U.S. patent application number 11/945485 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-05 for display device and speaker system for the display device.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Hee Jin Kim, Young In KO.
Application Number | 20090034758 11/945485 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39815318 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090034758 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KO; Young In ; et
al. |
February 5, 2009 |
DISPLAY DEVICE AND SPEAKER SYSTEM FOR THE DISPLAY DEVICE
Abstract
At least one exciter is used to produce sound for a flat panel
display. The exciter vibrates the housing for production of sound.
The housing may also include a plate mounted on the front surface
of the housing and the exciter may be attached to the plate, which
serves as a resonance plate.
Inventors: |
KO; Young In; (Chilgok-gun,
KR) ; Kim; Hee Jin; (Buk-gu, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KED & ASSOCIATES, LLP
P.O. Box 221200
Chantilly
VA
20153-1200
US
|
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc.
|
Family ID: |
39815318 |
Appl. No.: |
11/945485 |
Filed: |
November 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/152 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 5/642 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/152 |
International
Class: |
H04R 7/16 20060101
H04R007/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0076119 |
Claims
1. A display device comprising: a housing having a front part, a
back part and edge parts, the front part including top, side and
bottom surfaces to define an opening, a width of a front dimension
of the housing being greater than a width of the side dimension of
the housing; a flat panel display module, the flat panel display
module being provided within the housing such that a display area
of the flat panel display module is provided within the opening of
the housing; and at least one exciter provided on the housing, the
exciter having a thickness which is smaller than width of the side
dimension of the housing, a width of the exciter being smaller than
the height of at least the top surface or bottom surface of the
front part or the width of the exciter being smaller than a width
of the side surface of the front part.
2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one exciter
is directly mounted to the housing by a glue or a double sided tape
and provided closer to a side of the housing than to a center of
the housing.
3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing further
includes a plate attached to the bottom surface of the front part,
the bottom surface having at least one opening, and the at least
one exciter is attached to the plate through the opening of the
bottom surface.
4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the bottom surface of the
front part has a recess to receive the plate.
5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the plate is attached to
the bottom surface by glue or double sided tape, and a thickness of
the plate and a depth of the recess are substantially the same.
6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the housing is divided
into a front panel part and back cover part, and a damper pad is
interposed between the front panel part and back cover part.
7. The display device of claim 2, further comprising a woofer
provided within the housing so that sound of low frequency is
emitted.
8. The display device of claim 3, wherein the woofer and the
exciter have an audio frequency crossover range between 100 to 600
Hz.
9. The display device of claim 2, further comprising: a pair of
protrusions extending from an outer circumference of the exciter;
bosses protruding from an inner surface of the housing to
correspond to the protrusions; and fasteners passing through the
protrusions and inserted in the bosses.
10. The display device of claim 9, wherein an audio frequency of
the exciter is at least 500 Hz or higher and/or the woofer and the
exciter have an audio frequency crossover range between 1 to 2
KHz.
11. A display device comprising: a housing having a front surface,
a back surface and top, bottom, right and left edge surfaces, the
front panel having an opening, a width of a front dimension of the
housing being greater than a width of the side dimension of the
housing, wherein the width of the front dimension is at least 5
times greater than the width of the side dimension, the front
surface including top, side and bottom surfaces defining the
opening, and a first opening provided on the bottom surface and
near the right edge surface and a second opening provided on the
bottom surface and near the left edge surface of the housing; a
flat panel display module, the flat panel display module being a
flat panel display module, the flat panel display module being
provided within the housing such that a display area of the flat
panel display module is provided within the opening of the housing;
a plate attached to the bottom surface of the housing; at least one
first exciter configured to contact the plate through the first
opening, the at least one first exciter is within approximately 100
mm from the right edge surface; and at least one second exciter
configured to contact the plate through the second opening, the at
least one second exciter is within approximately 100 mm from the
right edge surface.
12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the bottom surface of
the housing has a recess to receive the plate.
13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the plate is attached
to the bottom surface by glue or double sided tape, and a thickness
of the plate and a depth of the recess are substantially the
same.
14. The display device of claim 11, wherein at least one sub-woofer
is provided on one of (1) a back surface of the flat panel display
module, and (2) the bottom edge surface of the housing.
15. The display device of claim 11, wherein the bottom surface has
a height less than 115 mm.
16. The display device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the
first exciter or the second exciter has a width which is one of
less than approximately 61 mm, 54 mm and 46 mm.
17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the exciter has a width
which is one of less than approximately 65 mm, 62.8 mm and 51.8
mm.
18. The display device of claim 11, further comprising a damper pad
provided between a rear surface of the flat panel display module
and the housing.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a display device having a
speaker system.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] Generally, in the case of a television or similar display
device, a speaker system is provided together with a screen. A
speaker system may be attached to the display device. FIG. 24 shows
a frontal view of a display device according to the related art. A
display device (f) includes a display module (h), a front panel (g)
enclosing the front perimeter of the display module, and a speaker
(s) provided on either side of the front panel (g).
[0005] As shown, the speakers are visible which may not suit with a
user's aesthetic taste. Further, a speaker or speakers attached
(either integrated or attached separately) to a display module
increases the overall size or dimensions of the display device.
Further, when a non-integrated speaker is used, separate holes to
attach the speaker may be needed for the display device, which may
increase manufacturing cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The embodiments will be described in detail with reference
to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to
like elements wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of a display device according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line
I-I'.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a structure for
fixing an exciter on a resonating plate according to embodiments of
the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a graph showing frequency characteristic curves
of sound reproduced when an exciter is mounted to a resonating
plate through an adhering member.
[0012] FIG. 6 shows a graph showing frequency characteristic curves
of sound reproduced when an exciter is mounted to a resonating
plate through an adhering member and a boss.
[0013] FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the second embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the configuration of a
speaker system for a display device according to the second
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 9 shows a side view of a display device according to
the second embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 10 shows an enlarged sectional view of section A in
FIG. 10.
[0017] FIG. 11 shows a frontal view of a display device according
to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 12 shows a plan view of a display device according to
the third embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 13 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the fourth embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 14 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the fifth embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 15 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the sixth embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 16 shows a rear perspective view showing a portion of a
display device according to the seventh embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of a back cover of a
display device according to the eighth embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 18 shows a sectional view of FIG. 8 taken along line
II-II'.
[0025] FIG. 19 shows an exploded perspective view for describing
when the exciter is fastened to the resonating plate.
[0026] FIG. 20 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the eleventh embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 21 shows a cutaway sectional view taken along line
III-III' in FIG. 20.
[0028] FIG. 22 shows a cutaway sectional view taken along line
IV-IV' in FIG. 20.
[0029] FIG. 23 shows a frontal view showing the installed positions
of an exciter based on dimensions of a display device according to
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 24 shows a frontal view of a display device according
to the related art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a display device and
speaker system for a display device according to the present
disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of a display device according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure. A display device 1
includes a front panel 2 that protects the front edges of a display
module 6, a plate or a resonating plate 3 provided at the lower
edge of the front panel 2, and a plurality of exciters 4 (also
known as transducers) fixed to the rear surface of the resonating
plate 3. The resonating plate 3 is a portion that directly forms
the front panel of the display device. The resonating plate 3
itself becomes a portion of the front panel 2. Thus, a user may not
be able to discern that the front panel 2 is functioning as a
speaker.
[0033] To produce stereo sound, the exciter 4 is provided in
duplicate at both the left and right sides of the display panel.
The configuration shown in FIG. 1, however, is not definitive, and
may be altered in various ways, of which various embodiments will
be described below with reference to the diagrams. Although two
exciters 4 are shown in each bottom sides, one on each side is
possible or more than two on each side is also possible.
Alternatively, a single exciter near or at the center may be
sufficient.
[0034] A liquid crystal device (LCD) module, a plasma display
device (PDP) module, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED)
module may be used as the display module 6 provided on the display
device 1.
[0035] In an LCD module, an electric field that is controlled in
intensity is applied to liquid crystal material with anisotropic
permittivity injected between two substrates, and the liquid
crystal material controls the amount of transmitted light to obtain
a desired image. An LCD module controls the size of the signal
voltage relayed to liquid crystals through a data line by means of
a gate voltage applied to a gate electrode. Because this variable
data voltage incrementally alters the polarized states of the
liquid crystals, the LCD device is able to reproduce a wide range
of gray levels.
[0036] The LCD module is a non-light-emitting device that requires
light to display an image. Therefore, to obtain needed light, an
LCD module employs a backlight unit disposed behind the LCD panel.
Backlight units may generally be classified into two types--a line
light source type utilizing a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL),
and a surface light source type utilizing a flat-format fluorescent
lamp.
[0037] A PDP module is a flat panel display device with high image
quality that is both thin and lightweight, allowing its wide use in
large-scale applications with a 40-inch or larger screen size.
Pixels are formed at points of perpendicular intersection between
partition walls and address electrodes formed on a rear panel and
surface discharge electrodes formed on a front panel. A voltage is
applied between sustain electrodes on the front panel and address
electrodes on the rear panel, forming plasma in a space (discharge
cell) formed between the partition walls. When a sustain voltage is
applied between the sustain electrodes, a vacuum ultraviolet
generated by the plasma excites a fluorescent material coated on
the partition walls and lower surfaces between the partition walls,
to generate red, green, and blue visible light.
[0038] An OLED that uses organic light emittance is typically
configured with a positive pole, a negative pole, and an organic
layer provided therebetween. It is common for the organic layer to
be constituted as a multi-layer consisting of multiple layers
formed of respectively different materials, in order to obtain
optimum efficiency and reliability of the OLED. For example, the
multi-layer may be formed of a hole injection layer, a hole
transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport
layer, an electron injection layer, etc. In this OLED
configuration, when a voltage is applied between two electrodes,
holes from the positive pole and electrons from the negative pole
are injected in the organic layer. Excitons are formed when the
injected holes and electrons meet, and light is emitted when the
excitons return to a ground state. This OLED has the
characteristics of self-luminescence, high brightness, low driving
voltage requirements, wide viewing angle, high contrast, quick
response, etc.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A
display device 1 has a front panel 2 provided at the front around a
display module 6, and a back cover 8 provided at the rear thereof.
The front panel 2 may have a mounting portion 9 recessed and
stepped rearward, and the resonating plate 3 may be mounted on the
mounting portion 9. The rear surface of the resonating plate 3 has
the exciters 4 (shown as dotted circle) fixed thereto.
[0040] A panel damping pad 5 may be interposed between the
resonating plate 3 and the mounting portion 9. Sonic vibrations
generated by the exciter 4 are transferred from the resonating
plate 3 through the panel damping pad 5 to the front panel 2, so
that noise that may be generated through friction between
contacting portions of the resonating plate 3 and the front panel 2
can be absorbed when it exceeds a certain level. Sonic vibrations
generated by the exciter 4 may be transferred from the resonating
plate 3 to the front panel 2, so that the front panel 2 may also
function as a resonating plate. The surface area of the resonating
plate 3 can be enlarged to produce better bass response.
[0041] To prevent contacting noise occurring from between the front
panel 2 and the back cover 8, when the front panel 2 is employed as
a resonating plate, a cover damping pad 7 may be interposed between
the back cover 8 and the front panel 2. While the vibration of the
resonating plate 3 may be transferred to other structural
components (especially the front panel) so that these other
components perform the same function as the resonating plate 3, the
damping pads 5 and 7 may prevent noise generated between the
contacting surfaces of the structural components.
[0042] Higher quality sound reproduction can be derived compared to
a separately provided plate. This effect may be attained through
coupling the resonating plate and panel with screws. Furthermore,
to prevent noise being generated by contact between the resonating
plate and surfaces contacting it, an interposed damper pad may be
used, thereby improving sound quality.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line
I-I'. The mounting portion 9 is recessed rearward, with the
recessed surface having a screw hole 33 defined therein. A boss 31
protrudes from the rear surface of the resonating plate 3
corresponding to the position of the screw hole 33. A screw 32 is
passes through the screw hole 33 and inserted in the boss 31, to
fasten the resonating plate 3 to the mounting portion 9. The
resonating plate 3 and the front panel 2 are thereby coupled by a
screw.
[0044] The panel damping pad 5 may be optionally provided between
the resonating plate 3 and the front panel 2. The panel damping pad
5 may prevent noise caused by frictional movement between the
resonating plate 3 and the front panel 2. The mounting surface 9 is
recessed rearward, and the height of the resonating plate 3 is
about the same as the height of the front panel 2. A user may not
be able to discern that the resonating plate 3 as a separate piece,
provided at the lower portion of the front panel 2.
[0045] FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a structure for
coupling an exciter on a resonating plate according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure. An exciter 4 is coupled to
the resonating plate 3. The exciter 4 is fixed firmly to the back
of the resonating plate 3 through screws. Further, a double sided
tape or glue may be used between the front surface of the exciter
and the rear surface of the resonating plate 4. The boss 34
protrudes rearward from the resonating plate 3, and a tab 41
protrudes from the exciter 4 to couple with the boss 34. The screw
42 is inserted in the tab 41 and the boss 34 that are aligned with
each other.
[0046] The coupling presses the vibration generating portion of the
exciter 4 directly against the rear surface of the resonating plate
3, so that the vibration generated by the exciter 4 may be
completely transferred to the resonating plate 3. Additionally,
contacting noise between the exciter 4 and the resonating plate 3
may be prevented. Other types of fasteners may be used other than
screws, e.g., rivets, bolt and nut, and any other type of fasteners
capable of strong coupling.
[0047] In order to seal sonic vibrations transferred from the
exciter 4, the boss 34 may be installed in a direction other than
the direction of the resonating plate 3 movement. The boss 34 may
be provided at the upper end and lower end of the resonating plate
3 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the
resonating plate 3. In this way, no restriction may be imposed on
the amount that the resonating plate 3 can vibrate or move.
[0048] While the exciter 4 may be capable of sufficiently
reproducing mid to high range frequencies (from the frequency range
of 20-20,000 Hz), the exciter 4 may not satisfactorily reproduce
lower audible frequencies ranges. A woofer may be incorporated in a
display device, to produce lower frequency ranges. One of the
considerations for installing a woofer in a display device is to
determine at what point the bass frequencies reproduced by the
woofer will overlap with the midrange and treble frequencies
reproduced by the exciter.
[0049] FIG. 5 shows a graph showing frequency characteristic curves
of sound reproduced when an exciter is mounted to a resonating
plate through an adhering member. Line 98 represents audio
frequency characteristics reproduced by the front panel fixed to
the exciter, and line 99 represents audio frequency characteristics
reproduced by a woofer.
[0050] Referring to the represented lines 98 and 99, crossover
normally occurs in the range of 100-600 Hz in this embodiment. When
the exciter 4 is mounted to the rear surface of the resonating
plate 3 using only an adhering member, e.g., the exciter is taped
or glued to the plate, the cross over point seems to be
approximately 150 Hz. Because sound reproduced by the exciter
suddenly diminishes between 100-600 Hz when the front panel is used
as the resonating plate, a separate woofer may be needed to
increase sound output below that frequency range.
[0051] The exciter functions as a tweeter, and a separate woofer
may be used with the exciter. The controller of the display device
may allot mid and high frequency range audio signals from the
crossover point to be reproduced by the exciter, and low frequency
range audio signals below the crossover point to be reproduced by a
separate woofer.
[0052] FIG. 6 shows a graph showing frequency characteristic curves
of sound reproduced when an exciter is mounted to a resonating
plate through an adhering member and a boss. Line 98' represents
audio frequency characteristics reproduced by the front panel fixed
to the exciter, and line 99' represents audio frequency
characteristics reproduced by a woofer. The crossover between the
exciter 110 and the woofer 105 may be between approximately 1 and 2
KHz. If an adhering member such as double-sided tape or glue is
interposed between the front surface of the exciter 4 and the rear
surface of the resonating plate 3 and the exciter 4 is fixed by a
boss 34, the boss 34 may interfere with the generation of sound in
a low frequency range. In comparison to a case where a boss is not
used, there may be a need to broaden the range of low level
frequencies capable of being generated. In other words, the sound
reproduced by the exciter 110 may be set at 500 Hz or more.
Second Embodiment
[0053] FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the second embodiment of the present
disclosure. A display device 100 may include a front panel 101, a
display module 102, a back cover damper pad 103, and a back cover
104. However, in the second embodiment, the exciter 110 may be
installed directly on the front panel 101. In other words, the
exciter 110 is not installed on a separate resonating plate, but is
directly fastened to a rear surface of the front panel 101. Here,
the fastening structure may be the same or similar as that
disclosed in FIG. 4.
[0054] In the second embodiment, the front panel 101 also performs
the function of the resonating plate, and, an improvement in the
reproduction of lower range frequencies may be expected. Because
the front panel 101 directly functions as the resonating plate,
there may be no need to incorporate a separate resonating plate or
a damper pad provided between the front panel and the resonating
plate. In addition, if the frequency range of the exciter 110 is
increased and set at a suitable level, there may be no need for the
back cover damper pad 103 provided between the front panel 101 and
the back cover 104.
[0055] A woofer 105 may be disposed on the rear surface at both
sides of the display module 102, and may deliver low frequency
sound through the rear surface of the display device. By installing
the woofer in this manner, the overall surface area of the display
device (when viewed from the front) can be reduced. If the woofer
is installed on the front, the front panel may be enlarged in area
by at least the size of the woofer.
[0056] Because the present embodiment does not use a structure to
install a separate resonating plate, the structure may be simpler.
The transfer of vibrations may be more direct, and the overall
sound reproduction efficiency may be improved. Not only is there no
need for components for installing the resonating plate, there may
be no need for the added depth to install typical speaker systems,
so that the width of the display device may be reduced. Even in
instances where a resonating plate is used or not used, the height
of the display device may be reduced depending on the size of the
resonating plate and/or exciter.
[0057] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the driving circuit of a
speaker system for a display device according to the second
embodiment. A speaker system may include a tuner 501, a signal
separator 502 that separates frequencies output from the tuner 501
into audio frequencies and video frequencies, a sound processor 503
that converts digital signals to analog signals with respect to the
audio frequencies output from the signal separator 502 and performs
sound processing of volume, treble, bass, etc. with respect to the
converted sound signals, and an amplifier 504 that amplifies the
sound signals applied from the sound processor 503. As can be
appreciated, the driving circuits may be applicable to other
embodiments.
[0058] A plurality of exciters 110 is attached to the rear surface
of the front panel 101 that protects the display module 102. The
audio signal that is amplified through the amplifier 501 induces
the exciter 110 to vibrate. The sonic vibration generated by the
exciter 110 is directly transferred to the rear surface of the
front panel 101, so that the vibration of the front panel 101
outputs sound.
[0059] FIG. 9 shows a side view of a display device according to
the second embodiment. The exciter 110 may be fastened directly to
the rear surface at the lower portion of the front panel 101. From
the lower portion of the back cover 104 that covers the rear
surface of the display device, the portion covering the exciters
110 may be formed thinner than the remainder of the display device.
Therefore, the lower portion of the back cover 104 forms a sloped
surface 107 that can be made to rise steeply, so that a user may
perceive the display device to be thinner.
[0060] In the present embodiment, while a description is given of
the exciter 110 being fastened to the lower edge portion of the
front panel 101, the configuration is not limited thereto. For
example, the exciter may be attached in the same way to the upper
edge portion of the front panel. Further, the exciter may be
attached to each side of the front panel. Numerous variations for
attachment is possible.
[0061] FIG. 10 shows an enlarged sectional view of section A in
FIG. 10. The exciter 110 may be directly mounted to the rear
surface of the front panel 101. The exciter 110 includes a yoke 111
forming the outer shape of the exciter 110, and magnets 112 and 113
are provided within the yoke 111 to form magnetic flux. A metallic
plate 114 is inserted between the magnets 112 and 113, and a bobbin
118 is inserted outside the magnets 112 and 113 to vibrate in a
back and forth direction (when viewed in FIG. 11).
[0062] A voice coil 115 wound around the outer circumference of the
bobbin 118 and through which a current flows. A coupler 119 is
coupled to the end of the bobbin 118, and a ring 116 is coupled at
the unsealed surface of the yoke 111. A damper 117 with one side
connected to the ring 116 and the other side connected to the
bobbin 118 maintain the voice coil 115 in a central position.
[0063] The yoke 111 is recessed to a predetermined depth and
performs the function of positioning the magnets 112 and 113, which
are secured in the recessed portion. When a current flows through
the voice coil 115, the bobbin 118 moves or vibrates back and forth
direction according to Fleming's left-hand rule. In other words,
from a state in which the direction of the magnetic flux is fixed
by the magnets 112 and 113, each time the current flowing through
the voice coil 115 rotates 180.degree., the bobbin 118 vibrates in
a front-to-rear direction.
[0064] When applying this to Fleming's left-hand rule, the thumb
represents the moving direction of the bobbin 118, the index finger
represents the magnetic flux direction, and the middle finger
represents the current flow direction. The magnetic flux direction
may be fixed, and when the current flow direction shifts by
180.degree., the bobbin 118 vibrates back and forth. The damper 117
not only performs damping, but also retains the bobbin in a central
position so that the voice coil 115 is able to function
properly.
[0065] The method of installing the exciter 110 to the front panel
101 may employ coupling with the use of screws, as in the first
embodiment in conjunction with a tab rovided on the ring 116 and
boss. The structure of the exciter (or transducer) may be
substantially the same in the various embodiments of the present
disclosure. An exciter described in International Patent
Publication No. WO 97/09859 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,402, whose
entire disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, may be
used.
[0066] The coupler 119 covers the end of the bobbin 118, and has an
annular shape with a predetermined thickness. The front surface for
the coupler 119 is completely sealed against the rear surface of
the front panel 101. Therefore, assembly of the voice coil 115 and
the bobbin 118 vibrates within an audio frequency range. The yoke
111 is fixed to the rear surface of the front panel through screws,
as shown in FIG. 4. When, the bobbin 118 vibrates, the vibrations
may be directly transferred to the front panel 101, whereby the
front panel 101 outputs sound by vibrating.
[0067] The bobbin 118 may directly coupled to the rear surface of
the front panel 101 so that a high quality sound can be produced.
Because the front panel 101 functions as a resonating plate, there
may be no need to incorporate a suspension structure between a
resonating plate and a support. The manufacturing process of the
speaker system may be simplified.
Third Embodiment
[0068] FIG. 11 shows a frontal view of a display device according
to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. A display device
200, a front panel 201, and a back cover are combined. An exciter
210 is fastened to the rear surface at the side edges of the front
panel 201. Because the exciter 210 allows the front panel 201 to
function inherently as a resonating plate, sound reproduction
efficiency in the low frequency range may be improved.
Manufacturing at the factory may be also made easier by the simpler
fastening structure of the exciter, and the overall manufacturing
process is simplified. Due to a lack of a separate resonating
plate, the size of the display module 202 may remain unchanged
while the overall dimensions of the display device 200 may be
reduced. Further, the bottom 208 of the front panel 201 may be
eliminated to further reduce the height.
[0069] FIG. 12 shows a plan view of a display device according to
the third embodiment of the present disclosure. The exciter 210 may
be fastened or attached to the rear surface at the side edges of
the display device. Thickness at the side edges of the display
device 200 may be further reduced, and portions of the back cover
203 corresponding to the locations of the exciters 210 may be
formed further inward.
[0070] Both side ends of the back cover 203 may be gradually sloped
inward to form side sloped surfaces 205, so that a user of the
display device may perceive that the thickness at the sidewalls of
the display device is gradually reduced, which may elevate product
satisfaction. Because a user may likely view a display device more
often from the side than from the bottom, a perception that the
display device is thinner (from viewing it from the side) can be
more prominent.
Fourth Embodiment
[0071] FIG. 13 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the fourth embodiment of the present
disclosure. The installation of the front panel 301, display module
302, damper pad 305, back cover 306, and exciter 303 are the same
or similar as in the second embodiment. The woofer 304 is disposed
on the bottom portion of the front panel that may be bent inward.
The woofer 304 is installed on the bottom of the front panel facing
downward, and audio bass frequencies may be transmitted through the
floor. A user may be able to feel the bass. In addition, the woofer
304 is installed proximate to the exciter 303, so that a user may
perceive that the sound is being emitted from the same location.
Thus, the system can provide a more "live" listening
experience.
Fifth Embodiment
[0072] FIG. 14 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.
The front panel 401, display module 402, damper pad 405, exciter
403, and back cover 406 are the same or similar as in the fourth
embodiment in terms of installation. The woofer 404 is installed on
the bottom surface of the back cover 406, and not on the front
panel 401. The same effects may be derived as in the fourth
embodiment.
Sixth Embodiment
[0073] FIG. 15 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.
In the sixth embodiment, while other aspects remain substantially
the same or similar as in the fourth embodiment, the installed
position of the exciter is different. A portion of a plurality of
exciters 403 is installed on the rear surface at the top of the
front panel 401, and the remaining portion is installed on the rear
surface at the bottom of the front panel 401.
Seventh Embodiment
[0074] FIG. 16 shows a rear perspective view showing a portion of a
display device according to the seventh embodiment of the present
disclosure. While other aspects remain substantially the same or
similar as in the fourth embodiment, the installed position of the
exciter is different. The display module 602 is installed on the
rear surface of the front panel 601, extending a predetermined
thickness rearward at the sides. The sides of the front panel 601
have a plurality of exciters 603 installed thereon. The exciters
603 may be installed facing sideways with respect to the display
device 600. The left surface and the right surface of the front
panel 601 may have exciters 603 with different frequency ranges
installed respectively thereon.
[0075] Instead of being installed on the sides of the front panel
601, the exciters 603 may be installed on the upper edge so that
sound is directed upward from the display device. Instead of being
installed on the front panel 601, the woofer 604 may be installed
on the back cover, similar to the previous embodiments.
Eighth Embodiment
[0076] FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of a back cover of a
display device according to the eighth embodiment of the present
disclosure. The exciter 603 is characterized in that it is
installed on the side of the back cover 606, in which case, the
same effects of the sixth embodiment can be derived. The exciter
603 may not restricted to being installed on the sides of the back
cover 606 as shown, but may be installed on the top/bottom of the
back cover.
Ninth Embodiment
[0077] FIG. 18 shows a sectional view of FIG. 8 taken along line
II-II'. A recessed portion (or a stepped portion 108) may be
recessed a predetermined depth into the rear surface of the front
panel 101 in the region where the exciter 110 may be installed. The
thickness of the portion on which the exciter 110 may be installed
is less than the thickness of other regions, so that the vibrations
provided by the exciter 110 can oscillate the front panel 101 in a
wider range of movement, shown in FIG. 6.
[0078] By making only the portion of the front panel 101 on which
the exciter 110 is installed thinner, the strength of the front
panel 101 can be retained, so that the separate reinforcements may
not be needed. The same or similar profile of FIG. 18 for the front
panel 101 may be also used for the resonance plate. Such similar
profiles may be used for above other embodiments.
[0079] The front panel having the portions on which the exciters
110 are installed may be varied in overall thickness such that the
thickness gradually decreases front the ends toward the middle.
Tenth Embodiment
[0080] FIG. 19 shows an exploded perspective view for describing
when the exciter is fastened to the resonating plate. The
resonating plate 3 increases in thickness further outward from
where the exciter 4 is fastened. Thus, the thickness t1 at the
region where the boss 34 is installed is less than the thickness
t2. Accordingly, the vibrations generated by the exciter 4 are able
to vibrate the resonating plate 3 at a greater oscillation
amplitude. A reinforcing portion 35 for reinforcing the strength of
the thinner portion of the resonating plate 3 may be added. In
order that such a reinforcement 35 does not prevent the reduction
of the resonating plate's 3 sonic vibration, the reinforcement 35
may be formed in the same direction as the direction in which the
resonating plate 3 extends.
[0081] A larger resonating plate 3 may provide better sound
production. The resonating plate also serves as part of the front
panel 2 to protect the display module. By increasing the size of
the resonating plate, the overall size of the display device is
increased. There should be a balance between size of the resonating
plate and sound quality produced by the resonating plate.
[0082] According to the present disclosure, the rear surface of the
resonating plate may be curved to increase the surface area
thereof, thereby preventing loss of sound while allowing the
exciter to function as a speaker system of the display system
without increasing the size of the resonating plate 3.
[0083] One resonating plate may be provided at the bottom along the
length of the display to reproduce stereo sound. However,
embodiments are not limited thereto, and one resonating plate may
alternately be provided on the left and right sides of the front
panel, respectively. Also, in the above embodiment, the resonating
plate is described as being disposed at the lower portion of the
front panel; however, it may be alternately disposed at the upper
portion of the front panel.
Eleventh Embodiment
[0084] FIG. 20 shows an exploded perspective view of a display
device according to the eleventh embodiment of the present
disclosure. FIG. 21 shows a cutaway sectional view taken along line
III-III' in FIG. 20, and FIG. 22 shows a cutaway sectional view
taken along line IV-IV' in FIG. 20. Referring to FIGS. 20 to 22, a
display device 1 according to the eleventh embodiment is
substantially the same in terms of structure as the first
embodiment, with the difference lying in the structure of the
resonating plate 3 mounted on the front panel 2.
[0085] A mounting portion 21 for mounting the resonating plate 3 to
the lower end of the front panel 2 is recessed a predetermined
depth. The mounting portion 21, unlike the mounting portion 9 shown
in FIG. 2, is a structure with a closed mounting surface. An
exciter hole 22 is formed in the mounting portion 21 to pass the
exciter 4 through. A boss 34 for fixing the exciter 4 extends from
the rear surface of the resonating plate 3.
[0086] The resonating plate 3 is firmly mounted by means of a
bonding member (B) to the mounting portion 21. The type of bonding
member (B) used may be a liquid adhesive, double-sided tape, etc. A
separate damper pad may not be interposed, and the firm bonding
provided by the bonding member (B) is sufficient to prevent an
excessive amount of noise generated by friction between the
resonating plate 3 and the mounting portion 21. The exciter 4
mounted to the rear surface of the resonating plate 3 may be
provided singularly or in plurality at each side of the mounting
portion.
[0087] FIG. 23 shows a frontal view showing the installed positions
of an exciter based on dimensions of various display devices,
models A-C, having different dimensions.
[0088] Table 1 sets forth locations at which the optimal sound
quality can be reproduced with exciters provided at either side of
the display panel of FIG. 23.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 model A model B model C a(mm) 111 116.8
112.8 b(mm) 46 54 61 exciter position X X Y
[0089] Referring to Table 1 and FIG. 23, the exciter 4 is mounted
at the lower portion of the front panel 2 or the resonance plate,
with the mounting location of the exciter 4 being determined based
on the dimensions of the display module, e.g., the height (a) of
the lower end of the display module 6 and height (b) of the lower
end of the front panel 2 of the resonating plate 3.
[0090] As shown in Table 1, the exciter 4 may be mounted on the
rear surface of the resonating plate 3 or the top rear surface of
the resonating plate 3, based on the height (b) of the resonating
plate 3 and the overall height (a) of the lower end of the front
panel 2. In other words, the exciter 4 may be mounted in a
resonating plate region (R2) or an upper region (R1) above the
resonating plate region (R2), based on the heights (a and b).
[0091] Mounting positions for the exciter 4 have been determined
according to dimensions of the display module 6; however, the
exciter 4 should be located at a region (c) within 100 mm from the
edge of the front panel 2. If the exciter 4 is mounted
approximately 60 mm from the edge of the front panel 2, optimum
stereo sound characteristics may be realized. However, the mounting
location of the exciter 4 is not limited to positioning according
to the above data, and the mounting position of the exciter 4 on
the rear surface of the front panel 2 falls within the overall
scope of the present disclosure.
[0092] The present disclosure provides a display device and a
speaker system for the display device with a structure in which an
exciter can be directly attached at a suitable location on the
display device, which may reduce the manufacturing cost of the
display device.
[0093] A display device having a speaker system may use the entire
front panel of the display device to function as a resonating plate
to reproduce sound in a wider frequency range.
[0094] A display device and a speaker system may satisfy a
consumer's desire for reduced thickness and/or dimension of the
display device and may be more aesthetic.
[0095] A device including in one embodiment may include: a front
panel; an exciter mounted to the front panel; a back cover coupled
to the front panel; and a display module provided between the front
panel and the back cover.
[0096] A display device in one embodiment may include: an exciter
vibrating through a current applied thereto; a resonating plate
having the exciter directly mounted to a rear surface thereof; a
front panel having the resonating plate pressed against a side
thereof; a back cover coupled at a rear of the front panel; a
display module protected by the front panel and the back cover, to
output an image; and a woofer provided on at least one of the rear
surface of the front panel and an inner surface of the back
cover.
[0097] A display device in another embodiment may comprise: a
housing having a front part, a back part and edge parts, the front
part including top, side and bottom surfaces to define an opening,
a width of a front dimension of the housing being greater than a
width of the side dimension of the housing; a flat panel display
module, the flat panel display module being provided within the
housing such that a display area of the flat panel display module
is provided within the opening of the housing; and at least one
exciter provided on the housing, the exciter having a thickness
which is smaller than width of the side dimension of the housing, a
width of the exciter being smaller than the height of at least the
top surface or bottom surface of the front part or the width of the
exciter being smaller than a width of the side surface of the front
part.
[0098] A speaker system for a display device of another embodiment
may include: a front panel; an exciter including a bobbin provided
on a rear surface of the front panel, a voice coil wound around the
bobbin, a magnet provided within the bobbin, and a yoke supporting
the magnet; a back cover coupled to the front panel; and a display
module received between the front panel and the back cover.
[0099] The display device and the speaker system according to
various embodiments of the present disclosure may reduce the
manufacturing cost. A wider audio frequency range can be reproduced
by the exciter because the front panel may function as a resonating
plate. The thickness of the display device may be reduced, which
may increase the level of consumer satisfaction. The tweeters that
reproduce higher frequencies and woofers that reproduce lower
frequencies can be positioned together, sound reproduction may be
more realistic.
[0100] Any reference in this specification to "one embodiment," "an
embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the
specification are not necessarily all referring to the same
embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it
is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the
art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in
connection with other ones of the embodiments.
[0101] Although embodiments have been described with reference to a
number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood
that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by
those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope
of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various
variations and modifications are possible in the component parts
and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within
the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims.
In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts
and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to
those skilled in the art.
* * * * *