Abstract:
A display device includes: a display panel; a first housing attached to the display panel, the first housing having an opening to expose a display surface of the display panel; and a second housing attached to the first housing to cover a back surface of the display panel, wherein an end portion of one of the first housing and the second housing includes a folded portion and an end portion of the other of the first housing and the second housing includes an insertion portion to be inserted into the end portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-161224, filed on Jul. 22, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The embodiments discussed herein are related to an electronic apparatus that includes a liquid crystal display (LCD). 
     BACKGROUND 
     Information processing apparatuses, such as notebook personal computers, may use an LCD as a display device. An LCD panel is contained in a housing of an information processing apparatus. Only a display surface of the LCD panel may be exposed to the outside from the housing. As information processing apparatuses become thinner, housings for containing LCDs may also become thinner. 
     Related art is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-317919. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the embodiments, a display device includes: a display panel; a first housing attached to the display panel, the first housing having an opening to expose a display surface of the display panel; and a second housing attached to the first housing to cover a back surface of the display panel, wherein an end portion of one of the first housing and the second housing includes a folded portion and an end portion of the other of the first housing and the second housing includes an insertion portion to be inserted into the end portion. 
     The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary personal computer; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary display device; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary mating face; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary the mating face; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary screwed part; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary front cover; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover; and 
         FIG. 16  illustrates an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A display unit of a notebook personal computer contains an LCD, and an LCD panel is contained in a housing of the display unit. The housing includes a front cover and a back cover. The front cover is formed to allow a display surface of the LCD panel to be exposed, whereas the back cover is formed to cover a back surface of the LCD panel. The back cover is attached and secured to the front cover, with the LCD contained on the side of the front cover. The back cover may be secured to the front cover with screws. 
     For example, after the LCD is attached to the front cover, the back cover may be screwed to the front cover at four corners to form the display unit. In the housing of the display unit, mating faces of the front and back covers extend near a side face of the LCD panel. 
     When the display unit becomes thinner and the luminance of the LCD increases, light leaking from the side face of the LCD panel may leak through a gap between the mating faces of the front and back covers to the outside of the housing of the display unit. 
     When the front cover and the back cover are secured with screws, if the mating faces of the front and back covers are perpendicular to the side face of the LCD panel, light may leak through a gap between the mating faces. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary notebook personal computer.  FIG. 1  may be a perspective view of the notebook personal computer. A notebook personal computer  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  may correspond to an electronic apparatus having a display device which includes a display panel, such as an LCD panel. The display panel may be of another type, such as an electroluminescent (EL) panel. 
     The notebook personal computer  10  includes a main body  12  having an input operation unit, and a display device  14  supported to be pivotable with respect to the main body  12 . The display device  14  includes an LCD housing  16  which contains an LCD panel  18  serving as a display panel. 
     The LCD housing  16  of the display device  14  includes a front cover  20  and a back cover  30 . The LCD panel  18  is contained in the LCD housing  16  which includes the front cover  20  and the back cover  30 . A display surface of the LCD panel  18  is exposed to the outside through an opening of the front cover  20 . The material of the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  may be resin or metal, such as magnesium alloy. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary display device.  FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the display device  14  in which the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are assembled to form the LCD housing  16 . The LCD panel  18  is attached to the interior of the back cover  30 . The display surface of the LCD panel  18  is exposed within the opening of the front cover  20 . The front cover  20  is assembled to the back cover  30  having the LCD panel  18  attached thereto to form the LCD housing  16  which contains the LCD panel  18 . 
     The LCD housing  16  is split into two parts at substantially the center, as viewed from a side face thereof. One of the two parts may be the front cover  20 , and the other may be the back cover  30 . An entire end of the LCD housing  16  may constitute a part of the back cover  30 , and the front cover  20  may not extend to the end of the LCD housing  16 . For example, an end portion  32  of the back cover  30  may be folded toward the front cover  20 , so that an end face of the end portion  32  folded and facing the front cover  20  may serve as a mating face  30   a  which mates with a mating face  20   a  of the front cover  20 . Thus, the mating face  20   a  and the mating face  30   a  of the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are located inward from the end of the LCD housing  16 . 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  illustrate an exemplary mating face. The mating faces illustrated in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  may be those of the front cover  20  and the back cover  30 .  FIG. 3  may be a cross-sectional view of the display device  14  taken along line III-III of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  may be a cross-sectional view of an end portion of the display device  14  taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 . 
     The front cover  20  has an insertion portion  22  at an end thereof. The insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  may correspond to a portion inserted into the back cover  30  when the front cover  20  is assembled to the back cover  30 . For example, when the mating face  20   a  at an end portion of the front cover  20  is butted against the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 , the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  may be inserted under the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 . 
     When the front cover  20  is assembled to the back cover  30 , a gap is created between the mating face  20   a  at the end portion of the front cover  20  and the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 . The insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  may extend under this gap. Therefore, light leaking from the LCD panel  18  inside the LCD housing  16  may not enter the gap between the mating face  20   a  at the end portion of the front cover  20  and the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 . 
     The front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are designed such that when they are assembled, an upper surface of the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  is in contact with an inner surface of the back cover  30 . Therefore, light leaking from the LCD panel  18  inside the LCD housing  16  may not pass between the upper surface of the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  and the inner surface of the back cover  30 . Light leaking from the LCD panel  18  inside the LCD housing  16  may not reach the gap between the mating face  20   a  at the end portion of the front cover  20  and the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 . 
     Since a gap between the upper surface of the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  and the inner surface of the back cover  30  does not face a side face of the LCD panel  18 , light leaking from the LCD panel  18  may not enter this gap. 
     Light leaking from the LCD panel  18  inside the LCD housing  16  may not leak out of the LCD housing  16  through the gap between the mating face  20   a  at the end portion of the front cover  20  and the mating face  30   a  of the back cover  30 . 
     The upper surface of the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  is inserted under the inner surface of the back cover  30  to be in contact therewith. Thus, at the contact portion, the front cover  20  is engaged with the back cover  30 . A plurality of ribs  34  formed on the inner surface of the back cover  30  are fitted into respective slits  24  formed in the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20 . Fitting the ribs  34  into the slits  24  may reinforce the engagement between the front cover  20  and the back cover  30 . The front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are firmly secured at an end of the LCD housing  16 , for example, at an end opposite the end supported by the main body  12 , so that the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  may not be secured with screws. 
     Screws for securing the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are not placed at the four corners of the LCD housing  16 , but are placed at two points on one side of the LCD housing  16  closer to the main body  12 . Therefore, the number of components of the LCD housing  16  may be reduced and assembly worker-hours (i.e., the number of screw tightening operations) may be reduced. 
       FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8  illustrate an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover.  FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating a slit  24  of the front cover  20  and a rib  34  of the back cover  30 .  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 . The rib  34  may have a substantially uniform width and the slit  24  may also have a substantially uniform width. In  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a gap between the rib  34  and the slit  24  is enlarged for convenience. However, the gap may be small enough to allow the rib  34  to be fitted into contact with the slit  24 . The contact between the outer surface of the rib  34  and the inner surface of the slit  24  may reinforce the engagement and connection between the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  and the back cover  30 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the slit  24  and the rib  34  may be tapered in plan view. This may allow the rib  34  to be more tightly fitted into the slit  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the slit  24  and the rib  34  may be reverse-tapered in cross section. This may allow the rib  34  to be more tightly fitted into the slit  24 . 
     The front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are engaged and coupled to each other, so that they may not be secured with screws at an end portion of the LCD housing  16 . The front cover  20  may be secured to the back cover  30  with screws at two points adjacent to the main body  12 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary screwed part.  FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of  FIG. 2 . A screw  40  for securing the front cover  20  to the back cover  30  is screwed into a boss  36  raised from the inner surface of the back cover  30 , with the head of the screw  40  contained in a recess  26  formed in the surface of the front cover  20 . When the front cover  20  is secured to the back cover  30  with the screw  40 , the screw  40  may be tightened, with an LCD-securing metal sheet sandwiched between the front cover  20  and the back cover  30 . With the screw  40  for securing the front cover  20  to the back cover  30 , the LCD panel  18  may be secured in place inside the LCD housing  16 . After the screw  40  is tightened, the opening of the recess  26  may be covered with a seal or the like so as not to be visible from outside. 
     An antenna for wireless communication may be incorporated in the notebook personal computer  10 . For example, a wireless antenna  50  (see  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ) may be placed inside the folded end portion  32  of the back cover  30 . Since the LCD panel  18  does not extend to the end portion  32 , the wireless antenna  50  may be placed in the empty space. Since the back cover  30  including the end portion  32  contains resin, the wireless antenna  50  may be placed in an area covered with the resin. 
     Since the back cover  30  has the folded end portion  32 , the end portion of the LCD housing  16  has no mating faces and may be formed into various shapes. Therefore, the design flexibility of the notebook personal computer  10  may increase and the appearance of the notebook personal computer  10  may be designed. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary front cover.  FIG. 10  may be a plan view of the interior of the front cover  20 .  FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary back cover.  FIG. 11  may be a plan view of the interior of the back cover  30 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , engaging portions  28  are formed at a plurality of points (e.g., two points) along each of left and right side walls  20   b  and  20   c  of the front cover  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , engaging hooks  38  are formed at a plurality of points along each of side walls  30   b  and  30   c  of the back cover  30 . When the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are assembled, the engaging hooks  38  of the back cover  30  engage with the respective engaging portions  28  of the front cover  20 . 
       FIG. 12 ,  FIG. 13 ,  FIG. 14 ,  FIG. 15 , and  FIG. 16  illustrate an exemplary front cover and an exemplary back cover.  FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of an engaging portion  28  and an engaging hook  38  which engages therewith.  FIG. 13  is a perspective view illustrating a state before the engaging hook  38  engages with the engaging portion  28 . When the back cover  30  is assembled to the front cover  20 , the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are moved to allow the insertion portion  22  of the front cover  20  to be inserted under the inner surface of the back cover  30 . As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the engaging hook  38  of the back cover  30  is inserted under the engaging portion  28  of the front cover  20 . Thus, the engaging hook  38  engages with the engaging portion  28 , so that the front cover  20  and the back cover  30  are secured to each other. 
     The engaging hook  38  may be fitted into the engaging portion  28  from above. As illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the engaging hook  38  may have an inclined surface  38   a , and the engaging portion  28  may have an inclined surface  28   a . When the inclined surface  38   a  of the engaging hook  38  is pressed against the inclined surface  28   a  of the engaging portion  28 , the portions where the engaging hook  38  and the engaging portion  28  have been formed may be slightly deformed. The insertion of the engaging hook  38  into the space under the engaging portion  28  may be facilitated. 
     Either the end portion  32  of the back cover  30  or the end portion of the front cover  20  may have a folded shape.  FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a back cover  30 A to a front cover  20 A which has a folded end portion  22 A. As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the end portion  22 A of the front cover  20 A may have a folded shape, and the back cover  30 A may have an insertion portion  32 A. The insertion portion  32 A of the back cover  30 A is inserted under a mating face  20 Aa of the front cover  20 A, so that the mating face  20 Aa of the front cover  20 A is butted against a mating face  30 Aa of the back cover  30 A. Thus, the front cover  20 A and the back cover  30 A are engaged and coupled to each other. The back cover  30 A may be attached to the front cover  20 A after the LCD panel  18  is attached to the front cover  20 A. 
       FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of the end portion  22 A of the front cover  20 A. Since the insertion portion  32 A extends from the end of the back cover  30 A, the wireless antenna  50  may be attached to the inner surface of the back cover  30 A via antenna bases  52 . The wireless antenna  50  is spaced, to some extent, from the insertion portion  32 A of the back cover  30 A. Therefore, the insertion portion  32 A of the back cover  30 A into the front cover  20 A may be performed smoothly. 
     The other configurations of the display device including the front cover  20 A and the back cover  30 A may be substantially the same as or similar to those of the LCD housing  16  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and their description may be omitted or reduced. 
     All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.