Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2004-11-16
Nguyen, Dung (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06819387
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to liquid-crystal-panel driver IC (Integrated Circuit) packages for driving a liquid crystal panel, and to liquid crystal panel modules.
It has often been the case, conventionally, that a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC for driving a liquid crystal panel is mounted on a liquid crystal panel in the form of a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP (Tape Carrier Package), which is a form of semiconductor device package.
FIG. 10
shows a plan view of a liquid crystal panel module on which such a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP is mounted. As shown in
FIG. 10
, a plurality of liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs
102
are mounted on opposite two longer-edge sides of a liquid crystal panel
101
. The liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP
102
comprises a semiconductor chip
103
, outer leads (not shown) on the output-terminal side, and outer leads (not shown) on the input-terminal side. The output-terminal side outer leads of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP
102
are connected to the liquid crystal panel
101
, while the input-terminal side outer leads of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP
102
are connected to an input connection board
104
(flexible board or printed board). The individual liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP
102
serves for signal transmission of clock signals, synchronization signals and the like as well as for power supply via interconnection lines (not shown) on this input connection board
104
.
In recent years, because of the market's demands for more lightweight, thinner, shorter and smaller products, downsizing has become indispensable also for the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs to be mounted onto liquid crystal panels. As a response to such demands, the present applicant has proposed a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication HEI 6-3684.
FIG. 11
shows a plan view of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP described in the Publication HEI 6-3684. This liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP is designed to perform transmission of clock signals, synchronization signals and the like as well as power supply by making use of the interconnection lines within a liquid crystal driver chip
117
. In this liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP, a rectangular-shaped liquid crystal driver chip
117
is mounted on a base tape
101
, output leads
115
are provided on the base tape
101
on one longer-edge side of the liquid crystal driver chip
117
, and input leads
111
,
112
each transmitting signals S
1
-S
7
are provided on the other opposite two shorter-edge sides of the liquid crystal driver chip
117
on the base tape
101
. Then, the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs are disposed so as to adjoin the liquid crystal panel, while a slit
113
having the input leads
111
and connecting leads
114
of the input leads
112
of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP are overlaid on each other so that the input leads
111
,
112
of liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs are connected to each other. This makes it possible to perform signal transmission and power supply to the individual liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs, thereby eliminating the input connection board (flexible board or printed board)
104
shown in FIG.
10
. Thus, the picture-frame size of the liquid crystal panel module can be reduced.
However, along with growing demands for even more lightweight, thinner, shorter and smaller liquid crystal panel modules, the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC is further advancing in size reduction and slimming in thickness. On this account, there have arisen needs for mounting liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCPs, on each of which a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC is mounted, further compactly on the liquid crystal panel, as well as for further reducing the picture-frame size of the liquid crystal panel module.
Therefore, it would be conceived, as one method for reducing the picture-frame size of the liquid crystal panel module, to bend the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP by 90°. In this case, however, there are problems that the liquid crystal panel module would become thicker while jigs for securing this bent liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP would be necessitated. Moreover, there are fears that when the bent liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP is led around and fixed to the rear face side of backlight or the like, the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP could not be fixed until all the components and units such as the backlight are integrated together, and that the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC TCP might be damaged by the bending or other work.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package which can be mounted compactly on a liquid crystal panel without using any fixing jigs, and to provide a liquid crystal panel module which can be downsized by reducing the picture-frame size with the use of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, according to this invention, there is provided a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package comprising:
an insulative base;
a liquid-crystal-panel driver IC mounted on the insulative base;
output leads which are provided on the insulative base on one side of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC, and which are connected to the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC; and
input leads which are provided on the insulative base on the other side of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC, and which are connected to the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC, wherein
a bending slit is provided on part of the insulative base where the output leads are provided such that the output leads remain in the bending slit.
According to this liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package, the bending slit is provided while the output leads (wiring patterns) are left on the output leads side of the insulative base on which the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC is mounted, and the insulative base is bent over at the bending slit. For example, the insulative base is bent over so that main parts of the output leads to be connected to the liquid crystal panel are positioned on the rear side and that the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC and the input leads are positioned on the front side, then the main parts of the output leads are connected to the wiring of the liquid crystal panel, and the resulting liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package is mounted on the liquid crystal panel. Thus, the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package can be mounted in the bent state compactly on the liquid crystal panel.
In one embodiment, the insulative base is a base tape.
According to this liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package, since the insulative base is the base tape, the bending of the base tape at the bending slit can be easily achieved.
Also, in one embodiment, the insulative base is a flexible board.
According to this embodiment, since the insulative base is the flexible board, there are no device holes into which resin mold is filled for protecting the output leads and the input leads (writing patterns) as well as the bumps of the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC to which those wiring patterns are connected, as would be involved in the case of the base tape, making the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package easier to handle. Besides, since there are no swells of the resin mold to be filled into such a device hole, upper and lower parts of the flexible board are laid on each other in a just fit when the flexible board is bent. Thus, the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC package can be made lower in height and mounted more compactly.
Also, in one embodiment, the input leads are first input leads and second input leads which are respectively provided on the insulative base so as to extend bilaterally outwardly generally perpendicularly to a direction in which the output leads extend from the liquid-crystal-panel driver IC, and
connecting slits are respectively provided on parts of the insulative base where the first and second input leads are provided, respectively, such that the
Nguyen Dung
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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