Supporting apparatus for display devices and display device having the same

• US 20080035802A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Young Tai
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/123.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/919 Adjustably orientable video screen support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/922 Angular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting

Abstract

Provided are a supporting apparatus for display devices and a display device having the same, which make it possible to simplify construction, compared to the conventional ones, to provide easier production and to reduce production costs, as well as to maintain uniform motion of a main body of the display device when adjusting a viewing angle of a display screen of the main body. The supporting apparatus for display devices includes a supporting bracket provided to a main body of the display device, a base supporting the main body, a stand coupled to the base at a lower portion thereof and to the supporting bracket at an upper portion thereof, and a joint rotatably connecting the upper portion of the stand and the supporting bracket. Here, the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the upper portion of the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the supporting bracket so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

Claims

1. A supporting apparatus for display devices, comprising:

a supporting bracket provided to a main body of the display device;

a base to support the main body;

a stand coupled to the base at a lower portion thereof and to the supporting bracket at an upper portion thereof; and

a joint to rotatably connect the upper portion of the stand and the supporting bracket,

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the upper portion of the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the supporting bracket so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

2. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

3. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved plug is cylindrical and is integrally formed with the stand.

4. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elastic member has the shape of a cap, and includes an inner contact surface corresponding to the outer surface of the curved plug, and an outer contact surface corresponding to an inner surface of the curved socket.

5. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

6. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inner contact surface of the elastic member has a horizontal width, of its opening, less than the horizontal diameter of the curved plug, and has a vertical depth greater than a vertical radius of the curved plug.

7. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the outer surface of the elastic member and the inner surface of the curved socket are each provided with a corrugation having a convexity and a concavity.

8. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rotation stopper provided to the curved plug and the supporting bracket so as to restrict a rotational range within which the main body rotates backwards and forwards.

9. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rotation stopper includes at least one protrusion that protrudes from the upper portion of the curved plug, and at least one slot that is formed at the supporting bracket in a rotating direction of the supporting bracket so as to allow the protrusion to be inserted thereinto.

10. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the protrusion is provided with first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof; and

the slot is provided with first and second catch recesses so as to catch the first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof.

11. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement spring that is covered on an outer surface of the elastic member so as to reinforce the elasticity of the elastic member.

12. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the reinforcement spring has a “

C”

shaped spring pressing the outer surface of the elastic member in close contact with the outer surface of the elastic member; and

the elastic member is provided with a spring fitting recess for fitting the reinforcement spring on the outer contact surface thereof.

13. A display device, comprising:

a main body having a display screen; and

a supporting apparatus to support the main body,

wherein the supporting apparatus includes a supporting bracket provided to the main body, a base supporting the main body, a stand coupled to the base at a lower portion thereof and to the supporting bracket at an upper portion thereof, and a joint to rotatably connect the upper portion of the stand and the supporting bracket, and

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the upper portion of the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the supporting bracket so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

14. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the curved plug is cylindrical and is integrally formed with the stand.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the elastic member has the shape of a cap, and includes an inner contact surface corresponding to the outer surface of the curved plug, and an outer contact surface corresponding to an inner surface of the curved socket.

17. The display device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

18. The display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the inner contact surface of the elastic member has a horizontal width, of its opening, less than the horizontal diameter of the curved plug, and has a vertical depth greater than a vertical radius of the curved plug.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the elastic member and the inner surface of the curved socket are each provided with a corrugation having a convexity and a concavity.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a rotation stopper provided to the curved plug and the supporting bracket so as to restrict a rotational range within which the main body rotates backwards and forwards.

21. The display device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the rotation stopper includes at least one protrusion that protrudes from the upper portion of the curved plug, and at least one slot that is formed at the supporting bracket in a rotating direction of the supporting bracket so as to allow the protrusion to be inserted thereinto.

22. The display device as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

the protrusion is provided with first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof; and

the slot is provided with first and second catch recesses so as to catch the first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof.

23. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the lower portion of the stand is fixed to the base.

24. The display device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a reinforcement spring that is covered on an outer surface of the elastic member so as to reinforce elasticity of the elastic member.

25. The display device as claimed in claim 24, wherein:

the reinforcement spring has a “

C”

shaped spring pressing the outer surface of the elastic member in close contact with the outer surface of the elastic member; and

the elastic member is provided with a spring fitting recess for fitting the reinforcement spring on the outer contact surface thereof.

26. A supporting apparatus for display devices, comprising:

a base to support a main body of the display device;

a stand coupled to the base at a lower portion thereof and to the supporting bracket at an upper portion thereof; and

a joint to rotatably connect the lower portion of the stand and the base,

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the lower portion of the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the base so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

27. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

28. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the curved plug is cylindrical and is integrally formed with the stand.

29. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the elastic member has the shape of a cap, and includes an inner contact surface corresponding to the outer surface of the curved plug, and an outer contact surface corresponding to an inner surface of the curved socket.

30. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

31. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the inner contact surface of the elastic member has a horizontal width, of its opening, less than the horizontal diameter of the curved plug, and has a vertical depth greater than a vertical radius of the curved plug.

32. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the outer surface of the elastic member and the inner surface of the curved socket are each provided with a corrugation having a convexity and a concavity.

33. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the upper portion of the stand is fixed to the main body.

34. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the joint further includes a rotation stopper provided to the curved plug and the base so as to restrict a rotational range within which the main body rotates backwards and forwards.

35. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the rotation stopper includes a protrusion that protrudes from the upper portion of the curved plug, and a slot that is formed at the base in a rotating direction of the curved plug so as to allow the protrusion to be inserted thereinto.

36. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein:

the protrusion is provided with first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof; and

the slot is provided with first and second catch recesses so as to catch the first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof.

37. The supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a lower cover coupled to the lower portion of the base in order to open and close the lower portion of the curved socket.

38. A display device, comprising:

a main body having a display screen; and

a supporting apparatus to support the main body,

wherein the supporting apparatus includes a base supporting the main body, a stand coupled to the base at a lower portion thereof and to the main body at an upper portion thereof, and a joint to rotatably connect the lower portion of the stand and the base, and

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the lower portion of the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the base so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

39. The display device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

40. The display device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the curved plug is spherical and is integrally formed with the stand.

41. The display device as claimed in claim 40, wherein the elastic member has the shape of a cap, and includes an inner contact surface corresponding to the outer surface of the curved plug, and an outer contact surface corresponding to an inner surface of the curved socket.

42. The display device as claimed in claim 41, wherein the curved plug is oval and has a vertical diameter greater than a horizontal diameter.

43. The display device as claimed in claim 42, wherein the inner contact surface of the elastic member has a horizontal width, of its opening, less than the horizontal diameter of the curved plug, and has a vertical depth greater than a vertical radius of the curved plug.

44. The display device as claimed in claim 42, wherein the outer surface of the elastic member and the inner surface of the curved socket are each provided with a corrugation having a convexity and a concavity.

45. The display device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the upper portion of the stand is fixed to the main body.

46. The display device as claimed in claim 38, wherein the joint further includes a rotation stopper provided to the curved plug and the supporting bracket so as to restrict a rotational range within which the main body rotates backwards and forwards.

47. The display device as claimed in claim 46, wherein the rotation stopper includes a protrusion that protrudes from the upper portion of the curved plug, and a slot that is formed at the base in a rotating direction of the curved plug so as to allow the protrusion to be inserted thereinto.

48. The display device as claimed in claim 47, wherein:

the protrusion is provided with first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof; and

the slot is provided with first and second catch recesses so as to catch the first and second catch steps at opposite ends thereof.

49. The display device as claimed in claim 38, further comprising a lower cover coupled to the lower portion of the base in order to open and close the lower portion of the curved socket.

50. A supporting apparatus for a main body of a display device, the supporting apparatus comprising:

a supporting bracket adapted to be coupled to the main body; and

a joint to rotatably couple the supporting bracket to a stand,

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the supporting bracket so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.

51. A supporting apparatus for a display device, the supporting apparatus comprising:

a base;

a stand coupled to a main body of the display device; and

a joint to rotatably couple the stand and the base,

wherein the joint includes a curved plug that is provided at the stand and has a curved outer surface, a curved socket that is formed at the base so as to be coupled with the curved plug, and an elastic member that is interposed and connected between the curved plug and the curved socket.