Abstract:
A display and a backlight module thereof are provided. The backlight module comprises a substrate, a supporting element, and at least one U-shaped lamp installed over the substrate. The substrate has a bottom surface. The U-shaped lamp comprises two ends and a curved portion for forming a reference surface. The reference surface and the bottom surface form an included angle.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 94136681, filed Oct. 20, 2005. All disclosure of the Taiwan application is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates to a display and a backlight module thereof, and in particular relates to an arrangement of U-shaped lamps.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2  and  2 A, a conventional backlight module  10  comprises a substrate  11 , a bottom surface  12 , a plurality of U-shaped lamps  13  and a region  14  for setting a supporting element (not shown) to support the U-shaped lamps  13 .  FIG. 2A  shows the U-shaped lamps  13  of the conventional backlight module disposed in the substrate  11  and parallel to the bottom surface  12 .  
         [0006]     The current purchasing trend is towards large size displays. However, the arrangement of the U-shaped lamps of the conventional backlight module  10  does not provide adequate illumination for a large size display. To generate adequate illumination in a large size display, a manufacturer adds a prism sheet (not shown) in a backlight module, which increases cost. Moreover, a prism sheet may wrinkle, thus decreasing display quality because of high temperature from a backlight module. The invention provides a solution to the above problems.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention provides a display and backlight module thereof. The backlight module comprises a substrate, supporting element and a plurality of U-shaped lamps. The substrate comprises a bottom surface. The U-shaped lamp is installed over the substrate. Two ends and a curved portion of the U-shaped lamp form a surface. The surface and the bottom form an included angle.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment, when there is a plurality of U-shaped lamps, the open directions of all U-shaped lamps are toward the same direction.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, when there is a plurality of U-shaped lamps, the open directions of each two U-shaped lamps are toward the reverse direction.  
         [0010]     In another embodiment, the backlight module further comprises at least a straight lamp. The U-shaped lamp overlaps the straight lamp. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing a conventional backlight module;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a vertical view showing a conventional backlight module;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a vertical view of an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6A  is a cross-sectional view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of another embodiment showing the substrate connects to the bottom surface; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view showing the open direction of the U-shaped lamp. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4  and  4 A, a backlight module  20  comprises a substrate  21 , a region  14  and a plurality of U-shaped lamps  23 . A plurality of supporting elements  27  are installed in the region  24  for supporting the U-shaped lamps  23 . In this embodiment, the substrate  21  is a frame which comprises a bottom surface  22 .  FIG. 4  shows each U-shaped lamp comprises two ends  231  and  232  and a curved portion  233  for forming a reference plane S (shown by  FIG. 4A ), wherein the reference plane S and the bottom surface  22  form an included angle θ. In the other word, the reference plane S is non-parallel to the bottom surface  22 . Moreover, two electrodes are installed on the ends  231  and  232 . In  FIG. 8 , the open direction of the U-shaped lamp  23  is toward the right, thus,  FIG. 4  shows the open direction of all U-shaped lamps are toward the same direction (arranged in the same direction). The included angle θ ranges from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. The substrate  21  further comprises a side surface  26  connected to the bottom surface  22 . Noted that the U-shaped lamp  23  may be a cold cathode fluorescence lamp (CCFL) or an external electrode fluorescence lamp (EEFL).  
         [0026]      FIGS. 5 and 5 A show another embodiment. A backlight module  20  comprises a substrate  21 , a region  24  and a plurality of U-shaped lamps  23 . A plurality of supporting elements  27  are installed in the region  24  for supporting the U-shaped lamps  23 . In this embodiment, the substrate  21  is a frame which comprises a bottom surface  22 .  FIG. 4  shows each U-shaped lamp comprises two ends  231  and  232  and a curved portion  233  for forming a reference plane S (shown by  FIG. 5A ), wherein the reference plane S and the bottom surface  22  forms an included angle θ. In the other word, the reference plane S is non-parallel to the bottom surface  22 . Moreover, two electrodes are installed on the ends  231  and  232 . In  FIG. 8 , the open direction of the U-shaped lamp  23  is toward the right, thus,  FIG. 5  shows that the open directions of each two U-shaped lamps are toward the reverse direction (arranged in the reverse direction). The included angle θ ranges from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. The substrate  21  further comprises a side surface  26  connected to the bottom surface  22 .  
         [0027]      FIGS. 6 and 6 A show another embodiment. A backlight module  20  comprises a substrate  21 , a region  24 , a plurality of U-shaped lamps  23  and a plurality of straight lamps  25 . A plurality of supporting elements  27  are installed in the region  24  for supporting the U-shaped lamps  23 . In this embodiment, the substrate  21  is a frame which comprises a bottom surface  22 .  FIG. 4  shows that each U-shaped lamp comprises two ends  231  and  232  and a curved portion  233  for forming a reference plane S (shown by  FIG. 6A ), wherein the reference plane S and the bottom surface  22  forms an included angle θ. In other words, the reference plane S is non-parallel to the bottom surface  22 . Moreover, two electrodes are installed on the ends  231  and  232 . In  FIG. 8 , the open direction of the U-shaped lamp  23  is toward the right, thus,  FIG. 6  shows the open directions of all U-shaped lamps  23  are toward the same direction (the same direction arrangement). The straight lamp  25  overlaps the U-shaped lamp  23 . The included angle θ ranges from 0 degree to 90 degree. The substrate  21  further comprises a side surface  26  connected to the bottom surface  22 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  shows another embodiment. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment of  FIGS. 3 and 4  is that the substrate  21  and the surface  22  are a single and unitary member.  
         [0029]     The invention provides a display which contains more U-shaped lamps than a conventional display. The invention does not require additional prism sheet to supply adequate illumination for a backlight module, thereby problems associated with the prism sheet are eliminated.  
         [0030]     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.