DISPLAY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20090066903A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Noriko, Yoshida, Tokuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,334,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/153
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133388 with constructional differences between the display region and the peripheral region
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13392 spacers dispersed on the cell substrate, e.g. spherical particles, microfibres

Abstract

A display device includes a plurality of spacer rows that are provided outside a display region on one of a pair of substrates, and each of the spacer rows is defined by a plurality of spacers arranged in a row at predetermined intervals along an outer edge of the display region. Each spacer has a substantially elongated shape extending along the outer edge of the display region. A gap between adjacent spacers in each spacer row is defined by a slit portion having a shorter length than a longitudinal length of the spacer, and the plurality of spacer rows are entirely covered by the seal member between the pair of substrates.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A display device, comprising:

a pair of substrates connected to each other with a spacer interposed therebetween;

a display medium layer provided between the pair of substrates;

an approximately frame-shaped seal member arranged to seal the display medium layer between the pair of substrates; and

a display region arranged to be surrounded by the seal member;

wherein

a plurality of spacer rows are located outside of the display region on one of the pair of substrates, and each spacer row includes a plurality of spacers arranged in line at predetermined intervals along an outer edge of the display region;

each spacer in each spacer row has a substantially elongated shape extending along the outer edge of the display region;

a gap between adjacent spacers in each spacer row is defined by a slit portion having a shorter length than a longitudinal length of the spacer; and

the plurality of spacer rows are entirely covered by the seal member between the pair of substrates.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the spacer has a lower moisture permeability than a moisture permeability of the seal member.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein the slit portion in one of the plurality of spacer rows is arranged so as to not overlap with the slit portion in an adjacent spacer row in a direction substantially perpendicular to an arranging direction of the spacer row.

12. The display device according to claim 10, wherein the seal member is made of a thermoplastic resin.

13. A method for manufacturing a display device in which a display medium layer is sealed by an approximately frame-shaped seal member between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a display region contributing to display is arranged to be surrounded by the seal member, the method comprising:

a spacer row formation step of forming a plurality of spacer rows outside the display region on the first substrate with each spacer row being formed by a plurality of spacers arranged in line at predetermined intervals along an outer edge of the display region;

a seal member supply step of supplying a flowable seal member to a region where the spacer rows are formed on the first substrate; and

a bonding step of bonding the second substrate to the first substrate with the seal member interposed therebetween;

wherein

in the spacer row formation step, each spacer in each spacer row has a substantially elongated shape extending along the outer edge of the display region, and a gap between adjacent spacers in each spacer row is formed as a slit portion having a shorter length than a longitudinal length of the spacer; and

in the bonding step, the plurality of spacer rows are entirely covered by the seal member between the first substrate and the second substrate bonded to each other.

14. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 13, wherein the spacer has a lower moisture permeability than a moisture permeability of the seal member.

15. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 14, wherein in the spacer row formation step, the slit portion in one of the plurality of spacer rows is formed so as not to overlap the slit portion in an adjacent spacer row in a direction substantially perpendicular to an arranging direction of the spacer row.

16. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 14, wherein the seal member is made of a thermoplastic resin.