Lock device, display apparatus and liquid crystal apparatus

• US 6,145,797 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uehara, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US08/982,521
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 248/291.1, 248/292.11, 248/292.13, 248/917, 248/919, 248/922, 248/923, 248/371, 403/84, 403/87, 403/110, 403/329, 16/305, 16/307, 16/308, 16/342
• US Class Current: 248/291.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/084 the friction depending on direction of rotation or opening angle of the hinge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/041 for balancing rotational movement of the head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32262 At selected angle

Abstract

A supported body, such as a display panel or liquid crystal panel, is revolvably supported by a support via a revolution shaft and secured at an arbitrary revolution angle by a lock device. The lock device includes a torsion spring having a free end and a fixed end, into which the revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, a holding member provided to the support or supported body so as to hold the revolution shaft rotatably and having an engaging part engaged with the fixed end of the torsion spring, and a stopper member secured to the revolution shaft and abutting the free end of the torsion spring for preventing coming-off of the fixed end of the torsion spring from the engaging part. In addition, an interlocked rotating member is disposed rotatably on the revolution shaft between the stopper member and the free end of the torsion spring so as to abut to and rotate together with the free end of the torsion spring when the supported body is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of the torsion spring. The torsion spring and the stopper member can be replaced with a pair of torsion springs disposed so as to sandwich the interlocked rotating member which is typically ring-shaped.

Claims

1. A lock device for securing at an arbitrary revolution angle a supported body revolvably supported by a support, comprising:

a revolution shaft;

a torsion spring into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said torsion spring having a free end side and a fixed end,

a holding member for attachment to the support or supported body so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and having an engaging part engaged with the fixed end of said torsion spring;

a stopper member secured to said revolution shaft the free end side of said torsion spring for preventing the fixed end of said torsion spring from coming off of said engaging part; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between said stopper member and the free end of said torsion spring so as to abut to and rotate together with the free end of the torsion spring when the supported body is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion spring.

2. A lock device according to claim 1, wherein said interlocked rotating member is in the form of a ring.

3. A lock device for securing at an arbitrary revolution angle a supported body revolvably supported by a support, comprising:

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually reverse winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members for attachment to the support or supported body so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free ends of the two torsion springs when the supported body is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion springs.

4. A lock device according to claim 3, wherein said interlocked rotating member is in the form of a ring.

5. A lock device for securing at an arbitrary revolution angle a supported body revolvably supported by a support, comprising:

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually identical winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members for attachment to the support or supported body so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free end of one of said two torsion springs when the supported body is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said one of said two torsion springs.

6. A lock device according to claim 5, wherein said interlocked rotating member is in the form of a ring.

7. A display apparatus, comprising:

(A) a display panel;

(B) a support for supporting said display panel; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

a torsion spring into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said torsion spring having a free end side and a fixed end,

a holding member attached to said support or said display panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and having an engaging part engaged with the fixed end of said torsion spring;

a stopper member secured to said revolution shaft at the free end side of said torsion spring for preventing the fixed end of said torsion spring from coming off of said engaging part; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between said stopper member and the free end of said torsion spring so as to abut to and rotate together with the free end of said torsion spring when said display panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion spring.

8. A display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said support supports said display panel at the back of said display panel, and said lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.

9. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

(A) a liquid crystal panel;

(B) a support for supporting said display panel revolvably; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

a torsion spring into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said torsion spring having a free end side and a fixed end,

a holding member attached to said support or said liquid crystal panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and having an engaging part engaged with the fixed end of said torsion spring;

a stopper member secured to said revolution shaft at the free end side of said torsion spring for preventing the fixed end of said torsion spring from coming off of said engaging part; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between said stopper member and the free end of said torsion spring so as to abut to and rotate together with the free end of said torsion spring when said liquid crystal panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion spring.

10. A liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said support supports said liquid crystal panel at a back of said liquid crystal panel, and said lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.

11. A display apparatus, comprising:

(A) a display panel;

(B) a support for supporting said display panel revolvably; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually reverse winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members attached to said support or display panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free ends of said two torsion springs when said display panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion springs.

12. A display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said support supports said display panel at a back of said display panel, and said lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.

13. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

(A) a liquid crystal panel;

(B) a support for supporting said liquid crystal panel revolvably; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually reverse winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members attached to said support or said liquid crystal panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free ends of said two torsion springs when said liquid crystal panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said torsion springs.

14. A liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said support supports said liquid crystal panel at the back of the liquid crystal panel, and the lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.

15. A display apparatus, comprising:

(A) a display panel;

(B) a support for supporting said display panel revolvably; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually identical winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members attached to said support or said display panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free ends of one of said two torsion springs when said display panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said one of said two torsion springs.

16. A display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said support supports said display panel at a back of said display panel, and said lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.

17. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

(A) a liquid crystal panel;

(B) a support for supporting said liquid crystal panel revolvably; and

(C) a lock device including;

a revolution shaft;

two torsion springs into which said revolution shaft is inserted in an intimately contacting state, said two torsion springs each having a fixed end and a free end and having mutually identical winding directions with respect to their mutually opposite respective elongation directions from each fixed end to the free end;

a pair of holding members attached to said support or said liquid crystal panel so as to hold said revolution shaft rotatably and respectively having engaging parts engaged with the respective fixed ends of said two torsion springs; and

an interlocked rotating member disposed rotatably on said revolution shaft between the fixed ends of said two torsion springs so as to abut to and rotate together with the free ends one of said two torsion springs when said liquid crystal panel is revolved in a reverse direction relative to the winding direction of said one of said two torsion springs.

18. A liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said support supports said liquid crystal panel at a back of said liquid crystal panel, and said lock device is mounted at an upper end of said support.