Illumination – Revolving
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2002-06-25
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Revolving
C362S223000, C362S308000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409356
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LCD (liquid crystal display) used for a computer, television, or the like.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei 10-186115 filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
An LCD is a display utilizing the characteristic of the liquid crystal that the molecular arrangement thereof is changed when a voltage is applied to a liquid crystal.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view showing a conventional example of an LCD.
This LCD
10
comprises liquid crystal panel
11
for displaying characters or the like, and backlight
12
for irradiating the liquid crystal panel
11
, these components being contained in chassis
9
.
In the structure of the liquid crystal panel
11
, two transparent glass substrates
13
are made to adhere together, liquid crystal
14
being disposed therebetween. These glass substrates are disposed on a light-introducing plate
15
, and the periphery of these substrates and the light-introducing plate are surrounded and anchored by the chassis
9
.
In the backlight
12
, the both ends of fluorescent lamp
16
are supported by connectors
17
, and the lamp is covered via reflection plate
18
with lamp holder
19
which is integrally formed with a side portion of the chassis
9
.
In the above structure, when the power switch is turned ON so that the fluorescent lamp
16
is switched on, the light of the fluorescent lamp
16
is reflected by the reflection plate
18
and is introduced into the light-introducing plate
15
, and this light passes in turn through the lower-side and upper-side transparent glass substrates
13
. In this process, if a specific voltage is applied to the liquid crystal
14
, then the molecular arrangement thereof is changed and each area of the liquid crystal
14
is classified into a light-transmitting area or a light-blocking area. Therefore, a portion of the light transmitted through the lower-side transparent glass substrate
13
passes through each light-transmitting area in the liquid crystal
14
, and further passes through the upper-side transparent glass substrate
13
, while the other portion of the above light is reflected by each light-blocking area in the liquid crystal
14
towards the lower-side transparent glass substrate
13
. Accordingly, a predetermined character or a picture can be shown by a combination of light-transmitting and blocking areas, and be displayed in the liquid crystal panel
11
.
However, in the conventional LCD
10
, the fluorescent lamp
16
is supported only at the both ends thereof by the connectors
17
; thus, if a vibration or impact occurs to the backlight
12
during the transport of the LCD
10
, the fluorescent lamp
16
may be bent and broken. As there is a space between the lamp holder
19
and the light-introducing plate
15
, if the fluorescent lamp
16
is broken, then broken pieces or mercury may be scattered towards the light-introducing plate
15
side and the liquid crystal panel
11
may be contaminated.
Additionally, when the broken fluorescent lamp
16
is replaced, the LCD itself must be dismantled, and thus it is troublesome.
On the other hand, the light of fluorescent lamp
16
reflected by the reflection plate
18
concentrates at the area near the light-introducing portion (at the fluorescent lamp
16
side) of the light-introducing plate
15
. Therefore, such non-uniform light causes uneven brightness in the liquid crystal panel
11
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above problems, an objective of the present invention is to provide an LCD for which damage to an irradiating tube can be prevented, and the unevenness of light in a display section can be reduced.
Therefore, the present invention provides a liquid crystal display comprising a display section using liquid crystal, and a light-generating section having an irradiating tube for irradiating the display section, further comprising:
fitting means for detachably attaching the light-generating section to the display section;
one or more elastic members, provided in the light-generating section in a tightly contacting manner, for supporting the irradiating tube; and
a light-transmitting member, positioned at the light-emitting side of the light-generating section, for transmitting the light from the irradiating tube.
According to the above structure, the irradiating tube is supported by the elastic members; thus, if a vibration or impact occurs to the light-generating section, such a vibration or impact is absorbed by the elastic members and is not directly transmitted to the irradiating tube. Therefore, the irradiating tube is not bent, and thus it is possible to prevent the irradiating tube from being broken. In addition, the light-transmitting member is positioned at the light-emitting side of the light-generating section; thus, the light from the irradiating tube is not concentrated near the border area between the light-generating section and the display section, and thus the display section is uniformly irradiated. Accordingly, uneven brightness on the display section can be reduced.
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patent: 4798448 (1989-01-01), van Raalte
patent: 5040878 (1991-08-01), Eichenlaub
patent: 5046829 (1991-09-01), Worp
patent: 5050946 (1991-09-01), Hathaway et al.
patent: 5202950 (1993-04-01), Arego et al.
patent: 5339179 (1994-08-01), Rudisill et al.
patent: 5420710 (1995-05-01), Nanbu
patent: 5461547 (1995-10-01), Ciupke et al.
patent: 5558420 (1996-09-01), Oki et al.
patent: 5666172 (1997-09-01), Ida et al.
patent: 5712694 (1998-01-01), Taira et al.
patent: 61-186162 (1986-11-01), None
patent: 3-71592 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 3-80415 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 4-32819 (1992-02-01), None
patent: 4-47658 (1992-02-01), None
patent: 6-36036 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 6-148434 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 7-218729 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 8-194222 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 9-259625 (1997-10-01), None
NEC Corporation
Sember Thomas M.
Young & Thompson
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