Electronic shelf label

Abstract

An electronic shelf label according to an embodiment may comprise: a housing; a display, at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the housing and which displays visual information thereon; a flexible printed circuit board connected to the display; at least one component arranged on the flexible printed circuit board; and a battery arranged inside the housing and supplying power to the display and the at least one component.

Description

Electronic Price Indicator

[0001] Embodiments relate to an electronic price tag that can provide a mounting space where components can be placed without a separate printed circuit board by placing components on a flexible printed circuit board.

[0002] Labels that display product information such as sales price, discount information, and country of origin are used to display and sell multiple products within a certain space, such as a distribution store.

[0003] Previously, product information was primarily written by hand on paper or printed on paper labels in a standardized format. However, paper labels require corrections or replacement when product information changes, such as price fluctuations. Therefore, the need for alternatives to paper labels is growing in large retail stores with a large product selection and frequent product information changes.

[0004] Recently, electronic price tags have been proposed as a means of replacing paper labels, receiving product information from a server and displaying it on a display. Because these electronic price tags allow for quick and easy changes to product information, research and development into them is steadily increasing.

[0005] Inside the electronic price tag, components are placed to receive product information from a server or to operate a display. For example, an electronic price tag may include an antenna for receiving product information from a server or a circuit (or "integrated circuit") for operating a display.

[0006] In the past, it was common to provide a separate printed circuit board on which components could be placed within an electronic price display, and to electrically connect the printed circuit board on which components were placed and the display through a flexible printed circuit board for the operation of the electronic price display.

[0007] Recently, various research and development efforts are being conducted to miniaturize the overall size of electronic price tags. However, existing electronic price tags require space to accommodate printed circuit boards where components are placed, which may limit miniaturization of the overall size of electronic price tags.

[0008] The present disclosure seeks to miniaturize the electronic price display by providing an electronic price display that can be operated without having a separate printed circuit board by arranging components on a flexible printed circuit board.

[0009] The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0010] An electronic price indicator according to one embodiment may include a housing; a display at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the housing and outputs visual information; a flexible printed circuit board connected to the display; at least one component disposed on the flexible printed circuit board; and a battery disposed inside the housing and configured to supply power to the display and the at least one component.

[0011] For example, the flexible printed circuit board may include a first portion having one end connected to at least one area of ​​the display; and a second portion connected to the other end of the first portion and positioned a predetermined distance from the display, wherein the at least one component may be positioned in the second portion.

[0012] In addition, the second part includes a first surface facing the display; and a second surface disposed in an opposite direction to the first surface, and the at least one component can be disposed on the second surface.

[0013] In one embodiment, the electronic price indicator may further include an antenna for transmitting or receiving wireless signals to or from an external device.

[0014] Additionally, the electronic price indicator includes a processor operatively connected to the at least one component of the antenna and the display, the processor being capable of receiving product information data from an external device through the antenna and controlling operation of the display based on the received product information data.

[0015] In another embodiment, the electronic price indicator may further include a buffer member disposed between the display and the second portion to prevent contact between the display and the second portion.

[0016] At this time, the buffer member may include a material having elasticity.

[0017] Additionally, the first portion may be arranged to surround at least a portion of a side surface of the buffer member.

[0018] In one embodiment, the housing includes a first housing; and a second housing coupled to the first housing; wherein the display and the flexible printed circuit board can be disposed in an internal space between the first housing and the second housing.

[0019] At this time, at least a portion of the display may be exposed to the outside of the electronic price indicator through at least one area of ​​the first housing.

[0020] In another embodiment, the housing may further include a battery cover coupled to the second housing and configured to secure the battery within the housing.

[0021] In another embodiment, the electronic price indicator may further include a fixing member disposed between the display and the second portion, the fixing member including a battery receiving portion for receiving the battery.

[0022] Additionally, the electronic price indicator may further include a cover member positioned between the display and the fixing member to prevent contact between the fixing member and the display.

[0023] Electronic price indicators according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the overall size of the device.

[0024] In addition, the electronic price indicator according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce material costs by omitting the assembly operation of connecting the printed circuit board on which the components are arranged and the display with a flexible printed circuit.

[0025] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the display and flexible printed circuit board of the electronic price indicator illustrated in FIG. 2 as viewed from the first direction.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display and flexible printed circuit board of the electronic price indicator illustrated in FIG. 2 as viewed from the first direction and the second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a partial configuration of an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0032] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the electronic price indicator illustrated in Fig. 6.

[0033] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0034] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the electronic price indicator illustrated in Fig. 8.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0036] The terms used in the examples are selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of the present invention. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined not simply based on their names, but based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention.

[0037] When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "-unit" and "-module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0038] As used herein, when an expression such as "at least one" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array of elements rather than each individual element. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted to include a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c.

[0039] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be implemented in the various embodiments of the aerosol generating devices described above, or may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic price tag (10) according to one embodiment may be placed or combined on a product display shelf in a distribution space to display information about a product (hereinafter, “product information”). For example, the electronic price tag (10) may receive product information from an external device (e.g., a server) and visually display the product information received from the external device, thereby providing product information to a user. The electronic price tag (10) may also be referred to as an electronic shelf label (ESL) or an electronic information label (EIL), depending on the embodiment.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the electronic price indicator (10) may include a housing (100) and a display (110).

[0043] The housing (100) can form the overall appearance of the electronic price indicator (10), and components of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged in the internal space of the housing (100). For example, a display (110), components for controlling the operation of the electronic price indicator (10) (e.g., a processor, a communication module), a battery, etc. can be arranged in the internal space of the housing (100), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the housing (100) may be formed in an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape as illustrated in FIG. 1, but the shape of the housing (100) is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. In another embodiment, the housing (100) may be formed in a polygonal columnar shape in addition to the rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0045] The display (110) may be arranged so that at least one area is exposed to the outside of the housing (100) to output visual information. For example, the display (110) may output product information received from an external device, but the visual information output from the display (110) is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, 'product information' may include at least one of product price, manufacturer, country of origin, discount information, or identification information (e.g., barcode or QR code), and the expression may be used with the same meaning below.

[0046] The display (110) can output product information by receiving power from components of an electronic price indicator housed inside the housing (100). Hereinafter, the components of the electronic price indicator (10) will be examined in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0047] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic price indicator (10) according to one embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), and a battery (130).

[0049] The housing (100) forms the overall appearance of the electronic price indicator (10), and an internal space (or 'mounting space') in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged can be formed inside the housing (100).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the housing (100) may include a first housing (101), a second housing (102), and a battery cover (103). However, the configuration of the housing (100) is not limited thereto, and depending on the embodiment, other configurations may be added in addition to the above-described configurations, or at least one configuration (e.g., battery cover (103)) may be omitted.

[0051] The first housing (101) is positioned at the top of the display (110) and can protect the display (110) from external impact or the ingress of foreign substances. In the present disclosure, the "top of the display (110)" may refer to a position in the z-direction based on the display (110), and the expression may be used with the same meaning below.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the first housing (101) may include an exposure area for exposing the display (110) to the outside of the electronic price indicator (10). For example, the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101) may be formed of a transparent or translucent material, and at least one area of ​​the display (110) may be visible from the outside of the electronic price indicator (10) through the exposure area.

[0053] The second housing (102) can be coupled to the first housing (101), and an internal space can be formed between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102) in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged. At this time, the second housing (102) can fix the positions of the components arranged in the internal space together with the first housing (101).

[0054] For example, the second housing (102) may be coupled to an area of ​​the first housing (101) facing the -z direction, and a display (110) and a flexible printed circuit board (120) may be placed in the internal space formed by the first housing (101) and the second housing (102). However, the components placed in the internal space are not limited thereto, and other components may be added depending on the embodiment.

[0055] The battery cover (103) can be coupled to the second housing (102) and can serve to secure the battery (130) inside the housing (100). For example, the battery cover (103) can include a battery receiving portion (103r) for accommodating the battery (130). As the battery (130) is received in the battery receiving portion (103r) of the battery cover (103), the battery (130) can be secured between the second housing (102) and the battery cover (103).

[0056] The display (110) is exposed to the outside of the housing (100) and can output visual information (e.g., product information).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the display (110) may include an electrophoretic display (EPD). An electrophoretic display may refer to a display that displays color and brightness by applying voltage to colored particles dispersed in a fluid. The electronic price indicator (10) can output visual information, such as product information, or change the output information into other information by controlling the polarity and magnitude of the voltage applied to the colored particles.

[0058] A flexible printed circuit board (120) can be connected to the display (110), and at least one component (not shown) for the operation of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged on the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the flexible printed circuit board (120) can be positioned at the bottom (e.g., in the -z direction) of the display (110), and one end of the flexible printed circuit board (120) can extend in a direction toward the display (110) and be connected to the display (110). At this time, at least one component can be arranged or mounted on one area of ​​the flexible printed circuit board (120), and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0059] In the case of existing electronic price tags, it was common to have a separate printed circuit board on which the components for the operation of the electronic price tag could be arranged or mounted, and to control the operation of the display by connecting the printed circuit board and the display via a flexible printed circuit board. In existing electronic price tags, the presence of a printed circuit board on which the components could be arranged was essential, which limited the overall size of the device.

[0060] On the other hand, an electronic price indicator (10) according to one embodiment can provide a mounting space in which components can be placed without having a separate printed circuit board through a structure in which at least one component for the operation of the electronic price indicator (10) is placed on a flexible printed circuit board (120) that was used for the purpose of connecting a display and a separate printed circuit board in a conventional electronic price indicator. Accordingly, the electronic price indicator (10) according to one embodiment can have a smaller size or thickness of the device compared to an electronic price indicator having a separate printed circuit board on which components can be placed.

[0061] In addition, the electronic price indicator (10) according to one embodiment can omit the assembly operation of connecting a separate printed circuit board and a display (110) through a flexible printed circuit board (120), thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the electronic price indicator (10) and reducing material costs, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the electronic price indicator (10) may further include an antenna (140) for performing wireless communication with an external device. For example, the antenna (140) may be disposed in an internal space between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102), and may transmit a wireless signal to an external device (e.g., a server) or receive a wireless signal from the external device. The wireless signal received through the antenna (140) may include data regarding product information, and the electronic price indicator (10) may operate based on the received data regarding product information.

[0063] In one embodiment, the antenna (140) may be formed of a conductor having a designated shape. In the present disclosure, the 'designated shape' may mean a shape of the antenna (140) for transmitting or receiving a wireless signal of a designated frequency band (e.g., about 2.4 GHz). Although the drawing only illustrates an embodiment in which the antenna (140) is formed of a conductor having a designated shape, the type of the antenna (140) is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment, the antenna (140) may be formed of a conductive pattern disposed in one area of ​​the second housing (102) or may be a conductor exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the second housing (102).

[0064] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the arrangement structure of the display (110), the flexible printed circuit board (120), and at least one component will be specifically examined.

[0065] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the display and the flexible printed circuit board of the electronic price indicator illustrated in FIG. 2 when viewed from a first direction, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display and the flexible printed circuit board of the electronic price indicator illustrated in FIG. 2 when viewed from a second direction opposite to the first direction. At this time, FIG. 3 is a view of the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) when viewed from the z direction of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view of the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) when viewed from the -z direction of FIG. 2.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment (e.g., the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 2) may include a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), and at least one component (150). The components of the electronic price indicator may be substantially identical or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 2, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0067] The flexible printed circuit board (120) is formed of a material having elasticity or flexibility and is connected to the display (110) and can provide a space (or 'mounting space') in which at least one component (150) can be placed.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board (120) may include a first portion (121) connected to at least one area of ​​the display (110) and a second portion (122) disposed a predetermined distance from the display (110).

[0069] The first part (121) is arranged so that one end is connected to the display (110) and the other end is connected to the second part (122), thereby electrically or operationally connecting the display (110) and the second part (122). At this time, the first part (121) can maintain a curved shape as illustrated, but the shape of the first part (121) is not limited thereto.

[0070] The second part (122) is disposed at a predetermined distance from the display (110) and may provide a mounting space in which at least one component (150) may be disposed. For example, the second part (122) may include a first surface facing the display (110) and a second surface disposed in an opposite direction to the first surface, and at least one component (150) may be disposed on the second surface of the second part (122). At this time, at least one component (150) disposed on the second surface of the second part (122) may be electrically or operationally connected to the display (110) through the first surface (121), and at least one component (150) may control the operation of the display (110) through the above-described connection relationship.

[0071] Although the drawing only shows an embodiment in which at least one component (150) is disposed on the second surface of the second portion (122), the arrangement structure of the at least one component (150) is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a portion of at least one component (150) may be disposed on the first portion (121).

[0072] When at least one component (150) is placed on the first surface of the second portion (122) facing the display (110), the at least one component (150) may come into contact with the display (110) during the use of the electronic price indicator due to the elasticity or flexibility of the flexible printed circuit board (120). When the at least one component (150) and the display (110) come into contact and a strong impact is applied to the at least one component (150), a situation may occur in which the at least one component (150) is damaged or malfunctions.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the electronic price indicator can prevent the at least one component (150) from coming into contact with the display (110) during use of the electronic price indicator by having at least one component (150) disposed on a second surface opposite to the display (110) of the flexible printed circuit board (120). As a result, the electronic price indicator according to one embodiment can prevent the at least one component (150) from being damaged by impact generated when the at least one component (150) comes into contact with the display (110).

[0074] At least one component (150) may include, for example, at least one of a processor for controlling the overall operation of the electronic price indicator (10), a communication IC (integrated circuit) for performing wireless communication with an external device, and a driving IC for controlling the operation of the display (110). However, the type of at least one component (150) is not limited thereto, and depending on the embodiment, one of the above-described configurations may be omitted or another configuration may be added.

[0075] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, the process of controlling the operation of an electronic price indicator (10) through at least one component (150) will be specifically examined.

[0076] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of an electronic price indicator according to one embodiment. Fig. 5 shows some components of the electronic price indicator (10) of Figs. 1 and 2, and the components of the electronic price indicator (10) are not limited to the configuration shown.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic price indicator (10) according to one embodiment may include a display (110) (e.g., the display (110) of FIG. 2), an antenna (140) (e.g., the antenna (140) of FIG. 2), and a processor (151). The components of the electronic price indicator (10) may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0078] The processor (151) is placed on a flexible printed circuit board (e.g., the flexible printed circuit board (120) of FIG. 2) and can control the overall operation of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the processor (151) may be electrically or operatively connected to the antenna (140) and may perform wireless communication with an external device (20) (e.g., a server) via the antenna (140). For example, the processor (151) may be electrically or operatively connected to the antenna (140) via a communication IC and may transmit a wireless signal to the external device (20) or receive a wireless signal from the external device (20) via the antenna (140).

[0080] The wireless signal received from the external device (20) may include product information data such as product price, manufacturer, country of origin, discount information, or identification information, and the processor (151) may control the operation of the display (110) based on the product information data received through the antenna (140). For example, the processor (151) may control the display (110) to output product information through the driving IC based on the received product information data.

[0081] In another embodiment, the processor (151) may control the display (110) to output pre-stored data in addition to product information data received from an external device (20). For example, the processor (151) may control the operation of the display (110) to output pre-stored data in the processor (151) or a separate memory (not shown) to the display (110) through a driving IC.

[0082] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), a battery (130), and a buffer member (160). An electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may be a device in which only a buffer member (160) is added to the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 2, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0084] The buffer member (160) is placed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) and can prevent contact between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the buffer member (160) may include at least one of Styrofoam, rubber, sponge, or air buffer, but the type of the buffer member (160) is not limited thereto.

[0085] During the use of the electronic price display device (10), a situation may arise where the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) come into contact due to the elasticity or flexibility of the flexible printed circuit board (120).

[0086] An electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment can prevent direct contact between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) by means of a buffer member (160) disposed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). Hereinafter, the arrangement structure of the display (110), the flexible printed circuit board (120), and the buffer member (160) will be specifically examined with reference to FIG. 7.

[0087] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the electronic price indicator illustrated in Fig. 6.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), at least one component (150), and a buffer member (160). The components of the electronic price indicator (10) may be substantially the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 6, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0089] The housing (100) may include a first housing (101) disposed on the top (e.g., in the z direction) of the display (110) and for protecting the display (110), and a second housing (102) coupled with the first housing (101) and forming a space in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) are disposed together with the first housing (101). Although the housing (100) is depicted in the drawing as including the first housing (101) and the second housing (102), the components of the housing (100) are not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment, the housing (100) may also include other components (e.g., the battery cover (103) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 6).

[0090] The display (110) may be arranged in a space between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102), and at least a portion of the display may be exposed to the outside of the electronic price indicator (10) through the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101). For example, visual information may be output to the active area of ​​the display (110), and the visual information output in the active area through the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101) may be viewed from the outside of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0091] A flexible printed circuit board (120) provides a mounting space for at least one component (150) and is connected to a display (110) to electrically or operatively connect the at least one component (150) and the display (110).

[0092] According to one embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board (120) may include a first portion (121) connected to one area of ​​the display (110) and a second portion (122) disposed a predetermined distance from the display (110).

[0093] The first part (121) is arranged so that one end is connected to the display (110) and the other end is connected to the second part (122), thereby electrically or operationally connecting the display (110) and the second part (122). At this time, the first part (121) can maintain a curved shape as illustrated, but the shape of the first part (121) is not limited thereto.

[0094] The second part (122) is arranged at a predetermined distance from the display (110) and may provide a mounting space in which at least one component (150) may be arranged. For example, the second part (122) may include a first surface (122a) facing the display (110) and a second surface (122b) arranged in an opposite direction to the first surface (122a), and at least one component (150) may be arranged on the second surface (122b). Although the drawing only illustrates an embodiment in which at least one component (150) is arranged on the second surface of the second part (122), the arrangement structure of at least one component (150) is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, a part of at least one component (150) may be arranged on the first part (121).

[0095] At least one component (150) disposed on the second surface (122b) of the second portion (122) may be electrically or operatively connected to the display (110) via the first portion (121). For example, a processor (e.g., the processor (151) of FIG. 5) and a driving IC may be disposed on the second surface (122b), and the processor and the driving IC may be electrically or operatively connected to the display (110) to control the operation of the display (110).

[0096] The buffer member (160) is disposed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) and can prevent contact between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the buffer member (160) can be disposed between the display (110) and the second portion (122) of the flexible printed circuit board (120), and the first portion (121) of the flexible printed circuit board (120) can be disposed to extend in a direction (e.g., z direction) toward the display (110) and surround at least a portion of a side surface of the buffer member (160).

[0097] The buffer member (160) may include an elastic material, thereby preventing impact from being applied to the display (110) or the flexible printed circuit board (120) even when in contact with the display (110) or the flexible printed circuit board (120).

[0098] In an electronic price display (10) without a buffer member (160), a situation may occur in which the display (110) and the second part (122) of the flexible printed circuit board (120) come into contact during use of the electronic price display (10) due to the elasticity or flexibility of the flexible printed circuit board (120).

[0099] When the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) are in direct contact, an external impact may be transmitted to the flexible printed circuit board (120) through the display (110), or an impact generated by the contact between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) may be applied to the flexible printed circuit board (120), and at least one component (150) placed on the flexible printed circuit board (120) may be damaged by the impact.

[0100] According to another embodiment, an electronic price indicator (10) can prevent malfunction or breakdown of the electronic price indicator (10) due to damage to at least one component (150) by minimizing impact applied to the flexible printed circuit board (120) through a buffer member (160) disposed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120).

[0101] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 8, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), a battery (130), an antenna (140), and a fixing member (170).

[0103] The housing (100) forms the overall appearance of the electronic price indicator (10), and an internal space (or 'mounting space') in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged can be formed inside the housing (100).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the housing (100) may include a first housing (101) and a second housing (102).

[0105] The first housing (101) is positioned at the top of the display (110) and can protect the display (110) from external impact or inflow of external foreign substances. According to one embodiment, the first housing (101) may include an exposure area for exposing the display (110) to the outside of the electronic price indicator (10). For example, the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101) may be formed of a transparent or translucent material, and at least one area of ​​the display (110) may be visible from the outside of the electronic price indicator (10) through the exposure area.

[0106] The second housing (102) can be coupled to the first housing (101), and an internal space can be formed between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102) in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) can be arranged. At this time, the second housing (102) can fix the positions of the components arranged in the internal space together with the first housing (101).

[0107] For example, the second housing (102) may be coupled to an area facing the -z direction of the first housing (101), and a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), a battery (130), an antenna (140), and a fixing member (170) may be arranged in the internal space formed by the first housing (101) and the second housing (102). However, the components arranged in the internal space are not limited thereto, and other components may be added depending on the embodiment.

[0108] The display (110) is exposed to the outside of the housing (100) and can output visual information (e.g., product information). For example, the display (110) may include an electrophoretic display (EPD). An electrophoretic display may refer to a display that displays color and brightness by applying voltage to colored particles dispersed between a fluid. The electronic price indicator (10) can output visual information such as product information or change the output information into other information by controlling the polarity and magnitude of the voltage applied to the colored particles.

[0109] A flexible printed circuit board (120) may have one end connected to a display (110), and at least one component (e.g., at least one component (150) of FIG. 4) for the operation of the electronic price indicator (10) may be arranged on the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the flexible printed circuit board (120) may be positioned at the bottom (e.g., in the -z direction) of the display (110), and one end of the flexible printed circuit board (120) may extend in a direction toward the display (110) and be connected to the display (110).

[0110] The antenna (140) may be placed in an internal space between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102), and may perform wireless communication with an external device (e.g., an external device (20) of FIG. 5). For example, the antenna (140) may transmit a wireless signal to an external device (e.g., a server) or receive a wireless signal from the external device. The wireless signal received through the antenna (140) may include data regarding product information, and the electronic price indicator (10) may operate based on the received data regarding product information.

[0111] In one embodiment, the antenna (140) may be formed of a conductive material having a specified shape, but the type of antenna (140) is not limited thereto. In another embodiment (not shown), the antenna (140) may be formed of a conductive pattern disposed in an area of ​​the second housing (102) or may be a conductive material exposed on the outer surface of the second housing (102).

[0112] At least one component (150) may be disposed on an area (e.g., the second side (122b) of FIG. 7) opposite to the display (110) of the flexible printed circuit board (120), and may be electrically or operatively connected to the display (110) via the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the at least one component (150) may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a processor for controlling the overall operation of the electronic price indicator (10), a communication IC (integrated circuit) for performing wireless communication with an external device, and a driver IC for controlling the operation of the display (110).

[0113] The fixing member (170) is disposed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120), and can fix the battery (130) between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the fixing member (170) may include a battery receiving portion (170r) (or 'battery recess') for receiving the battery (130), and as the battery (130) is received in the battery receiving portion (170r), the battery (130) can be supported by the fixing member (170).

[0114] According to another embodiment, the electronic price indicator (10) can reduce the overall height of the electronic price indicator (10) and miniaturize the device by having the battery (130) placed in the space between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) through the above-described fixing member (170). Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, the arrangement structure of the display (110), the flexible printed circuit board (120), and the fixing member (170) will be specifically examined.

[0115] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the electronic price indicator illustrated in Fig. 8.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 9, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), a battery (130), at least one component (150), and a fixing member (170). The components of the electronic price indicator (10) may be substantially identical or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 8, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0117] The housing (100) may include a first housing (101) positioned on the top (e.g., in the z direction) of the display (110) and for protecting the display (110), and a second housing (102) coupled with the first housing (101) and forming a space in which components of the electronic price indicator (10) are positioned together with the first housing (101).

[0118] The display (110) may be arranged in a space between the first housing (101) and the second housing (102), and at least a portion of the display may be exposed to the outside of the electronic price indicator (10) through the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101). For example, visual information may be output to the active area of ​​the display (110), and the visual information output from the active area through the exposure area of ​​the first housing (101) may be viewed from the outside of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0119] A flexible printed circuit board (120) provides a mounting space for at least one component (150) and is connected to a display (110) to electrically or operatively connect the at least one component (150) and the display (110).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board (120) may include a first portion (121) connected to one area of ​​the display (110) and a second portion (122) disposed a predetermined distance from the display (110).

[0121] The first part (121) is arranged so that one end is connected to the display (110) and the other end is connected to the second part (122), thereby electrically or operationally connecting the display (110) and the second part (122). At this time, the first part (121) can maintain a curved shape as illustrated, but the shape of the first part (121) is not limited thereto.

[0122] The second part (122) is arranged at a predetermined distance from the display (110) and may provide a mounting space in which at least one component (150) may be arranged. For example, the second part (122) may include a first surface (122a) facing the display (110) and a second surface (122b) arranged in an opposite direction to the first surface (122a), and at least one component (150) may be arranged on the second surface (122b). Although the drawing only illustrates an embodiment in which at least one component (150) is arranged on the second surface of the second part (122), the arrangement structure of at least one component (150) is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, a part of at least one component (150) may be arranged on the first part (121).

[0123] At least one component (150) disposed on the second surface (122b) of the second portion (122) may be electrically or operatively connected to the display (110) via the first portion (121). For example, a processor (e.g., the processor (151) of FIG. 5) and a driving IC may be disposed on the second surface (122b), and the processor and the driving IC may be electrically or operatively connected to the display (110) to control the operation of the display (110).

[0124] The fixing member (170) is disposed between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120), and can fix the battery (130) between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). For example, the fixing member (170) can be disposed between the display (110) and the second part (122) of the flexible printed circuit board (120), and can include a battery receiving portion (170r) for accommodating the battery (130). As the battery (130) is accommodated in the battery receiving portion (170r) of the fixing member (170), the position of the battery (130) can be fixed to the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120). At this time, the first portion (121) of the flexible printed circuit board (120) may be arranged to extend in a direction (e.g., z direction) toward the display (110) and surround at least a portion of the side surface of the fixing member (170).

[0125] In conventional electronic price tags, the battery (130) is positioned at a predetermined distance from the display (110) or flexible printed circuit board (120), which limits miniaturization of the device.

[0126] On the other hand, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment can reduce the overall size of the device, unlike existing electronic price indicators, by placing the battery (130) in the empty space between the display (110) and the flexible printed circuit board (120) without providing a space where a separate battery (130) can be accommodated.

[0127] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a configuration of an electronic price indicator according to another embodiment.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 10, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment may include a housing (100), a display (110), a flexible printed circuit board (120), a battery (130), at least one component (150), a fixing member (170), and a cover member (180). The electronic price indicator (10) may be a device in which only the cover member (180) is added to the electronic price indicator (10) of FIG. 9, and a redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0129] The cover member (180) is arranged to prevent contact between the fixing member (170) and the display (110), thereby preventing the display (110) from being subjected to impact by the fixing member (170) during use of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0130] According to one embodiment, the cover member (180) may be disposed between the display (110) and the fixing member (170) and supported by the fixing member (170), and may prevent direct contact between the fixing member (170) and the display (110). For example, the cover member (180) may include an elastic material (e.g., rubber, sponge, Styrofoam, etc.) and may prevent the display (110) from being subjected to impact by the fixing member (170).

[0131] When the display (110) and the fixing member (170) are in direct contact, an impact may be applied to the display (110) due to contact with the fixing member (170), which may cause the display (110) to malfunction or be damaged.

[0132] On the other hand, an electronic price indicator (10) according to another embodiment is positioned at the top (e.g., in the z direction) of a fixed member (170) and has a cover member (180) that can prevent direct contact between the display (110) and the fixed member (170), thereby preventing the display (110) from malfunctioning or being damaged during use of the electronic price indicator (10).

[0133] The description of the above-described embodiments is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from this. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention should be defined by the appended claims, and all differences that fall within the scope equivalent to the contents described in the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

[0134] The present invention has industrial applicability in that it can provide an overall miniaturized electronic price display having a structure in which at least one component is arranged on a flexible printed circuit board, thereby improving store management efficiency, and can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce material costs by omitting the assembly process of connecting the printed circuit board and the display.

Claims

1. Housing; A display, at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the housing and which outputs visual information; A flexible printed circuit board connected to the above display; At least one component disposed on the flexible printed circuit board; and An electronic price indicator, comprising: a battery disposed inside the housing and supplying power to the display and at least one component; 2. In paragraph 1, The flexible printed circuit board comprises: a first portion connected to at least one area of ​​the display; and A second part connected to the other end of the first part and positioned at a predetermined distance from the display; An electronic price indicator, wherein at least one of the components is disposed in the second portion.

3. In paragraph 2, The second part has a first surface facing the display; and An electronic price indicator comprising a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, wherein at least one component is disposed on the second surface.

4. In paragraph 1, An electronic price indicator further comprising an antenna for transmitting or receiving a wireless signal to or from an external device.

5. In paragraph 4, wherein said at least one component comprises a processor operatively connected to said antenna and said display; The above processor receives product information data from an external device through the antenna, An electronic price display that controls the operation of the display based on received product information data.

6. In paragraph 2, An electronic price indicator further comprising a buffer member disposed between the display and the second part and configured to prevent contact between the display and the second part.

7. In paragraph 6, An electronic price indicator, wherein the above-mentioned buffer member comprises an elastic material.

8. In paragraph 6, An electronic price indicator, wherein the first portion is arranged to surround at least a portion of a side surface of the buffer member.

9. In paragraph 1, The above housing comprises: a first housing; and a second housing coupled to the first housing; An electronic price indicator, wherein the display and the flexible printed circuit board are disposed in an internal space between the first housing and the second housing.

10. In paragraph 9, An electronic price indicator, wherein at least a portion of the display is exposed to the outside of the electronic price indicator through at least one area of ​​the first housing.

11. In paragraph 9, An electronic price indicator, wherein the housing is coupled to the second housing and further includes a battery cover for fixing the battery to the inside of the housing.

12. In paragraph 2, An electronic price indicator further comprising: a fixing member disposed between the display and the second part and including a battery receiving portion for receiving the battery; 13. In paragraph 12, An electronic price indicator further comprising a cover member positioned between the display and the fixing member and configured to prevent contact between the fixing member and the display.

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