Abstract:
A holder for holding a sheet of material in overlying relationship with a display screen. The holder conforms in shape and size with the display screen and is of generally rectangular form. The holder is in the form of a frame that includes a pair of spaced, opposed, parallel longitudinal frame members and a pair of spaced, opposed, parallel lateral frame members that define a rectangular frame. A suitable sheet material, such as a privacy filter, is carried within the frame, which includes a pair of frame mounting members that extend from the frame and engage an uppermost portion of the housing in which the display screen is housed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a frame structure for holding a display screen overlay, the frame structure including mounting members for mounting the frame structure in overlying relationship with a display screen. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Display screens for visually providing text and graphics that are generated by electronic devices for viewing have been provided based upon several to different display technologies. Among those technologies are cathode ray tube (CRT) display screens, liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, plasma display panels, light-emitting-diode-based (LED) panels, and organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) panels. Such display screens are found on various types of devices, such as computer display screens, television screens, DVD player display screens, and the like. 
     Depending upon their nature, their structure, and the locations in which they are used, some display screens exhibit undesired glare. The glare can cause headaches or can result in eye irritation over prolonged viewing times. In addition to glare, some display screens emit ultraviolet radiation that can result in eyestrain. And some display screens have reflective surfaces that reflect the light from nearby or overhead lighting fixtures. To ameliorate such potential problems, various types of overlays in sheet form have been devised to overlie the display screen to minimize the effects of glare, reflections, and ultraviolet radiation, among other features. 
     In addition to the effects on one&#39;s eyes of viewing electronic display screens, various forms of display screen image enhancement or image limitation are sometimes provided. For that purpose, polarizing filters and privacy filters can be utilized. Privacy filters are particularly desirable when, for example, a computer user is accessing material of a private or confidential nature that the user does not wish to be viewable by another individual who happens to be nearby, such as someone seated in an adjacent seat on an airplane, or someone passing by or standing or seated adjacent to a user&#39;s desk on which a computer display screen is visible. 
     There is therefore a need for a display screen frame for holding a display screen overlay, one that can be rapidly and conveniently positioned and retained over the surface of a display screen and can be quickly and conveniently removed when desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a display screen overlay holder is provided for holding a sheet in overlying relationship with a display screen. The screen overlay holder includes a rectangular frame defined by a pair of spaced, opposed, parallel longitudinal frame members and a pair of spaced, opposed, parallel lateral frame members, wherein the lateral frame members are disposed so that their longitudinal axes are perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the longitudinal frame members. Each of the lateral frame members have angular ends that abut complementary angular ends of the longitudinal frame members when they are assembled by joining them together, to define an overlay holder frame that is bounded by the longitudinal and lateral frame members and that has 90° corners. Each of the frame members includes openings at each angular end thereof. 
     A corner connection member is provided at each 90° corner of the rectangular frame, each corner connection member having first and second perpendicularly disposed legs that extend into the respective end openings provided at each angular outer end of the longitudinal frame members and of the lateral frame members. The corner connection members each have first and second legs that are frictionally received in respective openings in ends of the longitudinal frame members and in ends of adjacent lateral frame members. 
     The display screen overlay holder includes a plurality of frame mounting is members for supporting the frame in overlying relationship with the display screen. The frame mounting members are carried on an uppermost longitudinal frame member when the frame is in overlying position relative to a display screen, and each frame mounting member includes an extension arm that extends outwardly in a rearward direction of the rectangular frame, relative to a plane defined by the overlay sheet, for resting on an upper surface of a housing that includes the display screen. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure, operation, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a desktop computer including a display screen having an overlying sheet and overlay holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the frame shown in  FIG. 1  including mounting members that support the frame over the display screen; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one form of corner connector for connecting adjacent frame member components perpendicular to adjacent frame members; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another form of corner connector; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a longitudinal frame member taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a frame mounting member for engaging a longitudinal frame member to facilitate positioning and holding the assembled rectangular frame in overlying position relative to the display screen; and 
         FIG. 7  is a fragmentary perspective cross-sectional view of a longitudinal frame member with an attached frame-mounting member. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially to  FIG. 1  thereof, reference numeral  10  generally designates a desktop computer keyboard and accompanying display unit that includes a display screen  12 . Although described herein in the context of its use in connection with a desktop computer, the present invention is also applicable to other types of display screens, including a CRT, a LCD, an LED, and the like screens that are associated with and are parts of laptop and other portable computers, television receivers, DVD players, and the like devices that also include display screens. 
     A flat panel  14  in sheet form overlies display screen  12  and is held within a rectangular frame  16  that substantially coincides in overall size with that of the user-facing surface of the housing in which display screen  12  is carried. Frame  16  is defined by a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending, linear frame members  18 , and a pair of spaced, parallel, laterally extending, linear frame members  20 . Frame members  18  and  20  are connected together at their respective ends and are disposed in perpendicular relationship to define a rectangular frame that includes and carries panel  14 , which overlies the viewing surface of display screen  12 . Panel  14  can be a glare filter, a non-reflective transparent panel, an ultraviolet-light-blocking panel, a privacy panel that limits viewing angles at which the content displayed on display screen  12  can be visually accessed, or another type of functional transparent panel to improve the viewing experience of persons viewing display screen  12 . Frame members  18 ,  20  can be extrusions of polymeric material, such as unplasticized rigid polyvinylchloride (rigid PVC), polystyrene, or similar rigid or semi-rigid materials. 
       FIG. 2  shows a front view of frame  16 , in which the longitudinal frame members  18  and the lateral frame members  20  are connected in abutting relationship at their respective outer ends to form rectangular frame  16 . The ends of frame members  18 ,  20  are each angularly biased in complementary relationship, so that the ends of adjacent angularly disposed frame members can tightly abut each other without a significant clearance therebetween. The angular bias can be a 45° angle, or it can be other angles, such as 30° on one frame member end and 60° at the contacting frame member end, or any other different angles so long as the two angles at the contacting ends of the respective frame members are complementary angles that together total 90°. Also carried by frame  16  are a plurality of frame mounting members  22 , two of which are shown in  FIG. 2 . Frame mounting members  22  each engage with the upper longitudinal frame member  18 , and they also rest on an upper surface of the housing in which display screen  12  is positioned, to support frame  16  in overlying position relative to the viewing surface of display screen  12 . 
     The abutting frame members  18 ,  20  at the corners of frame  16  are securely held together by corner connection members  24  that are received in each abutting end of the respective frame members. One form of connection members  24  is shown in  FIG. 3 . Corner connection members  24  can be of planar form, or they can be of rounded form in cross section, and they include first  26  and second  28  perpendicularly arranged arms. Each of arms  26 ,  28  includes a plurality of laterally-outwardly-extending gripping edges  30  that extend outwardly beyond the outer longitudinal edges of each of the respective arms and that include sharply pointed outer ends. Gripping edges  30  can be angular, outwardly diverging elements, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Each of arms  26 ,  28  can include one or a plurality of gripping edges  30  on each longitudinally extending edge of the arm. 
     As an alternative to the connection member structure shown in  FIG. 3 , the connection members can take the form shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown, an alternative form of connection member  32  includes respective perpendicularly arranged arms  34 ,  36 , each arm having respective linear inner edges  38  and linear outer edges  40  that are parallel to each other, at least one of which outer edges of each of arms  34 ,  36  includes an outwardly-extending projection  41 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a connection member embodiment in which each of arms  34  and  36  includes a single outward projection  41  at each inner edge  38  and each outer edge  40   
     Each of connection members  24  and  32  is configured to be tightly received in correspondingly shaped openings that are present at respective outer longitudinal ends of each of the adjacent frame members  18 ,  20 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view taken through a typical frame member. Frame member  18  includes a first inner channel that can be of rectangular form and that terminates in a rectangular end opening  42  at each outer longitudinal end of the frame member. Rectangular openings  42  at the outer ends of the frame members each have a front-to-back width and a top-to-bottom depth that are substantially equal to the corresponding cross-sectional width and thickness of an arm  26 ,  28  of corner connection member  24 . The corner connection member arms  26 ,  28  are pressed into the rectangular openings at the ends of the frame members  18 ,  20 , so that the outwardly-extending gripping edges  30  provide an interference fit within the first inner channel inward of openings  42  of each of the frame members to be joined, to connect the respective frame members together at corners of the frame in perpendicular relationship, and, by virtue of the interference fit of the corner connection members  24  within the respective end openings  42 , to securely hold the connected ends of frame members  18 ,  20  together to prevent undesired separation. To maintain a secure connection between connection members  24  and frame members  18 ,  20 , the connection members are formed from a material, such as metal, that has a hardness that is greater than the hardness of the frame member material, so that gripping edges  30  dig into and engage the surfaces inside of end openings  42  to securely and substantially-non-removably engage corner connection members  24  with the respective frame members  18 ,  20 . The width dimension between the outermost gripping edges  30  on each longitudinal edge of arms  26 ,  28 , is preferably larger than the top-to-bottom dimension of rectangular openings  42 , as viewed in  FIG. 5 , to provide the desired interference fit between corner connection members  24  and frame members  18  and  20  that are to be connected together. In that regard, connection members  24  can be made from metal, and frame members  18 ,  20  can be made from a softer, polymeric material, so that the connection members can be inserted into rectangular end openings  42  with the desired interference fit, wherein a degree of deflection of the upper and lower surfaces at rectangular end openings  42  takes place to provide the desired secure connection between the connection members and the frame members. 
     Frame connection members  32  shown in  FIG. 4  are structurally similar to frame connection members  24  shown in  FIG. 3 . The principal difference between those connection member embodiments resides in the form of the outwardly extending enlargements, or projections, that extend along the longitudinal outer edges of the respective arms of the connection members. Instead of the pointed outer ends of griping edges  30  on connection member  24 , the  FIG. 4  connection member embodiment includes on each of the longitudinal edges of its arms  34 ,  36  outwardly-extending projections or tabs that have their outermost edge surfaces substantially parallel to each other and spaced laterally from each other at a slightly greater distance than the top-to-bottom dimension of rectangular openings  42 , again in order to provide an interference fit between connection members  32  and the end openings  42  of frame members  18 ,  20 . 
       FIG. 5  also shows a second longitudinal inner channel  44 , of substantially triangular cross-sectional form. Inner channel  44  extends longitudinally within each of the frame members  18 ,  20  adjacent to the first inner channel that terminates at end openings  42 , and is disposed at inwardly facing edges of the frame members when they are assembled to form a rectangular frame. Second inner channel  44  includes a linearly extending rectangular opening  48  that extends along the entire lengths of frame members  18 ,  20  and faces in an inward direction of the frame members when they are assembled to form a completed frame  16 . Opening  48  has a width that is slightly smaller than the thickness of overlying panel  14 , in order to receive and to securely grip and hold the panel within opening  48 . Within second inner channel  44  and inwardly of opening  48  is a longitudinally extending stop wall  50  that provides a stop surface  52 , against which an outer edge  54  of panel  14  within second inner channel  44  can be in abutting relationship when the panel is inserted into second inner channel  44 . In that regard, an outer wall  56  of second inner channel  44  can deflect outwardly during assembly of a panel  14  into frame members  18 ,  20 , to facilitate insertion of the panel through opening  48  and into second inner channel  44 . 
     At an outer surface region opposite to opening  48  of each of frame members  18 ,  20 , a pair of oppositely facing, longitudinally extending grooves  58 ,  60  are provided that are coaxial with each other. Longitudinal grooves  58 ,  60  have respective oppositely-outwardly-facing openings with a top-to-bottom spacing, as seen in  FIG. 5 , which is defined by the distance between an inwardly facing surface of top wall  62  that is spaced from first inner channel  42 , and an inner wall that defines a transversely extending end of first inner channel  42 . Grooves  58 ,  60  serve to receive a frame mounting member  22  having the form shown in  FIG. 6 , to engage the uppermost edge of the upper longitudinal frame member  18  as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  7 . Frame mounting member  22  includes an arched end region  64 , the inner arched surface of which includes an inwardly facing ridge  66  on one side, and the opposite side of which includes an inwardly facing groove  68 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , ridge  66  of frame mounting member  22  engages the outer groove  58  in longitudinal member  18 , and groove  68  of frame mounting member  22  engages an inner edge of wall  62 . Extending from arched region  64  in a direction opposite to groove  68  in frame mounting member  22  is an extension arm  70  on the downwardly-facing surface  72  of which are provided a series of undulations that define a plurality of ridges  74  and intervening grooves  76 . 
     When frame  16  is in assembled form, at least two frame-mounting members  22  are connected in spaced relationship along the upper longitudinal frame member  18  that serves as the upper longitudinal member of the assembled frame. Frame  16  with an inner panel  14  can then be placed to overlie a display screen  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Extension arms  70  of frame mounting members  22  each rest against the upper longitudinal edge of the display screen housing. Ridges  74  and grooves  76  on frame mounting members  22  serve to engage the upper edge surface of the display screen housing, regardless of the form of that upper surface, and to hold the frame over the display screen. The lower longitudinal frame member  18  can rest against the lower longitudinal wall of the housing surrounding display screen  12 . 
     Frame mounting members  22  can be formed by extrusion of a relatively rigid material, such a rigid PVC, which can then be cut to provide a frame-mounting member having the desired width, such as about ½ in. The ridged  74  and grooved  76  portions on the underside of extension arm  70  are preferably formed from a softer, more flexible material, such as plasticized PVC, which can be coextruded with the rigid PVC to provide a bonded connection therebetween. The softer nature of the material from which the plasticized PVC ridges and grooves are formed on the underside of extension arm  70  allow a frictional engagement of the outer end surfaces of ridges  74  with a flat surface of the display screen housing upper border. If that upper border includes one or more longitudinally extending projections, one or more grooves  76  can receive such projections to hold assembled frame  16  and restrain it from outward slippage away from the upper border of the display screen housing. 
     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended to encompass within the appended claims all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.