LIGHT-EMITTING MODULE AND DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING THE SAME

• US 20100290246A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoon, Ju-Young, Kim, Hyoung-Joo, Cho, Chi-O, Park, Jin-Hee, Kwon, Jae-Joong, Kim, Joo-Young, Shim, Sung-Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/602
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence

Abstract

A light-emitting module includes a light guide plate and a light source unit in accordance with an embodiment. The light guide plate include an upper surface, a lower surface facing the upper surface, a plurality of side surfaces connecting the upper surface and the lower surface, and a cross-sectional surface connected to at least one of the side surfaces. The light source unit includes a substrate disposed in correspondence with the cross-sectional surface and a point light source mounted on the substrate to emit light to the cross-sectional surface. Thus, light-emitting efficiency may be enhanced and the arrangement of point light sources may be optimized, so that a required amount of emitted light may be obtained using a small number of the point light sources. In addition, uniformity of luminance and heat-radiating efficiency may also be enhanced.

Claims

1. A light-emitting module comprising:

a light guide plate comprising an upper surface, a lower surface facing the upper surface, a plurality of side surfaces connecting the upper surface and the lower surface, and a cross-sectional surface connected to at least one of the side surfaces; and

a light source unit comprising a substrate disposed in correspondence with the cross-sectional surface and a point light source mounted on the substrate and configured to emit light to the cross-sectional surface.

2. The light-emitting module of claim 1, wherein at least one of a corner surface and a recess surface is formed through the cross-sectional surface, the corner surface is formed by cutting a corner at which the side surfaces meet each other, and the recess surface is formed by removing a portion of the light guide plate from the side surface to an interior of the light guide plate.

3. The light-emitting module of claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional surface has a serrated structure, wherein the serrated structure comprises a plurality of semi-circular lens.

4. The light-emitting module of claim 2, wherein the substrate is bent a plurality of times to be disposed to face the cross-sectional surface and side surfaces adjacent to the cross-sectional surface.

5. The light-emitting module of claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional surface comprises a plurality of first surfaces forming different angles with respect to the side surface to be connected to each other, and the substrate is bent to be in parallel with the plurality of first surfaces.

6. The light-emitting module of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises:

a heat-radiating plate disposed to face the cross-sectional surface and the side surfaces adjacent to the cross-sectional surface; and

a flexible printed circuit film attached on the heat-radiating plate to face the light guide plate, wherein the flexible printed circuit film is configured to deliver driving power to the point light source.

7. The light-emitting module of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises:

a metal layer disposed to face the cross-sectional surface and the side surfaces adjacent to the cross-sectional surface; and

a metal core printed circuit board having a circuit wiring layer formed on the metal layer to face the light guide plate, wherein the metal core printed circuit board is configured to deliver driving power to the point light source.

8. The light-emitting module of claim 4, wherein the point light source comprises a light-emitting diode of a top view type having a light-exiting portion formed thereon, wherein the light-existing portion faces the cross-sectional surface.

9. The light-emitting module of claim 2, wherein the substrate is disposed to be in parallel with the lower surface of the light guide plate adjacent to the cross-sectional surface.

10. The light-emitting module of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises:

a heat-radiating plate in parallel with the lower surface of the light guide plate to be exposed toward the cross-sectional surface; and

a flexible printed circuit film attached on an upper surface of the heat-radiating plate to face the lower surface, wherein the flexible printed circuit film is configured to deliver driving power to the point light sources.

11. The light-emitting module of claim 10, wherein a plurality of embossed portions configured to increase a heat-radiating area is formed through a lower surface of the heat-radiating plate opposite to the upper surface of the heat-radiating plate.

12. The light-emitting module of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises:

a metal layer in parallel with the lower surface of the light guide plate to be exposed toward an exterior side of the lower surface; and

a metal core printed circuit board having a circuit wiring layer formed on the metal layer to deliver driving power to the point light source.

13. The light-emitting module of claim 9, wherein the point light source comprises a light-emitting diode of a side view type having a light-exiting portion formed thereon, wherein the light-existing portion faces the cross-sectional surface.

14. A display device comprising:

a light guide plate comprising an upper surface, a lower surface facing the upper surface, a plurality of side surfaces connecting the upper surface and the lower surface, and a cross-sectional surface connected to at least one of the side surfaces;

a display panel assembly comprising a display panel disposed on the upper surface, and a driving substrate configured to drive the display panel;

a middle frame supporting the display panel assembly to receive the light guide plate; and

a light source unit comprising a substrate disposed in correspondence with the cross-sectional surface and a point light source mounted on the substrate and configured to emit light to the cross-sectional surface, the light source unit being received in the middle frame.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein at least one of a corner surface and a recess surface is formed through the cross-sectional surface, the corner surface is formed by cutting a corner at which the side surfaces meet each other, and the recess surface is formed by removing a portion of the light guide plate from the side surface to an interior of the light guide plate.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises:

a heat-radiating plate bent a plurality of times to be disposed to face the cross-sectional surface and the side surfaces adjacent to the cross-sectional surface; and

a flexible printed circuit film disposed on the heat-radiating plate to face the cross-sectional surface, wherein the flexible printed circuit film is configured to deliver driving power to the point light source.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the point light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) of a top view type having a light-exiting portion formed thereon, wherein the light-existing portion faces the cross-sectional surface.

18. The display device of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises:

a heat-radiating plate in parallel with the lower surface of the light guide plate to be exposed toward the cross-sectional surface; and

a circuit wiring part formed on the heat-radiating plate configured to deliver driving power to the point light source.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the point light source comprises an LED of a side view type having a light-exiting portion formed thereon, wherein the light-existing portion faces the cross-sectional surface.

20. The display device of claim 15, further comprising:

a bottom plate on which the light guide plate and the middle frame are disposed; and

a back cover comprising a heat-radiating portion extended from the bottom plate to face the substrate.