Liquid crystal display panel with border areas of miniscule dimensions

A liquid crystal display device includes a display panel and a backlight module. The display panel includes a TFT substrate. The TFT substrate includes a base portion that is flat and an extending portion curvedly extending from a side of the base portion. A driving chip is positioned on the extending portion and electrically coupled to the TFT substrate. The backlight module includes a light guiding plate including a main portion that is flat and a bending portion curvedly extending from a side of the main portion. The main portion is laminated on a side of the base portion. The bending portion extends toward a direction away from the base portion. An end surface of the bending portion away from the main portion is a light-incident surface of the light guiding plate. A surface of the main portion facing and adjacent to the base portion is a light-emitting surface.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to a liquid crystal displays panel, especially relates to a liquid crystal display device having a narrow border.

BACKGROUND

A conventional liquid crystal display device generally includes a display area for displaying images and a border area surrounding the display area. In order to improve aesthetics and display effects of the display device, it is generally required that the display device have a narrow border area or maybe even a borderless display. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A left border and a right border of a conventional liquid crystal display device (not shown) are generally narrow. A lower border generally has a wider width (an extended width of the lower border toward the display area). Components, such as a driving chip (not shown) may be located in the lower border. A shielding ink (not shown) is usually located in the border area103to shield from view components such as the driving chip.

In the present embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, a width of the lower border105is narrower. Referring toFIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device100includes a display panel110and a backlight module30stacked under the display panel110. The display panel110includes a color filter substrate10, a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate20facing the color filter substrate10, and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) between the color filter substrate10and the TFT substrate20. The backlight module30is adjacent to the TFT substrate20.

The TFT substrate20includes a transparent substrate21and a plurality of TFTs (not shown) and other components (not shown) formed on the transparent substrate21. The backlight module30includes a light guiding plate31, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs)33, a reflective sheet35, and other conventional components in the art, such as optical films (not shown).

As shown inFIG. 2, the light guiding plate31is flexible. A conventional light guiding plate is generally made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but flexibility of the PET material is limited, so the light guiding plate31is often made of other flexible materials, such as polyimide. As shown inFIG. 2, the light guiding plate31includes a main portion311that is flat and a bending portion313which is bent. The bending portion313extends from a side of the main portion311and curvedly extends toward a direction away from the color filter substrate10. The reflective sheet35is on a side of the main portion311of the light guiding plate31away from the color filter substrate10. The bending portion313of the light guiding plate31extends to a side of the reflective sheet35away from the color filter substrate10by curving. The light guiding plate31includes a light-incident surface312and a light-emitting surface314. The light-incident surface312is an end surface of the bending portion313away from the main portion311. The light-emitting surface314is a surface of the main portion311facing the TFT substrate20.

The LEDs33face the light-incident surface312of the light guiding plate31.FIG. 2only shows one LED33. Referring toFIG. 3, the LEDs33of the backlight module30are located on a circuit board34and arranged in at least one column. Light emitted by the LEDs33enters into the bending portion313and then into the main portion311. Light is finally emitted from the light-emitting surface314to provide backlight for the display panel110. In the present embodiment, the main portion311of the light guiding plate31is located substantially in the display area101. The LEDs33are not in the lower border105and do not occupy the lower border105(dislocated from the lower border105). A portion of the bending portion313is in the lower border105and occupies the lower border105.

The bending portion313provides total internal reflection of light which is incident on the bending portion313. The bending portion313conducts the reflected light into the main portion311. Except for the light-incident surface312, all of other outer surfaces of the bending portion313are coated with a reflective coating315, as shown inFIG. 2. The reflective coating315can be a metal or metallic coating. For example, a refractive index of the bending portion313of the light guiding plate31is in a range from 1.5 to 1.8, and the reflective coating315has a refractive index in a range from 1.2 to 1.5. The reflective coating315on the outer surfaces of the bent portion313(except for the light-incident surface312itself) causes total internal reflection by the bending portion313. The manner of rendering a characteristic of total internal reflectivity to the bending portion313is not limited to the above-described manner.

Due to a light path in the bending portion313being curved, the bending portion313further has a function of rendering light output from the LEDs33more uniform. Thus, a uniform back lighting can be obtained and fed into the display area101.

In one embodiment, each LED33emits light of one color. The LEDs33include three types emitting red light, blue light, and green light. The red light, blue light, and green light emitted by the LEDs33are mixed in the bending portion313. In another embodiment, each of the LEDs33emits only blue light, and color conversion means and materials (such as quantum dots, phosphor, materials etc.) are dispersed in the bending portion313, such that blue light of the LEDs33is converted into white light. In another embodiment, the bending portion313is made of material carrying quantum dots. That is, a quantum dot enhancement film (QDEF) is directly used as the bending portion313, so that the bent portion313can convert a color of the light and conduct the light into the main portion311.

In this embodiment, the transparent substrate21is flexible. For example, the transparent substrate21may be made of a transparent polyimide. As shown inFIG. 2, the transparent substrate21includes a base portion211that is flat and an extending portion213that is bent. The extending portion213extends from the base portion211toward a direction away from the color filter substrate10. In this embodiment, a bending direction of the transparent substrate21is the same as a bending direction of the light guiding plate31. The bending portion313and the extending portion213are located on same side of the liquid crystal display device100. The base portion211is laminated on a side of the main portion311adjacent to the color filter substrate10, and the extending portion213surrounds the bending portion313. The color filter substrate10, the base portion211, the main portion311, and the reflective sheet35are stacked orderly along a thickness direction of the liquid crystal display device100.

As shown inFIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device100further includes a driving chip40. The driving chip40is on the TFT substrate20, more specifically is located on the extending portion213of the transparent substrate21of the TFT substrate20. Thus, the driving chip40does not occupy the lower border105. In this embodiment, the driving chip40is located on a side of the extending portion213away from the bending portion313and is adjacent to an end surface of the extending portion213away from base portion211.

The driving chip40is electrically coupled to the TFTs located on the transparent substrate21and to other electrical components (not shown). These other electrical components may be a gate driving, a source driving, and a timing controller to drive the TFTs for example. In this embodiment, the transparent substrate21of the TFT substrate20is located substantially in the display area101. The driving chip40is staggered from the lower border105and not occupying the lower border105, a portion of the extending portion213of the TFT substrate20can be in the lower border105.

Thus, light emitted from the LEDs33is guided to the main portion311of the light guiding plate31by the total internal reflection of the curved bending portion313, and uniform light is emitted from the light-emitting surface314of the main portion311. The light from the LEDs33is not wasted, and the LEDs33are not in occupation of the lower border105.

In this embodiment, the main portion311and the bending portion313of the light guiding plate31are made of same flexible material and integrally formed. In other embodiments, the bending portion313is made of a flexible material, the main portion311is made of a rigid material, and the bending portion313is spliced on a side of the main portion311.

In this embodiment, the base portion211and the extending portion213of the transparent substrate21are made of same flexible material and integrally formed. In other embodiments, the extending portion213is made of a flexible material, the base portion211is made of a rigid material, and the extending portion213is spliced on a side of the base portion211. As shown inFIG. 2, the extending portion213is adjacent to and surrounds the bending portion313.

In the liquid crystal display device100, the curved light guiding plate31enables the location of the LEDs33to be other than in the lower border105. The curved substrate21of the TFT substrate20allows the driving chip40to be located other than in the lower border105. The liquid crystal display device100realizes a narrower, even no lower border105is required.