Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-12
2004-03-23
Chowdhury, Tarifur R. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S150000, C349S152000, C349S065000, C345S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710838
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display module, such as a liquid crystal module, in which a member (a sloped back surface member), such as a light guide plate of a backlight, having a sloped back surface is provided face to face behind a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel, a slope of the sloped back surface member being caused by a thickness difference between both ends thereof, and in which a flexible substrate for a signal line drive circuit and a flexible substrate for a scanning line drive circuit are respectively so extended as to reach to a back surface of the sloped back member, where the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit are connected to the display panel so as to make a right angle with each other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Tokukaihei No. 7-43709 (Publication date: Feb. 14, 1995), for example, discloses a liquid crystal module of a conventional TCP (Tape Carrier Package) mounting method.
In a liquid crystal module
50
of this kind, as shown in FIGS.
9
(
a
) and
9
(
b
), a liquid crystal panel
51
is connected with source TCPs
52
and gate TCPs
53
aligned along an edge of a flat, rectangular shape of the crystal panel
51
, and each extension tip of the source TCPs
52
is connected with a source PWB (Printed Wiring Board)
54
while each extension tip of the gate TCPs
53
is connected with a gate PWB
55
.
The source TCPs
52
and the gate TCPs
53
are bent at substantial 90 degrees as shown in FIG.
9
(
a
), along two folding lines
61
and two folding lines
62
shown in
FIG. 10
, in such a manner that a backlight
56
and other members are wrapped. At this point, all of the source TCPs
52
and the gate TCPs
53
, which are consecutively aligned, are bent at identical points so as to be parallel to a rectangular parallelopiped outer shape of the liquid crystal module
50
.
Note that, the source TCP
52
and the gate TCP
53
are composed of a substrate of approximately 75 &mgr;m thickness (not shown), a Cu (copper) foil pattern being adhered to the substrate by using adhesive, and an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip connected to the Cu (copper) foil pattern. Since the source TCP
52
and the gate TCP
53
cannot be bent easily due to bending repulsion and the like caused by the approximately 75 &mgr;m thickness of the substrate, the source TCP
52
and the gate TCP
53
are bent in circular arc at the bending parts.
Most of the display modules with a backlight unit include a light guide plate
57
on the back of the liquid crystal panel
51
, and a backlight
56
being composed of a lamp in a vicinity of one edge of the light guide plate
57
. The light guide plate
57
is thickest at the edge near the lamp and becomes thinner toward an edge of the opposite side, so that all over the liquid crystal panel
51
is entirely subjected to light from the back light
56
.
In the conventional display module, however, as the gate TCPs
53
are all folded at the identical points so as to be parallel to the rectangular parallelopiped outer shape of the liquid crystal module, the gate TCPs
53
have to be bent at the thickest part of the light guide plate
57
. As a result, the completed liquid crystal module
50
has a dead space at the opposite side of the backlight
56
. In addition, because of the bending repulsion of the substrate thickness, the gate TCP
53
can be bent in circular arc, but cannot be bent sharply; that is, the gate TCP
53
cannot be bent in a large curvature. On the other hand, when the gate TCP
53
is bent loosely in a small curvature, the gate TCP
53
is largely protruded from side edge of the liquid crystal panel.
As a result, there has been a problem that the liquid crystal module
50
can not be thinner in spite of its dead space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the conventional problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a display module which can be thinner by eliminating a dead space.
To accomplish the above-mentioned object, a display module of the present invention, such as a liquid crystal module, in which a sloped back surface member, such as a light guide plate, having a cross sectional slope with respect to a display surface of a display panel, is provided face to face behind the display panel, and a flexible substrate for a signal line drive circuit and a flexible substrate for a scanning line drive circuit are connected to the display panel so as to make a right angle with each other, and are respectively so extended as to reach to a back surface of the sloped back surface member, wherein the one of the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit is so extended as to reach to the back surface of the sloped back surface member in such a manner that the one of the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit is bent along the slope of the sloped back surface member.
In the display module of the invention such as the liquid crystal module, the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit, which are connected to the display panel so as to make a right angle with each other, are respectively so extended as to reach to the back surface of the sloped back surface member such as the light guide plate, for example.
Conventionally, even with the sloped back surface member such as the light guide plate having the sloped back surface, the liquid crystal module has a dead space, because the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit are bent at substantial 90 degrees along a rectangular parallelopiped shape of the liquid crystal module in their extending directions. As a result, there has been a problem that the display module cannot be thinner.
In the present invention, however, one of the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit is bent along the slope of the sloped back surface member. For this reason, a folding line is in an oblique direction. As a result, it is possible to bend, along the slope of the sloped back surface member, one of the flexible substrate for the signal line drive circuit and the flexible substrate for the scanning line drive circuit that is in a direction parallel to the slope of the sloped back surface member. This enables the display module to eliminate the dead space.
Accordingly, it is possible to provide the display module which can be thinner by eliminating a dead space.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4862153 (1989-08-01), Nakatani et al.
patent: 5436744 (1995-07-01), Arledge et al.
patent: 5978060 (1999-11-01), Nakawaki et al.
patent: 6417897 (2002-07-01), Hashimoto
patent: 6456344 (2002-09-01), Nemoto et al.
patent: 6466195 (2002-10-01), Hashimoto et al.
patent: 4-88320 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 7-43709 (1995-02-01), None
Kawaguchi Hisao
Sakaki Yoichiro
Takeda Makoto
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Chowdhury Tarifur R.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Display module having flexible substrates bending along a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Display module having flexible substrates bending along a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Display module having flexible substrates bending along a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3267671