Patent Abstract:
A frame with a mounting ear, a display device using the frame and a method of manufacture thereof are provided. The frame includes a frame body and a mounting ear. The frame body has a top frame and a sidewall extending from an edge of the frame top frame. A tap hole is formed on the frame body, and the ear passes through the tap hole to connect with an inner surface of the sidewall. Besides the frame, the display device further includes a display panel module. The display panel module is disposed inside the frame and outwardly displays images via a transparent area enclosed by the frame.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a frame having a mounting ear, a display device using the frame and a manufacturing method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Display panels including liquid crystal display panels and organic light emitting diode display panels, as well as the panel display devices using the display panels have become the mainstream of all kinds of display devices. For example, all kinds of panel display boards, home flat television, the flat panel monitors of personal computer and laptop computers, and the display screens of mobile phones and digital cameras are all the products which largely use display panels. 
         [0005]    Conventionally, when the display panels are connected to the housings of flat monitors, laptop computers, mobile phones or other products, it is necessary to dispose tap holes in the front frame to be secured. As illustrated by  FIG. 1   a , in the conventional design, the top of the front frame  30  of the display panel  10  is disposed with the connecting pieces  50  having tap holes  51 . The connecting pieces  50  are secured to the front frame  30  to support the weight of the display panel  10 . By disposing the connecting piece  50 , screws should go through the tap holes  51  during assembly, in order to secure the display panel  10  to the system housing  70 . However, in such design, because the connecting pieces  50  are disposed on the outside of the front frame  30  as an add-on, the part where the connecting piece  50  and front frame  30  are connected will cause unevenness on the outer side of the front frame. The system housing  70  needs to be adjusted during manufacturing process in order to accommodate the connection between the connecting piece  50  and the front frame  30 . 
         [0006]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates another design of the conventional display device. In this design, the connecting pieces  50  are formed by partly stamping the front frame  30  of the display panel  10 ; in other words, part of the front frame  30  is cut and bent upwards to form the connecting piece  50 . The connecting piece  50  is disposed with tap holes  51 , which are used to secure the display panel  10  to the system housing  70 . Although this design does not have the problem of unevenness on the outer side of the front frame  30 , the strength of the front frame  30  is influenced. The connecting piece  50  is formed by cutting part of the front frame  30  and bending the cut part of the front frame  30  upwards, thus there will be a discontinuous part on the front frame  30 . This discontinuous part will decrease the overall mechanical strength and rigidity. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An object of this invention is to provide a frame for an electronic device, a display device using this frame and a manufacturing method thereof, in which the assembled products have smaller overall volume. 
         [0008]    An object of this invention is to provide an electronic device frame, a display device using the frame and a manufacturing method thereof, in which the frame has a certain amount of mechanical strength and rigidity. 
         [0009]    The electronic device frame of this invention mainly includes the frame body and the mounting ears. The frame body includes top surfaces and sidewalls, wherein the top surfaces are parallel and enclose a transparent area, and the sidewalls extend away from the top surfaces from the edges of the top surfaces, respectively. The frame body is provided with tap holes, and the mounting ears are respectively extended into the tap holes from outside the frame body along the extending direction of the sidewall. Outside the frame body refers to the space outside the space surrounded by the frame body. The part of the mounting ear extended into the tap hole is connected to the inner surface of the sidewall, so as to support the weight of the frame body itself and the force received. By disposing the mounting ears, the frame body and the electronic device covered by the frame body can be secured to the system housing. For example, the frame body and the liquid crystal display panel covered by the frame body can be secured to the housings of mobile phones, car guiding devices, liquid crystal televisions, flat monitors, lap top computers or the housings of other systems. 
         [0010]    The display device of this invention, apart from the frame of the electronic device, further includes a display panel module. The display panel module is disposed in the frame body, and displays image through the transparent area surrounded by the frame body. On the side of the display panel module has a trough. The trough corresponds to the part which accommodates the mounting ear, the part extended through the tap holes, so as to prevent the difficulty in assembling the mounting ear and the display panel module without increasing the size of the frame body. Such design can also position the corresponding positions of the display panel module and the frame body. 
         [0011]    The manufacturing method of the display device includes the following steps: forming tap holes in the frame body, extending a part of the mounting ear from the outside of the frame into the tap hole along an extending direction of a sidewall of the frame body, connecting the part where the mounting ear entering the tap holes and the inner surface of the sidewalls, and disposing the display panel in the frame body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1   a  and  FIG. 1   b  schematically illustrate the frame of the conventional display device; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is the exploded view of the embodiment of the frame of the electronic device of this invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is the schematic illustration of the embodiment shown by FIG.  2 □ 
           [0015]      FIG. 4   a  schematically illustrates another embodiment of the mounting ear; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4   b  is the schematic illustration of another embodiment of the electronic device; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5   a  is the cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the frame of the electronic device; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5   b  is the cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the frame of the electronic device; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5   c  is the cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the frame of the electronic device; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5   d  is the cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the frame of the electronic device; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is the cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the positioning point; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7   a  is the cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the tap hole position; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7   b  is the cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the tap hole position; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8   a  is the exploded view of the embodiment of the display device; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8   b  is the back view of the display device; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is the flow chart of the embodiment of the manufacturing method of the display device; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is the flow chart of another embodiment of the manufacturing method of the display device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0028]    This invention provides a frame of an electronic device having mounting ears, connecting plate or other connecting devices for fixation, so as to secure the electronic device itself in the system. This invention also includes a display device using the electronic device frame and a manufacturing method thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the display device of this invention includes a liquid crystal display device. The liquid display device described herein refers to any display devices that use liquid crystal panels, including household liquid crystal display television, the liquid crystal monitors of personal computer and laptop computer, and the liquid crystal screens of mobile phones and digital cameras. 
         [0029]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the frame of the electronic device includes a frame body  300  and a mounting ear  500 . In this embodiment, the frame body  300  is a rectangular frame, and a rectangular transparent area  301  is formed therein; however, in another embodiment, the frame body  300  can also be other kinds of polygons, circular shapes, or other shapes of frames. Moreover, the shape of the frame  300  and the shape of the transparent area surrounded therein do not have to be the same. The frame body  300  and the mounting ear  500  are preferably made of metal, such as stainless steel, aluminum or other metal or alloy; however, the frame body  300  can also be made of plasticity or other materials. 
         [0030]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the frame body  300  has a top surface  310  and a sidewall  330 . The frame body  300  of the embodiment is a rectangular frame with four sides, each side consisting of a top surface  310  and a sidewall  330 . The top surfaces  310  are parallel and form a transparent area  301 , and the sidewalls  330  extend in the direction away from the top surface  310  from the edges of the top surfaces  310 , respectively. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the sidewall  330  is perpendicular to the top surface  310 ; however, in other embodiments, the included angle between the sidewall  330  and the top surface  310  can also be an angle other than right angle. 
         [0031]    In addition, the frame body  300  is tapped with tap hole  350 . As illustrated by  FIG. 2 , the tapped hole  350  is preferably a narrow and long opening and parallel to the sides of the frame body  300 . As illustrated by  FIG. 3 , a part of the mounting ear  500  extends into the tap hole  350  from the outside of the frame  300  along the extending direction of the sidewall  330 . The so-called outside of the frame  300  refers to the space outside the area surrounded by the frame body  300 ; in this embodiment, the spaces outside the area surrounded by the sidewalls  330  of the four sides are all the outside of the frame body  300 . In the embodiment, the mounting ear  500  is preferably an L-shaped connection piece including a body and a bent part. The bent part of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap holes  350  is connected to the inner surface of the sidewall  330 . The connecting method preferably includes welding, such as spot welding; however, the mounting ear  500  and the inner surface of the sidewall  330  can also be connected through adhering or other ways. 
         [0032]    As illustrated by  FIG. 3 , the body of the mounting ear  500  that is exposed to the outside of the frame body  300  has a securing hole  501 . By disposing the securing hole  501 , the frame body  300  and the electronic device covered by the frame body  300  (not shown) are connected to the system housing screw or other connecting device with similar function. For example, the frame body  300  and the liquid crystal display panel covered by the frame body  300  can be secured to mobile phone, car guiding device, liquid crystal television, flat monitor, laptop computer or the housing of other systems by, for example, putting screws through securing holes  501 . However, in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 4   a , the mounting ear  500  can also not be disposed with securing holes  501 , and it can simply be a connecting plate. The connecting plate formed by the mounting ear  500  can go through the hole formed in the system housing (not shown) to fix or secure the corresponding positions of the frame body  300  and the system housing. 
         [0033]    In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 3 , the tap hole  350  and the mounting ear  500  are disposed on one end of one side of the frame body  300  close to another side of the frame body  300 ; however, in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 4   b , the tap hole  350  and the mounting ear  500  can be disposed in the middle or any places on the side of the frame body  300 . Moreover, in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 3 , the tap hole  350  and the mounting ear  500  are only disposed on one side of the frame body  300 ; however, in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 4   b , the tap hole  350  and the mounting ear  500  may also be disposed on a plurality of sides of the frame body  300 . 
         [0034]    In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 5   a , the mounting ear  500  includes the body  510  and the bent part  530 . The securing hole  501  is formed in the body  510 , and the bent part  530  extends from the body  510 , and is perpendicular to the body  510  or with a different included angle. As illustrated by  FIG. 5   b , the included angle between the body  510  and the bent part  530  can be adjusted in accordance with the included angle between the top surface  300  and the top surface  330  of the frame body  300 , and can also be adjusted in accordance with the securing design of the system housing. As illustrated by  FIG. 5   a , the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  is remained outside of the frame body  300 , and the bent part  530  extends into the tap hole  350  in the frame body  300  along the extending direction of the sidewall  330  and is connected to the inner surface of the sidewall  330 . Moreover, as illustrated by  FIG. 5   c , the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  that is left outside the frame body  300  can also have different bending or angle, so as to coordinate with the design of the system housing. With such design, the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  can support the weight of the frame body  300  itself or the force from outside by connecting the bent part  530  and the frame body  300 . As illustrated by  FIG. 5   d , the mounting ear  500  is a plane plate that is to say the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  and the bent part  530  are disposed on the same horizontal plane. The body  510  is parallel to the sidewall  330  and located on the outside of the frame body  300 . The bent part  530  extends into the tap hole  350  and is connected to the inner surface of the sidewall  330  of the frame body  300 . With such design, the frame body  300  and the mounting ear  500  are able to be secured to the system housing with different design. 
         [0035]    As illustrated by  FIG. 5   a , in order to save the space taken by the frame body  300 , the bent part  530  of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  is fully covered by the sidewall  330 . In other words, the bent part  530  of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  will not extend out from the other end of the sidewall  330 . In this embodiment, the length of the bent part  530  of the mounting ear  500  needs to be shorter or equal to the length of the sidewall  330 , to ensure that the bent part  530  will not stick out from the other end of the sidewall  330 . Furthermore, when the mounting ear  500  and the frame body  300  are connected using spot welding, the length of the part of the mounting ear  500  that extends into tap hole  350  is not shorter than 1 mm to ensure the strength of welding. 
         [0036]    As illustrated by  FIG. 6 , the bent part of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  and the sidewall  330  of the frame body  300  can be provided with corresponding positioning points, respectively. In this embodiment, the sidewall  330  and the bent part  530  of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  are disposed with positioning hole  710  to be the positioning point. When connected, the sidewall  330  and the mounting ear  500  can be aligned by putting positioning needle through the positioning holes  710  on the kit. By disposing the positioning point, the corresponding positions of the mounting ear  500  and the sidewall  330  of the frame body  300  can be secured before the mounting ear  500  and the frame body  300  being connected, so as to prevent deviation in the corresponding positions thereof after being connected. Moreover, the number and the shape of the positioning hole  710  can be adjusted in accordance with the size of the mounting ear  500  and the thickness of the sidewall  330 . If more than two positioning holes  710  are disposed or non-symmetric geometric shape positioning holes  710  are disposed (not shown), the mounting ear  500  can be further prevented from rotating relative to the sidewall  330 . In this embodiment, in order to successfully position the positioning point  710 , the length of the part of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap holes  350  is not shorter than 2 mm. 
         [0037]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 5   a  and  FIG. 6 , the tap holes  350  are all formed at the junction of the top surface  310  and the sidewall  330  of the frame body  300 . Meanwhile, the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  left outside of the frame body  300  is closer to the top surface  310 . However, in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 7   a , the position of the tap hole  350  can also be disposed at the sidewall  330  near the top surface  310 . Meanwhile, the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  left outside of the frame body  300  is retreated from the top surface  310  of the frame body  300 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 7   b , the position of the tap hole  350  is disposed at the top surface  310  near the sidewall  330 . Meanwhile, the body  510  of the mounting ear  500  left outside of the frame body  300  sticks out further than the top surface  310  of the frame body  300 . Moreover, in order to coordinate with the position of the tap hole  350 , the bent part  530  of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  needs to add a bending portion to connect to the inner surface of the sidewall  330 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 8   a  schematically illustrates the display device of this invention. In this embodiment, the display panel module  900  is disposed in the frame body  300 , and display the image through the transparent area surrounded by the frame body  300 . The display panel module  900  preferably includes a liquid crystal display panel; however, in different embodiments, the display panel module  900  can also includes plasma display panel or other display panel. As illustrated by  FIG. 8   a  and  FIG. 8   b , a trough  911  is formed on the side of the display panel module  900 . The trough  911  corresponds to the bent part of the mounting ear  500  that extends into the tap hole  350  to reduce the difficulty in the assembling of the mounting ear  500  and the display panel module  900  without increasing the size of the frame body  300 . Such a design can further position the corresponding positions of the display panel module  900  and the frame body  300 . The display panel module  900  preferably has a rubber frame or the bottom frame of the backlight module, and the trough  911  is formed on the rubber frame of the bottom frame. 
         [0039]    In the flow chart of the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 9 , the manufacturing method of the display device includes step  1010  of forming a tap hole in the frame body. When the frame is made of metal material, the tap hole is preferably formed in the frame by means of tapping. The position of the tap hole can be formed at one end of one side of the frame body near another side of the frame body, at the middle part of the side or any other places. The number of the tapped holes can also be increased or decreased in accordance with the need of the design. 
         [0040]    Step  1030  includes extending a part of the mounting ear into the tap hole from the outside of the frame body along an extending direction of a sidewall of the frame body. Moreover, securing hole can be formed in the other part of the mounting ear that is positioned on the outside of the frame body. The securing hole is preferably formed in the mounting ear before the mounting ear extending into the tap hole; however, the securing hole can also be formed in the mounting ear after extending the mounting ear into the tap hole. 
         [0041]    Step  1050  includes connecting the part of the mounting ear that extends into the tap hole and the inner surface of the sidewall. The connecting methods preferably include welding, such as spot welding; however, the mounting ear  500  and the inner surface of the sidewalls  330  can also be connected by adhering or other ways. Moreover, this step could also include forming corresponding positioning points on the part of the mounting ear that extends into the tap hole and the sidewall, respectively, and aligning the positioning point of the mounting ear with the positioning point of the sidewall. In the preferred embodiment, the positioning holes may be disposed on the sidewalls and on the part of the mounting ear that extends into the tap hole, respectively, to be the positioning points. When connecting, the positioning pin on the kit may be put through the two positioning holes that are kept aligned, so as to position the sidewall and the mounting ear. By disposing and aligning the positioning points, the deviation in the corresponding positions of the mounting ear and the frame body after being connected may be prevented. Furthermore, the number and the shape of the positioning holes may be adjusted in accordance with the size and the thickness of the sidewall; if more than two positioning holes or asymmetric shape are disposed, the mounting ear can be further prevented from rotating relative to the sidewall. 
         [0042]    Step  1070  includes disposing a display panel module in the frame body. In order to reduce the size of the frame body and the difficulty in assembling, a trough can be formed on the side of the display panel module, and the trough corresponds and accommodates the part of the mounting ear that extends into the tap hole. The display panel module preferably has a rubber frame or the bottom frame of the backlight module, and a trough is formed on the rubber frame or the bottom frame. 
         [0043]    In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 10 , step  1030  can be divided into step  1110  and step  1130 . Step  1110  includes bending a mounting ear to form a body and a bent part; when the mounting ear is made of metal, the body and the bent part can be formed by directly bending the metal component. However, if the mounting ear is made of other materials, the bent part and the body can be formed by thermoplastic bending or direct forming. Furthermore, the body is preferably perpendicular to the bent part; but in different embodiments, the body and the bent part can be bent with other included angles to coordinate with the design of the system housing. 
         [0044]    Step  1130  includes extending the bent part into the tap hole to expose the body to the outside of the frame body. Because the tap hole could be formed in different parts of the frame body, the bent part can be completely or partially extended into the tap hole; likewise, the body may also be completely or partially exposed to the outside of the frame body. 
         [0045]    This invention has been described in accordance with the above embodiments. What needs to point out is that the disclosed embodiments do not intend to limit the scope of this invention. In contrast, the modifications of the spirit and the scope included in the claims and the disposition of the equivalents are all included in the scope of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7