Patent Publication Number: US-2011074557-A1

Title: Display device with illuminated input/output terminals

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device with illuminated input and output terminals. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally, the display device, such as an LCD TV or a plasma TV, not only includes a display panel but also includes input/output terminals at the rear side for transmitting signals. When in use, signal cables are connected to the input/output terminals to achieve the object of inputting and outputting signals. 
     In general, the indoor lighting apparatus is disposed in the center of the ceiling. However, the display device is usually placed at the edge or corner of the indoor space adjacent to the wall. That is, for the indoor lighting apparatus, the input/output terminals at the rear side of the display device are against the light. Hence, when the user needs to plug the transmission lines into the corresponding input/output terminals, the light at the rear side of the display device is too dim for him to clearly identify the positions and colors of the input/output terminals as well as the corresponding symbols therebeside. This causes an inconvenience for the user. Accordingly, when the user needs to plug the transmission lines, he needs to move the display device away from the wall so that the input/output terminals can obtain more light to facilitate plugging. Besides, since the size of the display device is getting larger and the thickness thereof is getting thinner, the depth of the furniture for placing the display device tends to be smaller for saving space. Therefore, the space for the display device to move is getting smaller, so that it is harder to move the display device to the position where the input/output terminals can obtain more light. 
     In order to overcome the drawbacks in the prior art, a display device with illuminated input/output terminals is provided. The particular designs in the present invention not only solve the problems described above, but also are easy to be implemented. Thus, the present invention has the utility for the industry. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a display device is provided. The display device comprises a display unit having a rear side; an input/output unit disposed at the rear side of the display unit and having a plurality of input/output terminals; a back cover disposed at the rear side of the display unit and engaged with the input/output unit; a label unit disposed on the back cover and corresponding to the plurality of input/output terminals; and a lighting unit disposed at a side of the label unit. 
     Preferably, the display unit is one selected from a group consisting of a CRT display, an LCD, an OLED display and a PDP. 
     Preferably, the lighting unit further comprises a light source disposed at the side of the label unit; and a flexible printed circuit board electrically connected to the light source. 
     Preferably, the flexible printed circuit board further comprises a wireless signal receiver receiving a signal for controlling a turn-on/turn-off of the light source. 
     Preferably, the label unit has a plurality of marking symbols corresponding to the plurality of input/output terminals. 
     Preferably, the display device further comprises a remote control having a button or a touch pad for turning on/turning off the lighting unit. 
     Preferably, the display device further comprises a button or a touch pad electrically connected to the lighting unit and controlling a turn-on/turn-off of the lighting unit. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a display device is provided. The display device comprises a display unit having a rear side; a plurality of input/output terminals disposed at the rear side of the display unit; a back cover disposed at the rear side of the display unit and having an opening for exposing the plurality of input/output terminals; a transparent plate disposed on the back cover and having a first and a second sides; a printing layer disposed at the first side of the transparent plate and having a plurality of marking symbols corresponding to the plurality of input/output terminals; and a lighting unit disposed at the second side of the transparent plate. 
     Preferably, the display unit is one selected from a group consisting of a CRT display, an LCD, an OLED display and a PDP. 
     Preferably, the lighting unit further comprises a light source disposed at the second side of the transparent plate; and a flexible printed circuit board electrically connected to the light source. 
     Preferably, the flexible printed circuit board further comprises a wireless signal receiver receiving a signal for controlling a turn-on/turn-off of the light source. 
     Preferably, the transparent plate has a recess for containing the light source. 
     Preferably, the transparent plate is a light guide. 
     Preferably, the display device further comprises a remote control having a button or a touch pad for turning on/turning off the lighting unit. 
     Preferably, the display device further comprises a button or a touch pad electrically connected to the lighting unit and controlling a turn-on/turn-off of the lighting unit. 
     The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  shows the rear side of the display device without the label unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1   b  shows the rear side of the display device with the label unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the rear side of the display unit in the present invention; 
         FIG. 3   a  shows the label unit and the lighting unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3   b  shows the label unit and the lighting unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4   a  is a circuit diagram of the lighting unit in the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4   b  is another circuit diagram of the lighting unit in the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for the purposes of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  2 .  FIG. 1   a  shows the rear side of the display device without the label unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 1   b  shows the rear side of the display device with the label unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  shows the rear side of the display unit in the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b  and  2 , the display device of the present invention includes a display unit  1 , an input/output unit  2 , a back cover  3 , a label unit  4  and a lighting unit (not shown). The input/output unit  2  is disposed at the rear side of the display unit  1  and includes a plurality of input/output terminals  21 . The back cover  3  is disposed at the rear side of the display unit  1  and engaged with the input/output unit  2 . The label unit  4  is disposed on the back cover  3  and corresponding to the input/output terminals  21  of the input/output unit  2 . The lighting unit is disposed at a side of the label unit  4  and irradiates light for lighting up the label unit  4 . Accordingly, when the environment is dark, the lighting unit can irradiate light to light up the label unit  4 . A plurality of marking symbols  411  on the label unit  4  are corresponding to the plurality of input/output terminals  21  of the input/output unit  2 , so that the user can clearly identify the respective positions of the input/output terminals  21 . 
     The display unit  1  is used for displaying images, which can be a CRT display, an LCD, an OLED display or a PDP, but is not limited thereto. The back cover  3  is engaged with the input/output unit  2 , and has an opening  8  for exposing the input/output terminals  21 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b .  FIG. 3   a  shows the label unit and the lighting unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3   b  shows the label unit and the lighting unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The label unit  4  further includes a transparent plate  42  disposed on the label unit  4  of the back cover  3 , and a printing layer  41  disposed at a side of the transparent plate  42  and having the plurality of marking symbols  411  for being corresponding to the plurality of input/output terminals  21 . The transparent plate  42  can be a light guide plate for providing uniform light to the label unit  4 . The lighting unit  5  further includes a light source  51  disposed at a side of the label unit  4 , and a flexible circuit board  52  electrically connected to the light source  51 . The light source  51  can be an ordinary light bulb, an LED lamp, a halogen lamp, etc., but is not limited thereto. The transparent plate  42  further includes a recess  421  for containing the light source  51 . The recess  421  can be disposed at a lower side or a lateral side of the transparent plate  42 . When the lighting unit  5  is disposed at the lower side of the transparent plate  42 , the recess  421  can contain the light source  51 , as shown in  FIG. 3   a . When the lighting unit  5  is disposed at the lateral side of the transparent plate  42 , the recess  421  can contain the light source  51 , as shown in  FIG. 3   b . Besides, when the lighting unit  5  is disposed at the lateral side of the transparent plate  42 , a containing space (not shown) can be disposed on the flexible circuit board  52  for containing the light source  51 , instead of disposing the recess  421  on the transparent plate  42 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4   a , which is a circuit diagram of the lighting unit in the present invention. The flexible circuit board  52  includes a microprocessor  522 , a wireless signal receiver  523  and an LED signal terminal  521 . The wireless signal receiver  523  is electrically connected to the microprocessor  522  and receives the signal for controlling the turn-on/turn-off of the light source  51 . When the wireless signal receiver  523  receives the signal sent by an external remote control  6 , the light source  51  will be turned on/turned off. When the user needs to plug cables in the input/output terminals  21 , he can press a button  61  or a touch pad (not shown) of the remote control  6  to turn on the light source  51  so as to proceed the connections between the input/output terminals  21  and the external devices. After the connections between the input/output terminals  21  and the external devices are completed, the user can press the button  61  again to turn off the light source  51 . This will save the power. If the user forgets to press the button  61  again, the light source  51  will be automatically turned off after a period of time. The period of time can be 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc., but is not limited thereto. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4   b , which is another circuit diagram of the lighting unit in the present invention. The flexible circuit board  62  includes a microprocessor  622  and an LED signal terminal  621 . The display device further includes a button  7  or a touch pad (not shown) electrically connected to the flexible circuit board  62  for controlling the turn-on/turn-off of the lighting unit  5 . When the user needs to plug cables in the input/output terminals  21 , he can press the button  7  to turn on the light source  51  so as to proceed the connections between the input/output terminals  21  and the external devices. After the connections between the input/output terminals  21  and the external devices are completed, the user can press the button  7  again to turn off the light source  51 . This will save the power. If the user forgets to press the button  7  again, the light source  51  will be automatically turned off after a period of time. The period of time can be 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc., but is not limited thereto. 
     In conclusion, the lighting unit  4  of the display device in the present invention can allow the input/output terminals  21  of the input/output unit  2  to be lit up via the label unit  4 . Even if the input/output terminals  21  are located in a dark environment, the respective positions of the input/output terminals  21  and the corresponding marking symbols  411  therebeside can be clearly identified. For the large-sized display device, the present invention is quite convenient and practical. Accordingly, the present invention can effectively solve the problems and drawbacks in the prior art, and thus it fits the demand of the industry and is industrially valuable. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.