Patent Publication Number: US-2011069435-A1

Title: Display device holding structure

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a display device holding structure for allowing a display panel such as a display disposed on the ceiling of an automobile to be adjusted to a position where a viewer can comfortably see, and then allowing the display panel to be locked and held at a housed state that is closed to a position along the ceiling. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     For a conventional display device holding structure, it is configured to have an initial-position releasing means for releasing the state of an initial position state where one surface of an inner body is exposed with the inner body disposed inside an outer body to urge the inner body in a direction away from the outer body (see, e.g., Patent Document 1). 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     Patent Document 1: JP-A-2007-303843 
     The conventional display device holding structure is arranged as discussed above, and the technique disclosed by Patent Document 1 makes no reference to the improvement of quake-proof performance of a display device. For this reason, there is a problem such that variations between components thereof can be large, thus causing the operating force in the transition from one holding position to another and the quake-proof performance to vary greatly between the structures. 
     The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a display device holding structure of which the quake-proof performance is enhanced, and which can hold a display device in a stable condition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is provided a display device holding structure arranged in a display device main body that includes: a holding member for housing and holding a display unit; a lid member that is superposed on the holding member to be united to thus form a display device; a support means provided between one-end side of the display device and the main body such that the display device can be closed, opened, and reversed relative to the main body; a lock concavity, provided on the other-end side of the display device, for locking the other-end side to the main body; and a lock member provided in the main body to be engageable/disengageable with the lock concavity, wherein the lock concavity is provided in either of the holding member and the lid member. 
     According to the present invention, the lock concavity is provided in either of the holding member and the lid member which is superposed on the holding member and unites with the member. Thus, there can be provided a display device holding structure in which variations between components can be restricted, of which the quake-proof performance is enhanced, and which can hold a display device in a stable condition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a lid member and a holding member constituting a display device. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a display device main body. 
         FIG. 3  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
         FIG. 4  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view showing a display unit and a holder in a disassembled state. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the holding member. 
         FIG. 7  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
         FIG. 8  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view explaining an example where display devices are provided in an automobile interior. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view explaining an example where display devices are provided in an automobile interior. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view explaining an example where display devices are provided in an automobile interior. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing a state where the display device is housed in the display device main body. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view showing a state where the display device is opened downwardly from the display device main body. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing a state where the display device is on the way to be reversed with the display device opened downwardly from the display device main body. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing a state where the display device is reversed from the state shown in  FIG. 13  with the display device opened downwardly from the display device main body. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view showing a state where the display device is housed in the display device main body with the display device reversed with respect to the state shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 17  is a sectional view of a display device main body. 
         FIG. 18  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
         FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of a lid member and a holding member constituting the display device. 
         FIG. 20  is a partially enlarged view of the display device main body. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to explain the present invention in more detail. 
     First Embodiment 
     First, in order to clarify the present invention, a conventional display device holding structure in connection with the invention will be discussed. Within a motor vehicle  1  in  FIG. 9 , a forward-facing rear seat  3  and a forward-facing rear seat  4  are disposed behind a driver&#39;s seat  2  and behind the rear seat  3 , respectively. A display device main body  500 A is disposed slightly forward of the rear seat  3  on the ceiling of the vehicle interior. A display device  600 A is housed in the display device main body  500 A with the display device closed to the display device main body  500 A in position  1  where an image surface  700 A is faced upward. 
     A display device main body  500 B having the same specification as that of the display device main body  500 A is disposed slightly forward of the rear seat  4 . A display device  600 B is closed to the display device main body  500 B to be housed therein in position  1  where an image surface  700 B is faced upward. 
     A person sitting on the rear seat  3 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , will confront the image surface  700 A of the display device  600 A and can view display information as shown by the dashed line arrow, by rotating the display device  600 A housed in the display device main body  500 A with a pivot  800 A as a fulcrum that is located on the forward side of the vehicle  1  in the display device main body  500 A, and that is disposed substantially horizontally and further in a direction orthogonal to the travelling direction, such that the free-end side of the display device is opened simply downwardly from position  1 . 
     Similarly, a person sitting on the rear seat  4  also can confront the image surface  700 B of the display device  600 B to view display information as shown by the dashed line arrow, by rotating the display device  600 B housed in the display device main body  500 B with a pivot  800 B as a fulcrum that is located on the forward side in the travelling direction of the vehicle  1  in the display device main body  500 B and that is disposed substantially horizontally and further in a direction orthogonal to the travelling direction, such that the free-end side of the display device is opened directly downwardly from position  1 . 
     Here, the rear seat  3  is a rotary seat changeable in orientation from the forward-facing orientation to the rearward-facing one, and as shown in  FIG. 11 , the person in the rear seat  3  can sit facing the person in the rear seat  4  by rotating the rear seat  3  so as to face rearward. In a condition where the persons can face each other with the rear seat  3  faced rearward, the person in the rear seat  4  can continue to confront and view the image surface  700 A of the display device  600 A as shown in  FIG. 10 . However, the person in the rear seat  3  rotated rearward confronts the backside of the image surface  700 B and cannot view the image surface when the position shown in  FIG. 10  is maintained; in order to enable such a view, the display device  600 B has to be reversed. 
     The display device main body  500 B ( 500 A) includes a mechanism for reversing the display device  600 B ( 600 A). As shown in  FIG. 12-FIG .  16 , the reversing mechanism is composed almost exclusively of another pivot  900  provided in a manner to be orthogonal to the pivot  800 B, adjacent to thereto. It becomes possible for the person in the rear seat  3  to confront and view the image surface  700 B as shown in  FIG. 11  by rotating the display device  600 B with the reversing mechanism. 
     When the display devices are housed in the respective display device main bodies after completion of the view, the display device  600 A is housed in the display device main body  500 A in position  1  where the image surface  700 A is faced upward, due to an operation which pushes up the other-end side (the rear free-end side) of the display device  600 A from the working state shown in  FIG. 11  as it stands and also a closing operation which rotates the device with the pivot  800 A as the fulcrum. The series of operations are shown by the flow of the operations that starts from the closed state shown in  FIG. 12 , and returns to the closed state shown in  FIG. 12  through the view use in the opened state in  FIG. 13 . 
     By contrast, the reversing operations are added thereto with respect to the operations of the display device  600 B, as discussed above. Thus, if the operation that pushes up the other-end side (the rear free-end side) of the display device  600 B from the state in service shown in  FIG. 11  as it stands, and also the closing operation that rotates the display device with the pivot  800 B as the fulcrum are carried out, the display device will be housed in the display device main body  500 B in position  2  where the image surface  700 B is faced downward. This operation process can be represented as the following procedure: an opening operation is performed from the closed state in  FIG. 12  to arrive at an opened state in  FIG. 13 ; and further a rotating (reversing) operation in  FIG. 14  is performed to arrive at a housed state in  FIG. 16  by way of a view use in a reversed state shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     In the case where a user of the display device  600 B uses the display device in the reversed state (see  FIG. 15 ) as shown in an example of  FIG. 11 , when the display device is housed in the display device main body  500 B, the user does not take the trouble to return the position of the display device such that the device is housed in position  1 , and the user usually pushes up the other-end side of the display device staying in the used condition to be housed in the display device main body, to thus be housed in position  2 . When the display device is used in the reversed state, the display device is often housed in position  2 ; thus, two manners of position  1  and position  2  can be present mixedly in the housing ones of the display device. 
     When there is no need of a view for the display device  600 A ( 600 B), the device is housed in the display device main body  500 A ( 500 B) in the closed state to be locked and held. It should be noted that the display device main bodies  500 A,  500 B have the same configuration with each other, and that the display devices  600 A,  600 B serving as constituent members therefore are also in the same relation. Thus, the display device main body and the display device will be hereinafter discussed by removing the subscripts A and B of the reference numerals to avoid the complexity.  FIG. 17  shows the state where the display device  600  is locked and held in the closed state in the manner of position  2 , and in  FIG. 17 , the display device and the peripheral members are surrounded with the frame of the dashed-two dotted line.  FIG. 18  and  FIG. 20  show in an enlarged dimension the portions surrounded by the frame. 
     In  FIG. 17 ,  FIG. 18 , and  FIG. 19 , a holding member  300  has a shallow and rectangular shape, can house a display unit  400 , and an opening  350  for exposing an image surface is formed at the bottom thereof. A chassis  160  serving as a holder to which the display unit  400  is attached is fixed at the holding member  300 . A lid member  200  also has the substantially same shape as the holding member  300 , and constitutes the display device  600  together with the holding member  300  housing and holding the display unit  400  by being placed in a superposed relation with the holding member such that the mating faces thereof on the opened side mate with each other, to unite with the holding member. In  FIG. 19 , the lid member  200  is superposed on the holding member  300  in a reversed way (as shown by an arrow from an aspect shown in the figure), and both the members are held in a united state by a suitable fixing holding means. The display device  600  thus constructed is pivoted to a connection member  100  by a pivot  900  on one-end side thereof (on the side of a forward direction). The connection member  100  is pivoted to the display device main body  500  by a pivot  800 . 
     The pivot  800  has its axis substantially in a horizontal plane and is orthogonal to the forward direction. The pivot  900  is placed in a relation where its axis is orthogonal to the axis of the pivot  800 . These pivot  800 , connection member  100 , and pivot  900  are shown as one example of support means for supporting the display device  600  openably and closably to the display device main body  500  on the one-end side thereof and further reversibly (rotatably) supporting the whole display device  600 . 
     A lock concavity  250  for locking the display device to the display device main body  500  is provided on the other-end side of the display device  600 . The lock concavity  250  is composed of a holding member side lock concavity  250 A provided at the mating face on the other-end side of the holding member  300  and a lid member side lock concavity  250 B provided at the mating face on the other-end side of the lid member  200 . 
     The lock concavity  250  allows a lock member  150  to move in and out therefrom. The lock member  150  is pivoted on the base-end side thereof to the display device main body  500  by a shaft  151 , and is urged in the direction where a tip pawl  150   a  thereof enters the lock concavity  250  by a torsion spring (not shown) working as an urging means. 
     The rotation of the lock member  150  brought about by the urging force is arranged to be restricted by a stopper (not shown) provided such that the tip pawl  150   a  stops at the position to which the tip pawl enters the lock concavity  250 . 
       FIG. 17  and  FIG. 18  show the case of position  2  where the display device is housed with the image surface faced downward. The tip pawl  150   a  goes in the lid member side lock concavity  250 B through an opening formed in a vertical wall section of a display device housing panel  550  formed on the side of the display device main body  500  to abut against an inner wall  250 B 1 , thus preventing the other-end section of the display device  600  from being lowered by the self-weight of the display device to hold the display device  600  in the closed condition. Here, in order to prevent the display device  600  from being rattled by vibrations, an elastic member  11  is attached on the other-end side of the display device  600  on the horizontal plane of the display device housing panel  550 . 
     The process where the display device  600  is locked by the lock member  150  is as follows: when the other-end side of the display device  600  is lifted with the pivot  800  as a fulcrum, an inclined face formed at the back of the tip pawl  150   a  contacts and continues riding on the other-end section of the display device  600  by the force of the urging means, and when the inclined face arrives at the lock concavity  250 , the tip pawl  150   a  goes in the lock concavity  250 . Under such a condition, the elastic member  11  exists in a compressed state where the elastic member is placed tightly between the display device  600  (lid member  200 ) and the horizontal plane section of the display device housing panel  550 . Here, when the force of lifting the display device is released, the other-end side of the display device  600  is lowered by the elastic force of the elastic member  11  and the self-weight of the display device  600 , and the tip pawl  150   a  tightly contacts the inner wall  250 B 1  of the lid member side lock concavity  250 B to cause the display device to enter a locked state. Even if the other-end side of the display device  600  is swung by external vibrations, it is intended that the interference function of the elastic member  11  prevents the display device from being rattled. 
     When releasing the locking engagement by the lock member  150 , a force against the urging force of the torsion spring (not shown) is applied to the lock member  150  to rotate the lock member, and the tip pawl  150   a  is thereby detached from the lock concavity  250 . 
     As discussed above, the housing manners of the display device  600  can be mixed by two manners of position  1  and position  2 .  FIG. 20  shows the case of position  1  in the housing manner where the display device  600  is housed with the image surface disposed upward. The tip pawl  150   a  goes in the holding member side lock concavity  250 A through an opening  550   a  formed in a vertical wall section of the display device housing panel  550  formed on the side of the display device main body  500  to abut against an inner wall  250 A 1 , thus preventing the other-end section of the display device  600  from being lowered by its self-weight to hold the display device  600  in the closed condition. It is intended that placing the elastic member  11  in a compression state exhibits the vibration prevention function thereof. 
     As seen from the above, the lock member  150  abuts against the inner wall  250 B 1  in position  2 , and abuts against the inner wall  250 A 1  in position  1 . The inner wall  250 B 1  is formed on the lid member  200 , the inner wall  250 A 1  is formed on the holding member  300 , and the lid member  200  and the holding member  300  are two members independent from each other, although they are fitted together and unitized. Thus, variations can arise easily in the condition where the two members are fitted with each other. The variations can make a difference between the degree of abutment of the lock member  150  against the inner wall  250 A 1  in position  1  and the degree of abutment of the lock member  150  against the inner wall  250 B 1  in position  2 , which may also cause variations in the quake-proof performance; this is a problem. 
     Further, out of the members constituting the display device  600 , when the weights between the lid member  200  and the holding member  300  are compared, there is a difference in weight between the both. For example, the holding member  300  holding the display unit  400  is heavier than the lid member  200 . As shown in  FIG. 17  and  FIG. 18 , in the manner where the lock member  150  locks the light lid member  200  in position  2 , the heavy holding member  300  is held by the lid member  200 , thus putting a heavy load on the fixing holding means that holds the lid member  200  and the holding member  300  in a unitized state. 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of a display device holding structure according to the present invention will be described. The present invention involves an improvement in the display device holding structure discussed by referring to  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 20 . In the following explanation, out of the constituent parts constituting the display device holding structure discussed in FIG.  9  to  FIG. 20 , the common constituent parts are designated by reference numerals similar to those shown in  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 20 , and these explanations will be omitted. 
     In the past, the holding member  300  and the lid member  200  each have provided thereon a lock concavity to be locked by the lock member  150 . More specifically, the holding member  300  is provided with the holding member side lock concavity  250 A, the lid member  200  is provided with the lid member side lock concavity  250 B, respectively, and those holding member side lock concavity  250 A and lid member side lock concavity  250 B are placed in a superposed relation to each other and unitized to constitute the lock concavity  250 . 
     In contrast, in the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , only a holding member  30  corresponding to the conventional holding member  300  is provided with a lock concavity  25 , while a lid member  20  corresponding to the conventional lid member  200  is provided without any lock concavity. In  FIG. 2 , the display device and the peripheral members are surrounded with the frame of the dashed-two dotted line, and  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show in an enlarged dimension the surrounded portions thereof. 
     In such a way, when the lock concavity  25  is provided on either of the lid member  20  and the holding member  30 , only on the holding member  30  in this example, even if the fitting condition thereof varies because of variations in the accuracy of the two members, the lid member  20  and the holding member  30 , the lock concavity  25  is locked by the lock member  150  without suffering an effect of the variations. Further, the degree of abutment of the lock member  150  against the lock concavity  25  in position  1  and position  2  does not suffer the effect of the variations, which has no adverse effect on the vibration absorbing performance from the elastic member  11 ; thus, there is an advantage such that variations in quake-proof performance can be reduced. 
     Furthermore, when a heavier member, namely the holding member  30  in the embodiment is provided with the lock concavity  25  by way of example, in any of the case where the housing manner of the display device  6  composed of a lid member  20 , a holding member  30 , and a display unit  400  is position  2  where the display device is housed therein with the image surface disposed downward (see  FIG. 3 ) and the case where the housing manner of the display device  6  is position  1  where the display device is housed with the surface disposed upward (see  FIG. 4 ), the lock member  150  will lock the member, which is a heavier one, to hold the member. Particularly, in position  2  where the holding member  30 , which is heavier, is placed below the lid member  20  (see  FIG. 3 ), the display device holding structure takes a manner where the lid member  20  is placed on the holding member  30 , and thus a heavy load is not imposed on the fixing holding means holding the holding member  30  and the lid member  20  in a unitized state. Thus, the lid member  20  and the holding member  30  are stabilized under the condition where both the members are held in a unitized state. 
     It should be appreciated that, when the display device  6  is housed in position  1  where the image surface is disposed upward (see  FIG. 4 ), the display device holding structure is placed in the position where the lid member  20  is disposed downward and the lid member  20  is supported by the holding member  30  through the fixing holding means; however, the lid member  20  disposed downward is light in weight, and thus the fixing holding means does not have a heavy load imposed thereon. 
     Second Embodiment 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a lock concavity  25 , from the side of a holding member  30  that is one member of either of the holding member  30  and a lid member  20  toward the side of the lid member  20  that is the other member, a convex section  7  that projects in a convex shape from a mating face of these two members is formed, while a concave section  8  to be fitted with the convex section  7  is formed in the lid member  20 . Thus, the holding member  30  that is one member of a pair of members that are united has provided thereon the convex section  7  having the lock concavity  25 , such that the convex section projects from the mating face thereof, while the lid member  20  that is the other member thereof has provided thereon the concave section  8  to be fitted with the convex section  7  in a shape buried from the mating face thereof, thus causing the one member to be supported by the lock member  150  in any of position  1  and position  2 . Moreover, the convex section  7  and the concave section  8  have a fitting relationship with each other. Thus, when the two members are united, the ability of the two members to be assembled to each other is increased by the guide function of a fit section, and also the mating section is prevented from being dislocated. 
     Third Embodiment 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 8 , a holding member  30  has fixed thereon a chassis  16  functioning as a holder to which a display unit  400  is attached. The marginal edge of the chassis  16  is partially cut and the portion of the edge is turned out to form a turned-out lug in an L-shape, and the turned-out lug  16   a  is located at the back of the convex section  7  as an auxiliary functional member, thus enabling the convex section  7  to be reinforced and protected. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     As discussed above, the display device holding structure according to the present invention is a display device holding structure arranged in a display device main body, in order to improve the earthquake resistance, and enable a display device to be stably held, and includes a holding member for housing and holding a display unit; a lid member that is superposed on the holding member to be united to thus form a display device; a support means that is provided between one-end side of the display device and the main body and supports the display device openably and closably, and reversibly with respect to the main body; a lock concavity provided on the other-end side of the display device, for locking the other-end side to the main body; and a lock member provided in the main body to be engageable and disengegeable with the lock concavity. The display device holding structure is further arranged such that the lock concavity is provided in either of the holding member and the lid member. Thus, the display device holding structure is suitable for use in a display device holding structure for allowing a display panel such as a display disposed on a ceiling of an automobile, e.g., to be adjusted to a position where a viewer can easily see the display, and thereafter allowing the display panel to be locked and held at a housed state where the display panel is closed alongside the ceiling.