Abstract:
The present invention relates to a circuit board mounting panel for electrical appliance, comprising: a base panel disposing a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board thereon; a first shield cover disposed on the base panel and mounting the first printed circuit board therein and formed with an opening part in a vertical direction to a surface of the first printed circuit board; and a second shield cover mounting the second printed circuit board therein and inserted into the first shield cover through the opening part and coupled to the base panel. Thus, the present invention provides an improved structure of a shield cover for a circuit board mounting panel for an electrical appliance, thereby minimizing a idle mold that may be produced while developing a circuitry or a PCB.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0019339, filed on Mar. 8, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a circuit board mounting panel for an electrical appliance, and more particularly, to a circuit board mounting panel for an electrical appliance comprising a shield cover mounting a printed circuit board. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, printed circuit boards (PCB) have been used for driving a variety of electrical appliances.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a circuit board mounting panel  20  installed on a conventional display device  10 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , on the circuit board mounting panel  20  are disposed a plurality of printed circuit boards (not shown) generating an image driving signal and an image driving power etc. Further, on the circuit board mounting panel  20  are disposed a plurality of shield covers  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  for protecting the PCBs from outside environment. The shield covers  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  not only protect the PCBs, but also can cut off effluence of an electric-magnetic interference (EMI) generated from the PCBs. Therefore, a mold for the shield covers  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  should be appropriately designed to accommodate the PCBs mounted in the shield covers. 
     However, the sizes of the PCBs often change as the circuit develops. Consequently, the mold used to manufacture the shield covers  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  housing the PCBs should be re-designed and re-made, thereby rendering the original mold idle and/or useless. Further, use of the shield covers  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  during early development of the circuit is often necessary because EMI shielding is needed to properly design the circuit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an improved shield cover for a circuit board mounting panel that minimizes and/or prevents creation of idle molds during a PCB and/or circuit development process. 
     One embodiment of the invention provides a circuit board mounting panel. The circuit board mounting panel may include a base panel on which a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board are disposed. A first shield cover may be disposed on the base panel to enclose the first printed circuit board therein. The first shield cover may be formed to include an opening therein. The opening may be formed in a side surface of the first shield cover. A second shield cover may also be formed on the circuit board mounting panel and may include a portion that is insertable into the first shield cover through the opening. One or both of the first shield cover or the second shield cover may be coupled to the base panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a display device which is mounted with a circuit board mounting panel of a conventional electrical appliance. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a display device which is mounted with a circuit board mounting panel of an electrical appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a first coupling state of a first and a second shield covers according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a second coupling state of a first and a second shield covers according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flat panel display  100  manufactured according to an embodiment of the invention may include a circuit board mounting panel  110  coupled to the display&#39;s rear surface. The circuit board mounting panel  110  may include a plurality of printed circuit board (PCB) shield covers  130 ,  140 ,  150 , and  160 . Shield cover  130  may enclose a PCB in which an image driving circuit is formed. Shield cover  140  may enclose a PCB in which an image driving signal circuit is formed. The image driving circuit may operate to transfer a signal to the image driving power circuit. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flat panel display  100  manufactured according to an embodiment of the invention may include a circuit board mounting panel  110  coupled to the display&#39;s rear surface. The circuit board mounting panel  110  may include a plurality of printed circuit board (PCB) shield covers  130 ,  140 ,  160 , and  170 . Shield cover  130  may enclose a PCB in which an image driving circuit is formed. Shield cover  140  may enclose a PCB in which an image driving signal circuit is formed. The image driving circuit may operate to transfer a signal to the image driving power circuit. 
     Each shield cover may include a substantially planar top surface that is substantially orthogonally connected to one or more side surfaces. One or more side surfaces of each shield cover may include tabs that substantially orthogonally extend therefrom. Each tab may include one or more openings through which fasteners may be inserted to secure the shield cover(s) to the circuit board mounting panel  110 . Thus, when coupled with the circuit board mounting panel  110 , each shield cover  130 ,  140 ,  160 , and  170  may project outwards from a surface of the circuit board mounting panel  110  to encapsulate a corresponding PCB in a space provided between an inner upper surface of each shield cover and the surface of the circuit board mounting panel  110 . 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 , the shield cover  170  may be positioned proximate a left side of the circuit board mounting panel  110 . The right side of the shield cover  170  may be separated from the next shield cover  130  by a space. The shield cover  130  may adjoin movable shield cover  140 , which may be configured to slidably engage a slot formed in a side surface of the shield cover  130 . The right side of the shield cover  140  may be separated from another shield cover  160  by a space. In turn, the shield cover  160  may be positioned on a right side of the circuit board mounting panel  110 . Alternatively, the base  136  may be positioned at other areas about the raised portion  135 . 
     The raised portion  135  of the shield cover  130  may further include a side surface  135   a  formed along the right edge of the shield cover  130 . The side surface  135   a  may couple the top surface of the shield cover&#39;s raised portion  135  with the base  136 . An opening  131  may be formed in the side surface  135   a , and an affixing member  132  may project substantially horizontally from the top edge of the opening  131 . The opening  131  and/or the affixing member  132  may extend along all or part of the length of the side surface  135   a . For example, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 , both the opening  131  and the affixing member  132  begin at a top edge of the raised portion  135  and extend downward about two thirds of the length of the side surface  135   a.    
     Additionally, one or both of the raised portion  135  and the base  136  may include a tab  137  or  138  that laterally extends therefrom. Each tab  137  or  138  may include an opening therein through which a fastener may be inserted to secure the shield cover  130  (and/or shield cover  140 ) to the circuit board mounting panel  110 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the raised portion  135   a  includes a tab  137  extending substantially horizontally downward from its bottom edge. Additionally, the base  136  includes a tab  138  extending downward from its bottom edge. A fastener opening  133  is formed in tab  137 , and a fastener opening  142  is formed in tab  138 . 
     The base  136  may also include a raised member  150 . The raised member  150  may include a length greater than its width, and may be positioned in an upper right portion of the base  136 . Additionally, the raised member  150  may be oriented so that its longitudinal axis is substantially orthogonal to the side surface  135   a  of the shield cover  130 . Moreover, the raised member  150  may project upwards from the top surface of the base  136 , and an end of the raised member  150  may be flush with a right edge of the base member  136 . As further described below, the raised member  150  may slidably (and/or adjustably) couple with the shield cover  140 . 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the shield cover  140  may adjustably couple with both the shield cover  130  and/or with the raised member  150 . More particularly, a left-side portion ( 141  in  FIG. 3 ) of the shield cover  140  may be configured to slidably engage the opening  131  formed in the right-hand side surface  135   a  of the shield cover  130 . When part of the left-hand portion  141  is inserted into the opening  131 , the affixing member  132  may overlap another part of the left-side portion  141 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Additionally, a right-side surface  146  of the shield cover  140  may include a notch  145  therein that surrounds and/or adjustably engages the raised member  150 . 
     Although not shown in  FIG. 2 ,  3 , or  4 , the shield cover  140  may be formed without a side surface on its left-hand side. Thus, when the left-hand portion  141  engages the opening  131 , the enclosed area of the shield cover  130  may combine with the enclosed area of the shield cover  140 . In this manner, the amount of space needed to enclose PCBs of differing sizes may be varied as needed. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the shield cover  140  may be adjustable between a first position shown in  FIG. 3  and a second position shown in  FIG. 4 . In the first position, the shield cover  140  may be fully extended from the shield cover  130 , and only a small portion of the left-hand portion  141  of the shield cover  140  may engage the opening  131 . In the second position, shown in  FIG. 4 , the shield cover  140  may be moved toward the shield cover  130 . Consequently, more of the left-hand portion  141  protrudes past the side wall  135  of the shield cover  130 . During insertion (or withdrawal), the shield cover  140  may be guided by the raised member  150 , which may adjustably engage a notch  145  formed in the right-hand side surface  146  of the shield cover  140 . Once the shield cover  140  is suitably positioned to accommodate a particular size of PCB (or PCBs) that is/are to be enclosed by the shield cover  130  and/or the shield cover  140 , a part of the left-hand portion  141  may be coupled with the affixing member  131  by spot welding or other suitable fastening means. 
     Although only one opening  131  was described above, the invention may include an additional opening (or openings) formed in other portions of the raised portion  135  of the shield cover  130 . In such embodiments, additional shield covers  140  may be configured to insert and detach with each of the additional openings. 
     Thus, embodiments of the invention may be used to adjust an area enclosed by a shield cover to adapt to changes in size made to a PCB during a development process. The ability of the shield cover to change size without having to re-manufacture the shield cover (or shield cover mold) is especially advantageous. 
     Although illustratively shown enclosing an area proximate a center region of the circuit board mounting panel  110  that is coupled to the back of a flat panel display, the adjustable shield covers  130  and  140  may find use in virtually any appliance that uses a printed circuit board. Thus, the invention is not limited merely to the flat panel display environment described herein, but may include other technological environments such as computers, radios, televisions, home appliances, etc. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.