U.S. patent application number 12/807099 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for package structure for thin display apparatus and method of packing thin display apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hidetoshi Ishibashi.
Application Number | 20110049000 12/807099 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43243081 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110049000 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishibashi; Hidetoshi |
March 3, 2011 |
Package structure for thin display apparatus and method of packing
thin display apparatus
Abstract
A thin display apparatus is packed in a package box. A
reinforced plate is attached to the display apparatus. The
reinforced plate has a first end portion, a second end portion, a
middle bent portion and a buffer member fixed to the first end
portion. The first and second portions face each other with the
bent portion located therebetween and connected thereto. The
reinforced plate is attached to the display apparatus so that the
bent portion is set on a top portion of the display apparatus at a
top side, the buffer member is positioned at a front side of the
display apparatus as facing a display screen and the second portion
is positioned at a rear side of the display apparatus. A cushion
member is attached to the reinforced plate so that the cushion
member is set on the bent portion set on the top portion.
Inventors: |
Ishibashi; Hidetoshi;
(Kanagawa-Ken, JP) |
Assignee: |
Victor Company of Japan,
Ltd.
Yokohama-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
43243081 |
Appl. No.: |
12/807099 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/521 ;
53/474 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2585/6837 20130101;
B65D 81/053 20130101; B65D 81/056 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/521 ;
53/474 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/02 20060101
B65D081/02; B65B 5/06 20060101 B65B005/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 28, 2009 |
JP |
2009-197914 |
Claims
1. A package structure for packing a thin display apparatus having
a display screen comprising: a reinforced plate to be attached to
the display apparatus when the display apparatus is packed, the
reinforced plate having an first end portion, a second end portion
and a middle portion, the first end portion being positioned at a
front side of the display apparatus, the second end portion being
positioned at a rear side of the display apparatus and the middle
portion being positioned at a top side of the display apparatus
when the reinforced plate is attached to the display apparatus; a
cushion member to be attached to a top portion of the display
apparatus when the display apparatus is packed, the top portion
being positioned at the top side; and a buffer member fixed to the
first end portion of the reinforced plate, wherein, when the
display apparatus is packed, the cushion member supports the top
portion of the display apparatus from a front direction at the
front side and from a rear direction at the rear side through the
reinforced plate with the buffer member being in contact with the
display screen or being positioned in the vicinity of the display
screen at the front side.
2. The package structure according to claim 1 further comprising a
package box, a left corner cushion and a right corner cushion, the
left corner cushion and the right corner cushion being to be
attached to a left end portion and a right end portion,
respectively, of the display apparatus at the top side, wherein,
when the display apparatus is packed in the package box, a position
of the cushion member in a left direction and a right direction is
determined by the left and right corner cushions, the left and
right directions being orthogonal to the front and rear
directions.
3. The package structure according to claim 1, wherein, when the
display apparatus is packed, the cushion member supports the
display apparatus from a left end portion to a right end portion of
the display apparatus at the top side, the left and right portions
being included in the top portion of the display apparatus.
4. The package structure according to claim 1, wherein the buffer
member is contact with a specific area of the display screen or
positioned in the vicinity of the specific area at the front side,
the specific area including a center of the display screen.
5. The package structure according to claim 1, wherein the middle
portion of the reinforced plate is a bent middle portion so that
the first and second end portions face each other with the bent
middle portion located between and connected to the first and
second end portions, for the top portion of the display apparatus
to be fit in the bent middle portion when the display apparatus is
packed.
6. The package structure according to claim 5, wherein the bent
middle portion of the reinforced plate has a first crease at which
the bent middle portion is connected to the first end portion and a
second crease at which the bent middle portion is connected to the
second end portion, each crease having a specific angle so that the
top portion of the display apparatus is fit in the bent middle
portion.
7. The package structure according to claim 6, wherein the
reinforced plate has an inner surface connected to the first end
portion to which the buffer member is fixed, the inner surface
having a third crease at which the inner surface is bent at an
angle smaller than the specific angle in the rear direction and
connected to the middle portion, the buffer member being interposed
between the first end portion and the third crease.
8. The package structure according to claim 7, wherein the cushion
member has a slit into which the bent middle portion of the
reinforced plate is inserted when the cushion member supports the
top portion of the display apparatus through the reinforced
plate.
9. The package structure according to claim 8 further comprising a
cabinet having the display screen installed therein, wherein the
slit of the cushion member has inner surfaces facing each other and
having slopes to form the slit, each slope having an angle .theta.
with respect to a vertical line that goes through the cushion
member in a direction orthogonal to the front and rear directions,
the angle .theta. being defined as tan .theta.=(T-.DELTA.d)/Dm in
which T is a thickness of the buffer member in the front and rear
directions, .DELTA.d is a distance between the display screen and a
front side of the cabinet in the front and rear directions and Dm
is a distance between the third crease and an inner surface of the
bent middle portion between the first and second creases of the
reinforced plate.
10. A method of packing a thin display apparatus having a display
screen comprising the steps of: a first step of attaching a
reinforced plate to the display apparatus, the reinforced plate
having a first end portion, a second end portion, a middle bent
portion and a buffer member that is fixed to the first end portion,
the first and second end portions facing each other with the middle
bent portion located between and connected to the first and second
end portions, the reinforced plate being attached to the display
apparatus so that the middle bent portion is set on a top portion
of the display apparatus at a top side thereof, the buffer member
is positioned at a front side of the display apparatus as facing
the display screen and the second end portion is positioned at a
rear side of the display apparatus; and a second step of attaching
a cushion member to the reinforced plate so that the cushion member
is set on the middle bent portion set, in the first step, on the
top portion of the display apparatus.
11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps
of: a third step of packing the display apparatus in a package box;
and a fourth step of attaching a left corner cushion and a right
corner cushion to a left end portion and a right end portion,
respectively, of the display apparatus at the top side so that a
position of the cushion member in a left direction and a right
direction on the display screen is determined by the left and right
corner cushions in the package box.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second step
includes the step of supporting the display apparatus with the
cushion member from a left end portion to a right end portion of
the display apparatus, the left and right portions being included
in the top portion of the display apparatus.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first step
includes the step of setting the buffer member at the front side so
that buffer member is contact with a specific area of the display
screen or positioned in the vicinity of the specific area at the
front side, the specific area including a center of the display
screen.
14. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:
a third step of bending the reinforced plate at a first crease and
a second crease each at a specific angle to form the middle bent
portion so that the first and second end portions face each other
with the middle bent portion located between and connected to the
first and second end portions; and a fourth step of bending the
reinforced plate at a third crease at an angle smaller than the
specific angle in the rear direction, the third crease being
located at an inner surface of the reinforced plate, the inner
surface being connected to the first end portion to which the
buffer member is fixed, the buffer member being interposed between
the first end portion and the third crease.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims the benefit of
priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-197914
filed on Aug. 28, 2009, the entire contents of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a package structure for a
thin display apparatus and a method of packing a thin display
apparatus.
[0003] There are known package structures for use in shipping thin
display panels such as liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels,
and also thin display apparatuses equipped with such a thin display
panel. Examples of known package structures are a common package
structure with buffer members provided at four corners of an
article to be packed for supporting the article and an improved
package structure for a thin display apparatus disclosed in
Japanese Un-Examined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-232360
(referred to as Document 1, hereinafter).
[0004] Document 1 discloses a package structure for use in packing
a liquid crystal television in a corrugated cardboard box with
holding members to be in contact with both ends of the television
at the bottom and top sides thereof. The package structure features
a reinforced plate that is turned around the television in the
vertical direction to wrap the television, with a sponge plate
attached to the reinforced plate to precompress the center region
of a display panel in the lateral direction.
[0005] According to the package structure in Document 1, the sponge
plate minimizes jolts of the center region of the display panel
that are generated by shocks, vibration, etc., applied to the
television while being shipped. Thus, a thin display apparatus,
such as a liquid crystal television, can withstand shocks,
vibration, etc., generated during shipping even if a display panel
is relatively large.
[0006] However, there is a strong demand for lighter-weight and
thinner display panels and apparatuses with a larger screen, for a
variety of installation types such as hung on wall and ceiling.
[0007] Light weight display panels and apparatuses are achieved
with light metals such as aluminum, in place of metals such as
iron, for display panel frames that support a thin display panel
and cabinets in which a thin display panel is installed. Such a
light metal offers a light weight of around 6 kg which used to be
10 kg or so for thin display panels and apparatuses.
[0008] Such light weight display panels and apparatuses, however,
have a tendency of low stiffness compared to heavy display panels
and apparatuses of the same screen size.
[0009] Thin liquid crystal display panels are achieved with a thin
cell panel, optical sheet, diffusion plate, and other thin
components with a small distance between these components. The
thinness of 10 mm or less has been achieved for the thinnest part
of display panels, which used to be 30 mm or more.
[0010] Such light-weight and thin display panels and apparatuses,
however, suffer several problems when packed in a corrugated
cardboard box and shipped.
[0011] A first problem is that a cell panel is damaged at the rear
side due to rubbing or hitting each other between the cell panel
and an optical sheet provided behind the panel when vibration is
externally applied.
[0012] This problem is caused by a thinner structure with a smaller
distance between the cell panel and the optical sheet, in addition
to that a thinner cell panel is more vibrated at the center region
in back and forth when an external force is applied.
[0013] A second problem is that a package box is also made thinner.
Thus, when the package box falls down a packed cell panel or
display apparatus could suffer flexure deformation as protruding in
the direction of falling down, at the center region of the top
section of the cell panel or display apparatus.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates the second problem. An article 101 to be
packed is a thin display panel, for example. Attached to the four
corners of the article 101 are buffer members 102. The article, or
the thin display panel 101 is packed in a package box 103
(indicated by a dash-dot line for brevity) with the buffer members
102.
[0015] Shown in (a) of FIG. 1 is that the package box 103 is placed
upright on a floor, etc. Shown in (b) of FIG. 1 is that the package
box 103 falls down in a direction indicated by an arrow.
[0016] When the package box 103 falls down in the direction
indicated by the arrow, a flexurally-deformed portion K is created
at the center region of the top side as protruding in the direction
of falling down due to the shock of falling down, as shown in (b)
of FIG. 1.
[0017] This problem is caused by that, although the display panel
101 is supported by the buffer members 102 at the four corners, the
center region between the opposing corners is not protected by the
buffer members 102. The center region of the top side of the
display panel 101 thus cannot withstand the shock of falling down,
in addition to lower stiffness of the panel 101 that is made larger
and thinner.
[0018] The first problem may be solved by the package structure
disclosed in Document 1, with the sponge plate that precompress the
center region of a display panel in the lateral direction to
minimize vibration in back and forth.
[0019] Nevertheless, since the sponge plate is not provided at the
center region of the top side of the display panel in Document 1,
the second problem may not be solved by the package structure
disclosed in Document 1.
[0020] Moreover, the package structure disclosed in Document 1
should be improved in the following points concerning a packing
operation.
[0021] One point to be improved lies in the reinforced plate when
an article to be packed is a thin display panel or apparatus of 10
mm or less in thickness. In detail, it seems that, if the
reinforced plate is weakly turned around such a thin article, it
cannot minimize vibration whereas, if it is strongly turned around,
the sponge plate precompresses the display panel too much, which
results in adverse effects to the thin display panel or apparatus
with lowered stiffness.
[0022] Another point to be improved is that it takes time to turn
the reinforced plate around an article to be packed and connect
both ends of the reinforced plate, with several steps.
[0023] Still another point to be improved is that, when an article
to be packed is mistakenly packed in a package box without the
reinforced plate, the article has to be picked up from the package
box for turning the reinforced plate around the article and then
again packed in the package box, which leads to lower efficiency in
packing operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0024] A purpose of the present invention is to provide a package
structure for a thin display apparatus and a method of packing a
thin display apparatus, that offer easier packing operations and
protect the packed display apparatus from being deformed when a
package box falls down.
[0025] The present invention provides a package structure for
packing a thin display apparatus having a display screen
comprising: a reinforced plate to be attached to the display
apparatus when the display apparatus is packed, the reinforced
plate having an first end portion, a second end portion and a
middle portion, the first end portion being positioned at a front
side of the display apparatus, the second end portion being
positioned at a rear side of the display apparatus and the middle
portion being positioned at a top side of the display apparatus
when the reinforced plate is attached to the display apparatus; a
cushion member to be attached to a top portion of the display
apparatus when the display apparatus is packed, the top portion
being positioned at the top side; and a buffer member fixed to the
first end portion of the reinforced plate, wherein, when the
display apparatus is packed, the cushion member supports the top
portion of the display apparatus from a front direction at the
front side and from a rear direction at the rear side through the
reinforced plate with the buffer member being in contact with the
display screen or being positioned in the vicinity of the display
screen at the front side.
[0026] Moreover, the present invention provides a method of packing
a thin display apparatus having a display screen comprising the
steps of: a first step of attaching a reinforced plate to the
display apparatus, the reinforced plate having a first end portion,
a second end portion, a middle bent portion and a buffer member
that is fixed to the first end portion, the first and second end
portions facing each other with the middle bent portion located
between and connected to the first and second end portions, the
reinforced plate being attached to the display apparatus so that
the middle bent portion is set on a top portion of the display
apparatus at a top side thereof, the buffer member is positioned at
a front side of the display apparatus as facing the display screen
and the second end portion is positioned at a rear side of the
display apparatus; and a second step of attaching a cushion member
to the reinforced plate so that the cushion member is set on the
middle bent portion set, in the first step, on the top portion of
the display apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a view illustrating a problem of a known
package structure;
[0028] FIG. 2 shows orthographic views of an exemplary article to
be packed by a packing method according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a first view illustrating the packing method
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a second view illustrating the packing method
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a third view illustrating the packing method
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a development view of a main component of a
package structure according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0033] FIG. 7 shows a view of a folded state of the main component
of the package structure according to the embodiment of the present
invention, before used in the packing method according to the
embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 8 shows a transverse sectional view illustrating the
package structure according to the embodiment of the present
invention;
[0035] FIG. 9 shows a vertical sectional view illustrating the
package structure according to the embodiment of the present
invention;
[0036] FIG. 10 shows a partially enlarged view of FIG. 9;
[0037] FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of an area DT shown in FIG.
10;
[0038] FIG. 12 shows a schematic view illustrating the dimension of
the components of the package structure according to the embodiment
of the present invention; and
[0039] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a modification to the
package structure according to the embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described with respect to FIGS. 2 to 13.
[0041] FIG. 2 shows orthographic views of an exemplary article to
be packed by a packing method of the present invention. The
exemplary article shown in FIG. 2 is a thin display apparatus 50,
for example, a liquid crystal monitor. The signs "top", "bottom",
"front", "rear", "left" and "right" are given to the drawings when
necessary to indicate the direction with respect to the thin
display apparatus 50.
[0042] The thin display apparatus 50 includes a thin liquid crystal
display panel 1 and a cabinet 2 for the display panel 1 to be
installed, having an opening 2a through which a display screen 1a
provided on a cell panel is of the display panel 1 is exposed. The
cabinet 2 has a protruding portion 3 for installing a circuit
board, etc., at the rear side.
[0043] The thin display apparatus 50 is a 32-inch liquid crystal
monitor having 773 mm in width W, 496 mm in height H, 7 mm in
thickness T1 (except for the protruding portion 3), and 23 mm in
thickness T2 for the protruding portion 3.
[0044] The thin display apparatus 50 (the liquid crystal monitor)
has a mass of 5.7 Kg with the cabinet 2 made of aluminum (including
the protruding portion 3).
[0045] FIGS. 3 to 5 show perspective views illustrating how to pack
the thin display apparatus 50 in a package box, according to a
packing method of the present invention.
[0046] Firstly, the thin display apparatus 50 is wrapped with a
polyethylene film package (not shown).
[0047] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, corner cushions 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d
are attached to the four corners of the cabinet 2, as buffer
members, so that the corner cushions 4a and 4b, and 4c and 4d
support the cabinet 2 at the bottom and top sides,
respectively.
[0048] The polyethylene film package will not be referred to in the
following description because it is much thinner than the other
components and does not contribute to the advantages obtained by
the present invention.
[0049] The corner cushions 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are provided with
slits 4a1, 4b1, 4c1 and 4d1, respectively, having a specific shape
and width so that the four corners of the cabinet 2 can be tightly
inserted into the slits. Shown in FIG. 3 are the slits 4a1, 4b1,
and 4c1. The corner cushions 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are made of styrene
form.
[0050] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, a reinforced plate 5 bent into an
almost J-shape is installed between the corner cushions 4c and 4d
from the top side in a direction D3 so that cabinet 2 is fit
between the opposing inner surfaces of the J-shaped reinforced
plate 5.
[0051] The reinforced plate 5 is made of a corrugated cardboard,
for example. When a corrugated cardboard is used, as shown in FIG.
6, a corrugated cardboard material is cut into a rectangular shape.
Crease lines 5a, 5b and 5c are then made between one end portion
5t1 and another end portion 5t2 of the rectangular corrugated
cardboard so that a valley fold is formed in a direction of the
front side of a drawing paper of FIG. 6. The crease lines 5a, 5b
and 5c are preferably made in a direction orthogonal to the
direction of the flute.
[0052] Any flute type of corrugated cardboard can be used in the
embodiment. Moreover, perforation may be made instead of the crease
lines 5a, 5b and 5c.
[0053] When the direction of the flute is set as indicated by an
arrow in FIG. 6, a buffer plate 6 is fixed at the end portion 5t1
(in the direction of the flute) of the reinforced plate 5 (the
upper side in FIG. 6).
[0054] The buffer plate 6 is made of EPS (Expanded Polystyene), a
type of styrene foam, sponge material, etc., and formed into a
cuboid. The buffer plate 6 is fixed on the reinforced plate 5 by a
fixing means, such as glue or an adhesive tape. The reinforced
plate 5 has a width W2 for an inner surface 5e that is the inner
side when used, equal to or a little bit smaller than a width W3
shown in FIG. 3.
[0055] FIG. 7 shows the reinforced plate 5 folded along the crease
lines 5a, 5b and 5c when used in packing.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 7, the reinforced plate 5 is folded along
the crease lines 5a and 5b at almost right angle whereas folded
slightly along the crease line 5c. Accordingly, the reinforced
plate 5 is formed into an almost J-shape in cross section, having a
bent portion kk.
[0057] The term "an almost J-shape" in this description includes
not only a letter "J"-shape but also a .pi.-shape with the end
portion 5t2 located lower than that shown in FIG. 7.
[0058] The positions of the crease lines 5a and 5b of the
reinforced plate 5 when folded are defined as follows:
[0059] A distance Dm1 shown in FIG. 7 is almost equal to H/2 shown
in FIG. 2 in which the reference sign H indicates the height of the
thin display apparatus 50. The distance Dm1 is, as shown in FIG. 7,
a distance between the position of the inner surface 5e between the
crease lines 5a and 5b in a top-to-bottom direction and the center
position of the buffer member 6 in the top-to-bottom direction.
[0060] A width T3 of the inner surface 5e in a lateral direction
(orthogonal to the top-to-bottom direction) shown in FIG. 7 is
equal to or little bit larger than thickness T1 of the thin display
apparatus 50 (except for the protruding portion 3) shown in FIG.
2.
[0061] The position of the crease line 5c will be discussed
later.
[0062] In addition to the inner surface 5e, the reinforced plate 5
has an inner surface 5d between the crease line 5a and the end
portion 5t2, an inner surface 5f between the crease lines 5b and
5c, and an inner surface 5g between the crease line 5c and the end
portion 5t1, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. It is noted that the
positions of the end portions 5t1 and 5t2 are upside down in FIGS.
6 and 7.
[0063] Referring again to FIG. 4, concerning the packing method of
the present invention, the reinforced plate 5 formed into a
specific shape shown in FIG. 7 is installed in the direction D3 in
such a manner that the buffer plate 6 is in contact with the
display screen 1a (FIG. 2) and the top side of the thin display
apparatus 50 is inserted between the inner surfaces 5d and 5f.
[0064] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a cushion 7 (which will be
described later in detail) is installed between the corner cushions
4a and 4d in a direction D4 from the top side.
[0065] Then, the thin display apparatus 50 is packed in a package
box 8, with the corner cushions 4a to 4d, the reinforced plate 5
and the cushion 7 attached thereto. The package box 8 is then
closed by folding flaps 8f, thus completing a packing
operation.
[0066] The cushion 7 is described in detail.
[0067] The cushion 7 is made of a buffer material such as styrene
form. The cushion 7 supports the center region of the thin display
apparatus 50 at the top side with the reinforced plate 5, which
will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12.
[0068] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line S2A-S2A of FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line S2B-S2B of FIG. 5. FIG. 10
is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 9 at the top side. FIG. 11 is
an enlarged view of an area DT shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a
schematic view illustrating the dimension of the components.
[0069] As shown in FIG. 8, the cushion 7 has a width W4 in the
lateral direction, equal to or little bit smaller than a width W3
that is a gap between the corner cushions 4c and 4d. The width
adjustment allows that the three cushions 4c, 7 and 4d are tightly
aligned in the lateral direction at the top side of the thin
display apparatus 50.
[0070] The cushion 7 is provided with a slit 7a at the center
region in cross section, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The slit 7a is
formed by an inner surface 7a1 at the front side and an opposing
inner surface 7a2 at the rear side. The inner surfaces 7a1 and 7a2
are slopes to shape the slit 7a open wide gradually in the bottom
direction in FIG. 9. The inner surface 7a2 at the rear side is
provided with several ribs 7a3 aligned in the lateral direction,
each having an end surface almost orthogonal to the top-to-bottom
direction, as shown in FIG. 8.
[0071] The slit 7a has a width T5 at the bottom thereof as shown in
FIG. 10, which corresponds to the width obtained by adding the
width T1 (FIG. 2) of the thin display apparatus 50 and a width
twice that of the reinforced plate 5. The cushion 7 thus can be
attached to the thin display apparatus 50 tightly in a
front-to-rear direction of the apparatus 50 in a manner that the
top side of the apparatus 50 is inserted into the slit 7a with the
reinforced plate 5 between the cushion 7 and the apparatus 50.
[0072] Moreover, the cushion 7 has a specific outer width in the
front-to-rear direction of the thin display apparatus 50, that is
equal to or little bit smaller than an inner width of the package
box 8 in the front-to-rear direction. The width adjustment allows
that the cushion 7 is tightly installed in the package box 8 in the
front-to-rear direction. The same goes for the corner cushions 4a
to 4d.
[0073] Accordingly, the thin display apparatus 50 is packed in the
package box 8 tightly in the front-to-rear and lateral directions,
with the corner cushions 4a to 4d, the reinforced plate 5 and the
cushion 7.
[0074] As shown in FIG. 10, the slit 7a of the cushion 7 is formed
with a tilt angle .theta.7 of, for example, about 4 degrees for the
slope of the inner surface 7a1 with respect to the vertical line
that goes through the cushion 7 in a direction orthogonal to the
front-to-rear direction of the thin display apparatus 50.
[0075] The tilt angle .theta.7 is decided in accordance with the
relationship between a distance Dm2 in the top-to-bottom direction
and a width T4 of the buffer plate 6 in the front-to-rear
direction, in FIG. 7. The distance Dm2 is defined as a distance
between the crease lines 5c and the inner surface 5e between the
crease lines 5a and 5b.
[0076] The tilt angle .theta.7 is discussed in detail. In FIG. 11,
an enlarged view of the area DT in FIG. 10, the display screen 1a
is positioned far back (in the right direction in FIG. 11) by
.DELTA.d from the front side 2b of the cabinet 2.
[0077] It is preferable that the buffer member 6 is in almost
surface contact with the display screen 1a or they face with each
other with an extremely small gap when the thin display apparatus
50 is packed in the package box 8.
[0078] In order to satisfy the positional relationship between the
buffer member 6 and the display screen 1a, the following expression
(1) is given when the buffer member 6 has a thickness T4, according
to FIG. 12:
tan .theta.7=(T4-.DELTA.d)/Dm2 (1)
wherein T4=10 mm, .DELTA.d=1.5 mm, and Dm2=120 mm, in this
embodiment.
[0079] Under the requirements discussed above, an outer surface 5fr
(FIG. 7), the opposite surface of the inner surface 5f of the
reinforced plate 5, is in almost surface contact with the
front-side inner surface 7a1 (FIG. 10) of the slit 7 of the cushion
7 when the thin display apparatus 50 is packed in the package box
8.
[0080] Referring to FIG. 8 again, the ribs 7a3 are provided in
order for the inner surface 5d (FIG. 7) of the reinforced plate 5
to be in surface contact with the rear surface of the cabinet 2.
The ribs 7a3 are aligned at a specific interval in the lateral
direction in FIG. 8, with a specific width and height.
[0081] The ribs 7a3 provided as described above are deformed when
an external force is applied from the front to rear of the thin
display apparatus 50 or the package box 8 falls down in the rear
direction, in FIG. 5, after the thin display apparatus 50 has been
packed in the package box 8. The deformed ribs 7a3 effectively
absorb the kinetic energy of the thin display apparatus 50 in
accordance with the motion of the display apparatus 50 in the rear
direction, thus exhibiting preferable buffer effects.
[0082] According to the packing method and package structure of the
embodiment described above, the thin display apparatus 50, an
article to be packed, is tightly supported by the corner cushions
4a to 4d at the four corners at the top and bottom sides and also
the cushion 7 interposed between the corner cushions 4c and 4d at
the top side, in the package box 8.
[0083] The thin display apparatus 50, an article to be packed, is
therefore protected from being deformed at the top side even if the
display apparatus 50 falls down in the front or rear side because
it is supported by the corner cushions 4c and 4d, and also the
cushion 7 at the top side.
[0084] Moreover, when the thin display apparatus 50 is packed in
the package box 8, with the reinforced plate 5, the corner cushions
4c and 4d, and the cushion 7, the buffer plate 6 is put in almost
surface contact with an specific area of the display screen 1a
including the center region thereof or put in a position to face
the specific area with a very small gap. The reinforced plate 5
having the buffer plate 6 is restricted from being deformed in the
front direction by the cushion 7 at the inner surface 7a1 thereof
at the front side. Therefore, when the cell panel 1s (FIGS. 2 and
11) of the thin liquid crystal display panel 1 is vibrated in the
front-to-rear direction, the vibration is diminished by the buffer
plate 6 installed as described above.
[0085] Furthermore, the crease lines 5a, 5b and 5c made in the
direction orthogonal to the direction of the flute, as shown in
FIG. 6, give higher stiffness to the reinforced plate 5 having the
buffer plate 6 against the deformation in the front-to-rear
direction, which further restricts the cell panel is from being
vibrated.
[0086] When the reinforced plate 5 is made of a corrugated
cardboard, the type of flute, the material type of corrugated
cardboard core, etc., and the direction of flute can be
appropriately selected so that the cell panel 1s can be effectively
restricted from vibration.
[0087] With the reinforced plate 5 described above, the cell panel
1s protected from being damaged, especially, at the back thereof
because of no contact (rubbing, hitting, etc.) with an optical
panel (not shown) provided just behind the cell panel 1s.
[0088] Moreover, the reinforced plate 5 can be attached to an
article to be packed, such as the thin display apparatus 50, after
the article is packed in the package box 8, thus an easier and more
efficient packing operation is achieved.
[0089] Furthermore, even if the reinforced plate 5 has to be
replaced with a new one after packed due to defectiveness after
packed, it can be replaced with no need to pick up a packed
article, such as the thin display apparatus 50 from the package box
8, thus higher packing operability is achieved.
[0090] It is further understood by those skilled in the art that
the foregoing description is a preferred embodiment of the
described structure and method and that various changes and
modifications may be made in the invention without departing from
the spirit and scope thereof.
[0091] For example, the reinforced plate 5 may be made of other
materials than a corrugated cardboard, such as resin, like
polypropylene (PP).
[0092] An article to be packed may be the thin liquid crystal
display panel 1 without being installed in the thin display
apparatus 50, or other thin plate-like materials such as glass and
resin.
[0093] Regarding the buffer plate 6 to be put in contact with the
display screen 1a on the cell panel is of the display panel 1, its
position of contact, area and shape are not limited to those
described above. Nevertheless, it is preferable that the buffer
plate 6 covers the center region of the display screen 1a, the
center region being to be vibrated most when the package box 8
falls down.
[0094] Shown in FIG. 13 is a modification to the package structure
described above, with a cushion 71 having an integral structure of
the corner cushions 4c and 4d, and the cushion 7.
[0095] Also in this modification, the thin display apparatus 50 (an
article to be packed) is tightly supported by the cushion 71 at the
top side from left to right corners.
[0096] The cushion 71 has a larger exterior dimension than each of
the separate corner cushions 4c and 4d, and cushion 7. However, the
use of the cushion 71 reduces the cushion installation steps of 1/3
fewer than those separated cushions.
[0097] Also in this modification, a packed article is protected
from being damaged at the top side when a package box falls down in
front or rear because it is supported or protected at the top
side.
[0098] As described in detail, the present invention achieves that
a packed article, such as a thin liquid crystal display panel and a
thin display apparatus and so on, is packed in a package box by an
easier operation and is protected from being deformed even if a
package box falls down.
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