Illumination – Light fiber – rod – or pipe – Illuminating or display apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-04-24
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light fiber, rod, or pipe
Illuminating or display apparatus
C362S035000, C362S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220741
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a flat panel display device and, more particularly, to a flat panel display device used in combination with various electronic equipment.
A flat panel display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, has been used in many applications because such a flat panel display device is advantageously thin in thickness, light in weight, and low in power consumption.
A light transmission type liquid crystal display device, for instance, is provided with a liquid crystal panel, a bezel, a frame, and a surface light source to illuminate the panel. The panel includes a pair of electrode substrates and a liquid crystal layer held between the substrates. The bezel is usually made of a sheet metal or other sufficiently strong materials while the frame is molded out of resins to effectively support the light source. The liquid crystal display device of this kind is built in a housing of electronic equipment, such as a portable personal computer, and handy terminal equipment.
In an attempt to make a flat panel display device thinner, recently a liquid crystal display panel has been directly built in a housing of electronic equipment. Such housing includes, for instance, a first housing unit with an opening corresponding to an effective display region of the liquid crystal panel and a second housing unit provided on the side of a surface light source. The first and second housing units are assembled to directly hold the liquid crystal display panel.
This structure is capable of making the electronic equipment incorporated with the flat panel display device much thinner as a whole because a conventional bezel is not necessary any longer.
However, it is likely to reduce the mechanical strength of the flat panel display device. Since the liquid crystal display panel is configured to pivot upon a reference axis of the electronic equipment, such a pivoting structure, in particular, may weaken the mechanical strength resulting in endurance reduction.
The flat panel display device is applied to a compact personal computer, for instance, with which the display device is assembled to be rotatable about a hinge of its main body. An operator often rotates the flat panel display device about the hinge. Thus, it is quite difficult to comply with requirements for the mechanical strength sufficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a flat panel display device which is thin in thickness, light in weight, and sufficient in mechanical strength.
In order to achieve the object, one aspect of a flat panel display device of the present invention includes a flat display panel, a circuit, a light source, a cover member, an enclosure, and a rotatable support member. The display panel has a display region provided with a plurality of pixels. The circuit supplies a driving signal to the flat display panel. The light source provided opposite to the flat display panel emits light toward the display panel. The cover member has a window corresponding to the display region. The enclosure receives the display panel, the circuit, and the light source and is assembled with the cover member. The rotatable support member is provided at one end portion of either the cover member or the enclosure and rotatably supports the cover member and the enclosure. Thus, the center of gravity with respect to the assembled first panel display device is closer to the support member than to another end portion of either the cover member or the enclosure.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the center of gravity is set by adjusting a disposition and thickness of the light source and a thickness of the enclosure.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the display panel and the light source are held between the cover member and the light source unit. Thus, the flat panel display device does not need either a conventional bezel or a conventional frame so that the display device is thin in thickness and light in weight. Further, the center of gravity of the display device is set on the side of the rotatable support member by the adjusting of the disposition and thickness of the light source unit and the thickness of the enclosure. Thus, the flat panel display device, when being exerted to rotate, is less in rotation torque and is improved in durability.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the light source unit includes a tube-like light source disposed at a location which is closer to the rotatable support member, a light guide to convert light emitted from the tube-like light source to surface light, a reflector to reflect the light emitted from the tube-like light source to the light guide, and an optical film provided opposite to the light guide to make brightness of the surface light substantially uniform. The tube-like light source is disposed close to the end portion of the support member.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the light source further includes a light source driving circuit provided close to the tube-like light source. The enclosure includes a plate which is gradually thinner in thickness from the one end portion of the enclosure to the opposite end portion thereof.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the display panel is provided opposite to the light guide which is gradually thinner in thickness along the one end portion of the enclosure to the opposite end portion thereof.
The above-stated and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and not to be construed as defining the scope of limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the claims appended hereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5202950 (1993-04-01), Arego et al.
patent: 5485354 (1996-01-01), Ciupke et al.
patent: 5608837 (1997-03-01), Tai et al.
patent: 5844773 (1998-12-01), Malhi
patent: 5957561 (1999-09-01), Ono et al.
patent: 5961198 (1999-10-01), Hira et al.
patent: 6020942 (2000-02-01), Yun et al.
patent: 6040811 (2000-03-01), Malhi
Kawachi Shin
Satoh Kenji
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Neils Peggy
O'Shea Sandra
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
LandOfFree
Flat panel display device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flat panel display device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flat panel display device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2487630