WO2003007598A1

WO2003007598A1 - Method of eliminating vibrations generated by monitors and a system based on this method

Info

Publication number: WO2003007598A1
Application number: PCT/PL2001/000090
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Rosa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-12
Filing date: 2001-11-12
Publication date: 2003-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2004-01-12
Also published as: PL348686A1

Abstract

The subject of this invention is the method for eliminating and attenuating vibrations of the monitor screen's grid, which have a detrimental effect on the user's eyes, and a device protecting the computer user's sight while working in front of the monitor. The method of eliminating vibrations of the monitor screen's grid is based on viewing the images emitted by the monitor screen (1) via a set of moveable mirrors that are nearly parallel or parallel to each other and directed to each other with their mirror surfaces. The image emitted by the monitor screen (1) is received by the mirror (5) located near the upper edge of the monitor screen (1) and is transmitted to the mirror (4) located near the lower edge of the monitor screen (1), where it is viewed by the user. The set of moveable covers consists of two moveable covers. The upper cover (5) is installed at the height of the upper surface of the monitor screen (1). The lower cover (4) is installed at the height of the lower plane of the monitor screen (1). The inner sides of the upper cover (5) and the lower cover (4) have mirrors (12) and (11)., and the set of the upper cover (5) and the lower cover (4) is mounted to the frame (10) of the monitor (1) in an adjustable system, which allows for positioning the covers in the angular range from 0° to 180° towards the monitor screen (1).

Description

Method of Eliminating Vibrations Generated by Monitors and a System Based on this Method

The subject of this invention is the method of eliminating and attenuating vibrations of the monitor screen's grid, which have a detrimental effect on the user's eyes, and a device protecting the computer user's sight while working in front of the monitor. There are known technical solutions that reduce or eliminate negative effects of electromagnetic and X-ray radiation on the human body while sitting in front of a TV screen (Polish invention report no. P.327360). For this purpose very sophisticated technical solutions are used, which include a high number of additional mechanisms aimed to ensure a large angular deflection of the picture's tube housing in four planes and electronic equipment to obtain the inverted image on the screen. Additionally, outside the TV set one or two mirrors are installed; the first one is inclined at the angle of 45° to the picture tube, whereas the other one is installed at some distance from the first mirror and is inclined at the angle of 90° to the first mirror. The complexity of these mechanical constructions and the necessity to ensure large space for mirrors installed outside the TV set virtually eliminate the possibility of work with the computer equipped with a standard monitor. A significant reduction of the computer/keyboard/monitor/operation system integration occurs, which is a major hindrance^"while using the computer in standard home setting, whereas in the office environment, especially in offices equipped with dozens of computers, the use of the computer is practically impossible and additionally more harmful because the protection of a working place for a given computer results in transferring the harmful radiation to other working places, and by various combinations of the location of the picture tube itself the harmful radiation may be transferred from several picture tubes to another single working place. Another difficulty is the necessity to install or adjust monitors in such a way so as the viewing or working place was not situated directly in front of the screen but at the angle of 90° or 180°. Furthermore, when the TV is placed with its rear or side faced towards viewers, a serious drawback of this known solution is putting persons watching TV from mirrors at risk of the highest radiation emitted by the rear or side parts of the picture tube.

There are also known various types of one-layer or multi-layer filters and protective screens installed directly on the monitor screen, which are designed to protect the user's eyes.

The German description of the utility model no. 29500982.9 presents a screen that protects eyes, which consists of a frame, whose upper edge in the middle part has an outlet with an appropriate number of supporting grooves on two sides from inside, to which the adjusting device is installed, which is equipped with a flange mounted to the upper (ceiling) wall of the monitor and a turning element installed in the front part of the flange in a way that it can be turned within the area of the frame's outlet. The adjusting device with the turning element allows free rising and lowering of the protective screen. The screen's frame is equipped with a widely available one- or multi-layer protective filter. The drawback of known protective filters is the fact that they absorb only a small portion of vibrations of the monitor screen's grid instead of eliminating them completely. The use of available filters does not protect eyes against emission of vibrations, deteriorates the image's quality and - if the user works long hours - results in fast general fatigue of the body, especially marked fatigue of eyes, and in some cases even leads to permanent damage to the eyesight.

These inconveniences of the present technology are eliminated by the method according to this invention and the use of a set of covers for eliminating and attenuating vibrations of the monitor's grid.

The method of eliminating vibrations of the screen's grid according to this invention is based on the indirect viewing of the image emitted by the computer monitor screen through the use of a set of mirrors integrated with the monitor, which are installed at such an angle and in such a way that the image viewed by the computer user is identical with the image emitted by the monitor. The set of mirrors should be installed directly next to the monitor screen. The image from the monitor is received by one of the mirrors and reflected to the next mirror, which results in two reflections of the image emitted by the monitor before it reaches the user's eyes. It is important that mirrors reflecting the image emitted by the monitor are situated in direct proximity of the upper and lower edges of the monitor screen. It is also crucial that the mirrors are directed to each other with surfaces that reflect the image. The image emitted by the monitor is initially directed to the mirror located in the direct proximity of the upper edge of the monitor screen, where it is reflected, and then it reaches the mirror located in the direct proximity of the lower edge of the monitor screen, and after being reflected by the lower mirror it is viewed by the user. The mirrors should be located in such a way towards each other that their surfaces are nearly parallel or parallel, which results in total elimination of the deformation of the double reflection of the image from the monitor, with total elimination of the monitor screen's grid's vibrations. The upper and lower mirrors can be adjusted at any inclination towards the monitor screen so as to enable the user to adjust the image from the monitor screen to individual preferences, the height of the monitor and the distance from the monitor screen to the computer user. It is recommended that the inclination angle of the mirror surfaces to the surface of the monitor screen that emits the image should be within the range 45°-50° for the upper mirror and 130°-140° for the lower mirror. Moreover, the image reflected from the upper mirror and transmitted by the lower mirror to the user has a slightly smaller depth measured from the edge of the monitor screen. Hence, the mirror situated next to the lower edge of the monitor should have a slightly lower depth measured from the monitor' s edge than the depth of the mirror located next to the upper edge of the monitor. The double reflection of the image from the monitor eliminates vibrations generated by the monitor, which have a detrimental effect on the user's eyes .

The set of moveable covers, which is an implementation of the method described above, consists of two moveable covers. The upper cover is installed by means of holders at the height of the upper border of the monitor screen surface. The lower cover is installed by means of holders at the height of the lower plane of the monitor screen; the lower cover may have a slightly smaller depth measured from the monitor's plane than the upper one. The inner side of the upper cover is equipped with a mirror that receives and reflects the image displayed on the monitor screen, while the inner side of the lower cover is equipped with a mirror that receives and reflects the image transferred by the mirror of the upper cover, directing this image to the user's eyes. The set of covers is mounted to the frame of the monitor in any way that allows for free adjustment of covers in the range between 0° and 180° towards the monitor screen, according to the user's needs. This method of fixing the covers allows both for their use during working on the computer and the protection of the monitor screen against damage and access of unauthorised persons if the user needs to leave the working place while working on the computer, by closing them to cover the monitor screen. The covers are installed with their free movement so as to enable the user to adjust them at any stable position at the desired angle. The covers are mounted to the monitor's frame with left and right holders, which consist of flanges fixed to the monitor's housing and cylindrical clamps mounted to the flanges. The clamps installed from the left side have flat ports, while the clamps mounted on the right side of the monitor screen have round ports. To the left side surfaces of the upper and lower covers guides are mounted that are equipped with a cylindrical rotating bar. Inside the guides there are flat springs that clamp the surfaces of the rotating bars by pressing them, which allows for adjusting the covers at any position determined by the user. The clamps mounted on the right side of the monitor's housing have round ports. Right side surfaces of the upper and lower covers have an opening, to which fixing bolts are put. By adjusting the depth of the screwing of the clamps, the distance of the upper and lower edges of the covers from the upper and lower edges of the monitor screen in the horizontal plane can be determined, which allows for more precise adjustment of the frame of the image viewed in the vertical plane. Additionally, to eliminate harmful radiation emitted by the monitor screen, it is useful to place an extra special coating protecting against the electromagnetic radiation of the monitor screen between the rear wall of mirrors and the cover's wall. In another solution of the set of moveable covers it is suggested that the upper and lower covers should be mounted in the factory to fixing holders set in the monitor's frame, which would establish precisely the position of the upper and lower covers. In this solution the covers form one construction with the frame of the monitor's housing. For aesthetic reasons and to fix the rotating bar, it is recommended that in the outlet of the fixing holder set in the frame a fixing cap is installed that adjusts the position of rotating bars and fixing bolts.

The advantage of this solution according to the invention is total eliminating and attenuating harmful and burdensome vibrations of the monitor screen' s grid and significant reduction of harmful electromagnetic radiation emitted by the monitor. The use of this method and the set of moveable covers allow long work on the computer without any effects of fatigue, especially when a computer is equipped with a monitor of the size larger than 15". The eyes receive a stable image, with very good intensiveness, contrast and colour. Moreover, the use of this method and the set of covers according to this invention in rooms with many computers will result in total visual isolation of monitors used by other employees. Additionally, the . set of covers according to this invention enables the user to protect the monitor against harmful external effects by covering the monitor screen and allows for adjusting parameters of the monitor since the monitor's adjusting buttons are always available. Another strength of this solution is also an attractively low cost, which is almost negligible while installing covers in the plant manufacturing new monitors and also an easy and cheap possibility of modernization for all those users who have traditional monitors.

Example :

The method of eliminating vibrations of the monitor screen' s grid in the system of reflected images is presented in Fig.l. The example of the set of covers, which is an implementation of this concept, is presented in several diagrams. Fig. 2 presents the monitor's frame and the upper and lower covers, Fig.3 shows the detail of installing the left part of the cover to the left clamp, Fig.4 presents the detail of installing the right part of the cover to the right clamp, Fig.5 presents the section of the mechanism that keeps the covers in the desired position, Fig.6 shows the closed covers on the monitor screen, while Fig. 7 presents the monitor's frame and the upper and lower covers installed to the holders set in the frame in the factory; Fig. 8 presents the magnified profile of the ready frame with the factory-set holder, whereas Fig.9 shows the system of covers with their angles of inclination towards the monitor screen marked. The monitor 1 emits the image on the screen, which is received by the mirror 5, and reflected to the mirror 4^ where it is reflected and directed to the user's eyes. An example of the set consists of two moveable covers: the upper cover 5 with the mirror 12 and the lower cover 4 with the mirror 1_1, which are fixed by means of holders 3 and 5 to the monitor's frame 10. The holders 3 consist of flanges 6 with an external thread and the clamp 1_ with an external thread, whereas the holders 1_5 are built of the flange 6 with an external thread and the clamp 1_3 with an external thread. The clamps 1_ in the perpendicular section to the circumference have ports _19 of the inner profile that corresponds to the external profile of the rotating bar 8 . The clamp 1_3 has in the perpendicular section to the circumference a round port 2Q_ of the diameter that corresponds to the external diameter of the fixing bolt 9. To side surfaces of the covers _4 and 5 in the outlets there are set guides 17, inside which flat springs 16 are located. The guides 1_7 have openings 1Q_, where rotating bars 8_^ are inserted with their cylindrical side. In the opening 20 of the clamp 13 and in the opening 23, which are located in the opposite side of the^body of the covers, the fixing bolt is installed 9. In the factory-made version the holders 21_ set in the frame 10 of the monitor 1 form a uniform profile with the frame 10. The set holders 21 have caps 22_^ that adjust the position of rotating bars 8_^ and fixing bolts 9.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Method of eliminating vibrations of the monitor screen's grid that uses the reflection of the image in the mirror is distinguished by the fact that the image emitted by the monitor screen ( 1 ) is viewed through the set of two moveable mirrors that are nearly parallel or parallel towards each other and faced with their mirror surfaces; one of the mirrors (5_) is located in the direct proximity of the upper edge of the monitor screen, whereas the other mirror ( 4_) is situated in the direct proximity of the lower edge of the monitor screen (1) , and the image emitted by the monitor screen ( 1 ) is received by the mirror (5) located near the upper edge of the monitor screen and is directed to the mirror { 4 ) located near the lower edge of the monitor screen (1) , where it is viewed by the user.

2. The method according to the claim 1 is distinguished by the fact that the upper mirror (5_) has an angle of inclination to the monitor screen (_1) in the range 45°- 50°, whereas the lower mirror (4), whose depth measured from the monitor screen's edge is smaller than that of the upper mirror (5) has the angle of inclination to the monitor screen in the range between 130° and 140°.

3. The set of moveable covers consists of a system of the adjustable fixing of covers distinguished by the fact that it is made of two moveable covers: the upper cover (5) fixed at the height of the upper plane of the monitor screen ( 1 ) and the lower cover ( 4 ) fixed at the height of the lower plane of the monitor screen ( 1 ) ; the inner sides of the upper cover (5) and the lower cover (4^ have mirrors (12 and ( 1Λ ) , whereas the set of the upper cover (5) and the lower cover { 4 ) is mounted to the monitor's frame { 1 ) in an adjustable system that allows for positioning the covers in the angular range between 0° and 180° to the monitor screen (1) .

4. The set according to the claim 3 is distinguished by the fact that the upper cover (5) is installed in an adjustable system by holders (3) and (15) to the frame (1_0) of the monitor (1) , whereas the lower cover (_4) is installed in an adjustable system by holders (3) and (15) to the frame (10) of the monitor (1) ; the inner side of the upper cover (5) is equipped with a mirror (12) and the inner side of the lower cover (4) is also equipped with a mirror (_11) , whereas the holders (3) are made of flanges (6) with an external thread and the clamp (7) with an external thread, while the holders (15) consist of a flange (6) and the clamp (3^3) with an external thread; the clamps (7) in the perpendicular section to the circumference have ports (19) of an internal profile that corresponds to the external profile of the rotating bar { Q ) , whereas the clamp (13) has in the perpendicular section to the circumference a round port (20) of the diameter that corresponds to the external diameter of the .fixing bolt (1_8) ; to the side surfaces of the covers (_4) and (5) guides are fixed (17) , inside which there are flat springs (16) ; the guides { 11_) have openings (1_8) , to which rotating bars are inserted from their cylindrical side (8) , whereas in the opening (20 of the clamp (13) and the opening (23) a fixing bolt is placed (9) .

5. The set according to claims 3 and 4 is distinguished by the fact that the lower cover ( 4 ) has a mirror (1^2) , whose depth measured from the monitor's edge is smaller the depth of the mirror ( 1Λ ) of the upper cover (5) .

6. The set according to claim 3 is distinguished by the fact that the inner side of the upper cover (5) of the monitor (1) between the rear plane of the mirror (12) and the cover's wall (5) has a protective coating that insulates against electromagnetic radiation of the monitor screen (1) . ' -*

7. The set according to claim 5 is distinguished by the fact that the monitor' s factory-made frame unit (10) with set holders (2_1) has a rotating bar ( Q ) located in the holder's outlet (21), which is fixed by a cap (22).