Display device

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of not only miniaturizing the whole device but also enhancing the blowing efficiency of air for cooling heat generated by display.SOLUTION: The display device (10) includes a fan (40) fixed to the housing (11) so as to be located behind an upper end edge of the display plate (20) and configured to blow cooling air into a gap between the front plate (12) of the housing (11) and the display plate (20), and an avoidance portion (36) formed by cutting out a region of the upper end edge of the display plate (20) where the fan (40) is located, the avoidance portion (36) being configured to allow air blown from the fan (40) to pass through the gap. A play area 36b for avoiding interference with the fan 40 is added to the avoiding part 36, and the play area 36b is closed by the movable part 37.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device in which a display panel capable of displaying information is attached inside a housing so as to face the light-transmitting front side of the housing. [Background technology]

[0002] Display devices that display traffic information for vehicles traveling on roads have been known for some time. Such display devices generally include a display panel with a surface made up of a number of LED-mounted boards. The display panel is attached to the inside of a housing, facing parallel to the translucent front panel of the housing.

[0003] By selectively lighting up each LED on the display board, various information is displayed using characters and figures, but the LEDs generate heat when lit, and if they get too hot they will deteriorate. Also, if the temperature inside the housing gets too high, other electronic components will suffer from thermal damage, so it was necessary to cool the inside of the housing, especially the display board.

[0004] Therefore, this type of display device is provided with a fan to cool the heat generated by the LED (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the display device described in Patent Document 1, a gap is provided between the front panel of the housing and the display board, and two fans are provided at the top and bottom edges of the display board, facing each other from above and below. The lower fan blows air in from the bottom of the gap, and the upper fan sucks air out from the top of the gap to the back of the display board, forcing the air to circulate.

[0005] Furthermore, in the display device described in Patent Document 2, a gap is provided between the front panel of the housing and the display board, and a fan is provided in a position facing the upper edge of the display board from above. This fan sends air from the upper end of the gap and also sends air from the lower end of the gap to the back side of the display board, forcibly circulating the air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-155443 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-202566 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the conventional display devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the fan is positioned facing the edge of the display board from above or below, i.e., not overlapping the front or back of the display board. This positioning is to prevent the fan from interfering with the display board and hindering the work of attaching or detaching the display board from the rear side of the housing.

[0008] However, with this conventional fan placement, the size of the housing when viewed from the front is increased by the amount of the fan located outside the edge of the display panel, which not only increases the overall size of the device, but also poses the risk of reducing airflow efficiency depending on the orientation of the fan.

[0009] The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a display device that not only makes it possible to reduce the size of the entire device, but also improves the efficiency of blowing air to cool the heat generated by the display. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: A display device in which a display panel capable of displaying information is attached inside a housing so as to face the light-transmitting front side of the housing, a fan fixed to the housing so as to be positioned behind an edge of the display board, the fan blowing cooling air into a gap between the front side of the housing and the display board; an avoidance portion in which an area of ​​an edge of the display panel where the fan is located is cut out, allowing air blown from the fan to pass through the gap; The avoidance portion has a basic area that matches the outer periphery of the fan, and a play area that avoids interference with the fan when the display panel is attached or detached, The avoidance portion is characterized by including a movable portion that can be displaced so as to block the play area after the display board is attached. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the display device of the present invention, it is possible not only to reduce the size of the entire device, but also to increase the efficiency of blowing air to cool the heat generated by the display. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of an example of installation in which the housing of the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is tilted forward. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of an example of installation in which the housing of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is tilted forward. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are a rear view and a side view showing a display panel (unit) of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a display panel (unit) of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of a display panel (unit) of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from behind. [Figure 10]5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the flow of air inside the housing when a fan is driven in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is an enlarged partial perspective view showing a state in which a movable part is opened at an avoidance part of a fan in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] 1 is an enlarged partial perspective view showing a state in which a movable part is closed at an avoidance part of a fan in a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] 5A to 5C are vertical cross-sectional views showing an operation procedure when removing the display panel from the housing of the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 13 show one embodiment of the present invention. The display device 10 according to this embodiment has a display board 20 capable of displaying information attached to the inside of the housing 11, facing the light-transmitting front side of the housing 11. The use of the display device 10 is not particularly limited, but the following description will be given taking as an example a case where traffic information is displayed for vehicles traveling on a road.

[0014] <Overview of the display device 10> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, display device 10 has a housing 11 on the front side thereof which is made up of a translucent front panel 12, and housing 11 houses related components such as a display board 20 and a fan 40. Display device 10 of this embodiment is installed, for example, on top of a support pole erected at the side of a road, and displays traffic information such as "Beware of icy roads" to vehicles. Furthermore, when display device 10 is installed in a cold region with heavy snowfall, front panel 12 is installed with the front panel 12 tilted forward to prevent snow from accumulating on it.

[0015] That is, as shown in Fig. 3, the display device 10 is installed with the front panel 12 of the housing 11 tilted downward (for example, 30 degrees) with respect to the vertical direction. In accordance with the side view of Fig. 3, Fig. 4 is a front view of the display device 10 tilted forward, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of the display device 10 not tilted forward. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction when the display device 10 is actually installed, and in each drawing, the top side of the page is basically referred to as "upward" and the bottom side of the page as "downward." Furthermore, the side of the housing 11 toward which the front panel 12 faces is referred to as "forward," and the opposite side is referred to as "rearward."

[0016] <Case 11> 2 to 5, the housing 11 is formed into a horizontally long rectangular case shape in a front view, and is made up of a metal back panel 13, a top panel 14, a bottom panel 15, and both side panels 16, 16, and the front panel 12 covering the front opening is made of a light-transmitting material. The top panel 14 and bottom panel 15 are perpendicular to the back panel 13, and because the top panel 14 is longer in the front-to-back direction, the housing 11 has a shape in which the front panel 12 tilts forward even when the back panel 13 is aligned vertically (see FIG. 2).

[0017] The rear panel 13, top panel 14, bottom panel 15, and both side panels 16, 16 that form the outer walls of the housing 11 are integrally formed from metal plates such as iron or aluminum. On the other hand, the front panel 12 is formed from, for example, a transparent synthetic resin, and polycarbonate in particular has excellent snow-resistance properties, making it suitable for use in cold regions with heavy snowfall. It is also advisable to apply an anti-reflection treatment (non-glare treatment) to the surface of the front panel 12 to add light diffusion properties.

[0018] A frame portion 17 having a predetermined width is formed along the periphery of the opening surrounded by the front edges of the top plate 14, bottom plate 15, and both side plates 16, 16 of the housing 11, and the periphery of the front plate 12 is fixed to the back side of this frame portion 17. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5 and 13, the rear plate 13 of the housing 11 has a portion occupying most of its area as multiple (e.g., three) rear doors 13a, each of which can be opened and closed around its upper edge as a pivot center.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, display panel 20 is attached inside housing 11 so as to face front panel 12 in a parallel state. Display panel 20 is disposed at a predetermined distance from front panel 12, and the gap between the rear surface of front panel 12 and the front surface of display panel 20 forms a space through which air for cooling display panel 20 passes. As will be described in detail later, display panel 20 is detachable from housing 11 as shown in Figure 13, and is configured so that it can be removed to the outside with rear door 13a open.

[0020] In addition to the display panel 20, the housing 11 also houses a fan 40 (described later), a power supply unit (not shown), a control board, etc., in appropriate locations. The power supply unit is powered by an external AC power source, etc. Furthermore, the housing 11 is provided with an opening (opening) in an appropriate location that connects the inside of the housing 11 with the outside, with a structure that does not impair waterproofing.

[0021] <Display board 20> Display board 20 is capable of displaying information on its surface by lighting up a number of LEDs, which are light-emitting elements. As shown in Figures 7 and 6, display board 20 is configured by arranging a plurality of units 20a, each of which has a plurality of LED boards 21 mounted on a chassis 30, on a surface parallel to front panel 12. LED boards 21 are pre-made triple-unit LED modules of a predetermined standard, for example, arranged in a row.

[0022] Here, the LED module is, for example, a substantially square substrate on which numerous LED dots are mounted in a matrix. Combining individual LEDs that emit light in three colors, for example, red, blue, and green, makes it possible to achieve full-color illumination. While such a full-color LED substrate 21 is a triple-type with three LED modules arranged side by side, conventional monochromatic LED substrates are generally either a double-type with two monochromatic LED modules arranged side by side, or a single-type with only one row.

[0023] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, in this embodiment, for each unit 20a of the display board 20, a triple-type LED board 21, in which three LED modules are arranged, is arranged vertically, for example, six units are arranged vertically and assembled to the chassis 31. Therefore, the units 20a of the display board 20 have a vertically long rectangular shape when viewed from the front. Also, as shown in Figure 6, for example, seven units 30a are attached to the housing 11 in a state of being lined up in the left-right direction, so that the display board 20 as a whole has a horizontally long rectangular shape when viewed from the front. Note that the display board 20 as a whole has a total of 42 LED boards 21 arranged in seven columns horizontally and six rows vertically.

[0024] The chassis 30 on which the LED boards 21 are mounted is designed to fit the size of the LED boards 21 themselves and the number of LED boards 21. That is, the chassis 30 of this embodiment is formed to fit the width of a triple-type LED board 21 and the height of six triple-type LED boards 21 lined up one above the other. The dimensions of this chassis 30 are considerably larger than conventional chassis that fit the width of single- or double-type LED boards. As the chassis 30 becomes larger, its weight increases, increasing the burden on workers during assembly and maintenance. Therefore, to reduce the weight as much as possible, the material has been changed from conventional steel to aluminum.

[0025] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the chassis 30 assembles a plurality of LED boards 21 arranged in a planar manner for each unit 20a of the display panel 20. The chassis 30 is formed in the shape of a vertically long rectangular framework. More specifically, the chassis 30 has an upper frame portion 31, a lower frame portion 32, and both side frame portions 33, 33 that form its outer frame. The upper frame portion 31 and the lower frame portion 32 have short sides that are parallel to each other, and the both side frame portions 33, 33 have long sides that are parallel to each other. A flange is formed along the outer periphery of each of the frame portions 31 to 33, bending rearward from the reference plane of the outer frame that fixes the back side of the LED board 21.

[0026] The openings surrounded by the inner peripheral edges of the frame portions 31 to 33 are partitioned to correspond to the respective LED substrates 21. That is, horizontal frame portions 34 are provided between the both frame portions 33, 33 at positions corresponding to adjacent locations of the LED substrates 21 lined up above and below so as to divide the openings. Here, each horizontal frame portion 34 is formed, for example, as a narrow plate integral with the both frame portions 33, 33 and aligned along the reference plane of the outer frame.

[0027] Additionally, multiple rods 35 are installed between the flanges of the side frame portions 33, 33. Three rods 35 are installed in total, one at a time, overlapping the horizontal frame portion 34 located in the center of the outer frame in the height direction and the other at a time above and below the horizontal frame portion 34 and near the top and bottom ends of the outer frame. Each rod 35 increases the rigidity of the chassis 30 and also serves as a handle to be gripped when attaching or detaching the display panel 20. The rods 35 may be made of, for example, a general metal round bar.

[0028] Furthermore, to increase the rigidity of the chassis 30, the flange edge of one side frame portion 33 is bent. If this flange edge is simply bent inward at a right angle at a predetermined width or bent into a tubular cross section, wiring can be routed along the inside of this bent portion 33a. On the back side of the display panel 20, connectors for connecting wiring such as electric wires and signal lines are provided for each unit 20a, and these are connected via wiring to a control board, power supply board, etc. (not shown).

[0029] Of the outer frame of the chassis 30, the upper frame portion 31 and the lower frame portion 32 form the edges for attaching the display board 20 to the housing 11. That is, for each unit 20a of the display board 20, the mounting pieces 31a, 32a on the upper frame portion 31 and the lower frame portion 32 are screwed to mounting brackets 18 fixed to the back side of the frame portion 17 of the housing 11. The display board 20 (unit 20a) is detachable from the housing 11 with screws, and is configured so that it can be removed to the outside by removing the screws with the rear door 13a open.

[0030] A pair of mounting pieces 31a, 31a extending upward parallel to the reference plane of the outer frame are provided on both sides of the upper end of the upper frame portion 31 of the chassis 30. Meanwhile, a flange-shaped mounting piece 32a is provided across the entire width of the lower end of the lower frame portion 32 of the chassis 30. The upper frame portion 31 of the chassis 30 also has an avoidance portion 36 cut out in an area where a fan 40 (described below) is located, including between the mounting pieces 31a on both sides. In the following description, the unit 20a of the display board 20 and the chassis 30 may be used as substantially synonymous with the display board 20 itself.

[0031] <<Avoidance part 36>> As shown in Figure 2, fan 40 is fixed to the upper edge of frame 17, which is connected to top panel 14 of housing 11, so as to be positioned behind upper frame 31 of display board 20. Avoidance section 36 avoids interference with fan 40 arranged in this manner, allowing air blown from fan 40 to pass from the back side of display board 20 to the gap between display board 20 and front panel 12. Avoidance section 36 is provided so as to frame the outer periphery of fan 40 when display board 20 is attached facing front panel 12 inside housing 11.

[0032] 11 and 12, the avoidance portion 36 has a base region 36a that matches the outer contour of the fan 40, and an additional play region 36b that avoids interference with the fan 40 when the display board 20 is attached or detached. The avoidance portion 36 is a rectangular cutout extending downward from the upper edge of the upper frame portion 31 between the pair of mounting pieces 31a, 31a, and is sized to fit the lower side of the duct 42 of the fan 40. A region of a predetermined width on the lower side of the avoidance portion 36 is the play region 36b, and the area above the play region 36b is the base region 36a. The avoidance portion 36 is equipped with a movable portion 37 that can be displaced to close the play region 36b after the display board 20 is attached.

[0033] The movable part 37 is made of, for example, a rectangular thin plate extending in the left-right direction along the underside of the avoidance part 36. The movable part 37 is provided so as to be slidable in the up-down direction between an upper position where it blocks the play area 36b and a lower position where it opens the play area 36b. That is, guide grooves 37a extending in the up-down direction are formed on both side ends of the movable part 37, and the movable part 37 is attached to the upper frame part 31 by screws 38 that pass through the guide grooves 37a so as to be relatively movably inserted into them. Here, the vertical length of the guide grooves 37a is the sliding range of the movable part 37, which corresponds to the predetermined width of the play area 36b.

[0034] <<Display board 20 mounting structure>> As described above, the display board 20 has the mounting pieces 31a and 32a on the top and bottom of the chassis 30 screwed to the mounting bracket 18 on the back side of the frame 17 of the housing 11. The mounting piece 32a on the lower side of the chassis 30 has a total of three screw grooves 32b, one in the center and one on each side. Each screw groove 32b is recessed upward from the lower edge of the lower frame 32. The width of each screw groove 32b is set so that only the screw base can pass through, but not the screw head. Each screw groove 32b can be engaged from above with the screw base fixed to the mounting bracket 18 at the bottom inside the housing 11, and can be removed upward from the screw.

[0035] Meanwhile, each mounting piece 31a on the upper side of the chassis 30 is provided with a screw hole 31b. Each screw hole 31b consists of a circular hole portion with an inner diameter large enough to allow the head of a screw fixed to the mounting bracket 18 at the top inside the housing 11 to pass through, and a narrow groove portion that extends upward with a narrow width from the upper end of the circular hole portion. Similar to the screw groove 32b, the narrow groove portion of each screw hole 31b is designed so that only the screw base can pass through, but not the screw head. The screw base of each screw hole 31b can be hooked onto the upper end of the narrow groove portion by passing the screw head through the circular hole portion.

[0036] Therefore, the display board 20 can be attached by moving it from above to below with respect to the screws of the mounting brackets 18 at the top and bottom inside the housing 11. It is also possible to remove the display board 20 by moving it upward without removing the screws from the mounting brackets 18. When attaching or detaching such a display board 20, the avoidance portion 36 needs a play area 36b to avoid interference with the fan 40, and after the display board 20 is attached, the movable portion 37 can be configured to close off any excess play.

[0037] <Fan 40> The fan 40 blows cooling air into the gap between the front panel 12 and the display panel 20 inside the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 6, one fan 40 is provided for each unit 20a of the display panel 20, and is fixed to the housing 11 so as to be located behind the edge of the display panel 20. The fan 40 has a fan body 41 that is a flat, square box when viewed from the front, and is configured, for example, as a propeller fan, an axial fan, or a centrifugal fan. Note that a connector for connecting wiring such as electric wires and signal lines is provided at an appropriate position on the fan 40, and the connector is connected via wiring to a control board, a power supply board, or the like (not shown).

[0038] An air intake port is formed on one of the front and back sides of fan body 41, and an air outlet is formed on the other. Fan body 41 is integrally provided with duct 42 that surrounds the air outlet and determines the air flow path. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, fan 40 is positioned behind the upper edge of display panel 20 (upper frame portion 31 of chassis 30) in a position that fits within avoidance portion 36, and is fixed to mounting bracket 18 on housing 11 with screws or the like.

[0039] The air outlet of fan body 41 communicates with the upper end of the gap between display board 20 and front panel 12 via duct 42. Duct 42 is formed in the shape of a case as shown in the figure, surrounding the air outlet of fan body 41 and opening at the upper end of the gap between display board 20 and front panel 12. The air intake of fan body 41 is disposed obliquely downward with respect to the back surface of display board 20. The mounting angle of fan 40, together with its air guidance properties, is set so as not to interfere with the installation and removal of chassis 30.

[0040] <Function of the display device 10> Next, the operation of the display device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, in order to achieve full-color display on the display board 20, a full-color triple-type LED board is used as the LED board 21, rather than the conventional single- or double-type LED boards that emit monochromatic light. Therefore, the dimensions of the chassis 30 to which the LED board 21 is attached are considerably larger than those of a chassis that is designed to fit the width of a conventional single- or double-type LED board.

[0041] If the weight increases as the chassis 30 becomes larger, the workability of attaching and detaching the display board 20 decreases, so weight reduction is essential. Therefore, by changing the material of the chassis 30 from the conventional general-purpose steel to aluminum, it is possible to keep the weight at the same level as a chassis fitted with a conventional single-row type LED board. Furthermore, the total number of units 20a that must be strung together to fit a given display area is reduced by the amount that the area of ​​each chassis 30 increases. This also reduces the number of steps required to assemble and attach each unit 20a of the display board 20.

[0042] <<About Fan 40>> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fan 40 is fixed to the housing 11, not to the display board 20 itself. The fan 40 according to this embodiment is fixed to a mounting bracket 18 on the upper side of the frame 17 of the housing 11 so as to be located behind the upper edge of the display board 20. This prevents the weight of the fan 40 from being added to the display board 20, thereby minimizing the increase in weight of the entire unit 20a. Note that the mounting position of the display board 20 is not necessarily limited to behind the upper edge of the display board 20, and it may also be behind the lower edge or side edge of the display board 20.

[0043] Furthermore, by positioning the fan 40 behind the upper edge of the display board 20, the fan 40 overlaps the back side of the display board 20 when viewed from the front. Therefore, there is no need to ensure a space for the fan above the upper edge of the display board 20 inside the housing 11, as in the conventional display devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2. This makes it possible to set the area of ​​the housing 11 when viewed from the front to the minimum size that is sufficient to surround the peripheral edge of the display board 20, allowing the entire display device 10 to be made as small as possible.

[0044] The air blown from fan 40 is not blocked by the upper edge of display board 20, but is guided directly through avoidance portion 36 to the upper end of the gap between fan 40 and front panel 12 of housing 11. Because fan 40 is close to the gap to which it blows air and communicates with it through avoidance portion 36, the efficiency of blowing air from fan 40 to the gap can be improved. In particular, because fan 40 surrounds the air blowing path from the air outlet of fan body 41 to the upper end of the gap with duct 42, the air blown from fan body 41 can be efficiently and reliably guided through duct 42 to the end of the gap.

[0045] 12, the more tightly avoidance portion 36 surrounds the outer periphery of fan 40 at the upper edge of display board 20, that is, the smaller the gap between the outer periphery of duct 42 and the inner edge of avoidance portion 36 that surrounds it, the more effectively air leakage from fan 40 can be suppressed. Therefore, after display board 20 is attached inside housing 11, it is sufficient for avoidance portion 36 to have only an area that matches the outer periphery of fan 40.

[0046] However, when installing the display board 20 in the housing 11 or when removing or attaching the display board 20 for maintenance or inspection, it is necessary to ensure that the avoidance portion 36 does not interfere with the fan 40 and hinder the operation of the display board 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the avoidance portion 36 has not only a base region 36a that matches the outer shape of the fan 40, but also a play region 36b that prevents interference with the fan 40 when installing or removing the display board 20. This makes it easy to assemble or remove the display board 20. Meanwhile, after installing the display board 20 in the housing 11, the play region 36b can be blocked by the movable portion 37, thereby preventing air leakage.

[0047] 11 and 12, screws 38 fixed to the upper frame 31 penetrate guide grooves 37a at both ends of the movable part 37 so as to be relatively movable, and the movable part 37 can slide up and down against the sliding resistance of the screws. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, if the movable part 37 is positioned below the screws 38, the play area 36b can be opened, preventing interference with the fan 40. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, if the movable part 37 is positioned above the screws 38, the play area 36b can be closed, preventing air leakage.

[0048] 10 shows the air flow within the housing 11 when the fan 40 is driven. The fan 40 is driven by power supplied from a power supply, and the driving of the fan 40 is controlled by a controller provided in the control board. When the fan 40 is driven, air is drawn in through the intake port of the fan body 41, passes through the air outlet, passes through the duct 42, and passes through the avoidance section 36, and is blown into the gap between the display panel 20 and the front panel 12 from the upper end.

[0049] The air sent from fan 40 to the upper end of the gap moves downward along the gap as shown by the arrows in Fig. 10, and is discharged from the lower end of the gap into housing 11 on the back side of display panel 20. The air discharged from the lower end of the gap then flows from the bottom to the top inside housing 11 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 10, and is again drawn in through the intake port of fan main body 41, where it is forcibly circulated.

[0050] Because the air intake port of fan body 41 faces diagonally downward relative to the back surface of display board 20, it can efficiently draw air from the rear side of display board 20 from below upward within housing 11. If the air intake port of fan body 41 were to face diagonally upward relative to the back surface of display board 20, the air flowing from below within housing 11 would be drawn in from a direction that makes a large curve rather than in the normal direction, reducing airflow efficiency. Moreover, with fan 40 attached in this manner, the lower end of fan body 41 does not protrude significantly rearward from the back side of display board 20, and there is little interference with chassis 30 when attaching or detaching display board 20, so movement of display board 20 is not hindered.

[0051] In this way, by driving the fan 40, air inside the housing 11 can be forcibly circulated efficiently, mainly through the gap between the display board 20 and the front panel 12. As a result, heat-generating components, mainly the LED board 21 of the display board 20 inside the housing 11, are cooled by the forcibly circulating air. This prevents malfunctions and shortened lifespans due to high temperatures in the LED board 21 and other components. Furthermore, when used in cold regions, the temperature difference between the front panel 12 and the outside air temperature is reduced, making it difficult for snow to melt on the surface of the front panel 12. This prevents snow from melting and refreezing, and reduces snow adhesion.

[0052] <<About the display board 20>> In display board 20, LEDs on LED board 21 are lit by power supplied from a power supply, and the lighting of each LED is controlled by a controller provided in the control board. Display board 20 displays various information as letters, figures, etc. on the surface of display board 20 as a whole by arbitrarily lighting up each LED on LED board 21 of each unit 30a. In this way, display board 20 needs to cool the heat generated by the LEDs by lighting them up, and therefore requires cooling by fan 40 described above.

[0053] When the display device 10 is installed in a cold region with heavy snowfall, the front panel 12 is tilted forward as shown in Fig. 3 to prevent snow from accumulating on the front panel 12. When the display board 20 is tilted forward in this manner and viewed from the horizontal direction, the displayed information appears vertically shortened and squashed. Therefore, for example, by displaying the information in a vertically elongated form, this phenomenon can be offset, and the information displayed on the tilted display board 20 can be displayed with an aspect ratio closer to the original, making it easier to see, even when viewed from the horizontal direction.

[0054] Furthermore, because the display board 20 is composed of units 20a in which the LED boards 21 are assembled to the chassis 30, the desired display area can be easily achieved by appropriately combining these units 20a. Furthermore, when assembling and maintaining the display board 20, the work is done on each of the originally separated units 20a, making it easy to handle. In particular, in this embodiment, aluminum is used as the material for the chassis 30, so even if it is relatively large, it is possible to suppress weight increase, and the burden on workers during assembly and maintenance and inspection is reduced.

[0055] Here, changing the material of the chassis 30 from iron to aluminum raises concerns about strength. Therefore, by forming flanges along both side frame portions 33, 33 of the outer frame of the chassis 30, the strength of the entire chassis 30 in the longitudinal direction, which is the direction in which the chassis 30 is most susceptible to distortion, can be increased. Furthermore, by installing multiple rods 35 at intervals above and below between the flanges of the both side frame portions 33, 33, the strength of the entire chassis 30 in the lateral direction can also be increased. Moreover, the rods 35 can be used as handles to grip when handling the unit 20a.

[0056] 7, the flange edge of one side frame portion 33 is bent to further increase strength, and the wiring for the LED board 21 can be stored inside this bent portion 33a. As mentioned above, the number of chassis 30 that make up the display board 20 has been reduced compared to conventional models due to the adoption of the triple-type LED board 21. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of wiring required for each unit 20a of the display board 20 as a whole, and the number of screws required to attach the chassis 30.

[0057] <<Attaching and Detaching the Display Panel 20>> 13 shows the procedure for removing display board 20 from inside housing 11. The LEDs that make up display board 20 require maintenance and inspection, including replacement, due to deterioration, etc., but as mentioned above, display board 20 (unit 20a) is detachable from housing 11, and can be removed to the outside by unscrewing it with rear door 13a open.

[0058] 13, when removing the display board 20 from the housing 11, first the rear door 13a of the housing 11 is opened wide, and the movable part 37 of the avoidance part 36 of the target unit 20a is positioned downward to open the play area 36b, as shown in FIG. 11. Note that a separate member 39 is provided beside the movable part 37, but the separate member 39 does not prevent the sliding movement of the movable part 37.

[0059] This allows the entire unit 20a to be shifted upward by the amount of play area 36b of avoidance portion 36 relative to the screw fixed to mounting bracket 18 on the housing 11 side (see arrow A in FIG. 13). This makes it possible to remove the screw head from screw hole 31b on the upper side of chassis 30 through the circular hole, and also allows thread groove 32b on the lower side of chassis 30 to be removed upward from the screw. In this way, by simply shifting the entire unit 20a upward from the screw on mounting bracket 18, unit 20a can be removed toward the rear side from mounting bracket 18 without removing the screw itself (see arrow B in FIG. 13).

[0060] Next, unit 20a is first moved diagonally backward (see arrow C in FIG. 13), and then, with its upper end side as the center of tilt so as not to interfere with the fan 40 or other structures in the upper part of housing 11, it is moved out of housing 11 from its lower end side (see arrows D and D' in FIG. 13). Thereafter, the entire unit 20a can be removed from the opening in back panel 13 (see arrow E in FIG. 13). When attaching display board 20 to housing 11, the play area 36b of avoidance portion 36 is left open (see FIG. 11), and the operations reverse to those for attaching display board 20 described above are carried out.

[0061] <Configuration and effects of the present invention> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention derived from the above-described embodiments will be described below.

[0062] First, the present invention provides a display device 10 in which a display panel 20 capable of displaying information is mounted in a housing 11 so as to face the light-transmitting front side (front panel 12) of the housing 11, a fan 40 fixed to the housing 11 so as to be positioned behind the edge of the display board 20, and configured to blow cooling air into a gap between the front side (front plate 12) of the housing 11 and the display board 20; The display panel 20 is characterized in that the area of ​​the edge where the fan 40 is located is cut out, and an avoidance section 36 is provided to allow the air blown from the fan 40 to pass through to the gap.

[0063] According to such a display device 10, by fixing the fan 40 to the housing 11 instead of the display board 20, it is possible to suppress an increase in the weight of the display board 20. This makes it easier to attach and detach the display board 20 to and from the housing 11, thereby reducing the workload during assembly and maintenance / inspection of the display board 20.

[0064] Furthermore, because the fan 40 is positioned behind the edge of the display board 20, the fan 40 overlaps the back side of the display board 20 when viewed from the front, and there is no need to ensure space for the fan around the edge of the display board 20 inside the housing 11. This makes it possible to set the area of ​​the housing 11 when viewed from the front to the minimum size that is sufficient to surround the peripheral edge of the display board 20, contributing to the miniaturization of the entire display device 10.

[0065] Fan 40 is located behind the edge of display board 20, and the area of ​​the edge of display board 20 where fan 40 is located is cut out to form avoidance section 36. Therefore, the air blown from fan 40 is not blocked by the edge of display board 20, but is guided directly through avoidance section 36 to the gap with the front side of housing 11. In this way, fan 40 is close to the gap and communicates with it through avoidance section 36, which increases the efficiency of blowing air from fan 40 to the gap.

[0066] In addition, in the present invention, the avoidance portion 36 has a base area 36a that matches the outer shape of the fan 40, and an allowance area 36b that avoids interference with the fan 40 when the display board 20 is attached or detached. The avoidance portion 36 is characterized by including a movable portion 37 that is displaceable so as to close the play area 36b after the display board 20 is attached.

[0067] At the edge of display board 20, avoidance portion 36, through which air blown from fan 40 passes, can more tightly surround the outer periphery of fan 40 to suppress air leakage from fan 40. Therefore, after display board 20 is attached inside housing 11, avoidance portion 36 only needs to have an area that matches the outer periphery of fan 40.

[0068] However, when installing the display board 20 inside the housing 11 or when removing or attaching the display board 20 for maintenance or inspection, it is necessary to ensure that the avoidance portion 36 does not interfere with the fan 40 and hinder the operation of the display board 20. Therefore, the avoidance portion 36 has a basic region 36a that matches the outer shape of the fan 40, and an additional play region 36b that prevents interference with the fan 40 when the display board 20 is installed or removed. This makes it easy to assemble or install the display board 20.

[0069] On the other hand, after display board 20 is attached inside housing 11, there is a risk of air leakage from play area 36b of avoidance section 36. Therefore, by providing movable section 37 in avoidance section 36, movable section 37 opens play area 36b when attaching or detaching display board 20 to prevent interference with fan 40, and after display board 20 is attached, it becomes possible to close play area 36b to prevent air leakage.

[0070] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the fan 40 includes a duct 42 that surrounds the air outlet, passes through the avoidance portion 36, and communicates with the gap.

[0071] Such a duct 42 surrounds the air flow path from the air outlet of the fan 40 to the end of the gap, thereby enabling the air blown by the fan to be efficiently and reliably guided to the end of the gap via the duct 42.

[0072] In addition, in the present invention, the fan 40 is located behind the upper edge of the display board 20, and the air intake port on the opposite side of the air outlet is arranged obliquely downward with respect to the rear surface of the display board 20, The fan 40 is characterized in that it draws air from the rear side of the display panel 20 in the housing 11 from below to above, and blows air from the upper end to the lower end of the gap, thereby circulating the air.

[0073] By installing the fan in this way, air behind the display board is drawn in from below to above inside the housing, and the air is blown from the upper end of the gap to the lower end, improving the efficiency of air circulation inside the housing. Also, interference with the fan 40 can be minimized when attaching or detaching the display board 20.

[0074] In addition, in the present invention, the display panel 20 is formed by assembling a plurality of substrates (LED substrates 21) on which a number of light-emitting elements are mounted, in a planar arrangement on the chassis 30, The chassis 30 is characterized in that flanges are formed along the parallel long sides of the outer frame thereof, bending rearward from a reference plane against which the rear surface of the substrate (LED substrate 21) abuts.

[0075] With such a display board 20, various information can be easily displayed as letters and figures in a dot matrix display by arbitrarily lighting up each light-emitting element on the substrate 21. Also, by assembling the LED substrate 21 into a unit on the chassis 30, the required display area can be easily secured by appropriately combining these units 20a.

[0076] Furthermore, by forming flanges along the long sides of the chassis 30, it is possible to increase the strength of the entire chassis 30 in the longitudinal direction, which is the direction in which the chassis 30 is prone to distortion. Therefore, when assembling the display panel 20 and during maintenance and inspection, the LED board 21 assembled to the chassis 30 can be easily handled as a rigid unit 20a.

[0077] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that a rod 35 extending in the direction of the short sides of the outer frame is installed between the flanges on the long sides of the outer frame of the chassis 30 that are parallel to each other.

[0078] With this configuration, the outer frame of the chassis 30 is reinforced by the rods 35 in the direction of its short sides as well, thereby further increasing the strength of the entire chassis 30. The rods 35 can also be used as handles to grip when handling the display board 20.

[0079] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. For example, the shapes of the housing 11 and the display panel 20 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the light-emitting elements that make up the display panel 20 are not necessarily limited to LEDs.

[0080] Furthermore, although the display device 10 has been described as being installed above a road to display traffic information, other types of information may be displayed. For example, the display device may be installed at a port to provide information to passing ships, or may be used as an outdoor lighting display. The fan 40 may be driven constantly, or may be controlled to be driven only when the temperature detected by a temperature sensor installed at an appropriate location inside the housing 11 exceeds a predetermined temperature. [Industrial Applicability]

[0081] The present invention is not limited to being used to display traffic information, but can be widely used as a display device for displaying various types of information in various fields. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10…Display device 11...Housing 12…Front plate 20...Display board 20a...Unit 21...LED board 30...Chassis 36…Avoidance part 37...Movable part 40...Fan 41...Fan body 42...Duct

Claims

1. A display device in which a display panel capable of displaying information is attached inside a housing so as to face the light-transmitting front side of the housing, a fan fixed to the housing so as to be positioned behind an edge of the display board, the fan blowing cooling air into a gap between the front side of the housing and the display board; an avoidance portion in which an area of ​​an edge of the display panel where the fan is located is cut out, allowing air blown from the fan to pass through the gap; The avoidance portion has a basic area that matches the outer periphery of the fan, and a play area that avoids interference with the fan when the display panel is attached or detached, The display device characterized in that the avoidance portion has a movable portion that can be displaced so as to block the play area after the display board is attached.

2. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the fan includes a duct that surrounds the air outlet of the fan and communicates with the gap through the avoidance portion.

3. The display panel is formed by assembling a plurality of substrates, each substrate having a number of light-emitting elements mounted thereon, in a planar arrangement on a chassis, 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein flanges are formed along the parallel long sides of the outer frame of the chassis, the flanges bending rearward from a reference surface against which the rear surface of the substrate abuts.

4. 4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein a rod extending in the direction of the short sides of the outer frame is installed between the flanges on the long sides of the outer frame of the chassis that are parallel to each other.

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