Abstract:
An LCD device includes an LCD panel for displaying images, a printed circuit board connected to one side of the LCD panel and supplying a driving signal to the LCD panel, and including a connection hole, a bottom chassis and a middle mold receiving the LCD panel, and a top chassis protecting the LCD panel and the middle mold, wherein the bottom chassis includes a hook fixing the source PCB.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2007-113163, filed on Nov. 7, 2007, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device having improved durability against external impacts, and a method of manufacturing the LCD device. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     Recently, the advent the information society has led to increased importance of a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device. An LCD device has advantages, such as a smaller size, lighter weight, and lower power consumption, when compared with a cathode ray tube (“CRT”) display. 
     The LCD device typically includes an LCD panel, a panel driver, a backlight assembly, a bottom chassis, a middle mold, and a top chassis. 
     The LCD panel displaying images includes liquid crystal cells arranged in a matrix form between two substrates, and thin film transistors (“TFTs”) controlling signals that are supplied to the liquid crystal cells. 
     The panel driver includes a driving integrated circuit (“IC”) to drive gate and data lines of the LCD panel, a timing controller controlling the driving IC, a power voltage supply supplying voltage signals to the LCD panel and driving circuits. Components of the timing controller and the power voltage supply are mounted on a printed circuit board (“PCB”) to supply data signals to the LCD panel. 
     The backlight assembly includes lamps generating light, a reflective sheet and an optical sheet improving light efficiency. The backlight assembly includes a bottom chassis receiving the backlight assembly and the LCD panel, and a middle mold protecting the backlight assembly and the LCD panel. 
     The PCB is connected to the LCD panel through a tape carrier package (“TCP”). The PCB is arranged in a side surface of the bottom chassis, with the middle mold disposed therebetween, to be fixed by a source fixing boss formed in the middle mold. The top chassis is coupled to the bottom chassis to prevent the movement of inner components. 
     However, a conventional PCB is released from the source fixing boss by external impacts, thereby causing a problem such as short circuits between the top chassis and the inner components mounted on the PCB. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device that can firmly hold a printed circuit board, thereby improving its durability against external impacts. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, an LCD device includes an LCD panel displaying images, a printed circuit board (PCB) connected to one side of the LCD panel to supply a driving signal to the LCD panel, the PCB including a connection hole, a bottom chassis, and a middle mold receiving the LCD panel, and a top chassis protecting the LCD panel and the middle mold, wherein the bottom chassis comprises a hook fixing the source PCB. 
     The book may be curved outwardly from the bottom chassis. 
     The hook may include a supporting portion allowing the PCB to be spaced apart from the bottom chassis with a predetermined distance, and a link portion preventing the PCB from being separated from the bottom chassis. The PCB may be arranged between the supporting portion and the link portion. 
     The link portion may be extended downwardly to be hooked into the connection hole. 
     The link portion may allow the PCB to be spaced from the top chassis. 
     The connection hole may include a ground portion formed in a circumference of the connection hole, and the ground portion contacts the hook when the hook is coupled to the connection hole. 
     The bottom chassis may include a user hole through which the bottom chassis is coupled to a covering case, and the PCB has a hole overlapping the user hole so that it is externally exposed. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, an LCD device includes a liquid crystal display panel displaying images, a PCB connected to one side of the LCD panel and supplying a driving signal to the LCD panel, and a bottom chassis and a middle mold receiving the liquid crystal display panel. The middle mold may include a hook for fixing the PCB. 
     The hook may be separated from the middle mold so as to have elasticity. 
     The fixing projection may allow the PCB to maintain a predetermined distance from the top chassis. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a method of manufacturing an LCD device includes providing an LCD panel, providing a printed circuit board (PCB) to drive the liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, the PCB including a connection hole, connecting the PCB to the LCD panel, providing a bottom chassis including a hook to fix the PCB, mounting the LCD panel on the bottom chassis; and coupling the connection hole to the hook. 
     The connection hole may be coupled to the hook by a sliding operation. 
     The hook may include a supporting portion through which the PCB is spaced apart from the bottom chassis, and a link portion preventing the PCB from being separated from the bottom chassis. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a method of manufacturing an LCD device includes providing an LCD panel, providing a printed circuit board (PCB) driving the LCD panel, connecting the PCB to the LCD panel, providing a middle mold including a hook to fix the PCB, mounting the LCD panel on the middle mold, and coupling the PCB to the hook. 
     The PCB may be coupled to the hook by a sliding operation. 
     The hook may include an inner side on which printed circuit board is seated and a fixing projection preventing the PCB from being separated from the inner side. 
     The hook may be separated from the middle mold so as to have elasticity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view illustrating a combination of a source printed circuit board (“PCB”) and a hook in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion I in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a partial enlarged view illustrating a variation to  FIG. 2B ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating a coupled structure of the source PCB and the hook in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion II in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  is a partial enlarged view illustrating a variation to  FIG. 3B ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view for explaining a relation of an embossed portion of a bottom chassis and data wires of the PCB in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view illustrating a combination of a source PCB and a middle mold in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present; 
         FIG. 5B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion III in  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 5C  is a perspective view illustrating a fixing portion of the middle mold; 
         FIG. 5D  is a partial enlarged view of the fixing portion in  FIG. 5C ; and 
         FIG. 5E  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a combination of the source PCB and the middle mold. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5E . This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
     An LCD device  100  includes an LCD panel  102 , a panel driver (not shown), a backlight assembly  142 , a bottom chassis  150 , a middle mold  160 , and a top chassis  170 . 
     The LCD panel  102  includes a thin film transistor (“TFT”) substrate  106  and a color filter substrate  104 . The TFT substrate  106  is attached to face the color substrate  104 , with a liquid crystal layer (not shown) sandwiched therebetween to control the light transmissivity. The color filter substrate  104  includes black matrixes (not shown) to prevent light leakage, color filters (not shown) to implement colors, and common electrodes (not shown). 
     The TFT substrate  106  includes data and gate lines (not shown) formed to intersect each other, TFTs (not shown) formed at intersection portions of the data and gate lines, and pixel electrodes (not shown) connected to the TFTs. 
     The panel driver includes a gate driver (not shown) to drive gate lines of the LCD panel  102  and a data driver  120  to drive data lines of the LCD panel  102 . 
     The gate driver (not shown) may include a gate printed circuit board (“PCB”), and a gate integrated circuit (“IC”) mounted on a gate tape carrier package (“TCB”) formed between the gate PCB and the TFT substrate  106 . 
     The gate IC receives a control signal and a power signal from a timing controller and a power voltage supply that are mounted on a source PCB  124 . 
     The data driver  120  includes the source PCB  124  and a data IC  122  mounted on a data TCB formed between the source PCB  124  and the TFT substrate  106 . 
     The data IC  122  converts pixel data into an analog pixel signal and supplies the analog pixel signal to the data lines. The source PCB  124  supplies the control signal, the power signal, and the pixel data supplied from the timing controller and the power supply and the like to the data IC  122 . 
     The backlight assembly  142  includes lamps  140 , a reflective sheet  138 , and optical sheets  130 . The lamps  140  generate light using an external power to supply the light to the LCD panel  102 . 
     The reflective sheet  138  is arranged under the lamps  140  to reflect the light back toward the LCD panel  102 . 
     The optical sheets  130  are sequentially stacked on the lamps  140  and include a diffusion sheet  132 , a prism sheet  134 , and a protection sheet  136 . The diffusion sheet  132  diffuses the light. The prism sheet  134  allows the incident light to be directed to the LCD panel  102 , so that the light can be concentrated on the LCD panel  102 . The protective sheet  136  protects a surface of the prism sheet  134 . The diffusion sheet  132 , prism sheet  134 , and protection sheet  136 , respectively, may be provided in multiple units. 
     The bottom chassis  150  includes a hook  152  to fix the source PCB  124  and an embossed portion  158  to support the source PCB  124 . A connection hole  126  is formed at one side of the source PCB  124  to be coupled to the hook  152 . 
     The bottom chassis  150  receives the backlight assembly  142 , the middle mold  160 , and the LCD panel  102 . The middle mold  160  wraps around an outer surface of the bottom chassis  150 , and the LCD panel  102  is seated on an upper side of the middle mold  160 . 
     The middle mold  160  is arranged between the bottom chassis  150  and the top chassis  170  so as to surround the bottom chassis  150 . A height of the middle mold  160  may be shorter than a height of the bottom chassis  150  so that the hook  152  is not covered by the middle mold  160 . A structure of the middle mold  160 , a structure of the bottom chassis  160 , and a combination of the source PCB  124  with the middle mold  160  and bottom chassis  160  will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     The top chassis  170  surrounds the edge of the LCD panel  102  and is coupled to an outer side surface of the middle mold  160  that is coupled to the outer surface of the bottom chassis  150 . The top chassis  170  prevents the movement of inner components and protects the edge of the LCD panel  102 . 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view illustrating a connection of the source PCB and the hook in accordance with the exemplary embodiment described above,  FIG. 2B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion I in  FIG. 2A , and  FIG. 2C  is a partial enlarged view of a variation to  FIG. 2B . 
     The bottom chassis  150  includes the hook  152 , instead of a fixing boss included in a conventional source PCB, to fix the source PCB  124 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the hook  152  is extended and curved outwardly from the bottom chassis  150 . The hook  152  is coupled to the connection hole  126  of the source PCB  124 . The hook  152  includes a supporting portion  154  serving to keep the bottom chassis  150  apart from the source PCB  124 , and a link portion  156  preventing the source PCB  124  from being separated from the bottom chassis  150 . The source PCB  124  is fixed between the supporting portion  154  and the link portion  156 . 
     The link portion  156  may formed in a round shape to be easily coupled to the connection hole  126  of the source PCB  124 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the link portion  156  is extended upwardly to be hooked into the connection hole  126 . In an alternate exemplary embodiment to that shown in  FIG. 2C , the link portion  156  is extended downwardly to be hooked into the connection hole  126 . 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view illustrating a coupled structure of the source PCB and the hook in accordance with the above-described exemplary embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion II in  FIG. 3A , and  FIG. 3C  is a partial enlarged view illustrating a variation to  FIG. 3B . 
     The link portion  156  may enter into and be hooked by the connection hole  126 , because the link portion  156  is rounded upwardly or downwardly in its tip, as shown in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 3C , respectively. The tip of the link portion  156  extending upwardly serves to make the source PCB  124  be apart from the top chassis, thereby preventing a possible short circuit between the top chassis and chips mounted on the source PCB  124 . 
     A beveled portion  165  is formed in a circumference of the connection hole  126 . The beveled portion  165  contacts the hook  152  when the connection hole  126  is coupled to the hook  152 . The beveled portion  165  may be formed by grinding. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the bottom chassis  150  includes a user hole  157  through which the bottom chassis  150  is coupled to a covering case (not shown). The source PCB  124  has a hole formed therein in a portion overlapping the user hole  157 , so as to expose the user hole  157 . 
     The source PCB  124  is firmly held by the supporting portion  154  and the link portion  156 , thereby preventing the source PCB  124  from being separated from the bottom chassis  150 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a relationship of an embossed portion of the bottom chassis and data wires of the source PCB in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
     The bottom chassis  150  includes the hook  152  fixing and supporting the source PCB  124  and the embossed portion  158  supporting the source PCB  124 . The embossed portion  158  is formed in an oval shape with a specified height, so that the source PCB  124  and the bottom chassis  150  can be spaced by a predetermined distance. 
     The data wires  180  formed on a rear surface of the source PCB  124  are designed to avoid contact with the embossed portion  158  of the bottom chassis  150 . When the source PCB  124  is coupled to the bottom chassis  150  through the hook  152 , the embossed portion  158  of the bottom chassis  150  contacts an embossed portion contact area  159  formed on the rear surface of the source PCB  124 . The embossed portion  158  of the bottom chassis  150  does not contact the data wires  180 . Accordingly, the LCD device does not need to add an additional insulation component between the source PCB  124  and the bottom chassis  150 . 
     A method of manufacturing an LCD device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes providing an LCD panel, providing a source PCB to drive the LCD, which includes a connection hole, and driving the LCD panel, connecting the source PCB to the LCD panel, providing a bottom chassis including a hook to fix the source PCB, mounting the LCD panel on the bottom chassis, and coupling the hook to the connection hole. 
     The hook may include a supporting portion allowing the source PCB to be spaced apart from the bottom chassis by a predetermined distance, and a hook preventing the source PCB from being separated from the bottom chassis. The hook may be coupled to the connection hole in such a manner that the connection hole slides along the rounded tip of the hook and is captured by the hook, that is, by a sliding operation. 
     The  FIG. 5A  is a perspective view illustrating a connection of the middle mold and the source PCB in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 5B  is a partial enlarged view of a portion III in  FIG. 5A .  FIG. 5C  is a perspective view illustrating a fixing portion of the middle mold, and  FIG. 5D  is a partial enlarged view of the fixing portion in  FIG. 5C . The components other than the components fixing the middle mold and the source PCB are the same as those of the above-described exemplary embodiment of the invention, and thus the detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     A fixing portion  161  shown in  FIGS. 5C and 5D  includes a hook  168  and a fixing boss  162  to fix the source PCB  124 . The fixing boss  162  protrudes from one side of the middle mold  160  and is coupled to a boss hole  163  of the source PCB  124 . The hook  168  is formed on a lower portion of the middle mold  160 , and includes an inner side  166  and a fixing projection  164 . The hook  168  is made of the same material as that of the fixing projection  164  and the middle mold  160 . As shown in  FIG. 5D , a part of the inner side  166  where the source PCB  124  is seated is represented by shade lines. The source PCB  124  is seated on the inner side  166  and is prevented from being separated from the inner side  166  by the fixing projection  164 . A portion of the fixing projection  164 , which protrudes toward the top chassis (not shown), serves to maintain a predetermined distance between the source PCB  124  and the bottom chassis to eliminate any necessity of an additional component. 
       FIG. 5E  is a cross-sectional view useful in illustrating a method of combining the source PCB and the middle mold. 
     When the middle mold  160  is coupled with the source PCB  124 , the hook  168  is pressed downward by the source PCB  124 , and, after the coupling is complete, the hook  168  returns to its original location by its inherent elasticity. Then, the bottom surface of the source PCB  124  is seated on the inner side  166 , and the source PCB  124  can be engaged with the middle mold  160 . Therefore, the source PCB  124  can be prevented from being separated from the inner side  166  by the fixing projection  164 . 
     A method of manufacturing the LCD device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes providing the LCD panel, providing the source PCB  124  to drive the LCD panel, providing the middle mold  160  including the hook  168  to fix the source PCB  124 , mounting the LCD panel on the middle mold  160 , and coupling the source PCB  124  to the hook  168 . 
     The hook  168  includes the inner side  166  on which the source PCB  124  is seated, and the fixing projection  164  preventing the source PCB  124  from being separated from the inner side  166 . The hook  168  is separated from the middle mold  160  and has elasticity. 
     The source PCB  124  may be coupled to the hook  168  in such a manner that the bottom surface of the middle mold  160  slides along the fixing projection  164  while the hook  168  is pressed downward, and is then hooked by the hook  160  which has returned to its original location. 
     The LCD device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes the hook formed in the middle mold as well as a conventional fixing boss. The hook prevents the source PCB from being damaged by external impacts and may prevent a short circuit generated between the top chassis and components mounted on the source PCB. 
     As described above, the LCD device includes the hook formed in the bottom chassis to firmly fix the source PCB. Also, the embossed portion maintains the predetermined distance between the source PCB and the bottom chassis and is designed to avoid contacting the data wires, so that the additional insulation component is not required. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.