GB2519300A

GB2519300A - Arrangement of a mounted display screen

Info

Publication number: GB2519300A
Application number: GB1318250.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Brian Clarkson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-15
Filing date: 2013-10-15
Publication date: 2015-04-22
Also published as: GB201318250D0

Abstract

A mounted display screen assembly comprises a sheet 10 of transparent material, such as high-strength glass, on which a partially-reflective coating is carried, and a self-illuminating, flat panel display screen 30 bonded to the sheet whereby a display surface 32 of the display screen faces the sheet. Typically, the partially-reflective layer is formed from metal or metal oxide applied to one surface of the sheet. A surface 22 to which the screen is bonded may be coated with a dark, opaque coating, a region of the surface being free of the opaque coating to form a viewing region through which the screen is visible when in use. The mounted display screen may form part a panel, window or door of a building or of a piece of furniture such as a cupboard, cabinet or wardrobe. The arrangement may allow the display screen to be inconspicuous or concealed when not in use but be visible when switched on.

Description

Arrangement of a Mounted Display Screen This invention relates to an arrangement fbr mounting a display screen. In particular, it relates to an arrangement whereby the display screen is inconspicuous when it is not in use.

The reduction in cost of LCD and other "flat panel" display devices has encouraged their use in a large number of domestic and other situations where previous technologies, such as CRT displays, would be inappropriate due to size, weight and production of heat when in use.

Despite such display devices being considerably less intrusive than their older CRT equivalents, there is nonetheless a desire to minimise the visual impact of such devices when they are not in use.

There have been many examples of installations where a display, such as that of a television receiver, is concealed behind opening doors. However, this is inconvenient, and limits the range of places in which the display can be installed, since the user must manually open the doors in order to use the dispia An aim of this invention is to provide a system whereby a display can be incorporated into an environment in a manner that is inconspicuous and aesthetically pleasing when the display is not in use, yet which allows the display to be brought into use without the need fbr manual intervention.

To this end, from a first aspect the present invention provides a mounted display screen assembly comprising a sheet of transparent material on which a partially-reflective coating is carried, and a flat panel display screen bonded to the sheet whereby a display surface of the display screen faces the sheet.

Dy careful selection of the partially-reflective coating, the display screen can be rendered largely unnoticcable through the sheet when it is not in usc, yet the screen can bc clearly seen when it is in operation.

In typical embodiments, the sheet is glass, and particularly, high-strength glass.

The display screen may be use any technology that provides a source of illumination (rather than one that relies on reflection of ambient light). These include, but are not limited to, back-lit liquid-crystal displays (LCD) of various types including thin-film transistor (TV!), light-emitting diode (LED) or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, plasma displays or vacuum fluorescent displays.

The partially-reflective coating maybe a metal or metal oxide layer. Most typically, the layer is applied to just one surface of the sheet, in which case, the display screen will be bonded to the surface other than that to which the coating has been applied. The surface to which the screen is bonded is prekrably coated with a dark opaque coatin& a region of the surface being free of the opaque coating to form a viewing region through which the screen is visible whenin use.

Mvantageously, the display screen is bonded to the sheet using a double-sided adhesive tape.

The assembly may be a component of a panel, a window or a door, particularly a sliding door, which may be a component of a building or of a piece of furniture, such as built-in bedroom or kitchen furniture.

From a second aspect, this invention provides a component for the construction of built-in furniture comprising a mounted display screen assembly embodying the first aspect of the invention and a frame for supporting the display screen assembly.

The component may, for example, constitute a panel, a window or a door. It may be a component of a piece of furniture, such as a wardrobe, or a cupboard.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a sliding door being a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarges cross-section of the door of Figure 1 along line A-A; Figure 3 illustrates the door of Figure 1 when the display is inactive; and Figure 4 illustrates the door of Figure 1 when the display is active.

With reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the invention incorporates a flat-screen display, such as that of a television receiver, with a sliding door, for use, for example, as a door for a bedroom or kitchen cupboard.

The door comprises a sheet of high-strength glass 10 that is carried in a frame 12. The frame 12 is supported from above by a channel 14 to which it is connected by sliders 16 to allow it to slide within the plane of the sheet of glass 10 between open and closed positions. Such a structure is known.

The glass 10 has an outer surface 20 entirely covered with a thin layer of metal oxide that is partially reflective to light. Such coatings are known for use in the manufacture of glass intended to limit the passage of light and/or heat.

An imier surface 22 of the glass 10 is coated with a layer of black, opaque paint 24, other than in a rectangular viewing region 26. The combined effect of the partially-reflective layer and the opaque paint is that the glass 10 has the appearance of a minor when its outer surface 20 is viewed.

The flat-screen display 30 has a rectangular display panel 32 surrounded by a bezel 34. The viewing region 26 of the glass 10 is dimensioned to be slightly smaller than the display panel 32. The bezel 34 is bonded to the imier surface 22 of the glass 10 by double-sided adhesive tape 36. The tape 36 is applied in a rectangle surrounding the viewing region 26. As such, the presence of the opaque paint 24 between the tape and the glass 10 means that the tape 36 cannot be seen from the inner surface 22 of the glass 10.

When the display 30 is active, light from the display panel 32 can pass through the viewing region of the glass 10 and the partially-reflective layer. It can therefore be seen clearly by a person viewing from the outside -that is, looking at the outer surface 20 of the glass 10, as shown in Figure 4.

When the display is inactive, the display panel 32 omits no light and absorbs much of the light that falls onto it. Therefore, from the outside, the viewing region has an appearance closely similar to that of its surroundings -that is, it is minor-like. The effect is that, to casual observer, when the display 30 is inactive, the door has the appearance of a uniform minor, and the presence of the display is not immediately apparent, as shown in Figure 3.

It has been found that the appearance is most effective if the display panel 32 is very close to the inner surface 22 of the glass.

The opaque paint 24 serves two purposes. First, it provides a minor-like effect in combination with the partially-reflective layer, and second, it obscures the all parts of the display 30 and associated components, other than the display panel 32 itself To function, the display 30 has to be provided with power, and also with a video signal.

These will typically be provided by cables, although the latter could be supplied wirelessly, using a technology such as Wireless Display (WiDi). In embodiments of the invention that are fixed in one place (a simple panel) this is straightforward to achieve. However, in the present embodiment, account must be taken of the movement that will occur when the door is moved between a closed and an open position.

In this embodiment, this is achieved by bundling the power and signal cables together in a cable trunk 40, and leading them upwardly from the display 30 to a concealed position adjacent to the channel 14. There, the cable trunk may simply be provided with a loop of sufficient size and flexibility to accommodate the movement of the door. Alternatively, the cable may be clipped to a track along which it can slide, its motion thereby being controlled and constrained.

Claims

Claims 1. A mounted display screen assembly comprising a sheet of transparent material on which a partially-reflective coating is carried, and a flat panel display screen bonded to the sheet whereby a display surface of the display screen faces the sheet.
2. A mounted display screen assembly according to claim 1 in which the sheet is glass, and particularly, high-strength glass.
3. A mounted display screen assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the LI') 10 display screen uses a technology that provides a source of illumination 4, A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which the display screen is one of a back-lit liquid-crystal displays (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, a plasma display or a vacuum fluorescent display 5. A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which the partially-reflective coating is a metal or metal oxide layer.6. A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which the layer is applied to just one surface of the sheet 7. A mounted display screen assembly according to claim 6 in which the display screen is bonded to the surface other than that to which the coating has been applied.8. A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which a surface to which the screen is bonded is coated with a dark, opaque coating, a region of the surface being free of the opaque coating to form a viewing region through which the screen is visible when in use.9. A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which the display screen is bonded to the sheet using a double-sided adhesive tape.10. A mounted display screen assembly according to any preceding claim in which that is be a component of a panel, a window or a door which is a component of a building or of a piece of furniture.1] A mounted display screen assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.LI) 12. A component for the construction of built-in frirniture comprising a mounted display 0 screen assembly according to any preceding claim and a frame for supporting the display screen assembly. (413. A component according to claim 12 that constitutes a panel, a window or a door.14. A component according to claim 12 or claim 13 that being a component of a piece of frirniture, such as a wardrobe, or a cupboard.