Liquid crystal display device

• US 20060098458A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd. (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mikami, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,708,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/632
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes an LED backlighting unit and a liquid crystal display panel disposed on the backlighting unit. The backlighting unit includes a light source of an array of LEDs and a reflector disposed so as to cover the light source and configured to reflect light emitted from the light source. And a light shielding spacer member is provided between the reflector and the LED light source.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

a backlighting unit diposed behind the liquid crystal display panel, the backlighting unit including a light source and a reflector disposed so as to cover the light source and configured to reflect light emitted from the light source; and

a light shielding spacer member provided between the reflector and the light source.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

wherein the light shielding spacer member has a plate shape.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

wherein the light shielding spacer member is fixed to the reflector.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

wherein the light shielding spacer member has a box shape and is disposed so as to allow a light emitting portion of the light source out of an aperture provided at a bottom of the box shape and to cover the light source.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

wherein the light shielding spacer member is made of an elastic resin material.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

wherein the backlighting unit further comprises an optical waveguide for guiding the light emitted from the light source and reflected by the reflector.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an optical sheet disposed on the optical waveguide of the backlighting unit.

8. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

a backlighting unit disposed behind the a liquid crystal display panel on the backlight, the backlighting unit including a light source, a first reflector, a first optical waveguide, a second reflector, a second optical waveguide, and a light shielding spacer member such that the first reflector is disposed so as to cover the light source and configured to reflect light emitted from the light source;

wherein, the first optical waveguide is arranged for allowing the light reflected by the first reflector to be incident on an incident surface, and guiding the light toward an emitting surface;

the second reflector is arranged to reflect the light emitted from the first optical waveguide; and

the second optical waveguide is disposed above the first optical waveguide to allow the light reflected by the second reflector to be incident, and to guide the light toward an entire surface; and

the light shielding spacer member is provided between the first reflector and the light source.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, further comprising:

reflective means located on a back surface of the second optical waveguide in a space between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide for reflecting the light emitted from the back surface of the second optical waveguide and for allowing the light to be incident on the second optical waveguide.

10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, further comprising:

an optical sheet disposed on the second optical waveguide of the backlighting unit.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein the light shielding spacer member has a plate shape.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein the light shielding spacer member is fixed to the first reflector.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein the light shielding spacer member has a box shape and is disposed so as to allow a light emitting portion of the light source out of an aperture provided at a bottom of the box shape and to cover the light source.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on an insulating substrate and configured respectively to emit red light, blue light, and green light.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, wherein each of the first reflector and the second reflector is made of a composite material formed by attaching transparent resin on which silver is evaporated to a metal plate selected from the group of aluminum, stainless steel, and brass.

16. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein each of the first reflector and the second reflector is made of a composite material formed by attaching white resin to a metal plate selected from the group of aluminum, stainless steel, and brass.

17. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 8,

wherein the light shielding spacer member is made of an elastic resin material.

18. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic resin material is colored white.

19. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 17,

wherein the elastic resin material is selected from the group of epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, and silicon resin.