Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to two provisional patent applications: (1) 60/758,636 filed Jan. 12, 2006; and (2) 60/831,640 filed Jul. 17, 2006, which are both incorporated by references. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention:  
         [0003]     This invention is directed to a stand system that is capable of adjusting the viewing angle of a monitor and, in particular, capable of adjusting the tilting angle of the monitor.  
         [0004]     2. Background of the Invention:  
         [0005]     Flat panel monitors such as computer monitors, LCD TVs, plasma TVs, slim TVs, and the like (collectively referred to as “monitor(s)”) are becoming popular because of their slim appearance. Generally, the monitors are mounted onto a wall or either placed on the floor or placed on top of a table stand. Once a monitor is in position, a viewer generally adjusts the viewing angle of the monitor manually to a new viewing position so that the viewer may more comfortably view the monitor from a different location or to deflect a glare on the monitor away from the viewer. Manually adjusting the viewing angle of the monitor, however, can be inconvenient for the viewer. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that can adjust the viewing angle of a monitor more conveniently.  
       INVENTION SUMMARY  
       [0006]     This invention is directed to a stand system that tilts a monitor up or down. The stand system can move the monitor either manually or through one or more motors. The stand system has a base and a neck. The base has an arc configuration that slides on one or more rollers. The base may be engaged with a gear mechanism that slides the base along the rollers following the arc configuration of the base. The gear mechanism may be coupled to a motor to slide the base on the roller through a motorized action.  
         [0007]     The neck has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is adapted to couple the base, and the distal end is adapted to couple to back side of a monitor. The distal end of the neck may be sized and configured so that with the monitor coupled to the distal end, the distance between the center of the monitor and the proximal end of the neck may be similar to the radius of curvature of the base. However, it is within the scope of the invention to have the distance between the center of the monitor and the proximal end of the neck to be greater or less than the radius of curvature of the base. With the stand system described above, the torque required on the gear to move the base may be minimized because the moment of inertia due to the mass of the monitor is minimized as the monitor tilts. As such, even a heavy TV such as a plasma TV can be tilted substantially along its center of gravity to minimize the torque required on the gear.  
         [0008]     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a stand system in a first position.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the stand system according to  FIG. 1  in a second position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the stand system according to  FIG. 1  in a third position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the stand system illustrating a carousel adapted to swivel a monitor.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a distal end of a neck with a motorized housing for swiveling a monitor.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is control diagram illustrating adjusting the viewing angle of a monitor through a remote control.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the stand system illustrating that a gear may engage a base at different locations.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side view of an alternative stand system.  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the stand system of  FIG. 8 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of a stand system  10 , along the YZ plane, capable of tilting a monitor  12  substantially about its center axis  14 . The stand system  10  includes a base  16  and a neck  18 . The base  16  may have an arc configuration where the radius of curvature of the base has a radius r 1 . The radius r 1  is the approximate distance between the center axis  14  and the base  16 . Note that the partial circular hash lines are shown for illustrative purpose only to indicate that the base  16  may have an arc representing a portion of a circle  20  having a radius r 1  where the center of the circle  20  is represented by the center axis  14 .  
         [0020]     The neck  18  may be provided between the monitor  12  and the base  16 . The neck  18  may have a proximal end  22  and a distal end  24 . The neck  18  may be sized so that the distance between the center axis  14  and the base  16  has a radius r 1 . Note that the neck may have a variety of configuration with the distance between the center axis  14  and the base  16  has a radius r 1 . The proximal end  22  of the neck  18  may be coupled to the base  16 , and the distal end  24  of the neck  18  may be adapted to couple to the monitor  12 . The location of the distal end  24  may be near the center of the circle  20  so that once the monitor  12  is attached to the distal end  24 , the center axis  14  of the monitor  12  is substantially along the focal point of the arc formed by the base  16 .  
         [0021]     The base  16  may be supported by one or more rollers  24  to allow the base  16  to move substantially along the arc formed by the circle  20 . The base  16  may be engaged with a gear  26  that rotates to cause the base  16  to move along the path formed by the circle  20 . The gear  26  may be driven either manually or through a motor. For instance, a counter-clockwise rotation of the gear  26  may cause the base  16  to move in counter-clockwise direction; and, conversely, clockwise rotation of the gear  26  may cause the base  16  to move in clockwise direction.  
         [0022]     The center of gravity of different monitors may differ depending on the placement of their internal components. Assuming, however, that the center axis  14  of the monitor  12  substantially represents the center of gravity of the monitor  12 , the monitor  12  may pivot about its center of gravity as the base  16  moves. This allows the stand system  10  to tilt the monitor  12  substantially along its center of gravity, in the YZ plane, so that moment of inertia due to the mass of the monitor  12  may be minimized.  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows the monitor  12  in a first position  28  that is substantially along the direction of gravitation force.  FIG. 2  shows the mount  12  in a second position  30  that is in a titled down position. In this regard, the gear  26  may rotate in the counter-clockwise direction to move the base  16  in the counter-clockwise direction along the path defined by the circle  20 , which in turn tilts the monitor  12  downwards about its center of gravity. Note that the downward tilting angle Ø 1  may be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the radius r 1 , respectively, while maintaining the same circumference length of the base  16 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  shows the mount  12  in a third position  32  that is in a tilted up position. In this regard, the gear  26  may rotate in the clockwise direction to move the base  16  in the clockwise direction along the path defined by the circle  20 , which in turn tilts the monitor  12  upwards about its center of gravity. Note that in the three positions  28 ,  30 , and  32 , the center of gravity of the monitor  12  is substantially maintained in the same position so that the weight of the monitor  12  may be supported by the rollers  24 . In addition, torque required on the gear  26  to move the base  16  may be minimized with the moment of inertia due to the mass of the panel  12  being minimized as the monitor tilts. With the stand system  10  described above, even a heavy TV such as a plasma TV can be tilted substantially along its center of gravity to minimize the torque required on the gear  26 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of the stand system  10  along the XZ plane. The stand system  10  may include a carousel  34  adapted to rotate relative to a base plate  36 . The base plate  36  may be adapted to sit on the floor or on top of a table. The carousel  34  may rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction along the XZ plane. The carousel  34  may rotate either manually or through a motor. The base  16  may be coupled to the carousel  34  so that as the carousel  34  rotates, the monitor  12  may be rotated or swivel about the XZ plane. Note that the distal end  24  of the neck  18  may couple to the back side of the monitor  12  so that the center of gravity of the monitor  12  is substantially along the center of the carousel  34  so that the monitor  12  may substantially swivel about its center of gravity.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows an enlarge view of the distal end of the neck  18  along the YZ plane. In this embodiment, a motor  38  may be provided on the distal end  24  of the neck  18  to swivel the monitor  12  along the XZ plane. The distal end  24  of the neck  18  extends from a housing  46  that includes a shaft  40  that is coupled to the neck  18 . The housing includes a wheel gear  42  that is coupled to the shaft  40 . The motor  38  has a motor gear  44  that is engaged with the wheel gear  42 . As the motor gear  44  rotates, the housing  46  rotates about the shaft  40  or swivels about the XZ plane, which in turn swivels the monitor  12  around the shaft  40  or along the XZ plane.  
         [0027]     The distal end  24  may also be coupled to a second housing  45  adapted to receive a portion of the neck  18 . This allows the distal end  24  to be adjustable along the Z-axis relative to the neck  18  so that the center axis  14  of the monitor  12  may be the focal point of the arc formed by the base  16 . With the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the monitor  12  may be swiveled either through the carousel  34  or the housing  46 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a control diagram  48  for adjusting the viewing angle of the monitor  12  through a remote control  50 . The remote control  50  may have swivel left button  52 , swivel right button  54 , tilt up button  56 , and a tilt down button  57 . The control diagram  48  includes a receiver  58  that receives the control signal from the remote control  50 . The receiver  58  sends the control signal to a processor  60 , which then controls the motors  62  and  64  to tilt and/or swivel the monitor  12 . For instance, the motor  62  may be linked to the gear  26  to tilt the monitor up by rotating the gear in the clockwise direction or tilt the monitor down by rotating the gear  26  in a counter-clockwise direction. The motor  64  may be linked to the carousel  34  to swivel the carousel  34  either in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to swivel the monitor. In reference to  FIG. 5  where the monitor is swiveled through the housing  46 , the motor  64  may be the motor  38  discussed above.  
         [0029]     With the remote control  50 , a user can adjust the viewing angle of the monitor  12  by pushing one or more of the buttons  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  57 . For instance, a viewer can push the tilt down button  57  to adjust the viewing angle of the monitor  12  towards the second position  30 ; and push the tilt up button  56  to adjust the viewing angle of the monitor  12  towards the third position  32 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  shows that the gear  26  may be located at different locations. For instance, the gear  26  may be located at a first position  70  and/or a second position  72 . By locating the gear  26  in the first position  70 , which is in the front side of the monitor  12 , the stand system  10  may have greater tilt angle in the clockwise direction than in the counter-clockwise direction. Conversely, by locating the gear  26  in the second position  72 , which is in the rear side of the monitor  12 , the stand system  10  may have greater tilt angle in the counter-clockwise direction than in the clockwise direction. In reference, to  FIG. 1 , by having the gear  26  located at the center of the base  16 , the tilt angle is same in either direction. Note that a gear that is mechanically coupled to a motor may be located on the top side of the base  16  and/or on the bottom side of the base  16 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  shows a stand system  200  having a first portion  202  and a second portion  204 . The first portion  202  has a proximal end  206  that is adapted to extend and retract relative to the second portion  204  in an arcing manner. The distal end  208  of the first portion is adapted to couple to the back side of a monitor  210 . The second portion  204  has a neck  212  adapted to receive the proximal end  206  of the first portion  202 . The second portion  204  has a base  214  adapted to sit on top of a table or floor, or adapted to attached to a ceiling.  FIG. 8  shows the stand system  200  in a first position  216  where the monitor is tilted upwards; a second position  218  where the monitor is substantially in an upright position; and a third position  220  where the monitor is tilted downwards. As the first portion  202  extends from the second portion  204 , the first portion  202  may be shaped in a semi-circular configuration to form an arc having a radius “R” about the focal point “F.” 
         [0032]     The second portion  204  may have one or more openings  222  to allow cables and cords to pass therethrough and couple to the inputs in the monitor  210  to provide audio and video signals and power to the monitor.  FIG. 9  shows a rear perspective view of the stand system  200  in the second position  218 . The second portion  204  has two openings  222  to allow audio and video wires and power cords to pass therethrough and connect to the input sockets on the monitor. As discussed above, the second portion  204  may swivel relative to the base  214 .  
         [0033]     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 2