Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Holder – support – frame – or housing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-25
2002-08-06
Sikes, William L. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Holder, support, frame, or housing
C060S039440
Reexamination Certificate
active
06429912
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display module and a manufacturing method thereof, and, more particularly, to a display module having a backlight and a liquid crystal panel incorporated with each other and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an LCD module is composed of a backlight unit having a backlight and a display unit having a liquid crystal panel, both of which are separately manufactured and are tightened up together with screws, etc.
In such an LCD module, because the backlight unit and the display unit are tightened and formed up with screws, etc., a lot of parts are needed in one LCD module. In other words, processes for manufacturing the LCD modules are quite complicated.
In order to reduce the number of parts, a well-known LCD module is one including the liquid crystal panel and the backlight which are incorporated with each other. One example of such an LCD module is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H10-282900.
In the LCD module disclosed in the above publication, a metal lower shield case
21
is engaged with a metal upper shield case
22
, as shown in FIG.
12
. The lower shield case
21
and the upper shield case
22
are connected with each other with non-illustrated hooks, thus forming a case of the LCD module.
Inside the case of the LCD module, a conductive optical plate
213
, which includes a light source
218
, and an optical sheet
24
, which includes a diffusion sheet
214
and a prism sheet
215
layered on the diffusion sheet
214
, are included in a layered structure. Further, metal supporting plates
26
each including a projection
221
on the lower surface thereof is placed on the optical sheet
24
. A liquid crystal panel
28
including polarizing plates
211
and
212
is affixed onto the supporting plates
26
with both-sided adhesive tape
27
. Reference numerals
216
and
217
denote reflection plates in FIG.
12
.
As explained, the LCD module disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H10-282900 includes a lower shield case
21
and an upper shield case
22
which are made of metal. In this structure, the LCD module may not desirably operate.
Particularly, when the lower shield case
21
contacts the upper shield case
22
to be engaged with each other, a portion thereof may be rubbed with each other and metal dusts may come out. Such metal dusts may cause a short circuit between terminals in the display module. Hence, the LCD module does not desirably operate.
Since the metal cases are used, the LCD module is manufactured at a high cost.
The disclosure of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H10-282900 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a display module, which can be manufactured at a low cost and can stably operate, and a method for manufacturing the same.
In order to accomplish the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display module comprising:
a liquid crystal panel which includes a display area for displaying an image, and displays a predetermined image;
a light emitter which is arranged on the liquid crystal panel, and emits light for displaying an image; and
a resin member which contains and fixes the liquid crystal panel and the light emitter, and includes at least an area through which the display area can externally be seen.
According to this invention, a display module, which can stably operate and can be manufactured at a low price, is provided.
The resin member may be a bag having an opening which is closed.
An inside of the resin member may be retained in a low-pressure atmosphere.
The display module may further comprise a connector for supplying a signal and power source for displaying a predetermined image, and
the resin member may have a lead-through hole for taking out the connector, and a peripheral section of the lead-through hole may be sealed up.
A peripheral section of the mounting hole may be sealed up.
The resin member may be a pair of shaped resins which are formed in an inward shape which is substantially same as an outward shape of the liquid panel and the light emitter which are joined together.
The resin member may have a mounting hole for mounting the display module on a corner of the resin member.
A peripheral section of the mounting hole may be reinforced with a reinforcing member.
The light emitter may be larger in size than the liquid crystal panel, and include the mounting hole in an area of the light emitter which sticks out from the liquid crystal panel.
The resin member may be formed from a transparent member.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a display module, comprising:
forming a semi-finished product by putting a liquid crystal panel, which has a display area for displaying an image and displays a predetermined image, together with a light emitter, which emits light for displaying an image;
inserting the semi-finished product into a resin member including an area through which at least the display area can externally be seen; and
fixing the semi-finished product inside the resin member.
The resin member may be a bag; and
the fixing may include removing air or gas from the resin member, thereby hermetically connecting the resin member with the semi-finished product.
The display panel may include a connector for supplying a signal and power source for displaying a predetermined image, and
a lead-through hole for taking out the connector may be formed, after the semi-finished product is fixed inside the resin member.
The forming the lead-through hole may include forming the lead-through hole after a peripheral section of the hole is sealed up.
The forming the lead-through hole may include sealing up the peripheral section of the lead-through hole.
The display panel may include a connector for supplying a signal and power source for displaying a predetermined image, and
a lead-through hole for taking out the connector in the resin member may be formed, before fixing the semi-finished product inside the resin member.
The resin member may have an opening for inserting the semi-finished product; and
the fixing the semi-finished product inside the resin member may include removing air or gas from the resin member through the head-through hole, after sealing up the opening.
The fixing the semi-finished product may include sealing up the opening using a thermocompression technique or adhesive tape.
The resin member may be a pair of shaped resins which are formed as to have an inward shape which is substantially same as an outward shape of a state of the liquid crystal panel and the light emitter being joined together; and
the fixing the semi-finished product may include
sandwiching the semi-finished product with the pair of shaped resins, and
sealing up peripheral sections of the pair of shaped resins sandwiching the semi-finished product.
The method for manufacturing a display module may further comprise cutting off a predetermined area of the resin member, thereby exposing the display area.
The light emitter may be larger in size than the liquid crystal panel, and include a mounting hole for mounting the display module into another device in an area of the light emitter which sticks out from the liquid crystal panel, and
a penetrating hole may be formed by forming a hole in a position of the resin member which corresponds to a position of the mounting hole, after fixing the semi-finished product inside the resin member.
The sealing up may include sealing the peripheral sections of the pair of shaped resins using a thermocompression technique or with adhesive tape.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5814837 (1998-09-01), Okazaki
patent: 6034751 (2000-03-01), Kamiya
patent: 6225741 (2001-05-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 6292239 (2001-09-01), Nagamura et al.
patent: 6295103 (2001-09-01), Yamatani et al.
pat
NEC Corporation
Ngo Julie
Sikes William L.
Young & Thompson
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