Communications: electrical – Visual indication – Switchboard or panel type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2001-07-24
Crosland, Donnie L. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
Switchboard or panel type
C345S004000, C345S205000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265986
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system in which a flat display de vice and a driving part therefore can be detachably attached to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a liquid crystal display is well known as a flat display system. In the case of the liquid crystal display, it is general to directly connect its driving circuit to its display substrate by using TAB mounting or flip chip mounting. In this method, a driving device including one set of driving circuits is needed for one set of displays. For this reason, there is the problem that the liquid crystal device becomes an expensive device having a large area, a heavy weight and a large thickness. Because of this problem, it has been impossible to apply the method to, for example, an application which uses a plurality of displays.
As an art which solves the above-described problem, there is a display system in which its display device part and its driving device part are separated from each other and a plurality of display devices having no driving devices are driven by one set of driving devices.
FIG. 17
is an explanatory view showing one example of a conventional display system. In
FIG. 17
, reference numeral
71
denotes a display device, reference numeral
72
denotes driving devices and reference numeral
73
denotes a binding part. This display system includes the plurality of display devices
71
and one driving device
72
having the binding part
73
. The display devices
71
are connected together in a book-like form by the binding part
73
.
In the above-described construction, since the display devices
71
are not integrated with the driving device
72
, each of the display devices
71
can be formed as a thin and light-weight display device and is easy to handle. For this reason, it is possible to construct the display system using the plurality of display devices
71
as shown in FIG.
17
.
FIG. 18
is a perspective view showing one example of electrical connection means for the display device
72
and the driving devices
71
in one example of the conventional display system. In
FIG. 18
, reference numeral
74
denotes electrode terminals, and reference numeral
75
denotes a card edge connector. A system disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 254420/1990, which uses the card edge connector
75
of the type shown in
FIG. 18
, is known as means for electrically connecting the display devices
71
and the driving device
72
in the display system shown in FIG.
17
.
In this system, the electrode terminals
74
are provided at an end portion of each of the display devices
71
, and the end portion at which the electrode terminals
74
are provided is inserted into the card edge connector
75
. Electrodes which respectively correspond to the electrode terminals
74
of each of the display devices
71
are disposed in the card edge connector
75
, and when one display device
71
is inserted into the card edge connector
75
, the electrodes of both the card edge connector
75
and the display device
71
slide into contact with each other to provide electrical connection.
However, this electrical connection system which uses the card edge connector
75
has the disadvantage that because a large area in which to dispose the electrode terminals
74
is needed around the image display area of the display devices
71
, the area of the display devices
71
is large. Even in a display system such as that shown in
FIG. 17
, the binding part
73
needs a construction which corresponds to the card edge connector
75
, so that the area of the driving device
72
is large and the entire display system is large.
Furthermore, since the display devices
71
are attached and detached by a multiplicity of times, the electrode terminals
74
repeatedly slide on the electrode terminals in the card edge connector
75
. For this reason, the electrode terminals
74
of the display devices
71
need the reliability of electrical connection and wear resistance. Therefore, the electrode terminals
74
must be covered with Au plating having an intermediate metallic layer. However, there is the problem that it is difficult in terms of techniques and costs to apply Au plating or the like to an ITO layer or an Al layer which is generally used for display board lines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a small display system in which the areas of a display device and a driving device are reduced.
In accordance with the present invention, the re is provided a display system which comprises a flat display device having an image display part, and a driving device having a driving circuit for displaying an image on the display device, the display device and the driving device being constructed to be detachably attached to each other. In the display system, an electrode terminal of the display device is disposed on the reverse surface of the display device opposite to the image display part, while an electrode terminal of the driving device is disposed flatly and relatively symmetrically to the electrode terminal of the display device, and the display device and the driving device are aligned to each other to electrically connect both electrode terminals and cause the display device to display an image.
Accordingly, unlike the conventional display system, there is no need to provide an extra area for electrical connection around the display device, and the areas of the display device and the driving device can be reduced. In addition, since a sliding operation which cannot be avoided with the conventional card edge connector does not occur while the display device and the driving device are being electrically connected to each other, none of the electrode terminals of the display device and the driving device needs wear resistance, whereby it is possible to realize a construction which is technically simple and inexpensive.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS.
1
(A) and
1
(B) are perspective views showing examples of a display device and a driving device in an embodiment of the display system according to the present invention;
FIGS.
2
(A) and
2
(B) are perspective views showing the states of attachment and detachment of the display device and the driving device in the embodiment of the display system according to the present invention;
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view showing one example of an image display part of a display device;
FIG. 4
is a three-side view showing a first example of the display device;
FIG. 5
is an explanatory view of the relation of electrical connection of the first example of the display device;
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the display device;
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional view showing a third example of the display device;
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view showing a fourth example of the display device;
FIG. 9
is a cross-sectional view showing a fifth example of the display device;
FIG. 10
is a cross-sectional view showing a sixth example of the display device;
FIGS.
11
(A),
11
(B) and
11
(C) are perspective views showing different examples of the layout of display device-side electrode terminals in the display device;
FIG. 12
is an enlarged view showing one example of the shape of each of the display device-side electrode terminals and driving device side electrode terminals;
FIGS.
13
(A) and
13
(B) are enlarged views showing different examples of the shape of each of the display device-side electrode terminals and the driving device-side electrode terminals;
FIG. 14
is a cross-sectional view showing yet another example of the shape of each of the display device-side electrode terminals and the driving device-side elect
Arisawa Hiroshi
Baba Tomo
Kuwata Yasuaki
Oka Kouichi
Suzuki Kazuhiro
Crosland Donnie L.
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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