Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0036413, filed on Apr. 20, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a display apparatus including a display part to display an image and a bezel part provided at the edge of the display part. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a display panel on which an image is displayed, including liquid crystal panels and/or plasma display panels (PDPs). 
     A display apparatus includes a display part to display an image and a bezel part provided at the edge of the display part to support the display part. Recently, in keeping with the trend towards an increasing emphasis on external design and spatial minimization, there has been an increasing desire to minimize the width of the bezel part. 
     SUMMARY 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the problems described above. 
     An aspect provides a display apparatus including a display part operable to display an image; and a bezel part disposed at an edge of the display part, wherein at least a portion of a front surface of the display part and a front surface of the bezel part are coplanar. 
     The display apparatus may further include: a glass member which is transparent; a film member disposed on a front surface of the glass member; a frame which supports a side surface of the glass member; and a support member which supports the glass member with respect to the frame, wherein the support member includes a front support part which supports both a front surface of the frame and a first portion of the front surface of the glass member, wherein the film member has a same thickness as the front support part and is disposed on a second portion of the front surface of the glass member, and wherein the display part includes the film member and the bezel part includes the front support part. 
     The display apparatus may further include an optical sheet disposed at a rear of the glass member, wherein the frame includes a support rib which protrudes from an inner surface of the frame and supports a portion of at least one of a rear surface of the glass member and a portion of the optical sheet, and wherein the front support part has a width corresponding to a width of the support rib. 
     The film member may include a polarizing film. 
     The display apparatus may further include: a glass member which is transparent; a frame which supports a side surface of the glass member; and a support member which supports the glass member with respect to the frame, wherein the support member includes a front support part which supports both a front surface of the frame and a portion of a front surface of the glass member, wherein the glass member includes an installation recess, which is at an edge of the front surface of the glass member and has a depth corresponding to a thickness of the front support part, which accommodates the front support part, and wherein the display part a portion of the glass member and the bezel part includes the front support part. 
     The display apparatus may further include an optical sheet disposed at a rear of the glass member, wherein the frame includes a support rib which protrudes from an inner surface of the frame and supports the at least one of a portion of a rear surface of the glass member and a portion of the optical sheet, and wherein the front support part has a width corresponding to a width of the support rib. 
     The display apparatus may further include a film member disposed on at least one of a front surface of the bezel part and a front surface of the display part. 
     The display apparatus may further include a second film member which is disposed on a rear surface of the optical sheet. 
     The display apparatus may further include: a glass member which is transparent; an optical sheet disposed at a rear of the glass member; and a frame which supports a side surface of the glass member, wherein a front surface of the frame is coplanar with a front surface of the glass member, wherein the frame includes a support rib which protrudes from an inner surface of the frame and supports at least one of a portion of the rear surface of the glass member and a portion of the optical sheet, and wherein the bezel part includes the front surface of the frame and the support rib and the display part includes a portion of the front surface of the glass member. 
     The display apparatus may further include a film member which is disposed on at least one of a front surface of the bezel part, a portion of the front surface of the glass member, another front surface of the glass member, the front surface of the frame and a surface of the support rib. 
     Another aspect provides a display apparatus which may include: a light source which generates light; a light guide member having a plate shape, wherein the light irradiated by the light source is incident upon a side surface of the light guide member; a liquid crystal panel disposed in front of the light guide member; 
     a glass member which is transparent and disposed in front of the liquid crystal panel; and a frame which supports a side surface of the glass member, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes which generate the light, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes is disposed at a rear portion of a space between an inner surface of the frame and the side surface of the light guide member, wherein the light is irradiated through the space between the inner surface of the frame and the side surface of the light guide member, and wherein the inner surface of the frame includes a reflective plane which guides the light irradiated by the plurality of light emitting diodes toward the side surface of the light guide member. 
     The light source further may include a substrate on which the plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged in a line. 
     The display apparatus may further include a rear cover which covers a rear surface of the light guide member, wherein the rear cover includes a light source installation part, which extends backwards from a side end of the rear cover and supports a rear surface of the substrate. 
     The display apparatus may further include a spacer having a front surface, which is supported by the rear surface of the light guide member, and a rear surface, which is supported by the substrate, wherein the spacer separates the substrate from a rear portion of the light guide member. 
     The rear cover may further include: a spacer part which extends backwards from a side end of the rear cover and supports a front surface of the substrate; and a light source installation part which extends from the spacer part and supports a rear surface of the substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects of the invention 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  is a perspective view of a display apparatus in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the display apparatus in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a display apparatus in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a display apparatus in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a display apparatus in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a display apparatus in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     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 like elements throughout. 
     Hereinafter, a display apparatus in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a display apparatus  1  in accordance with this exemplary embodiment includes a display part  10   a  to display an image and a bezel part  10   b  formed at the edge of the display part  10   a.    
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the display apparatus  10  includes a light source  11  to generate light, a light guide member  12  formed in a rectangular plate shape to guide the light generated by the light source  11  forwards, an optical sheet  13  including a liquid crystal layer, formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the light guide member  12  and disposed in front of the light guide member  12 , a glass member  14  formed in a rectangular plate shape, disposed in front of the optical sheet  13  and made of a transparent material so as to transmit light, a frame  15  formed in a rectangular ring shape to support four side surfaces of the glass member  14 , a support member  16  to maintain a state in which the glass member  14  is installed on the frame  15  (i.e., the support member  16  supports the glass member  14  with respect to the frame  15 ), and a rear cover  18  to support the rear surface of the light guide member  12 . 
     The light source  11  includes a plurality of light emitting diodes  11   a  to generate light and a substrate  11   b  on which the plurality of light emitting diodes  11   a  is arranged in a line. 
     The light guide member  12  is formed in a plate shape. Light irradiated by the light source  11  is incident upon the light guide member  12  through the side surface thereof, and is then guided forwards. A reflective sheet  12   a  is disposed on the rear surface of the light guide member  12  so as to reflect the light forwards. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the front surface of the glass member  14  and the front surface of the frame  15  are substantially coplanar. In order to maintain such a state in which the front surface of the glass member  14  and the front surface of the frame  15  are coplanar, a support rib  15   a  protruded integrally from the inner surface of the frame  15  to support the edge of the rear surface of the glass member  14  is formed on the frame  15 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the support rib  15   a  is formed at a position having the same depth as the thickness of the glass member  14 , and the optical sheet  13  and the light guide member  12  are sequentially installed on the rear surface of the support member  16 . Here, light having passed through the edge of the light member  12  supported by the support rib  15   a  is blocked by the support rib  15   a , and thus is not transmitted to the front of the support rib  15   a . Therefore, a front support part  16   a  of the support member  16  may have a width corresponding to that of the support rib  15   a.    
     The support member  16  includes the front support part  16   a  to support the edge of the front surface of the glass member  14  and the front surface of the frame  15 , and a side support part  16   b  extended backwards from the front support part  16   a  to support the side surfaces of the frame  15 . Thereby, the support member  16  prevents the glass member  14  from being separated from the frame  15 . 
     A film member  17 B is disposed on the remaining portion of the front surface of the glass member  14  excluding the edge of the front surface of the glass member  14  supported by the front support part  16   a . If the display apparatus  10  has the above structure, a region of the display apparatus  10  provided with the film member  17 B disposed thereon constitutes the display part  10   a , and a region of the display apparatus  10  provided with the front support part  16   a  provided thereon constitutes the bezel part  10   b . The film member  17 B has the same thickness as that of the front support part  16   a . If the front support part  16   a  and the film member  17 B have the same thickness and the front support part  16   a  and the film member  17 B are disposed on the front surfaces of the frame  15  and the glass member  14 , which are substantially coplanar, the front surface of the front support part  16   a  and the front surface of the film member  17 B become coplanar and thus the front surface of the display part  10   a  and the front surface of the bezel part  10   b  become coplanar. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, two film members  17 A and  17 B, each of which is made of a polarizing film, are provided. The film member  17 A is disposed between the light guide member  12  and the optical sheet  13  and the film member  17 B is disposed on the front surface of the glass member  14 , as described above. 
     In order to maintain a state in which the light guide member  12  is installed on the frame  15 , the rear cover  18  to support the rear surface of the light guide member  12  is disposed on the rear surface of the light guide member  12 . Here, the side end of the rear cover  18  is fixed to the frame  15 . 
     The side surface of the light guide member  12  is separated from the frame  15  so that light irradiated by the light source  11  is incident upon the light guide member  12  through the side surface thereof, and the light emitting diodes  11   a  are disposed at the rear portion of a space between the side surface of the frame  15  and the side surface of the light guide member  12 . Further, a reflective plane  15   b , which is formed to have a curved surface so as to reflect the light irradiated by the light emitting diodes  11   a  toward the side surface of the light guide member  12 , is provided on the inner surface of the frame  15  facing the side surface of the light guide member  12 . In this exemplary embodiment, the frame  15  is made of a metal, such as aluminum, so as to reflect light. 
     In order to install the light emitting diodes  11   a  at the rear portion of the space between the side surface of the frame  15  and the side surface of the light guide member  12 , a light source installation part  18   a  integrally extended backwards from the side end of the rear cover  18  is provided at the side end of the rear cover  18  such that the light source  11  is installed in the light source installation part  18   a . The light source  11  is installed in the light source installation part  18   a  such that the rear surface of the substrate  11   b  is supported by the light source installation part  18   a , and a spacer  19 , the front surface of which is supported by the rear surface of the light guide member  12  and the rear surface of which is supported by the front surface of the substrate  11   b , is disposed between the rear surface of the light guide member  12  and the substrate  11   b.    
     Since light generated by the light emitting diodes  11   a  is irradiated in an approximate fan shape, overlapping and mixing of the light generated by the plural light emitting diodes  11   a  occur. Therefore, in order to obtain uniform brightness, a designated mixing distance or more is required. In order to secure such a mixing distance, the bezel part  10   b  requires a width of more than a designated value, thus limiting reduction of the width of the bezel part  10   b.    
     Therefore, if the light emitting diodes  11   a  are disposed at the rear portion of the space between the inner surface of the frame  15  and the side surface of the light guide member  12  and the reflective plane  15   b  is provided on the inner surface of the frame  15  facing the side surface of the light guide member  12 , light irradiated by the light emitting diodes  11   a  moves by a designated distance in the forward and backward directions, is reflected by the reflective plane  15   b , moves back to the side surface of the light guide member  12 , and is then incident upon the light guide member  12  through the side surface of the light guide member  12 . Therefore, the movement distance of the light irradiated by the light emitting diodes  11   a  to the side surface of the light guide member  12  may be greatly reduced and the mixing distance may be sufficiently secured. Thus, the width of the bezel part  10   b  may be reduced by the amount by which the movement distance of the light to the side surface of the light guide member  12  is reduced. 
     Although this exemplary embodiment describes the optical sheet  13  as being disposed on the front surface of the light guide member  12 , the position of the optical sheet  13  is not limited thereto. That is, as shown in  FIG. 3  illustrating a display apparatus  20  in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, including display part  20   a  and bezel part  20   b , an optical sheet  23  which may be disposed on the rear surface of a glass member  24  and a support rib  25   a  may support the rear surface of the optical sheet  23 , film members  27 A and  27 B, reflective sheet  22 A, rear cover  28 ,  28   a  light source installation part, and light source  21  having light emitting diode  21   a  and substrate  21   b.    
     Hereinafter, with reference to  FIG. 4 , a display apparatus  30  in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the display apparatus  30  in accordance with this exemplary embodiment includes display part  30   a  and bezel part  30   b , a light source  31  having light emitting diode  31   a  and substrate  31   b , a light guide member  32 , an optical sheet  33 , a glass member  34 , a frame  35 , a support member  36  having front support part  36   a  and side support part  36   b , film members  37 A and  37 B, and a rear cover  38  and light source installation part  38   a.    
     In this exemplary embodiment, an installation recess  34   a  in which a front support part  36   a  of the support member  36  is installed is provided at the edge of the front surface of the glass member  34 . Here, the thickness of the installation recess  34   a  is equal to the thickness of the front support part  36   a . If the thickness of the installation recess  34   a  is equal to the thickness of the front support part  36   a , the front surface of the front support part  36   a  and the front surface of the glass member  34  excluding the portion of the glass member  34  provided with the installation recess  34   a  become coplanar. 
     A film member  37 B is disposed on the front surface of the front support part  36   a  and the remaining portion of the front surface of the glass member  34  excluding the portion of the glass member  34  provided with the installation recess  34   a . Thereby, a region of the display apparatus  30  provided with the remaining portion of the glass member  34  excluding the portion thereof provided with the installation recess  34   a  constitutes a display part  30   a , and a region of the display apparatus  30  provided with the front support part  36   a  constitutes a bezel part  30   b . Light having passed through the edge of the light guide member  32  supported by a support rib  35   a  is blocked by the support rib  35   a , and thus is not transmitted to the front of the support rib  35   a . Therefore, the front support part  36   a  of the support member  36  may have a width corresponding to that of the support rib  35   a.    
     Hereinafter, with reference to  FIG. 5 , a display apparatus  40  in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the display apparatus  40  in accordance with this exemplary embodiment includes display part  40   a  and bezel part  40   b , a light source  41  having light emitting diode  41   a  and substrate  41   b , a light guide member  42  having reflective sheet  42   a , an optical sheet  43 , a glass member  44 , a frame  45 , film members  47 A and  47 B, and a rear cover  48  with light source installation part  48   a.    
     The front surface of the glass member  44  is coplanar with the front surface of the frame  45 , and the film member  47 B is disposed on the front surface of the glass member  44  and the front surface of the frame  45 . In this exemplary embodiment, the side end of the film member  47 B is extended backwards so that the film member  47 B covers the side surface of the frame  45  as well as the front surface of the glass member  44  and the front surface of the frame  45 . Since the film member  47 B covers the front surface of the glass member  44  and the front and side surfaces of the frame  45 , the film member  47 B serves to maintain a state in which the glass member  44  is installed on the frame  45 . 
     A support rib  45   a  protruded from the inner surface of the frame  45  to support the edge of the rear surface of the glass member  44  is formed on the frame  45 , and light having passed through the light guide member  42  does not pass through the support rib  45   a . Therefore, a region of the display apparatus  40  provided with the front surface of the frame  45  and the edge of the glass member  44  supported by the support rib  45   a  constitutes a bezel part  40   b , and a region of the display apparatus  40  provided with the remaining portion of the glass member  44  excluding the edge of the glass member  44  constitutes a display part  40   a.    
     If the front surface of each of the display parts  10   a ,  20   a ,  30   a  and  40   a  and the front surface of each of the bezel parts  10   b ,  20   b ,  30   b  and  40   b  are coplanar, as described in the above exemplary embodiments, each of the display parts  10   a ,  20   a ,  30   a  and  40   a  and each of the bezel parts  10   b ,  20   b ,  30   b  and  40   b  are not indistinguishable in appearance, and thus display apparatuses  10 ,  20 ,  30  and  40  having a simpler design may be implemented. 
     Although the above exemplary embodiments describe that the light sources  11 ,  21 ,  31  and  41  are separated from the rear surfaces of the light guide members  12 ,  22 ,  32  and  42  by the spacers  19 ,  29 ,  39  and  49 , disposition of the light sources  11 ,  21 ,  31  and  41  is not limited thereto. That is, as shown in  FIG. 6 , in a display apparatus  50  in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, including display part  50   a  and bezel part  50   b , a light source  51 , having light emitting diode  51   a  and substrate  51   b , which is disposed at the rear portion of a space between the inner surface of a frame  55  and the side surface of a light guide member  52  (including reflective sheet  52   a ) by a spacer part  58   b  integrally extended backwards from the side end of a rear cover  58  to support the front surface of a substrate  51   b  of the light source  51  and a light source installation part  58   a  integrally extended from the spacer part  58   b  to support the rear surface of the substrate  51   b  of the light source  51 . The display apparatus  50  also includes optical sheet  53 , glass member  54  and film members  57 A and  57 B. 
     Although the above exemplary embodiments describe the frames  15 ,  25 ,  35 ,  45  and  55  as being made of a metal, such as aluminum, so as to reflect light irradiated by the light emitting diodes  11   a ,  21   a ,  31   a ,  41   a  and  51   a , the frames  15 ,  25 ,  35 ,  45  and  55  are not limited thereto. That is, the frames  15 ,  25 ,  35 ,  45  and  55  may be made of a material, which does not efficiently reflect light, and a white or silver film member may be attached to the reflective planes  15   b ,  25   b ,  35   b ,  45   b  and  55   b  or white or silver paint may be applied to the reflective planes  15   b ,  25   b ,  35   b ,  45   b  and  55   b  so as to achieve efficient light reflection. 
     As is apparent from the above description, a display apparatus in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention allows the front surface of a display part and the front surface of a bezel part to be substantially coplanar with each other such that the display part and the bezel part are indistinguishable in appearance, thereby achieving a simpler design of the display apparatus. 
     Further, in the display apparatus in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a light source is disposed at the rear portion of a space between a frame and a light guide member and a reflective plane to reflect light, irradiated by light emitting diodes located at the rear of the frame, to the side surface of the light guide member is provided on the frame, thereby causing the light irradiated by the light emitting diodes to move forwards by a designated distance and then to be reflected and be incident upon the side surface of the light guide member, thus being capable of reducing the width of the bezel part while securing a sufficient mixing distance. 
     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.

Technology Category: 3