Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Display elements arranged in matrix
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2002-09-03
Shankar, Vijay (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural physical display element control system
Display elements arranged in matrix
C040S564000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445373
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P10-256381 filed Sep. 10, 1998 which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly to a display apparatus which employs a display panel to display an image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
shows a conventional display apparatus which employs a display panel for which a liquid crystal display panel is used. The display apparatus includes a chassis
1
. The chassis
1
is formed by bending a sheet metal of an aluminum alloy. The chassis
1
is open on the front side and has a side face opening
2
formed on the right-hand side face such that a box-shaped lighting apparatus
3
in the form of a unit can be inserted into the chassis
1
through the side face opening
2
. The opening on the front side of the chassis
1
allows light from the lighting apparatus
3
to go out forwardly therethrough. The lighting apparatus
3
is used as a backlight. Usually, a side edge backlight type apparatus or a direct backlight type apparatus is used for the lighting apparatus
3
.
A panel holder
4
is combined on the front face side of the chassis
1
. The panel holder
4
is formed from a frame member which supports a liquid crystal panel
6
thereon. The liquid crystal panel
6
is adhered to the panel holder
4
with a double-sided adhesive tape
5
and is attached to the front face of the chassis
1
together with the panel holder
4
by means of screws
7
.
A circuit board
8
of the display apparatus is mounted on the rear face side of the chassis
1
. The chassis
1
has a pair of short legs
9
provided on the opposite sides of a lower portion thereof and is supported on a support base
10
through the legs
9
.
The lighting apparatus
3
in the form of a unit accommodated in the chassis
1
is described below with reference to FIG.
2
. The lighting apparatus
3
shown in
FIG. 2
is of the direct backlight type and includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps
13
disposed in a juxtaposed relationship with each other and serving as light sources. A reflecting plate
14
is disposed on the rear face side of the fluorescent lamps
13
, and a circuit board
16
for energizing the fluorescent lamps
13
is disposed on the rear side of the reflecting plate
14
. The circuit board
16
is mounted on a casing
15
.
An optical panel
17
for eliminating non-uniformity of the luminance is mounted on the front face of the lighting apparatus
3
.
The optical panel
17
includes a combination of three members of a rear face side diffusion plate
18
, a prism sheet
20
and a diffusion plate
19
.
The rear face side diffusion plate
18
is used to diffuse the light to reduce non-uniformity of the luminance. This is because the location in front of each of the fluorescent lamps
13
is liable to be brighter than any other location.
The prism sheet
20
is disposed on the rear face side diffusion plate
18
. The prism sheet
20
is provided to condense the light of the fluorescent lamps
13
on the front to augment the luminance on the front.
The diffusion plate
19
is disposed on the prism sheet
20
. The diffusion plate
19
prevents a moire which is caused by the combination of the prism sheet
20
and the liquid crystal panel
6
.
The optical panel
17
is attached to the casing
15
by means of a pair of holding members
21
.
When the lighting apparatus
3
is incorporated in the chassis
1
of the display apparatus having the structure described above with reference to
FIG. 1
, the chassis
1
surrounds the lighting apparatus
3
. Consequently, the display apparatus has a dual box structure including the chassis
1
and an armor formed from the casing
15
of the lighting apparatus
3
. Accordingly, application of the structure to a display apparatus of a large screen gives rise to a problem that the display apparatus becomes heavy in weight. Further, when the lighting apparatus
3
is taken out of the chassis
1
, the strength of the chassis
1
against torsion becomes very low. Therefore, the display apparatus is disadvantageous in that, if an unnecessary force acts upon the chassis
1
while the lighting apparatus
3
is not accommodated in the chassis
1
such as, for example, upon assembly of the display apparatus, the chassis
1
is distorted or the lighting apparatus
3
becomes less liable to be inserted into the chassis
1
.
Further, with the display apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
, when the lighting apparatus
3
is inserted into or removed from the chassis
1
, the optical panel
17
shown in
FIG. 2
is sometimes damaged or soiled. In order to prevent non-uniform luminance caused by such damage or soil from appearing conspicuously, it is necessary to attach a thin diffusion plate to the back face side of the liquid crystal panel
6
. The panel holder
4
of
FIG. 1
is provided to this end. If the panel holder
4
is omitted in order to reduce the weight of the set, then a thin diffusion plate for prevention of non-uniform luminance cannot be attached and therefore the liquid crystal panel
6
is attached directly to the chassis
1
by means of the double-sided adhesive tape
5
. The structure just described, however, has a problem in that non-uniform brightness originating from damage or soil to the optical panel is not reduced and an undesirable stress is applied to the liquid crystal panel
6
by a distortion of the chassis
1
.
Some of display apparatus which employ, for example, a small-size liquid crystal panel of 14 inches or less employ a lighting apparatus in the form of a unit as a chassis. More particularly, a liquid crystal display panel is attached directly to the front face of a lighting apparatus, and a circuit board is mounted on the rear face of the lighting apparatus. The structure is superior in that it allows realization of reduction in weight and miniaturization of a display apparatus. However, it is disadvantageous in that time is required for replacement of a light source of the lighting apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display apparatus which has a large screen with a light weight and a sufficient structural strength and allows easy replacement of a light source of a lighting apparatus.
In order to attain the object described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus including a display panel for displaying an image thereon, including a rectangular frame formed from a combination of bar members corresponding to four sides of the display panel, and a circuit board for driving the display panel mounted on the frame together with the display panel.
With the display apparatus, since the frame serves also as a chassis and besides has a rectangular shape composed of a combination of bar members corresponding to the four sides of the rectangle, a sufficient strength is assured.
The display apparatus may be constructed such that each of the bar members which form the frame is a polygonal tube-like member, and the polygonal tube-like member of at least one of the bar members has a groove for holding a part or a unit of the display apparatus. Further, the display apparatus may be constructed such that the bar member is formed from a molded member, and the groove is formed in the molding direction. The frame may support a light source unit of the display panel and serves also as a casing for the light source unit. The light source unit may include a plurality of linear light sources mounted on a reflecting plate and is removably mounted on the frame. The display apparatus may be constructed such that an opening is formed in the bar member of one of the four sides of the frame and a guide groove is formed on each of a pair of the bar members on the opposite sides of the one side with the opening, and a part or a unit of the display apparatus is inserted into the frame through the opening and held by the guide gro
Patel Nitin
Shankar Vijay
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
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