Backlight unit, display device, and method of manufacturing the display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018774-B2
Application number	US-201615340386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2016
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A display device includes a curved display panel, a light source unit, a curved light guide plate, a support frame disposed under the light guide plate and including a curved upper surface, a first magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of the upper surface of the support frame, and a second magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of a surface facing the upper surface of the light guide plate and facing the first magnetic member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel which displays an image and curved with respect to a first direction;
a light source unit which provides a light to the display panel;
a light guide plate curved with respect to the first direction and comprising a light incident surface facing the light source unit, a light output surface facing the display panel, and an opposite surface facing the light output surface;
a bottom chassis disposed under the light guide plate;
a support frame disposed between the light guide plate and the bottom chassis and comprising an upper surface curved with respect to the first direction and a lower surface which is flat;
a first magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of the upper surface of the support frame; and
a second magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of the opposite surface of the light guide plate and facing the first magnetic member,
wherein
a groove is defined in at least one of the upper surface of the support frame and the opposite surface of the light guide plate such that at least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member is disposed in the groove.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the display panel, the light guide plate, and the upper surface is convexly curved on a plane defined by the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction with respect to a reference axis substantially parallel to the second direction.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the bottom chassis comprises:
a bottom portion substantially parallel to the plane defined by the first and second directions and facing the lower surface of the support frame; and
a sidewall portion bent and extending from the bottom portion.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the first magnetic member is placed in a first groove of the groove defined in the upper surface of the support frame.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein the second magnetic member is placed in a second groove of the groove defined in the opposite surface of the light guide plate.

6. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the first magnetic member is provided in a plural number, and the first magnetic members are arranged in one line and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the second magnetic member is provided in a plural number, the second magnetic members are arranged in one line and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals, and each of the second magnetic members faces a corresponding first magnetic member of the first magnetic members.

8. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the light source unit comprises:
a printed circuit board extending in the second direction; and
light sources arranged on the printed circuit board along the second direction and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein the second magnetic member corresponds to a space between the light sources adjacent to each other among the light sources in the first direction.

10. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the first magnetic member comprises a first sub-magnetic member and a second sub-magnetic member, which are respectively disposed at two edges facing each other of the upper surface of the support frame, and
wherein the second magnetic member comprises a third sub-magnetic member and a fourth sub-magnetic member, which are respectively disposed at two edges facing each other of the opposite surface of the light guide plate, and the third and fourth sub-magnetic members respectively overlap the first and second sub-magnetic members.

11. The display device of claim 3 , further comprising a top chassis disposed on the display panel, wherein the top chassis comprises:
a cover portion covering a front edge of the display panel; and
a side surface portion bent and extending from the cover portion and facing the sidewall portion of the bottom chassis.

12. The display device of claim 11 , further comprising a mold frame disposed between the bottom chassis and the display panel, wherein the mold frame comprises:
a support portion disposed between the display panel and the light guide plate and having a curved shape;
a fixing portion disposed between the sidewall portion of the bottom chassis and the side surface portion of the top chassis; and
a connection portion disposed on the sidewall portion of the bottom chassis and connecting the support portion and the fixing portion.

13. A backlight unit comprising:
a bottom chassis comprising a bottom portion substantially parallel to a plane defined by a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction and a sidewall portion bent and extending from the bottom portion;
a support frame disposed on the bottom portion and comprising a lower surface substantially parallel to the bottom portion and an upper surface curved with respect to a reference axis substantially parallel to the second direction on the bottom portion;
a light guide plate which is disposed on the support frame and curved corresponding to a curved shape of the upper surface;
a light source unit disposed between the light guide plate and the sidewall portion;
a first magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of the upper surface of the support frame; and
a second magnetic member disposed at at least one edge of a surface of the light guide plate, which faces the upper surface, and facing the first magnetic member,
wherein
a groove is defined in at least one of the upper surface of the support frame and the surface of the light guide plate such that at least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member is disposed in the groove.

14. The backlight unit of claim 13 , wherein the upper surface has a substantially same radius of curvature as a radius of curvature of the light guide plate when in a cross-sectional view substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first direction and a third direction substantially vertical to the first and second directions.

15. The backlight unit of claim 14 , wherein the first magnetic member extends along a direction in which the at least one edge of the upper surface of the support frame extends.

16. The backlight unit of claim 14 , wherein the first magnetic member is provided in a plural number, and the first magnetic members are arranged in one line and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

17. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
providing a bottom chassis comprising a flat bottom portion;
providing a support frame on the bottom portion, the support frame comprising a lower surface which is flat, an upper surface curved with respect to a first direction, and a first magnetic member disposed on the upper surface;
providing a light guide plate on the upper surface, the light guide plate being flat and comprising a second magnetic member disposed on a surface of the light guide plate facing the upper surface;
fixing the light guide plate to the upper surface;
providing a light source unit to a position adjacent to one side portion of the light guide plate; and
providing a display panel on the light guide plate,
wherein
a groove is defined in at least one of the upper surface of the support frame and the surface of the light guide plate such that at least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member is disposed in the groove.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the fixing the light guide

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Youngsu
• Jeon Sehee
• Park Cheuljin

Classifications

• G02F2201/46

  Fixing elements · CPC title

• G02F1/133308 Primary

  Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels · CPC title

• G02B6/0088 Primary

  of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package · CPC title

• G02F1/133615

  Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side · CPC title

• G02B6/009

  of the light source in the package (G02B6/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title