Display apparatus with elastic members, display panel, panel-fixing member, housing member, faceplate and two almost closed spaces defined by them

• US 6,067,133 A
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Niibori, Kenji, Takahashi, Masanori, Satoh, Takashi, Shioya, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, TARIFUR RASHID
• Application Number:
  US09/121,057
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 349/58, 349/60, 349/158, 349/150
• US Class Current: 349/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/503 Arrangements improving the resistance to shock

Abstract

An impact-resistant display apparatus is constituted by a display panel, a drive circuit for driving the display panel, a face plate disposed in front of the display panel, and a support member for supporting the display panel and the drive circuit. The display apparatus further includes a first elastic member between a rear side of the display panel and the support member, and a second elastic member between a front side of the display panel and the face plate. The first and second elastic members may preferably respectively define and almost closed space together with adjacent associate members so as to provide an air damper-effect.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display panel, a housing member disposed behind and with a spacing from the display panel, a panel-fixing member fixedly supporting the display panel to the housing member, and a face plate having a transparent region disposed in front of the display panel;

said display apparatus further including;

a first elastic member disposed at a position surrounding a display region of the display panel between the display panel and the panel-fixing member,

a second elastic member disposed at a position surrounding a display area of the display panel between the display panel and the face plate, and

a third elastic member disposed between the panel-fixing member and the housing member so that

a first almost closed space is defined by the first elastic member, the third elastic member, the display panel and the housing member, and

a second almost closed space is defined by the second elastic member, the display panel and the face plate.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fourth elastic member is disposed between a peripheral portion of the panel-fixing member and the housing member.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said face plate comprises a transparent substrate and a pair of optical films subjected to a non-glare treatment applied onto both surfaces of the substrate.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing member comprises a backlight device for illuminating the display panel.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second elastic member has a hardness which is smaller than or equal to that of the first elastic member.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third elastic member has a hardness which is smaller than or equal to that of the first elastic member.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second elastic member is compressed in a direction perpendicular to the display panel.

8. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third elastic member is compressed in a direction perpendicular to the display panel.

9. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further including a circuit board for driving the display panel disposed on the panel-fixing member, and a regulating member for regulating a movement in a direction perpendicular to the panel-fixing member.

10. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display panel comprises a liquid crystal panel containing a smectic liquid crystal as an optical modulation material.