U.S. patent application number 12/087443 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-01 for adaptive projection television screen mounting clamps.
Invention is credited to Scott Joseph Duggan, Darin Bradley Ritter.
Application Number | 20090001858 12/087443 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38309631 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090001858 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Duggan; Scott Joseph ; et
al. |
January 1, 2009 |
Adaptive Projection Television Screen Mounting Clamps
Abstract
Strip mounts on the top and bottom screen mounting brackets for
holding a projection display screen in place while accommodating
screen tolerances are disclosed. The strip mounts have a C-shaped
profile that holds the display screen in place. The screen mounting
brackets are elongate, stiff members.
Inventors: |
Duggan; Scott Joseph;
(Indianapolis, IN) ; Ritter; Darin Bradley;
(Indianapolis, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Joseph J. Laks;Thomson Licensing LLC
2 Independence Way, Patent Operations, PO Box 5312
PRINCETON
NJ
08543
US
|
Family ID: |
38309631 |
Appl. No.: |
12/087443 |
Filed: |
January 17, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
January 17, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2006/001648 |
371 Date: |
July 3, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/7.2 ;
248/205.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 21/56 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/7.2 ;
248/205.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 81/06 20060101
A47B081/06; A47B 96/06 20060101 A47B096/06 |
Claims
1. A bracket for mounting a projection display screen to a cabinet
from the front of the screen, comprising: a screen bracket attached
to a screen frame having the screen mounted thereto; and a strip
mount, wherein the strip mount is attached to the screen bracket
and touches the screen.
2. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the screen bracket is
continuous.
3. The bracket of claim 2 wherein the screen bracket has a constant
cross section along the elongate dimension.
4. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the strip mount and the screen
bracket are extrusions.
5. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the screen bracket is formed of
aluminum.
6. The bracket of claim 1 wherein the strip mount is C-shaped.
7. A projection display, comprising: a cabinet; a screen mounted in
a screen frame; and bracket for mounting the screen frame, wherein
the bracket has a strip mount attached thereto and touching the
screen.
8. The projection display of claim 7 wherein the bracket is
continuous.
9. The projection display of claim 8 wherein the bracket has a
constant cross section along the elongate dimension.
10. The projection display of claim 7 wherein the strip mount and
the bracket are extrusions.
11. The projection display of claim 7 wherein the bracket is formed
of aluminum.
12. The projection display of claim 7 wherein the strip mount is
C-shaped.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to a projection display and,
in particular, details for mounting a projection display
screen.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Projection display televisions have become widely used. The
cabinets for these projection display televisions are typically
made from plastic. A problem that projection display televisions
typically have is keeping the top edge of the screen straight and
in the proper location. Plastic cabinets provide nice aesthetics
but have a tendency to bow along the top edge, aggravating the
ability to keep the top edge of the screen straight and in
location. This is an even more severe problem on projection display
televisions that incorporate upangle optics because such
televisions require a more accurate screen location with respect to
the optics.
[0003] Many projection televisions have a problem mounting the
screen because of large dimensional tolerances and variations. A
particular problem is the thickness tolerance of the screen. The
screen is typically made up of multiple pieces that are laminated
and/or taped together. Another problem is that the width and height
of the screen may vary significantly as a function of temperature
and humidity. The screen must be free to expand in width and height
or it will bulge out. With the steep upangles involved in recent
projection televisions, bulging of the screen can cause significant
image distortions. Typically, these screens are held in a groove in
metal wood or plastic. The groove has room for expansion and
contraction of the screen and mating parts. The sloppy fit is
acceptable for conventional projection television displays and
on-axis microdisplay sets since the resulting image geometry is not
distorted. However, with the steep upangles associated with recent
projection display raypaths, changes in the location or position of
the screen surface results in significant distortions to the image
geometry.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention provides strip mounts to the top and
bottom of the screen mounting brackets to hold a projection display
screen in place while accommodating screen tolerances. The strip
mounts have a C-shaped profile that holds the display screen in
place. The screen mounting brackets are elongate, stiff
members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will next be
described with reference to the accompanying figures, of which:
[0006] FIG. 1A is a prospective front view of a projection display
television according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0007] FIG. 1B is a prospective rear view of the projection display
television of FIG. 1A;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a partial rear perspective view of the projection
display television of FIGS. 1A and 1B, showing the top extrusion
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3A is an exploded side-view of the plastic screen
frame, extrusions and strip mounts;
[0010] FIG. 3B is a sectional view of the plastic screen frame,
extrusions and strip mounts of FIG. 3A; and
[0011] FIG. 3C is a sectional view of the extrusion and strip mount
of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The present invention, shown in FIGS. 1A-3C, provides an
extruded metal hinge mechanism that keeps the top of the projection
display television screen frame straight and allows the screen
assembly to be removed from the front without the use of screws
from the rear.
[0013] An exemplary projection display television is shown in FIGS.
3A-3C. The screen mounting bracket 50 has top and bottom aluminum
extrusions, that are a continuous stiffener for the screen frame
12. Aluminum extrusions are inexpensive to fabricate and provide
good dimensional stability and stiffness properties. Strip mounts
55A, 55B attached to the top and bottom screen mounting bracket 50
are used to hold a projection display screen 10 in place.
[0014] The screen mounting bracket 50A comprises: an anchoring
portion 51 that attaches to the screen frame 12 and a "T" shape
detail 56 to accept the strip mount 55. In an exemplary embodiment,
the anchoring portion 51 conforms to projections and/or recesses in
the screen frame 12 to form a press fit with the screen frame
12.
[0015] Strip mount 55A is attached to the "T" shape detail 56 of
the screen mounting bracket 50A, while strip mount 55B is attached
to the "T" details 56 of the screen mounting bracket 50B. In an
exemplary embodiment, the strip mounts 55A, 55B have a C-shaped
profile and may be made of a flexible plastic extrusion. When mated
with the screen frame 12, there is space between the convex portion
of the extrusion and the frame to accommodate the screen thickness.
The profile of the strip mounts is such that C-shaped cross section
allows the profile to flex and maintain a preload against the
screen. The strip mounts 55A, 55B are continuous and evenly press
against the screen 10.
[0016] The top and bottom screen mounting brackets 50A, 50B are
metal extrusions that have a mating "T" shape detail 56 (FIG. 3C)
to capture the strip mounts 55A, 55B. This mating detail 56 is such
that the strip mounts 55A, 55B squeezes the metal extrusion. When
there is pressure against the strip mounts 55A, 55B, the C-shape
opens up allowing the height of the extrusion to collapse as needed
to accommodate the screen thickness variation while maintaining a
reasonable force. The plastic or elastomeric material used for
strip mounts 55A and 55B is chosen to be chemically compatible with
the screen 10 materials and to have surface hardness
characteristics that prevent abrasion to the screen materials
during shipping and vibration. Linear protrusions 58 incorporated
in the strip mounts 55 act as "light strips" to reduce reflections
of unwanted light onto the screen 10. A similar result could be
obtained by having multiple small striations incorporated into the
side wall of the strip mounts rather than the larger linear
protrusions.
[0017] The screen mounting bracket 50A, 50B and the strip mounts
55A, 55B extend essentially the length of the elongate direction
(i.e., entire width of the screen frame 12), stiffening the entire
top edge of the screen frame 12, holding the top edge of the screen
10 straight and in the proper location.
[0018] The cabinet may be plastic, as is typical for projection
display televisions. When mounted to a plastic cabinet, these
brackets 50, in the form of extrusions, form a low profile,
structural member along the top edge of the cabinet 20. This
structural member can be tied into other structural members of the
cabinet 20 to help maintain the critical location of the screen
frame 12. Along with being very low cost to tool, aluminum
extrusions tend to be inherently straight, stiff and stable as
compared to other parts such as plastic extrusions, formed sheet
metal, wood, or molded plastic.
[0019] The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for
practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible
within the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, while
the exemplary embodiment shows aluminum extrusions for the
structural members, the concept is also applicable with roll formed
sheet metal or sheet metal parts made on progressive dies. It is
intended, therefore, that the foregoing description be regarded as
illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the
invention be given by the appended claims together with their full
range of equivalents.
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