Patent Publication Number: US-2012025037-A1

Title: Adjustable multi-screen support structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a screen support device and more particularly, to an adjustable multi-screen support structure, which comprises a mounting unit having an upright rod, a support holder vertically slidably sleeved onto the upright rod and releasably locked thereto with holding-down members, and a plurality of screen supports pivotally coupled to stepped shaft members of the support holder to hold one respective screen. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When positioning a LCD monitor or LCD TV on a flat surface, for example, the top of a table or desk, a support may be used to support the LCD monitor or LCD TV on the top of the table or desk. The support is positioned on the top of the table or desk subject to the desired view angle. 
     When wishing to adjust the view angle of the supported LCD monitor or LCD TV, the user may have to move the LCD monitor or LCD TV away from the support and then adjust the angular position of the support. There are LCD monitors and LCD TVs that allow adjustment of the view angle. A view-angle adjustable LCD monitor or LCD TV has a swivel stand mounted on the bottom side for allowing adjustment of the view angle of the screen. However, the adjustment of the view angle of a conventional view-angle adjustable LCD monitor or LCD TV is still not very convenient. The user may have to make several trials before getting the best view angle. 
     There is known an adjustable screen support that allows adjustment of the position and angle of the supported screen so that the user&#39;s eyes will not get tired soon. However, this design of adjustable screen support simply allows adjustment of the angular position of the supported screen horizontally. It does not allow adjustment of the elevation of the supported screen. There is known an adjustable screen support design that uses spring means to support pivotally connected support arms, allowing adjustment of the angle of inclination of the supported screen. This adjustable screen support design is still not satisfactory in function. When a relatively heavier screen is loaded, the spring means may be unable to accurately and positively support the pivotally connected support arms in the adjusted angle of inclination. Thus, the supported screen may be biased, or may fall from the position. When enhancing the spring force of the spring means, the cost will be relatively increased. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a screen support structure, which eliminates the aforesaid problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide an adjustable multi-screen support structure, which is practical for supporting multiple screens on an object, allowing adjustment of the elevations and view angles of the supported screens. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, an adjustable multi-screen support structure is modularized, comprising a mounting unit having an upright rod at the top side multiple screen supports, one or multiple support holders axially slidably coupled to the upright rod of the mounting unit, a plurality of holding-down members, for example, holding-down screws threaded into mounting through holes on each support holder and fastened tight to lock each support holder to the upright rod of the mounting unit, and a plurality of screen supports coupled to the support holder(s) to hold one respective screen. Each screen support has a coupling sleeve disposed at the bottom side and coupled to one stepped shaft member of one support holder, and a bracket disposed at the top side for holding a screen. By means of the coupling sleeve, each screen support can be turned about the stepped shaft member of the associating support holder to adjust the view angle of the supported screen. When loosened the holding-down members, each support holder can be moved along the upright rod of the mounting unit to adjust the elevation of the supported screen(s). 
     Each support holder further comprises a bush inserted into the tubular holder base thereof, and a friction pad inserted into the tubular holder base and stopped between the bush and the tubular holder base for stopping the periphery of the bush against the periphery of the upright rod of the mounting unit by the holding-down members. The friction pad is prepared from metal. The bush is injection-molded from plastics. Thus, a high friction force will be produced between the friction pad and the bush when fastening tight the holding-down members, enabling the support holder to be locked to the upright rod of the mounting unit positively. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a support holder for adjustable multi-screen support structure in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the support holder shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view of the support holder, showing according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of an adjustable multi-screen support structure in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing the adjustable multi-screen support structure installed a flat panel of an object. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing an alternate form of the adjustable multi-screen support structure installed a flat panel of an object. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing another alternate form of the adjustable multi-screen support structure installed a flat panel of an object. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of still another alternate form of the adjustable multi-screen support structure in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , an adjustable multi-screen support structure in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a plurality of a mounting unit  1 , a plurality of screen supports  2  and a support holder  3 . 
     The mounting unit  1  comprises a tubular mounting base  11 , an upright rod  12  vertically mounted in the top side of the tubular mounting base  11 , and a mounting device  13  located on the bottom side of the tubular mounting base  11  for fastening to an object  4  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     Each screen support  2  comprises at least one, for example, two support arms  21  pivotally connected in series, a coupling sleeve  22  located on one end, namely, the bottom end of the series of support arms  21  and a bracket  23  located on the other end, namely, the top end of the series of support arms  21  and adapted for supporting a screen  24 . 
     The support holder  3  comprises a tubular holder base  31  sleeved onto the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , a locating groove  311  located on the smoothly arched inside wall of the tubular holder base  31 , a positioning groove  312  located on the bottom side thereof and extending along the bottom edge of the tubular holder base  31 , a plurality of mounting through holes, for example, screw holes  313  transversely extending through the peripheral wall of the tubular holder base  31  and arranged at different elevations, a bush  32  inserted into the tubular holder base  31  from the bottom side and having a bottom flange  321  extending around the periphery thereof and fitted into the positioning groove  312 , a friction pad  33  set in the locating groove  311  and attached to the periphery of the bush  32 , a plurality of holding-down members  34  respectively mounted in the screw holes  313  and stopped against the friction pad  33  and rotatable inwards or outwards to force the friction pad  33  against the bush  32  and the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  or to release the pressure from the friction pad  33 , and a plurality stepped shaft members  35  fixedly connected to the periphery of the tubular holder base  31  in a parallel manner for holding the coupling sleeves  22  of the screen supports  2 . According to the present preferred embodiment, each stepped shaft member  35  comprises a cup-shaped shell  351  formed integral with the periphery of the tubular holder base  31  and adapted for supporting the coupling sleeve  22  of one screen support  2 , and a shank  352  mounted in the cup-shaped shell  351  inserted through the sleeve  22  of the associating screen support  2 . As an alternate form of the present invention, each stepped shaft member  35  can be a one piece member, i.e., the cup-shaped shell  351  and the shank  352  can be formed in integrity. 
     During installation of the present invention, insert the friction pad  33  into the locating groove  311  in the tubular holder base  31  of the support holder  3 , and then insert the bush  32  into the tubular holder base  31  to force the bottom flange  321  of the bush  32  into engagement with the positioning groove  312 , and then sleeve the bush  32  and the tubular holder base  31  of the support holder  3  onto the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . At this time, the support holder  3  can be moved along the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  to the desired elevation. Thereafter, mount the holding-down members  34  in the screw holes  313  to hold down the friction pad  33  against the bush  32  and the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , locking the bush  32  and the tubular holder base  31  of the support holder  3  to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , and then couple the coupling sleeves  22  of the screen supports  2  to the shanks  352  of the stepped shaft members  35 . 
     During application of the adjustable multi-screen support structure, as shown in  FIG. 5 , fasten the mounting device  13  of the mounting unit  1  to an object  4 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the mounting device  13  comprises a screw rod  132  axially downwardly extended from the center of the bottom wall of the tubular mounting base  11 , and a mounting plate  131  threaded onto the screw rod  132 . The mounting plate  131  has a top clamping wall  1311  that define with the bottom wall of the tubular mounting base  11  a clamping space  130 , and a bottom knob  1312  operable by the user to rotate the mounting plate  131  relative to the screw rod  132 . During installation, insert the screw rod  132  downwardly through a mounting through hole  411  on a flat panel  41  of an object  4  (for example, the tabletop of a table) to let the bottom wall of the tubular mounting base  11  be supported on the top wall of the flat panel  41 , and then thread the mounting plate  131  onto the screw rod  132  to abut the top clamping wall  1311  against the bottom wall of the flat panel  41 . Thus, the flat panel  41  is engaged in the clamping space  130 , and the mounting device  13  of the mounting unit  1  is locked to the object  4 . 
     When the user pushes the support arms  21  of one screen support  2 , the coupling sleeve  22  of the screen support  2  is turned about the shank  352  of the associating stepped shaft member  35 , and the screen  24  that is affixed to the bracket  23  of the support arms  21  of the screen support  2  is moved to the desired angle. Thus, the user can adjust the view angle of each screen  24  conveniently with less effort. 
     Further, the friction pad  33  of the support holder  3  can be prepared from aluminum, ferrite or any of a variety of other metal materials; the bush  32  can be injection-molded from plastics. When forcing the metal friction pad  33  at the plastic bush  32  against the periphery of the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , sufficient friction force will be produced between the plastic bush  32  and the upright rod  12 , thereby locking the support holder  3  to the mounting unit  1  positively. Further, the holding-down members  34  can be hexagonal tubular mounting base screws  341  that can be driven by a hexagonal wrench into the screw holes  313  to hold down the friction pad  33  against the bush  32  and the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , locking the bush  32  and the tubular holder base  31  of the support holder  3  to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . Further, any of a variety of fastening means may be used instead of the holding-down members  34  for releasably locking the tubular holder base  31  of the support holder  3  to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in an alternate form of the present invention, the mounting device  13  comprises a mounting plate  131  made in the form of a substantially L-shaped mounting shaft and fixedly connected to the bottom wall (of the tubular mounting base) of the mounting unit  1 , and a screw rod  132  made in the form of a tension clamp. The screw rod (tension clamp)  132  is threaded through the bottom wall of the mounting plate (mounting shaft)  131 , having a head  1321  located on the bottom end thereof and suspending below the mounting plate (mounting shaft)  131  and a flat block  1322  located on the top end thereof and suspending in the mounting plate (mounting shaft)  131 . The flat block  1322  of the screw rod (tension clamp)  132  defines with the bottom wall (of the tubular mounting base) of the mounting unit  1  a clamping space  130  for receiving a flat panel  41  of an object  4  (for example, the tabletop of a table). After the mounting plate (mounting shaft)  131  is attached with the mounting unit  1  a flat panel  41  of an object  4 , rotate the head  1321  of the screw rod (tension clamp)  132  relative to the mounting plate (mounting shaft)  131  to force the flat block  1322  of the screw rod (tension clamp)  132  against the bottom wall of the flat panel  41  of the object  4 , locking the mounting unit  1  to the object  4 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates another alternate form of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to that shown in  FIG. 6  with the exception of the configuration design of the tubular mounting base  11  of the mounting unit  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  again, multiple support holders  3  can be fastened to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  at different elevations to hold more number of screen supports  2  and screens  24 . By means of loosening the holding-down members  34 , the support holders  3  can be moved relative to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  to respective desired elevations. After adjustment of the elevation of each support holder  3 , the holding-down members  34  are fastened tight to lock each support holder  3  to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . After installation, the user can adjust the view angle of each screen  24  conveniently with less effort. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in still another alternate form of the present invention, the mounting device  13  comprises a mounting plate  131  fixedly connected to or formed integral with the (tubular mounting base) of the mounting unit  1 , and a plurality of fastening members, for example, screw nails  1331  respectively inserted through respective mounting through holes  133  on the mounting plate  131  and driven into a wall  42  of an object  4 . 
     As stated above, one or multiple support holders  3  can be coupled to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  and adjustably locked to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  at the desired elevation to hold multiple screen supports  2  and a screen  24  (LCD monitor or LCD TV) at each screen support  2 . By means of driving the holding-down members  34  (hexagonal tubular mounting base screws  341 ) into the screw holes  313  to hold down the friction pad  33  against the bush  32  and the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 , the support holder  3  is locked to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . When loosened the holding-down members  34  (hexagonal tubular mounting base screws  341 ), the support holder  3  can be moved axially along the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  to the desired elevation. Further, the friction pad  33  and the bush  32  can be omitted. In this case, the holding-down members  34  (hexagonal tubular mounting base screws  341 ) can be directly driven into the screw holes  313  and stopped against the periphery of the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1  to lock the support holder  3  to the upright rod  12  of the mounting unit  1 . Subject to the modularized design of the present invention, the user can adjust the number of the screen supports  2  conveniently subject to the number of screens  24  to be supported. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.