Abstract:
A liquid crystal display module includes a liquid crystal panel, a main frame for supporting the liquid crystal panel, and a lamp housing with a lamp for supplying light to the liquid crystal panel such that the lamp housing defines one side of the liquid crystal display module so as to further reduce the weight and size of the liquid crystal display module for use in a portable computer.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 98-54098, filed on Dec. 12, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display module and more specifically, to a liquid crystal display module having a much more compact structure that is especially suitable for use with a portable computer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, a portable computer includes a liquid crystal display device as the monitor therein because the liquid crystal display device is compact. In recent years, liquid crystal display devices have also been used with desktop computers because liquid crystal display devices are compact and are capable of reducing eye fatigue and electromagnetic radiation. 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional liquid crystal display module. A liquid crystal display module  110  includes a back light device  114  and a liquid crystal display panel  112 . The back light device  114  and the liquid crystal display panel  112  are attached to each other via a main frame  115  and a top frame  116 . The main frame  115  is made of a plastic material. The back light device  114  includes a reflective plate  114   a , a waveguide plate  114   b , a first diffuser/protecting sheet  114   c , a first prism sheet  114   d , a second prism sheet  114   e , and a second diffuser/protecting sheet  114   f , which are all stacked on each other in the above-described order. The main frame  115  is coupled to the top frame  116  with the liquid crystal panel  112  and the back light device  114  interposed therebetween. It should be noted, as seen in FIG. 1, the main frame  115  is a rectangular member having four interconnected side members which define the frame. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a liquid crystal display module  110  is disposed between a front case  122  and a back case  124  when the liquid crystal module  110  is included in a laptop computer. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, which is a sectional view taken along the line III—III of FIG. 2, a lamp housing  118  is attached to the main frame  115 . The lamp housing  118  with a lamp  117  is positioned at a top end of the light waveguide plate  114   b  and extends along a vertical portion  115   b  of the main frame  15 . A flat wire  119  and the top frame  116  are disposed on the top surface of the lamp housing  118 . 
     In order to attach the lamp housing  118  to the main frame  115 , the thickness of the lower horizontal portion  115   a  of the main frame  115 , which is underneath the lamp housing  118 , and the vertical portion  115   b  of the main frame  115 , which is adjacent to the lamp housing  118 , is reduced. However, due to this arrangement, the thickness of the lower horizontal portion  115   a  and the vertical portion  115   b  is usually greater than 0.7 mm. Because the conventional main frame  115  has portions having a thickness that is greater than 0.7 mm., the liquid crystal display module is bulky and thick making it very difficult to minimize the dimensions of the device and making it much less compact than desired. As seen in FIG. 3, the lower horizontal portion  115   a  and the vertical portion  115   b  which are arranged to envelope the lamp housing  118 , cause the overall dimension of the liquid crystal display to be significantly increased in both the horizontal and vertical directions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display module including a liquid crystal display panel which is significantly more compact than prior art devices while providing desired structural integrity. 
     Also, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display module having a unique arrangement of a main frame and lamp housing which allow the liquid crystal display module to have a significantly reduced size in vertical and horizontal dimensions. 
     According to one aspect of preferred embodiments of the present invention, a liquid crystal display module includes a main frame having three interconnected members defining a three-sided main frame, and a lamp housing connected to the three sided main frame so as to define a fourth side of the main frame. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal display module preferably includes a main frame having first and second longitudinal members that are substantially parallel to each other and a first lateral member arranged substantially perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal members and interconnected at a first end of the first and second longitudinal members such that the first and second longitudinal members and the first lateral member define three sides of the main frame, wherein the liquid crystal panel is disposed on the main frame such that the main frame supports the liquid crystal panel, and a lamp housing having a lamp for supplying light to the liquid crystal panel, wherein the lamp housing is coupled to second ends of the first and second longitudinal members such that the lamp housing defines a side of the main frame. 
     With this unique arrangement and structure of preferred embodiments of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a liquid crystal display device having much lighter weight and greater compactness for use with a portable computer is achieved. 
     Other features, elements and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention and the attached drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description of preferred embodiments provided hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus do not limit the present invention and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional liquid crystal display module; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device that includes the liquid crystal display module shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along the line III—III as shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disassembled main frame and a lamp housing of a liquid crystal display module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the lamp housing and the main frame of FIG. 4 when coupled together according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a top frame for coupling to the main frame of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along the line VII—VII of FIG. 5, and which also shows components used for assembling that are not shown in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disassembled main frame and a lamp housing of a liquid crystal display module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a main frame  15  preferably includes two substantially parallel longitudinal members  12  and  13  and a lateral member  11  interconnecting a first end of the longitudinal members  12  and  13 . As is seen in FIG. 4, the two substantially parallel longitudinal members  12  and  14  and the lateral member  11  are connected to define a three-sided main frame  15 . Thus, the main frame  15  does not include a lateral member that is opposite to the lateral member  11 , as with conventional four-sided main frames. 
     A lamp housing  18  is provided and is preferably arranged to interconnect a second end of the longitudinal members  12  and  13 . The lamp housing  18  defines a fourth side of the main frame  15 . This unique structure provides significant space savings, compactness and ease of assembly as will be described below. 
     The lamp housing  18  may be connected to the longitudinal members  12 ,  13  of the main frame in many different ways and using many different connecting elements. For example, in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 4, coupling projections  18   a  and  18   b  are preferably provided on the opposite ends of the lamp housing  18  and arranged to be attached to coupling flanges  12   a  and  13   a , which are provided on the second end of the longitudinal members  12  and  13 , respectively. The coupling projection  18   a  preferably includes upper and lower engagement portions  21  and  22 , respectively. The upper engagement portion  21  preferably has two screw holes  21   a  and  21   b , while the lower engagement portion  22  preferably has one screw hole  22   a . The coupling projection  18   b  preferably includes upper and lower engagement portions  31  and  32 , respectively. The upper engagement portion  31  is also provided with two screw holes and the lower engagement portion  32  also has just one screw hole. The coupling flange  12   a  for coupling to the coupling projection  18   a  is preferably provided with three screw holes  41 ,  42  and  43 , and is preferably stepped so as to correspond to the upper and lower engagement portions  22  and  21 , respectively, of the coupling projection  18   a.    
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the lamp housing  18  and the main frame  15  of FIG. 4 when coupled together. Referring to FIG. 5, a panel support  14  is disposed on the lamp housing  18  to compensate for the height of the LCD panel (not shown). The panel support  14  is provided with a screw hole  14   a  such that the screw hole  14   a  can be screw-coupled to the screw hole  21   a  of the coupling projection  18   a . Note that the portion where the screw hole  14   a  is provided is indented inward to compensate for the height of the head portion of the screw  51  that is to be tightened into the screw hole  14   a.    
     Further, the coupling projection  18   a  is coupled to the coupling flange  12   a  of the main frame  15  under the panel support  14  such that the screw holes  41 ,  42  and  43  of the main frame  15  are screw-coupled to the screw holes  22   a ,  21   a  and  21   b  of the lamp housing  18 , respectively. 
     FIG. 6 shows a top frame  16  for being assembled to the main frame  15 . Referring to FIG. 6, a top frame  16  is provided with a coupling flange  24  which corresponds to the coupling projection  18   a  of the lamp housing  18 . The coupling flange  24  is preferably provided with three screw holes  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c . The screw hole  24   a  is coupled to the screw hole  21   b  of the coupling projection  18   a  of the lamp housing  18  as well as to the screw hole  43  that is provided on the coupling flange  12   a  of the main frame  15 . The screw holes  24   b  and  24   c  are coupled to a hinge arm (not shown) that is pivotally connected to the main body. 
     Referring again to FIG. 5, a projection  25  extending upward from the coupling flange  12   a  of the main frame  15  is provided to prevent the deforming of the parts which is caused by torque generated when the screws are tightened. The panel support  14  is cut away at a portion  14   b  to provide a passage through which a lamp wire can pass. Note that a bar-shaped guide  26  is provided on the main frame  15  to support the LCD panel in a lateral direction. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along the line VII—VII of FIG. 5, and which also shows components used for assembling that are not shown in the perspective view of FIG.  5 . The lamp housing  18 , the panel support  14 , and the top frame  16  are stacked in the above-mentioned order with the lamp housing  18  on the bottom, and a flat wire  28  is disposed between the lamp housing  18  and the panel support  14 . An adhesive tape  29  is preferably attached to the top frame  16  where the top frame  16  contacts the lamp housing  18 . Reference numerals  61 ,  62  and  63  indicate a liquid crystal panel, a reflective plate and a lamp, respectively. 
     Note that the top frame  16  preferably includes a horizontal portion  16   a  and a vertical portion  16   b . The horizontal portion  16   a  is coupled to the panel support  14 , while the vertical portion  16   b  is disposed towards the lamp housing  18  and may be in contact with the lamp housing  18 . 
     A comparison of the unique structure of preferred embodiments of the present invention to the conventional structure shown in FIG. 3 reveals the significant space savings and compactness achieved by preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understated by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.