Backlight unit and display device having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9880339-B2
Application number	US-201615191667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A display device includes a first display panel, a second display panel disposed to be spaced apart from the first display panel, a first light guide plate which is under the first display panel and provides light thereto, a second light guide plate which is under the second display panel and provides light thereto, a light source unit which is commonly disposed under the first and second light guide plates and generates and provides the light to the first and second light guide plates, and a reflective member which is disposed on the light source unit and is commonly disposed on the first and second light guide plates, the reflective member defining a first curved surface which reflects the light to the first light guide plate and a second curved surface which reflects the light to the second light guide plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a first display panel which displays an image with light;
a second display panel which displays an image with the light and is spaced apart from the first display panel;
a first light guide plate which is disposed under the first display panel and provides the light thereto;
a second light guide plate which is disposed under the second display panel and provides the light thereto;
a light source unit disposed under the first and second light guide plates, wherein the light source unit generates and provides the light to the first and second light guide plates; and
a reflective member disposed on the light source unit and disposed between the first and second light guide plates, the reflective member defining a first curved surface thereof which reflects the light from the light source to the first light guide plate and a second curved surface thereof which reflects the light from the light source to the second light guide plate,
wherein
in a thickness direction of the display device, the reflective member is overlapped with the light source unit, and
the first light guide plate, the reflective member, and the second light guide plate are arranged in order in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein in the thickness direction of the display device,
the first curved surface of the reflective member extends in a direction toward the light source unit from an upper surface of the first light guide plate which is closest to the first display panel, and
the second curved surface extends in a direction toward the light source unit from an upper surface of the second light guide plate which is closest to the second display panel.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein in the thickness direction of the display device, each of the first and second curved surfaces has a concave shape.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the first light guide plate is spaced apart from the second light guide plate in a first direction, and
each of the first and second curved surfaces is curved along the first direction and extends in a second direction crossing the first direction.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member disposed between the first and second light guide plates is movable in a direction toward the first light guide plate from the second light guide plate and in a direction toward the second light guide plate from the first light guide plate.

6. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit disposed under the first and second light guide plates is movable in a direction toward the first light guide plate from the second light guide plate and in a direction toward the second light guide plate from the first light guide plate.

7. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a bottom chassis in which is accommodated the first light guide plate, the second light guide plate, the light source unit disposed under the first and second light guide plates, and the reflective member disposed between the first and second light guide plates.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein the light source unit disposed under the first and second light guide plates comprises:
a light source which generates and emits the light to the reflective member disposed between the first and second light guide plates; and
a printed circuit board on which the light source is mounted, the printed circuit board disposed between the light source and the bottom chassis.

9. The display device of claim 8 , further comprising a heat transfer member disposed between the printed circuit board and the bottom chassis, the heat transfer member commonly disposed under the first and second light guide plates.

10. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a top chassis commonly disposed on the first and second display panels spaced apart from each other,
wherein
the spaced apart first and second display panels define a space therebetween, and
the top chassis defines:
a first opening thereof which exposes a display area of the first display panel,
a second opening thereof which exposes a display area of the second display panel, and
a cover portion thereof which is disposed overlapping the space between the first and second display panels.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein in a top plan view of the display device, the cover portion of the top chassis, the reflective member disposed between the first and second light guide plates, and the light source unit are overlapped with each other.

12. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first display panel and the second display panel are disposed in a same plane.

13. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the first display panel is disposed in a first imaginary plane,
the second display panel is disposed in a second imaginary plane different from the first imaginary plane, and
an angle between the first imaginary plane and the second imaginary plane is smaller than about 180 degrees.

14. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the first light guide plate is spaced apart from the second light guide plate in a first direction, and
the light source unit comprises plural light sources which generate and emit the light to the reflective member disposed between the first and second light guide plates, the plural light sources comprising:
first light sources arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction;
second light sources arranged in the second direction the second light sources spaced apart from the first light sources in the first direction; and
a printed circuit board on which the first and second light sources are mounted.

15. The display device of claim 1 , wherein in the thickness direction, the light source unit, each of the first and second light guide plates, and each of the first and second display panels, are arranged in order.

16. The display device of claim 1 , wherein in the thickness direction, the first light guide plate does not overlap with the second light guide plate.

17. A display device comprising:
a first display panel which displays an image with light;
a second display panel which displays an image with the light and is spaced apart from the first display panel in a first direction;
a first light guide plate which is disposed under the first display panel and provides the light to the first display panel;
a second light guide plate which is disposed under the second display panel and provides the light to the second display panel;
a light source unit commonly disposed under the first and second light guide plates, wherein the light source unit generates and provides the light to the first and second light guide plates; and
a reflective member disposed on the light source unit and commonly disposed on the first and second light guide plates, wherein the reflective member reflects the light from the light source unit to the first and second light guide plates,
wherein at least one of the light source unit and the reflective member is movable with respect to the other one of the light source unit and the reflective member, in a direction parallel to the first direction.

18. The display device of claim 17 , wherein the reflective member defines in a thickness direction of the display device:
a first surface which reflects the light from the light source unit to the first light guide plate, the first surface curved to the light source unit from an upper surface of the first light guide plate which is c

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Young-Min
• Lee Luly
• NAM Eunju
• Song Min-Young

Classifications

• G02B6/0031 Primary

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G02B6/0085

  Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package · CPC title

• G02B6/0091

  of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/133553

  Reflecting elements (associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605) · CPC title

• G02F1/1335

  Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors · CPC title