Patent Publication Number: US-2010108856-A1

Title: Height adjustment apparatus for projector

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to projectors and, particularly, to a height adjustment apparatus used for a projector. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     In general, projectors may require height adjustment for proper display. One form of adjustment in use is a hanging fixture suspending the projector from the ceiling. This fixture is inconvenient for height adjustment. In another common solution, projectors are placed on a table and are accordingly height-adjusted by way of one or more threaded posts adjustably extending downward from the underside of the projector. This is also an inconvenient operation and the height of the projector cannot be adjusted quickly. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a height adjustment apparatus for a projector which can provide a convenient way of adjusting the height of a projector or other applicable devices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present height adjustment apparatus for projector can be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present height adjustment apparatus for projector. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a projector according to a first exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial, isometric, and exploded view of a height adjustment apparatus of the projector of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric, assembled view of the height adjustment apparatus of FIG  2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric, assembled view of the height adjustment apparatus of  FIG. 2 , viewed from another perspective different from  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the height adjustment apparatus of  FIG. 2 , showing the height adjustment apparatus in use. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a projector according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a projector according to a third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a projector  1  according to a first exemplary embodiment includes a casing  10  and a height adjustment apparatus  20  engaged with the casing  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the casing  10  includes a front wall  11  and a bottom wall  12  substantially perpendicular to the front wall  11 . The front wall  11  defines a sliding slot  111  extending along a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall  12 . The sliding slot  111  has an opening  111   a  and a bottom wall  111   b,  the width of the opening  111   a  is smaller than the width of the bottom wall  111   b.  In the present embodiment, the cross-section of the sliding slot  111  is substantially T-shaped. The front wall  11  also defines an opening  112  adjacent to the bottom wall  12  and extending through the bottom wall  111   b  of the sliding slot  111 . The bottom wall  12  defines a screw receiving portion  12   a  formed on a portion adjacent to the opening  112  of the front wall  11 . 
     The height adjustment apparatus  20  includes a lifting member  100  engaged with the sliding slot  111  of the front wall  11 , and an engaging member  200  engaged with the opening  112  of the front wall  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , in the present embodiment, the lifting member  100  is of substantially L-shaped configuration. The lifting member  100  includes a base  110  substantially parallel to the bottom wall  12  and a lifting portion  120  substantially perpendicular to the base  110 . When the lifting member  100  is assembled to the casing  10 , the base  110  and the bottom wall  12  are located at a same side of the lifting portion  120 . The base  110  is configured for supporting the lifting portion  120 . In the other embodiments, the base  110  can be omitted. 
     The lifting portion  120  can slide along the sliding slot  111  on the front wall  11 . The shape of the lifting portion  120  is similar to that of the sliding slot  111 . The size of the lifting portion  120  is substantially equal to that of the sliding slot  111 . The lifting portion  120  includes a first surface  121  facing the front wall  11  and a second surface  122  opposite to the first surface  121 . The lifting portion  120  includes two opposite sidewalls  123  extending from two opposite ends of the first surface  121  and substantially perpendicular to the base  110 . Each sidewall  123  includes a toothed inner surface  123   a  including notches  123   b  for engaging with the engaging member  200 . The notches  123   b  are substantially parallel to the bottom wall  12 . The lifting portion  120  also includes an operation portion  122   a  formed on the second surface  122  for moving the lifting portion  120  relative to the sliding slot  111  of the front wall  11  by a force applied on the operation portion  122   a.  The operation portion  122   a  can be a protrusion, or a skid-resisting area. In the present embodiment, the operation portion  122   a  is a protrusion with a skid-resisting structure on the surface thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the engaging member  200  is received in the opening  112  of the front wall  11  and secured on an inner surface of the bottom wall  12 . The engaging member  200  includes a main body  220 , and two deformable arms  210 . 
     In the present embodiment, the main body  220  includes a sidewall  221  substantially parallel to the front wall  11  of the casing  10 , and a top wall  222  substantially perpendicular to the sidewall  221  and parallel to the bottom wall  12  of the casing  10 . The top wall  222  defines a through hole  222   a  corresponding to the screw receiving portion  12   a  of the bottom wall  12 . The main body  220  is secured on the bottom wall  12  by extending a screw  230  through the through hole  222   a  into the screw receiving portion  12   a.    
     The two deformable arms  210  extend from two opposite ends of the sidewall  221  of the main body  220  towards the front wall  11 . Each deformable arm  210  includes an engaging portion  211  formed on the outer surface thereof to engage with the notches  123   b  of the toothed inner surface  123   a.  The two deformable arms  210  extend into the sliding slot  111  through the opening  112  to engage with the toothed inner surfaces  123   a  of the sidewalls  123 . In the present embodiment, the distance between the two deformable arms  210  is less than the distance between the two sidewalls  123  of the lifting portion  120 . Each engaging portion  211  is formed on the outer surface of the corresponding deformable arm  210  facing corresponding sidewall  123  of the lifting portion  120 . The deformable arms  210  can be made of elastic material, such as metal, plastic and so on. 
     The height adjustment apparatus  20  can be easily assembled on the projector  1 . The process of assembling the height adjustment apparatus  20  on the projector  1  mainly includes three steps. Firstly, securing the engaging member  200  onto the bottom wall  12  via inserting the two deformable arms  210  through the opening  112  and into the sliding slot  111 . Secondly, inserting the lifting portion  120  of the lifting member  100  into the sliding slot  111 . At last, inserting the screw  230  through the through hole  222   a  and into the screw receiving portion  12   a.  Thus, the assembly of the height adjustment apparatus  20  and the casing  10  is obtained. 
     Further referring to  FIG. 5 , the lifting portion  120  of the lifting member  100  is pushed to slide a distance along the sliding slot  111  of the front wall  11  towards the bottom wall  12  until the engaging portion  211  engages with the corresponding notch  123   b  of the toothed inner surface  123   a.  Thus the height of the projector  1  is increased. Contrarily, when the lifting portion  120  of the lifting member  100  is pushed to slide along the sliding slot  111  of the front wall  11  away from the bottom wall  12  until the engaging portion  211  again engage with the corresponding notch  123   b  of the toothed inner surface  123   a,  the height of the projector  1  is decreased. In order that the lifting member  100  can support the projector  1 , the force capable of deforming the deformable arms  210  to separate the engaging portion  211  and the notches  123   b  should be greater than the force exerted by the weight of the projector  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a projector  2  according to a second exemplary embodiment is shown. The projector  2  is similar to the projector  1  of the first exemplary embodiment. The difference between the projector  2  and the projector  1  is that, the screw receiving portion  12   a  is omitted, and the main body  220  of the engaging member  200  is fixed to the front wall  11 . In the projector  2 , the main body  220  further includes a securing portion  223  extending from an end of the top wall  222  along a direction parallel to the front wall  11 . A through hole (not labeled) is formed on the securing portion  223 , while the front wall  11  also defines a hole corresponding to the through hole of the securing portion  223 , thereby the engaging member  200  is fixed to the front wall  11  by inserting screws through the through hole and into the hole of the front wall  11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a projector  3  according to a third exemplary embodiment is shown. The projector  3  is similar to the projector  1  of the first exemplary embodiment. The difference between the projector  3  and the projector  1  is that the distance between two deformable arms  210  is greater than the distance between the two sidewalls  123  of the lifting portion  120 . Each sidewall  123  has a toothed outer surface  123   a ′, while each deformable arm  210  has an engaging portion  211 ′ on the inner surface thereof for engaging with the toothed outer surface  123   a ′ of the sidewall  123 . 
     While certain embodiments have been described and exemplified above, various other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described and exemplified, and the embodiments are capable of considerable variation and modification without departure from the scope of the appended claims.