Abstract:
A liquid crystal display (LCD) including: a display panel; a backlight unit to radiate light to the display panel; a mold frame surrounding the backlight unit and supporting the display panel; a housing to receive the display panel, backlight unit, and mold frame; and a resin unit provided between the display panel and the housing. A receiving groove is formed below the resin unit, by sloped surfaces of the mold frame and side walls of the housing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0009588, filed on Feb. 2, 2010, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The described technology relates generally to a slim liquid crystal display (LCD). 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a display device that displays images using a liquid crystal layer that operates as a shutter. A conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a display panel including a liquid crystal layer, a backlight unit to radiate light to the display panel, and a housing to receive the display panel and the backlight unit. 
     Recently, a slim liquid crystal display (LCD), of which edges of a display panel face a housing, has been developed, so as to reduce an area between an image display area of the display panel and the housing. However, since the edges of the display panel directly face the housing, when the housing is formed with a conductive material such as metal, a short circuit occurs between the display panel and the housing, which generates image defects. 
     Also, since the edges of the display panel face the housing, when an impact is applied to the housing, one of the edges of the display panel impacts the housing. As a result, in the display panel may be broken. Further, the display panel is affixed to the backlight unit using an adhesive, such as an adhesive tape, and when the adhesive ingredients of the tape are deteriorated, the display panel may become separated from the backlight unit. 
     The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     The described technology has been made in an effort to provide a slim liquid crystal display (LCD), wherein a short circuit is prevented between a display panel and a housing. 
     Aspects of the present invention provide a slim liquid crystal display (LCD) that can prevent damage to a display panel by minimizing impacts between a display panel and a housing. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a liquid crystal display including: a display panel; a backlight unit to radiate light to the display panel; a mold frame surrounding the backlight unit and supporting the display panel; a housing to receive the display panel, the backlight unit, and the mold frame; and a resin unit provided between the display panel and the housing, wherein a receiving groove is formed between the mold frame and the housing. 
     According to various embodiments, the housing includes a bottom plate and side walls extend from the bottom plate and face edges of the display panel. The resin unit is provided between the edges of the display panel and the side walls of the housing. 
     According to various embodiments, the resin unit directly contacts the display panel and the side walls. 
     According to various embodiments, the mold frame includes sloped surfaces facing the resin unit and forming acute angles with respect to the corresponding side walls. The side walls and the sloped surfaces at least partially define the receiving groove. 
     According to various embodiments, the mold frame has a support surface that extends from the sloped surfaces, to support the display panel. 
     According to various embodiments, the resin unit includes at least one resin selected from urethane acrylate, acrylate, and silicon. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, since a resin unit is provided between a display panel and a housing, a slim liquid crystal display (LCD) that prevents a short circuit between wiring of a display panel and a housing, is provided. 
     According to various embodiments, a slim liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided that prevents a display panel from being broken, by including a resin unit between the display panel and a housing, to minimize the effect of impacts to the housing. 
     According to various embodiments, a slim liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided, including display panel by providing a resin unit to affix edges of a display panel to a housing. 
     Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display (LCD), according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a mold frame shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a partial cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD), with reference to a resin unit shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below, in order to explain the aspects of present invention, by referring to the figures. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., may be exaggerated for clarity. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being disposed “on” another element, it can be disposed directly on the other element, or may be indirectly disposed on the other element, with intervening elements disposed therebetween. 
     In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. Throughout this specification, it is understood that the term “on” and similar terms are used generally and are not necessarily related to a gravitational reference. 
     A liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000 , according to an exemplary embodiment will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000  includes a display panel  100 , an adhesive sheet  200 , a backlight unit  300 , a mold frame  400 , a housing  500 , a resin unit  600 , and a receiving groove  700  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
     The display panel  100  includes a first substrate  110  and an opposing second substrate  120 . A liquid crystal layer (not shown) is provided between the first substrate  110  and the second substrate  120 . Wiring is formed on at least one of the first substrate  110  and the second substrate  120 . Liquid crystal included in a liquid crystal layer is manipulated using a magnetic field generated by the wiring, such that the amount of light irradiated from the backlight unit  300  to the display panel  100  is controlled, to thereby project an image through the display panel  100 . A polarizing plate (not shown) can be attached to at least one of a front surface and a rear surface of the display panel  100 , to change an optical axis of the light that is radiated or from the display panel  100 . 
     The adhesive sheet  200  is provided between the display panel  100  and the backlight unit  300 . The adhesive sheet  200  adheres the display panel  100  to the backlight unit  300 . The adhesive sheet  200  is also provided between the display panel  100  and the mold frame  400 . That is, the adhesive sheet  200  adheres the display panel  100  to the backlight unit  300  and the mold frame  400 . 
     The backlight unit  300  radiates light to the display panel  100 . The backlight unit  300  includes a light emitter  310 , a light guide plate  320 , an optical sheet  330 , and a reflective sheet  340 . 
     The light emitter  310  generates light, and is provided at an edge of the light guide plate  320 . The light generated by the light emitter  310  is radiated to the light guide plate  320 . The light guide plate  320  then radiates the light toward the display panel  100 . The light emitter  310  can be a point light source or a linear light source. The light radiated by the light emitter  310  is changed into a surface light source, by the light guide plate  320 . 
     The light guide plate  320  is provided between the optical sheet  330  and the reflective sheet  340 . The light guide plate  320  changes the light radiated by the light emitter  310  into a surface light source, and radiates the same to the display panel  100 . 
     The optical sheet  330  improves display quality of the image realized by the display panel  100 , by changing the light radiated by the light guide plate  320 . The optical sheet  330  may include a diffusion sheet, a prism sheet, and a protection sheet. 
     The reflective sheet  340  is provided between the light guide plate  320  and the housing  500 . The reflective sheet  340  reflects the light that is radiated thereto, through the light guide plate  320 , so that the light passes through the light guide plate  320  and is radiated to the display panel  100 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the mold frame  400  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  shows a partial cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mold frame  400  surrounds edges of the backlight unit  300 , and includes a support surface  410  and sloped surfaces  420 . The support surface  410  faces and supports the display panel  100 . The adhesive sheet  200  is disposed between the support surface  410  and the display panel  100 , to adhere the same together. 
     The housing  500  receives display panel  100 , the backlight unit  300 , and the mold frame  400 . The housing  500  includes a bottom plate  510  and side walls  520 . The side walls  520  extend from the bottom plate  510 , toward the display panel  100 . The reflective sheet  340  is disposed on the bottom plate  510 . 
     The sloped surfaces  420  of the mold frame  400  extend at and angle from the support surface  410 , toward the housing  500 . In particular, the sloped surfaces  420  each form an acute angle, with respect to an adjacent one of the side walls  520 . The sloped surfaces  420  generally face the resin unit  600 . 
     The side walls  520  extend from the bottom plate  510  and face corresponding edges  101  of the display panel  100 , with the resin unit  600  disposed therebetween. The sloped surfaces  420  and the side walls  520  form a receiving groove  700 . 
     The resin unit  600  includes a resin material, for example, urethane acrylate, acrylate, silicon, or a combination thereof. The resin unit  600  is provided between the edges  101  of the display panel  100  and the side walls  520  of the housing  500 . The resin unit  600  insulates the display panel  100  from the housing  500 . That is, the resin unit  600  insulates the area between the display panel  100  and the housing  500 . The resin unit  600  affixes the display panel  100  to the side walls  520 . The resin unit  600  has a high elasticity (low brittleness) and minimizes the transfer of impact energy between the housing  500  and the display panel  100 . 
     In the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000 , the resin unit  600  is provided on the edges  101  of the display panel  100 , and may completely or incompletely surround the display panel  100 . Accordingly, since the edges  101  of the display panel  100  face the housing  500 , with the resin unit  600  therebetween, the edges  101  may have a reduced thickness, and the generation of a short circuit between a wiring of the display panel  100  and the housing  500  may be prevented. 
     Also, since the resin unit  600  has a high elasticity, interference between the display panel  100  and the housing  500  is minimized, and the display panel  100  is prevented from being broken by an external impact. In addition, since the resin unit  600  is provided between the display panel  100  and the side walls  520 , it firmly affixes the display panel  100  to the housing  500 . 
     The receiving groove  700  is disposed below the resin unit  600  and has a sunken groove shape. As such, when forming the resin unit  600  by injecting a resin between the display panel  100  and the housing  500 , the receiving groove  700  receives excess resin that flows between the edges  101  of the display panel  100  and the side walls  520  of the housing  500 . Therefore, the receiving groove  700  channels the excess resin away from the backlight unit  300 , during the formation of the resin unit  600 . 
     In detail, if there is no receiving groove  700 , the excess resin may flow between the edge  101  of the display panel  100  and the side wall  520 , and contact the backlight unit  300 . As such, the excess resin may interfere with the emission of light from the backlight unit  300 , thereby generating defects in an image formed by the display panel  100 . 
     However, in the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000 , the receiving groove  700  has a triangular widthwise, cross-section, due to the sloped surfaces  420 . Thus, any excess resin is channeled away form the backlight unit  300 , into the bottom of the receiving groove  700 . According to some aspects, the receiving groove  700  may be polygonal, circular, or oval, in widthwise cross-section. 
     As described, in the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000 , the resin unit  600  is disposed between the edges  101  of the display panel  100  and the walls  520  of the housing  500 , such that the edges  101  of the display panel  100  may be reduced in size. Thus, the inclusion of the resin unit  600  prevents a short circuit between the display panel  100  and the housing  500 , prevents breakage of the display panel  100  due to external impacts, and firmly affixes the display panel  100  to the housing  500 . Also, since the liquid crystal display (LCD)  1000  includes the receiving groove  700 , excess resin is prevented from generating image defects. 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments, without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.