Display apparatus having mechanism for opening and closing display panel

• US 7,914,055 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshinaka, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo; Carlos
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, ALYSON MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/594,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20070119790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 292/144, 292/201, 292/279, 292/280, 292/305, 292/306, 292/359, 292/DIG.9, 292/DIG.10, 292/DIG.11, 292/DIG.17, 248/317, 162/70, 348/837, 345/156, 296/37.7
• US Class Current: 292/306
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0082 collapsible, e.g. for storing after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0084 with adjustment by linear movement in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/308 Swinging catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/47 Friction-plate catch

Abstract

A display apparatus composed of a main body and a display panel hinged to the main body is conveniently mounted on a ceiling of an automobile. The display panel is opened to a desired position to display information to a rear seat passenger, while it is closed and stays at a rest position when it is not used. Before the display panel is driven to the desired position, it is unlocked by bringing a holding device to a releasing state, and it is locked at the desired position by bringing the holding device to a holding state. At the holding state, a rotatable member connected to the display panel is gripped by the holding device, and the gripping force imposed on the rotatable member is removed at the releasing state. In this manner, the display panel is surely locked at an arbitrary position and is freely driven with a small driving force.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism for locking a position of a display panel of a display apparatus, the locking mechanism comprising:

a position detector for detecting a position of the display panel, which is hinged to a main body of the display apparatus at a pivot axis of the display panel;

a rotatable member that is rotatable in a predetermined angular range around the pivot axis of the display panel, the rotatable member being driven together with the display panel, wherein an annular projection is formed on an outer surface of the rotatable member, wherein the annular projection is coaxial with a rotation axis of the rotatable member and is truly circular; and

a holding device that includes at least one holding member, wherein a groove, which engages with the projection, is formed on the at least one holding member; and

an actuator that electrically and selectively actuates the holding device to displace the at least one holding member into

(i) a holding state where the groove of the at least one holding member engages with the annular projection of the rotatable member and the rotatable member is unrotatable and locked about the pivot axis, and

(ii) a releasing state where the groove of the at least one holding member disengages from the annular projection of the rotatable member and the rotatable member is rotatable and unlocked to permit pivotal movement of the display panel,

wherein the display panel has a rest position when the rotatable member is locked by the at least one holding member at one end of the predetermined angular range around the pivot axis,

wherein the display has a display position when the rotatable member is locked by the at least one holding member in the predetermined angular range except the one end of the predetermined angular range about the pivot axis;

wherein in the holding state, the at least one holding member is in contact with the rotatable member and the rotatable member is locked about the pivot axis by a friction force between the at least one holding member and the rotatable member; and

wherein in the releasing state, the at least one holding member is spaced apart from the rotatable member and the rotatable member is unlocked to permit pivotal movement of the display panel.

2. The locking mechanism as in claim 1, wherein:

the actuator includes a motor and a gear train for transmitting a driving torque of the motor to the holding device; and

the gear train includes a worm gear connected to the motor, an intermediate gear driven by the worm gear, and a cam driven by the intermediate gear for switching the states of the holding device between the holding state and the releasing state.

3. The locking mechanism as in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one holding member is formed as a first holding member and a second holding member, the first holding member and the second holding member being positioned to face each other with the rotatable member disposed therebetween; and

both the first holding member and the second holding member restrain rotation of the rotatable member in the holding state and allow rotation of the rotatable member in the releasing state.

4. The locking mechanism as in claim 3, wherein:

each of the first holding member and the second holding member is formed in an elongated shape having a length longer than a diameter of the rotatable member;

the holding device includes a spring member that connects the first and the second holding members for biasing the first and the second holding members in a direction to separate the first holding member and the second holding member from each other, the spring member being disposed at a first end of each of the first holding member and the second holding member; and

the actuator switches the states of the holding device from the releasing state to the holding state by pushing a second end of the first holding member toward the second holding member.

5. The locking mechanism as in claim 1, wherein:

the holding device restricts rotation of the rotatable member by contacting the rotatable member at the holding state; and

the groove has a shape substantially matching to a shape of the annular projection of the rotatable member at a portion where the holding device contacts the rotatable member.

6. The locking mechanism as in claim 1, wherein:

a cross-section of the projection has a trapezoidal shape gradually narrowed toward its tip portion.

7. The locking mechanism as in claim 1, wherein:

the groove is gradually narrowed toward its bottom portion.

8. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein:

the groove on the at least one holding member is a circular depression on the at least one holding member; and

the annular projection and the circular depression are coaxial with the rotation axis of the rotatable member.

9. A locking mechanism for locking a position of a pivotal display panel of a display apparatus, wherein the display panel is pivoted to a main body of the display apparatus about a pivot axis, the locking mechanism comprising:

a position detector for detecting a position of the display panel about the pivot axis;

a rotatable member that is rotatable around the pivot axis, wherein the rotatable member is driven together with the display panel to a rest position and to a display position of the display panel, and wherein the rest position and the display position are angularly separated from one another about the pivot axis;

a holding device that is selectively actuated to engage the rotatable member so that the rotatable member is locked about the pivot axis at the display position, and the holding device selectively disengages from the rotatable member so that the rotatable member is unlocked to permit pivotal movement of the display panel between the display position and the rest position, wherein

an annular projection is formed on an outer surface of the rotatable member;

the annular projection is circular and coaxial with a rotation axis of the rotatable member;

a groove, which engages with the projection, is formed on the holding device; and

the annular projection engages with the groove when the holding device is actuated to hold the rotatable member; and

an actuator that electrically and selectively actuates the holding device into

(i) a holding state in which the groove of the holding device engages with the annular projection of the rotatable member, and the rotatable member is locked with respect to the holding device and prevented from rotating about the pivot axis, and

(ii) a releasing state in which the groove of the holding device disengages from the annular projection, and the rotatable member is rotatable and unlocked to permit pivotal movement of the display panel,

wherein the holding device includes at least one holding member, which includes the groove,

when in the holding state, a friction force between the at least one holding member and the rotatable member prevents rotation of the rotatable member.

10. The locking mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the at least one holding member comprises a pair of opposed holding members that clamp the rotatable member when the holding device is actuated.