Backlight module

A backlight module including a first side frame, a plurality of first elastic holding elements, a second side frame, a plurality of second elastic holding elements, and a plurality of lamps is provided. The first side frame has a plurality of first containing grooves, and the first elastic holding elements are disposed in the first containing grooves respectively. In addition, the second side frame has a plurality of second containing grooves, and the second elastic holding elements are disposed in the second containing grooves respectively. The lamps are connected between the first side frame and the second side frame. Two ends of the lamps are fixed through the first elastic holding elements and the second elastic holding elements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 97123986, filed on Jun. 26, 2008. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a backlight module, in particular, to a backlight module adapted to be assembled quickly.

2. Description of Related Art

In a common liquid crystal display (LCD), since a liquid crystal display panel cannot emit light actively, a backlight module is provided to be arranged under the liquid crystal display panel for providing a light source. Generally speaking, the backlight module mainly includes cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) and receptacles at two ends of each cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

Taiwan Patent Publication No. 200735488 has disclosed the receptacles which may be used to fix two ends of cold cathode fluorescent lamps. It should be noted that the two ends of each cold cathode fluorescent lamp must be fixed by two receptacles respectively. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the conventional backlight module cannot be reduced. Furthermore, the receptacles are fixed at the two ends of each cold cathode fluorescent lamp during the assembly, which wastes working hours. On the other hand, the conventional receptacle includes a plurality of receptacle terminals capable of holding guide wires extended from the two ends of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps. In practice, the cold cathode fluorescent lamps cannot be effectively fixed by the receptacles. The positions of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps may possibly shift when the backlight module is under an external force, and guide wires may part from the cold cathode fluorescent lamps due to vibration, which reduces the life time of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a backlight module, which may efficiently reduce the manufacturing cost and has higher reliability.

The present invention provides a backlight module, which includes a first side frame, a plurality of first elastic holding elements, a second side frame, a plurality of second elastic holding elements, and a plurality of lamps. The first side frame includes a plurality of first containing grooves, the first elastic holding elements are disposed in the first containing grooves. Moreover, the second side frame has a plurality of second containing grooves, and the second elastic holding elements are disposed in the second containing grooves respectively. The lamps are connected between the first side frame and the second side frame. Two ends of the lamps are positioned through the first elastic holding elements and the second elastic holding elements respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first side frame further includes a plurality of first lateral grooves and a plurality of first positioning bumps. The first lateral grooves are disposed in the first containing grooves, and the first positioning bumps are disposed on inner walls of the first containing grooves.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first elastic holding elements includes a first holding portion, a first positioning portion, a first connecting portion, and a first bending portion. The first holding portion and the first bending portion are respectively formed at two ends of the first connecting portion, and the first positioning portion is disposed on the first connecting portion. When the first elastic holding elements are disposed in the first containing grooves respectively, the first positioning portions are adapted to be embedded into the first lateral grooves, and the first positioning bumps are adapted to be engaged with the first connecting portions, so as to position the first elastic holding elements.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first elastic holding elements includes a first holding portion, a first connecting portion, and a first bending portion. The first holding portion and the first bending portion are formed at two ends of the first connecting portion respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the backlight module further includes a plurality of first elastic elements. Each of the first elastic elements includes a first recess hole. The first elastic elements enwrap the first holding portions, respectively. Furthermore, the first recess holes expose the first holding portions respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second side frame further includes a plurality of second lateral grooves and a plurality of second positioning bumps. The second lateral grooves are disposed in the second containing grooves, and the second positioning bumps are disposed on inner walls of the second containing grooves.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the second elastic holding elements includes a second holding portion, a second connecting portion, and a second positioning portion. The second holding portion and the second positioning portion are formed at two ends of the second connecting portion respectively. When the second elastic holding elements are disposed in the second containing grooves respectively, the second positioning portions are adapted to be embedded into the second lateral grooves, so as to position the second elastic holding elements, and the second positioning bumps are adapted to be engaged with the second connecting portion.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the second elastic holding elements includes a second holding portion and a second connecting portion. The second holding portion is formed at one end of the second connecting portion.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the backlight module further includes a plurality of second elastic elements. Each of the second elastic elements includes a second recess hole, and the second elastic elements enwrap the second holding portions respectively. Furthermore, the second recess holes expose the second holding portions respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the backlight module further includes a conductive rod. The adjacent two second elastic holding elements are connected to each other via the conductive rod.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the backlight module further includes a conductive rod, and the second elastic holding elements are connected together via the conductive rod.

In the present invention, the lamps may be fixed in the backlight module through the first elastic holding elements in the first side frame and the second elastic holding elements in the second side frame, thereby effectively saving the assembly working hours and reducing the manufacturing cost.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1Ais a schematic view of a backlight module according to an embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 1Bis a local enlarged view of the first side frame according to the present invention, andFIG. 1Cis a local enlarged view of the second side frame according to the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 1A,1B, and1C, the backlight module100in the present invention includes a first side frame110, a plurality of first elastic holding elements120, a second side frame130, a plurality of second elastic holding elements140, and a plurality of lamps150. The lamps150are connected between the first side frame110and the second side frame130. Furthermore, the first side frame110inFIG. 1Bincludes a plurality of first containing grooves112, and the first elastic holding elements120are disposed in the first containing grooves112. The second side frame130inFIG. 1Cincludes a plurality of second containing grooves132, and the second elastic holding elements140are disposed in the second containing grooves132. In practice, the lamps150are, for example, cold cathode fluorescent lamps, and two ends of each of the lamps150are positioned respectively through the corresponding first elastic holding elements120and second elastic holding elements140.

In detail, the first side frame110inFIG. 1Bfurther includes a plurality of first lateral grooves G1and a plurality of first positioning bumps B1. The first lateral grooves G1are disposed in the first containing grooves112and the first positioning bumps B1are disposed on inner walls of the first containing grooves112. Furthermore, each of the first elastic holding elements120in the present invention includes a first holding portion122, a first positioning portion124, a first connecting portion126, and a first bending portion128. The first holding portion122and the first bending portion128are formed at two ends of the first connecting portion126respectively, and the first positioning portion124is disposed on the first connecting portion126. In detail, when the first elastic holding elements120are embedded into the first containing grooves112, the first positioning portions124will be embedded into the first lateral grooves G1, and the first positioning bumps B1will be engaged with the first connecting portions126, so as to position the first elastic holding elements120. In practice, when the lamps150are assembled into the first containing grooves112, the first holding portions122may be elastically deformed to hold one end of each of the lamps150correspondingly.

In another aspect, the second side frame130inFIG. 1Cfurther includes a plurality of second lateral grooves G2and a plurality of second positioning bumps B2. The second lateral grooves G2are disposed in the second containing grooves132and the second positioning bumps B2are disposed on inner walls of the second containing grooves132. Furthermore, each of the second elastic holding elements140includes a second holding portion142, a second positioning portion144, and a second connecting portion146. The second holding portion142and the second positioning portion144are respectively connected to two ends of the second connecting portion146. In an embodiment, two adjacent second elastic holding elements140may be further connected through a conductive rod148. In detail, when the second elastic holding elements140are disposed in the second containing grooves132, the second positioning portions144will be embedded into the second lateral grooves G2, and the second positioning bumps B2will be engaged with the second connecting portion146, so as to position the second elastic holding elements140.

It should be noted that the second holding portions142may be elastically deformed to hold another end of each of the lamps150correspondingly. In particular, the first holding portion122and the second holding portion142may hold two ends of the lamps150to effectively fix the lamps150respectively without a welding process, thereby saving the assembling time effectively. Furthermore, different from the conventional technology, the lamps150in the present invention do not need receptacles. Therefore, the backlight module100in the present invention may further save the manufacturing cost. In another embodiment, the conductive rod148′ inFIG. 1Dmay further be connected with all the second elastic holding elements140together, such that the second elastic holding elements140form a conductive circuit.

Definitely, the shapes of the first elastic holding elements120and the second elastic holding elements140may be adjusted by those of ordinary skill in the art upon requirements.FIG. 2Ais an enlarged view of another first elastic holding element according to the present invention. Referring toFIG. 2A, the first elastic holding elements120′ includes a first holding portion122′, a first connecting portion126′, and a first bending portion128′. The first holding portion122′ and the first bending portion128′ are located at two ends of the first connecting portion126′ respectively. Furthermore, the first holding portions122′ may be further enwrapped by first elastic elements R1respectively. Each of the first elastic elements R1includes a first recess hole C1, so that the first holding portion122′ is exposed by the first recess hole C1.FIG. 2Bis a schematic view of another first elastic holding element assembled to the first side frame according to the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2B, the first elastic holding elements120′ and the first elastic elements R1may be assembled into the first side frame110. It is worth mentioning that the first bending portions128′ of the first elastic holding elements120′ may be used to fix a circuit board (not shown).

FIG. 3Ais an enlarged view of another second elastic holding element according to the present invention. Referring toFIG. 3A, each of the second elastic holding elements140′ includes a second holding portion142′ and a second connecting portion146′. The second holding portion142′ is located at one end of the second connecting portion146′. Furthermore, the second holding portions142′ may be enwrapped by the second elastic elements R2. Each of the second elastic elements R2includes a second recess hole C2, so that the second holding portion142′ is exposed by the second recess hole C2.FIG. 3Bis a schematic view of another second elastic holding elements assembled to the second side frame according to the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 3A and 3B, the second elastic holding elements140′ and the second elastic elements R2may be assembled into the second side frame130.

To sum up, in the present invention, the lamps may be fixed in the backlight module through the first elastic holding elements in the first side frame and the second elastic holding elements in the second side frame, thereby efficiently saving the assembling hours and reducing the manufacturing cost.