Granted Patent B2

US 8,801,357 · App. 13/016,851 · Granted Aug 12, 2014

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. A system for removing one or more display units from a multi-display-unit assembly, the system comprising:

a vertical motion actuator; and

a lift structure coupled to the vertical motion actuator and configured to selectively engage and lift one or more display units when the lift structure is raised by the vertical motion actuator and to rotate a constrained amount about a vertical axis when lifting the one or more display units, wherein each display unit includes:

a precision frame configured to couple to a vertically adjacent display unit;

a display surface, and the multi-display-unit assembly is configured to have a substantially uniform gap between each display unit that is less than about 2mm:

fixed pins positioned on the precision frame; and

a projection assembly having adjustable hangers that are configured to engage the fixed pins and adjust the position of the projection assembly with respect to adjacent projection assemblies of adjacent display units.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift structure includes a plurality of lifting members arranged along a vertical column, each lifting member having an associated lift position, so that each of the one or more display units is engaged by and lifted with a different lifting member when the lift structure is raised by the vertical motion actuator.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the lifting members are organized into subgroups and the lifting members in each subgroup are configured to sequentially lift one or more display units that are aligned vertically in the multi-display-unit assembly starting from the top display unit and followed by each progressively lower display unit.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein a vertical separation between the lifting member that lifts a first display unit and the lifting member that lifts a second display unit that is vertically adjacent to and below the first display unit is less than a vertical separation between the lifting member that lifts the second display unit and the lifting member that lifts a third display unit that is vertically adjacent to and below the second display unit.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the lifting members are vertically aligned when lifting members are located at the associated lift position.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein each unique combination of lift positions enables the lifting members to engage and lift a unique combination of display units.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a removable lifting mechanism configured to attach to the lift structure, to lift a display unit, and to extend away from the lift structure to move the display unit away from the multi-display-unit assembly.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the removable lifting mechanism is configured with two lift points disposed along a first axis to reduce tilting of the lifted display unit about a second axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis and with two lift points disposed along the second axis to reduce tilting of the lifted display unit about the first axis.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-display-unit assembly is configured to have a substantially uniform gap between each display unit that is greater than about 0.5 mm.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift structure is structurally independent from the multi-display-unit assembly.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift structure is configured to provide access to any display unit from any column of display units in the multi-display-unit assembly.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift structure is fixed in place for providing access to a display unit from a single column of display units in the multi-display-unit assembly.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vertical motion actuator comprises a screw-based actuator.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coaxial support column disposed in the lift structure and configured as the axis of rotation of the lift structure.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more rails configured to align the one or more display units when lifted by the lift structure.

16. A system for removing one or more display units from a multi-display unit assembly, the system comprising:

a vertical motion actuator; and

a lift structure coupled to the vertical motion actuator and configured to selectively engage and lift one or more display units when the lift structure is raised by the vertical motion actuator and to rotate a constrained amount about a vertical axis when lifting the one or more display units, wherein the lift structure includes:

a plurality of lifting members arranged along a vertical column, each lifting member having an associated lift position, so that each of the one or more display units is engaged by and lifted with a different lifting member when the lift structure is raised by the vertical motion actuator, wherein the lifting members are organized into subgroups and the lift position associated with each subgroup of lifting members is radially offset on the vertical column from the lift position associated with each of the other subgroups of lifting members.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein each subgroup of lifting members is selected sequentially by rotating the vertical column to different radial orientation when the lift structure is disengaged from the one or more display units.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein each display unit includes a precision frame configured to couple to a vertically adjacent display unit.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the vertical motion actuator comprises a screw-based actuator.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more rails configured to align the one or more display units when lifted by the lift structure.

Assignments (9)