Patent Abstract:
An exemplary display device ( 1 ) includes a chassis ( 12 ), a circuit board ( 14 ) and a heat sink ( 16 ). The heat sink connects with the circuit board and the chassis. The chassis covers the circuit board and includes at least one heat conducting member ( 120 ) connecting with the heat sink. The display device performs an increased heat dissipating efficiency, and can be conveniently assembled or disassembled.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to display devices, and more particularly to a display device with one or more heat conducting members involved in dissipating heat generated in the display device out from the display device.  
       GENERAL BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a typical display device  7  includes a chassis  72 , a circuit board  74 , a heat sink  76 , and a rectangular heat conductor  78 . The chassis  72  covers the circuit board  74 , the heat sink  76 , and the heat conductor  78 . The circuit board  74  includes an associated power socket  742 . The heat sink  76  connects with the circuit board  74 . The heat conductor  78  connects with the heat sink  76  and the chassis  72 .  
         [0003]     In operation, most of heat generated by electronic components (not shown) on the circuit board  74  can be conducted to the heat conductor  78  through the heat sink  76 , whereupon the heat is conducted to the chassis  72 . With this configuration, the circuit board  74  and other electronic elements (not shown) of the display device  7  can operate without overheating. However, during the process of heat conduction from the circuit board  74  to the chassis  72 , heat must pass through the heat conductor  78 . The heat conductor  78  itself has an amount of heat resistance. Therefore the heat dissipating efficiency of the system may still be unsatisfactory. Moreover, a tool and an associated manufacturing process are needed for localizing the heat conductor  78  during mass production of the display device  7 . That is, assembly of the display device  7  is unduly complicated, and the overall cost of the display device  7  is increased.  
         [0004]     What is needed, therefore, is a display device that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     An exemplary display device includes a chassis, a circuit board and a heat sink. The heat sink connects with the circuit board and the chassis. The chassis covers the circuit board and includes at least one heat conducting member connecting with the heat sink.  
         [0006]     Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, all the views are schematic. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a circled portion II of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the display device of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing a corresponding view in the case of a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a side cross-sectional view of a conventional display device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the preferred embodiments in detail.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a display device  1  according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a display panel  10 , a chassis  12 , a circuit board  14 , and a heat sink  16 . The circuit board  14  is disposed on a back surface  102  of the display panel  10 . The chassis  12  covers the display panel  10  and the circuit board  14 . The heat sink  16  connects with the circuit board  14  and the chassis  12 .  
         [0016]     The circuit board  14  includes a power socket  142 , a video graphics array (VGA) socket  144 , and a plurality of studs  146  arranged thereon. The power socket  142  and the VGA socket  144  are arranged along a same edge (not labeled) of the circuit board  14 . The circuit board  14 , in general, is a printed circuit board (PCB).  
         [0017]     The chassis  12  is generally rectangular, and includes a central jutting back wall  122 , two opposite first side walls  124 , and two opposite second side walls  126 . The first side walls  124  are integrally formed with the back wall  122 , and extend from two opposite lateral edges (not labeled) of the back wall  122  respectively. The second side walls  126  extend from two opposite top and bottom edges of the back wall  122  respectively. The first side walls  124  and the second side walls  126  cooperatively define a first housing (not labeled) for accommodating the display panel  10 . The back wall  122  defines a second housing (not labeled) for accommodating the circuit board  14  and associated components thereof. The back wall  122  includes four heat conducting fingers  120 , a plurality of fixing holes  128 , a first hatch  127 , and a second hatch  129 . The heat conducting fingers  120  are positioned to correspond to the heat sink  16 . The heat conducting fingers  120  are generally rectangular, and are arranged parallel to each other. The fixing holes  128  are positioned at a back panel (not labeled) of the back wall  122 . The first hatch  127  is positioned at a bottom panel (not labeled) of the back wall  122 , corresponding to the VGA socket  144  on the circuit board  14 . The second hatch  129  is also positioned at the bottom panel (not labeled) of the back wall  122 , corresponding to the power socket  142  on the circuit board  14 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each heat conducting finger  120  includes a base portion  121  integrally connecting with the back panel of the back wall  122 , and a spring contact portion  123  integrally extending from the base portion  121 . Consecutive heat conducting fingers  120  are alternately arranged, in that any one heat conducting finger  120  has its base portion  121  located nearest a first one of the first side walls  124 , and an adjacent heat conducting finger  120  has its base portion  121  located nearest an opposite second one of the first side walls  124 . That is, the spring contact portions  123  of any two adjacent heat conducting fingers  120  point in opposite directions. Also referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , each spring contact portion  123  elastically deformably connects with a top surface  162  of the heat sink  16 . Preferably, an area of contact is maximal, with a major part of the spring contact portion  123  spanning an entire corresponding width of the top surface  162  and fully contacting a corresponding portion of the top surface  162 . Thus, the heat sink  16  directly connects with the circuit board  14 , and directly connects with the chassis  12  through the spring contact portions  123  of the heat conducting fingers  120 . A position of the heat conducting fingers  120  can be configured according to a position of the heat sink  16 . The chassis  12  is typically a metal back shell of the display device  1 . The chassis  12  with the heat conducting fingers  120  can be manufactured by a stamping method. The chassis  12  can be made from iron, aluminum, magnesium, or another suitable metal or alloy.  
         [0019]     In operation, most of heat generated by the circuit board  14  and the associated components thereof can be directly conducted from the heat sink  16  to the heat conducting fingers  120  of the chassis  12 . The chassis  12  has a great heat dissipating area. Therefore the above-described configuration can help to increase a heat dissipating efficiency of the display device  1 . Moreover, the heat conducting fingers  120  are integrally formed with the chassis  12 . This makes mass production of the display device  1  including the heat conducting fingers  120  simple and inexpensive. It also makes disassembly of the display device  1  convenient.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged, cross-sectional view showing key features of a display device  2  according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The display device  2  is similar to the display device  1  of the first embodiment. However, the display device  2  includes a display panel  20  and a plurality of heat conducting fingers  220 . Each heat conducting finger  220  includes a base portion  221 , and a spring contact portion  223  integrally extending from the base portion  221 . The spring contact portion  223  has a curved end, therefore only a substantially linear portion of the curved end can contact a top surface  262  of a heat sink  26 . That is, the heat conducting finger  220  connects with the top surface  262  of the heat sink  26  with a minimal contact area, which is preferably a substantially linear contact or a substantially single point contact. With this minimal contact between the spring contact portions  223  of the heat conducting fingers  220  and the top surface  262  of the heat sink  26 , the top surface  262  can avoid damage due to scraping by the heat conducting fingers  220 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a display device  3  according to a third embodiment of the present invention is similar to the display device  1  of the first embodiment. However, a chassis  32  of the display device  3  further includes a plurality of vent holes  329  on a back wall  322  thereof. The distribution of the vent holes  329  can be configured according to positions of sources of heat in the display device  3 , such sources typically including a circuit board (not visible) and a display panel (not visible). The vent holes  329  of the chassis  32  can help to greatly increase a heat dissipating efficiency of the display device  3 .  
         [0022]     Further and/or alternative embodiments may include the following. The spring arms of the heat conducting fingers can connect with one or more side surfaces of the heat sink. Each heat conducting finger can include one or more spring arms each directly integrally connecting with the chassis without any base portion. The chassis can include only a single spring arm, which has a contact area approximately equal to that of the top surface or a side surface of the heat sink. The heat conducting fingers can connect with the heat sink with any other suitable contact areas as required.  
         [0023]     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7