Abstract:
A plasma display device including a plasma display panel (PDP) having electrodes between two substrates, a chassis base attached to and configured to support the PDP, printed circuit boards (PCBs) configured to drive the electrodes, and a plurality of flexible printed circuits (FPCs) connected to the plurality of PCBs and the electrodes, wherein at least one PCB configured to drive the electrodes is attached to the PDP.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Example embodiments relate to a plasma display device and, more particularly, to a plasma display device having a reduced length flexible printed circuit (FPC). 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A plasma display device may include a plasma display panel (PDP) for displaying images, a chassis base for supporting the PDP, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) mounted on the chassis base. The PCBs may be electrically connected to the PDP via a FPC. The PDP may further include two glass substrates forming a discharge space therebetween. 
     One end of the FPC may be connected to a PCB, and the other end may be connected to the PDP to provide an electrical connection thereto. The plasma display device, however, may have the PDP, the chassis base, and the PCB sequentially arranged in a front to rear manner, with the FPC connecting the PDP to the PCB mounted on the chassis base. Thus, the chassis base is between the PDP and the PCB, causing the length of the FPC to be increased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Example embodiments are therefore directed to a plasma display device, which substantially overcomes one or more of the problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     It is therefore a feature of example embodiments to provide a plasma display device having a reduced length FPC connecting a PDP and a PCB. 
     It is therefore another feature of example embodiments to provide a plasma display device having a reduced length FPC connecting an address electrode and an address buffer board. 
     At least one of the above and other features of example embodiments may provide a plasma display device having a PDP having electrodes between two substrates, a chassis base attached to and configured to support the PDP, PCBs configured to drive the electrodes, and a plurality of FPCs connected to the PCBs and the electrodes, wherein at least one PCB configured to drive the electrodes is attached to the PDP. 
     The PDP may be formed in a generally rectangular shape having a first long side, a second long side, a first short side, and a second short side. The first long side and the second long side may be opposite to each other, and the first short side and the second short side may be opposite to each other and orthogonal to the first long side and the second long side. The chassis base may include a first area corresponding to the first long side and a majority portion of each of the first short side and the second short side, and may expose a second area corresponding to the second long side and a minority portion of each of the first short side and the second short side, such that a rear surface of the PDP may be exposed at the second long side. The chassis base may include reinforcing members attached in the first area of the chassis base. PCBs configured to drive the electrodes may be mounted on the reinforcing members. The at least one PCB may be attached to the PDP in the second area. A double-sided adhesive tape may be disposed between the at least one PCB and the PDP. A metal plate may be disposed between the at least one PCB and the double-sided adhesive tape. The PCBs may be fastened to the metal plate by fasteners, e.g., screws. 
     The electrodes may include display electrodes and address electrodes. The PCBs configured to drive the electrodes may include a sustain board, a scanning board, an address buffer board, an image processing/control board, and a power supply board. The sustain board, the scanning board, the image processing/control board, and the power supply board may be attached to a rear surface of the chassis base. The address buffer board may be attached to a rear surface of the PDP. The address buffer board may be attached to the rear surface of the PDP in the second area. The double-sided adhesive tape may be disposed between the address buffer board and the rear surface of the PDP. A metal plate may be connected to the address buffer board to improve ground performance. The metal plate may be interposed between the address buffer board and the double-sided adhesive tape. The address buffer board may be fastened to the metal plate by a fastener. The FPC may be connected to the address buffer board and the address electrodes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device according to an example embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a plasma display device having a PDP and a chassis base of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the PDP according to another example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0039859 filed on Apr. 24, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property, and entitled: “Plasma Display Device,” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, example embodiments may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set fourth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     In the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “on” another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may also be present. Further, it will be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “under” another layer, it can be directly under, and one or more intervening layers may also be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “between” two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a plasma display device  1  may include a PDP  10  for displaying images, a plurality of heat dissipation sheets  20 , a plurality of double-side adhesive tapes  30 , a chassis base  40 , and a plurality of PCBs  50 . The PDP  10  may include a front substrate  11  and a rear substrate  12  attached to be opposite to each other. In addition, the PDP  10  may include electrodes, e.g., display electrodes (not shown), and address electrodes  13 , disposed between the substrates  11  and  12 . 
     The address electrodes  13  may be covered with a dielectric layer  14 . A portion of the address electric  13  not covered by the dielectric layer  14  may form a terminal  15  extending from the dielectric layer  14 . The terminal  15  may be connected to a FPC  60 . 
     The heat dissipation sheets  20  may be provided on a rear surface of the PDP  10 . The heat dissipation sheets  20  may conduct and diffuse heat generated in the PDP  10 . The heat dissipation sheets  20  may be made of at least one of an acryl heat radiating material, a graphite heat radiating material, a metal heat radiating material, and a carbon nanotube heat radiating material. 
     The double-sided adhesive tapes  30  may be disposed between the PDP  10  and the chassis base  40 . For example, double-sided adhesive tapes  30   a  may be disposed between the heat dissipation sheets  20  (i.e., in the y-axis direction), and double-sided adhesive tapes  30   b  may be disposed in an upper side and/or a lower side of the heat dissipation sheets  20  (i.e., in the x-axis direction). The double-sided adhesive tapes  30  may be disposed on the PDP  10  and/or the chassis base  40 . In addition, the double-sided adhesive tapes  30  may be partitioned in intervals to reduce the cost of materials. 
     The chassis base  40  may be attached to the rear surface of the PDP  10  via the double-sided adhesive tapes  30  surrounding the heat dissipation sheets  20 . As such, the heat dissipation sheets  20  may be disposed on a front surface of the chassis base  40 . On a rear surface of the chassis base  40 , a plurality of reinforcing members  41  may be attached thereon, to support and mount some of the PCBs  50 . For example, the reinforcing members  41  may be attached to the rear surface of the chassis base  40 , and some of the PCBs  50  may be supported and mounted on the reinforcing members  41 . In an implementation, two reinforcing members  41  may be disposed in a horizontal direction (i.e., x-axis direction), and two reinforcing members  41  may be disposed in a vertical direction (i.e., y-axis direction), as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Some of the PCBs  50  may be mounted on the reinforcing members  41  by fasteners, e.g., screws  42 . 
     In addition, some of the PCBs  50  may also be attached on the rear surface of the PDP  10 . In particular, the PCBs  50  may be attached on a lower portion of the PDP  10  exposed by the chassis base  40 . In an implementation, one or more PCBs  50  may be directly attached to the PDP  10  by double-sided adhesive tapes  31 . 
     A first sealing material  28  and a second sealing material  29  may be formed at ends of the PDP  10 . For example, the first sealing material  28  may be formed at an end of the front substrate  11  and the FPC  60 , and the second sealing material  29  may be formed at an end of the rear substrate  12  and the FPC  60 . The first sealing material  28  and the second sealing material  29  may prevent ingress of moisture and foreign substances in an area attaching the PCBs  50  and the FPC  60 . 
     The PCBs  50  may provide various operations for driving the PDP  10 . For example, the PCBs  50  may include a sustain board  51  for controlling a sustain electrode (not shown) among the display electrodes, a scanning board  52  for controlling a scan electrode (not shown) among the display electrodes, an address buffer board  53  for controlling the address electrodes  13 , an image processing/controlling board  54  for applying control signals to corresponding boards, and a power supply board  55  for supplying power required for driving the sustain board  51 , the scanning board  52 , the address buffer board  53 , and the image processing/controlling board  54 . The sustain board  51  and the scanning board  52  may be connected to the respective sustain and scanning electrodes via another FPC (not shown). The address buffer board  53  may be connected to one of the address electrodes  13  via the FPC  60 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the PDP  10  may be generally rectangular shaped, i.e., having a first long side  111 , a second long side  112 , a first short side  121 , and a second short side  122 . The first long side  111  and the second long side  112  may be opposite to each other. The first short side  121  and the second short side  122  may be opposite to each other and orthogonal to the first long side  111  and the second long side  112 . 
     The chassis base  40  may include a first area  140  and may expose a second area  240 . The first area  140  of the chassis base  40  may be an area covering a majority portion of the PDP  10 , i.e., the first area  140  may include the first long side  111  and a majority portion of each of the first short side  121  and the second short side  122 . The second area  240  exposed by the chassis base  40  may be an area of the remaining portion of the PDP  10 , i.e., the second area  240  may include the second long side  112  and a minority portion of each of the first short side  121  and the second short side  122 . 
     When the chassis base  40  is attached to the PDP  10 , a lower portion of the PDP  10  is exposed, i.e., the second long side  112  in the exposed second area  240 . The terminal  15  of the address electrode  13  may be exposed in the second area  240  of the chassis base  40 . It should be appreciated that the second area  240  may also be formed in the first long side  111 , the first short side  121  and/or the second short side  122  of the PDP  10 . 
     The reinforcing members  41  may be attached in the first area  140  of the chassis base  40  to mount some of the PCBs  50 , e.g., the sustain board  51 , the scanning board  52 , the image processing/controlling board  54 , and the power supply board  55  in the first area  140 . Another PCB  50 , e.g., the address buffer board  53 , may be attached to the PDP  10  in the exposed second area  240 , i.e., along the second long side  112  of the PDP  10 . 
     Since the FPC  60  may connect the terminal  15  extending from the address electrode  13  of the PDP  10  to a connector  153  of the address buffer board  53 , a distance corresponding to a thickness of the chassis base  40  may be reduced in the second area  240 , where the address buffer board  53  is attached. That is, since the address buffer board  53  may be attached directly to the rear surface of the PDP  10 , the length of the FPC  60  connecting the address electrodes  13  and the connector  153  may be reduced. The FPC  60  may be a tape carrier package (TCP), which may be used to mount a driver IC (not shown) and control the address electrodes  13 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a PDP  10 ′ according to another example embodiment.  FIG. 4  is similar to that of  FIGS. 1-3 , and therefore descriptions of portions similar to those of example embodiments of  FIGS. 1-3  will be omitted, and portions different from those of example embodiments of  FIGS. 1-3  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a metal plate  32  may be disposed between an address buffer board  63  and the double-sided adhesive tape  31 ′. The address buffer board  63  may be mounted on the metal plate  32  by a fastener, e.g., a screw  42 ′. The address buffer board  63  may be attached to the rear substrate  12 ′ of the PDP  10 ′ by way of the metal plate  32  and the double-sided adhesive tape  31 ′. 
     A surface of the metal plate  32  may be attached to the double-sided adhesive tape  31 ′, and the other surface thereof may be attached to the address buffer board  63 . In addition, the metal plate  32  may be connected to a ground pattern (not shown) of the address buffer board  63  to improve ground performance of the address buffer board  63 . Further, in order to improve ground performance, the metal plate  32  may be connected to the chassis base  40 ′. 
     Example embodiments may provide a plasma display device for reducing a length of a FPC by directly attaching a PCB to a PDP, and by reducing the length of the FPC, the manufacturing cost may be reduced as well. 
     Example embodiments may provide a plasma display device for attaching an address buffer board to a rear surface of a PDP, so that a length of a FPC connecting the address buffer board and address electrodes may be reduced. 
     Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.