FR2821901A1 - DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A FLAT SCREEN WITH LIQUID CRYSTALS - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for supporting a liquid crystal flat screen (12), comprising an arm (14) which can be joined to a load bearing structure (16), and an articulating mechanism (18) disposed between the arm (14) and the screen (12). The load bearing mechanism comprises a stirrup element (20) having two horizontally spaced walls (104, 106) respectively provided with two aligned openings (108, 110) defining a horizontal passage (32) of a given axis (XX) through which the arm (14) can pass through disposed in such a way that it overhangs. In a preferred embodiment, the arm comprises a circular cylindrical walled tube (28), and the end of at least one of the openings (108, 110) is V-shaped to ensure locking during translation and rotation of the tube as a result of the corner effect. The invention can be used in computer workstations.

Description

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L'invention se rapporte aux équipements de bureau, notamment aux équipements informatiques. Device for supporting a flat liquid crystal screen

The invention relates to office equipment, in particular computer equipment.

It relates more particularly to a support device for a flat liquid crystal screen, in particular for a computer station.

It is known that flat liquid crystal screens are used more and more in computer stations, in particular those intended for banking establishments, trading rooms, and the like.

Indeed, because of their small size and the visual comfort they provide to the user, these flat screens advantageously replace traditional cathode screens.

Support devices for a liquid crystal flat screen are already known, which comprise an arm suitable for being connected to a support structure, as well as an articulation mechanism interposed between the arm and the screen.

In known devices of this kind, the arm is generally composed of several elements hinged together.

This arm is often bulky and it requires the use of a resistant supporting structure which also generates bulk on the station where it is placed.

In addition, the arm is usually connected in a non-removable manner to the support structure, which requires mounting the flat screen, in situ, directly on the articulation mechanism carried by the arm. Given the particular constraints of each station, this assembly is carried out

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 generally "blind", which poses many practical difficulties.

Furthermore, these support devices are either difficult to adjust or easily lose their adjustment position.

Finally, these known devices are generally ill-suited to double stations, as is often found in banking establishments, trading rooms, and the like, in which there are two desks arranged opposite and which are each intended to receive their own equipment.

In all cases, these known support devices are bulky, and therefore not very compatible with flat liquid crystal screens.

Indeed, the gain in size obtained with such a flat screen is generally lost, at least in part, by the size of the support device itself.

The object of the invention is in particular to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

It aims in particular to provide a support device for a flat liquid crystal screen which is simple in structure and easy to install.

It also aims to provide a support device of this kind which generates a small footprint on the station on which this device is installed.

It also aims to provide such a support device which is compatible with a wide range of flat liquid crystal screens.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a device

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 support which allows easy adjustment of the flat screen in a multiplicity of possible positions, and this without the flat screen can not then lose its adjustment position.

To this end, the invention proposes a support device of the type defined in the introduction, in which the carrying structure comprises a stirrup having two walls spaced horizontally and provided respectively with two aligned openings defining a given axis passage suitable for being crossed by the arm arranged in overhang.

Thanks to the overhang of the screen and the arm, a torque is produced in the caliper which causes the arm to be trapped in the two openings of the caliper. The arm thus constitutes an adjustable bracket at the end of which the screen is mounted.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arm comprises a tube with a circular cylindrical wall, while at least one of the openings comprises a V-shaped end to ensure the locking in translation and in rotation of the tube, by effect of corner.

This jamming prevents the tube from turning on itself and blocks it from rotating. Thus, the tube can be placed in the stirrup, in a given axial and angular position, and be kept in this position by a simple locking effect due to the particular shape of at least one of the aligned openings.

In addition, the arm being detachably connected to the stirrup, this makes it possible to first fix the arm to the screen by means of the articulation mechanism, then to introduce the arm into the passage defined by the 'stirrup.

As a result, the mounting of the flat screen is facilitated. In fact, unlike known devices where the point

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 anchor is located directly on the back of the screen and therefore requires blind mounting, the device of the invention allows permanent vision of the fixing point during mounting.

Preferably, the two openings of the stirrup each have a V-shaped end, and these two V-shaped ends are arranged head to tail, one being directed upwards and the other downwards.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the V-shaped ends is delimited by two straight edges forming between them a chosen angle and connecting with an edge in an arc having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the tube.

The angle chosen above is advantageously between 50 and 70, and preferably equal to 60 ..

The two walls of the stirrup are preferably part respectively of two shells assembled together.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the stirrup comprises a vertical cylindrical passage having an axis substantially orthogonal to the axis of the horizontal passage, said vertical passage being intended to be crossed by a vertical cylindrical mast forming part of the carrying structure , so as to allow the immobilization of the stirrup in an axial and angular position defined relative to the mast, by jamming effect in overhang.

Therefore it is possible to easily move the stirrup along the mast and place it at the desired height and orientation, the stirrup automatically remaining in position by bracing effect on the mast. A permanent locking can, if necessary, be carried out for security reasons, as will be seen below.

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 Each of the aforementioned shells preferably comprises an upper folded edge provided with an upper notch in an arc of a circle suitable for coming opposite an upper notch homologous with the other shell, as well as a lower folded edge provided with a lower notch in a circular arc suitable for coming opposite a lower notch homologous with the other shell.

Preferably, the stirrup further comprises a screw locking member for ensuring the locking of the stirrup in this defined axial and angular position.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the arm is a telescopic tube which comprises a first cylindrical part suitable for sliding in the horizontal passage of the stirrup and a second cylindrical part suitable for sliding in the first part and supporting the ball joint.

Preferably, the first part and the second part of the tube are each of circular cylindrical shape and comprise means for mutual locking in rotation.

In the description which follows, given solely by way of example, reference is made to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support device for a flat liquid crystal screen according to the invention ; - Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken along the axis of the tube-shaped arm, of the device of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a front view of the stirrup forming part of the support structure; - Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device, the tube being shown in the telescoped position; - Figures 5 to 7 are partial sectional views, similar to Figure 2, showing three positions

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different from the patella; - Figure 8 is a front view of a shell forming part of the stirrup of the device of the invention; - Figure 9 is a top view corresponding to the
Figure 8; and - Figure 10 is an axial sectional view of a ball joint in another embodiment of the invention.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which represents a device 10 intended to support a flat screen 12, of the liquid crystal type, such as those used, for example, in computer stations.

The device 10 comprises an arm 14, forming a bracket, disposed in a substantially horizontal position while being supported by a support structure 16. A hinge mechanism 18 is interposed between the arm 14 and the screen 12.

The supporting structure 16 comprises a stirrup 20, also called a shoe, which can slide vertically (double arrow Fl) along a vertical mast 22 produced here in the form of a tube with circular cylindrical wall. The mast 22 comprises a base 24 suitable for being fixed, preferably in an adjustable manner, on a station, for example a computer desk.

In the example, the base 24 is adjustable in position along a horizontal rail 26 (shown schematically) that includes said computer station.

The arm 14 is produced here in the form of a telescopic tube which comprises a first tubular part 28, in the example of circular cylindrical shape, and a second tubular part 30, also of circular cylindrical shape, capable of sliding at the inside of the tubular part 28.

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 The tubular part 28 is able to slide axially and to rotate freely in a horizontal passage 32 of axis XX that defines the stirrup 20. Thus, the tubular part 28 can be adjusted in a given axial and angular position relative to the caliper 20. The latter is also adjustable in a given angular position relative to the mast 22, as shown by the arrow F2.

In addition, the tubular part 30 can be adjusted axially with respect to the part 28, which makes it possible to modify the distance between the screen 12 and the stirrup, and this with a large amplitude taking into account the telescopic nature of the arm 14.

Preferably, the tubular parts 28 and 30 comprise means for mutual locking in rotation, and this to prevent the tubular part 30 from rotating relative to the tubular part 28 under the effect of a torque produced by the screen 12 when the latter is in an inclined cantilever position.

These mutual locking means are advantageously means of the groove type, as shown diagrammatically at 34 in FIG. 1.

The articulation mechanism 18 will now be described with particular reference to Figures 2 and 4. In Figure 2, the arm 14 (telescopic tube) is shown in the deployed position, while in Figure 4, this arm is shown in the position retracted.

The articulation mechanism 18 comprises a ball joint 36 which has a surface 38 of generally hemispherical shape and center C (Figure 4). The ball 36 is extended by four radial legs 40 which are best seen in Figure 1. These four legs are arranged at 90. from each other and they

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 each have two holes 42 for fixing the ball 36 on a rear face 44 of the screen. The latter is fitted with four appropriate holes (not shown) according to the VESA standard. The existence of two holes 42 on each of the legs 40 makes it possible to adapt the ball joint to screens of different sizes.

The ball 36 itself is received in an internal housing 48 defined by the cage 46. However, the internal surface of the cage does not constitute a surface homologous to the hemispherical surface 38. On the contrary, the cage comes into contact with the hemispherical surface 38 only by an internal annular border 50 which thus forms an annular and narrow contact surface. The cage 46 is extended by a sleeve 52 which defines an axial cylindrical passage 54.

The tubular part 30 of the arm 14 comprises a first end 56 which fits around the sleeve 52 and a second end 58 which internally receives a support 60, the structure of which will be described later.

The ball joint 18 and the cage 46 are each formed from a material with high mechanical resistance and a high coefficient of friction. As such, it is advantageous that the ball joint and the cage are each formed of a suitable plastic material, and in particular of the polycarbonate type. The ball 38 and the cage 46 can thus be produced easily by molding of this particular plastic material.

According to the invention, the device further comprises traction means 62 interposed between the cage and the ball to exert an elastic return force, of selected value, which urges the ball 38 to bear against the annular edge 50 of the cage. In this way, and taking into account the high coefficient of friction of the material used, the ball and the cage are elastically biased against each other, which allows

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 immobilization of the patella, in a chosen orientation, relative to the cage.

In the embodiment shown, the traction means 62 comprise a tie rod 64 which, in the example, is a flexible cable, namely a multi-strand metal cable. This tie rod 64 passes through the ball and the cage and it comprises a first end stop 66, here of generally circular cylindrical shape, which bears substantially at the center C of the ball.

To this end, the ball 38 includes a cylindrical housing 68 used for receiving the stop 66 and opening onto a rear face 70 of the ball. This housing 68 communicates with a passage 74 of frustoconical shape which is used for the passage of the tie rod and which opens onto the hemispherical surface 38 of the ball joint. This passage 74 has a generally conical shape and it has a narrow opening 76 which communicates with the abutment housing 68 and a wide opening 78, of circular shape, which opens onto the hemispherical surface of the ball joint.

The tie rod 64 has a second end stop 80 which is received in the support 60, outside the cage. To this end, the end of the tie rod is produced in the form of a threaded part provided with an adjustment nut 42 and traversed by a helical spring 84, which bears against a support ring 86 forming part of the support 60.

More particularly, this support 60 comprises a sleeve 88 terminated by a flange 90 and the bottom of which is constituted by the abovementioned support ring 86. The spring 84 is arranged between two washers: a washer 92 situated against the nut 82 and a washer 94 situated against the support ring 86.

It will be understood that it is thus possible to adjust the axial force F3 which

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 is exerted on the patella and, consequently, the lateral force F4 which is exerted against the annular border 50 (Figure 4). This adjustment is obtained by a judicious choice of the stiffness of the spring and by an appropriate adjustment of the axial position of the nut 82.

The combination of this adjustment and the choice of materials constituting the ball joint and the cage makes it possible to produce significant friction between the ball joint and the cage, which makes it possible to immobilize the ball joint in a chosen orientation and to maintain this orientation, despite the weight exerted by the screen 12.

It will be noted that the tubular part 28 of the arm is terminated, on one side, by a ring 95 which slides inside the tubular part 30 and, on the opposite side, by a cap 96 of conical shape. This cap hides the access to the adjusting nut and further constitutes a stop preventing the arm 14 from escaping from the stirrup 20.

As can be seen in Figures 5 to 7, the ball 36 (therefore the screen 12) can take an infinite number of orientations. In all cases, the tensile force exerted on the ball joint applies substantially to the center of the latter and in the axis of the arm.

Given the frustoconical shape of the tie rod passage 74, the ball joint can have a large range of motion. This allows an infinite number of adjustment positions or orientations, in combination with the fact that the arm 14 is itself telescopic and that it is carried by a stirrup adjustable in height and in orientation relative to the mast 22.

The structure of the stirrup 20 will now be described with particular reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 8 and 9.

The stirrup 20 comprises two generally similar parts or shells 100 and 102, arranged on either side of the mast 22

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 and assembled together, the part 100 being located on the side of the screen 12 and the part 102 being on the opposite side.

The shells 100 and 102 have respective walls 104 and 106 spaced apart horizontally and provided respectively with two aligned openings 108 and 110 which define the above-mentioned horizontal passage 32 of axis XX.

The two openings 108 and 110 each have a V-shaped end, namely 112 and 114 respectively, these two ends being arranged head to tail. The end 112 of the opening 108 is directed downward, while the end 114 of the opening 110 is directed upward (see Figure 1). Each of these ends, for example the end 112, is delimited by two straight edges 116 forming between them a chosen angle A, typically between 50. and 70, in the example of 60 (Figure 8). These two straight edges 116 are connected to an edge 118 in an arc, the diameter of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the tubular part 28 of the arm.

The straight edges 116 of the opening 108 do not form a true V, insofar as they are connected together by a transverse edge 120.

Thus, the tubular part 28 of the arm can slide axially in the passage 32 and be immobilized in a given axial position and angular position. In addition, the tubular part 30 can be moved, simply in axial sliding, relative to the tubular part 28, to provide additional adjustment of the screen, as already indicated.

The locking in position of the tubular part 28 relative to the stirrup is thus effected by the cooperation of the tubular wall of this part 28 with the two V-shaped ends, oriented head to tail.

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 In a simplified version, it is possible to provide that only one of the two openings comprises a V-shaped end. Each of the shells, for example the shell 100, comprises an upper folded edge 122 provided with an upper notch 124 in arc of circle, suitable for coming opposite an upper notch homologous with the other shell, as well as a lower folded edge 126 provided with a lower notch 128 in an arc, suitable for coming opposite a lower notch homologous on the other shell.

Thus, when the shells are arranged opposite, the two upper notches facing each other and the two lower notches facing each other help to define a vertical cylindrical passage 130 which admits a substantially orthogonal YY axis to the axis XX of the horizontal passage 32 (Figure 1). This vertical passage is designed to be crossed by the vertical cylindrical mast 22 described above.

The shells 100 and 102 are generally similar and are advantageously produced by molding a metallic material.

They are held together by at least two screws 132 (FIG. 3) which pass through two circular openings 134 of the shell 100 and which cooperate with threaded passages homologous to the shell 102.

The stirrup 20 further comprises a locking member 136 of the screw type for ensuring the locking of the stirrup in a defined axial and angular position. This member 136 comprises a button 138 extended by a threaded rod 140 which passes through an opening 142 of the shell 100 and which cooperates with a threaded passage opposite the shell 102. It should be noted that, due to the '' cantilever force exerted by the weight of the arm and the screen, the stirrup 100 can come to a stop in an axial and angular position chosen relative to the mast 22, by

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 simple wedging effect. The locking member 136 simply constitutes a security device for locking the stirrup in a chosen position relative to the mast.

The ball 38 of Figure 10 differs from that described above in that it is hollowed out instead of being massive. It indeed has a recess 144 which opens onto the rear face 70. This makes it possible to lighten the ball joint and to facilitate its production by molding, without compromising its mechanical strength taking into account the material used.

This provides a device of simple structure, compact, to ensure an infinite number of possible settings for a flat screen liquid crystal.

It can thus be easily installed on a workstation, in particular a computer desk.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of example and it is susceptible of numerous variants. It will be understood in particular that the stirrup can be used with different types of arms and articulation mechanisms.

Claims (11)

claims  1. Support device for a liquid crystal flat screen (12), in particular for a computer station, of the type comprising an arm (14) suitable for being connected to a support structure (16), as well as an articulation mechanism (18) interposed between the arm and the screen, characterized in that the supporting structure comprises a stirrup (20) having two walls (104, 106) spaced apart horizontally and provided respectively with two aligned openings (108, 110) defining a horizontal passage (32) given axis (XX) suitable for being crossed by the arm (14) arranged in overhang. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm comprises a tube (28) with a circular cylindrical wall, and in that at least one of the openings (108,110) comprises a V-shaped end to ensure locking in translation and in rotation of the tube, by wedge effect. 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the two openings (108,110) of the stirrup (20) each have a V-shaped end (112,114) and in that these two V-shaped ends are arranged head to tail, l 'one being directed upwards and the other downwards. 4. Device according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that each of the V-shaped ends is delimited by two straight edges (116) forming between them a chosen angle (A) and connecting with an edge in an arc (118) having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the tube. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the chosen angle (A) is between 50 and 70, and preferably equal to 60 .. <Desc / Clms Page number 15>  6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the two walls (104, 106) of the stirrup are respectively part of two shells (100,102) assembled together. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stirrup has a vertical cylindrical passage (130) having an axis (YY) substantially orthogonal to the axis (XX) of the horizontal passage (32), said vertical passage being intended to be crossed by a vertical cylindrical mast (22) forming part of the carrying structure, so as to allow the immobilization of the stirrup in an axial and angular position defined relative to the mast (22), by cantilevering effect. 8. Device according to claims 6 and 7, taken in combination, characterized in that each of the shells (100, 102) comprises an upper folded edge (122) provided with an upper notch (124) in a clean arc to come opposite an upper notch homologous with the other shell, as well as a lower folded edge (126) provided with a lower notch (128) in an arc of a circle suitable for coming opposite a lower notch homologous with the 'other shell. 9. Device according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the stirrup (20) further comprises a locking member (136) with screws to ensure the locking of the stirrup in this defined axial and angular position . 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the arm is a telescopic tube (14) which comprises a first cylindrical part (28) suitable for sliding in the horizontal passage (32) of the stirrup ( 20) and a second cylindrical part (30) capable of sliding in the first cylindrical part (28) and supporting the ball joint (36). <Desc / Clms Page number 16>  11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the first part (28) and the second part (30) of the tube are each of circular cylindrical shape and comprise means for mutual locking in rotation (34).