Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-07-24
Dudek, James A. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S158000, C349S187000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266123
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, it relates to a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method thereof which is capable of preventing display deficiencies owing to interference between a liquid crystal display panel and a backlighting unit (especially light guide plate) or between the former and a casing, and which is also capable of maintaining an uniform brightness for the backlighting unit.
Conventionally, liquid crystal display devices has been arranged with a backlighting unit
33
having a light guide plate
32
on a rear surface side of a liquid crystal display panel
31
as shown in
FIG. 12
so that letters or images being displayed on the liquid crystal display panel can be clearly seen. Though not shown in the drawings, the liquid crystal display panel
31
and backlighting unit
33
are housed in the interior of the casing in a condition in which they are positioned by means of positioning covers.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, the liquid crystal display panel
31
is disposed in the front surface side of the light guide plate
32
being remote therefrom by a specified clearance with spacers
34
being interposed therebetween for cushioning. By the spacers
34
, the liquid crystal display panel
31
can maintain a distance with respect to the light guide plate
32
and thus can be prevented from contacting the same.
The liquid crystal display panel
31
is so arranged that a spaced portion is formed by sealing peripheral edge portions of two flat transparent substrates
31
a
,
31
b
(which might be, for instance, made of glass) with a sealing member
31
c
, and liquid crystal (not shown) is enclosed into this spaced portion. A standard thickness for the transparent substrates
31
a
,
31
b
is approximately 0.7 to 1.1 mm.
The backlighting unit
33
is so arranged that an optical sheet such as a diffusing sheet and a reflective sheet (neither of them are shown in the drawing) are respectively adhered to or abutted against the front surface and rear surface of the light guide plate
32
, and that a cold-cathode tube
35
is provided on a side surface of the light guide plate
32
to serve as a white color source.
In the liquid crystal display device as shown in
FIG. 13
which is an example of a conventional liquid crystal display device having a frame and casing, a light guide plate
41
is housed in the interior of a frame
44
from a front surface thereof. The liquid crystal display panel
43
is disposed in the front surface side of the light guide plate
41
being remote therefrom by a specified clearance with spacers
47
being interposed therebetween for cushioning.
A frame
45
is disposed in the front surface side of the liquid crystal display panel
43
being remote therefrom by a specified clearance with spacers
48
being interposed therebetween for cushioning. The frame
45
covers an outer surface of the frame
44
. Being supported by the frames
44
,
45
, the liquid crystal display panel
43
and light guide plate
41
are respectively positioned so as not to move in directions with respect to the surfaces, and are housed in the interior of a spaced portion surrounded by a casing of the display surface side
49
and a casing of the rear surface side
50
.
The liquid crystal display panel
43
is so arranged that a spaced portion is formed by sealing peripheral edge portions of two flat glass substrates
43
a
,
43
b
with a sealing member
43
c
, and liquid crystal (not shown) is enclosed into this spaced portion. In order to bond the two glass substrates
43
a
,
43
b
by compression, thermosetting resin is applied onto a peripheral edge portion of a surface of either of the opposing surfaces of the glass substrates
43
a
,
43
b
, and four corners of the opposing surfaces of the glass substrates
43
a
,
43
b
are temporally fastened by using, for instance, UV curable resin. Thereafter, the glass substrates
43
a
,
43
b
are bonded through thermal compression wherein they are disposed on a surface plate which has been heated to approximately 100 to 180° C. and are applied with pressure.
Recently, liquid crystal display devices which are employed for notebook personal computers are required to be increasingly light-weighted, thin-sized, and low power consumption type, and very thin type liquid crystal display devices with a thickness of approximately 5.0 mm have been manufactured. There are known various methods for achieving thin-sizing such as eliminating covers for positioning or making transparent substrates thin. In these days, there have been manufactured liquid crystal display devices of very thin size which include thin and light-weighted light guide plates and transparent substrates. Especially the thickness of transparent substrates
31
a
,
31
b
that play a large role in whether light-weighted and thin-sized type products can be achieved are being decreased to approximately 0.5 to 0.6 mm.
However, in such very thin-sized liquid crystal display devices, there are employed liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
as shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
which are very thin and are apt to bending owing to their own weight. Simultaneously, spaces between the liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
and the backlighting unit
33
are also very narrow (see gaps G
11
, G
12
between the liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
and the light guide plates
32
,
41
in FIGS.
12
and
13
). Therefore, the liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
are apt to partially contact the backlighting unit such as the light guide plates
32
,
41
or other members such as the casing due to undulations in the light guide plates
32
,
41
or bending in the transparent substrates
31
a
,
31
b
,
43
a
,
43
b
, and might consequently result in display deficiencies (so-called paddling) owing to interference. For instance, in case the liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
contact other members, gaps between substrates which enclose liquid crystal therein are varied and display deficiencies such as formation of wave-like patterns are generated.
Further, in case the liquid crystal display panels
31
,
43
contact the backlighting unit
33
, there might be generated wrinkles in sheets such as the diffusing sheet in the front surface side of the light guide plates
32
,
41
which constitute the backlighting unit
33
, and these wrinkles might cause partial darkening of light of the backlighting unit
33
.
The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display devices and a manufacturing method thereof which is capable of preventing display deficiencies owing to interference between a liquid crystal display panel and a backlighting unit (especially light guide plate) or between the former and a casing, and which is also capable of maintaining an uniform brightness for the backlighting unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided is a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel and a light guide plate arranged in a rear side of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the liquid crystal display panel is of a substantially spherical shape, and the liquid crystal display panel is fitted at a front side of the light guide plate such that a proximity of a central portion of the liquid crystal display panel is outwardly bulged.
It is preferable that the proximity of the central portion of the liquid crystal display panel is outwardly bulged by approximately 0.1 to 1.0 mm.
It is preferable that a notched portion is formed in a peripheral edge portion in the front side of the light guide plate for fitting the liquid crystal display panel thereat.
It is preferable that a portion at which the liquid crystal display panel and the notched portion of the light guide plate are fitted is adhered together.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manufact
Kinoshita Yoshimi
Maejima Taro
Ogo Ikuo
Sakata Isao
Yoshida Kazuo
Advanced Display Inc.
Dudek James A.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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