Interlocking mounting package having separatable chassis for use in multiscreen projection displays

• US 6,594,078 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Planar Systems Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Clarity Visual Systems, Inc. (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Clifton, Benjamin R., Brandt, Christopher W. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US09/819,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 359/449, 359/443, 359/460, 353/74, 353/78, 353/94, 348/383, 348/839, 348/840, 361/724, 361/725, 361/735
• US Class Current: 359/449
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence

Abstract

A stackable mechanical package for a digitally addressed projector (12N) includes a housing portion (22) having top and rear surfaces (44) that are shaped to form a contoured recess (46), and a pedestal portion (20) having bottom and front surfaces (60) that are sized to mate with the contoured recess when the package is in a shippable configuration. When a top side (50) of the pedestal portion is mated to a bottom side (32) of the housing portion, the stackable package is in a first operational configuration. Alternatively, when the stackable package is stacked below another similar stackable package (12F), the shippable configuration further forms a second operational configuration. The stackable package includes legs (24, 26) attached to and protruding from the pedestal portion to support the package apparatus in the first operational configuration or to fasten together the housing and pedestal portions when the package is in the shippable configuration. The fastening employs screws (64) that pass through mating sets of holes (62) in the legs and adjacent housing portions, which are then tightened with nuts (66). Multiple stackable packages may be arrayed vertically and/or horizontally for use in a multiscreen display system (10).

Claims

1. A first stackable package apparatus, comprising:

a housing portion having bottom, top, left, right, front, and rear sides in which at least the top and rear sides include surfaces that are shaped to form a contoured recess; and

a pedestal portion having bottom, top, left, right, front, and rear sides in which at least the bottom and front sides of the pedestal portion include surfaces that are sized to mate with the contoured recess of the housing portion when the first stackable package is in a shippable configuration and in which the top side of the pedestal portion is mated to the bottom side of the housing portion when the stackable package is in a first operational configuration,

wherein when the first stackable package is stacked below a second stackable package that is substantially the same as the first stackable package, the shippable configuration further forms a second operational configuration, the shippable configuration and the second operational configuration being smaller than the first operational configuration and within an allowable size limit for shipping the package apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first operational configuration exceeds the allowable size limit for shipping the package apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the allowable size limit applies to air shipping the package apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including left and right legs attached to and protruding from the pedestal portion and in which the left and right legs are employed in the shippable configuration or the second operational configuration to secure the pedestal portion to the housing portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including left and right legs protruding from the pedestal portion to support the package apparatus in the first operational configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the second stackable package is in the first operational configuration and is stacked above the first stackable package such that the bottom and front surfaces of the pedestal portion attached to the second stackable package mate with the contoured recess in the housing portion of the first stackable package.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the first and second stackable packages are secured together by fasteners attaching the left and right legs of the second stackable package to the housing portion of the first stackable package.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second stackable package is in the first operational configuration and is positioned such that the right sides of the housing and pedestal portions of the first stackable package are adjacent to the left sides of the housing and pedestal portions of the second stackable package.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the first and second stackable packages include left and right legs protruding from the respective pedestal portions to support the first and second stackable packages in the first operational package configuration and in which the first and second stackable packages are secured together by mechanically coupling together adjacent legs of the first and second stackable packages.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first stackable package encloses a projection display and in which the front side of the housing portion includes a front surface comprising a removable projection screen for providing a front service access to the projection display.

11. A method of packaging a first stackable article, comprising:

providing a housing portion having bottom, top, left, right, front, and rear sides in which at least the top and rear sides include surfaces are shaped to form a contoured recess therein;

providing a pedestal portion having bottom, top, left, right, front, and rear sides in which at least the bottom and front sides of the pedestal portion include surfaces that are sized to mate with the contoured recess in the housing portion, and the top side of the pedestal portion is adapted to mate with the bottom side of the housing portion;

forming a first operational configuration of the first stackable article by mating the bottom side of the housing portion to the top side of the pedestal portion;

or

forming a shippable configuration of the first stackable article by mating the bottom and front surfaces of the pedestal portion to the contoured recess in the housing portion, which shippable configuration when stacked below a second stackable article that is substantially the same as the first stackable article further forms a second operational configuration, the shippable configuration and the second operational configuration being smaller than the first operational configuration and within an allowable size limit for shipping the first stackable article.

12. The method of claim 11 further including placing the first stackable article in the shippable configuration and shipping the first stackable article.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the shipping includes air shipping.

14. The method of claim 11 further including:

attaching left and right legs to the pedestal portion;

placing the first stackable article in the shippable configuration; and

fastening the left and right legs to the housing portion to secure the pedestal portion to the housing portion.

15. The method of claim 11 further including:

placing the first stackable article in the second operational configuration;

attaching left and right legs to the pedestal portion of at least the second stackable article; and

fastening the left and right legs of the second stackable article to the housing portion of the first stackable article to secure the second stackable article to the first stackable article.

16. The method of claim 11 further including:

maintaining the first stackable article in the shipping configuration;

mating the pedestal portion of the second stackable article to the housing portion of the first stackable article; and

mating the housing portion of the second stackable article to the pedestal portion of the first stackable article.

17. The method of claim 11 further including attaching left and right legs to the pedestal portion to support the first stackable article in the first operational configuration.

18. The method of claim 11 further including placing the first and second stackable articles in the first operational configuration, and positioning the right sides of the housing and pedestal portions of the first stackable article adjacent to the left sides of the housing and pedestal portions of the second stackable article.

19. The method of claim 18 further including attaching a left leg and a right leg to each of the pedestal portions of the first and second stackable articles, and securing together the first and second stackable articles by mechanically coupling the right leg of the first stackable article to the left leg of the second stackable article.

20. The method of claim 11 in which the first stackable article encloses a projection display and in which the front side of the housing portion includes a front surface comprising a removable projection screen for providing a front service access to the projection display.