JP2013007790A - Thin panel cover device and thin panel with cover device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thin panel cover device whose display surface is properly protected from the outside in nonuse to prevent generation of cracks or flaws, in which generation of a dead space is efficiently suppressed in use, and effective screen ratio is improved, and a thin panel with a cover device using the same.SOLUTION: A cover device 10 comprises: a cover body 102; and a pair of belt-like bodies 101a, 101b. The pair of belt-like bodies 101a, 101b are wound around a portable information terminal 20 to be circumferentially movable along the X direction. In nonuse, the display surface 203 is covered with the cover body 102 to be protected. In use, the display surface 203 and an operation part 204 are exposed to the outside by shifting the cover body 102 to the X direction with a finger.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin panel cover device disposed on a display portion (display surface) of a thin panel and a thin panel with a cover device formed by disposing the thin panel cover device.

At present, various image display devices (hereinafter simply referred to as “display devices”) such as audio visual (AV) devices, mobile phones, pocket computers, electronic books, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) capable of searching for Internet information as small electronic devices. Has been developed and popularized.
Many of these display devices are originally developed from stationary electronic devices for small and portable applications. With the spread of the Internet connection environment, the size and capacity of recording media, and the miniaturization of parts, the number of functions is increasing.

  In particular, in recent years, the number of products that support audio functions for listening to music and recorded audio and display functions for viewing moving images and still images has increased significantly, and display devices with display surfaces with excellent image display performance have expanded rapidly. Yes. As a typical display device, a so-called thin panel equipped with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL display (OELD) has been developed.

  The thin panel is capable of full-color display, and it is easy for the user to grasp the information. On the other hand, there is a problem that the display unit is easily damaged by dropping, impact, excessive pressing, etc. when the user carries it. In particular, recently, a thin panel having a large display portion and a particularly improved image display performance has been rapidly commercialized, and it is required to appropriately protect the thin panel having such a large display portion. Yes.

  On the other hand, conventionally, as shown in the display device of Patent Document 1, for example, a configuration in which a slide-type cover is provided on the housing of the display device has been proposed. In this configuration, the display unit is covered and protected when not in use, and when in use, the cover is slid to another area on the surface of the housing and retracted to expose the display unit to the outside.

JP 2006-31348 A

However, since the cover of Patent Document 1 or the like is slid on the surface of the casing (retractable area) other than the display unit when used, a dead space that does not contribute to image display or operation must be provided in advance on the surface of the casing as the retractable area. I must.
Here, since the size of the cover is set in proportion to the area of the display unit to be protected, the retreat area increases as the display unit becomes larger. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a large retreat area on the surface of the housing. Further, when the cover is retracted, a part of the operation buttons existing in the retreat area may be covered, which may cause a problem that certain operations cannot be performed.

The existence of such a dead space is a major limitation in reducing the size of a thin panel, which is a major problem in terms of improving the effective screen ratio of the display unit and achieving both a large screen and portability of the thin panel. It becomes.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and appropriately protects the display surface from the outside when not in use, prevents the occurrence of cracks and scratches, and effectively suppresses the occurrence of dead space during use. An object of the present invention is to provide a thin panel cover device that can be expected to improve the effective screen ratio and a thin panel with a cover device using the same.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention is a thin panel cover device that covers the display surface of a thin panel having a display surface on one main surface, wherein a part or more of the display surface is covered. A cover body having a covering size to be covered; and a guide member that slides and guides the cover body along a surface of the thin panel, and covers the part of the display surface by sliding the cover body. And a second state in which the display surface is exposed by moving the cover body to a panel surface other than the display surface.

Here, the cover body has flexibility, and in the second state, the cover body may be configured to bend and extend from one main surface to the other main surface of the thin panel.
The other main surface may be the back surface of the thin panel.

According to the thin panel cover device of the present invention, in the first state, the display surface of the thin panel is covered with the cover body, and the display surface is appropriately protected. Thereby, even if a display device having a large display surface is carried outside, it is possible to effectively prevent the display surface from cracking or being damaged by contact with the outside.
On the other hand, in the second state, the cover body is moved to the panel surface other than the one main surface by a user operation. As described above, according to the present invention, when the display is used, the cover portion can be retracted to the back side of the thin panel different from the one main surface on which the display surface is arranged. Therefore, the cover retracted from the display surface on at least one main surface There is no need to provide a retreat area for positioning the body. Thereby, it can contribute to size reduction of the housing | casing of a thin panel, without impairing the portability and operativity of a thin panel. In addition, the display area occupied by the thin panel can be secured widely, the effective screen ratio can be improved, and the large screen can be contributed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of cracks and scratches on the display surface due to pressing and dropping while achieving both portability of a thin panel and a large screen.

It is a figure which shows roughly the mode of the structure of the display apparatus with a cover apparatus 1, and the mode of engagement of a strip | belt body based on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mode at the time of use of the display device with a cover apparatus 1 based on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and schematic structure of the cover apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of cover apparatus 10A, 10B based on other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the cover apparatuses 10C and 10D based on other embodiment of this invention. It is a set figure which shows schematic structure of 1 A of display devices with a cover apparatus based on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the mode at the time of use of 1 A of display devices with a cover apparatus based on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a set figure which shows schematic structure of the display apparatus 1B with a cover apparatus based on Embodiment 7 of this invention. It is the external view and sectional drawing which show schematic structure of the display device 1C based on Embodiment 8 of this invention.

Embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is naturally not limited to these forms, and may be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. be able to.
<Embodiment 1>
(Configuration of display device 1 with cover device)
FIG. 1A is an assembly diagram illustrating a configuration of a display device 1 with a cover device (hereinafter simply referred to as “display device 1”), which is an example of the present invention. The display device 1 includes a portable information terminal 20 and a cover device 10 wound around the surface of the portable information terminal 20 casing.

  The portable information terminal 20 is a smartphone that is a typical small display device. It has a flat, thin rectangular parallelepiped housing having a first main surface (front surface) 201 and a second main surface (back surface) 202. On the first main surface 201, a large rectangular display unit (display surface 203) including a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, an operation unit 204, and a speaker unit 200 are arranged. The second main surface 202 is not illustrated as a whole, but is formed of a smooth curved surface so as to be continuous with the first main surface 201. A side operation unit 205 is provided on the side surface of the housing.

  The “thin panel” in the present invention basically refers to a thin casing such as the portable information terminal 20, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration and has a certain thickness in the Z direction. All display devices such as a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a semi-cylindrical shape, and a polygonal column shape are included in the “thin panel”. Further, the “cuboid” does not need to be a strict hexahedron, and is sandwiched between the first main surface 201, the second main surface 202, and the first main surface 201 and the second main surface 202 like the portable information terminal 20. Some of the side surfaces may be non-planar (gradual).

The cover device (thin panel cover device) 10 includes a guide member (a pair of strips 101a and 101b) extended in the X direction and a cover member 102 formed across the pair of strips 101a and 101b. Is done.
The band-like bodies 101a and 101b are guide members that guide the cover body 102 in one direction (here, the direction along the X axis) along the surface of the portable information terminal 20, and are side views showing a schematic configuration of the cover device 10. As shown in FIG. 2C, the two-layer structure of the smoothing portion 106 and the base portion 105 is configured. The smoothing unit 106 is a layer made of urethane resin or the like with reduced sliding resistance, and is configured to be able to slide in the reciprocating direction along the surface of the mobile terminal 20 with low resistance (about the degree of operation by the user's finger). The base part 105 is a main part of the strips 101a and 101b and is made of a synthetic resin or leather material that is flexible and excellent in mechanical strength. Returning to FIG. 1 (a), engagement portions 104a and 104b are formed at the tips of the strips 101a and 101b in the X direction, and engagement portions 103a and 103b are formed at the tips of the reverse X direction. The engaging portions 103a and 103b and the engaging portions 104a and 104b are configured by a combination of hook-and-loop fasteners that can be detachably engaged with each other. As shown in FIG. The cover device 10 can be disposed afterwards by being wound around. Here, the band-shaped bodies 101a and 101b are wound around the portable information terminal 20 while passing through a pair of square sides, that is, the outer side of one side along the X direction of the display surface 203 and the outer side of the opposite side of the one side. Turn. At this time, as shown in the side view of FIG. 1 (b) schematically showing the state of engagement of the strips 101a and 101b, the engaging portions 103a and 104a and 103b provided at both ends of the strips 101a and 101b 104b is engaged with each other (in this figure, only 103b and 104b are shown). The engaging portions 103a and 103b and the engaging portions 104a and 104b are not essential, and both end portions of the strips 101a and 101b can be fixed by double-sided tape or thermocompression bonding.

Further, the strips 101a and 101b may be made of a stretchable material such as rubber or a plastic film material having no stretchability. In these cases, the strips 101a and 101b can be configured as an annular member from the beginning.
As an example, the cover body 102 has a rectangular main surface with a covering size equal to or larger than the size of the display surface 203 and is made of a material having flexibility (flexibility). Here, in order to obtain the user's handling and aesthetics, it is made of leather material, but the material is naturally not limited to this. The cover 102 covers the entire display surface 203 of the first main surface 201 using the film-like form and protects it from the outside, and easily bends following the shape of the casing. The main surface 201 can be retracted from the second main surface 202 side. As shown in FIG. 2C, the cover body 102 is formed on the base portion 105 which is the upper part of the strips 101a and 101b.

The covering size of the cover body 102 may be a covering size that covers at least a part of the display surface 203, but in view of effectively protecting the display surface 203, the covering size is as large as possible or larger than the size of the display surface 203. The size is preferred.
A state before and after use of the display device 1 having the above configuration is shown in FIGS.
When the display device 1 is not used (first state), the user pushes up the cover body 102 in the reverse X direction with a finger. Accordingly, the cover body 102 is guided by the strips 101a and 101b, and slides (circulates) in the reverse X direction along the surface of the casing of the portable information terminal 20 together with the strips 101a and 101b. The user continues to move the cover body 102 and moves to a position where the display surface 203 is covered. The display surface 203 completely covered with the cover body 102 is appropriately protected from cracks and scratches due to external impact and excessive pressing by the flexibility and softness of the cover body 102 (FIG. 2A). )).

  On the other hand, when the display device 1 is used (second state), the user pushes down the cover body 102 in the X direction with a finger to expose the display surface 203. At this time, the cover body 102 can be smoothly guided and slid in the X direction by the smooth portions 106 of the strips 101a and 101b (FIG. 2B). At this time, the cover body 102 can be deformed following the housing shape of the portable information terminal 20 and can be disposed across the first main surface 201 and the second main surface 202.

  As described above, the cover body 102 can be retracted to the second main surface 202 side in accordance with the size and shape of the portable information terminal 20 during use, and the display surface 203 and the operation unit 204 arranged on the first main surface 201 can be removed. No need to coat. In particular, since the user can freely adjust the amount of circular movement of the cover device 10 with a finger, it is possible to prevent the operation unit 204 from being covered with the cover body 102 during use by a fine operation with the user's finger, and exhibits excellent operability. it can. Further, since the use of the second main surface 202 (rear surface) in which the operation unit does not exist in the retreat area of the cover body 102, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of dead space on the surface of the portable information terminal 20, It does not hinder downsizing of the terminal 20 or improvement of the effective screen ratio.

  Further, in any of the above operations, the cover device 10 smoothly moves around the portable information terminal 20 by the low resistance smoothing unit 106 disposed in the lower layer of the strips 101a and 101b. Switching between the state and the second state is very easy and can be freely performed by the user's one-handed operation. Further, since the operability of the side operation unit 205 is not hindered even while the cover device 10 is being operated, the user can freely operate the side operation unit 205.

Such various effects cannot be obtained by the conventional technology such as Patent Document 1 in which a hard cover having a fixed slide amount is provided.
In addition, the cover apparatus 10 in the display device 1 is a product that can be detached from the portable information terminal 20 independently, and can be applied to various display devices other than the portable information terminal 20.

Note that the widths in the Y direction of the strips 101a and 101b can be set as appropriate. It is desirable to set the strips 101a and 101b as wide as possible while considering the exposed area of the display surface 203.
Hereinafter, variations of the cover device of the present invention will be described.
<Other variations of cover device>
FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cover device (thin panel cover device) 10A according to the second embodiment. The cover device 10A is provided with a strip-shaped window 1020 having a longitudinal direction in the Y direction on the cover body 102a. By providing the window portion 1020, when the display surface 203 of the portable information terminal 20 is covered, only a part of the display surface 203 is exposed to the outside so that the clock display, incoming call history, etc. on the display surface 203 can be visually recognized. A plurality of window portions 1020 may be formed, and the opening shape is not limited.

Next, FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cover device (thin panel cover device) 10B according to the third embodiment.
The cover body 102b has a plurality of strip members 1022 arranged side by side in the Y direction on the upper surface of a flexible sheet body (base sheet 1021), and guide pins (sliding bodies) from both ends of the strip member 1022 in the longitudinal (Y) direction. ) 1023a and 1023b are arranged so as to project. The plurality of strip members 1022 are each made of a resin material or the like having appropriate hardness. The guide pins 1023a and 1023b may be formed integrally with the strip member 1022.

  On the other hand, a pair of guide rails 105a and 105b made of a flexible resin material or the like having guide grooves 1051a and 1051b having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape are prepared as guide members. The guide pins 1023a and 1023b are inserted into the guide grooves 1051a and 1051b from the direction along the Y direction as indicated by dotted arrows. In the present embodiment, the guide member includes a pair of guide rails 105a and 105b and the guide pins 1023a and 1023b.

Restriction pins P1 to P4 for preventing the guide pins 1023a and 1023b from dropping off are provided at both ends in the longitudinal (X) direction of the guide rails 105a and 105b.
In such a cover device 10B, each guide rail 105a, 105b is bent from the first main surface 201 to the second main surface 202 along the housing surface of the portable information terminal 20, and a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like is used. And wind it up.

  The cover body 102b is slidably reciprocated along the guide grooves 1051a and 1051b of the guide rails 105a and 105b by a user operation. Thereby, it is possible to switch between the first state (when not in use) covering the display surface 203 and the second state (when in use) where the display surface 203 is exposed to the outside. Since the base sheet 1021 is flexibly bent, when the display surface 203 is exposed during use, the cover body 102b is favorably moved to the back surface of the portable information terminal 20 while being bent between the adjacent strip members 1022. When not in use, the cover body 102b moves in the reverse X direction and covers the display surface 203, so that the display surface 203 is appropriately protected.

Further, since each strip member 1022 is made of a material having an appropriate hardness, the display surface 203 is covered with the cover body 102b (when not in use) even when it receives an external impact or the like. 203 is particularly difficult to crack or scratch. Therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent damage due to dropping or excessive pressing.
Note that the cover body in the third embodiment is not limited to a configuration using strip members, and is a flexible cover body as in the first and second embodiments, and guide pins 1023a and 1023b are arranged at both ends in the Y direction of the cover body. It can also be used.

Further, the base sheet 1021 may be omitted, and the strip members 1022 may be independently reciprocated. Alternatively, it is possible to connect the adjacent strip members 1022 to each other using a connecting means such as a known hinge (hinge) mechanism while omitting the base sheet 1021.
Furthermore, it is also preferable to use an extremely fine roller instead of the guide pins 1023a and 1023b and insert each roller into each guide groove 1051a and 1051b so as to be rotatably supported.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cover device (thin panel cover device) 10C according to the fourth embodiment.
The cover device 10C is common to the cover device 102 in that a plurality of strip members 1022 are used. However, both ends of the strip members 1022 (in the Y direction) are directly formed on the pair of strips 101a and 101b. Different. Even in the cover device 10C having such a configuration, the cover body 102c is flexibly bent similarly to the cover device 10B when the display device is used, and the back surface (second main surface 202) of the casing of the portable information terminal 20 is used. Can be moved well. Further, by adopting the strip member 1022, it can be expected that the display surface 203 is effectively protected when the display surface 203 is covered with the cover body 102c when not in use.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cover device (thin panel cover device) 10D according to the fifth embodiment. The configuration of the cover device 10D is basically the same as that of the cover device 10C, but a plurality of strip members 1024 are spaced apart from each other to form a cover body 102d, which is formed on a pair of strips 101a and 101b. Have
Even with the cover device 10D having such a configuration, the same effect as that of the cover device 10C can be obtained, and even when the display surface 203 is covered with the cover body 102d, it passes between the adjacent strip members 1024. Since the display surface 203 can be visually recognized from the outside to some extent, it is possible to grasp the current situation including information such as an incoming history of the portable information terminal 20 and a clock display.

<Embodiment 6>
(Configuration of display device with cover device 1A)
FIG. 5 is a set diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the display device 1A according to the sixth embodiment.
1 A of display devices are comprised by accommodating the portable information terminal 20 and the cover apparatus 40 inside the exterior case 30 which consists of a pair of dish-shaped case members (upper case 300 and lower case 304).

  The upper case (first case member) 300 is made of a resin material excellent in impact resistance, for example, a polycarbonate (PC) material. In appearance, it is formed in a dish shape having a rectangular main surface so that the portable information terminal 20 can be accommodated, and an opening 301 for exposing the display surface 203 to the outside and a hole 302 at a position matching the speaker unit 200 are formed. ing. Although not shown, positioning ribs of the portable information terminal 20 are arranged inside the upper case 300. Further, a rib 303 for fitting with the lower case 304 side is erected on the peripheral portion facing the lower case 304.

  The lower case 304 (second case member) has a dish-like shape similar to that of the upper case in appearance. Ribs 305a, 305b, and 306 for positioning the portable information terminal 20 and guiding the cover body 400 along the X direction are erected on the back surface 308 (upper surface in the drawing) storing the portable information terminal 20. Yes. In addition, a fitting groove 307 for fitting with the rib 303 of the upper case 300 is formed in the peripheral portion facing the upper case 300.

The first case 300 and the second case 304 are formed with notches 309a and 309b for exposing the side operation unit 205, respectively.
Between the first case 300 and the second case 304, a band-shaped cover device (thin panel cover device) extends around the portable information terminal 20 from the first main surface 201 to the second main surface 202 along the X direction. ) 40 is slidably interposed. The cover device 40 includes a cover body 400 and a knob 401 provided on the cover body 400. Similar to the cover body 102, the cover device 40 is a flexible material having a low resistance with respect to the housing surface of the portable information terminal 20 (for example, Leather). The area of the cover body 400 is set to be equal to or greater than that of the display surface 203, for example. The knob 401 is disposed in a state of being exposed from the opening 301.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the state of the display device 1A before and after use.
When the display device 1A is not used, as shown in FIG. 6A, the user operates the knob 401 and pulls up the cover body 400 in the reverse X direction. At this time, inside the case 30, the cover body 400 slides from the second main surface 202 toward the first main surface 201. The display surface 203 is covered with the cover body 400 and protected from the outside.

  On the other hand, when using the display device 1A, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user operates the knob 401 to pull down the cover body 400 in the X direction. Accordingly, the cover body 400 slides around the portable information terminal 20 and retracts from the first main surface 201 to the second main surface 202 side, so that the display surface 203 is exposed to the outside through the opening 301. In this state, the user can use the display device 1A satisfactorily.

<Modification>
FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of a display device 1B according to the seventh embodiment, which is a variation of the sixth embodiment.
As a difference from the display device 1A, in the display device 1B, the first main surface 201 of the portable information terminal 20 is straddled at both ends in the longitudinal (X) direction, and the pair of rollers 403a and 403b can be rotated in parallel with the Y direction as an axial direction. To arrange. Then, a pair of belt-like bodies 402a and 402b are rotatably supported by the pair of rollers 403a and 403b, and a cover body 400 is formed on the belt-like bodies 402a and 402b, whereby a cover device (thin panel cover device) is formed. It is composed.

Specifically, the shafts 404a and 404b of the pair of rollers 403a and 403b are respectively connected to bearing portions 3060a to 3060d (3060d not shown) of guide ribs 306a to 306d (306d not shown) provided on the lower case 304. On the other hand, it is supported rotatably.
Also in the display device 1B having such a configuration, substantially the same effect as the display device 1A is exhibited. Further, in the display device 1B, since the belt-like bodies 402a and 402b are rotatably supported by the pair of rollers 403a and 403b, the opening and closing operation of the cover body 400 using the knob 401 can be performed particularly smoothly, and the cover body can be easily obtained. Can be satisfactorily withdrawn and retracted between the first main surface 201 and the second main surface 202 of the portable information terminal 20, and the operability is improved. It is also preferable to arrange a magnet at each of the periphery of the opening 401 near the knob 401 and the hole 302 and adjust the cover body 400 so that it does not open carelessly in the first state.
<Eighth embodiment>
Although Embodiments 6 and 7 are display devices in which a cover device and a case are provided from the outside with respect to an existing portable information terminal 20, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the cover device is externally attached in this way.

FIG. 8A is an external view showing a schematic configuration of a display device 1C (cover built-in type) according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 8B is a schematic XZ sectional view of the display device 1C.
The appearance of the display device 1 </ b> C is substantially the same as that of the mobile information terminal 20, and includes a housing having a first main surface (front surface) 501 and a second main surface (back surface) 501.
A speaker unit 500, an operation unit 504, and an opening 505 are formed on the first main surface 501. The opening 505 exposes the display surface 503 of the main body unit 50 (an electronic component corresponding to the portable information terminal 20 in FIGS. 6 and 7 in the sixth and seventh embodiments) constituting the main configuration of the device 1C to the outside. A side operation unit 506 is provided on the side surface of the housing.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, a cover device (thin panel cover device) 40 and a main unit 50 are housed inside the housing of the display device 1C. The main unit 50 is fixed to the inner surface of the casing with screws (not shown). Here, in the state where the knob 401 is exposed from the opening 505, the cover 40 has one end of the cover main body 400 between the housing and the main unit 50 from the upper surface (front surface) side to the lower surface (front surface). It is interposed so as to wrap around the back side.

  With this configuration, in the display device 1 </ b> C, when the user depresses the knob 401 of the cover device 40 during use, the cover main body 400 slides to the lower surface (back surface) side of the main body unit 50 between the housing and the main body unit 50. The display surface 503 is exposed outside through the opening 505. On the other hand, when the user pushes up the knob 401 when not in use, the cover body 400 slides in the opposite direction to cover the display surface 503 for protection.

Also in the display device 1C having such a configuration, the same effects as the display device 1A are exhibited. Further, since the case 30 is unnecessary, it is possible to expect a reduction in the weight of the apparatus.
<Other matters>
The cover body 400 of the sixth and seventh embodiments may be configured using each cover body of the other embodiments. When the cover of the fifth embodiment is used, it is preferable that each strip member 1024 is configured by connecting the strip members 1024 with a fixed length at regular intervals.

Also in the display devices of the first to fifth embodiments, an exterior case 30 that houses the cover and the portable information terminal 20 can be provided as in the sixth and seventh embodiments.
Note that any of the cover bodies described above can be configured using a transparent resin material, a translucent material, or the like. In this case, even if the cover body covers the display surface, the image on the display surface can be visually recognized from the outside, so that it is very easy to grasp the state of the display device, which is preferable. An example of such a resin material is a polycarbonate material that is relatively thin and excellent in mechanical strength.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the cover body is reciprocally moved in the X direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the winding direction of the guide member (strip or guide rail) is changed. Thus, the cover body may be reciprocally moved along the Y direction.
Although the display device illustrated in each embodiment has an operation unit, there is a configuration in which the operation unit is omitted in the touch panel type display device. In general, a touch panel display device has a particularly large display surface all over the first main surface. When not in use, the display surface is appropriately protected by a cover body, and when used, the display device dead space is eliminated. However, the present invention can be expected to have a great effect in that the display surface can be exposed to the outside.

The thin panel of the present invention is not limited to a portable small size, and may be a thin panel of any size. For example, even a stationary large display device can be applied.
The display surface covered by the cover body is not limited to a mathematically exact square shape, and for example, the four corners may be round. In addition to an ellipse and a circle, it may be a polygon.
In each of the above embodiments, the operation of rotating the cover body in the reverse X direction when not in use and rotating the cover body in the X direction at the time of use is illustrated, but conversely, the cover body rotates in the reverse X direction when in use. You may perform the operation to move and move around in the X direction when not in use.

  Further, the cover body may cover a predetermined area other than the display surface, for example, the operation unit. In this case, it is possible to expect an effect of preventing malfunction and erroneous input by covering the operation unit with the cover body.

  The cover of the present invention and a thin panel using the cover can be widely applied to various small display devices such as existing smartphones, PDAs, audio visual (AV) devices, mobile phones, pocket computers, and electronic books, and can be used. The nature is extremely high. In particular, it is excellent in application to a thin panel having a large display surface.

1, 1A, 1B, 1C Display device with cover device 10, 10B, 10C, 10D, 40 Cover device 20 Mobile information terminal 30 Exterior case 50 Main unit 51 Space 101a, 101b, 402a, 402b Strips 102, 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 400 Cover body 103a, 103b, 104a, 104b Engaging portion 105a, 105b Guide rail 200, 500 Speaker portion 201, 501 First main surface (front surface)
202, 502 Second main surface (back surface)
203, 503 Display surface 204 Operation unit 205, 506 Side operation unit 300 Upper case (first case member)
301 Opening 302 Hole 303 Fitting Rib 304 Lower Case (Second Case Member)
305a, 305b, 306a, 306b, 306c Guide rib 306 Positioning rib 307 Fitting groove 308 Back surface 309a, 309b Notch 401 Knob 403a, 403b Roller 404a, 404b Roller shaft 1020 Window 1021 Base sheet 1022, 1024 Strip member 1023a, 1023b Guide pin (sliding body)
1051a, 1051b Guide groove 3060a, 3060b, 3060c Bearing part P1, P2, P3, P4 Restriction pin

Claims (14)

A thin panel cover device for covering the display surface of a thin panel provided with a display surface on one main surface,
A cover body having a covering size covering a part or more of the display surface;
A guide member for sliding and guiding the cover body along the surface of the thin panel;
With
A first state in which the cover body is slid to cover a part or more of the display surface;
A thin panel cover device that can be switched to a second state in which the cover body is moved to a panel surface other than the display surface to expose the display surface. The cover body has flexibility,
The thin panel cover device according to claim 1, wherein in the second state, the thin panel cover device is bent and disposed across from one main surface of the thin panel to another main surface. The thin panel cover device according to claim 2, wherein the other main surface is a back surface of the thin panel. The guide member is a pair of strips wound around the thin panel so as to be able to move around,
The thin panel cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover body is formed across both belt-like bodies. The guide member is
It consists of a pair of guide rails and a sliding body that can slide on the guide rails,
Each of the guide rails is disposed on the thin panel across the display surface so as not to overlap the display surface,
The thin panel cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sliding body is provided on the cover body so as to protrude from a peripheral edge of the cover. The cover body is formed by arranging a plurality of strip members in parallel on a flexible sheet body,
The thin panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the first state and the second state are switched, the sheet body portion between adjacent strip members is bent in accordance with a surface shape of the thin panel. Cover device. The cover body is composed of a plurality of strip members,
The thin panel cover device according to claim 4, wherein the strip members are juxtaposed on the pair of strips at a predetermined interval. The thin panel with a cover apparatus provided with the thin panel cover apparatus in any one of Claims 1-7 with respect to the thin panel by which the display surface was provided in one main surface. The thin panel and the thin panel cover device are accommodated in a state in which the thin panel cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is mounted on a thin panel having a display surface on one main surface. A thin panel cover device with a case,
A case composed of a first case member and a second case member, which fit together, for housing the thin panel cover device, the thin panel cover device and the thin panel;
The first case member has an opening that exposes the display surface of the thin panel to the outside in the second state. A thin panel cover device with a case comprising: a thin panel cover device that covers the display surface of a thin panel provided with a display surface on one main surface; and the thin panel and a case that houses the thin panel cover device. ,
The thin panel cover device has a cover body having a covering size that covers a part or more of the display surface,
Between the case and the thin panel, the cover body is slid along the surface of the thin panel to cover the display surface;
The cover body can be switched to a second state in which the display surface is exposed by moving the cover body to a panel surface other than the one main surface,
The case includes a first case member having an opening that exposes the display surface to the outside, and a second case member fitted to the first case member.
The first case member has an opening that exposes the display surface of the thin panel to the outside in the second state. A thin panel cover device with a case, comprising: a thin panel cover device that covers the display surface of a thin panel provided with a display surface on one main surface; and the thin panel and a case that houses the thin panel cover device. ,
The thin panel cover device includes:
A pair of rollers arranged to straddle the one main surface of the thin panel;
A pair of belt-like bodies arranged to rotate freely around the casing of the thin panel with respect to the pair of rollers;
The cover has a covering size that covers a part of the display surface and is formed across the pair of belts, and is rotated by the pair of rollers together with the pair of belts. The case includes a first case member having an opening that exposes the display surface to the outside, and a second case member fitted to the first case member, and the first case member and the second case member At least one of the pair of rollers is formed with a bearing portion that rotatably supports each shaft,
By rotating the cover body and the pair of belt-like bodies with the pair of rollers along the casing surface of the thin panel,
A first state of sliding the cover body to cover the display surface;
The cover body can be switched to a second state in which the display surface is exposed by moving the cover body to a panel surface other than the one main surface,
In the second state, a thin panel cover device with a case which exposes the display surface to the outside through a gap between the pair of strips through the opening. The guide rib for guiding the cover body at the time of switching between the first state and the second state is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the first case member and the second case member. A thin panel cover device with a case according to 10 or 11. A thin panel is accommodated with respect to the said thin panel cover apparatus with a case in any one of Claims 9-12, and the thin panel with a cover apparatus. A main unit having a display surface on one main surface;
A cover device for covering the display surface;
A housing in which the main body unit and the cover device are housed and an opening that exposes the display surface to the outside is formed;
The cover device has a cover body having a covering size that covers a part or more of the display surface;
Between the housing and the main body unit, the cover body is slid along the surface of the main body unit to cover the display surface;
A thin panel with a cover device, wherein the cover body can be switched to a second state in which the display surface is exposed through the opening by moving the cover body to the surface of the main body unit other than the one main surface.

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