Display device

The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device for a notebook computer.

Portable computers, including laptop computers or notebook computers, have increased in popularity since their introduction to the electronics market. While many users prefer a tablet-type portable computer with a stylus as an input device, many other users prefer to have a portable computer with a full keyboard configuration depending upon the application for which the computer is being utilized. Therefore, users desire a portable computer that can be configured to operate either as a normal laptop computer with keyboard or pointing device input, or as a tablet computer with an electronic stylus or other touch-screen-type input device and/or OCR software. It is also generally desirable that the display of the portable computer be protected when the portable computer is being transported.

Taiwan Patent No. M247895 discloses a rotatable display for a notebook computer including a hollow frame and a display horizontally rotatably mounted within the hollow frame. Two first pivoting members are symmetrically disposed at a top frame bar and a bottom frame bar of the hollow frame respectively. Two second pivoting members are symmetrically disposed at a top portion and a bottom portion of the display respectively, and the second pivoting members are respectively pivoted to the first pivoting members of the hollow frame. However, the display can only be rotated horizontally in the frame, and it can't satisfy the user's need of adjusting a height of the display.

What is needed, therefore, is a display device which allows adjusting height of a display thereof.

An exemplary display device includes a display, a frame, and two fixing members connecting the display to the frame. The frame includes two support arms, each of the support arms defines a longitudinal sliding slot, and the display is movable along the sliding slots of the frame.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an assembled view of a display device with a base unit in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the display device of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a schematic, assembled view of a gear, a pivot, and a frame arm of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 1 , but showing a state of the display device used in a notebook computer; and

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1 , but showing another state of the display device used in a tablet computer.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , a display device for a notebook computer is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The display device includes a detachable frame 20 pivotally fixed to a base unit 10 , a display 30 , and a pair of fixing members 40 .

The frame 20 includes two parallel support arms 26 each capable of being separated into two pieces 21 , 22 . An inside surface of each support arm 26 defines a sliding slot 262 extending from a middle portion to a top portion of each support arm 26 . A wider recess 264 is defined in each support arm 26 communicating with the sliding slot 262 , and a rack 266 is installed in the recess 264 of each support arm 26 . In this embodiment, the rack 266 is made of rubber material.

Each fixing member 40 includes a gear 42 and a pivot 44 operatively rotatably connected with the gear 42 . The pivot 44 may define a through hole therein for allowing a cable to extend therethrough. In this embodiment, the gear 42 and the pivot 44 are made of metal material. Rubber material is adhered to one end of each pivot 44 rotatably connected to a corresponding gear 42 , for increasing the friction between the gear 42 and the pivot 44 . Another free end of each pivot 44 forms male threads. The display 30 includes two sidewalls 31 , and a middle portion of each sidewall 31 defines a threaded fixing hole 37 for fixing the free end of the corresponding pivot 44 .

Referring also to FIGS. 1 and 3 , in assembly, the free ends of the pivots 44 of the fixing members 40 are respectively fixed to the fixing holes 37 of the sidewalls 31 of the display 30 . The frame 20 is detached into two pieces to receive the gears 42 of the fixing members 40 in the recesses 264 of the support arms 26 respectively, and the gears 42 are engaged with the racks 266 respectively. A cable, which is provided in the frame 20 , is extended through the through hole of the pivot 44 to electrically connect with the display 30 . The frame 20 is finally assembled, and the display 30 is movably mounted to the frame 20 . Then the frame 20 is pivotally fixed to the base 10 , and the cable electrically couples the display 30 to the base 10 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , the display 30 is received in the frame 20 entirely. The display device and the base 10 are combined as a typical clamshell notebook computer. When it is desired to adjust a height and an angle of the display 30 for better view, the display 30 is pulled in a plane defined by the frame 20 , causing the gears 42 to roll upwardly along the racks 266 of the support arms 26 respectively until the display 30 arrives at a desired height. The gears 42 are held in position within the corresponding racks 266 due to the friction therebetween, thereby the display 30 is held at the desired height in the frame 20 . The display 30 can also be rotated to a desired angle relative to the frame 20 and held in place due to the friction between the gears 42 and the pivots 44 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the frame 20 is slantingly disposed relative to the base 10 , and the display 30 is vertically held in the frame 20 due to the friction between the gears 42 and the corresponding racks 266 and the corresponding pivots 44 .

When it is desired to transform the typical notebook computer, as shown in FIG. 4 , into a tablet-type computer, the display 30 is rotated 180 degrees in the frame 20 . The frame 20 is closed to the base 10 , and the display device and the base 10 can be used as a tablet computer as shown in FIG. 5 .

It is believed that the present embodiment and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the example hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention.