Boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, a method of mounting the boss assembly and a display device including the boss assembly

Abstract

A boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, the boss assembly configured to be mounted through a through-hole in a bracket that has front and rear sides, the boss assembly including a shank and at least one reinforcing collar disposed on the shank, wherein the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to pass through the through-hole from the front side of the bracket, such that the shank and the reinforcing collar protrude beyond the rear side of the bracket, and the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to be spun by a spinning process so as to fix the boss assembly to the bracket.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, a method of mounting the boss assembly and a display device including the boss assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, wherein the boss assembly may be coupled to a bracket through a spinning process, the boss assembly configured to reduce stress concentration and increase coupling strength, a method of mounting the boss assembly and a display device including the boss assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plasma display panels (PDPs) can be easily fabricated in large sizes and their popularity as flat panel display devices is increasing rapidly. PDPs are flat panel display devices in which a plurality of electrodes is formed between two substrates, a discharge gas is filled into a hermetically sealed discharge space between the two substrates, power is applied to the discharge electrodes to excite a patterned photoluminescent layer, e.g., a fluorescent or phosphorescent layer, by ultraviolet light generated in the discharge space, and an image is formed by visible light emitted from the photoluminescent layer.

In PDPs, various constituent elements including a front cabinet and a rear cabinet may be coupled to each other. For example, two elements may be coupled by providing a boss on a bracket that is mounted on one of the two elements, and mounting the other element to the boss using a screw passing through the other element and threaded into a tap formed in the boss. The boss may be fixed to the bracket in various ways including, e.g., through a spinning process.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional boss 12 having a single spun portion 13, in which the boss 12 is fixed to a bracket 11 by a spinning process that forms the spun portion 13. In detail, a through-hole is formed in the bracket 11, and a spinning portion, i.e., an undeformed end, of the boss 12 is inserted through the through-hole of the bracket 11 (not illustrated). The portion of the undeformed end of the boss 12 that protrudes past the bracket 11 is deformed and spread out during the spinning process to form the spun portion 13, which is expanded across the opposite side of the bracket 11 and couples the boss 12 to the bracket 11.

Conventionally, the spinning process involves applying a spinning tool to the spinning portion of the boss 12. The spinning tool may apply heat and pressure during the spinning process, and, as a result, the end of the boss 12 protruding past the bracket 11 spreads out to form the spun portion 13.

However, conventionally, the single spinning portion of the boss 12 simply spreads out during the spinning process to be fixedly caught by the bracket 11, and the coupling strength may be poor. Thus, the boss 12 and the bracket 11 may become loose or be easily damaged, e.g., during use or even during a product reliability test.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is therefore directed to a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, a method of mounting the boss assembly and a display device including the boss assembly, which substantially overcome one or more of the problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

It is therefore a feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts configured to reduce stress concentration and increase coupling strength when mounted to a bracket.

It is therefore another feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a display device including the boss assembly, the, display device exhibiting enhanced structural integrity.

At least one of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may be realized by providing a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, the boss assembly configured to be mounted through a through-hole in a bracket that has front and rear sides, the boss assembly including a shank and at least one reinforcing collar disposed on the shank, wherein the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to pass through the through-hole from the front side of the bracket, such that the shank and the reinforcing collar protrude beyond the rear side of the bracket, and the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to be spun by a spinning process so as to fix the boss assembly to the bracket.

The shank may include a shank spinning portion and a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion. The shank may further include a tapping portion extending from the surface of the shank support portion and having a smaller diameter than the shank support portion, wherein the tapping portion has a tap formed therein.

The reinforcing collar may include a reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity, and a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion. The reinforcing collar support portion may include an inner member that defines an end wall of the cylindrical cavity, and the inner member may have a hole defined therein, an inner diameter of the hole being less than an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity.

The shank may include a shank spinning portion and a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion, the reinforcing collar may include a reinforcing collar spinning portion and a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity, and wherein the shank support portion may be disposed within the cylindrical cavity. The shank spinning portion may extend from the shank support portion within the cylindrical cavity and extends beyond the reinforcing collar spinning portion. The reinforcing collar support portion may include an inner member that defines an end wall of the cylindrical cavity, the inner member may have a hole defined therein, an inner diameter of the hole being less than an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity, the shank may extend through the hole, and the shank support portion may be disposed against the inner member.

The shank may include a shank spinning portion and a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion, the reinforcing collar may include a reinforcing collar spinning portion and a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity, and the cylindrical cavity may be filled by the shank spinning portion, the shank spinning portion having an outer diameter that is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity. The reinforcing collar support portion and the shank support portion may be configured to extend parallel to the front side of the bracket, and the reinforcing collar support portion may be configured to be disposed between the front side of the bracket and the shank support portion.

At least one of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may also be realized by providing display device including a main body having a bracket mounted thereto, and a boss assembly having multiple spun parts fixed through a through-hole in the bracket, the boss assembly including a shank and at least one reinforcing collar disposed on the shank, wherein the shank and the reinforcing collar pass through the through-hole, such that the shank and the reinforcing collar protrude beyond the bracket, and the shank and the reinforcing collar are spun by a spinning process so as to fix the boss assembly to the bracket. The display device may be a plasma display device.

At least one of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may further be realized by providing a method of mounting a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts to a bracket, the method including providing a bracket having a through-hole therein, providing the boss assembly, the boss assembly including a shank having a reinforcing collar disposed thereon, inserting the reinforcing collar and the shank through the through-hole of the bracket from a front side of the bracket, and performing a spinning process on a spinning portion of the reinforcing collar and a spinning portion of the shank that protrude through the bracket, so as to fix the reinforcing collar and the shank to the bracket.

The spinning process may include a first fixing operation to fix the shank to the reinforcing collar, and a second fixing operation to fix the reinforcing collar and the shank to the bracket. The first and second fixing operations may be performed through a single spinning process.

The reinforcing collar spinning portion may define a cylindrical cavity, the shank spinning portion may be disposed within the cylindrical cavity and extend beyond an end of the cylindrical cavity, the shank spinning portion may have an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the cavity, so as to define a cylindrical space between the outer diameter of the shank spinning portion and the inner diameter of the cavity, and the first fixing operation may spin the shank spinning portion to form a first shank spun portion, wherein the first shank spun portion fills the cylindrical space. The first shank spun portion may not extend beyond the end of the cylindrical cavity.

The reinforcing collar spinning portion may define a cylindrical cavity, the shank spinning portion may be disposed within the cylindrical cavity and extend beyond an end of the cylindrical cavity, the shank spinning portion may have an outer diameter that is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cavity, so as to fill the cavity, and the first fixing operation may spin the shank spinning portion to form an first shank spun portion, wherein the first shank spun portion is disposed beyond an end of the reinforcing collar spinning portion.

A support portion of the reinforcing collar may be disposed against the front side of the bracket. A support portion of the shank may be disposed against a front side of the reinforcing collar support portion, such that the reinforcing collar support portion is disposed between the front side of the bracket and the shank support portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional boss having a single spun portion, in which the boss is mounted to a bracket by a spinning process;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a boss assembly having double spun parts according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the boss assembly has been mounted to a bracket by a spinning process;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the boss assembly of FIG. 2, prior to the spinning process;

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly of FIG. 3 to a bracket;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly of FIG. 5 to a bracket; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device employing a boss assembly having double spun parts according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0049197, filed on Jun. 9, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and entitled: “Boss with Double Spinning Parts and Display Device Having the Same,” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “on” another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may also be present. Further, it will be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “under” another layer, it can be directly under, and one or more intervening layers may also be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “between” two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

As described herein, a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts according to the present invention, a method of mounting the same and a display device employing the same may reduce stress concentration and increase coupling strength when the boss assembly is mounted to a bracket by a spinning process. The boss assembly may have two or more spinning parts to increase the number of sections of spun parts, thereby reducing deformation based on the principle of beam deflection

As used herein, the terms “spin processing” and “spinning process” are used to refer to a process that converts a “spinning portion” of a part into a “spun portion.” As described above, the spinning process may involve application of heat and pressure to deform a part in a predetermined manner. A part that has been through the spinning process is referred to as a “spun” part. The terms “boss” and “boss assembly” are used to refer to one or more parts that are mounted to, or are configured to be mounted to, e.g., a bracket, by the spinning process. A “spinning portion” of a part indicates a portion of the part that is configured to be deformed by the spinning process, and a “spun portion” of a part indicates a portion of the part that has been processed, either completely or partially, by the spinning process. That is, a boss assembly may be mounted to a bracket by inserting the boss assembly into an opening in the bracket so that one or more spinning portions of the boss assembly protrude beyond a back side of the bracket, and then spin processing the multiple spinning portions of the boss assembly to form spun portions, yielding a boss assembly fixed to the bracket.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a boss assembly having double spun parts according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the boss assembly has been mounted to a bracket by a spinning process, FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the boss assembly of FIG. 2, prior to the spinning process and FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly of FIG. 3 to a bracket.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4A, a bracket 110 may have a through-hole 111 formed therein and a boss assembly 100 may include a shank 120 and a reinforcing collar 130. Referring to FIG. 4B, the reinforcing collar 130 and the shank 120 may be inserted into the bracket 110 to pass through the through-hole 111. A tap 121a, e.g., a threaded hole, may be formed in the shank 120 so that a fixing member, e.g., a screw, can be mounted to the shank 120. The bracket 110, the boss assembly 100 and a spinning process will now be described in further detail.

The through-hole 111 may have a circular shape. Alternatively, in order to reduce or prevent rotation of the boss assembly 100 after it has been fixed in place in the through-hole 111 by the spinning process, the through-hole 111 may have a polygonal shape. The through-hole 111 may have, e.g., 5 to 12 sides, as suits the needs of the particular device and in consideration of process simplicity. Through-holes of other shapes may also be suitable, e.g., slots, ovals, etc., and the through-hole may be formed so as to be completely encircled by the bracket, as illustrated, or so as to intersect, i.e., be open to, an edge of the bracket (not shown).

In the boss assembly 100, the shank 120 may have a tapping portion 121, a support portion 122, and a spinning portion 123. The tap 121a may be formed inside the tapping portion 121. The tapping portion 121 may have internal screw threads formed in the tap 121a, but this feature may be replaced or omitted as required by the particular implementation. For example, an external surface of the tapping portion 121 may have threads cut therein, in order to receive one or more clamping nuts threaded onto the tapping portion (not shown). In this case, the tap 121a may be omitted. In another example, neither internal nor external screw threads may be provided, and a member may be fixed to the tapping portion 121 using, e.g., one or more retainers such as spring retainers (not shown). However, for simplicity, the shank 120 will be generally referred to as having the tap 121a.

The support portion 122 may have a wide section with a width extending in a predetermined direction from, e.g., perpendicular from, the tapping portion 121 and may have a larger diameter than the tapping portion 121. The boss assembly 100 may be configured so that a surface 122a of the support portion 122 is supported on a corresponding inner support surface 132a of the reinforcing collar 130. The spinning portion 123 may extend away from the tapping portion 121 and the support portion 122, and may have a predetermined length. The diameter of the spinning portion 123 may be less than the diameter of the support portion 122. The length and diameter of the spinning portion 123 may be determined such that there is adequate material in the spinning portion 123 to allow the spinning process to suitably deform the spinning portion 123.

The reinforcing collar 130 may include a spinning portion 131 and a support portion 132. The shank 120 may be inserted into the reinforcing collar 130 such that the tapping portion 121 of the shank passes through a through-hole 134 in the support portion 132. The spinning portion 131 may be cylindrical and may define a cylindrical cavity 135 having a diameter large enough to receive the support portion 122 of the shank 120. The inner diameter of the cavity 135 may substantially match the outer diameter of the support portion 132. The support portion 132 may have a substantially cylindrical outer surface. The support portion 132 may have a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the spinning portion 131.

The support portion 132 may have the inner support surface 132a and an outer support surface 132b. The outer support surface 132b may be configured to contact a major surface of the bracket 110. The shank 120 may be inserted into the reinforcing collar 130 such that the shank surface 122a is in contact with the reinforcing collar inner support surface 132a, and the shank spinning portion 123 may be spun inside the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131. The shank spinning portion 123 and the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131 may both be spun to fix the boss assembly 100 to the bracket 110.

In the foregoing description, one reinforcing collar has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, two or more reinforcing collars may be used depending on the kind and amount of load applied to the boss assembly 100.

Referring to FIGS. 4C and 4D, portions of the reinforcing collar 130 and the shank 120 that protrude past the bracket 110 may be spun, such that the reinforcing collar 130 and the shank 120 are fixed to the bracket 110. The boss assembly 100 is configured to be coupled to the bracket 110 through a spinning process that reduces stress concentration on the boss assembly 100, which may reduce fatigue damage arising from stress concentration.

To this end, the reinforcing collar 130 may be placed on the shank 120 and, through the spinning process, the shank 120 may be initially fixed to the reinforcing collar 130. The shank 120 and the reinforcing collar 130 may then be fixed to the bracket 110. The two fixing operations may be performed separately or through a single spinning process.

In the spinning process, a mandrel of a spinning tool may be applied to the end of the shank spinning portion 123 that is to be spun, and the mandrel may be rotated to apply heat and pressure so that an end of the shank spinning portion 123 spreads out to form a shank spun portion 123′, which results in the shank 120 being initially fixed to the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131 (FIG. 4C). The mandrel rotation may be continued to apply heat and pressure so that ends of the shank spun portion 123′ and the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131 are deformed and spread out, yielding shank spun portion 123″ and a reinforcing collar spun portion 131′. Thus, the shank spun portion 123″ and the reinforcing collar spun portion 131′ may fix the boss assembly 100 to the bracket 110.

These two fixing operations result in the boss assembly 100 configured to disperse loads applied to the shank 120 toward the spun portion 131′ of the reinforcing collar 130 and the corresponding region of the bracket 110, thereby preventing stress concentration on the shank spun portion 123″. Also, the reinforcing collar 130 may be used to increase the number of sections of spun parts of the boss assembly 100 on the bracket 110, thereby reducing deformation based on the principle of beam deflection. Accordingly, the boss assembly 100 having double spinning parts according to the first embodiment may significantly reduce fatigue damage.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts according to a second embodiment of the present invention and FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly of FIG. 5 to a bracket. Referring to FIGS. 5-6D, a boss assembly 200 having double spinning parts may be fixed to the bracket 110, which may be the same bracket described above and may have the through-hole 111 formed therein for receiving the boss assembly 200.

The boss assembly 200 may include a shank 220 on which a reinforcing collar 230 is placed. The reinforcing collar 230 and the shank 220 may be inserted into the bracket through-hole 111 from the front side of the bracket 110, and portions of the reinforcing collar 230 and the shank 220 that protrude past the bracket 110 may then be spun, such that the reinforcing collar 230 and the shank 220 are fixed to the bracket 110 with the reinforcing collar 230 disposed between front side of the bracket 110 and the shank 220.

In the description that follows, elements of the boss assembly 200 that are identical to those of the boss assembly 100 will not be described in detail, in order to avoid repetition. Elements of the boss assembly 200 have similar reference numerals to those of the boss assembly 100.

In the boss assembly 200, the shank 220 may include a tapping portion 221, a support portion 222 and a spinning portion 223. A tap 221a may be formed inside the tapping portion 221 in order to allow an external element (not shown) to be mounted, e.g., screwed, to the tap 221.

The support portion 222 may have a wide section with a width extending in a predetermined direction from, e.g., perpendicular from, the tapping portion 221 and may have a larger diameter than the tapping portion 221. A rear surface 222a of the support portion 222 may contact a corresponding front surface 232a of the reinforcing collar 230. The spinning portion 223 may extend from the support portion 222 and may have a smaller diameter than the support portion 222. The spinning portion 223 may be inserted into the reinforcing collar 230. The spinning portion 223 may pass through the bracket 110 when the boss assembly 200 is assembled to the bracket 110.

The reinforcing collar 230 may include a spinning portion 231 and a support portion 232. The shank spinning portion 223 may be inserted into the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231. The shank spinning portion 223 may extend beyond the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231 and the shank spinning portion 223 may be spun outside the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231 (FIGS. 6B and 6C).

The reinforcing collar support portion 232 may have a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231. A rear surface 232b of the reinforcing collar support portion 232 may contact the bracket 110 when the boss assembly 200 is mounted on the bracket 110. The front surface 232a of the reinforcing collar support portion 232, opposite to the rear surface 232b, may be disposed against the surface 222a of the shank support portion 222. Thus, the boss assembly 200 having double spinning parts illustrated in FIG. 5 is similar the boss assembly 100 having double spinning parts illustrated in FIG. 3, except that, with the boss assembly 200, the shank support portion 222 is disposed against a front side of the reinforcing collar 230.

In the spinning process, a mandrel of a spinning tool may be applied to the end of the shank spinning portion 223, and the mandrel may be rotated to apply heat and pressure so that a bottom surface of the shank spinning portion 223 spreads out to form a shank spun portion 223′. Thus, the shank spinning portion 223′ may initially fix the shank 220 to the spinning portion 231 of the reinforcing collar 230.

The rotation of the mandrel may be continued to apply heat and pressure so that the ends of the shank spun portion 223′ and the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231 are deformed and spread out, yielding a shank spun portion 223″ and a reinforcing collar spun portion 231′. The shank spun portion 223″ and the reinforcing collar spun portion 231′ may thus fix the boss assembly 200 to the bracket 110.

These two fixing operations may disperse loads applied to the boss assembly 200 toward the spun portion 231″ of the reinforcing collar 230 and the corresponding area of the bracket 110, thereby preventing stress concentration on the shank spinning portion 223. Also, the reinforcing collar 230 is used to increase the number of sections of spun parts, thereby reducing deformation based on the principle of beam deflection. Accordingly, the boss assembly 200 having double spinning parts according to the present embodiment may significantly reduce fatigue damage.

FIGS. 3 and 5 illustrate exploded perspective views of the boss assemblies 100, 200 having double spinning parts, as described above. FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly 100 to the bracket 110 of FIG. 2, while FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate cross-sectional views of stages in a method of mounting the boss assembly 200 to the bracket 110 of FIG. 5. These methods will now be briefly compared.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the bracket 110 is provided having the through-hole 111 formed therein. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 6A, the reinforcing collar 132, 232 is placed on the shank 120, 220. Referring to FIGS. 4B and 6B, the reinforcing collar 130, 230 and the shank 120, 220 are inserted into the bracket 110 so that the reinforcing collar 130, 230 and the shank 120, 220 partially pass through the through-hole 111 of the bracket 110. Referring to FIGS. 4C, 4D, 6C and 6D, a spinning process is performed on spinning portions 131, 231, 123, 223 of the reinforcing collar 132, 232 and the shank 120, 220 that protrude past the bracket 110, so that the reinforcing collar 132, 232 and the shank 120, 220 can be fixed to the bracket.

In detail, the spinning process is performed as follows. Referring to FIGS. 4C and 6C, the shank 120, 220 is initially fixed to the reinforcing collar 132, 232. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, in the initial fixing operation the shank spinning portion 123 may be spun to fill, whether completely or partially, the cavity 135 defined within the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131, as illustrated in FIG. 4C. According to the second embodiment of the present invention, in the initial fixing operation the shank spinning portion 223 may be spun so as to deform and spread but over the end of the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231, as illustrated in FIG. 6C.

Referring to FIGS. 4D and 6D, the reinforcing collar 132, 232 and the shank 120, 220 may then be finally fixed to the bracket 110. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, in the final fixing operation the spun portion 123′ of the shank 120 may be further spun, along with the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131, so as to deform and spread both the spun portion 123′ and the reinforcing collar spinning portion 131 along the surface of the bracket 110. The spun portion 131′ of the reinforcing collar 130 may be in direct contact with the bracket 110, and may be interposed between the bracket 110 and the spun portion 123″ of the shank 120, as illustrated in FIG. 4D. The final fixing operation may be substantially similar for the second embodiment of the present invention. In detail, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in the final fixing operation the spun portion 223′ of the shank 220 may be further spun, along with the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231, so as to deform and spread both the spun portion 223′ and the reinforcing collar spinning portion 231 along the surface of the bracket 110. The spun portion 231′ of the reinforcing collar 230 may be in direct contact with the bracket 110, and may be interposed between the bracket 110 and the spun portion 223″ of the shank 220, as illustrated in FIG. 6D.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device employing a boss having double spun parts according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a plasma display device 700 may include a front cabinet 71 having a window 712 formed at a central portion thereof, an electromagnetic wave shielding filter 72 disposed behind the front cabinet 71 and covering the window 712, and a filter holder 73 fixing the electromagnetic wave shielding filter 72 to a peripheral portion 711 of the front cabinet 71. The plasma display device 700 may further include a display panel 75 disposed behind the filter holder 73 and including a front plate 751 and a rear plate 752, a chassis base 76 supporting the display panel 75 and a driving circuit 762 installed behind the chassis base 76 to drive the display panel 75. The plasma display device 700 may also include a rear cabinet 77 disposed behind the driving circuit 762 and coupled to the front cabinet 71.

The electromagnetic wave shielding filter 72 may be closely fastened to a rear surface of the front cabinet 71 by the filter holder 73 that may be fixed to screw insertion parts 713 using screws 735. The display panel 75 may closely contact a sponge or foam-like element 74 that is attached to a rear surface of the filter holder 73. The driving circuit 762 for driving the display panel 75 may be connected to the display panel 75 by cables 761 such as flexible printed cables (FPCs).

A bracket 810 may be fixed to the chassis base 76, and a boss assembly 820 may be coupled to the bracket 810. The boss assembly 820 may employ either of the boss assemblies described above, i.e., the boss assembly having the double spinning parts 100 or 200. The bracket 810 may be fixed to the chassis base 76 to fix the rear cabinet 77. A ring for a wall mount display device may be fixed to the boss assembly 820 (not shown).

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A boss assembly having multiple spinning parts, the boss assembly configured to be mounted through a through-hole in a bracket that has front and rear sides, the boss assembly comprising:

a shank; and

at least one reinforcing collar disposed on the shank,

wherein the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to pass through the through-hole from the front side of the bracket, such that the shank and the reinforcing collar protrude beyond the rear side of the bracket, and

the shank and the reinforcing collar are configured to be spun by a spinning process so as to fix the boss assembly to the bracket.

2. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shank includes a shank spinning portion; and

a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion.

3. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shank further includes a tapping portion extending from the surface of the shank support portion and having a smaller diameter than the shank support portion, wherein the tapping portion has a tap formed therein.

4. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing collar includes:

a reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity; and

a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion.

5. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the reinforcing collar support portion includes an inner member that defines an end wall of the cylindrical cavity, and

the inner member has a hole defined therein, an inner diameter of the hole being less than an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity.

6. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shank includes a shank spinning portion and a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion,

the reinforcing collar includes a reinforcing collar spinning portion and a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity, and

wherein the shank support portion is disposed within the cylindrical cavity.

7. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shank spinning portion extends from the shank support portion within the cylindrical cavity and extends beyond the reinforcing collar spinning portion.

8. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reinforcing collar support portion includes an inner member that defines an end wall of the cylindrical cavity,

the inner member has a hole defined therein, an inner diameter of the hole being less than an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity,

the shank extends through the hole, and

the shank support portion is disposed against the inner member.

9. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shank includes a shank spinning portion and a shank support portion disposed adjacent to the shank spinning portion, the shank support portion having a larger diameter than the shank spinning portion,

the reinforcing collar includes a reinforcing collar spinning portion and a reinforcing collar support portion disposed adjacent to the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar support portion having a larger diameter than the reinforcing collar spinning portion, the reinforcing collar spinning portion being tubular and defining a cylindrical cavity, and

the cylindrical cavity is filled by the shank spinning portion, the shank spinning portion having an outer diameter that is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cylindrical cavity.

10. The boss assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the reinforcing collar support portion and the shank support portion are configured to extend parallel to the front side of the bracket, and

the reinforcing collar support portion is configured to be disposed between the front side of the bracket and the shank support portion.

11. A display device, comprising:

a main body having a bracket mounted thereto; and

a boss assembly having multiple spun parts fixed through a through-hole in the bracket, the boss assembly including: a shank; and at least one reinforcing collar disposed on the shank,

wherein the shank and the reinforcing collar pass through the through-hole, such that the shank and the reinforcing collar protrude beyond the bracket, and

the shank and the reinforcing collar are spun by a spinning process so as to fix the boss assembly to the bracket.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display device is a plasma display device.

13. A method of mounting a boss assembly having multiple spinning parts to a bracket, the method comprising:

providing a bracket having a through-hole therein;

providing the boss assembly, the boss assembly including a shank having a reinforcing collar disposed thereon;

inserting the reinforcing collar and the shank through the through-hole of the bracket from a front side of the bracket; and

performing a spinning process on a spinning portion of the reinforcing collar and a spinning portion of the shank that protrude through the bracket, so as to fix the reinforcing collar and the shank to the bracket.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spinning process comprises:

a first fixing operation to fix the shank to the reinforcing collar; and

a second fixing operation to fix the reinforcing collar and the shank to the bracket.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second fixing operations are performed through a single spinning process.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the reinforcing collar spinning portion defines a cylindrical cavity,

the shank spinning portion is disposed within the cylindrical cavity and extends beyond an end of the cylindrical cavity,

the shank spinning portion has an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the cavity, so as to define a cylindrical space between the outer diameter of the shank spinning portion and the inner diameter of the cavity, and

the first fixing operation spins the shank spinning portion to form a first shank spun portion, wherein the first shank spun portion fills the cylindrical space.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first shank spun portion does not extend beyond the end of the cylindrical cavity.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the reinforcing collar spinning portion defines a cylindrical cavity,

the shank spinning portion is disposed within the cylindrical cavity and extends beyond an end of the cylindrical cavity,

the shank spinning portion has an outer diameter that is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cavity, so as to fill the cavity, and

the first fixing operation spins the shank spinning portion to form an first shank spun portion, wherein the first shank spun portion is disposed beyond an end of the reinforcing collar spinning portion.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a support portion of the reinforcing collar is disposed against the front side of the bracket.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein a support portion of the shank is disposed against a front side of the reinforcing collar support portion, such that the reinforcing collar support portion is disposed between the front side of the bracket and the shank support portion.