Patent Abstract:
A monitor apparatus includes a monitor main body displaying a picture; a base member supporting the monitor main body; a connecting member combined to the base member, and supporting the monitor main body to be pivoted; a first guide plate having a first side pivotably combined to the connecting member, and a second side to be slidably combined to the monitor main body; a sliding unit provided between the first guide plate and the monitor main body and supporting the first guide plate to be slidable on the monitor main body; and a link unit having a first side combined to a rear side of the monitor main body and a second side combined with the connecting member, the monitor main body moves up and down with respect to the base member by sliding on the first guide plate when the first guide plate pivots with respect to the connecting member.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-58029, filed on Aug. 21, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a monitor apparatus, and more particularly, a monitor apparatus improved in a pivoting structure of a monitor main body relative to a base member. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A monitor apparatus, in general, comprises a monitor main body, and a base member disposed on a flat surface like a table, to support the monitor main body. 
   Recently, a monitor main body is produced using an image display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) which make the monitor main body slim comparable to the size of a screen. 
   By using such a flat-typed image display panel, the monitor apparatus has an advantage of reducing its volume remarkably, and thus can be designed to be easily controlled in various angles of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction and a rotating direction for a user&#39;s convenience, and such a flexibility is recently in demand. 
   Especially, a pivoting function, rotating about the clockwise and counterclockwise direction of the monitor main body for the user&#39;s convenience, is increasing in demand in manufacturing the monitor apparatus. 
   However, if the monitor apparatus is pivoted as described above, a corner of the monitor main body contacts with the base member and the flat surface on which the base member is located causing problems of limiting or disabling the pivoting function of the monitor apparatus because a distance between the monitor main body and the base member or between the monitor main body and the flat surface where the base member is located is not sufficient. Such problems are obvious in a wide monitor apparatus which is increasing in demand recently. 
   Another problem is that when the monitor main body is pivoted without having its angle and height adjusted to match with a user&#39;s eye level, the user may feel uncomfortable watching the monitor. 
   Therefore, adjusting methods have been provided to control the angle and the height of the monitor main body. 
   However, two separate methods are provided in a conventional monitor apparatus, one for pivoting the monitor main body and the other for adjusting the angle and the height of the monitor main body, and both methods need to be operated separately. Thus, it is inconvenient and complicated to pivot the monitor main body and to adjust its angle and height simultaneously. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a monitor apparatus preventing a corner of a monitor main body from contacting with a base member or a flat surface on which the monitor is located, by controlling a distance between the monitor main body and the base member while the monitor main body is pivoting relative to the base member. 
   Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
   The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a monitor apparatus comprising a monitor main body displaying an image; a base member supporting the monitor main body; a connecting member combined to the base member, and supporting the monitor main body to be pivoted; a first guide plate having a first side pivotably combined to the connecting member, and a second side to be slidably combined to the monitor main body; a sliding unit provided between the first guide plate and the monitor main body and supporting the first guide plate to be slidable on the monitor main body; and a link unit having a first side combined to a rear side of the monitor main body and a second side combined with the connecting member, wherein the monitor main body moves up and down with respect to the base member by sliding on the first guide plate when the first guide plate pivots with respect to the connecting member. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the first guide plate comprises a guide groove, wherein the second side of the link unit passes through the guide groove of the first guide plate and combines with the connecting member, and the guide groove of the first guide plate is formed to prevent the first guide plate from being interrupted by the link unit when the first guide plate is pivoting with respect to the connecting member. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the guide groove of the first guide plate limits an angle formed when the monitor main body is pivoting with respect to the base member, and the length of the guiding groove is predetermined depending on a range of the limited pivoting angle. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the sliding unit comprises a guide rail combined to one of the first guide plate and a rear side of the monitor main body; and a sliding member combined to one of the first guide plate and the rear side of the monitor main body to be slidably combined to the guide rail. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the monitor apparatus further comprises a second guide plate provided between a rear side of the monitor main body and one of the guide rail and the sliding member, which is combined to the rear side of the monitor main body, wherein the first side of the link unit is combined to the second guide plate. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the monitor apparatus further comprises a pivoting bracket provided between the connecting member and the first guide plate, wherein the first guide plate is pivotably combined with the pivoting bracket, and the second side of the link unit is combined with the pivoting bracket. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, one of the pivoting bracket and the first guide plate comprises a pivoting shaft, and the other one of the pivoting bracket and the first guide plate comprises a pivoting shaft hole pivotably accommodating the pivoting shaft. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the pivoting shaft protrudes and passes through the pivoting shaft hole. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the pivoting shaft comprises a stopper on an end part thereof to prevent the pivoting shaft from being loosened from the pivoting shaft hole. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the stopper is bent such that the end part of the pivoting shaft which passes through the pivoting shaft hole contacts with an edge of the pivoting shaft hole, to generate rotation friction between the pivoting bracket and the first guide plate. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the monitor apparatus further comprises a washer disposed between the pivoting shaft and the pivoting shaft hole. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the pivoting bracket is tiltably combined with the connecting member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective backside view of a monitor apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective backside view of a monitor main body in a state of pivoting; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a pivoting structure of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the pivoting structure of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the pivoting structure of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the pivoting structure of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are schematic views of an operation of a link unit used in the monitor apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
   An example of a monitor apparatus to be described hereafter will be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), wherein a flat image display panel is provided. 
   Also, as terminologies to be described in a detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention, a pivoting direction refers to the monitor main body rotating about a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, and a tilting direction refers to the monitor main body rotating about a forward and backward direction relative to a connecting member. 
   In  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the monitor apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a monitor main body  10 ; a base member supporting the monitor main body; a connecting member  30  connecting the base member  20  and the monitor main body  10 ; a pivoting bracket  40  provided between the monitor main body  10  and the connecting member  30 , and supporting the monitor main body  10  to be pivoted; a first guide plate  50  provided between the pivoting bracket  40  and the monitor main body  10 , and pivotably connected with the pivoting bracket  40 ; a second guide plate  60  having a first side combined to a rear side of the monitor main body  10  and a second side combined to the first guide plate  50 ; a sliding unit  70  provided between the first guide plate  50  and the second guide plate  60 , and combining the second guide plate  60  to be able to slide on the first guide plate  50 ; and a link unit  80  having a first side combined to the second guide plate  60  and a second side passing through the first guide plate  50  and combined to the pivoting bracket  40 , and thus connecting the second guide plate  50  and the pivoting bracket  40 . 
   The monitor main body  10  generates an image using the flat-typed image display panel like the LCD and the PDP. 
   The base member  20  is located on a flat surface such as a table on which the monitor apparatus is located and supports the monitor main body  10 . 
   A bottom part of the connecting member  30  is combined to the base member  20 , and an upper part of the connecting member  30  is tiltably combined with the pivoting bracket  40 . A tilting hinge  31  is provided in the upper part of the connecting member  30  to be tiltably combined with the pivoting bracket  40 . 
   The first guide plate  50  comprises a guide groove  52 , and a first side which slides on the second guide plate  60  by the sliding unit  70 , and a second side with a pivoting shaft  51  protruded rearward. 
   The pivoting bracket  40  comprises a pivoting shaft hole  41  rotatably combined with the pivoting shaft  51  on a first side thereof, and a second side of the pivoting bracket  40  is combined with the connecting member  30 . 
   The pivoting shaft  51  protrudes from a center area of the first guide plate  50  and passes through the pivoting shaft hole  41 , preventing the pivoting shaft  51  from being loosened from the pivoting shaft hole  41  by having a stopper  56  at an end of the pivoting shaft  51 . The pivoting shaft  51  comprises at least one washer  42  combined thereto. 
   The stopper  56  is bent, wherein the end part of the pivoting shaft  51  which passes through the pivoting shaft hole  41  contacts with an edge of the pivoting shaft hole  41 , generating rotation friction between the pivoting bracket  40  and the first guide plate  50 . The rotation friction is overcome and the monitor main body  10  becomes rotatable by a predetermined force applied by a user. 
   The washer  42  is provided either between the first guide plate  50  and the pivoting bracket  40 , or between the first guide plate  50  and the stopper  56 , and provides elasticity to generate the predetermined rotation friction between the first guide plate  50  and the pivoting bracket  40 . 
   The sliding unit  70  comprises at least one guide rail  71  and a sliding member  72  slidably engaged to the guide rail  71 . The guide rail  71  is combined to one of the first guide plate  50  and the second guide plate  60 , and the sliding member  72  is combined to one of the first guide plate  50  and the second guide plate  60 . According to the embodiment of the present invention, a pair of guide rails  71  is combined to the second guide plate  60 , and a pair of sliding members  72  slidably engaged to the pair of guide rails  71  is combined to the first guide plate  50 . 
   The pair of guide rails  71  is combined with the pair of sliding members  72  accommodated therein, wherein the pair of sliding members reciprocatingly slide along the pair of guide rails  71 . 
   Unlike the embodiment described above, the pair of guide rails  71  may be combined to a rear side of the monitor main body  10  without being combined to the second guide plate  60 , and the link unit  80  may be directly combined to a rear side of the monitor main body  10 , and thus the second guide plate  60  may not be necessary. However, the second guide plate  60  should be included to increase efficiency of producing monitor apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in an assembling process. 
   The link unit  80  passes through the guide groove  52  of the first guide plate  50  and is combined to the pivoting bracket  40  at a position separate from a center of the pivoting shaft  51  accommodated in the pivoting bracket  41 . 
   Thus, the link unit  80  controls the second guide plate  60  to slide on relative to the first guide plate  50 , and thus the monitor main body  10  is moved upward relative from the base member  20  when the first guide plate  50  is pivoting relative to the pivoting bracket  40 . 
   The link unit  80  comprises a screw hole  81  respectively formed in end parts thereof, wherein a first hinge shaft  86  and a second hinge shaft  87  are respectively combined to each of the screw holes  81 , and spirals (not shown) formed in end parts of the first hinge shaft  86  and the second hinge shaft  87 , the link unit  80  is combined relative to the first guide plate  50  and the pivoting bracket  40 . Thus, the link unit  80  is rotatably combined to the second guide plate  60  and the pivoting bracket  40 . 
   A detailed description about an operation mechanism of the link unit  80  according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows. In  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the link unit  80  is combined to an upper part of the pivoting bracket  40  in a point (b) located on an axis clockwise rotated about a center (a) of the pivoting shaft  51  at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with a vertical axis passing, and combined to the second guide plate  60  in a point (c) located on an axis passing the center (a) of the pivoting shaft  51  and separated farther than the point (b) where the link unit  80  is combined to the pivoting bracket  40  from the center (a) of the pivoting shaft  51 . 
   When the first guide plate is pivoting by rotating clockwise at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the pivoting bracket  40 , the second guide plate  60  slidably combined with the first guide plate  50  rotates along the first guide plate  50 . The link unit  80  is combined to the second guide plate  60 , therefore the link unit  80  also rotates clockwise about the point (b) where the link unit  80  and the pivoting bracket are combined to each other. Here, the link unit  80  rotates at an angle of 90 degrees, thus the point (c) is located in a lower part of the pivoting bracket  40 . Herein, the link unit  80  rotates as much as the first guide plate  50  is rotated. 
   According to the operation of the link unit  80  described above, when the first guide plate  50  is pivoting relative to the pivoting bracket  40 , the second guide plate  60  slides upward relative to the first guide plate  50  by the link unit  80 . 
   Based on this operation, an angle and a height of the monitor main body  10  are adjusted relative to the base member  20  by pivoting the first guide plate  50  clockwise and counter clockwise relative to the pivoting bracket  40  depending on combination locations of the link unit  80  and the pivoting bracket  40 , and of the link unit  80  and the second guide plate  60   
   The guide groove  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , is not to be interrupted by the link unit  80  which penetrates the first guide plate  50 . Also, the guide groove  52  limits a pivoting angle of the monitor main body  10  relative to the base member  20 , and comprises a predetermined length depending on a range limited to desired angles of pivoting. 
   With such a configuration above, the operation of the monitor apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows. 
   First, the monitor main body  10  rotates clockwise to pivot relative to the base member  20 , and the rotation causes the first guide plate  50  and the second guide plate  60  provided in a rear side of the monitor main body  10  to rotate relative to the pivoting bracket  40 . The link unit  80 , which passes through the first guide plate  50  and connects the second guide plate  60  with the pivoting bracket  40 , moves along the second guide plate  60  and thus, the point where the link unit  80  and the pivoting bracket  40  are combined rotates clockwise about a center axis of rotation. Here, the link unit  80  rotates as much as the first guide plate  50  rotates. However, the first guide plate  50  and the link unit  80  have different center axes of rotation, and thus the link unit  80  mechanically controls the second guide plate  60  to slide on the first guide plate  50  according to the operation of the link unit  80  described above, and the monitor main body  10  is raised relative to the base member  20 . Accordingly, the monitor main body  10  is raised at the same time it pivots relative to the base member  20 . 
   Herein, the monitor apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is designed to prevent a corner of a monitor main body from contacting with a base member or a flat surface on which the monitor apparatus is located when the monitor main body is pivoting relative to the base member by controlling a distance between the monitor main body and the base member. Also, the monitor main body maintains a proper height and angle corresponding to a user&#39;s eyelevel. 
   Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8