Abstract:
A flat panel monitor mounting assembly including a frame for holding a monitor including facilities for allowing the monitor to be rotated from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The assembly includes facilities for allowing the monitor to be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the monitor so that the monitor can be viewed in either a horizontal viewing position or, alternatively a vertical viewing position. The assembly also includes facilities for tilting the flat panel monitor so that the panel can easily be viewed from any position. The assembly also includes facilities for locking the monitor in either the horizontal viewing position or vertical viewing position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a flat panel monitor mounting assembly which allows a flat panel monitor of rectangular configuration to be rotated about a plurality of axes so that it can be viewed in an optimal viewing position and fit into a rack or transit case drawer for storage. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,394 discloses a flat display supporting mechanism that allows a flat display to be positioned flat against the keyboard and pivoted upwardly so that it is positioned substantially vertically for viewing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,922 discloses a portable personal computer which has a moveable flat display which is positioned parallel to the front surface of the computer when the display is in the retracted position. A frictional mechanism permits the display to be positioned at any angle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,686 discloses a sliding accommodation type liquid crystal display device which slides in and out with respect to the main body of the device and is rotatable for viewing. 
     U.S. Pat. 5,161,028 discloses a car mounted video display apparatus wherein a liquid crystal display can slide out of a holding part and be rotated into position for viewing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,594 discloses a work station for use with flat monitors which discloses a flat monitor being inset into the top surface of a station&#39;s work platform which has a transparent window therein and can be adjusted for viewing through the transparent window. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,659 discloses a reversible overbed table and mirror in which a mirror can be stored flat and tilted upward when the tabletop is moved so that it can be viewed on either side of the tabletop. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,213 discloses a sliding drawer tray horizontally in a drawer or rack with its larger sides parallel to the sides of the drawer or rack and having facilities for rotating the flat panel along one axis to a vertical position, rotating the flat panel so that its longer sides are parallel to the ground. 
     None of the prior art describes an assembly or device that allows a rectangular flat panel monitor to be stored rotated 90° to a viewing position and be tiltable for facilitating viewing. Furthermore, none of the prior art describes rotating a front portion of a drawer about a horizontal axis to minimize space requirements for a monitor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention allows a thin flat panel monitor or display to be used in space constrained environments. The monitor is typically an active matrix liquid crystal display preferably having a high resolution. The monitor can be used in conjunction with a rack enclosure, a transit case, or other storage facilities. The advantages of the subject invention include (1) maximum utilization of space; (2) choice of orientation of flat panel monitor, namely either horizontal format viewing position (landscape), or vertical format viewing position (portrait); (3) good shock and vibration absorbency; and (4) modularity of rotation hub design. 
     The subject invention includes a mechanism which permits a flat panel monitor to be rotated about an axis parallel to the plane of the monitor from a stored flat or horizontal position within a drawer to an upright and vertical position. The assembly includes facilities for rotating the flat panel monitor about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the panel so that the panel can be viewed in either its normal horizontal format viewing position or alternatively, a vertical format viewing position. The assembly also includes facilities for tilting the flat panel monitor after rotation about the perpendicular axis so that the panel can be easily viewed from any position. 
     The flat panel monitor assembly is mounted so that it is recessed in a drawer of a rack or transit case so that the drawer can be pushed in and the monitor stored when not in use, and be pulled out and locked into viewing position when the monitor needs to be utilized. 
     Further aspects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description in the specific examples all representing the preferred embodiment are given by way of illustration only. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transit case illustrating the flat panel monitor mounting assembly in accordance with this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drawer of a transit case or rack with the flat panel monitor in its stored position recessed within the drawer. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drawer and the flat panel monitor with the front assembly of the drawer rotated 90° so that the monitor is vertical. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drawer and the flat panel monitor illustrating the monitor (in phantom) being tilted away from the vertical axis and further illustrating the tilting mechanism and the hub rotation assembly for the monitor. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the mechanism for rotating the front assembly of the drawer. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the front assembly of the drawer. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rotation hub assembly which allows rotation of the monitor from a horizontal format viewing position to a vertical position taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. 
     In accordance with the present invention there is shown in FIG. 1 a standard transit case generally designed as  10 . The transit case, or alternatively, a rack assembly typically has a particular height which is designed in “U&#39;s”. A “U” is approximately 1¾ inches. A typical CRT monitor takes up 11 “U&#39;s”. A flat panel monitor used in accordance with the subject invention will fit in a two “U” space. Not only is considerable space saved by the utilization of this invention, but improved performance can be had with state of the art flat panel monitors. Also, the monitors can be positioned in any desired orientation to facilitate viewing by the operator. Consequently, if the operator is sitting low, the screen can be tilted toward him so that he can easily see it. If the operator is positioned at eye level or higher, the screen can be vertical or tilted back for easy visibility. Likewise, the display can be rotated 90° if a portrait or vertical view format viewing position is desired as opposed to a horizontal format viewing or landscape view. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 a flat panel monitor  15  mounted within a frame generally designated as  11 . The frame  11  consists of side portions  12  and  13  and top and bottom portions  14  and  16 . The bottom portion  16  of the frame  11 , or the side or top portions, may have a control panel  17  mounted therein. While the frame is shown with separate top, side and bottom portions, it could if desired be one piece. The frame  11  is mounted to a drawer  18  which has a latch mechanism  19 . The drawer  18  slides in and out of transit case  10  or rack (not shown) as the case may be. A keyboard  22  is connected to a CPU (not shown) which is also connected to the flat panel monitor  15 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the monitor  15  is shown in its recessed or stored position within the drawer  18 . The latch  19  is preferably recessed into a front assembly  23  of the drawer  18 . In use, one end of the latch is pushed in and the latch  19  is rotated 90° to unlock and rotate the front assembly  23  of the drawer  18 , as more fully described hereinafter. The drawer  18  of the transit case or rack has been designed in accordance with the principles of this invention to mount within the conventional slides and configuration of the transit case or rack. The front assembly  23  of the drawer  18  rotates about a first axis  20  parallel to the plane of the flat panel monitor  15  from a first position where the latch  19  is on top of the drawer  18  and the flat panel monitor  15  is in a horizontal position within the drawer  18 , to a second position where the latch  19  is at the front of the drawer  18  and the monitor  15  is in a vertical position. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the flat panel monitor  15  is shown in a vertical position which was achieved by rotating the front assembly  23  90° to move the panel into the vertical position. It can be seen that the latch  19  is now in the front of the drawer  18  as opposed to being on top as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, rotation of the latch  19  rotates a plate  26  connected to arms  27  and  28  which pulls arms  27  and  28  inwardly to pull pins  29  and  31 , which are attached to the outward ends of the arms, inwardly. In the locked viewing position which is shown, the pins  29  and  31  extend through a hole  32  and  33  respectively in the walls  34  and  36  of the drawer  18 . By rotating the latch  19 , the pins  29  and  31  can be disengaged from the drawer  18  to allow the front assembly  23  to be rotated 90°. This rotation permits maximum clearance for the monitor  10  to be rotated from its vertical viewing position to its horizontal stored position. When the front assembly  23  is rotated 90°, another set of holes  37  and  38  are positioned opposite the ends of the pins  29  and  30  and rotation of the latch  19  back to its original position allows the pins to enter the holes  37  and  38  to lock the front assembly  23  in its horizontal stored position. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the front assembly  23  has a substantially “U” shaped cross section having a front wall  41 , a top wall  42  and a back wall  43 . The arms  27  and  28  are connected to the inward ends of the pins  29  and  31 . The entire front assembly  23  rotates about the first axis  20  which results from a pair of pivots or shafts  43  and  44  on each side of the assembly  23 . When the monitor  10  is positioned in its vertical position, the pins  29  and  31  are positioned in the upper holes  32  and  33  in the side walls  34  and  36  of the drawer  18 . When the monitor  10  is rotated down into its horizontal or stored position, the latch  19  is rotated to the left to pull the pins  29  and  31  inwardly out of the holes  32  and  33  to allow the entire front assembly  23  to be rotated 90°. Upon rotation the pins  29  and  31  are positioned opposite the holes  37  and  38  in the side walls  34  and  36  of the drawer  18 . Upon rotating the latch to the right the pins  29  and  32  enter the holes  37  and  38  to lock the flat panel monitor in its horizontal stored position. 
     Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 7, there is shown a support assembly generally designed as  51  which has its lower end  60  connected to the back of the front assembly  23 . The support assembly  51  rotates about the first axis  20  with the front assembly  23  as it moves from one position to another as previously described. The upper end of the support assembly  51  is connected to a monitor mounting assembly  53  which has a rotatable hub  56  which in turn is connected to the back of the flat panel monitor  15 . The rotatable hub  56  is mounted for rotational movement about a second axis  40  which is perpendicular to the plane of the monitor  15 . This allows rotation of the monitor  15  at least 90° from a vertical format viewing position to a horizontal format viewing position. The hub could be rotatable 360° or some portion thereof is desired. The monitor mounting assembly  53  has its lower end mounted from rotational movement about a third axis  54  at the top of support assembly  51 . This allows the monitor to be tilted with the top portion of the frame moving back and the bottom portion of the frame moving forward for someone seated level with or above the monitor. If someone is seated below the monitor, the panel can be tilted in the opposite direction. A “U” shaped frame  67  supports the hub  56  for rotation. The frame  67  includes a top member  61  which is hinged at  55 . A spring loaded latch  62  is mounted at the other end of the top member  61 . The top member  61  is opened by depressing the latch button  63  against spring  64  to allow member  61  to be lifted. This allows the hub  56  and monitor  15  to be removed from the frame  67 . As shown in FIG. 7, the hub  56  has a peripheral recess  57  formed therein between projections  58  and  59 . This recess allows rotation of the hub  57  from one position where projection  58  engages a projection  66  formed in top member  61  to the other position where projection  59  engages the projection  66 . 
     The bottom  70  of the frame  53  supporting the hub  56  has a unit  71  mounted thereto in which a spring loaded ball  72  is urged into engagement with one of a plurality of detents  73  and  74  formed in the hub  56 . When the hub  56  is rotated so that the projection  58  engages projection  66 , the ball  72  engages the detent  73  to keep the hub  56  in that position. When the hub and monitor are manually turned counter-clockwise until the projection  59  engages projection  66 , the ball  72  fits within detent  74  to secure the hub and monitor in that position. The vertical support  51  also has a channel member  68  attached to one side thereof for receiving electrical cable or cables for connecting the monitor  15  to a CPU. The cables are preferably routed from the monitor, through cord guide  75  in the monitor mounting assembly  53 , through the channel member  68  and then through a shrouded portion  69  in the drawer for protection of the cables. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments and exemplified with respect thereto, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate the various modifications, changes, omissions and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that the present invention be limited solely by the scope of the following claims: