DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 , 3 , 4 A, and 4 B, a monitor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a monitor body 3 on which pictures are displayed, a base member 10 seated on a mounting face 60 supporting the monitor 3 , a stationary stand member 20 standing on the base member 10 , and a movable stand member 30 coupled to the stationary stand member 20 so as to be able to move the movable stand member up and down.

[0027] The stationary stand member 20 has an inner space, within which the movable stand member 30 is inserted and moves up and down, and a projection receiving part 22 in the front thereof, depressed from the plane thereof provided. A pair of spiral springs (not shown) are respectively in both inner spaces divided by the projection receiving part 22 , supplying the movable stand member 30 with an elastic force supporting the monitor.

[0028] In the center of the projection receiving part 22 is formed an elongated hole 21 passing through the plane thereof so as to communicate with the inner space of the stationary stand member 20 , guiding the movement of the movable stand member 30 .

[0029] Each of the spiral springs (not shown) has a first side inserted into and supported by a supporting hole (not shown) formed on a side wall of the stationary stand member 20 and a second side in contact with the bottom of the movable stand member 30 . Without the weight of the monitor to oppose the force of the springs, the initial condition is such that the movable stand member 30 reaches the highest elevation relative to the stationary stand member 20 .

[0030] The elasticity or spring force of the spiral spring provides an elevating force to the movable stand member 30 , which is set correspondingly to the weight of the monitor body 3 so that the monitor body 3 can be maintained at the position that the user desires to locate the monitor body 3 . When the user moves the monitor body 3 to the desired height, the movable stand member 30 moves up or down within the stationary stand member 20 .

[0031] If the user moves the monitor body 3 to his desired position, the monitor body 3 can maintain its stationary status without further movement since the weight of the monitor body 3 is balanced with the elasticity of the spiral springs at that position.

[0032] On the front lower face of the movable stand member 30 is formed a guide projection 31 projecting from the plane thereof and being inserted into the elongated hole 21 of the stationary stand member 20 . Elevation of the movable stand member 30 is guided as the guide projection 31 of the movable stand member 30 inserted into the elongated hole 21 moves along the elongated hole 21 .

[0033] In order to block the elevation of the movable stand member 30 due to removal of the weight of the monitor body 3 in the course of packing the monitor with the monitor body 3 separated from the movable stand member 30 , the monitor 1 is provided with a locking device.

[0034] The locking device includes a locker accommodating part 32 on an inner face of the movable stand member 30 and a locker 40 mounted on the base member 10 so as to be locked into or released from the locker accommodating part 32 .

[0035] On one end of the locker 40 is formed a hook 41 to be locked into or released from the locker accommodating part 32 of the movable stand member 30 . On the other end of the locker 40 is provided a contacting part 42 being contacted with or separated from the mounting face 60 on which the base member 10 is seated. The locker 40 is installed on the stationary stand member 20 by a hinge part 43 in a movable manner.

[0036] If the movable stand member 30 is moved down while the base member 10 is separately positioned from the mounting face 60 , the hook 41 is locked into the locker accommodating part 32 of the movable stand member 30 . Thus, the locker 40 moves between a locking position at which the upward movement of the movable stand member 30 relative to the stationary stand member 30 is blocked and a releasing position at which the upward movement of the movable stand member 30 relative to the stationary stand member 30 is allowed because the base member 10 is contacted with the mounting face 60 .

[0037] The hinge part 43 includes a pin receiving hole (not shown) penetrating through the stationary stand member 20 and the locker 40 on the same axial line and a hinge pin 45 movably received in the pin receiving hole. That is, the locker 40 can rotate between the locking position and the releasing position by the hinge part 43 .

[0038] A spring member 46 is installed between the stationary stand members 20 , the spring member 46 supplying the locker 40 with the elasticity with which the locker 40 can elastically move from the releasing position to the locking position. When the base member 10 contacts the mounting surface 60 , the spring member 46 is compressed by the locker 40 so that the hook 41 is at the releasing position of the locker 40 . Then, if the base member 10 is removed from the mounting face 60 , the restoring force of the spring member 46 pushes against the hook 41 , moving the hook 41 closer to the locker accommodating part 32 . Thus, the hook 41 of the locker 40 is elastically moved to the locking position from the releasing position by the restoring force of the spring member 46 when the base 10 is removed from the mounting face 60 .

[0039] Operation of the locker 40 is described below when the monitor according to the present invention is disassembled.

[0040] When the user moves the monitor body 3 to locate the monitor body 3 at his desired position, the monitor body 3 maintains the user's desired position due to the balance of the elasticity of the spiral spring providing force opposing the weight of the monitor body 3 .

[0041] If the monitor body 3 is separated from the movable stand member 30 by the user while the monitor body 3 is in suspension, the balance between the elasticity of the spiral spring and the weight of the monitor body is overcome, and thereby, the movable stand member is elevated upward.

[0042] Since the base member 10 is positioned in contact with the mounting face 60 , the contacting part 42 of the locker 40 stays inserted into the penetrating hole 11 as pushed by the mounting face 60 . Thus, the hook 41 of the locker 40 is located at the releasing position, and the spring member 46 contracts because of compression at the releasing position of the hook 41 . Thus, when the hook 41 of the locker 40 is located at the releasing position, the hook 41 of the locker 40 does not interrupt the upward movement of the movable stand member 30 .

[0043] Under this condition, if the user holds the stationary stand member 20 and separates the base member 10 from the mounting face 60 , the hook 41 of the locker 40 moves to the locking position, putting the hinge part 43 in the center, owing to the restoring force of the spring member 46 , and the contacting part 42 of the locker 40 moves so as to be exposed to the outside of the base member 10 through the penetrating hole 11 .

[0044] If the movable stand member 30 is moved downward toward the hook 41 of the locker 40 , the locker accommodating part 32 of the movable stand member 30 engages with the hook 41 of the locker 40 .

[0045] As described above, even though the monitor body 3 is separated from the movable stand member 30 to pack the monitor, the locker accommodating part 32 is engaged with the hook 41 at the lowest position of the movable stand member 30 . Therefore, the present invention is capable of diminishing the volume when the monitor is packed, at a minimum, unlike the conventional monitor wherein the movable stand member 30 is located at the highest position when the monitor body 3 is separated.

[0046] In the above-described first embodiment, the spring member 46 is provided behind the hook 41 of the locker 40 . In a second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B , a spring member 46 A may be mounted between the locker 40 and the base member 10 .

[0047] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the hinge part 43 is utilized. However, in a third embodiment as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , a locker 40 b may be installed in a slant through hole 11 b so that the locker 40 b is slanted at a predetermined angle relative to the base member 10 , in lieu of the hinge part 43 .

[0048] In the third embodiment, the through hole 11 b has an extension space “c” and a contraction space “d”. Unlike the first and the second embodiments, the through hole 11 b is slanted at the predetermined angle, a supporting flange 50 covering the extension space c of the through hole 11 b is formed on the locker 40 b , and the spring member 46 b is disposed between the extension space c of the through hole 11 b and the supporting flange 50 of the locker 40 b.

[0049] Accordingly, if the base member 10 is disposed to contact the mounting face 60 , the contacting part 42 b of the locker 40 b is inserted into the through hole 11 b as pushed by the mounting face 60 . At the same time, the hook 41 b moves upward by the distance that the contacting part 42 b has been inserted into the through hole 11 b . That is, the hook 41 b is slanted at the predetermined angle relative to the base member 10 , and this position serves as a releasing position of the locker 40 b . The spring member 46 b remains elastically compressed by the upward movement of the locker 40 b.

[0050] If the base member 10 b is separated from the mounting face 60 , the contacting part 42 b is exposed outside through the through hole 11 b owing to the restoring force of the spring member 46 . Simultaneously, the hook 41 b of the locker 40 b moves downward, reaching the locking position. After, the movable stand member 30 moves downward to the locking position, the hook 41 b of the locker 40 b is locked into the locker accommodating part 32 of the movable stand member 30 , thereby blocking movement of the movable stand member 30 .

[0051] The mounting surface 60 may be any relatively flat surface, such as, for example, a desk, floor, or personal computer cabinet.

[0052] As described above, according to the present invention, a monitor is provided, wherein the volume is diminished when it is packed.

[0053] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.