Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Holder – support – frame – or housing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-28
2003-12-23
Dudek, James (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Holder, support, frame, or housing
C349S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06667779
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 1999-67840 filed on Dec. 31, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display module, and more particularly, to the module including a back light device having cables.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a general portable computer such as a laptop or notebook computer typically includes a body
10
, a liquid crystal display device assembly
20
coupled to the body
10
via a hinge mechanism
24
. The liquid crystal display assembly
20
has a liquid crystal display module
21
and a display case
22
supporting the module
130
. The body
10
has an input device
12
such as a keyboard. Though the case
22
includes front and rear cases, in
FIG. 1
, the front case is omitted for explanation.
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display module
21
. The liquid crystal display module
21
includes a back light device
23
and a liquid crystal display panel
14
having printed circuit boards
32
. The back light device
23
and the liquid crystal display panel
14
are attached to each other via a main frame
60
and a top frame
70
. The main frame
60
is typically made of a plastic material and supported by a cover
80
(see FIG.
5
). The back light device
23
includes a reflective plate
23
a,
a waveguide plate
23
b,
a first diffuser/protecting sheet
23
c,
a first prism sheet
23
d,
a second prism sheet
23
e,
and a second diffuser/protecting sheet
23
f,
which are all stacked on each other in the above-described order. The main frame
60
is coupled to the top frame
70
with the liquid crystal panel
14
and the back light device
23
interposed therebetween.
Hereinafter, detailed structures of the back light device
23
, the main frame
60
, and the top or metal frame
70
will be explained.
FIG. 3
is a schematic view of the back light device according to the related art. The back light device
23
includes a lamp
30
, a lamp housing
29
collecting and reflecting the light from the lamp
30
, an inverter board
26
acting as an electric source to turn ON/OFF the lamp
30
, cables
27
a
and
27
b
transmitting the voltage from the inverter board
26
to the lamp
30
, and two sockets
28
a
and
28
b
connecting the cables
27
a
and
27
b
and the lamp
30
.
The one socket
28
a
is generally fixed and the other one
28
b
is detachable in order to exchange the lamp
30
. The cables
27
a
and
27
b
can have a heat-shrinkable tube. The thicker one, cable
27
a
for high voltage, is fixed to the lamp
30
by soldering, and connected to the inverter board
26
by soldering or through a connector (not shown).
FIG. 4
shows a structure of the main frame
60
which is generally made of plastic material. The main frame
60
has a bottom surface portion
61
and a side surface portion
62
elongated from the peripheral edges, and supports the back light device
23
and the liquid crystal display panel
14
. The back light device
23
is especially supported by one surface
62
a
of the side surface portion
62
.
FIG. 5
shows a cover or lower cover
80
. The lower cover
80
has a plane portion
82
as a main portion and a pair of vertical portions
84
bent from the plane portion
82
. The plane portion
82
has a first screw hole
86
for connecting the cover
80
and the main frame
60
. Each vertical portion
84
has a second screw for connecting the metal frame
70
and the cover
80
. The lower cover
80
supports the main frame
60
along the longitudinal direction of the lamp
30
of the back light device
23
, and protects against bending or wrinkling of the main frame
60
. To this end, the lower cover
80
is made of a stainless steel. The lower cover
80
can be mounted further or reside alone near the printed circuit board at the opposite side of the location of the lamp
30
.
FIG. 6
shows structure of the metal frame
70
which is for assembling the liquid crystal assembly
20
at the final step. The metal frame
70
has bent portions toward the main frame
60
and is assembled to the main frame
60
and the rear case
22
(see FIG.
1
).
The areas “A”, “B”, and “C” of
FIGS. 4
,
5
, and
6
, respectively, designate a passage for the cables
27
of the back light device
23
.
FIG. 7
shows an assembled liquid crystal display module
21
. The square shaped liquid crystal panel
14
is surrounded by the metal frame
70
at the upper portion thereof, and has the back light device at the lower portion thereof. Both cables
27
a
and
27
b
transmitting voltage to the back light device
23
from the inverter board
26
are located outside of the liquid crystal module
21
through the passage around a corner thereof. Though each of the cables
27
a
and
27
b
are connected to the corresponding ends of the lamp
30
, since the liquid crystal display assembly
20
(see
FIG. 1
) tends to become more compact and thinner, if one of the cables
27
a
and
27
b
is located at the opposite end of the passage, the whole size of the liquid crystal assembly
20
becomes larger.
The structure of the assembly
21
usually adopted for a portable computer as described above has following problems.
First, during transporting, packing, or manufacturing the liquid crystal module, when connecting the inverter board and the connectors (not shown) with the cable or handling the cable for any other reasons, external forces can be transmitted to the soldering portion between the lamp and the cable, leading to a disconnection between them.
Second, while mounting the liquid crystal display assembly to a portable computer shown in
FIG. 1
, the cable of the back light device can contact the hinge frame, thus the skin of the heat-shrinkable tube or wire cable can rip or be damaged.
Third, as shown in
FIG. 1
, since the inverter board of the portable or laptop computer is positioned near the center of one side of the liquid crystal module, the cable detours around the connecting member extended from the hinge frame and is connected to the inverter board via the space between the hinge mechanism and the liquid crystal assembly, which is a complicated arrangement.
These problems have a limit to be overcome by a design change, since the display assembly tends to be more compact or thinner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a liquid crystal module for a computer that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display module having a structure that can obviate undesired or accidental disconnection of the cable of the back light device.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides, in one embodiment, a liquid crystal display module including: a display panel having side surfaces and a top surface having a display region; a back light device having a lamp supplying light to the display panel, the lamp having a cable; a first frame covering peripheral portions of the top surface and side portions of the display panel; a second frame supporting the display panel and the back light device with the first frame, the second frame having a main surface and a side wall extended and bent from the main surface; and a guide member guiding the cable of the lamp.
The guide member is fixed to the second frame and has a stainless steel. The guide m
Dudek James
LG. Philips LCD Co. Ltd.
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
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