GB2234128A

GB2234128A - Structure of an LCD holder for a paging receiver

Info

Publication number: GB2234128A
Application number: GB9016007A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Takashi Oyamada
Original assignee: NEC Corp
Current assignee: NEC Corp
Priority date: 1989-07-21
Filing date: 1990-07-20
Publication date: 1991-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2010-07-20
Also published as: JPH0325284U; JPH0731580Y2; GB2234128B; GB9016007D0

Abstract

The structure of a box-like holder 48 for use with a rectangular, flat, liquid crystal display (LCD) is described. The holder is removed at four corner portions 58 to form notches. The notches prevent the corner portions of the holder and the corresponding corner portions of the LCD from making contact with each other. When an impact acts on the paging receiver, the resulting stresses concentrating on the corner portions of the LCD are effectively absorbed and are thereby prevented from damaging the LCD. <IMAGE>

Description

STRUCTURE OF AN LCD HOLDER FOR A PAGING RECEIVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a paging receiver or similar miniature portable radio communication apparatus with a liquid crystal display (LCD) and, more particularly, to the structure of a holder for retaining the LCD.

Portable radio communication apparatuses extensively used today have a display in the form of a rectangular LCD. The LCD for such an application is surrounded and retained by a generally box-like holder and fixed in place on a printed circuit board which is incorporated in the housing of the apparatus.

Generally, the LCD is constituted by a thin flat member made of glass, while the holder is produced by bending a metal plate in a box-like configuration. The metallic holder surrounds the entire peripheral edges of the LCD and thereby firmly retains it thereon. The problem with such a configuration is that an impact apt to act on the apparatus while the latter is carried by the user cannot be absorbed by the metallic holder and, therefore, damages the LCD. Especially, the stresses ascribable to such an impact concentrate on the four corner portions of the rectangular LCD and, therefore, damage them more seriously than the other portions. No implementations for freeing the corner portions of the LCD from damage have heretofore been proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the structure of an LDC holder for a paging receiver which enhances the resistivity of an LCD to an impact and promotes reliable operations of the LCD.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a generally improved structure of an LCD holder for a paging receiver.

In accordance with the present invention, in a structure of a substantially box-like holder for use with a portable miniature radio communication equipment for holding a flat display while surrounding the display along peripheral edges of the display in a casing of the apparatus, means is provided for preventing, when the display is retained by the holder, four corner portions of the display and corresponding four corner portions of the holder from contacting each other by causing the four corner portions of the display to be exposed to the outside.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional paging receiver with an LCD; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an LCD holder incorporated in the paging receiver of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an LCD holder embodying the present invention; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the LCD holder holding an LCD.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ENtBODINfENT To better understand the present invention, a brief reference will be made to a conventional paging receiver with an LCD, shown in Fig. 1. As shown, the paging receiver, generally 10, has a casing 12 which is provided with a rectangular window 12a. An LCD 14 has a rectangular display section 14a and is received in the casing 12 with the display section 14a showing itself through the window 12a.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, an LCD holder 18 has a rectangular window 18a and is formed by bending a sheet of metal. The LCD 14 is surrounded and firmly retained by the LCD holder 18 with the window 14a showing itself through the window 18a. The LCD holder 18 with the LCD 14 is rigidly mounted on a printed circuit board 16 which is incorporated in the casing 12. An electroluminescent (EL) device (light emitting device) 20 intervenes between the LCD 14 and the printed circuit board 16 for a back-lighting purpose necessary dring the nighttime. In this configuration, the LCD holder 18 surrounds the entire peripheral edges of the rectangular LCD 14 including the four corner portions and thereby prevents the LCD 14 from moving easily.Therefore, so long as the paging receiver 10 is free from impacts such as one ascribable to a fall, the LCD 14 is firmly retained on the printed circuit board 16. Usually, the LCD 14 is implemented as a thin flat member made of glass, while the LCD holder 18 is produced by bending a sheet of metal.

The problem is, therefore, when an impact acts on the paging receiver 10, the metallic LCD holder 18 cannot absorb the instantaneous displacement or distortions of the LCD 14 ascribable to the impact. As a result, the stresses concentrate on the four corner portions of the LCD 14 which are mechanically weaker than the other portions, thereby damaging such corner portions. In Figs. 1 and 2, reference numerals 22, 24 and 26 designate a reset switch, a speaker unit and a battery, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 3, a paging receiver with an LCD to which a preferred embodiment of the LCD holder in accordance with the present invention is applied will be described. The paging receiver, generally 30, has a casing made up of a case portion 32 having a rectangular window 32a, and a cover portion 34 closing the case portion 32 and having a battery cover 34a integrally therewith. The battery cover 34a closes a battery containing section, no numeral. Electric circuitry of the paging receiver 30 is printed on a printed circuit board 36 which is accommodated in the casing. Some parts are rigidly mounted on the printed circuit board 36. The printed circuit board 36 has contact members 38 and four holes 40. An EL device 42 serves as a back light during nighttime. A conductive connector 44 has conductors arranged in a zebra pattern on silicone rubber.The EL device 42, conductive connector 44 and an LCD 46 having a display surface 46a are retained by a generally box-like LCD holder 48. The LCD holder 48 has a window 48a which is so located as to face the window 32a of the case portion 32. Four legs 50 extending out from the LCD holder 48 are inserted in the four holes 40 of the printed circuit board 36 and then twisted or otherwise deformed or soldered at the back of the circuit board 36, whereby the LCD holder 48 is affixed to the circuit board 36.

When the individual members are affixed to the printed circuit board 36 as stated above, connecting terminals 52 provided on the LCD 46 are caused into contact with the contact members 38 provided on the circuit board 36. A reset switch 60 and a speaker unit 62 are provided on the board 36.

As shown in an enlarged scale in Fig. 4, the LCD holder 48 has notches 58 at four corner portions 54 thereof. The four corner portions 54, therefore, do not make contact with four corner portions 56 of the LCD 46, i. e., the corner portions 56 each is exposed to the outside through the associated notch 58.

Thus, a characteristic feature of the illustrative embodiment is the notches 58 formed in the four corner portions of the LCD holder 48 to absorb shocks and impacts which may act on the LCD 46.

The LCD 46 which is made of glass as mentioned previously is quite susceptible to bending forces and impacts. Especially, an LCD used with the above-described type of miniature radio communication apparatus is often implemented as an assembly of glass sheets which are not more than about 0. 3 to 0. 5 millimeter thick. When an impact acts on such a rectangular LCD constituted by fragile members, the resultant stresses instantaneously concentrate on the four corner portions thereof.

This, coupled with the fact that the four corner portions of the LCD are most susceptible to an impact, they are broken first, as proved by experiments.

In the illustrative embodiment, the LCD holder 48 covering the LCD 46 along the edges of the latter has the notches 58 at the four corner portions 54 thereof. As shown in Fig. 4, the four corner portions 56 of the LCD 46 which would otherwise contact the corners of the LDC holder 48 are exposed to the outside through their associated notches 58. Hence, the stresses concentrating on the corner portions in the event of an impact are effectively absorbed, whereby the durability of the LCD 46 is enhanced to a noticeable extent.

Of course, the LCD holder 48 may be produced by bending a plastic plate in place of a metallic plate.

Various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A holder structure comprising: a rectangular glass plate; and means for holding peripheral edges of said rectangular glass plate except for a corner portion of said rectangular glass plate.

2. In a structure of holder for holding a flat display while surrounding said display along peripheral edges of said display in a casing of said apparatus, the improvement wherein means is provided for preventing, when said display is retained by said holder, at least one corner portion of said display and associated corner portion of said holder from contacting each other by causing said corner portion of said display to be exposed to the outside.

3. In a structure of a substantially box-like holder for use with a portable miniature radio communication equipment for holding a flat display while surrounding said display along peripheral edges of said display in a casing of said apparatus, the improvement wherein means is provided for preventing, when said display is retained by said holder, four corner portions of said display and corresponding four corner portions of said holder from contacting each other by causing said four corner portions of said display to be exposed to the outside.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means comprises notches formed in the four corner portions of the holder.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

6. A holder structure for holding a flat display substantially as shown in and as herein described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.