Display device with narrowed frame border and manufacturing method thereof

A display device with narrowed frame border and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The display device includes a backlight module, an optical film, and a display panel. The backlight module includes an outer frame and a light source module. The outer frame has a bottom plate and a sidewall connected to the bottom plate, and the light source module is disposed in the outer frame near the sidewall. The optical film is disposed on the backlight module and covers the light source module. One side of the optical film protrudes outside from the sidewall and is bent to attach a portion of the sidewall. The display panel is disposed on the optical film opposite to the backlight module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a display device; particularly, the present invention relates to a display device with a narrower frame border width.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In applications of display device, especially for the hand-held display device, getting a narrower sized frame border for the display device is a main subject of product improvement to promote the quality of appearance and minimize the volume of modules. The method of minimizing the size of the display device usually minimizes or eliminates component units at the periphery according to requirements. However, the current approaches still have some problems described as follows.

FIG. 1is a schematic view of the traditional display device. As shown inFIG. 1, the periphery of the traditional display device10mainly includes a frame20and a back plate30, and the back plate30covers the frame20to protect the traditional display device10. The traditional display device10has a frame border width L1, i.e. the length from one end of the panel sealing material41to the outer edge of the back plate30. As shown inFIG. 1, the periphery of the display device10includes a certain thickness of frame20and back plate30, resulting in overly wide frame border width L1and increased overall volume. The overly wide frame border width L1will cause a poor appearance. There are two well-known approaches to minimize the size of the traditional display device10; one is to remove a part of the frame20so as to shorten the distance between the panel sealing material41and the back plate30; the other one is to remove the entire back plate30as well as a part of the frame20to effectively shorten the frame border width L1. Although the second approach can make the border length of each module in the frame20to be equal to the border length of the display device10, without the protection of the back plate30, the structural strength will be greatly decreased, and the traditional display device10is likely to be damaged. Moreover, the size reduction effect provided by the first approach mentioned above is still not perfect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device having a narrower frame border width.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a display device having a frame border width equal to that of the display panel so as to achieve a smaller volume while maintaining the original structural strength.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method of the display device to produce a display device with a narrowed frame.

The display device includes a backlight module, an optical film, and a display panel. The backlight module includes an outer frame and a light source module. The outer frame has a bottom plate and a sidewall connected to one side of the bottom plate. The light source module is disposed in the outer frame and located on an inner side of the sidewall. The optical film is disposed above the backlight module and covers the light source module. The edge of the optical film protrudes outside the sidewall and is bent to partially overlap the sidewall. The display panel is disposed on the surface of the optical film opposite to the backlight module. After the optical film and the outer frame are combined, the stability of the integral structure will be increased by the structural strength provided by the optical film, and the size of the display device can be narrowed while the backlight module is protected by the outer frame.

The manufacturing method of the display device mentioned above includes the following steps: disposing the light source module in the outer frame to form the backlight module; attaching the display panel onto the optical film opposite to the backlight module; disposing the optical film on the backlight module, so that at least one side of the optical film protrudes outside the sidewall, and bending the protruding part of the optical film along the top end of the sidewall to overlap the surface of the sidewall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 2AandFIG. 2Bare schematic views of the display device of the present invention. The display device100of the present invention includes a backlight module200, an optical film300, and a display panel400. The backlight module200includes an outer frame202and a light source module208. The outer frame202is preferably made of metal materials or may be made of polymer composite materials. The outer frame202has a bottom plate204and a sidewall206connected to one side of the bottom plate204. The bottom plate204may be a solid plate or a partially hollow-carved plate based on design requirements. The sidewall206is disposed on least one side of the bottom plate204and preferably on two corresponding sides of the bottom plate204. The light source module208is disposed in the outer frame202and located on an inner side of the sidewall206. In a preferred embodiment, the light source module208is an edge type light source module including a light guide plate; in other embodiments, the light source module208may be adopted a direct type light source module.

The optical film300is disposed above the backlight module200and covers the light source module208, wherein the surface of the optical film300opposite to the backlight module200is attached to a light incident surface402of the display panel400. In this embodiment, the optical film300is preferred a polarization film and is directly attached to the light incident surface402of the display panel400by adhesives. When the optical film300is directly adhered to the light incident surface402of the display panel400, the structural strength of the optical film300, the outer frame202, and the backlight module200will be increased by the stiffness of the display panel400. The optical film300can be a diffusion film, a brightness enhancement film, a filter film, or other films which can provide different optical effects. The optical film300may be separably, in direct or indirect manner, attached to the light incident surface402. As shown inFIG. 2B, one side of the optical film300protrudes outside the sidewall206and is bent to partially overlap the sidewall206. The display panel400is disposed on the surface of the optical film300opposite to the backlight module200. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the optical film300is supported by the top end2062of the sidewall206. The bending part of the optical film300is attached to the outer surface of the sidewall206. After the optical film300and the outer frame202are combined, the stability of the integral structure will be increased by the surface tension and the structural strength provided by the optical film300.

Please refer toFIG. 2AandFIG. 2B, a folding line302is formed on the optical film300corresponding to the top end2062of the sidewall206. The position of the folding line302corresponds to the top end2062of the sidewall206and the outer edge of the display panel. The material strength at the folding line302is weaker than that of the optical film300at other positions. For example, the folding line302is in a form of indentation or spaced slits, so that the folding line302is apt to be bent compared to other positions of the optical film300. Therefore, the rebound force results from the bending of the optical film300will be decreased to ensure good attachment force between the sidewall206and the bending part of the optical film300. Formation of the folding line302depends on the size of the optical film300and the bending convenience to the optical film300, so that the material strength at the folding line302is weaker than that of the optical film300at other positions.

The optical film300and the sidewall206are connected by a double-sided adhesive tape500. Particularly, the double-sided adhesive tape is bent into two parts; one part is located between the non-bending part of the optical film300and the top end2062of the sidewall206; the other part is located between the bending part of the optical film300and the side surface2064of the sidewall206where the optical film300overlaps. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the double-sided adhesive tape has light shielding property to avoid light leakage from the side of the display device100.

As shown inFIG. 2B, the display device100has a frame border width L2, i.e. the width from a panel sealing material401to the outer edge of the optical film300, or the width from the panel sealing material401to the outer edge of the display panel400. The side edge of the display panel400extends over the top end2062of the sidewall206and is indirectly supported by the top end2062through the optical film300. Because the backlight module200is combined with the optical film300and the outer frame202of the backlight module200is disposed under the optical film300, the sidewall206functions to enhance the structure and to support the display panel400. As such, the frame border width L2of the display device L2and the frame border width of the display panel can be equal. In this way, the backlight module200can be protected by the outer frame202and the size of the display device100can be reduced. Besides, the stability of the structure can be enhanced by the overlap relationship of the optical film300and the sidewall206. However, in other embodiments, a plastic frame can be disposed, based on requirements, between the outer frame202and the light source module208for assembling and supporting component units which do not require the narrowed frame.

FIG. 3is a schematic view of another embodiment of the display device. As shown inFIG. 3, in another embodiment, the double-sided adhesive tape500is disposed only between the bending part of the optical film300and the side surface2064of the sidewall206that the optical film300overlaps. When the double-sided adhesive tape500is disposed only between the bending part of the optical film300and the side surface2064of the sidewall206that the optical film300overlaps, as shown inFIG. 3, the connection stability may be enhanced; besides, the double-sided adhesive tape500may be pressed simultaneously while bending the optical film300to enhance the adhesive force by pressing. In addition, the bending configuration of optical film300can be applied to two longer sides of the display device100or to only one longer side. The bending configuration of optical film300can also be applied to the shorter sides to further minimize the size of the display device100.

FIG. 4is a flow chart of assembling the display device mentioned above of the present invention. The manufacturing method of the display device includes the following steps: step S10of disposing the light source module in the outer frame to form the backlight module, step S20of attaching the display panel onto the optical film opposite to the backlight module, step S30of disposing the optical film on the backlight module, so that at least one side of the optical film protrudes outside the sidewall, and step S40of bending the protruding part of the optical film along the top end of the sidewall to overlap the surface of the sidewall. The folding line at the bending part of the optical film corresponds the top end of the sidewall of the outer frame. The optical film is bent to at least partially overlap the surface of the sidewall, wherein a double-sided adhesive tape disposed is disposed between the bending part of the optical film and the surface of the sidewall for connecting the optical film and the sidewall. The edge of the assembled display panel is aligned to the folding line of the optical film and supported by the top end the sidewall of the outer frame, so that the frame border width of the display device and the frame border width of the display panel are equal.

FIG. 5is a detailed flow chart of assembling the display device of the present invention. In addition to the aforementioned steps, the assembling step further includes: step S12of forming a folding line on a predetermined position of the optical film in advance, the folding line corresponding to the top end of the sidewall. The folding line is formed as indentation or spaced slits. The assembling efficiency may be promoted by forming the folding line in advance. Besides, the folding line may be utilized for position alignment to promote convenience of assembling. Step S14involves disposing a double-sided adhesive tape between the optical film and the sidewall to connect the optical film and the sidewall. After the edge of the display panel is aligned to the optical film, the optical film is bent to partially overlap the surface of the sidewall. The double-sided adhesive tape connects the optical film and the surface of the sidewall. The outer frame is connected to the bending part and the non-bending part of the optical film by the double-sided adhesive tape. The double-sided adhesive tape at the non-bending part of the optical film shields a part of the edge of the backlight module to achieve a better light shielding effect. In order to avoid decreasing the light emergent efficiency, it is preferred to maintain a space between the backlight module and a portion of the double-sided adhesive tape that shields the backlight module, i.e. to avoid the double-sided adhesive tape being directly attached to the backlight module. Besides, the double-sided adhesive tape may be pressed simultaneously while bending the optical film to enhance the adhesive force by pressing.