frame assembly of the video wall cover of  FIG. 1  with the corner mounting brackets removed. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of various embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its applications, or uses. Throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , there is shown a video display cover (also called a video wall cover and a video screen cover), generally indicated by reference number  10 , according to one embodiment of the present invention from a perspective view. This and the remaining figures show the various elements in their entirety, including preferred and alternative embodiments. These embodiments show the invention covering a video wall in a three by three matrix. 
     Accordingly, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  from the front and back respectively, the video wall cover  10  includes a frame assembly  11  which is comprised of a face panel  12 , a top left mounting bracket  13 , a top right mounting bracket  14 , a bottom left mounting bracket  15 , a bottom right mounting bracket  16 , and a face panel tensioning system  17 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , front and back views when assembled with a video wall  50 , the video display cover  10  includes several video displays  51  comprising the video wall  50  (e.g., nine displays assembled in a three by three matrix in this example), which can project a large, unitary image as a primary feature of video walls. 
     In the exemplary embodiment shown, the frame assembly  11  and face panel  12  are substantially rectangular shaped. It is to be understood, however, that any component described herein (e.g., frame assembly  11  and face panel  12 ) may comprise any of a wide range of other shapes including, but not limited to squares, circles, triangles, parallelograms, diamonds, semicircles, octagons, hexagons, ellipses, crosses or any other shapes that a video wall may comprise of. 
     Further, a wide range of materials may be used for the frame assembly  11  and mounting brackets  13 - 16 , including, but not limited to; aluminum, titanium, steel; or any alloy thereof; plastic, carbon fiber, and fiberglass, among others. 
     Additionally, with respect to the structure of the frame assembly  11 , this is shown for the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 - 9 , and  12 - 14 . As shown, the frame assembly  11  is comprised of a top angular side  21 , bottom angular side  22 , left angular side  23  and right angular side  24 . In the preferred embodiment the top, bottom, left, and right angular sides  21 - 24  are comprised of ¼ inch thick, 4 inch aluminum angle iron material. As such, for the preferred embodiment, the angular sides  21 - 24  are specific lengths cut at  45  degree angles so that when the end of each corresponding angular side is joined, the angular sides  21 - 24  form the shape of a rectangle and define a rectangular region bound by a front plane  25 , top plane  26 , bottom plane  27 , left plane  28  and right plane  29 , all having inner and outer surfaces, with a rear facing opening which will be large enough to encapsulate the video wall  50  to be protected. The front plane  25  of the frame assembly  11  is comprised of the front facing portions of all four angular sides  21 - 24  which define a front plane window  42  having an inside height and width. The angular sides can be joined by being welded, bolted, riveted, molded, pressed, shaped, manufactured or otherwise mechanically fastened together. 
     In addition, there may be less than or more than four angular sides in embodiments where the frame assembly  11  is other than rectangular in shape. For example, in a circular embodiment of the video wall cover  10  there would be one angular side comprising a circular angle iron piece defining a cylindrical region with a front plane and a side circular band. As another example, in a octagonal embodiment of the video display cover, there would be eight angular sides cut or tapered on each end at a 67.5 degree angle so that when joined the angular sides create a octagonal frame assembly defining a octagonal region bound by a front plane and eight side planes. In any embodiment, the angular sides are cut or tapered on each end at specified angles depending on the shape of the frame assembly  11 . In addition, the front plane  25  of the frame assembly  11  is comprised of the front facing portions of the particular number of angular sides depending on the shape of the video display cover  10 . Also, depending on the particular size of the video wall  50  to be protected, the angle iron material may be larger or smaller than the preferred embodiment which uses 4 inch angle iron. 
     With respect to the structure of the mounting brackets  13 - 16 , this is shown for the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4  through  9 , and  12  through  13 . As shown, the mounting brackets  13 - 16  are comprised of a mounting plate  48  and a side member  47 . The side member  47  is comprised of the same angle iron material as the frame assembly  11 . In the preferred embodiment the mounting plate  48  comprises a ¼ inch thick, 1 square foot aluminum sheet. The mounting plate  48  will have a plurality of holes  46  through which the mounting brackets  13 - 16  can be bolted to the wall or structure  45  supporting the video wall. The mounting plate  48  may be smaller or larger than 1 square foot depending on the size of the video wall  50  to be protected. The side member  47  is joined to the corner of the mounting plate  48  by one end at a 90 degree angle to the mounting plate  48 . In the preferred embodiment, the other end of the side member  47  of each mounting bracket  13 - 16  will be fastened to the inside surface of each corner of the frame assembly  11 . The side member  47  of the mounting brackets  13 - 16  have lengths, that when mounted to the wall or structure  45 , allows the frame assembly  11  to project outward from the wall or structure  45  past the display surface of the video wall  50  a distance that permits at least 1 inch of space between the inner surface of the face panel  12  and the display surface of the video wall  50 . 
     With respect to the integration of the face panel  12 , this is shown in the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 through 11 ,  13  and  14 . As shown, the face panel  12  is a rectangular sheet of transparent or mostly transparent sheeting material comprising of acrylic, plastic or glass. The sheeting material will be a type that is shatter resistant or shatter proof. For example the sheeting material may be comprised of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic, poly(methyl methacrylate) or shatter proof glass, among other suitable materials. In the preferred embodiment the face panel  12  is 3/16 inch thick having an outer edge  41  defining a height and width smaller than the rectangular region defined by the inner surfaces of the top  26 , bottom  27 , left  28  and right  29  planes and larger than the height and width of the front plane window  42 . The face panel  12  is received by the frame assembly  11  and positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the front plane  25  of the frame assembly  11  and perpendicular to the inner surface of the top  26 , bottom  27 , left  28  and right  29  planes and contained within the rectangular region defined thereby. The face panel  12  will have a plurality of holes  40  drilled at an offset distance from its outer edge  41  at equal intervals around its perimeter to which the face panel tensioning system  17  will attach, enabling the face panel  12  to be fastened to the frame assembly  11 . 
     With respect to the structure of the face panel tensioning system  17 , this is shown for the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  10 ,  11 ,  13  and  14 . As shown, the face tensioning system  17  is comprised of a plurality of tensioner brackets  18 , one or more lengths of high tensile cord  19  and a plurality of coils or springs  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the tensioner brackets  18  are comprised of aluminum, titanium, steel, plastic, carbon fiber or fiberglass, although other suitable materials will suffice. In the preferred embodiment the tensioner brackets  18  are joined, at even intervals, to and around the perimeter of the inner surface of the front plane  25  and the inner surfaces of the corresponding top  26 , bottom  27 , left  28  and right  29  planes perpendicular to the attachment point of the tensioner bracket  18  on the front plane  25  inner surface. 
     Further, the tensioner bracket  18  attachment points are set at intervals equal to the drilled hole  40  intervals on the face panel outer edge  41  and adjacent thereto. The high tensile cord  19  is preferably comprised of small diameter rope, wire or twine made of plastic (including nylon), composite (e.g., with tensile strands) or metal, having a high tensile strength, although other suitable materials and cords could be used, such as metal, plastic or composite chains, metal, plastic or composite ties (e.g., twist ties, zip ties and lock ties (as for locking or tying down containers openings and lids) and metal, plastic or composite bands or straps. The high tensile cord  19  is tied between the tensioner brackets  18  attached to the top angular side  21  of the frame assembly  11  and the corresponding holes  40  in the top of face panel outer edge  41  allowing the face panel  12  to hang from the top angular side  21  in a fixed position. In other embodiments, the high tensile chord  19  may, in addition to, or instead of, being tied between the tensioner brackets  18  attached to the top angular side  21  and the corresponding holes in the top face panel edge  41 , be tied between the tensioner brackets  18  along one or more of the other angular sides of the frame assembly  11  and the corresponding holes  40  perpendicular to those other angular sides. 
     In addition, the coils  20  may be comprised of metals, such as steel, iron, and titanium, or plastics and composites, among other materials, and are attached between the tensioner brackets  18  on the bottom  22 , right  24 , and left  23  angular sides and the adjacent holes  40  along the outer edge  41  of the face panel. Each coil  20  pulls the outer edge  41  of the face panel  12  towards the angular side the coil  20  is attached to and away from the opposing angular side of the frame assembly  11 . In other embodiments coils  20  may also be used in combination with the high tensile cord  19  and be attached between all or some of the same tensioner bracket  18  and face panel hole  40  locations to which the high tensile cord  19  is attached. The attachment of the high tensile cord  19  and the coils  20  to the face panel  12  and the frame assembly  11  creates tension across the face panel  12  in all directions parallel to the front plane  25  of the frame assembly  11 . This tension in the face panel  12  has a desired effect of increasing the rigidity of the face panel  12  and reducing its flex so as to eliminate the possibility of the face panel  12  flexing when struck by a projectile, making contact with the video wall  50  and causing damage to the video displays  51 . The face panel tensioning system  17  can be installed on the varying frame assembly  11  shapes as mentioned herein and will create the same desired effect as described to protect the video wall as long as the face panel is attached to at least one side of the frame assembly in a fixed position. 
     The installation of the video display cover  10  has a specified order. First, the corner mounting brackets  13 - 16  are bolted to the wall or structure  45  which the video wall is to be mounted to. Then the video displays  51  of the video wall  50  are mounted to the wall or structure  45 . Lastly, the video frame assembly  11  is hoisted and fastened to the mounting brackets  13 - 16  already attached to the wall or structure  45 . This specified order of installation allows for simple removal and maintenance of the video display cover  10  and video displays  51  of the video wall  50 . 
     In other embodiments, the video display cover  10  can be used to protect objects other than video walls, such as: scoreboards, murals, paintings, artwork, artifacts, clocks, and windows, among other things. 
     Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.