Abstract:
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is disclosed. The LCD device comprises an LCD panel, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) disposed at a side of the LCD panel, and a chip disposed on the FPCB to drive the LCD panel. The LCD device further comprises a heat dissipating element, and the chip is covered by the heat dissipating element so that heat generated by the chip is dissipated via the heat dissipating element. Thereby, damage to the chip due to an overhigh temperature can be avoided, thus prolonging the service life of the LCD device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal displaying, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In recent years, LCD devices have found wide application in various fields owing to their advantages such as lightweight, thin, small space occupation and little radiation. 
         [0005]    Currently in a kind of LCD device, an LCD panel thereof is provided with a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). A chip is disposed on the FPCB to drive the LCD panel, which is just the so-called chip on film (COF) technology. However, it is difficult to dissipate the massive heat generated by the chip in a timely manner during operation of the LCD device, so the chip is liable to premature failure. Furthermore, the FPCB has a length of around 8 mm, so the COF cannot be disposed flat together with the LCD panel as in the conventional design but has to be bent downwards to save space. However, if the COF is bent downwards in a natural state, it tends to warp and, consequently, be pierced by the front frame due to friction during the transportation or in use, thus causing a poor displaying quality of images. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The primary objective of the present disclosure is to provide an LCD which can solve the problem of heat dissipation of a driving chip on an LCD panel. 
         [0007]    To achieve this objective, the present disclosure provides an LCD device, which comprises an LCD panel, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) disposed at a side of the LCD panel, and a chip disposed on the FPCB to drive the LCD panel. The LCD device further comprises a heat dissipating element, and the chip is covered by the heat dissipating element so that heat generated by the chip is dissipated via the heat dissipating element. The heat dissipating element comprises a thermally conductive buffering material and a first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape, and the thermally conductive buffering material is joined to the chip by the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0008]    Preferably, the LCD device further comprises a light guide plate and a reflective sheet, wherein an end of the FPCB that is away from the LCD panel is disposed opposite to the light guide plate, and the reflective sheet is disposed between the light guide plate and the thermally conductive buffering material and is attached to the light guide plate. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the heat dissipating element further comprises a second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape disposed between the reflective sheet and the thermally conductive buffering material, and the reflective sheet is joined to the thermally conductive buffering material by means of the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the LCD device further comprises a plastic frame disposed between the light guide plate and the thermally conductive buffering material to support the LCD panel; and the heat dissipating element further comprises a third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape disposed between the plastic frame and the thermally conductive buffering material, and the plastic frame is joined to the thermally conductive buffering material by means of the third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the thermally conductive buffering material is a flexible sheet with thermal conductivity, and at an end of a front side and an opposite end of a back side of the flexible sheet is disposed a fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape respectively, and the flexible sheet is fixed to FPCBs at two opposite sides of the chip by means of the fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tapes. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape is disposed at a geometric center position of the flexible sheet. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the chip is a source-drive chip or a gate-drive chip. 
         [0014]    The present disclosure further provides an LCD device, which comprises an LCD panel, an FPCB disposed at a side of the LCD panel, and a chip disposed on the FPCB to drive the LCD panel. The LCD device further comprises a heat dissipating element, and the chip is covered by the heat dissipating element so that heat generated by the chip is dissipated via the heat dissipating element. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the heat dissipating element comprises a thermally conductive buffering material and a first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape, and the thermally conductive buffering material is joined to the chip by means of the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0016]    Preferably, the LCD device further comprises a light guide plate, wherein an end of the FPCB that is away from the LCD panel is disposed opposite to the light guide plate. 
         [0017]    Preferably, the LCD device further comprises a reflective sheet which is disposed between the light guide plate and the thermally conductive buffering material and is attached to the light guide plate. 
         [0018]    Preferably, the heat dissipating element further comprises a second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape disposed between the reflective sheet and the thermally conductive buffering material, and the reflective sheet is joined to the thermally conductive buffering material by means of the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the LCD device further comprises a plastic frame disposed between the light guide plate and the thermally conductive buffering material to support the LCD panel. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the heat dissipating element further comprises a third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape disposed between the plastic frame and the thermally conductive buffering material, and the plastic frame is joined to the thermally conductive buffering material by means of the third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the thermally conductive buffering material is a flexible sheet with thermal conductivity, and at an end of a front side and an opposite end of a back side of the flexible sheet is disposed a fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape respectively, and the flexible sheet is fixed to FPCBs located at two opposite sides of the chip by means of the fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tapes. 
         [0022]    Preferably, the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape is disposed at a geometric center position of the flexible sheet. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the chip is a source-drive chip or a gate-drive chip. 
         [0024]    According to the present disclosure, the chip is covered by a heat dissipating element at the outside so that heat generated by the chip can be dissipated timely. In this way, damage to the chip due to an overhigh temperature can be avoided, thus prolonging the service life of the LCD device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a schematic structural view of a first embodiment of an LCD device according to the present disclosure; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a juncture C where an FPCB joins with an LCD panel in the LCD device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is a schematic structural view of a second embodiment of the LCD device according to the present disclosure; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  is a schematic structural view of a thermally conductive buffering material in a third embodiment of the LCD device according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0029]    Hereinafter, implementations, functional features and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described with reference to embodiments thereof and the attached drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    It shall be understood that, the embodiments described herein are only intended to illustrate but not to limit the present disclosure. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 1  is a schematic structural view of a first embodiment of an LCD device according to the present disclosure, and  FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a juncture C where an FPCB joins with an LCD panel in the LCD device of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0032]    In this embodiment, the LCD device comprises an LCD panel  10 , an FPCB  20  disposed at a side of the LCD panel  10 , and a chip  21  disposed on the FPCB  20  for driving the LCD panel  10 . The LCD device further comprises a heat dissipating element  30  adapted to cover the chip  21  so that heat generated by the chip  21  can be dissipated via the heat dissipating element  30 . In this way, damage to the chip due to an overhigh temperature can be avoided to prolong the service life of the LCD device. Furthermore, the chip  21  is a source-drive chip or a gate-drive chip in this embodiment. 
         [0033]    In an embodiment, the heat dissipating element  30  comprises a thermally conductive buffering material  31  and a first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 . The thermally conductive buffering material  31  is used to dissipate the heat from the chip  21 , and is joined with the chip  21  by means of the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 . In this embodiment, the thermally conductive buffering material  31  is thermally conductive foam and may be formed into a plate shape. At a middle portion of a surface of the thermally conductive buffering material  31  is disposed a recess for receiving the chip  21  so as to cover the chip  21 . A bottom surface of the recess may be adhered to a surface of the chip  21  by means of the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 . As the thermally conductive buffering material  31  and the chip  21  are joined together by means of the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 , heat generated by the chip  21  can be transferred through the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32  to the thermally conductive buffering material  31  and be further dissipated outwards from the thermally conductive buffering material  31 . 
         [0034]    In this embodiment, the LCD device further comprises a light guide plate  60 , and an end of the FPCB  20  that is away from the LCD panel  10  is disposed opposite to the light guide plate  60 . Specifically, the light guide plate  60  is disposed corresponding to the LCD panel  10 . A buffering plate  2  is disposed between the light guide plate  60  and the LCD panel  10  to support the LCD panel  10  at an end of the light guide plate  60  and the LCD panel  10 . The FPCB  20  is bent from the LCD panel  10  towards the light guide plate  60  in such a way that the thermally conductive buffering material  31  is opposite to the light guide plate  60 . A reflective sheet  50  is attached to the light guide  60  between the light guide plate  60  and the thermally conductive buffering material  31 . A width W of a side frame  11  which is on the front frame  1  is significantly reduced by bending the FPCB  20  towards the light guide plate  60  for resulting in a narrow side-frame design of the LCD device, wherein the front frame  1  is used to receive the FPCB  20  in the LCD device with the side frame  11  facing the viewers. The FPCB  20  that is bent may be joined with the light guide plate  60  or other objects in various ways, for example, by use of glue or a double-sided adhesive tape, so as to fix the FPCB  20 . This can prevent the FPCB from warping and consequently being scratched or pierced by the iron frame or other objects, and also facilitate an even narrower side-frame design. Preferably in this embodiment, a thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape is disposed between the FPCB  20  and the light guide plate  60  to fix the FPCB  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , in addition to the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 , the heat dissipating element  30  further comprises a second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  33  disposed between the reflective sheet  50  and the thermally conductive buffering material  31 . The reflective sheet  50  and the thermally conductive buffering material  31  are joined with each other by means of the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  33 . By disposing the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  33  in this embodiment, the FPCB  20  can be fixed together with the reflective sheet  50 ; and this can prevent them from warping and consequently being scratched or pierced by the iron frame or other objects, and also facilitate an even narrower side-frame design. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a schematic structural view of a second embodiment of the LCD device according to the present disclosure. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, the LCD device comprises a plastic frame  3  in place of the buffering plate  2  of the first embodiment. The plastic frame  3  is disposed between the light guide plate  60  and the thermally conductive buffering material  31  to support the LCD panel  10 . In addition to the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32 , the heat dissipating element  30  further comprises a third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  34  disposed between the plastic frame  3  and the thermally conductive buffering material  31 . The plastic frame  3  and the thermally conductive material  31  are joined together by means of the third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  34 . Similar to the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  33 , the third thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  34  also functions to fix the FPCB  20  and transfer the heat, so it may also be replaced by the second thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  33 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a schematic structural view of a thermally conductive buffering material  31  in a third embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0037]    The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that, the thermally conductive buffering material  31  is a flexible sheet with thermal conductivity such as a piece of thermoplastic elastomer. On an end of a front side and an opposite end of a back side of the flexible sheet is disposed a fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  35  respectively (only one side is shown). One of the fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  35  joins with an FPCB  20  at one side of the chip, while the other fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  35  joins with an FPCB  20  at the opposite side of the chip. Specifically, when the flexible sheet with thermal conductivity is to be disposed, the first thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape  32  is disposed at a geometric centre position of the flexible sheet and then adheres to the chip  21 ; then the flexible sheet with thermal conductivity is bent at both sides to form a space for receiving the chip  21 ; and finally, the thermally conductive buffering material  31  is joined at both ends to the FPCB  20  by means of the fourth thermally conductive double-sided adhesive tape to cover the chip  21 . 
         [0038]    According to the embodiments of the LCD according to the present disclosure, the chip  21  on the FPCB  20  is covered by a heat dissipating element  30  so that heat generated by the chip  21  can be dissipated timely. In this way, damage to the chip  21  due to an overhigh temperature can be avoided, thus prolonging the service life of the LCD device. Moreover, because the FPCB  20  is fixed in the present disclosure, a narrow side-frame design can be achieved, and warping of the FPCB  20  can be avoided so that it will not be scratched or pierced by the iron frame or other objects. 
         [0039]    What described above are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure but are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, any equivalent structural or process flow modifications that are made on basis of the specification and the attached drawings or any direct or indirect applications in other technical fields shall also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.