Display device and method of fabricating the same
09746599 · 2017-08-29
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
F16B11/006
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
G02B6/0036
PHYSICS
H05K1/189
ELECTRICITY
B29L2031/3475
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
H05K2201/0112
ELECTRICITY
H05K1/0274
ELECTRICITY
International classification
Abstract
A display device includes: a display panel including a display region and a peripheral region; a transparent protector disposed to cover the display panel; a bezel print pattern disposed between the display panel and the transparent protector and configured to form a light shield region corresponding to the peripheral region; at least one light guide film disposed between the display panel and the bezel ink pattern in the light shield region; an ultraviolet (UV)-proof printed circuit board (PCB) disposed between the display panel and the light guide film and in contact with the light guide film; and a UV curing layer formed between the display panel and the transparent protector.
Claims
1. A display device, comprising: a display panel including a display region and a peripheral region; a transparent protector disposed to cover the display panel; a bezel print pattern disposed between the display panel and the transparent protector and configured to form a light shield region corresponding to the peripheral region; at least one light guide film disposed between the display panel and the bezel ink pattern in the light shield region; an ultraviolet (UV)-proof printed circuit board (PCB) disposed between the display panel and the light guide film and in contact with the light guide film; and a UV curing layer formed between the display panel and the transparent protector.
2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light guide film comprises a light guide layer and an-adhesive layer formed below the light guide layer and coupled to the transparent protector.
3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the light guide layer comprises a plurality of embossed patterns.
4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the embossed patterns are formed on a flat top surface and/or a flat bottom surface of the light guide layer.
5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the embossed patterns are formed on at least one of a part of the flat top surface or a part of the flat bottom surface of the light guide layer on one side of a point or surface of contact between the UV-proof PCB and the light guide film.
6. The display device of claim 3, wherein the embossed patterns are formed to have a uniform pitch therebetween.
7. The display device of claim 3, wherein the embossed patterns are formed to have different pitches therebetween.
8. The display device of claim 7, wherein a pitch between a pair of adjacent embossed patterns in an area near a light incidence plane of the light guide layer is greater than a pitch between a pair of adjacent embossed patterns in an area near a light exit plane of the light guide layer.
9. The display device of claim 7, wherein a pitch between a pair of adjacent embossed patterns gradually decreases from a light incidence plane of the light guide layer to a light exit plane of the light guide layer.
10. The display device of claim 2, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a coating layer of an adhesive.
11. The display device of claim 2, wherein the adhesive layer comprises an adhesive double-sided tape.
12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises two or more light guide films configured to be spaced from each other.
13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the UV-proof PCB comprises a flexible PCB.
14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the UV-proof PCB is configured to be connected to a driving circuit of the display panel.
15. The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a touch screen panel disposed between the display region of the display panel and the transparent protector.
16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the UV-proof PCB is configured to be connected to the touch screen panel.
17. The display device of claim 16, further comprising: a polarizing plate disposed between the touch screen panel and the transparent protector.
18. A method of fabricating a display device, comprising: applying a UV curing agent between a transparent protector, on which a bezel print pattern and a light guide film are formed, and a display panel, to which a UV-proof PCB is connected, the light guide film being attached on the bezel print pattern; and curing the UV curing agent by applying UV light while adjusting the amount or intensity of the UV light such that UV light incident upon the light guide film is more intense than UV light incident upon other parts of the display device.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The above and other aspects and features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail certain embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
(12) Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of certain embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims.
(13) In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
(14) Hereinafter, certain embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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(16) The display panel 20 may include a display region 30 and a peripheral region 40. The display region 30 may be a region in which images are displayed, and the peripheral region 40 includes parts of the display panel 20 that are outside the display region 30. In a non-limiting example, the peripheral region 40 may surround the display region 30. The display panel 20 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel. The LCD panel or the OLED display panel may be, for example, an active display panel including low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFTs).
(17) The driving circuit 60 may be formed in the peripheral region 40. The driving circuit 60 may transmit electric signals to the display region 30. The driving circuit 60 may be provided in the form of an integrated circuit (IC), and may be mounted in the peripheral region 40 of the display panel 20. The driving circuit 60 may be electrically connected to the PCB 50.
(18) The PCB 50 may be a flexible PCB including a flexible material. The PCB 50 may be connected to the display panel 20. More specifically, the PCB 50 may be directly connected to the driving circuit 60, or may be connected to the display panel 20 via connecting wires formed in the peripheral region 40 of the display panel 20. The PCB 50 may include a lightproof material capable of blocking UV light. The PCB 50 may block UV light L.sub.3 incident thereupon. One end of the PCB 50 may be connected to a first surface of the display panel 20, and the other end of the PCB 50 may be connected to a second surface of the display panel 20. In a non-limiting example, the PCB 50 may extend from the driving circuit 60 of the display panel 20 to the second surface of the display panel 20. The PCB 50 may be disposed between the display panel 20 and the light guide film 100. The PCB 50 may be placed in contact with the light guide film 100.
(19) The transparent protector 10 may be disposed on the display panel 20. The transparent protector 10 may protect the display panel 20 and may thus prevent the display panel 20 from being damaged or destroyed by an external shock. The transparent protector 10 may be disposed to cover the entire display panel 20. In a non-limiting example, the transparent protector 10 may have a larger area than the display panel 20. The transparent protector 10 may be disposed to not only cover the entire display panel 20, but also extend further beyond the sides of the display panel 20. The transparent protector 10 may include a light passing region LP and a light shield region LS. The light passing region LP, which corresponds to the display region 30 of the display panel 20, may be substantially overlapped by the display region 30. The light shield region LS, which corresponds to the peripheral region 40 of the display panel 20, may be substantially overlapped by the peripheral region 40. The light shield region LS may be provided along the edges of the transparent protector 10 to have a predetermined width, and may prevent the peripheral region 40 from being visible from the outside of the display device.
(20) The bezel print pattern 11 may be formed on the transparent protector 10 along the edges of the transparent protector 10 to have a predetermined width and thickness. The bezel print pattern 11 may block UV light L.sub.1 incident thereupon from the bottom of the transparent protector 10 and may thus prevent the peripheral region 40 from being visible from the outside of the display device. The bezel print pattern 11 may be formed in various colors such as, for example, black or white. The transparent protector 10 may be a window. The transparent protector 10 may be formed of a transparent material such as, for example, glass or a resin. The bezel print pattern 11 may be disposed between the transparent protector 10 and the display panel 20. More specifically, the bezel print pattern 11 may be disposed between the transparent protector 10 and the PCB 50.
(21) The light guide film 100 may be disposed in the light shield region LS to be at least partially overlapped by the PCB 50. The light guide film 100 may be interposed, and firmly attached, between the bezel print pattern 11 and the PCB 50. The light guide film 100 may be formed on the bezel print pattern 11 and may be placed in contact with part of the PCB 50. The light guide film 100 may include an adhesive layer 110 and a light guide layer 120. The adhesive layer 110 may couple the light guide layer 120 and the bezel print pattern 11 together. The adhesive layer 110 may be a layer of an adhesive applied onto the light guide layer 120. The light guide film 100 may be a thin film, and the thin film may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm. The light guide layer 120 may transmit the UV ray L.sub.3, which is for curing an UV curing agent applied between the display panel 20 and the transparent protector 10.
(22) The UV curing layer 70 may be interposed between the display panel 20 and the transparent protector 10. The UV curing layer 70 may couple the display panel 20 and the transparent protector 10 together. The UV curing layer 70 may be formed by applying a UV curing agent between the display panel 20 and the transparent protector 10 and applying UV light so as to cure the UV curing agent. The UV curing layer 70 may be formed to have a stepwise shape in consideration of the driving circuit 60 formed on the display panel 20, and the bezel print pattern 11 and the light guide film 100 formed on the transparent protector 10.
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(24) Referring to
(25) The UV light L.sub.2, the UV light L.sub.3, the UV light L.sub.4 and the UV light L.sub.5 may be incident upon the sides of the display device, as illustrated in
(26) Referring to
(27) Referring to
(28) The first end of the light guide layer 120 may be interpreted as a light incidence plane, and the second end of the light guide layer 120 may be interpreted as a light exit plane. The second end of the light guide layer 120 may also be interpreted as being a part close to the second curing region A.sub.2, and the first end of the light guide layer 120 may also be interpreted as being a part distant from the second curing region A.sub.2. The light guide film 100 may have a smooth surface, obtained by mirror finishing, at the first end thereof.
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(30) Light guide films of display devices according to other embodiments are hereinafter described.
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(32) More specifically, the embossed patterns 131 through 139 may be formed on the flat top surface of the light guide layer 121. The embossed patterns 131 through 139 may be, for example, hemispherical. The embossed patterns 131 through 139 may be evenly spaced with a pitch P.sub.1 therebetween. Part of the UV light L.sub.3 incident upon the light guide layer 121 may proceed from a first end to a second end of the light guide layer 121 through total reflection within the light guide layer 121, and may then be emitted through the embossed patterns 131 through 139 to be scattered in a second curing region A.sub.2 above the light guide layer 121. The embossed patterns 131 through 139 may have a size of about 5 mm or less.
(33) An adhesive layer 111 may be formed on the bottom surface of the light guide layer 121. The adhesive layer 111 may be formed, for example, by applying an adhesive on the bottom surface of the light guide layer 121 and drying the adhesive.
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(35) The pitch between each pair of adjacent embossed patterns may be smaller in an area near a first end of the light guide film 102 than in an area near a second end of the light guide film 102. For example, the pitches between the embossed patterns 131 and 132, between the embossed patterns 132 and 133, between the embossed patterns 133 and 134, and between the embossed patterns 134 and 135, i.e., the pitches P.sub.2, P.sub.3, P.sub.4 and P.sub.5, may be smaller than the pitches between the embossed patterns 135 and 136, between the embossed patterns 136 and 137, between the embossed patterns 137 and 138, and between the embossed patterns 138 and 139, i.e., the pitches P.sub.6, P.sub.7, P.sub.8 and P.sub.9. The pitches P.sub.2, P.sub.3, P.sub.4 and P.sub.5 may all be identical or may be different from one another. For example, the pitch P.sub.2 may be smaller than the pitch P.sub.3, and the pitch P.sub.3 may be smaller than the pitch P.sub.4. Similarly, the pitches P.sub.6, P.sub.7, P.sub.8 and P.sub.9 may all be identical or may be different from one another. For example, the pitch P.sub.9 may be greater than the pitch P.sub.8, and the pitch P.sub.8 may be greater than the pitch P.sub.7. The pitch between each pair of adjacent embossed patterns may gradually decrease from the second end to the first end of the light guide film 102, from the pitch P.sub.9 to the pitch P.sub.2.
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(37) In a non-limiting example, the embossed patterns 131 through 135 may be evenly spaced such that pitches P.sub.2, P.sub.3, P.sub.4 and P.sub.5 thereamong may all be identical.
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(39) In a non-limiting example, the pitch between the embossed patterns 131 through 139 on the flat top surface of the light guide layer 124 and the pitch between the embossed patterns 141 through 149 on the flat bottom surface of the light guide layer 124 may both be the same as a pitch P.sub.1. Alternatively, the pitch between the embossed patterns 131 through 139 may be different from the pitch between the embossed patterns 141 through 149.
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(52) A method of fabricating a display device, according to an embodiment is hereinafter described.
(53) In a non-limiting example, the method may include: applying a UV curing agent between a transparent protector 10, which includes a light shield region LS and on which a bezel print pattern 11 and a light guide film 100 are formed, and a display panel 20, to which a UV-proof PCB 50 is connected, the light guide film 100 being attached on the bezel print pattern 11; and curing the UV curing agent by applying UV light while adjusting the amount or intensity of the UV light such that UV light L.sub.3 incident upon the light guide film 100 may be relatively more intense than UV light L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.4 or L.sub.5 incident upon other parts of the display device.
(54) In this example, the curing of the UV curing agent may include controlling the duration of application of the UV light L.sub.3 or the intensity of the UV light L.sub.3. For example, the UV light L.sub.3 may be applied for a relatively long period of time, or the intensity of the UV light L.sub.3 may be increased.
(55) In another non-limiting example, the method may include: preparing a transparent protector 10, which includes a light shield region LS and on which a bezel print pattern 11 and a light guide film 100 are formed, a touch screen panel 80, to which a UV-proof PCB 85 is connected, and a display panel 20, the light guide film 100 being attached on the bezel print pattern 11; disposing the touch screen panel 80 between the transparent protector 10 and the display panel 20; applying a UV curing agent between the transparent protector 10 and the display panel 20; and curing the UV curing agent by applying UV light while adjusting the amount or intensity of the UV light such that UV light L.sub.3 incident upon the light guide film 100 may be relatively more intense than UV light L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.4 or L.sub.5 incident upon other parts of the display device.
(56) In another non-limiting example, a display device may be fabricated by: preparing a transparent protector 10, which includes a light shield region LS and on which a bezel print pattern 11 and a light guide film 100 are formed, a touch screen panel 80, to which a UV-proof PCB 85 is connected, a polarizing plate 90, and a display panel 20; disposing the touch screen panel 80 between the transparent protector 10 and the display panel 20, applying a UV curing agent between the transparent protector 10 and the display panel 20 and curing the UV curing agent by applying UV light while adjusting the amount or intensity of the UV light such that UV light L.sub.3 incident upon the light guide film 100 may be relatively more intense than UV light L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.4 or L.sub.5 incident upon other parts of the display device.
(57) Embodiments of the present invention provide at least one of the following advantages.
(58) According to embodiments, it is possible to completely cure a UV-curing agent in a light shield region and thus to improve any exterior defects that may result from the reaction between any uncured UV curing agent and bezel ink.
(59) However, the effects of the present invention are not restricted to the ones set forth herein. Other effects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
(60) Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.