LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICE

• US 20120235948A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• 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: Inoue, Akira, Kajima, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1333 Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methodsG02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid crystal device having improved assembly workability. A liquid crystal device of the present invention is provided with: a liquid crystal panel 31; a liquid crystal panel driver 21 that drives the liquid crystal panel 31; a touch panel 50 disposed on the display surface side of the liquid crystal panel 31; a touch panel driver 22 that drives the touch panel 50; and a flexible substrate 40, which is electrically connected to a control circuit board 12 that controls a drive of the liquid crystal panel 31 and a drive of the touch panel 50. The liquid crystal panel driver 21 and the touch panel driver 22 are electrically connected to the control circuit substrate 12, respectively, through the same flexible substrate 40.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device, comprising:

a liquid crystal panel;

a liquid crystal panel driver that drives the liquid crystal panel;

an additional function component disposed so as to cover a surface of the liquid crystal panel, the additional function component providing an additional function to a display of the liquid crystal panel;

an additional function component driver that drives the additional function component; and

a flexible substrate that is electrically connected to an external driver circuit that respectively controls a drive of the liquid crystal panel and a drive of the additional function component,

wherein the liquid crystal panel driver and the additional function component driver are electrically connected to the external driver circuit, respectively, through the same flexible substrate.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is electrically connected to the additional function component and to the liquid crystal panel, respectively, through anisotropic conductive films.

3. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal panel is provided with an element substrate that has switching elements for driving liquid crystals in respective pixels,

wherein the liquid crystal panel driver is disposed on a surface of the element substrate on a side facing the additional function component,

wherein the flexible substrate has a main section that is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view and an extended section that is extended from a periphery of the main section in a substantial L shape,

wherein, of the main section and the extended section, one is attached to the additional function component, and the other is attached to the element substrate, and

wherein the additional function component driver is disposed in the element substrate on a side facing the additional function component, and is electrically connected to the additional function component through the flexible substrate.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the additional function component is arranged on a display surface side of the liquid crystal panel,

wherein the liquid crystal panel is provided with an element substrate that has switching elements for driving liquid crystals in respective pixels,

wherein the liquid crystal panel driver is disposed in the element substrate on a side facing the additional function component,

wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view,

wherein an end portion of the flexible substrate in one side direction is attached to the additional function component,

wherein a center portion of the flexible substrate in the one side direction is attached to the element substrate, and

wherein the liquid crystal panel driver is disposed so as to be covered by a section between the end portion and the center portion of the flexible substrate in the one side direction from the display surface side of the liquid crystal panel.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the additional function component is arranged on a display surface side of the liquid crystal panel,

wherein the liquid crystal panel is provided with an element substrate that has switching elements for driving liquid crystals in respective pixels and a color filter substrate that is disposed between the element substrate and the additional function component,

wherein, on a surface of the color filter substrate on a side facing the element substrate, a connecting section that is electrically connected to the element substrate is formed, and

wherein the liquid crystal panel driver is connected to the connecting section through an anisotropic conductive film.

6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 5, wherein the flexible substrate has a main section that is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view and an extended section that is extended from a periphery of the main section, and

wherein, of the main section and the extended section, one is attached to the additional function component, and the other is attached to the connecting section.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 5, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view,

wherein the flexible substrate has a flap that is made by cutting the flexible substrate,

wherein, in the flexible substrate, the flap can be bent separately from a remaining portion of the main section, and

wherein, of the main section and the flap, one is attached to the additional function component, and the other is attached to the connecting section.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 7, wherein the flap is made by cutting an inner portion of the flexible substrate in a plan view.

9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 7, wherein the flap is made by cutting an edge portion of the flexible substrate.

10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 5, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in an S shape in a cross-sectional view having two folded sections, and

wherein, of an edge portion and a section between the two folded sections in the flexible substrate, one is attached to the additional function component, and the other is attached to the connecting section.

11. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein the element substrate is a TFT substrate having thin film transistors arranged therein.

12. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the additional function component is a touch panel that is disposed on a display surface side of the liquid crystal panel, and

wherein the additional function component driver is a touch panel driver that drives the touch panel.