Display device

A display device having a display panel, a conductive shielding film disposed on a surface of the display panel, and a flexible circuit unit connected to another surface of the display panel and configured to provide a driving signal to the display panel, wherein the shielding film has at least one protrusion disposed adjacent the flexible circuit unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0156949, filed on Dec. 17, 2013, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device, and in particular, to a display device having a protrusion adjacent to a flexible circuit unit, thereby preventing electrostatic damage.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, display devices have become thinner and have higher definition.

However, as a display device becomes thinner, static electricity is easily accumulated inside the display device by electric shock or friction from outside, and when static electricity is discharged, internal circuits or elements of the display device are affected by the electrostatic discharge (ESD).

For display devices with high definition, circuits and elements are highly integrated, and thus static electricity is easily generated in the display device.

Static electricity is electric charge accumulated in an electric element, etc., by friction or electric shock, and has a high discharging voltage which shocks the electric device comprising the electric element. That is, because the discharging voltage of electrostatic discharge of the static electricity is sometimes up to a thousand or tens of thousands volts, elements or connecting units between the elements of the electric device are damaged or a temperature of the elements increases, and so, the static electricity may be a cause of a defect in the electric device.

Therefore, in order to protect inner elements of the display device which is thin and highly integrated, it is very important to effectively eliminate the static electricity accumulated in the display device.

SUMMARY

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a display device comprising a shielding film for shielding electrostatic discharge.

In addition, aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a display device that can easily remove static electricity generated in a vicinity of a driving chip of a COF (Chip On Film).

In addition, aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a display device that can easily remove static electricity through a conductive protrusion.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device comprising a display panel; a conductive shielding film disposed on a surface of the display panel; and a flexible circuit unit connected to another surface of the display panel and providing a driving signal to the display panel, wherein the shielding film has at least one protrusion disposed adjacent to the flexible circuit unit.

The flexible circuit unit may comprise a driving PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and a COF connected to the driving PCB.

A driving chip may be disposed on the COF.

The COF may be folded according to a side of the display panel, and the driving PCB may face a surface of the shielding film.

The shielding film may comprise a metal layer including at least one selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag) and gold (Au).

The shielding film may comprise an insulation layer disposed on at least a part of the metal layer, and the driving chip may face the insulation layer.

The shielding film may further comprise a graphite layer on the metal layer.

A connector may be further provided to connect the protrusion to a ground.

The connector may be a soldering or a conductive sheet.

The ground may be formed on at least one of a substrate, a touch panel and a window.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device comprising a substrate; a flexible circuit unit connected to a surface of the substrate and providing a driving signal to the substrate; and a conductive line disposed on an edge of the substrate; wherein the substrate comprises at least one conductive pattern which is adjacent to the flexible circuit unit and connected to the conductive line.

The substrate may comprise a substrate protrusion and the conductive pattern may be formed on the substrate protrusion.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, because a display device comprises a protrusion adjacent to a flexible circuit unit, static electricity generated in the display device or introduced into an inside of the display device from the outside is easily removed. In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, static electricity generated adjacent to a COF connecting a display panel and a driving PCB, which provides the display panel with a driving signal and driving power, etc., is easily removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, certain elements or shapes may be simplified or exaggerated to better illustrate the present invention, and some elements present in an actual product may also be omitted. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. That is, even when elements in different drawings are designated as a same numeral, they may not be the same in shape. Thus, the drawings are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention.

In addition, when a layer or element is referred to as being “on” another layer or element, the layer or element may be directly on the other layer or element, or one or more intervening layers or elements may be interposed therebetween.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to an organic light emitting display device ofFIG. 1, as an example of a display device.

The organic light emitting display device is drawing attention because of its advantages such as low energy consumption, high brightness and short response time.

Referring toFIG. 1, the organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment comprises a display panel200for displaying an image, a flexible circuit unit connected to the display panel200and providing a driving signal to the display panel200, and a shielding film300disposed on a non-displaying surface of the display panel200and having conductivity. Here, the flexible circuit unit comprises a driving PCB (Printed Circuit Board)500providing the driving signal to the display panel200and a COF (Chip On Flexible Printed Circuit or Chip On Film)400connecting the display panel200to the driving PCB500.

FIG. 2is a plan view of an organic light emitting panel including a COF400and a driving PCB500.

FIG. 2illustrates an unfolded state of the display panel (e.g. organic light emitting panel)200, that is a display panel, a COF400and a driving PCB500, which are connected each other.

The display panel200comprises a substrate210and a displaying unit220disposed on the substrate210.

The substrate210is made of an insulation material such as glass, quartz, ceramic or plastic. In a flexible display device, a plastic substrate may be used. The displaying unit220is disposed on the substrate210. The displaying unit220comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) as a displaying element to display an image.

Although not illustrated in detail, a plurality of gate lines, data lines, power supplying lines, etc., are formed on the substrate210, and a pixel can be defined by intersecting the gate line with the data line. In addition, the pixel may also be defined by a black matrix or a pixel defining layer.

The pixel may comprise a switching thin film transistor (TFT), a driving thin film transistor (TFT), a capacitor and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). The switching TFT may serve as a switching element that selects a pixel to emit light. The driving TFT applies a driving power source for emitting light from an organic light emitting layer of the OLED within the selected pixel to a pixel electrode. The capacitor stores charges corresponding to a data voltage, a current corresponding to the above stored charges flows to the OLED through the driving TFT and emits light from the OLED.

The OLED includes a hole injection electrode, the organic light emitting layer, and an electron injection electrode. A hole is injected from the hole injection electrode, and an electron is injected from the electron injection electrode. The injected hole and electron are coupled to each other in the organic light emitting layer so as to form an exciton, and light is emitted by energy generated when the exciton falls from an excited state to a ground state. The hole injection electrode may be the pixel electrode, or the electron injection electrode may be the pixel electrode.

FIG. 1exemplifies a top emission type organic light emitting display device that displays images through a window100opposite of the substrate210. Here, a surface that displays images or that is positioned in a direction towards the window100, is referred to as a front surface, and a surface that does not display an image or that is positioned in a direction toward the bottom case600is referred to as a rear surface.

The driving PCB500of the flexible circuit unit which provides a driving signal to the display panel200is disposed at a side of the display panel200, and the driving PCB500is electrically connected to the display panel200through the COF400.

The COF400is electrically connected to the display panel200through a pad unit250disposed on the substrate210. A plurality of signal input lines that send a driving power source and driving signals from the driving PCB500into the display panel200are disposed on the pad unit250. Each of the signal input lines disposed on the pad unit250are connected to an element within the display panel200. In addition, a driving chip450is mounted on a surface of the COF400.

The driving PCB500is mounted on the rear surface of the display panel200through the COF400which is made of a flexible material. That is, the flexible COF400is folded toward the rear surface of the display panel200, and thereby the driving PCB500can be disposed on the rear surface of the display panel200.

The COF400comprises a base member made of a flexible material and the driving chip and the signal input lines are formed on the base member. The COF400may further include a TCP (Tape Carrier Package).

An encapsulation layer150is disposed on the display panel200to protect the OLED, and the window100is disposed on the encapsulation layer150. A protection member such as the bottom case600is disposed on the opposite side of the window100.

The window100may be formed of glass, quartz, ceramic or plastic, etc., and a flexible plastic window may be used in a flexible display device. The window100is not always provided to the display device, and may be omitted in some embodiments.

The encapsulation layer150protects the OLED of the display panel200from air, water, oxygen, etc., and is made of a transparent organic material or inorganic material having a waterproof property. The encapsulation layer150may be made by mixing an organic material with an inorganic material, and may have a structure where an organic layer and an inorganic layer are alternately laminated.

The bottom case600serves to protect the display panel200, and is not always provided for the display device, and may be omitted in some embodiments.

An example of a shielding film300serving as an electrostatic shielding layer is described inFIG. 3.

The shielding film300is disposed on the rear surface of the display panel200, which is a non-displaying surface, and has conductivity. The shielding film300may be adhered to the rear surface of the substrate210of the display panel200through an adhesive.

The shielding film300may comprise a metal layer including a metal such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag) and gold (Au), etc., or a metal alloy.

The shielding film300may have a multi-layered structure, for example, the shielding film300may have at least one graphite layer and at least one metal layer.

The shielding film300may be fabricated integrally with the protrusions310and320. In addition, the shielding film300may be fabricated by attaching protrusions310and320onto a flat film.

The protrusions310and320may be made of metal such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag) and gold (Au), a metal alloy or other conductive materials.

Size of the protrusions310and320varies depending on the size of the display device or the size of an inner space of the display device. For example, the size of the protrusions310and320may be about 2 mm to about 10 mm in width and about 2 mm to about 10 mm in length. However, the size of the protrusions310and320is not limited thereto.

The shielding film300may be configured as a conductive heat dissipation sheet having a protrusion to perform electrostatic shielding and heat dissipation.

FIG. 4is an exploded perspective view of an organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 4, one end of the COF400is connected to the display panel200and the other end of the COF400is connected to the driving PCB500. In an assembly of a display device, the COF400is folded from the front surface of the display panel200onto the shielding film300disposed on the rear surface of the display panel200, and thereby the driving PCB500faces the shielding film300. As a result the shielding film300is disposed between the display panel200and the driving PCB500.

FIG. 5ais a front view of a display device in which a COF and a driving PCB are mounted on the rear surface of a display panel200.FIG. 5bis a rear view of a display device in which a COF400and a driving PCB500are mounted on the rear surface of a display panel. Referring toFIGS. 4, 5aand5b, protrusions310and320are disposed adjacent to an area where the COF400is folded.

In this embodiment, the protrusions310and320, which are disposed under the display panel200and protrude outside, serve as antennas to induce static electricity, and thereby prevent static electricity from being accumulated under the display panel200in a vicinity of a connecting part between the display panel200and the COF400.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, the COF may be disposed to a side of the display panel200. Under this circumstance, when the COF400is folded and mounted through a process of assembly, static electricity may be generated or charged in an area between the left side and the lower side of the display panel200with relatively high possibility because a lot of electronic components are disposed between a left side and a lower side of the display panel200by folding the COF. Furthermore, as the display device becomes thinner and higher definition, elements and lines are more integrated, and a possibility of electrostatic generation becomes higher. In particular, when a lot of signal input lines pass the vicinity of the driving chip450of the COF, the possibility of generation of an electrostatic discharge near the driving chip450of the COF is high.

The protrusions310,320of the shielding film300are disposed near the driving chip450of the COF400as illustrated inFIGS. 5aand 5b, and therefore, accumulation of static electricity near the driving chip450of the COF400is effectively prevented and electrostatic discharge with high voltage is also prevented.

In addition, the two protrusions310and320are both positioned outside of the folded portion of the COF400, and thus an electrostatic shield can effectively be accomplished by the shielding film300.

FIG. 6is an expanded partial rear view illustrating a positional relationship between a shielding film300and a COF400according to an embodiment.

The shielding film300comprises metal layer and an insulation layer350disposed on at least a surface of the metal layer. The insulation layer350is disposed on at least an area corresponding to the driving chip450of COF400. That is, the insulation layer350is disposed on an area of the shielding film300corresponding to a position where the driving chip450is to be placed when the COF400is folded toward the shielding film300. In addition, in order to effectively prevent the driving chip450from electrically connecting to the shielding film300, the insulation layer350may be disposed on the entire surface of the shielding film300.

In addition, the protrusions310and320of the shielding film300may connect to at least one ground provided in the display device. In this embodiment, static electricity of the display device can easily be removed.

FIG. 7is an expanded partial rear view illustrating a positional relationship between a shielding film300and a COF400according to another embodiment. The shielding film300ofFIG. 7further comprises connectors330and340connected to the protrusions310and320. The connectors330and340electrically connect the protrusions310and320of the shielding film300to at least one ground provided in the display device. Referring toFIG. 7, connectors330and340are formed of by soldering. In addition, connectors330and340may be formed of a conductive sheet.

The ground connected to the protrusions310and320may be formed on, for example, a substrate, a touch panel or a window, and may be formed on another part of the display device.

FIG. 8is a front view illustrating a positional relationship between a display panel (e.g., organic light emitting panel)200and a COF400according to another embodiment. Referring toFIG. 8, a conductive line230is disposed along an edge of the substrate210apart from the displaying unit220. As an example, the conductive line230can be a substrate ground or a substrate protecting line. In addition, conductive patterns201aand202aare formed on the substrate210. The conductive patterns201aand202amay be formed together with the conductive line230.

Referring toFIG. 8, substrate210of the display panel200further comprises substrate protrusions201and202. In addition, conductive patterns201aand202aare formed on the substrate protrusions of201and202. The conductive patterns201aand202amay be formed together with the conductive line230.

In addition, the substrate protrusions201and202are disposed in a vicinity of the driving chip450of the COF400. For example, the COF400is preferably disposed between the substrate protrusions201and202or the conductive patterns201aand202a.

With this structure, static electricity is induced to the conductive patterns201aand202aof the substrate210, the induced static electricity is spread to the substrate210through the conductive line230, which can prevent static electricity from affecting the driving circuits.