Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575240-B2
Application number	US-201214237681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2012
Priority date	Sep 15, 2011
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel, a display area, a non-display area, a substrate member attached to the display panel with an adhesive layer interposed therebetween and including a touch panel and an operation section formed in the non-display area and used for performing an input operation on the touch panel, a step portion formed at least by a side portion of the display panel and a side portion of the adhesive layer such that a void is generated in a part between the display panel and the substrate member, and a light source unit disposed in the void such that at least a part of the light source unit is superimposed on the display panel in the step portion and configured to supply illumination light to the operation section to light the operation section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel;
a display area in which display is performed by the display panel;
a non-display area formed in a circumference of the display area;
a substrate member attached to the display panel with an adhesive layer interposed therebetween and including an operation section formed in the non-display area;
a step portion formed by a side portion of the display panel and a side portion of the adhesive layer such that a void is generated in a part between the display panel and the operation section of the substrate member; and
a light source unit disposed in the void such that a part of the light source unit is superimposed on the display panel in the step portion and configured to supply illumination light to the operation section to light the operation section; wherein
the light source unit includes a light source, a light guide plate which light of the light source enters, a light shielding member which is provided in a circumference of the light guide plate and has a frame shape, and a flexible printed circuit board configured that controls the light source provided on an opposite side of the light guide plate to a side thereof which faces the substrate member.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
a reflection layer is printed on the flexible printed circuit board so as to reflect light emitted from the light guide plate to the flexible printed circuit board to the light guide plate.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the display panel includes a circuit member provided on the step portion,
a notch portion is formed in the light shielding member of the light source unit, and
the light source unit is disposed such that the notch portion of the light shielding member is superimposed on a part of the circuit member.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the display panel includes a circuit member provided on the step portion, and
the flexible printed circuit board has a smaller thickness in an area thereof facing the circuit member than in other area thereof.

5. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a back light unit provided separately and independently from the light source unit on an opposite side of the display panel to a side thereof which faces the substrate member and serving as a light device which supplies light to the display area.

6. The display device of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate member includes a touch panel, and
the operation section is used for an input operation on the touch panel.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the substrate member further includes a cover substrate.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the touch panel is formed in the display area and the operation section.

9. The display device of claim 7 , wherein the touch panel is attached to the cover substrate with a resin film interposed therebetween.

10. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate member includes a side end portion that extends toward a same side as the step portion and protrudes beyond the display panel.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive layer is provided so that the side end portion is exposed.

12. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the operation section is formed in the side end portion.

13. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the light source unit is disposed on the side end portion.

Assignees

• Akanuma Nobuhiko
• Enomoto Hiromi
• Nii Yuhsuke
• Tomokawa Shinji
• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Akanuma Nobuhiko
• Enomoto Hiromi
• Nii Yuhsuke
• Tomokawa Shinji

Classifications

• G02F2001/133388

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04M2250/22

  including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector · CPC title

• G06F1/1692

  the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders · CPC title

• G02F2202/28

  Adhesive materials or arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/0075 Primary

  Arrangements of multiple light guides (G02B6/0028 takes precedence) · CPC title