DISPLAY DEVICE

A display device includes a display with a display surface on which to display images, optical sources acting as a backlight to output light to the display, a diffuser panel disposed so as to face the optical sources, diffusing the light output from the optical sources, and a support pin disposed on the side opposite to the display across the diffuser panel. The support pin is contactable with the diffuser panel, maintains the position of the diffuser panel, and has a wide-width surface and a narrow-width surface that differ in width in two directions perpendicular to an alignment direction in which the display and the diffuser panel are aligned. The optical sources and the support pin are disposed alongside in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction, and the narrow-width surface of the support pin faces the optical source at the shortest distance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present technology will be described below with reference to accompanying drawings.

A display device according to the following preferred embodiment of the present technology is applied to a television set.

The range of application of the embodiment of the present technology is not limited to the television set. The embodiment of the present technology can be widely applied to, for example, various kinds of display devices with displays for personal computers, mobile terminal devices, electronic books, and the like.

[Configuration of a Display Device]

A display device1(for a television set) is formed, for example, in a horizontally long, flat, substantially rectangular shape, and sections to be assembled are disposed in a housing2(seeFIGS. 1 and 2). The display device is supported by, for example, a stand (not shown).

The housing2has a bezel3disposed in the front and a back chassis4disposed in the rear.

The bezel3is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape.

The back chassis4is formed in a shallow box shape with a front opening. A control board (not shown) is attached to the rear surface of the back chassis4. The control board functions as a control circuit that performs processing such as supplying current to a display, which will be described below, and supplying drive current to an optical source, which will be described below, as well as performs overall control of the display device1.

A rear cover5is attached to the back chassis4from the rear. The rear cover5is formed in a shallow box shape with a front opening and encloses the control board.

A display6is disposed on the inner periphery side of the bezel3. The display6is, for example, a liquid crystal panel having a layered structure of a glass substrate, a polarizing sheet, and the like, and has a front surface formed as a display surface6aon which to display images.

The display6is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, in which a portion other than the outer periphery is provided as a display area on which to display images and the outer periphery is supported by the bezel3. A connection board (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the display6and connected to the control board attached to the rear surface of the back chassis4.

Optical sheets7and a diffuser panel8are disposed in order from front to back in the rear of the display6. The optical sheets7are disposed, for example, in a layered state in the front of the diffuser panel8.

The optical sheets7have functions such as diffusion of light and control of a direction of travel of light, in order to, for example, achieve evenness in the brightness and improve the brightness on the display6.

The diffuser panel8has a function of achieving evenness in the brightness on the display6by diffusing light output from the optical source.

Circuit boards9, which are referred to as light sources, are, for example, attached to the front surface of the back chassis4so as to be vertically separated. The back chassis4may be configured to have an attaching part (not shown) to which the circuit boards9are attached.

The circuit boards9are formed in a horizontally long shape and connected to the control board attached to the rear surface of the back chassis4.

Optical sources10are mounted on the circuit boards9so as to be horizontally separated. Examples of the optical sources10include a light emitting diode (LED). The optical sources10are covered by optical source covers11, respectively.

Support pins12are attached to the circuit boards9. The support pins12are formed of, for example, a colored resin material such as polycarbonate. The material of the support pins12is preferably a material that has a certain level of rigidity and resistance to discoloration (yellowing) due to light or heat.

The support pin12is disposed in the center between the optical sources10disposed so as to be horizontally separated. These optical sources12are at the shortest distance from the support pin12.

The tips of the support pins12may come into contact with the rear surface of the diffuser panel8. The support pins12have a function of maintaining the position of the diffuser panel8by suppressing deformation (deflection) in the diffuser panel8.

The support pin12is formed in a shape extending in the front-back direction of the display device1, and an external surface12athereof is formed as a curved surface. The support pin12has a tip part13, an intermediate part14, and an attached part15provided in order from front to back (seeFIGS. 3 to 5). The support pin12has engagement hooks12bprotruding rearward from the attached part15.

The tip part13is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, and a tip surface13a,which is part of the external surface, is formed in a convex curved surface shape on the diffuser panel8side.

The intermediate part14is formed in a shape having different widths in two directions perpendicular to an alignment direction (front-back direction) in which the display6and the diffuser panel8are aligned; the intermediate part14has wide-width surfaces14aand narrow-width surfaces14bhaving a width narrower than that of the wide-width surfaces14a.The wide-width surface14ais formed in a shape in which the width increases slightly toward the rear (seeFIG. 3). The narrow-width surface14bis formed in a shape in which the width is the narrowest in the center in the axis direction (front-back direction) and becomes wider toward the front and rear from the center (seeFIG. 4).

The attached part15is the rear end of the support pin12and attached to the circuit boards9.

As described above, the tip surface13aof the support pin12is formed in a convex curved surface shape on the diffuser panel8side. Accordingly, damage to the diffuser panel8can be prevented when the support pin12comes into contact with the diffuser panel8, and the excellent diffusion function of the diffuser panel8can be ensured.

Moreover, as described above, the external surface12aof the support pin12is formed in a curved surface shape. Accordingly, a portion with partially low rigidity is less likely to be generated in the support pin12and the high rigidity of the support pin12can be ensured.

The support pin12is attached to the circuit board9with the narrow-width surfaces14boriented in a horizontal direction when the engagement hooks12bare engaged in engagement holes (not shown) formed in the circuit board9. In this way, the support pin12is attached to the circuit board9with the narrow-width surfaces14boriented in a horizontal direction, and therefore the narrow-width surfaces14bface the right and left optical sources10at the shortest distance, respectively. The support pin12is disposed in the center between the optical sources10.

When the support pin12is attached to the circuit board9, the tip part13is disposed so as to abut against or come close to the rear surface of the diffuser panel8.

A reflective sheet16is disposed in the front of the back chassis4. Placement holes16aare formed in the reflective sheet16so as to be vertically and horizontally separated. When the reflective sheet16is disposed in the front of the back chassis4, the optical sources10and the support pins12are inserted and disposed in the placement holes16a,protruding frontward from the front surface of the reflective sheet16.

[Output of Light in the Display Device]

In the display device1configured as described above, when light is output from the optical sources10, the light is diffused by the diffuser panel8and incident on the display6as backlight. In this case, part of the light output from the optical sources10is reflected by the reflective sheet16and incident on the display6via the diffuser panel8.

When light is output from the optical sources10, part of the light reaches the support pins12and is blocked by the support pins12. Because the narrow-width surfaces14bof each support pin12face the right and left optical sources10at the shortest distance, respectively, an amount of light blocked by the support pins12is small.

The support pin12is disposed between the right and left optical sources10, and therefore thin shadows S are formed and extend horizontally on the display6because the light is blocked by the support pin12. It is less likely that a plurality of linear shadows cross, and unevenness due to the shadows is less noticeable when the display6is viewed (seeFIG. 5).

Therefore, partial differences in the brightness on the display6are less likely to occur, and the occurrence of unevenness in the brightness is suppressed.

[Sizes etc. of the Support Pins and Others]

It is preferable that the size of each support pin or the like is as follows in order to suppress the occurrence of unevenness in the brightness.

As shown inFIG. 6, when A denotes the distance from the center of the optical source10to the support pin12and C denotes the minimum width of the narrow-width surface14bof the support pin12, it is preferable that C/A is 20% or less.

In addition, as shown inFIG. 7, when D denotes the length of the support pin12and E denotes the length from the tip of the portion of the support pin12in which the width is narrower, it is preferable that E/D is 80% or more.

Moreover, as shown inFIG. 8, when C1denotes the minimum width of the narrow-width surface14band C2denotes the minimum width of the wide-width surface14a,it is preferable that C1/C2is 95% or less.

As described above, in the display device1, the support pin12has the wide-width surface14aand the narrow-width surface14bthat differ in width in two directions (vertical and horizontal directions) perpendicular to an alignment direction (front-back direction) in which the display6and the diffuser panel8are aligned. The narrow-width surface14bfaces the optical source10at the shortest distance.

Therefore, when light is output from the optical sources10, an amount of light blocked by the support pin12is small and the occurrence of unevenness in the brightness can be suppressed. Because the wide-width surface14ais formed, a certain thickness of the support pin12is ensured and the high rigidity of the support pin12can be ensured.

In addition, in the display device1, the support pin12is disposed between the two optical sources10.

Therefore, because light output from the optical sources10is blocked by the narrow-width surfaces14bwith a narrower width in the support pin12, an amount of light output from the optical sources10that is blocked by the support pin12is small and the occurrence of unevenness in the brightness can be further suppressed.

Moreover, because the support pin12is disposed in the center between the optical sources10, an amount of light incident on the narrow-width surfaces14bis equalized and the occurrence of unevenness in the brightness on the display6can be further suppressed.

[Embodiment of the Present Technology]

The embodiment of the present technology can adopt the following configuration.

(1) A display device including a display with a display surface on which to display images, a plurality of optical sources that act as a backlight to output light to the display, a diffuser panel that is disposed so as to face the plurality of optical sources and diffuses the light output from the optical sources, and a support pin that is disposed on the side opposite to the display across the diffuser panel, is contactable with the diffuser panel, and maintains the position of the diffuser panel, wherein the support pin has a wide-width surface and a narrow-width surface that differ in width in two directions perpendicular to an alignment direction in which the display and the diffuser panel are aligned, the plurality of optical sources and the support pin are disposed alongside in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction, and the narrow-width surface of the support pin faces the optical source at the shortest distance.

(2) The display device described in (1) above, wherein two narrow-width surfaces are formed so as to face in opposite directions, where each of the two narrow-width surfaces is the above narrow-width surface, and the support pin is disposed between two optical sources.

(3) The display device described in (2) above, wherein the support pin is disposed in the center between the two optical sources.

(4) The display device described in any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein a tip surface, which is part of an external surface of the support pin and located at the end on the diffuser panel side, is formed in a convex curved surface shape on the diffuser panel side.

(5) The display device described in (1) above, wherein the external surface of the support pin is formed in a curved surface shape.

It should be understood that the specific shapes and structures of the sections described in the above preferred embodiment of the present technology are merely examples of embodiments in implementing the present technology and are not meant to limit the technical scope of the present technology in any way.

The present disclosure contains subject matter related to that disclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2012-160206 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Jul. 19, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.