Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9217895-B2
Application number	US-201113191853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2011
Priority date	Jan 19, 2011
Publication date	Dec 22, 2015
Grant date	Dec 22, 2015

Abstract

A display apparatus includes plural light guide plates each including a light incident surface and a light output surface, plural light sources providing light to the light guide plates, and a display panel receiving the light to display an image. The light guide plates have a rectangular shape, are spaced apart from each other and are in a same plane. The light sources are disposed between two adjacent light guide plates. Each of the light sources includes a light emitting surface, and provides the light to the light guide plates through the light emitting surface. The light emitting surface of the light sources is inclined with respect to one side of the light guide plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
two light guide plates adjacent in a same plane, each of the two light guide plates having a rectangular shape;
a plurality of light sources between the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates, in a same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent, each of the light sources comprising a light emitting surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent and through which light is emitted to the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates; and
a display panel receiving the light and displaying an image with the light,
wherein when one of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates is referred to as a first light guide plate, and the other of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates is referred to as a second light guide plate,
the first light guide plate includes a first single-plane light incident surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent, and a first light output surface, and
the second light guide plate includes a second single-plane light incident surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent, the second single-plane light incident surface facing the first single-plane light incident surface with the plurality of light sources therebetween, and a second light output surface, and
wherein in a top plan view of the output surfaces of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates between which the plurality of light sources is disposed, the light emitting surfaces in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent are inclined with respect to both of the first and second single-plane light incident surfaces between which the plurality of light sources is disposed in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light sources further comprise:
first light sources including the light emitting surfaces facing the first single-plane light incident surface, and second light sources including the light emitting surfaces facing the second single-plane light incident surface, and
the first light sources alternate with the second light sources.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
an angle between the first single-plane light incident surface and the light emitting surface of each first light source among the first light sources, is the same; and
an angle between the second single-plane light incident surface and the light emitting surface of each second light source among the second light sources, is the same.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a light guide member between the two adjacent light guide plates, wherein the light guide member surrounds the light sources, guides the light to the first and second light guide plates, and includes a cured polymer resin.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a cover member connected to the light guide member, and overlapped with a portion of the light output surfaces of the two adjacent light guide plates.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a half-transmission layer substantially parallel to the light output surfaces and covering the cover member.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the half-transmission layer is a metal layer.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the display panel comprises a display area in which the image is displayed, and a non-display area in which the image is not displayed, the non-display area surrounding the display area, and
the light sources are in the display area when viewed in the top plan view.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light sources are divided into a plurality of light emitting blocks which are driven independently from each other.

10. A display apparatus comprising:
two light guide plates adjacent in a same plane;
a plurality of light sources between the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates, in a same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent, each of the light sources comprising a light emitting surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent and through which a light is emitted the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates; and
a display panel receiving the light and displaying an image with the light,
wherein when one of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates is referred to as a first light guide plate, and the other of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates is referred to as a second light guide plate,
the first light guide plate includes:
a first single-plane light incident surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent,
a first light output surface, and
first protrusions protruded in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent from the first single-plane light incident surface, the second light guide plate includes:
a second single-plane light incident surface in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent, the second single-plane light incident surface facing the first single-plane light incident surface with the plurality of light sources therebetween,
a second light output surface, and
second protrusions protruded in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent from the second single-plane light incident surface, and

wherein in a top plan view of the output surfaces of the two adjacent same-plane light guide plates between which the plurality of light sources is disposed, the first light guide plate first protrusions and the second light guide plate second protrusions protruded in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent alternate with each other in a longitudinal direction of the first and second single-plane light incident surfaces, the alternating same-plane first and second protrusions respectively facing and disposed non-overlapping with the plurality of light sources in the same plane in which the two light guide plates are adjacent.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the first protrusions comprise first upper surfaces substantially parallel to the first single-plane light incident surface, and
the second protrusions comprise second upper surfaces substantially parallel to the second single-plane light incident surface.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the light sources further comprise:
first light sources including the light emitting surfaces facing the first upper surfaces in a one-to-one correspondence, and
second light sources including the light emitting surfaces facing the second upper surfaces in a one-to-one correspondence.

13. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
each of the first protrusions comprises:
a first side surface inclined with respect to the first single-plane light incident surface, and
a second side surface inclined with respect to the first single-plane light incident surface and connecting the first side surface to the first single-plane light incident surface, and

each of the second protrusions comprises:
a third side surface inclined with respect to the second single-plane light incident surface, and
a fourth side surface inclined with respect to the second single-plane light incident surface and connecting the third side surface to the second single-plane light incident surface.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the light sources comprise:
third light sources including light emitting surfaces facing the first side surfaces or the second side surfaces, and
fourth light sources including light emitting

Assignees

• Yeo Dongmin
• Kim Gicherl
• Yang Byungchoon
• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yeo Dongmin
• Kim Gicherl
• Yang Byungchoon

Classifications

• G02B6/0078

  Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays · CPC title

• G02F1/133615 Primary

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

• G02B6/0068

  Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources · CPC title