RECONFIGURABLE PROJECTION-SCREEN SYSTEM

• US 20070153375A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Peterson, Mark, Engle, T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/443
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/56 Projection screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/58 collapsible, e.g. foldable; of variable area
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/00 Focusing arrangements of general interest for cameras, projectors or printers

Abstract

A reconfigurable projection-screen system. The projection-screen system includes a flexible screen and a frame assembly. The flexible screen includes a screen perimeter and a viewing region interior the screen perimeter. The frame assembly includes a plurality of frame members, where at least some of the plurality of frame members include a screen perimeter engaging portion. The plurality of frame members are selectively arrangeable in at least an assembled viewing configuration and a disassembled configuration. In the assembled viewing configuration the plurality of screen perimeter engaging portions extend the screen perimeter and hold the viewing region substantially flat. In the disassembled configuration the plurality of screen perimeter engaging portions allow the viewing region to fold.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable projection-screen system, comprising:

a flexible screen including a screen perimeter and a viewing region interior the screen perimeter; and

a frame assembly including a plurality of frame members, where at least some of the plurality of frame members include a screen perimeter engaging portion, and where the plurality of frame members are selectively arrangeable in at least an assembled viewing configuration and a disassembled configuration, where in the assembled viewing configuration the plurality of screen perimeter engaging portions extend the screen perimeter and hold the viewing region substantially flat, and where in the disassembled configuration the plurality of screen perimeter engaging portions allow the viewing region to fold.

2. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 1, where the plurality of frame members includes a plurality of joints and a plurality of elongated spanners, each elongated spanner having a first end and a second end, where each of the first end and the second end includes a joint-engaging portion.

3. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 2, where the joint-engaging portion of at least one of the first end and the second end is selectively disengageable with a corresponding joint.

4. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 2, where one of the plurality of joints is integral with the first end of one of the plurality of elongated spanners.

5. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 2, where the first end of one of the plurality of elongated spanners is tethered to the second end of another of the plurality of elongated spanners.

6. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 5, where a stretchable cord tethers the elongated spanners.

7. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 1, where the plurality of frame members includes a hub joint and a plurality of elongated spanners, each elongated spanner having a first end including a joint-engaging portion and a second end including a screen perimeter engaging portion.

8. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 7, where the plurality of elongated spanners radially extend from the hub to the screen perimeter when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

9. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 7, where the joint-engaging portion is selectively disengageable with the hub.

10. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 7, where the hub includes an adjustment mechanism to change the effective length of at least one of the elongated spanners.

11. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 1, where the viewing region is rectangular when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

12. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 11, where the screen perimeter is rectangular when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

13. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 11, where the screen perimeter is nonrectangular when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

14. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 13, where at least some of the plurality of frame members are resiliently bent and tension the flexible screen when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

15. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 1, where at least some of the plurality of frame members are resiliently bent and tension the flexible screen when the frame assembly is arranged in the assembled viewing configuration.

16. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 1, where in the disassembled configuration the plurality of screen perimeter engaging portions allow the viewing region to fold in at least two different dimensions.

17. A reconfigurable projection-screen system, comprising:

a frame assembly including;

a plurality of frame-perimeter members; and

a plurality of joints, each joint to selectively hold at least two of the frame-perimeter members in a fixed orientation relative to one another, where each joint allows selective disassembly of the at least two frame-perimeter members; and

a screen surface connectable to the frame assembly, where the frame assembly extends the screen surface substantially flat when the plurality of joints hold the plurality of frame-perimeter members in the fixed orientation and the screen is connected to the frame assembly, and where the frame assembly allows the screen surface to fold when the plurality of frame-perimeter members are disassembled.

18. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 17, where the screen surface is permanently connected to the frame assembly.

19. The reconfigurable projection-screen system of claim 17, where the screen surface is selectively connected to the frame assembly.

20. A reconfigurable projection-screen system, comprising:

a frame assembly including;

a hub joint; and

a plurality of elongated spanners configured to selectively couple to the hub joint in a radially extending pattern; and

a screen surface connectable to the frame assembly, where the frame assembly extends the screen surface substantially flat when the plurality of elongated spanners are coupled to the hub joint and the screen is connected to the frame assembly, and where the frame assembly allows the screen surface to fold when the plurality of elongated spanners are uncoupled from the hub joint.