Abstract:
A display apparatus includes first and second frames in which a display panel is seated and optical sheets are received, and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus. The display apparatus includes a display panel displaying an image, a light source supplying light to the display panel, a first frame supporting the display panel and having the light source positioned therein, and a second frame combined with the first frame, wherein the second frame includes a cover portion that receives the light source, and a support portion, which extends from the cover portion along sidewalls of the first frame, where the support portion combines with the first frame, and includes an opening, the opening formed opposite to and facing the cover portion.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0055364, filed on Jun. 12, 2008, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. §119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This disclosure relates to a display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    As modern society rapidly changes toward an information-oriented society, market demand for a slimmer and lighter panel display has increased. Cathode Ray Tube (“CRT”) displays are neither slim nor lightweight. Accordingly, Flat Panel Display (“FDP”) devices, such as Plasma Display Panels (“PDPs”), Plasma Address Liquid Crystal display panels (“PALCs”), Liquid Crystal Displays (“LCDs”), and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (“OLEDs”), are the subject of increased commercial attention. 
         [0006]    In particular, a flat panel display (“FPD”), which has advantages such as low power consumption, reduced weight, and a slim profile, are commercially used in various industrial applications, including computers, electronic devices, and information communications equipment, for example. FPDs include an LCD panel assembly having a LCD panel for displaying an image, a backlight assembly that includes a lamp for emitting light, a light guide plate for guiding the light to the LCD panel, and receiving containers for receiving the LCD panel and the backlight assembly. 
         [0007]    There exists a need to reduce the overall thickness and weight of a display apparatus, including reduction of the volume of the frames and receiving containers which form the external shape of the display apparatus. A major concern is to maintain the strength of the entire structure while reducing the overall weight and volume of the frames and receiving containers. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The above described and other drawbacks are alleviated by a lightweight display apparatus capable having a thin profile, by simplifying structures of first and second frames in which a display panel is seated and optical sheets are received. 
         [0009]    The disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a lightweight display apparatus and having a thin profile, by simplifying structures of first and second frames in which a display panel is seated and optical sheets are received. 
         [0010]    The above and other aspects of the disclosure will be described in or be apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments. 
         [0011]    Disclosed herein is a display apparatus including a display panel displaying an image, a light source supplying light to the display panel, a first frame supporting the display panel, the first frame comprising a sidewall and having the light source disposed therein, and a second frame combined with the first frame, wherein the second frame includes a cover portion and a support portion,the cover portion receives the light source, and the support portion extends from the cover portion along the sidewall of the first frame, the cover portion is combined with the first frame, and having an opening disposed opposite to and facing the cover portion. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect, there is provided a display apparatus including a display panel displaying an image, a first frame including a sidewall, a frame portion which extends to an interior area formed by the sidewall and in which the display panel is disposed, a fastening protrusion disposed at an edge of the sidewall, and a light guide portion integrally disposed with the frame portion, the light guide portion guides the light emitted from the light source to the display panel, and a second frame combined with the first frame, wherein the second frame has one end bent and at least partially overlapping the display panel. 
         [0013]    According to still another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a display apparatus, the method including receiving a light source in a first frame, and combining a second frame with the first frame, the second frame including a cover portion which receives the light source, and a support portion which protrudes from the cover portion along the sidewall of the first frame, and has an opening disposed opposite to and facing the cover portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent by describing in further detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a display apparatus; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the coupling relationship between a first frame and a second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a region “A” shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a region “B” shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame shown in  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the second frame shown in  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6A  is a sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame and the second frame, taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6B  is a sectional view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a modified example of the second frame shown in  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a display apparatus; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the coupling relationship between a first frame and a second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8B  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a first frame and a second frame shown in  FIG. 8A ; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame and the second frame, taken along line B-B′ in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Advantages and features of the embodiments, and methods of accomplishing the same, may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art, and the disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. 
         [0030]    The terms “the”, “a” and “an” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. The suffix “(s)” as used herein is intended to include both the singular and the plural of the term that it modifies, thereby including at least one of that term (e.g., the edge(s) includes at least one edge). 
         [0031]    Hereinafter, a display apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described in further detail with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6A .  FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a display apparatus,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the coupling relationship between a first frame and a second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3A  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an “A” region shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a “B” region shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the first frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame shown in  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 5A  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 5B  is an enlarged perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the second frame shown in  FIG. 3A , and  FIG. 6A  is a sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame and the second frame, taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0032]    Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the display apparatus  1  according to the embodiment includes a display panel assembly and a backlight assembly. 
         [0033]    The display panel assembly includes a display panel  30  comprising a lower substrate  31  and an upper substrate  32 , liquid crystal (not shown), a flexible printed circuit board  33 , and a printed circuit board  34 . 
         [0034]    The display panel  30  includes a lower substrate  31  and an upper substrate  32  opposite to the lower substrate  31 . The lower substrate  31  includes a gate line (not shown), a data line (not shown), a thin film transistor (“TFT”) array, and a pixel electrode, for example. The upper substrate  32  includes a color filter, a black matrix, and a common electrode, for example. Here, the color filter and the common electrode may be disposed on the lower substrate  31 . 
         [0035]    The flexible printed circuit board  33  is electrically connected to the gate line or the data line disposed on the lower substrate  31 . The flexible printed circuit board  33  may include a wiring pattern disposed such that a semiconductor chip is disposed on a base, and bonded by a Tape Automated Bonding (“TAB”) technique. Examples of such a chip film package include, but are not limited to, a tape carrier package (“TCP”), chip on film (“COF”), and the like. 
         [0036]    In addition, various driving components for supplying the gate lines and the data lines with a gate driving signal and a data driving signal through the flexible printed circuit board  33  may be mounted on the printed circuit board  34 . 
         [0037]    The backlight assembly includes a first frame  10 , an optical sheet  40 , a light guide plate  50 , a light source  55 , a reflection sheet  60 , and a second frame  20 . 
         [0038]    The light source  55  includes one or more lamps for emitting light. Exemplary lamps include a line light source, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (“CCFL”), a hot cathode fluorescent lamp (“HCFL”), an external electrode fluorescent lamp (“EEFL”), or the like, or a point light source, such as a light emitting diode (“LED”), or the like, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing lamps. As is shown in  FIG. 1 , in an edge-type backlight assembly, at least one light source may be positioned at either side of the light guide plate  50 . Thus the light source may be disposed at one side of the light guide plate  50 , or the light source may be disposed at both sides of the light guide plate  50 , for example. 
         [0039]    The light guide plate  50  guides the light supplied from the light source  55  to the display panel  30 . The light guide plate  50  may comprise a plastic panel, the plastic panel comprising a transparent material such as polymethyl methacrylate (“PMMA”), or the like. The light guide plate  60  makes the light emitted from the light source  55  travel toward the display panel  30 , which is positioned over the light guide plate  50 . Thus, various patterns for switching a traveling direction of the light incident upon the light guide plate  50  to the display panel  30  are printed on the bottom surface of the light guide plate  50 . 
         [0040]    The optical sheet  40 , which is disposed on the light guide plate  50 , diffuses and concentrates the light emitted from the light guide plate  50 . The optical sheet  40  may include a diffusion sheet, a prism sheet, a protective sheet, or the like, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing sheets. Alternatively, the optical sheet  40  may be a combination sheet comprising all or some of the functions of these sheets. That is, the combination sheet may be constructed such that it has a diffusion capability at its bottom layer, a prism pattern (not shown) disposed on the bottom layer, and a protective layer disposed on the prism pattern. In such a manner, since the optical sheet  40  encompasses all of diffusive and prismatic functions in a single sheet, the number of components can be reduced, thereby making the display apparatus  1  slimmer. 
         [0041]    The first frame  10  accommodates the optical sheet  40 , the light guide plate  50 , and the light source  55 , and is combined to the second frame  20 . The first frame  10  has a window disposed in its center to allow for transmittance of the light that has passed through the light guide plate  50  and the optical sheet  40 . 
         [0042]    The first frame  10  includes sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d , which form a rectangular frame that surrounds the lateral sides of the first frame  10 , and a seating portion  130  inwardly extending from the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d.    
         [0043]    The first frame  10  may be disposed by injection molding, or the like. 
         [0044]    The reflection sheet  60  is disposed under the light guide plate  50  and upwardly reflects the light emitted from below the light guide plate  50 . The reflection sheet  60  disposed under the light guide plate  50  further reflects unreflected light, that is, the light that is not reflected by fine dot patterns disposed on the rear surface of the light guide plate  50 , toward an exit face of the light guide plate  50 , thereby reducing loss of light incident onto the display panel  30  and enhancing the uniformity of the light transmitted to the exit face of the light guiding plate  50 . 
         [0045]    The first frame  10  is disposed on and combined with the second frame  20 . The second frame  20  accommodates the light source  55 , and functions to reinforce the strength of the display apparatus  1 . The second frame  20  includes a cover portion  210 , which receives the light source  55 , and a support portion  220 , which supports the cover portion  210 . The second frame  20  is disposed in a ‘U’ shape such that the support portion  220  extends from opposite ends of the cover portion  210 . 
         [0046]    Hereinafter, the first frame and the second frame will be described in further detail with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0047]    The first frame  10  and the second frame  20  are combined with each other to support the display panel  30 , and accommodate the optical sheet  40 , the light guide plate  50 , the light source  55 , and the reflection sheet  60 , in an inner cavity portion of the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 . The first frame  10  and the second frame  20  form a framework of the display apparatus  1  and protect various components in the internal cavity portion formed by the combination of the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 . 
         [0048]    In order to protect the components in the inner cavity portion, the first frame  10  can comprise a material having sufficient stiffness. The first frame  10  can comprise polycarbonate (“PC”), or a mixture of PC and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”) copolymer resin, or the like. Also, to prevent light from leaking to the outside, the first frame  10  may comprise a non-transparent resin. In order to reduce the likelihood that the display panel  30  disposed on the first frame  10  is broken, the first frame  10  may comprise a ductile material. 
         [0049]    The first frame  10  includes four sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d , which form a rectangular frame. The seating portion  130 , which inwardly extends from the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  to receive the display panel  30 , may be disposed on at least one of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d . The seating portion  130  can be formed on the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The seating portion  130  may be disposed at an edge of the light guide plate  50 . Thus, in an embodiment, the seating portion  130  is disposed on at least one of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d , and in another embodiment the seating portion  130  is disposed on the light guide plate  50 . 
         [0050]    The light source  55  may be positioned inside at least one of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The light source  55  may also include a separate lamp cover (not shown), and an inner surface of the lamp cover may be coated with a reflective material. In an embodiment, wherein an edge type backlight assembly is included in the display apparatus  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , the light source  55  is disposed on at least one side of the light guide plate  50 . Thus the display apparatus  1  can comprise a plurality of light sources  55 . 
         [0051]    An opening  140 , through which the flexible printed circuit board  33  can penetrate, may be disposed on at least one of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The opening  140  is disposed on the sidewall  110   c  of the first frame  10  and has a dimension that is greater than, or a dimension that is substantially the same as, those of the flexible printed circuit board  33 . The sidewall  110   c , which comprises the opening  140 , has a height that is less than a height of the other sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   d.    
         [0052]    The opening  140  may be disposed along the sidewall  110   c  in the form of a groove. The flexible printed circuit board  33  is disposed through the opening  140 , and electrical connection between the printed circuit board  34  and the flexible printed circuit board  33  may be accommodated in the bottom of the second frame  20 . 
         [0053]    The sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame include first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b , and a second fastening protrusion  121   a , to establish a hook coupling with the second frame  20 . The first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b , and the second fastening protrusions  121   a , are engaged with the first fastening grooves  241   a  and  241   b , a second fastening groove  242   a  disposed in the second frame  20 , respectively, to allow the first frame  10  and the second frame  20  to be combined with each other. 
         [0054]    The first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b  are disposed at an edge of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   b . Alternatively, the first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b  may upwardly protrude and be perpendicular to a surface of the display panel  30 . The first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b  may be disposed on the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   b , which are combined to the second frame  20 , and thus in this embodiment are not disposed on the sidewall  110   c , which is not combined with the second frame  20 . The first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b  may be disposed in the form of spots, or channels elongated along the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   b.    
         [0055]    The second fastening protrusion  121   a  is disposed on an external surface of the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d , and are coupled to the second fastening groove  242   a  of the second frame  20 . The second fastening protrusion  121   a , and the second fastening groove  242   a , serve to reinforce a coupling power between the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 . When desired, in order to further reinforce the coupling power, screw engagement may be employed in place of, or in addition to, the second fastening protrusion  121   a  and the second fastening groove  242   a.    
         [0056]    In addition, a planar portion  150  may be disposed at a lower portion of the first frame  10 . The planar portion  150  allows the optical sheet  40 , the light guide plate  50 , and the reflection sheet  60  to be securely accommodated within the first frame  10 . The planar portion  150  has a width defined by an interior area formed by the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The planar portion  150  is disposed at the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d  opposite to and facing each other, within the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The width of planar portion  150  can, if desired, have a width wide enough to receive the light guide plate  50  and the reflection sheet  60 . 
         [0057]    The second frame  20  is combined to the first frame  10  and serves to reinforce the strength of the first frame  10 . The second frame  20  may comprise a metal material capable of reducing the volume of the second frame  20  while maintaining the strength thereof. The second frame  20  can be fabricated from a metal plate that is subjected to a sheet metal forming process, thereby forming a simplified structure for maintaining high strength. The first frame  10  may be combined with the second frame  20  by a hook coupling. The second frame  20  includes a cover portion  210  in which the light source  55  is accommodated, and a support portion  220  extending from the cover portion  210 . The cover portion  210  protects the light source  55  accommodated therein and prevents light from being leaked to the outside from the light source  55 . The cover portion  210  includes a cover bottom surface  211 , forming a bottom surface of the cover portion  210 , and a cover wall  212  extending from the cover bottom surface  211 . The cover bottom surface  211  is disposed towards the bottom surface of the first frame  10  so as to partially overlap with the light guide plate  50 . The cover wall  212  is bent along the external surface of the sidewall  110  of the first frame  10 . 
         [0058]    The support portion  220  is connected to opposite ends of the cover portion  210  and extends along the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . Thus the cover portion  210  and the support portion  220  are disposed in a ‘U’ shape. The support portion  220  extends along the external surfaces of the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d , and reinforces the strength of the first frame  10 . The support portion  220  may be shorter than the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d , thus the support portion  220  may have a height that is less than an height of sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d . The cover portion  210  and the support portion  220  may be integrally formed using a single metal plate. 
         [0059]    In addition, the cover portion  210  and the support portion  220  include the first fastening grooves  241   a  and  241   b , and the second fastening groove  242   a . The first fastening protrusions  120   a  and  120   b  are inserted into the first fastening grooves  241   a  and  241   b  to establish a hook coupling, and the first fastening grooves  241   a  and  241   b  may be disposed at fixing members  230   a ,  230   b , and  230   c , and comprise bent ends of the cover portion  210  and the support portion  220 . Thus the cover portion  210  and the support portion  220  are bent along the external surfaces of the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   b  of the first frame  10 , and the fixing members  230   a  and  230   b  are bent to the upper surface of the sidewalls  100   a ,  110   b , and  110   b . In this embodiment, the first fastening grooves  241   a  and  241   b  may be disposed at the edges of the fixing members  230   a ,  230   b , and  230   c . At least one of the fixing members  230   a  and  230   b  may be provided in the cover portion  210  and the support portion  220 . 
         [0060]    In order to fasten the display panel  30 , the first frame  10 , and the second frame  20 , an adhesive member (not shown) may be used. Thus, in order to reduce the overall weight and thickness of the display apparatus  1 , the display panel  30  and the first frame  10  may be directly attached to the second frame  20  while removing an accommodation member for fixing the display panel  30 , the first frame  10 , and the second frame  20 . Therefore the overall strength of the display apparatus  1  can be maintained by the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 , and the display apparatus  1  can be assembled in a simplified manner without a substantial change in the entire structure by directly attaching the display panel  30  to the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 . 
         [0061]    Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the display apparatus  1  according to a first embodiment will be described. 
         [0062]    First, the light source  55 , the optical sheet  40 , and the light guide plate  50  are disposed into the inner cavity portion formed by the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . The light source  55 , the optical sheet  40 , and the light guide plate  50  are disposed in the seating portion  130  inwardly extending from the sidewalls  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d.    
         [0063]    In addition, the planar portion  150 , extending at a lower portion of the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d , prevents the light guide plate  50  and the optical sheet  40  from deviating from a framework formed by the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 , and the reflection sheet  60  may be disposed between the light guide plate  50  and the planar portion  150 . 
         [0064]    Next, the first frame  10  and the second frame  20  are combined with each other. The first fastening groove  241   a  disposed at the cover portion  210  of the second frame  20  is coupled to the first fastening protrusion  120   a  disposed at the edge of the sidewall  110   a , among the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  of the first frame  10 . In such a manner, with regard to combining the first frame  10  with the second frame  20 , the first fastening protrusions  120   a  and the first fastening grooves  241   a  are first coupled to each other by a hook coupling. Next, the first frame  10  and the second frame  20  are combined with each other such that they are rotated about the first fastening protrusion  120   a  and the first fastening groove  241   a , and the sidewalls  110   b  and  110   d  are then coupled to the support portion  220  by the hook coupling. Next, the display panel  30  is disposed on the seating portion  130  of the first frame  10 . In this embodiment, an adhesion member (not shown) may be disposed between the display panel  30  and the seating portion  130  for attaching the display panel  30  to the first frame  10 . In this manner, it has been observed that assembly of the display apparatus  1  is simplified. 
         [0065]    Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the second frame  20  shown in  FIG. 6A  will be described with  FIGS. 1 and 6B .  FIG. 6B  is a sectional view illustrating a second embodiment comprising a modified second frame, as is shown in  FIG. 6A . 
         [0066]    A display apparatus according to a second embodiment, including a modified second frame of the second frame  20  shown in  FIG. 6A , is substantially the same as the display apparatus  1  according to the first embodiment, except that fixing members  230   b  included in the second frame  20  partially overlap with the display panel  30  to fix the display panel  30 . Accordingly, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or like parts as those described in the first embodiment, and thus the detailed descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. 
         [0067]    The fixing members  230   b  fasten the first frame  10  with the second frame  20 , and prevent the display panel  30  from deviating from the first frame  10  and the second frame  20 . Thus, the display panel  30  is fixed to the first frame  10  such that at least portions of the fixing members  230   b  are made to overlap with the display panel  30  by inwardly extending the first frame  10  by a predetermined length. Here, a width of each of the fixing members  230   b  may less than a width of the seating portion  130 . In an embodiment using the fixing members  230   b , a separate adhesion member may be omitted. 
         [0068]    Hereinafter, a second embodiment of a display apparatus will be described in further detail with reference to  FIGS. 7 to 9 .  FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a display apparatus,  FIG. 8A  is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the coupling relationship between a first frame and a second frame included in the display apparatus shown in  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8B  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a first frame and a second frame shown in  FIG. 8A , and  FIG. 9  is a sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the first frame and the second frame, taken along line B-B′ in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0069]    The display apparatus according, to a second embodiment, is substantially the same as the display apparatus  1  according to the first embodiment, except that a light guide plate and a first frame  10 ′ are integrally disposed and a structure of the first frame  10 ′ is modified. Accordingly, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or like parts as those described in the first embodiment, and thus the detailed descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. 
         [0070]    Referring first to  FIG. 7 , the display apparatus includes a display panel assembly, and a backlight assembly. The display panel assembly includes a display panel  30  comprising a lower substrate  31  and an upper substrate  32 , a liquid crystal (not shown), a flexible printed circuit board  33 , and a printed circuit board  34 . The backlight assembly includes a first frame  10 , an optical sheet  40 , a light source  55 , a reflection sheet  60 , and a second frame  20 . 
         [0071]    The first frame  10 ′ will now be described in further detail with reference to  FIGS. 8A through 9 . The first frame  10 ′ includes a light guide portion  50 ′, and a frame portion  51  forming a framework of the display apparatus. 
         [0072]    The light guide portion  50 ′ converts light having an optical distribution of a line light source, which is emitted from the light source  55 , into light having the optical distribution of a surface light source. The light guide portion  50 ′ comprises a resin having superior light transmittance, e.g., polymethymethacrylate (“PMMA”), or the like. The light guide portion  50 ′ has substantially a rectangle or a square shape. In addition, a parallel surface flat plate, which has a constant thickness, or a wedge-type plate, which has a thickness gradually decreasing from one end to the other end, may be used as the light guide portion  50 ′. Further, in order to diffuse and reflect the incident light supplied from the light source  55 , a prism pattern or a diffusion pattern may be disposed on the top or bottom surface of the light guide portion  50 ′. 
         [0073]    The frame portion  51  is disposed along the edge of the light guide portion  50 ′, and includes sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  forming external surfaces of the first frame  10 ′, and a seating portion  130  disposed at an interior area formed by the sidewalls  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , and  110   d  to receive the display panel  30 . The frame portion  51  is integrally disposed with the light guide portion  50 ′. The light guide portion  50 ′ and the frame portion  51  may be integrally disposed with each other by dual molding, insert molding, or the like. 
         [0074]    Meanwhile, the light guide portion  50 ′ and the frame portion  51  may comprise the same material or different materials. For example, the light guide portion  50 ′ and the frame portion  51  may be integrally disposed using a single transparent resin,such as, PMMA, or the like, for example. 
         [0075]    Alternatively, the first frame  10 ′, which comprises the light guide portion  50 ′ and the frame portion  51 , may comprise different materials, that is, the light guide portion  50 ′ may comprise a resin with light transmittance, e.g., PMMA, and the frame portion  51  may comprise a resin without light transmittance, e.g., polycarbonate (“PC”), or a mixture of PC and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”) copolymer resin, or the like. When the first frame  10 ′ is formed by integrally disposing the light guide portion  50 ′ and the frame portion  51 , the strength of the first frame  10 ′ can be increased, thereby advantageously reducing the overall thickness and weight of the display apparatus. In addition, since the number of components is reduced and the assembly process is simplified, the manufacturing efficiency can be improved. 
         [0076]    While the disclosed embodiments have been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims. It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the disclosure.