Display apparatus and method of manufacturing the display apparatus

• US 10,191,211 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sakai Display Products Corporation (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sakai Display Products Corporation (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Nobuhiro, Iwaki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gudorf, Laura
• Application Number:
  US15/554,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20180039015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/243 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0831 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/202 LCD, i.e. liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/24 with at least one layer not being coherent before laminating, e.g. made up from granular material sprinkled onto a substrate B32B37/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133317 Intermediate frames, e.g. between backlight housing and front frame
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A display apparatus comprises: a display panel which displays an image on one surface thereof, a light guide plate disposed to face the other surface of the display panel; a plurality of optical sheets interposed between the display panel and the light guide plate; and a spacer which is sandwiched between the display panel and the light guide plate to secure a space for interposing the optical sheets therebetween, wherein the spacer has a space holding layer fixed to the light guide plate and securing the space, and a fixed layer sandwiched between the display panel and the space holding layer and fixed to the display panel, wherein the thickness of the space holding layer is thicker than a total of the thicknesses of the plurality of optical sheets except for an optical sheet nearest to the display panel.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel which displays an image on a front surface thereof;

a light guide plate disposed to face a back surface of the display panel;

a plurality of optical sheets interposed between the display panel and the light guide plate; and

a spacer which is sandwiched between the display panel and the light guide plate to secure a space for interposing the plurality of optical sheets therebetween,

wherein the spacer has

a space holding layer, which is formed by coating and solidifying a solidifiable liquid, and is fixed to the light guide plate and securing the space and

a fixed layer, which is formed by coating and solidifying a solidifiable liquid, and is sandwiched between the display panel and the space holding layer and fixed to the display panel,

wherein a thickness of the space holding layer is thicker than a total of thicknesses of one or more optical sheets, except for an optical sheet nearest to the display panel among the plurality of optical sheets, and

the fixed layer is made of a material adapted to start curing with a lapse of 1 to 5 minutes after irradiation with UV rays.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the space holding layer is thicker than a total of thicknesses of the plurality of optical sheets.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the fixed layer is thinner than the thickness of the space holding layer.

4. A method of manufacturing a display apparatus

including a display panel which displays an image on a front surface thereof, a light guide plate disposed to face a back surface of the display panel, a plurality of optical sheets interposed between the display panel and the light guide plate, and a spacer which is sandwiched between the display panel and the light guide plate to secure a space for interposing the plurality of optical sheets therebetween, the spacer having a space holding layer, which is formed by coating and solidifying a solidifiable liquid, and is fixed to the light guide plate and securing the space and a fixed layer, which is formed by coating and solidifying a solidifiable liquid, and is sandwiched between the display panel and the space holding layer and fixed to the display panel, a thickness of the space holding layer being thicker than a total of thicknesses of one or more optical sheets, except for an optical sheet nearest to the display panel, among the plurality of optical sheets, the method comprising:

a forming step of forming a space holding layer by coating and solidifying a solidifiable liquid;

a laminating step of laminating optical sheets after the forming step;

a coating step of coating the space holding layer with the solidifiable liquid after the laminating step; and

a placing step of placing the display panel on the liquid used to coat in the coating step before the liquid is solidified.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

pressing step of pressing the display panel from the front surface side before solidification of the liquid used to coat in the coating step after the placing step.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the liquid used to coat in the forming step and the coating step is a UV curable resin.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the liquid used to coat the space holding layer in the coating step is a material adapted to start curing with the lapse of 1 to 5 minutes after irradiation with UV rays.