Portable collapsible display and projection apparatus

• US 5,622,419 A
• Filed: 01/03/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prolux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Prolux Corporation
• Inventors: Holder, Ron G., McClure, Dick F. Jr., Forkner, John F., Rhoads, Greg M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOWLING, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US08/368,277
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 353/74, 353/77, 353/78, 353/71, 353/119
• US Class Current: 353/119
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/30 adapted to collapse or fold, e.g. for portability

Abstract

A portable collapsible liquid crystal display apparatus which includes a base, and a relatively large viewing screen having a width corresponding substantially to the overall width of said base and which, together with a first planar member of the same size, are pivotally mounted on the base. When the apparatus is in its viewing mode, the screen is turned to an upright position on the base with the mirror in an inclined position extending downwardly behind the screen to reflect images over the entire rear surface of the screen. When the unit is in a collapsed mode, the screen is folded down over the base and the mirror is folded down on top of the screen with its reflective surface facing the screen and with its rear surface forming a protective cover for the screen. The linkage mechanism which couples the screen and mirror to the base includes relatively wide links which also serve to shield the rear surface of the screen from ambient light when the screen is in its upright viewing position. An appropriate optical system is mounted on the base, which includes a liquid crystal light valve, an appropriate light source, a fixed mirror, and a wide angle lens for projecting images from the light valve to the fixed mirror to be reflected through the first-named mirror to the rear surface of the screen.

Claims

1. A collapsible display apparatus comprising:

a base having first and second side walls mounted on opposite sides thereof;

a translucent planar viewing screen;

first linkage mechanisms pivotally coupled to each of said first and second side walls and pivotally coupled to each end of the bottom edge of said viewing screen;

second linkage mechanisms pivotally coupled to each of said side walls at a point displaced from each of said first linkage mechanisms;

a planar mirror member pivotally coupled to the top of said viewing screen and to each of said second linkage mechanisms with its reflective surface in facing relationship with the rear side of said screen;

said screen and said mirror member being angularly movable from a viewing position in which said screen is supported in an upright position above said base and said mirror is supported in an inclined position diverging downwardly from the top of said screen with its reflective surface facing the rear side of said screen, to a collapsed mode in which said screen is folded down over the top edges of said side walls and said mirror is folded down over the rear side of said screen with its reflective surface facing said screen and with its rear surface forming a protective cover for said screen.

2. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said mirror includes side members extending perpendicularly outwardly from the reflecting surface thereof to shield the rear surface of said screen from ambient light when the screen is in its viewing position.

3. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 1, in which said first and second side walls of said base each form first and second inclined shoulders on its outer surface, and said first and second linkage mechanisms each includes an angled link pivotally coupled at one end to a corresponding one of said side walls at first and second spaced pivot points and pivotally coupled at its other end to the respective lower edges of said mirror and said screen, said links each engaging respective ones of said shoulders when said screen and mirror are turned to place the screen in its upright viewing position.

4. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 3, in which said second linkage mechanisms each includes a relatively wide link having an ancillary function of shielding the rear surface of said screen from ambient light when said screen is in its upright viewing position.

5. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 4, and which includes a spring-biased counter weight mounted on each of said relatively wide links at a first end thereof for biasing said screen and mirror to their collapsed position after the screen has been turned manually from its upright viewing position past an over-center position.

6. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 1, and which includes a light source mounted on said base;

a liquid crystal light valve mounted on said base;

optical means directing light from said source to said liquid crystal light valve for illuminating images on said light valve;

an inclined planar second mirror mounted on said base; and

a wide angle projection lens mounted on said base on the optical axis between said light valve and said inclined planar second mirror for directing the illuminated images on said light valve to said inclined planar second mirror to be reflected thereby to said first-named mirror when said screen is in its upright viewing position to be displayed over the surface of said screen.

7. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 6 in which said optical means comprises a parabolic-shaped reflector surrounding said light source.

8. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 6 in which said inclined planar second mirror directs the image displayed by said liquid crystal light valve to said first-named mirror to be projected over the entire rear surface of said screen, and in which said screen has a width and height corresponding substantially to the overall width and height of said base.

9. The collapsible display apparatus defined in claim 7, in which said second mirror is movable out of the optical path to enable said projection lens to project said images to a distant screen.