Abstract:
An exemplary flat panel display ( 1 ) includes a display panel ( 11 ), a printed circuit board ( 12 ) located adjacent the display panel, a metallic chassis ( 13 ) covering the printed circuit board, and a shielding member ( 14 ) fixed to the chassis. The chassis and the display panel cooperatively define a gap therebetween. The shielding member is at least partly located in the gap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to flat panel displays (FPDs), and more particularly to a flat panel display having a shielding member located adjacent to a gap defined by a chassis and a display panel thereof.  
       GENERAL BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Flat panel displays are commonly used as display devices for compact electronic apparatuses. Referring to  FIG. 10 , a typical flat panel display  8  includes a front frame  80 , a display panel  81 , a printed circuit board (PCB)  82 , a chassis  83 , a plurality of elastic gaskets  84 , and a back cover  85 . The front frame  80 , the display panel  81 , the PCB  82 , and the chassis  83  are generally arranged in that order from left to right. The front frame  80  and the back cover  85  cooperatively define a space (not labeled) for accommodating the display panel  81 , the PCB  82 , the chassis  83 , and the gaskets  85 .  
         [0003]     Typically, the PCB  82  radiates electromagnetic waves when in a working state, and these electromagnetic waves are liable to seriously interfere with the normal operation of electrical components/devices (not shown) around the flat panel display  8 . Thus, the electromagnetic waves from the PCB  82  are generally called electro magnetic interference (EMI). Therefore, the PCB  82  is covered by the chassis  83  for shielding most of the EMI generated thereby. However, one or more gaps (not shown) generally exist between the chassis  83  and the display panel  81  for improving mechanical intensity of the chassis  83 , which gaps provide a channel for the EMI to emit the chassis  83 . Thus, the gaskets  85  are generally arranged in the gaps.  
         [0004]     Referring also to  FIG. 11 , each gasket  85  includes a foaming core  852 , a coat  854  generally surrounding the foaming core  852 , and an adhesive tape  856  formed at an outer surface (not labeled) of the coat  854 . Each gasket  85  can be adhered at a surface of the chassis  83  thus defining the corresponding gap. However, the adhesive tape  856  is prone to degrade over time, and the gasket  85  may fall off from the chassis  83  and be lost. Furthermore, the coat  854  of the gasket  85  is generally made from a plurality of slim metallic threads, which makes manufacturing of the gasket  85  complicated. This results in the gasket  85  being rather costly. The flat panel display  8  using the gaskets  85  is correspondingly costly.  
         [0005]     What is needed, therefore, is a flat panel display that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     In one preferred embodiment, a flat panel display includes a display panel, a printed circuit board located adjacent the display panel, a metallic chassis covering the printed circuit board, and a shielding member fixed to the chassis. The chassis and the display panel cooperatively define a gap therebetween. The shielding member is at least partly located in the gap.  
         [0007]     Other aspects, advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     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 various views, and all the views are schematic.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a flat panel display according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the flat panel display including a chassis and a plurality of shielding members.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged, isometric view of the chassis of the flat panel display of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, inverted, isometric view of one of the shielding members of the flat panel display of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing the shielding member viewed from another aspect.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing one of the shielding members of  FIG. 1  being fixed to the chassis.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged, front view of a circled portion VI of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged, back view corresponding to the circled portion VI of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing a shielding member of a flat panel display according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing a shielding member of a flat panel display according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is an exploded, isometric view of a conventional flat panel display, the flat panel display including a plurality of gaskets.  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged, isometric view of one of the gaskets of the flat panel display of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the preferred embodiments in detail.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a flat panel display  1  according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The flat panel display  1  includes a front frame  10 , a display panel  11 , a PCB  12 , a chassis  13 , a plurality of shielding members  14 , and a back cover  15 . The front frame  10 , the display panel  11 , the PCB  12 , and the chassis  13  are arranged generally in that order from left to right. The front frame  10  and the back cover  15  cooperatively define a first space (not labeled) for accommodating the display panel  11 , the PCB  12 , the chassis  13 , and the shielding members  14 .  
         [0022]     The front frame  10  has a generally rectangular shape, and has a size which is slightly greater than a size of the display panel  11 . The front frame  10  includes four side borders (not labeled) connected end to end, thus defining a window for allowing viewing of the display panel  11 . The front frame  10  is preferably made from plastic, polymer, or another suitable material.  
         [0023]     Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the chassis  13  includes an offset back wall  130 , a first strip  132 , a second strip  134 , and two opposite location walls  136 . The back wall  130  is essentially box-shaped. The back wall  130  defines a first opening (not labeled) at a front side thereof between the location walls  136 , and defines a second space (not labeled) therein for receiving the PCB  12 . The back wall  130  has a plurality of second openings  1302  at a bottom side (not labeled) thereof. Two location baffles  138  respectively extend from edges of two of the second openings  1302  toward the first strip  132 . Each location baffle  138  has a first notch  1382  above the second opening  1302 , and a first location hole  1384  above the respective first notch  1382 . The chassis  13  is preferably made from iron, steel, aluminum, magnesium, a suitable alloy thereof, or another suitable alloy.  
         [0024]     The first strip  132  upwardly extends from a top edge of the back wall  130 . The first strip  132  defines a plurality of second notches  1322  at a top edge thereof, and a plurality of second location holes  1324  respectively below the second notches  1322 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first strip  132  and a top side (not labeled) of the back wall  130  further cooperatively define a third opening (not labeled) corresponding to low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) wires (not shown) of the display panel  11 . The third opening can be completely covered by a metallic shielding step  1326 .  
         [0025]     The second strip  134  downwardly extends from a bottom edge of the back wall  130 , and is essentially parallel to the first strip  132 . The second strip  134  defines a plurality of third notches  1342  at a bottom edge thereof, and a plurality of third location holes  1344  respectively above the third notches  1342 . In the illustrated embodiment, the third location holes  1344  and the second location holes  1324  have the essentially same size; and there are more third location holes  1344  than second location holes  1324 .  
         [0026]     The location walls  136  are respectively connected with two vertical sides of the back wall  130 . Each location wall  136  is essentially L-shaped, and includes a first wall  1362  and a second wall  1364 . The first walls  1362  outwardly extend from the vertical sides of the back wall  130 , respectively. The second walls  1364  perpendicularly extend from respective edges of the first walls  1362  toward the display panel  11 . A distance between the second walls  1364  is slightly greater than a horizontal length of the display panel  11 . The second side walls  1364  each define two threading holes  1366 . The threading holes  1366  respectively correspond to two threading holes (not labeled) in two vertical sides of the display panel  11 . That is, the second walls  1364  can be respectively threadingly engaged to the vertical sides of display panel  11 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the shielding member  14  includes a holding portion  140 , and a contact portion  141  integrally extending from the holding portion  140 . The holding portion  140  includes a first plate  142 , a second plate  143 , a curved connection plate (not labeled), and a tongue  144 . The first plate  142  is essentially parallel to the second plate  144 , and has a fourth opening  145  thereon. The tongue  144  integrally extends from an edge of the fourth opening  145  toward the second plate  143 . The connection plate interconnects the first plate  142  and the second plate  143 .  
         [0028]     The contact portion  141  includes a third plate  146 , and a fourth plate  147 . The third plate  146  interconnects the fourth plate  147  and the second plate  143 , and extends away from the first plate  142 . The fourth plate  147  extends toward the first plate  142  from an edge opposite to the second plate  143  of the third plate  146 . The first plate  142 , the second plate  143 , the connection plate, the third plate  146 , and the fourth plate  147  have an essentially same width, and the width corresponds to that of the first notch  1382 . The shielding member  14  is elastic, and is preferably made from tinplate.  
         [0029]     The back cover  15  has a size essentially the same as that of the front frame  10 , and defines two fourth notches  1502  respectively corresponding to two of the first notches  1302  of the chassis  13 . The back cover  15  is preferably made from plastic, polymer, or another suitable material.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , when the shielding member  14  is fixed to the first strip  132  of the chassis  13 , the connection plate is received in the first notch  1322 . The first plate  142  abuts an outer surface (not labeled) of the first strip  132 , and the tongue  144  extends into one respective second location hole  1324  and is fixed therein. The second plate  143  abuts an inner surface (not labeled) of the first strip  132 . An end of the contact portion  141  elastically abuts a bottom portion of the first strip  132 . Therefore, the shielding member  14  is fixed to the first strip  132 . The shielding members  14  can be similarly fixed to the second strip  134 .  
         [0031]     When the flat panel display  1  is assembled, a plurality of gaps (not shown) are defined between the display panel  11  and the first and second strips  132 ,  134 . The shielding member  14  is fixed to the chassis  13 , and is adjacent one corresponding gap, thereby absorbing any EMI passing therethrough. Thus, any EMI of the flat panel display  1  can be reduced or even eliminated.  
         [0032]     In  FIG. 8 , a shielding member  24  of a flat panel display  2  according to a second embodiment of the present invention similar to the shielding member  14  is shown. The shielding member  24  includes a first plate  242 , a second plate  243 , and a tongue  244 . The tongue  244  extends from the first plate  242  toward the second plate  243 . The second plate  243  has an opening  248  corresponding to the tongue  244 . In the illustrated embodiment, a size of the opening  248  is essentially equal to that of the tongue  244 . In a process of removing the shielding member  24  from a chassis (not shown) of the flat panel display  2 , the opening  248  provides convenience for pressing the tongue  244  toward the first plate  242 , thus conveniently removing the shielding member  24  from the chassis.  
         [0033]     In  FIG. 9 , a shielding member  34  of a flat panel display  3  according to a third embodiment of the present invention similar to the shielding member  24  is shown. The shielding member  34  has a plurality of parallel openings  349  on a contact portion  341  thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the shielding member  34  defines two openings  349 . The openings  349  can enhance mechanical elasticity of the shielding member  34 , such that the shielding member  34  can be fixed to a thicker chassis.  
         [0034]     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.