Patent Publication Number: US-2023135713-A1

Title: Display device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a display device. 
     Description of the Background Art 
     Conventionally, a display panel and a flexible circuit board are connected to each other in display devices. 
     For example, in the related art, a liquid-crystal display device is disclosed. The liquid-crystal display device includes: a tape carrier package to which a terminal around a display of a liquid-crystal panel is connected; and a spacer that is held between the tape carrier package and either one of a backlight panel, which opposes the terminal of the liquid-crystal panel, and a bezel, so as to provide a clearance between the display of the liquid-crystal panel and respective one of the backlight panel and the bezel. In the liquid-crystal display device disclosed in the related art, the spacer covers a substantially entire area of a connector between the terminal of the liquid-crystal panel and the tape-carrier package, and is projected outward from an outer edge of the connector. In this way, a bending start point of the TCP is changed from the outer edge of the connector to an edge of the spacer, and a direction of a force applied to the connector is shifted by 90° to prevent stress concentration on the outer edge of the connector. Therefore, it is possible to prevent peeling of the tape carrier package from the terminal. 
     However, from a viewpoint of quality assurance, further prevention of peeling of the flexible circuit board may be requested. 
     In view of the above problem, the present disclosure has a purpose of providing a display device capable of further preventing peeling of a flexible circuit board. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the present disclosure includes: a display panel having a display on a front surface; a flexible circuit board connected to the display panel; and a panel chassis supporting a rear surface of the display panel. On an outer side of a lateral end of the display panel, the panel chassis has a flexible circuit board guide projected from the rear surface side of the display panel to the front surface side thereof. The flexible circuit board is provided along the flexible circuit board guide in a manner to extend on an outer side thereof. 
     According to the present disclosure that has been described so far, it is possible to provide the display device capable of preventing further peeling of the flexible circuit board. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view schematically illustrating a display device according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional view that is taken along A-A at the time of connecting a flexible circuit board to the display device in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view that is taken along B-B at the time of connecting the flexible circuit board to the display device in  FIG.  1   . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A detailed description will hereinafter be made on a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. This embodiment, which will be described below, does not unduly limit contents of the present disclosure described in the claims, and not all of configurations, which will be described in this embodiment, may not be essential as the solution in the present disclosure. 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view schematically illustrating a display device  100  according to the present disclosure.  FIG.  2    is a cross-sectional view that is taken along A-A at the time of connecting a flexible circuit board  20  to the display device  100  in  FIG.  1   .  FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view that is taken along B-B at the time of connecting the flexible circuit board  20  to the display device  100  in  FIG.  1   . As illustrated in  FIG.  1    to  FIG.  3   , the display device  100  according to the present disclosure includes a display panel  10 , the flexible circuit board  20 , and a panel chassis  30 . In order to facilitate understanding of characteristics of the display device  100  according to the present disclosure, the flexible circuit board  20  and a bezel  70  on an outer side of the panel chassis  30  are not illustrated in  FIG.  1   . 
     For example, the display device  100  according to the present disclosure is incorporated as a display panel module into a television receiver, a monitor display, or another device. 
     The display panel  10  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure has a display  11  on a front surface. The display  11  is configured to include polarizing plates  51 ,  52 , a TFT  53  (switching element), a color filter (CF)  54 , and the like, and may additionally include an optical sheet  50  and a backlight (not illustrated). 
     The display panel  10  is a self-illuminating display panel, but can be an organic EL panel using organic light-emitting diode elements. 
     Furthermore, as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the TFT  53  extends outward from an end of the CF  54  and thus has an exposed section  13 , in which a rear surface of the TFT  53  is partially exposed to the outside. A connector  15  is formed in the exposed section  13 . 
     The flexible circuit board  20  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure is connected to the display panel  10 . One end of the flexible circuit board  20  is connected to the display panel  10  while the other end thereof is connected to a signal generation board  62  that generates a signal to be input to the display panel  10 . The flexible circuit board  20  has a driver  61 . 
     In addition, the flexible circuit board  20  is disposed in a manner to provide a clearance from a second area  36  on a periphery of the display panel  10  in each of a back direction and a front direction. 
     The signal generation board  62  is connected to a timing control board  65  via a connection member  64  and a terminal  63 . The signal generation board  62  is a print circuit board on which electronic parts such as a capacitor, a resistor, and a diode, are mounted, and an example of the signal generation board  62  is a source board. 
     The panel chassis  30  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure supports a rear surface near an end of the display panel  10  via a cushioning material  60  and the like. Meanwhile, the bezel  70  supports a front surface near the end of the display panel  10 . 
     The display device  100  according to the present disclosure includes a backlight chassis  80 . The backlight chassis  80  substantially has a box shape, and includes an optical member group and a reflective sheet. 
     The panel chassis  30  is constructed of metal, such as aluminum or iron, having high thermal conductivity. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1    to  FIG.  3   , on an outer side of a lateral end  12  of the display panel  10 , the panel chassis  30  has a flexible circuit board guide  40  that is projected from the rear surface side of the display panel  10  to the front surface side thereof. Then, the flexible circuit board  20  is provided along the flexible circuit board guide  40  in a manner to extend on the outer side of the panel chassis  30 . 
     In the case where the flexible circuit board guide  40  is not provided, the flexible circuit board  20  is likely to be peeled from the display panel  10  due to weight of the flexible circuit board  20  and the signal generation board  62 , which is connected to the flexible circuit board  20 . 
     In order to handle such a problem, the flexible circuit board guide  40  is provided, and the flexible circuit board  20  is provided along the flexible circuit board guide  40  from the connector  15  with the display panel  10  in a manner to extend on the outer side of the flexible circuit board guide  40 . Consequently, a frictional force is generated between the flexible circuit board  20  and the flexible circuit board guide  40 , which can prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board  20  from the connector  15  with the display panel  10 . 
     As described above, the display panel  10  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure has the flexible circuit board guide  40 . Thus, in the structure in which the TFT  53  and the CF  54  are arranged in this order from the rear surface of the display panel  10 , it is possible to further prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board. 
     Furthermore, in the structure as illustrated in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3    that supports high brightness and in which the CF  54  and the TFT  53  are arranged in this order from the rear surface of the display panel  10 , the flexible circuit board  20  is connected to the rear surface of the TFT  53 , and thus the flexible circuit board is further likely to be peeled. However, since the display panel  10  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure has the flexible circuit board guide  40 , it is possible to further prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board even with provision of the connector  15  on the rear surface of the display panel  10 . 
     Compared to the former structure, the latter structure as illustrated in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3    can further exert an effect of preventing peeling of the flexible circuit board. 
     The flexible circuit board guide  40  may not abut the lateral end  12  of the display panel  10 . As illustrated in  FIG.  1   , an area where the flexible circuit board guide  40  is provided is an area where the flexible circuit board  20  is drawn out. Thus, such an area does not abut an entire surface of the lateral end  12  (an end in a lateral direction of the panel and a lateral surface portion) of the display panel  10 , and is provided with a clearance S (spacing) through which the flexible circuit board  20  passes. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  3   , in a first area  35  on the periphery of the display panel  10 , the panel chassis  30  has a display panel restrictor  45  that is projected from the rear surface side of the display panel  10  to the front surface side thereof and abuts the lateral surface of the display panel  10 , so as to restrict movement of the display panel  10  in a plane direction. The plane direction corresponds to a left direction, a right direction, the back direction, and the front direction in  FIG.  1   . In addition, as illustrated in  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2   , in the second area  36  on the periphery of the display panel  10 , the panel chassis  30  has the flexible circuit board guide  40 . 
     A projection length l of the flexible circuit board guide  40 , which is projected from the rear surface side of the display panel  10  to the front surface side thereof, is preferably shorter than a projection length L of the display panel restrictor  45 , which is projected from the rear surface side of the display panel  10  to the front surface side thereof. That is, l&lt;L. In order to draw out the flexible circuit board  20 , the area where the flexible circuit board guide  40  is provided has a shorter length than the projection length L of the display panel restrictor  45  as another area. In other words, a projection height of the flexible circuit board guide  40  is less than a projection height of the display panel restrictor  45 . Thus, an end of the panel chassis  30  has a notched shape. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  2   , a tip of the flexible circuit board guide  40  is preferably located on the front surface side from the connector  15 . That, is, the projection length l of the flexible circuit board guide  40  is preferably longer than a distance d from flat part  31  of the panel chassis  30  to the connector  15 . In this way, the flexible circuit board  20  obtains a U-shape in a cross-sectional view as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , and the frictional force between the flexible circuit board guide  40  and the flexible circuit board  20  is improved. Thus, it is possible to further prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board. 
     The tip of the flexible circuit board guide  40  preferably has a tapered shape. In this way, the frictional force between the flexible circuit board guide  40  and the flexible circuit board  20  is improved. Thus, it is possible to further prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board. The one end of the flexible circuit board  20  is connected to the display panel  10  while the other end thereof is connected to the signal generation board  62 . 
     According to such a structure, the flexible circuit board  20  is likely to be peeled due to weight of those components. However, since the display panel  10  that is provided in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure has the flexible circuit board guide  40 , it is possible to prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board even in such a structure. 
     As it has been described so far, in the display device  100  according to the present disclosure, it is possible to further prevent peeling of the flexible circuit board. 
     Although the detailed description has been made on the embodiments and the examples, those skilled in the art will easily understand that many modifications can be made within the scope that does not substantially depart from the novelties and effects of the present disclosure. Therefore, all such modifications shall be included within the scope of the present disclosure, 
     For example, a term that is described at least once in the specification or the drawings along with a different term that has broader or synonymous meaning can be replaced by the different term anywhere in the specification or the drawings. The configuration and operation of the display device are also not limited to those described in the embodiments and the examples, and various modifications can be made thereto.