Display apparatus with guard frame

Abstract

A display apparatus includes an enclosure, a screen unit, and a guard frame. The screen unit includes a rear body portion extending through a front wall aperture of the enclosure, a front screen portion, and an outer bezel portion, with a rear face of the outer bezel portion in facing engagement with a front surface of the enclosure. The guard frame includes an apertured guard wall covering an outer periphery of the front screen portion, a flange wall extending rearward from an outer periphery of the guard wall over an outer periphery of the outer bezel portion, and a plurality of tab elements extending inward from a rear edge of the flange wall and into corresponding ones of a plurality of outer notches in the rear face of the outer bezel portion, with the plurality of tab elements being captured between the outer bezel portion and the enclosure front wall.

Description

DISPLAY APPARATUS WITH GUARD FRAMECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to and all benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 706,803, filed on October 14, 2024 and entitled DISPLAY APPARATUS WITH GUARD FRAME, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates generally to the field of protective covers for display screens, and more particularly to guard frames for human machine interface display screens.BACKGROUND

[0003] Touchscreen display human machine interfaces (HMI’s) have become common for industrial systems, providing versatile user control capabilities for a variety of machines and equipment. In the demanding factory environments of these industrial applications, the glass screen of an HMI display may be vulnerable to damage, such as cracking or breaking, for example resulting from accidental impacts with the display screen.SUMMARY

[0004] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a display apparatus includes an enclosure, a screen unit, and a guard frame. The enclosure has a front wall defining an aperture surrounded by a border portion of the front wall. The screen unit includes a rear body portion extending through the front wall aperture into the enclosure, a front screen portion, and an outer bezel portion surrounding an outer periphery of the front screen portion and an outer wall of the rear body portion, with a rear face of the outer bezel portion in facing engagement with a front surface of the enclosure border portion. The guard frame includes an apertured guard wall covering the outer periphery of the front screen portion, a flange wall extending rearward from an outer periphery of the guard wall over an outer periphery of the outer bezel portion, and a plurality of tab elements extending inward from a rear edge of the flange wall. The plurality of tab elements are received in corresponding ones of a plurality of outer notches in the rear face of the outer bezel portion, with the plurality of tab elements being captured between the outer bezel portion and the enclosure front wall.

[0005] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of securing a guard frame with a display apparatus is contemplated. In an exemplary method, a screen unit is provided, including a rear body portion, a front screen portion, and an outer bezel portion surrounding an outer periphery of the front screen portion. The guard frame is assembled with the screen unit, such that an apertured guard wall of the guard frame covers an outer periphery of the front screen portion and a flange wall of the guard frame extending rearward from an outer periphery of the guard wall extends over an outer periphery of the outer bezel portion, with a plurality of tab elements extending inward from a rear edge of the flange wall into corresponding outer notches in a rear face of the outer bezel. The screen unit is secured with an enclosure having a front wall defining an aperture surrounded by a border portion of the front wall, such that the rear body portion extends through the front wall aperture and the rear face of the outer bezel portion is secured in facing engagement with front surface of the enclosure border portion, with the plurality of tab elements being captured between the outer bezel portion and the enclosure front wall.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Further advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a display apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0008] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the display apparatus of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the described embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.

[0010] While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to thevarious aspects, concepts and features of the inventions— such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software, hardware, control logic, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on— may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure, however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Parameters identified as “approximate” or “about” a specified value are intended to include the specified value, values within 5% of the specified value, and values within 10% of the specified value, unless expressly stated otherwise. Further, it is to be understood that the drawings accompanying the present disclosure may, but need not, be to scale, and therefore may be understood as teaching various ratios and proportions evident in the drawings. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention, the inventions instead being set forth in the appended claims. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.

[0011] Due to the demanding environments of HMI display screens for industrial machines and equipment, protection of the glass display screen may be desired. In certain classified / hazardous areas and applications, certain performance tests may be required as part of the approvals process, for example, for Factory Mutual (“FM”) or European Union Atmosphere Explosible (“ATEX”) certification. FM and ATEX certification requires an impact test (e.g., FM 7260, EN60079-0, and / or EN60079-31) in which the HMI screen is subjected to a 4 J impact. For certain glass screens (e.g., chemically strengthened glass), the portions most susceptible to damage during impact testing are at the outer periphery (e.g., atleast a 0.25 inch wide portion, or about 0.50 inch wide portion at the outer perimeter) of the glass screen, where the screen is commonly fixed by abutment with an outer bezel of the display screen assembly.

[0012] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a display apparatus may be provided with a guard frame configured to attach to an outer bezel of a screen unit and to cover an outer periphery of a front screen portion (e.g., glass panel) of the screen unit, thereby protecting the front screen portion from damage caused by impacts to the front screen outer periphery, such as, for example, in the above referenced 4 J impact testing.

[0013] Some certification testing, such as the above referenced 4 J impact testing, requires that any hand removable components or accessories of an assembly must be removed from the assembly at the time of testing. According to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a guard frame may be attached to a screen unit outer bezel of a display apparatus in such a way that assembly of the screen unit to an enclosure of the display apparatus prevents removal of the guard frame from the screen unit unless and until the screen unit is disassembled and / or removed from the enclosure.

[0014] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary display apparatus 100 including an enclosure 110, a screen unit 120, and a guard frame 130. The enclosure 110 includes a front wall 111 defining an aperture I l la surrounded by a border portion 111b of the front wall. The screen unit 120 includes a rear body portion 121 extending through the front wall aperture I l la into an internal cavity 112 within the enclosure 110, a front screen portion 122 (e.g., glass panel), and an outer bezel portion 123 surrounding an outer periphery 122a of the front screen portion and an outer wall 121a of the rear body portion. When the screen unit 120 is assembled with the enclosure 110, a rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123 is disposed in facing engagement with a front surface 111c of the enclosure border portion 11 lb.

[0015] In some applications, a dust-proof and / or moisture proof seal between the screen unit and the enclosure may be desired. Accordingly, a seal element may be provided between the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123 and the front surface 111c of the enclosure border portion 111b. While many suitable sealing element arrangements may be utilized, in the illustrated embodiment, the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123 is provided with a circumferential (e.g., rectangular) groove 124, with a gasket 125 retained in the groove for sealing engagement with the enclosure border portion front surface 111c.

[0016] In the illustrated embodiment, the guard frame 130 includes an apertured guard wall 131 sized to cover the outer periphery 122a (e.g., at least a 0.25 inch wide portion, or about 0.50 inch wide portion at the outer perimeter) of the front screen portion 122 of the screen unit120 when the guard frame is assembled with the screen unit. A flange wall 132 of the guard frame 130 extends rearward from an outer periphery or outer edge 13 la of the guard wall 131 and is sized to extend over an outer peripheral surface 123b of the outer bezel portion 123. In the illustrated embodiment, the screen unit 120 and guard frame 130 are substantially rectangular. In other embodiments, the screen unit and guard frame may be provided in other perimeter shapes, such as, for example, circular, oval-shaped, or trapezoidal. In the illustrated embodiment, the guard frame 130 is provided as a single piece or monolithic component, formed, for example by injection molding, extrusion, additive manufacturing, die casting, or stamping. In other embodiments, the guard frame may be formed as a multi-component assembly.

[0017] The front screen portion 122 may include a variety of components, such as, for example, a glass panel 122b of suitable strength (e.g., chemically strengthened glass, thermally strengthened glass) and thickness (e.g., between about 2 mm and about 4 mm, or about 2.8 mm). In the illustrated embodiment, a PCAP touch sensor 122c is sandwiched between the glass panel 122b and an LCD screen 122d, and an adhesive (e.g., RTV adhesive) 122e is provided between the glass panel 122b and the outer bezel portion 123 to bond the glass panel to the outer bezel portion.

[0018] To secure the guard frame 130 with the screen unit 120, the guard frame includes a plurality of tab elements 133 extending inward from a rear edge 132a of the flange wall 132, such that the tab elements are received in corresponding outer notches 126 in the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123 when the guard frame is assembled with the screen unit. While any suitable number of tab elements and notches may be utilized, in some embodiments, each of the four side wall portions 132-1, 132-2, 132-3, 132-4 of the flange wall 132 may be provided with a tab element 133, and each of the four sides 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, 123-4 of the outer bezel portion 123 may be provided with a corresponding notch 126.

[0019] In some embodiments, at least one of the flange wall 132 and the tab elements 133 may be provided in a flexible resilient material (e.g., polycarbonate plastic, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyurethane), such that the guard frame 130 may be assembled with the screen unit 120 by pressing the guard frame against the screen unit, causing the flange wall and / or tab elements to outwardly flex over the outer bezel portion 123, with the tab elements snapping into engagement with the outer notches 126. As shown, the radiused, chamfered, or otherwise tapered portions 123c of the outer bezel portion 123 may facilitate gradual outward flexing of the flexible resilient portion(s) of the guard frame 130. The flange wall 132 of theguard frame may include similarly tapered or contoured portions 132b for close fit engagement with the outer bezel tapered portions 123c.

[0020] When the screen unit 120 having the installed guard frame 130 is assembled with the enclosure 110, the tab elements 133 are captured in the notches 126, between the outer bezel portion 123 and the enclosure front wall 111, thereby preventing removal by hand of the guard frame from the screen unit. When the screen unit 120 is disassembled and / or removed from the enclosure 110, the guard frame 130 may be disassembled from the screen unit 120 by outwardly flexing the flange wall 132 and / or tab elements 133 to disengage the tab elements from the corresponding outer notches 126 in the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123.

[0021] In other embodiments, the guard frame may be provided in a more rigid or inelastic material (e.g., steel, aluminum, or any other suitable metal), with rearward extending tab elements that are inelastically bendable, such that when the guard frame is fitted over the bezel of the screen unit, the tab elements may be manually bent into corresponding notches in the rear face of the outer bezel portion.

[0022] The screen unit may be secured to the enclosure using a variety of suitable arrangements, including, for example one or more mounting elements. The mounting elements may, for example, include a first portion secured to the outer wall of the screen unit rear body portion, and a second portion extending from the first portion to engage a rear surface of the enclosure front wall border portion, thereby clamping the enclosure border portion between the mounting element second portion and the rear face of the outer bezel portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the screen unit 120 is secured to the enclosure 110 by a plurality of mounting clips 127 attached to the outer wall 121a of the screen unit rear body portion 121 (e.g., by a hook or tab 127a inserted through a slot 121b in the outer wall), and a threaded fastener (e.g., screw, bolt) 128 in adjustable threaded engagement with the mounting clip, such that the threaded fastener may be threaded or screwed into engagement with a rear surface 11 Id of the enclosure front wall border portion 11 lb, thereby clamping the enclosure front wall border portion between the mounting threaded fastener and the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123.

[0023] In an exemplary method of securing a guard frame 130 with a display apparatus 100, a screen unit 120 is provided with a rear body portion 121, a front screen portion 122, and an outer bezel portion 123 surrounding an outer periphery 122a of the front screen portion. The guard frame 130 is assembled with the screen unit 120 (e.g., by pressing the guard frame against the screen unit), such that an apertured guard wall 131 of the guard frame covers an outer periphery 122a of the front screen portion 122 and a flange wall 132 of the guard frameextending rearward from an outer periphery 131a of the guard wall extends over an outer peripheral surface 123b of the outer bezel portion 123, with a plurality of tab elements 133 extending inward from a rear edge 132a of the flange wall 132 into corresponding outer notches 126 in a rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion. The screen unit 120 is secured with an enclosure 110 having a front wall 111 defining an aperture I l la surrounded by a border portion 111b of the front wall, such that the rear body portion 121 extends through the front wall aperture I l la and the rear face 123a of the outer bezel portion 123 is secured in facing engagement with a front surface 111c of the enclosure border portion 11 lb, with the plurality of tab elements 133 being captured between the outer bezel portion 123 and the enclosure front wall 111.

[0024] The inventive aspects have been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments. Modification and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Claims

We claim:

1. A display apparatus comprising: an enclosure including a front wall defining an aperture surrounded by a border portion of the front wall; a screen unit including a rear body portion extending through the front wall aperture into the enclosure, a front screen portion, and an outer bezel portion surrounding an outer periphery of the front screen portion and an outer wall of the rear body portion, with a rear face of the outer bezel portion in facing engagement with a front surface of the enclosure border portion; and a guard frame including an apertured guard wall covering the outer periphery of the front screen portion, a flange wall extending rearward from an outer periphery of the guard wall over an outer periphery of the outer bezel portion, and a plurality of tab elements extending inward from a rear edge of the flange wall; wherein the plurality of tab elements are received in corresponding ones of a plurality of outer notches in the rear face of the outer bezel portion, with the plurality of tab elements being captured between the outer bezel portion and the enclosure front wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seal element disposed between the outer bezel portion and the border portion and extending around the aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the seal element comprises a gasket retained in a groove disposed in the rear face of the outer bezel portion.

4. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 3, further comprising one or more mounting elements, each having a first portion secured to the outer wall of the screen unit rear body portion, and a second portion extending from the first portion and engaging a rear surface of the enclosure border portion to clamp the enclosure border portion between the mounting element second portion and the rear face of the outer bezel portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the mounting element comprises a mounting clip and the second portion of the mounting element comprises a threaded fastener in adjustable threaded engagement with the mounting clip.

6. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 5, wherein at least one of the flange wall and the plurality of tab elements of the guard frame comprises a flexible resilient material configured to outwardly flex over the outer bezel portion when the guard frame is pressed against the screen unit, for snap fit engagement of the plurality of tab elements with the corresponding plurality of outer notches when the screen unit is disassembled from the enclosure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the screen unit is removed from the enclosure, the guard frame may be disassembled from the screen unit by outwardly flexing the at least one of the flange wall and the plurality of tab elements to disengage the plurality of tab elements from the corresponding plurality of outer notches.

8. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 5, wherein the plurality of tab elements of the guard frame are inelastically flexible and manually bendable into and out of engagement of the corresponding plurality of outer notches when the screen unit is disassembled from the enclosure.

9. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 8, wherein the guard frame comprises at least one of polycarbonate plastic, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyurethane, and metal.

10. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 9, wherein the covered outer periphery of the front screen portion has a lateral dimension of at least 14 inch.

11. The apparatus of any of claims 1 - 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to meet at least one of FM 7260, EN60079-0, and / or EN60079-31.

12. A method of securing a guard frame with a display apparatus, the method comprising: providing a screen unit including a rear body portion, a front screen portion, and an outer bezel portion surrounding an outer periphery of the front screen portion; assembling the guard frame with the screen unit, such that an apertured guard wall of the guard frame covers an outer periphery of the front screen portion and a flange wall of the guard frame extending rearward from an outer periphery of the guard wall extends over an outer periphery of the outer bezel portion, with a plurality of tab elements extending inward from a rear edge of the flange wall into corresponding outer notches in a rear face of the outer bezel; andsecuring the screen unit with an enclosure having a front wall defining an aperture surrounded by a border portion of the front wall, such that the rear body portion extends through the front wall aperture and the rear face of the outer bezel portion is secured in facing engagement with front surface of the enclosure border portion, with the plurality of tab elements being captured between the outer bezel portion and the enclosure front wall.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising installing a seal element between the outer bezel portion and the border portion, with the seal element extending around the aperture.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein installing the seal element comprises installing a gasket in a groove disposed in the rear face of the outer bezel portion.

15. The method of any of claims 12 - 14, wherein securing the screen unit with the enclosure comprises securing a first portion of one or more mounting elements to the outer wall of the screen unit rear body portion, and a second portion extending from the first portion and engaging a rear surface of the enclosure border portion to clamp the enclosure border portion between the mounting element second portion and the rear face of the outer bezel portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the mounting element comprises a mounting clip and the second portion of the mounting element comprises a threaded fastener in adjustable threaded engagement with the mounting clip.

17. The method of any of claims 12 - 16, wherein assembling the guard frame with the screen unit comprises pressing the guard frame against the screen unit to outwardly flex at least one of the flange wall and the plurality of tab elements of the guard frame over the outer bezel portion for snap fit engagement of the plurality of tab elements with the corresponding plurality of outer notches.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the screen unit is removed from the enclosure, the guard frame may be disassembled from the screen unit by outwardly flexing the at least one of the flange wall and the plurality of tab elements to disengage the plurality of tab elements from the corresponding plurality of outer notches.

19. The method of any of claims 12 - 16, wherein the plurality of tab elements of the guard frame are inelastically flexible, and wherein assembling the guard frame with the screen unit manually bending the plurality of tab elements into engagement with the corresponding plurality of outer notches.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when the screen unit is removed from the enclosure, the guard frame may be disassembled from the screen unit by bending the plurality of tab element to disengage the plurality of tab elements from the corresponding plurality of outer notches.

21. The method of any of claims 12 - 20, wherein the guard frame comprises at least one of polycarbonate plastic, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyurethane, and metal.

22. The method of any of claims 12 - 21, wherein the covered outer periphery of the front screen portion has a lateral dimension of at least % inch.

23. The method of any of claims 12 - 22, wherein the apparatus is configured to meet at least one of FM 7260, EN60079-0, and / or EN60079-31.

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