Assembly structure for liquid crystal module

The present invention provides an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, which is extended to form installation margins by increasing the size of a liquid crystal panel. The installation margins are directly formed with a plurality of installation holes for connecting with a plurality of corresponding positioning holes of a backlight module by positioning elements. Thus, the liquid crystal panel and the backlight module can directly construct a liquid crystal module, without any front frame. As a result, the size of the entire liquid crystal module in relation to X, Y and Z axes can be reduced, the assembly structure for the entire liquid crystal module can be simplified, and the installation cost of the entire liquid crystal module can be saved, while the compactness and the lightweight design of a liquid crystal display can be carried out.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, and more particularly to an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module which can omit a traditional front frame used for mounting a liquid crystal panel, so as to simplify the installation thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays, for the convenience of installation and transportation, many components are generally installed into various modules in advance during the mass production of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). For example, a backlight module is constructed by backlight sources and a diffuser plate, and then a liquid crystal module is constructed by the backlight module, a liquid crystal panel and a front frame.

Referring now toFIGS. 1 and 2, a partially exploded perspective view of a traditional liquid crystal module and a perspective view of a traditional liquid crystal panel are illustrated, respectively, wherein a liquid crystal module10substantially comprises a backlight module11, a liquid crystal panel12, a front frame13, a plurality of first screws14and a plurality of second screws15. The backlight module11has a housing111, and the housing111is a rectangular outer housing. The housing111has at least one side surface formed with a plurality of first screw holes112, while the housing111further has an upper surface formed with a plurality of second screw holes113. The liquid crystal panel12has a driver circuit board121on at least one side thereof, wherein the driver circuit board121has a plurality of driver ICs and a plurality of openings122on suitable positions thereof. The front frame13is a rectangular outer frame, and the front frame13has an upper surface formed with a plurality of installation holes131.

In installation, the liquid crystal panel12is firstly disposed on the backlight module11, and the first screws14are used to pass through the openings122of the driver circuit board121for screw-connecting with the first screw holes112on the side surface of the housing111. Then, the front frame13is pressed to dispose on the liquid crystal panel12, and the second screws15are used to pass through the installation holes131on the upper surface of the front frame13for screw-connecting with the second screw holes113on the upper surface of the housing111. Therefore, the first screws14and the second screws15can construct the backlight module11, the liquid crystal panel12and the front frame13into one-piece liquid crystal module10.

However, in actual installation, there are still some problems existing in the traditional liquid crystal module10, as follows: Because the liquid crystal module10includes the front frame13, the assembly structure of the entire liquid crystal module10can not be simplified and the installation cost of the entire liquid crystal module10can not be lowered. Meanwhile, because the upper surface or the side surfaces of the front frame13has a thickness, the installation height (i.e. the size along a Z axis) and length/width size of the entire liquid crystal module10(i.e. the sizes along a X and Y axes), resulting in affecting the compactness and lightweight design of the liquid crystal display.

As a result, it is necessary to provide an assembly structure design for a liquid crystal module to solve the problems existing in the traditional technology, as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, which is extended to form installation margins by increasing the size of a liquid crystal panel, wherein the installation margins are directly formed with a plurality of installation holes for connecting with a plurality of corresponding positioning holes of a backlight module by positioning elements. Thus, the liquid crystal panel and the backlight module can directly construct a liquid crystal module, without any front frame. As a result, the entire liquid crystal module needs not the thickness of the traditional front frame in relation to X, Y and Z axes by omitting the front frame, so that the size of the entire liquid crystal module in relation to X, Y and Z axes can be reduced, the assembly structure for the entire liquid crystal module can be simplified, and the installation cost of the entire liquid crystal module can be saved, while the compactness and the lightweight design of a liquid crystal display can be carried out.

A secondary object of the present invention is to provide an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, wherein the positioning elements for connecting the installation holes to the positioning holes can be made of elastic buffering material for providing a vibration absorption effect and a waterproof effect.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, wherein the positioning elements for connecting the installation holes to the positioning holes can be used with washers, and the washers can be made of conductive material with a predetermined strength for providing an electrostatic grounding effect and an effect for distributing the screw-connection force of the positioning elements toward a liquid crystal panel.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, wherein the assembly structure for the liquid crystal module comprises: a backlight module having an outer housing, wherein the outer housing has an upper surface and the upper surface is formed with a plurality of positioning holes; a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal display area and at least one installation margin, wherein the at least one installation margin is extended from at least one side of the liquid crystal display area and the at least one installation margin is formed with a plurality of installation holes corresponding to the positioning holes; and a plurality of positioning elements passing through the installation holes of the installation margin of the liquid crystal panel to connect the corresponding positioning holes on the outer housing of the backlight module.

Furthermore, the present invention provides another assembly structure for a liquid crystal module, wherein the assembly structure for the liquid crystal module comprises: a backlight module having a plurality of positioning holes; a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal display area and at least one installation margin, wherein the at least one installation margin is extended from at least one side of the liquid crystal display area and the at least one installation margin is formed with a plurality of installation holes corresponding to the positioning holes; and a plurality of positioning elements passing through the installation holes of the installation margin of the liquid crystal panel to connect the corresponding positioning holes of the backlight module.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning elements are selected from screws or fasteners.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the screws are screws made of elastic buffering material.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the screws are screws made of metal, and each of the screws has an elastic buffering contact portion made of elastic buffering material for being elastically in contact with the installation margin of the liquid crystal panel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, further comprising a plurality of washers, wherein each of the washers has a through hole, and the positioning element can pass through the through hole of the washer and the installation hole of the liquid crystal panel in turn (or the installation hole of the liquid crystal panel and the through hole of the washer in turn) to connect the corresponding positioning hole of the backlight module.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the washers are washers made of conductive material.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive material is metal or alloy with low hardness, plastic mixed with metal or alloy particles, or rubber mixed with metal or alloy particles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Referring now toFIGS. 3 and 4, an exploded perspective view of an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a perspective view of the liquid crystal panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention are illustrated, wherein an assembly structure20for liquid crystal module is mainly applied to the field of liquid crystal display (LCD), and the assembly structure20for liquid crystal module comprises a backlight module21, a liquid crystal panel22, a plurality of mounting elements23and a plurality of positioning elements24. The present invention will describe the foregoing elements by first and second embodiments, as follows:

Referring toFIG. 3, the backlight module21in the first embodiment of the present invention comprises an outer housing211, wherein the outer housing211is a rectangular outer housing which encloses and defines an inner space (unlabeled) for installing backlight sources and various optical sheets, such as a diffuser plate, a diffuser sheet, a prism sheet, a reflector sheet, and etc. The outer housing211has four side surfaces, and at least one of the side surfaces of the outer housing211is formed with a plurality of mounting holes212, wherein the mounting holes212are preferably screw holes. Furthermore, the outer housing211has an upper surface, wherein at least two opposite sides of the upper surface of the outer housing211are formed with a plurality of positioning holes213, and the positioning holes213are preferably screw holes. In the embodiment, the mounting holes212are formed on the side surface of at least one longer side of the outer housing211, while the positioning holes213are formed on the upper surface of two opposite longer sides of the outer housing211, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the mounting holes212and the positioning holes213also can be formed on shorter sides of the outer housing211, or simultaneously formed on the longer sides and the shorter sides at the same side or at the different sides. In addition, the outer housing211can be made of plastic or metal, or pre-fabricated into a body and then combined with metal plates on upper surfaces and side surfaces of the body for increasing the structural strength thereof, wherein all of the foregoing methods are possible embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiment, the positioning holes213are formed on the upper surface of the outer housing211. But, in other embodiment, it should be noted that the positioning holes213also can be formed on other components of the backlight module21.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the liquid crystal panel22in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is mainly a plate body constructed by two glass substrates, alignment films, liquid crystal and a color filter and other components (not shown), wherein the liquid crystal panel22comprises a liquid crystal display area221and at least one installation margin222, while at least one side of the liquid crystal panel22is further electrically connected with a driver circuit board223. The liquid crystal display area221means a zone where the liquid crystal is encapsulated between the two glass substrates, then arrangement of liquid crystal molecules can be varied according to signals of the driver circuit board223after finishing the following installation and thus show various colors because light of backlight sources of the backlight module21passes therethrough. The at least one installation margin222is extended from and formed on at least one side of the liquid crystal display area221. In the embodiment, the installation margins222are formed on two sides of the liquid crystal display area221, while the installation margins222are extended from and formed on a lower glass substrate of the two glass substrates of the liquid crystal panel22, but the forming method thereof is not limited thereto. Besides, a plurality of suitable positions of the installation margins222provided with surface circuits are electrically connected to the driver circuit board223by a plurality of flexible circuit boards (unlabeled). Meanwhile, a plurality of suitable positions of the installation margins222without any surface circuits are formed with a plurality of installation holes224, wherein the installation holes224are corresponding to the positioning holes213, and the installation holes224are preferably through holes. In addition, a plurality of suitable positions of the driver circuit board223are formed with a plurality of mounting holes225, wherein the mounting holes225are preferably through holes.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 3A, the mounting elements23in the preferred embodiment of the present invention are preferably screws, wherein the mounting elements23can pass through the mounting holes225of the driver circuit board223and be screw-connected to the corresponding mounting holes212on the side surface of the outer housing211of the backlight module21, so as to install the driver circuit board223onto the backlight module21. Furthermore, the positioning elements24in the preferred embodiment of the present invention are preferably screws, and especially screws made of elastic buffering material, wherein the elastic buffering material can be plastic, rubber, metal or alloy with lower hardness or other material. In this way, the positioning elements24can be elastically in contact with the installation margins222of the liquid crystal panel22. As shown inFIG. 3A, in other embodiment, the positioning elements24are preferably screws, and especially screws made of metal, wherein a lower edge of a nut of the screws further has an elastic buffering contact portion241made of elastic buffering material for being elastically in contact with the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22. The positioning elements24are used to pass through the installation holes224on the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22, and be screw-connected to the corresponding positioning holes213on the upper surface of the outer housing211of the backlight module21. However, in other embodiments, the mounting elements23and/or the positioning elements24also can be selected from fasteners or other equivalent elements having mounting or positioning function, wherein the mounting holes212and/or the positioning holes213can be correspondingly selected from through holes.

Referring toFIG. 3, when the assembly structure20for liquid crystal module in the first embodiment of the present invention is used for installation, the backlight module21, the liquid crystal panel22, the mounting elements23and the positioning elements24are firstly prepared. Then, the liquid crystal panel22is placed on the backlight module21, so that the installation holes224on the installation margins222can be aligned with the positioning holes213on the upper surface of the outer housing211, while the mounting holes225of the driver circuit board223can be aligned with the mounting holes212on the side surface of the outer housing211. After this, the mounting elements23are used to pass through the mounting holes225and be screw-connected to the corresponding mounting holes212on the outer housing211, while the positioning elements24are used to pass through the installation holes224and be screw-connected to the corresponding positioning holes213on the outer housing211. As a result, the mounting elements23and the positioning elements24can construct the backlight module21and the liquid crystal panel22into one piece, so as to form the assembly structure20for liquid crystal module.

Referring now toFIG. 5, an assembly structure for a liquid crystal module according to a second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, and substantially uses similar terms and numerals of elements, wherein the assembly structure20for liquid crystal module of the second embodiment similarly comprises: the backlight module21, the liquid crystal panel22, the mounting elements23and the positioning elements24, wherein the backlight module21includes the outer housing211, the outer housing211is formed with a plurality of mounting holes212on the side surface of at least one side thereof, while the outer housing211is formed with a plurality of positioning holes213on the upper surface of at least two opposite sides thereof. The liquid crystal panel22comprises the liquid crystal display area221and the at least one installation margin222, while at least one side of the liquid crystal panel22is further electrically connected with a driver circuit board223. The installation margin222is formed with a plurality of installation holes224, while the driver circuit board223is formed with the mounting holes225. In addition, the difference of the second embodiment of the present invention is that the assembly structure20for liquid crystal module of the second embodiment further comprises a plurality of washers25, wherein each of the washers25has a through hole251. The washers25are preferably washers made of conductive material with a predetermined strength for providing an electrostatic grounding effect and an effect for distributing the screw-connection force. The conductive material is preferably elastic buffering material, such as metal or alloy with low hardness, or plastic (or rubber) mixed with metal or alloy particles.

In installation, the washers can be sandwiched between the nuts of the positioning elements24and the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22, so that the positioning elements24can pass through the through holes251of the washers25and the installation holes224of the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22in turn for connecting with the corresponding positioning holes213of the outer housing211of the backlight module21. Alternatively, the washers25also can be sandwiched between the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22and the upper surface of the outer housing211of the backlight module21, so that the positioning elements24can pass through the installation holes224of the installation margin222of the liquid crystal panel22and the through holes251of the washers25in turn for connecting with the corresponding positioning holes213of the outer housing211of the backlight module21. In the present invention, the foregoing two different types of installation positions can be singly used or simultaneously used. Alternatively, because the washers25are preferably washers made of conductive material with a predetermined strength, so that the washers25can guide the static electricity on the liquid crystal panel22to metal plates or ground line (not shown) on the outer housing211of the backlight module21by grounding for providing an electrostatic grounding effect and an effect for distributing the screw-connection force.

As described above, in comparison with the traditional liquid crystal module which comprises the front frame and can not further simplify the assembly structure for the liquid crystal module, lower the installation cost of the liquid crystal module and reduce the size of the entire liquid crystal module in relation to X, Y and Z axes and thus cause that the compactness and the lightweight design of a liquid crystal display can not be carried out, the assembly structure25for liquid crystal module of the present invention as shown inFIGS. 2 to 5is extended to form the installation margins222by increasing the size of the liquid crystal panel22, wherein the installation margins222are directly formed with the installation holes224for connecting with of the corresponding positioning holes213of the backlight module21by the positioning elements24. Thus, the liquid crystal panel22and the backlight module21can directly construct the liquid crystal module20, without any traditional front frame. As a result, the entire liquid crystal module needs not the thickness portion of the traditional front frame in relation to X, Y and Z axes by omitting the traditional front frame, so that the reducing ratio of the thickness in relation to a height direction (i.e. Z axis) is equal to the thickness of the traditional front frame/the thickness of the entire liquid crystal module; the reducing ratio of the thickness in relation to a length direction (i.e. X axis) is equal to the thickness of two sides of the traditional front frame/the thickness of the entire liquid crystal module; and the reducing ratio of the thickness in relation to a width direction (i.e. Y axis) is equal to the thickness of two sides of the traditional front frame/the thickness of the entire liquid crystal module. As a result, the present invention is advantageous to reduce the size of the entire liquid crystal module in relation to X, Y and Z axes, simplify the assembly structure for the entire liquid crystal module, and save the installation cost of the entire liquid crystal module, while the compactness and the lightweight design of a liquid crystal display can be carried out. Furthermore, in the present invention, the positioning elements224for connecting the installation holes224to the positioning holes213can be made of elastic buffering material for providing a vibration absorption effect and a waterproof effect. Moreover, the positioning elements224also can be used with the washers25, and the washers25can be made of conductive material with a predetermined strength for providing an electrostatic grounding effect and an effect for distributing the screw-connection force of the positioning elements224toward the liquid crystal panel22.