Patent Publication Number: US-8978891-B2

Title: Structure and method for packing display device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a packing structure and a packing method applied to a thin display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, and an organic EL display device, and that can exhibit a sufficient cushioning property during transport and storage. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional technique relating to a packing material for packing a thin display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, and an organic EL display device. 
     Hereinbelow, the packing material that is shown in Patent Document 1 shall be described with reference to  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 13 . First, that which is shown in  FIG. 9  is a thin display structure  50  such as a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, and an organic EL display device that is the packing target, and is a structure that has a frame  52  serving as a chassis around a display screen  51 . The frame  52  has a width of 1 cm or more around the display screen  51  in order to house the drive circuit of the display screen  51 , or to fix the display screen  51  to a rear frame  53 . 
       FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  are perspective views that show the packing material  60  for packing the thin display device  50 , being constituted from a packing box  61  shown in  FIG. 10  and a cushioning material  62  that is shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     Cardboard is normally used for the packing box  61 . Also, a foam material is normally used for the cushioning material  62 , which is arranged between the corner portions of the thin display device  50  and the packing box  61  with no gaps therebetween in order to cushion shocks during transport that are imparted to the thin display device  50 . 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
     [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2008-094413 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     When the cushioning material  62  touches the display screen  51  of the thin display device  50 , there is increased a possibility of defects occurring on the display screen  51 . This is because the display surface of the display screen  51  is formed with liquid crystal, plasma, or organic EL, so when whichever surface is pushed with a strong force from outside, the inside is damaged and a defect occurs on the screen. 
       FIG. 12  is a transverse sectional view of packaging for a conventional liquid crystal thin display device  50 . The thin display device  50  is held by the cushioning material  62 , which is shaped so as not to come into contact with the display screen  51  of the thin display device  50 . Cushioning in the vertical direction of the figure is performed by holding the back surface and the frame  52  of the thin display device  50  with the cushioning material  62 . 
     However, in the thin display device  50  until now, the frame  52  has been 1 cm or greater, and so it was possible to hold the cushioning material  62  with this portion. But in the thin display device  50  of recent years, a narrow frame  52 ′ whose width is less than 1 cm as shown in  FIG. 13  has been used. This is because this narrow frame  52 ′ with a narrow width enables easier viewing when using the display screen  51  in a multi-screen configuration. Then, when packing in the conventional manner the thin display device  50  that has this kind of narrow frame  52 ′, since the narrow frame  52 ′ does not have a sufficient surface area around the display screen  51 , the cushioning material  62  and the display screen  51  make contact due to shocks and vibration during transport, and so there has been the risk of breaking the display screen  51 . 
     The present invention has been conceived in view of the above circumstances, and provides a packing structure and a packing method for a display device that prevents the cushioning material and the display screen from making contact so as not to break the display screen, even if a narrow width frame is used that does not have a sufficient surface area around the display screen. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     In order to solve the aforementioned issues, the present invention provides the following means. That is, the present invention provides a packing structure which includes a cushioning material for protecting a display device, the cushioning material includes a recess forming member for forming a recess that contains inside an edge portion of the display device, and a handle that engages and holds the cushioning material is provided on a back surface of the display device in a state of the edge portion of the display device being contained in the recess of the cushioning material, in order to form a gap between a display screen of the display device and a recess forming piece of the cushioning material positioned in front of the display screen. 
     Also, the present invention provides a packing method that uses a cushioning material for packing a display device, and that includes forming in the cushioning material a recess for containing inside an edge portion of the display device using a recess forming member, and further providing on a back surface of the display device a handle that engages and holds the cushioning material in a state of the edge portion of the display device being contained in the recess of the cushioning material, in order to form a gap between a display screen of the display device and a recess forming piece of the cushioning material positioned in front of the display screen. 
     Effect of the Invention 
     According to the present invention, the cushioning material includes a recess forming member for forming a recess that contains inside an edge portion of the display device, and moreover, a handle that engages and holds the cushioning material is provided on a back surface of the display device in a state of the edge portion of the display device being contained in the recess of the cushioning material, in order to form a gap between a display screen of the display device and a recess forming piece of the cushioning material positioned in front of the display screen. Therefore, the cushioning material is fixed in a stable manner to the display device by the handle. As a result, even if a narrow-width frame that does not have a sufficient surface area around the display screen is used at the edge portion of the thin display device; the cushioning material and the display screen are prevented from making contact during packing, and so it is possible to prevent damage to the display screen before it happens. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a thin display device seen from the rear side. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a first exemplary embodiment, showing the appearance of the cushioning material attached to a thin display device. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the cushioning material of  FIG. 2  attached to the thin display device. 
         FIG. 4  is a transverse sectional view that shows the state of the thin display device on which the cushioning material is attached being stored in a packing box. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a cushioning material according to a second exemplary embodiment, showing the appearance of the cushioning material attached to a thin display device. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a first cushioning member attached to the thin display device. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second cushioning member attached to the thin display device. 
         FIG. 8  is a transverse sectional view that shows the state of the thin display device on which the first and second cushioning members are attached being stored in a packing box. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a conventional thin display device seen from the front side. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view that shows a packing box in which the thin display device of  FIG. 9  is stored. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view that shows the state of a cushioning material attached to the thin display device of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a transverse sectional view that shows the state of the thin display device on which the cushioning material is attached being stored in a packing box. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view that shows a thin display device that is provided with a narrow frame. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           1  Handle 
           2  Cushioning material 
           3  Recess 
           4  Recess forming member 
           5  Protecting member 
           6  Engaging member 
           10  Gap 
           11  Step portion 
           12  Cardboard (packing material) 
           20  Cushioning material 
           21  Engaging member 
           22  First cushioning member 
           23  Protecting member 
           24  Second cushioning member 
           25  Gap forming member 
           30  Gap 
           31  Recess 
           32  Recessing forming member 
           33  Step portion 
           34  Cardboard (packing box) 
           100  Thin display device 
           100 A Edge portion 
           101  Display screen 
       
    
     EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     [First Exemplary Embodiment] 
     A packing structure and packing method according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention shall be described with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view seen from the rear side of a thin display device  100  such as a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, or an organic EL that is the packing target. This thin display device  100  has a frame  102  that is provided on the front-side perimeter of a display screen  101  so as to surround the display screen  101 , and a rear frame  103  that supports the frame  102 , with a chassis  104  being constituted by the frame  102  and the rear frame  103 . The frame  102  is constituted as a narrow edge with a width of less than 1 cm around the display screen  101  in order to facilitate viewing of multiple screens. Also, a drive portion  105  for driving the display screen  101  is provided in the center of the rear frame  103 . 
     Moreover, a total of four handles  1  are provided in each corner portion of the rear frame  103  that constitutes a portion of the chassis  104  of this thin display  100 . These handles  1  are arranged at each corner portion of the rear frame  103  so as to be slanted with respect to the upper edge portion, the side edge portion and the lower edge portion. The inner side of each handle  1  serves as a holding portion  1 A that engages with and holds a cushioning material  2  described below after the cushioning material  2  has been inserted. 
     Next, the cushioning material  2  that is held by each handle  1  in order to pack the aforementioned thin display device  100  shall be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 to 4 . In this first exemplary embodiment, the cushioning material  2  includes plastic, such as expanded polyethylene or expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene with a foaming ratio of 40 to 50%, and by means of this material constitution has a high cushioning property with respect to external shocks. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the cushioning material  2  has a recess forming member  4  that forms a recess  3  for housing therein an edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 , and the recess forming member  4  includes a protecting member  5  that is positioned on the front side and an engaging member  6  that is positioned on the rear side. 
     The protecting member  5  protects the display screen  101  by being arranged at the front of the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100  in the case of being attached to the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 . Furthermore, the engaging member  6  is for fixing and holding the cushioning material  2  by being engaged in the holding portion  1 A of the handle  1 . The aforementioned recess  3  is formed between the protecting member  5  and the engaging member  6 . 
     In the state of housing the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  in the recess  3  between the protecting member  5  and the engaging member  6 , when the rear side engaging member  6  is engaged in the holding portion  1 A of the handle  1 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , a gap  10  of a certain interval is formed between the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100  and the protecting member  5  that is positioned in front of the display screen  101 , and this gap  10  prevents the protecting member  5  and the display screen  101  from making contact. 
     Also, a step portion  11  is formed at the rear of the cushioning material  2 . This step portion  11 , in the state of the cushioning material  2  being attached to the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 , has a role of positioning and fixing the cushioning material  2  with respect to the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  by making contact with the handle  1 . 
     Also, the thin display device  100  to which this kind of cushioning material  2  is attached is contained in a cardboard box that serves as a packing material as shown by reference symbol  12  in  FIG. 4 . This cardboard box  12  is formed to match the external dimensions of the thin display device  100  including the cushioning material  2 , and in the case of storing the thin display device  100  together with the cushioning material  2 , the cushioning material  2  does not rattle due to the support of the step portion  11  that makes contact with the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 . 
     Since the packing structure and packing method according to the first exemplary embodiment as described in detail above provides the recess forming member  4  that includes the protecting member  5  and the engaging member  6  for forming the recess  3  that houses inside the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  in the cushioning material  2 , and provides on the rear frame  103  that is positioned on the back surface of the thin display device  100  the handle  1  that forms the gap  10  between the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100  and the protecting member  5  of the cushioning material  2  that is positioned in front of the display screen  101  by engaging and holding the engaging member  6  of the cushioning material  2  in the state of the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  being contained in the recess  3  of the cushioning material  2 , the handle  1  can fix the cushioning material  2  in a stable manner with respect to the thin display device  100 . 
     As a result, even if a narrow-width frame  102  that does not have a sufficient surface area around the display screen  101  is used at the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 , the cushioning material  2  and the display screen  101  are prevented from making contact during packing, and so it is possible to prevent damage to the display screen  101  before it happens. 
     [Second Exemplary Embodiment] 
     The packing structure and packing method according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention shall be described with reference to  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 8 . 
     The second exemplary embodiment has a constitution of the cushioning material that differs from the first exemplary embodiment. The cushioning material  20  that is shown in the second exemplary embodiment is constituted by two members, instead of being formed by one member as in the first exemplary embodiment. 
     That is, the cushioning material  20  of the second exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 7 , includes a first cushioning member  22  that has an engaging member  21  that is engaged with the handle  1  on the back surface of the thin display device  100 , and a second cushioning member  24  that has a protecting member  23  that protects the display screen  101  by being arranged in front of the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100 , in the state of being attached to the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 . The second cushioning member  24  functions as a spacer of the first cushioning member  22 . 
     The first cushioning member  22 , in the case of being viewed in a transverse cross section as shown in  FIG. 8 , is formed in an L shape, and the portion that makes contact with the back surface of the rear frame  103  of the thin display device  100  is the engaging member  21  that is engaged with the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 , and the portion that is arranged at a right angle to the engaging member  21  is a gap forming member  25  for forming a gap  30  described below. 
     The second cushioning member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , has a concave-shaped housing portion  26  for housing the first cushioning member  22 . The width dimension (shown by the reference symbol A) of the housing portion  26  is formed to be slightly larger than the length dimension of the gap forming member  25  of the first cushioning member  22 , and by this dimensional relation, the first cushioning member  22  is fitted and fixed to the concave-shaped housing portion  26 . In the case of the first cushioning member  22  that is engaged with the handle  1  of the thin display device  100  being contained in the concave-shaped housing portion  26  of the second cushioning member  24 , a gap  30  of a certain interval (refer to  FIG. 8 ) is formed between the protecting member  23  of the second cushioning member  24  and the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100 . 
     In the case of the first cushioning member  22  being contained in the concave-shaped housing portion  26  of the second cushioning member  24 , a recess forming member  32  for forming a recess  31  that houses the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  is constituted by the engaging member  21  and the gap forming member  25  of the first cushioning member  22 , and the protecting member  23  of the second cushioning member  24  (refer to  FIG. 8 ). 
     As the material of the second cushioning member  24 , expanded polyethylene or expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene with a foaming ratio of 40 to 50%, which has high cushioning property, is used. Also, as the material of the first cushioning member  22  that serves as a spacer, expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene with a foaming ratio of 10 to 30%, which is stronger than the second cushioning member  24 , is used. 
     By means of the materials of this cushioning material  20 , weak impacts are received by the second cushioning member  24  on the outer side, and strong impacts that cannot be cushioned by the second cushioning member  24  are received by the first cushioning member  22  on the inner side, whereby it is possible to effectively absorb vibrations and impacts of various kinds during transport. 
     In this kind of cushioning member  20 , in the state of the engaging member  21  of the first cushioning member  22  being engaged in the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 , the first cushioning member  22  is stored in the concave-shaped housing portion  26  of the second cushioning member  24 . At this time, as a result of the gap forming member  25  of the first cushioning member  22  fitting in the concave-shaped housing portion  26 , in addition to the second cushioning member  24  being fixed to the first cushioning member  22 , the gap  30  of a certain interval is formed between the protecting member  23  of the second cushioning member  24  and the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100 , and the protecting member  23  and the display screen  101  are prevented from making contact by the gap  30 . 
     Also, in the case of the first cushioning member  22  being contained in the concave-shaped housing portion  26  of the second cushioning member  24 , a step portion  33  (refer to  FIG. 8 ) is formed between the first cushioning member  22  and the second cushioning member  24 . This step portion  33 , in the state of the cushioning material  20  being attached to the thin display device  100 , makes contact with the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 , and thereby having a role of positioning and fixing the cushioning material  20  with respect to the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 . 
     Also, the thin display device  100  to which this kind of cushioning material  20  is attached is contained in a cardboard box  34  that serves as a packing material as shown in  FIG. 8 . This cardboard box  34  is formed to match the external dimensions of the thin display device  100  including the cushioning material  20 , and in the case of storing the thin display device  100  together with the cushioning material  20 , the cushioning material  20  does not rattle with the support of the step portion  33  that makes contact with the handle  1  of the thin display device  100 . 
     Since the packing structure and packing method according to the second exemplary embodiment as described in detail above provide the recess forming member  32  that includes the engaging member  21 , the gap forming member  25 , and the protecting member  23  for forming the recess  31  that houses inside the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 , and provides on the rear frame  103  that is positioned on the back surface of the thin display device  100  the handle  1  that engages and holds the engaging member  21  of the cushioning material  20  in the state of the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100  being contained in the recess  31  of the cushioning material  20 , in order to form the gap  30  between the display screen  101  of the thin display device  100  and the protecting member  23  of the cushioning material  20  that is positioned in front of the display screen  101 , the handle  1  can fix the cushioning material  20  in a stable manner with respect to the thin display device  100 . 
     As a result, even if a narrow-width frame  102  that does not have a sufficient surface area around the display screen  101  is used at the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 , the cushioning material  20  and the display screen  101  are prevented from making contact with each other during packing, and so it is possible to prevent damage to the display screen  101  before it happens. 
     In the aforementioned first and second exemplary embodiments, the handle  1  and the cushioning material  2 / 20  that is held by the handle  1  are provided at the corner portions of the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 , but the handle  1  and the cushioning material  2 / 20  that is held by the handle  1  may be provided at the intermediate portions of the edge portion  100 A, and so the attachment positions thereof are not limited to the corner portions of the edge portion  100 A of the thin display device  100 . 
     In the aforementioned first and second exemplary embodiments, one thin display device  100  to which the cushioning material  2 / 20  is attached is contained in the cardboard box  12 / 34  as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8 , but the number of thin display devices  100  is not limited to one, and a plurality of the thin display devices  100  with the cushioning material  2 / 20  attached to each one may be stored in a large box. 
     Hereinabove, exemplary embodiments of the present invention were described in detail with reference to the drawings, but specific constitutions are not limited to these exemplary embodiments, and design modifications are included without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention relates to a packing structure and a packing method applied to a thin display device such as a liquid crystal, plasma, and organic EL display device, and that can exhibit a sufficient cushioning property during transport and storage.