Image display apparatus

• US 7,864,515 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Numata, Koichi, Endoh, Takumi, Bunya, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US12/356,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.22, 361/679.21, 248/122.1, 348/794, 407/35
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/105 the horizontal axis being the roll axis, e.g. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/005 integral with the apparatus or articles to be supported
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes a casing, a stand, and an image display section. The stand is formed of a single rod. The image display apparatus further includes a link mechanism that links the rod and a portion of the rear surface, supports the rod so as to be pivotal between a falling-down position where the rod falls down on the rear surface and a standing position where the rod stands from the rear surface, and locks and holds the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position. The rod is located at the standing position and one of two long sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod are placed onto a placing surface, whereby a first posture in which the casing stands with a first angle with respect to the placing surface is formed. The rod is located at the standing position and one of two short sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod are placed onto the placing surface, whereby a second posture in which the casing stands with a second angle with respect to the placing surface is formed.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a flat rectangular plate-like casing;

a display surface formed on a front surface that is one surface of the casing in the thickness direction;

a stand provided to the rear surface that is the other surface of the casing in the thickness direction; and

an image display section provided to the casing for allowing an image to be displayed onto the display surface,

wherein, the stand is composed of a single rod linearly extending,

wherein the image display apparatus includes a link mechanism that links the rod and a portion of the rear surface, supports the rod so as to be pivotal between a falling-down position where the rod falls down on the rear surface and a standing position where the rod stands from the rear surface, and locks and holds the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position,

a first posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two long sides of the casing and the leading end, which is the other end of the rod in the extending direction, onto a placing surface, the first posture being defined such that the casing stands with a first angle with respect to the placing surface, and

a second posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two short sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod onto the placing surface, the second posture being defined such that the casing stands with a second angle with respect to the placing surface,

wherein;

a housing section for housing the image display section projects with an outline smaller than the rear surface, on the rear surface;

the housing section stands from the rear surface and has a side face extending so as to be parallel to one of two long sides and two short sides of the casing; and

the rod extends so as to be parallel to the site face of the housing section in proximate to the side face, and is positioned in the outline of the rear surface viewed from the rear of the rear surface at the falling-down position.

2. An image display apparatus comprising:

a flat rectangular plate-like casing;

a display surface formed on a front surface that is one surface of the casing in the thickness direction;

a stand provided to the rear surface that is the other surface of the casing in the thickness direction; and

an image display section provided to the casing for allowing an image to be displayed onto the display surface,

wherein, the stand is composed of a single rod linearly extending,

wherein the image display apparatus includes a link mechanism that links the rod and a portion of the rear surface, supports the rod so as to be pivotal between a falling-down position where the rod falls down on the rear surface and a standing position where the rod stands from the rear surface, and locks and holds the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position,

a first posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two long sides of the casing and the leading end, which is the other end of the rod in the extending direction, onto a placing surface, the first posture being defined such that the casing stands with a first angle with respect to the placing surface, and

a second posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two short sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod onto the placing surface, the second posture being defined such that the casing stands with a second angle with respect to the placing surface,

wherein;

the link mechanism includes a cam groove that is engaged with a base end of the rod for guiding the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position, the cam groove including,

a first groove and a second groove crossing the first groove,

an engagement concave portion for the falling-down position formed at the other end of the first groove portion in the extending direction, the engagement concave portion for the falling-down position being engaged with the base end of the rod so as to locate the rod to the falling-down position, and

an engagement concave portion for the standing position formed at the end of the second groove portion, which is apart from the first groove portion, the engagement concave portion for the standing position being engaged with the base end of the rod so as to locate the rod to the standing position; and

the second groove portion is connected to one end of the first groove portion in the extending direction, and extends in the direction of crossing the first groove portion from the one end in the extending direction with an acute angle with a length shorter than the extending length of the first groove portion, in order to form the cam groove into an L shape.

3. A image display apparatus comprising:

a flat rectangular plate-like casing;

a display surface formed on a front surface that is one surface of the casing in the thickness direction;

a stand provided to the rear surface that is the other surface of the casing in the thickness direction; and

an image display section provided to the casing for allowing an image to be displayed onto the display surface,

wherein, the stand is composed of a single rod linearly extending,

wherein the image display apparatus includes a link mechanism that links the rod and a portion of the rear surface, supports the rod so as to be pivotal between a falling-down position where the rod falls down on the rear surface and a standing position where the rod stands from the rear surface, and locks and holds the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position,

a first posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two long sides of the casing and the leading end, which is the other end of the rod in the extending direction, onto a placing surface, the first posture being defined such that the casing stands with a first angle with respect to the placing surface, and

a second posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two short sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod onto the placing surface, the second posture being defined such that the casing stands with a second angle with respect to the placing, surface,

wherein;

a housing section for housing the image display section projects with an outline smaller than the rear surface, on the rear surface;

the housing section stands from the rear surface and has a side face extending so as to be parallel to one of two long side and two short sides of the casing; and

the rod extends so as to be parallel to the side face of the housing section in proximate to the side face at the portion in front of the rear surface of the housing section, and is positioned in the outline of the rear surface viewed from the rear of the rear surface at the falling-down position.

4. An image display apparatus comprising:

a fiat rectangular plate-like casing;

a display surface formed on a front surface that is one surface of the casing in the thickness direction;

a stand provided to the rear surface that is the other surface of the casing in the thickness direction; and

an image display section provided to the casing for allowing an image to be displayed onto the display surface,

wherein, the stand is composed of a single rod linearly extending,

wherein the image display apparatus includes a link mechanism that links the rod and a portion of the rear surface, sports the rod so as to be pivotal between a falling-down position where the rod falls down on the rear surface and a standing position where the rod stands from the rear surface, and locks and holds the rod to the falling-down position and the standing position,

a first posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two long sides of the casing and the leading end, which is the other end of the rod in the extending direction, onto a placing surface, the first posture being defined such that the casing stands with a first angle with respect to the placing surface, and

a second posture is formed by locating the rod at the standing position and by placing one of two short sides of the casing and the leading end of the rod onto the placing surface, the second posture being defined such that the casing stands with a second angle with respect to the placing surface,

wherein;

a spherical sphere member is provided at a base end which is one end of the rod in the extending direction;

a cam pin that can advance or retreat on the extension line of the axis of the rod and is typically biased in the projecting direction, is mounted to the portion of the sphere member apart from the rod;

a projecting wall portion, which projects rearward from the rear surface and has a spherical space in which the sphere member is fitted so as not to slip off therefrom, is mounted to the rear surface;

an engagement concave portion for the falling-down position with which the cam pin is engaged at the falling-down position and an engagement concave portion for the standing position with which the cam pin is engaged at the standing position are formed on the wall surface forming the spherical space;

a cam groove is formed to the wall surface forming the spherical space, the cam groove having a depth shallower than the engagement concave portion for the falling-down position and the engagement concave portion for the standing position, and connecting the engagement concave portion for the falling-down position and the engagement concave portion for the standing position so as to guide the cam pin to the engagement concave portion for the falling-down position and the engagement concave portion for the standing position; and

the link mechanism is composed of the sphere member, the cam pin, the projecting wall portion, the spherical space, the engagement concave portion for the falling-down position, the engagement concave portion for the standing position, and the cam groove.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the projecting wall section has a side wall standing from the portion of the rear surface and a rear wall connecting the trailing edge of the side wall;

the spherical space is formed at the outside of the projecting wall section in an open fashion by a cutout portion extending toward the side wall from the rear wall; and

the edge of the cutout portion is locked to the rod to prevent the casing from falling down at the standing position.