CURVED DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20160363715A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: RYU, Taeyong, YOO, Jaesuk, HA, Juhwa, LEE, Sangwon, SONG, Sijoon, HWANG, Sangho
• Granted Patent: US 10,036,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/045 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• 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 6/0058 varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A curved display device includes a backlight unit which generates light and a display panel which receives the generated light from the backlight unit. The backlight unit includes a light guide plate and is curved. The display panel is disposed on the curved backlight unit and is curved. The curved light guide plate defines a light incident surface thereof and an opposite surface. The light incident surface receives the light generated by the curved backlight unit. The opposite surface faces the light incident surface. A thickness of the curved light guide plate decreases from the light incident surface to the opposite surface.

Claims

1. A curved display device comprising:

a curved backlight unit which generates light and comprises a curved light guide plate; and

a curved display panel which is disposed on the curved backlight unit and receives the light generated by the curved backlight unit,

the curved light guide plate defining;

a light incident surface thereof which receives the light generated by the curved backlight unit ; and

an opposite surface thereof facing the light incident surface,

wherein a thickness of the curved light guide plate decreases from the light incident surface to the opposite surface.

2. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the curved light guide plate uniformly decreases from the light incident surface to the opposite surface.

3. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the curved light guide plate further defines:

a first side surface thereof connecting the light incident surface and the opposite surface to each other; and

a second side surface thereof spaced apart from the first side surface and connecting the light incident surface and the opposite surface to each other,

wherein each of the first side surface and the second side surface has a trapezoid shape.

4. The curved display device of claim 3, wherein each of the first side surface and the second side surface is defined by straight line edges thereof.

5. The curved display device of claim 3, wherein the first side surface has a same surface area as that of the second side surface.

6. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein each of the light incident surface and the opposite surface is defined by straight line edges and curved line edges thereof.

7. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the light incident surface has a surface area greater than that of the opposite surface.

8. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the curved light guide plate further defines:

a light exit surface thereof from which the light incident to the light guide plate exits; and

a rear surface thereof facing the light exit surface,

wherein a distance between the light exit surface and the rear surface decreases from the light incident surface to the opposite surface.

9. The curved display device of claim 8, wherein an angle between the light exit surface and the rear surface is in a range from about 0.1 degree to about 0.3 degree.

10. The curved display device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the light exit surface and the rear surface has a lenticular shape or a prism shape.

11. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the curved light guide plate comprises a light scattering agent.

12. The curved display device of claim 1, wherein the curved display panel has a first radius of curvature and the curved backlight unit has a second radius of curvature different from the first radius of curvature.

13. The curved display device of claim 1, further comprising a curved bottom chassis which supports the curved backlight unit and the curved display panel thereon and comprises a metal or a metal alloy.

14. The curved display device of claim 13, further comprising:

a printed circuit board which is electrically connected to the curved display panel; and

a tape carrier package which connects the curved display panel and the printed circuit board to each other.

15. The curved display device of claim 14, further comprising a top chassis which covers at least one side surface of the curved display panel.

16. The curved display device of claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board is disposed on a lower surface of the curved bottom chassis and the top chassis overlaps a portion of the tape carrier package connected to the printed circuit board.

17. The curved display device of claim 15, wherein the top chassis is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of the curved light guide plate.

18. The curved display device of claim 14, further comprising a set frame which covers the printed circuit board and overlaps a portion of the curved bottom chassis.

19. The curved display device of claim 18, wherein the set frame is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface of the curved light guide plate.

20. The curved display device of claim 18, wherein the curved bottom chassis defines a bracket which protrudes from a lower surface of the curved bottom chassis, wherein the bracket reinforces rigidity of the curved bottom chassis and is spaced apart from the set frame.

21. A method of manufacturing a curved display device, comprising:

preparing a curved backlight unit which generates light; and

providing a curved display panel on the curved backlight unit, the preparing the curved backlight unit comprising preparing a curved light guide plate defining a light incident surface thereof and an opposite surface thereof which opposes the light incident surface, wherein a thickness of the curved light guide plate decreases from the light incident surface to the opposite surface.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the curved light guide plate is manufactured by an extrusion process or injection molding process.

23. A curved display device comprising:

a curved backlight unit which generates light and comprises a light guide plate having a curved wedge shape; and

a curved display panel which is disposed on the curved backlight unit and receives the light generated by the curved backlight unit.

24. A curved display device comprising:

a curved backlight unit which generates light and comprises a curved light guide plate; and

a curved display panel which is disposed on the curved backlight unit and receives the light generated by the curved backlight unit,

the backlight unit comprising;

a light source unit which generates the light;

a first side surface at which the light source is disposed; and

a second side surface facing the first side surface,

wherein an overall thickness of the backlight unit decreases from the first side surface to the second side surface.