Backlighted liquid crystal display using light passage member for more nearly uniform illumination

• US 4,618,216 A
• Filed: 12/10/1984
• Issued: 10/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gallivan, Richard F.
• Application Number:
  US06/680,192
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 350/339 F, 350/345
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A liquid crystal display panel having a backlight for providing high brightness, uniformity of illumination intensity, small thickness, high efficiency and which can be manufactured at a low cost. The display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a light source for illuminating the liquid crystal panel, a light passage member which can be formed of either transparent or translucent material disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the light source. The light source inlet side of the light passage member is formed with a recess so that the thickness is reduced at the region opposed to the brightest region of the light source. A light reflecting member substantially surrounds the light source and the light passage member is formed with an opening facing the liquid crystal panel to expose a surface portion of the light passage member. The light source can either be incandescent light bulb or a cold-cathode discharge tube. In the latter case, a thermistor is coupled in series with the tube to stabilize its temperature and hence stabilize the illumination intensity against changes in ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

light source means for illuminating said liquid crystal display panel;

a light passage member of one of a transparent and a translucent material, said light passage member being disposed between said liquid crystal panel and said light source means; and

a light relecting member substantially surounding said light source means and said light passage member, said light reflecting member having an opening facing said liquid crystal display panel to expose a surface portion of said light passage member, said light passage member and light reflecting member being adapted to provide light more uniformly across said display panel at varying distances from said light source means with the length of a light path between said light source and said exposed surface portion being substantially uniform throughout said light passage member by reducing the distance between the reflecting member and the display panel as the distance from the light source means increases;

wherein the reflecting member is one of a metal plate, a metal film and a lamination sheet of aluminum and plastic adhered to surface portions of said light passage member other than said opening.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal display panel does not overlap said light source means in plan view and the thickness of said light passage member decreases as the distance from said light source increases.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein said light passage member and said light reflecting member are formed with a curved surface in cooperation with the opening for adjusting the length of the light path.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light source means comprises an elongated light source and wherein said light passage member is formed with a space in the light inlet side, said linear light source disposed in said space.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light passage member is selected from the group of milky colored polycarbonate resins and milky colored acrylic resins.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of said light scattering member is gradually reduced towards end portions thereof in a direction orthogonal to said light source.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a cold-cathode discharge tube.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said reflecting member comprises a metal plate of a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe and stainless steel.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said reflecting member comprises a metal plate coated with a material selected from the group consisting of Al, Ni and Ag.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light passage member is a transparent plastic resin.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light source means comprises a cold-cathode discharge tube and said device further includes a wavelength selection filter disposed between a liquid crystal layer of said liquid crystal panel and said light source.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein said filter comprises a sharp-cut filter for blocking ultraviolet rays.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal display panel includes at least one colored transparent plate.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 13, wherein said colored plate comprises a dichromatic filter.

15. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a cold-cathode discharge tube, and said device further includes temperature detector means disposed near a wall of said tube and voltage control circuit means, said temperature detector being coupled to said voltage control circuit means for controlling the discharge voltage of said tube in respone to change in ambient temperature.

16. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, wherein said light passage member is of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins and polycarbonate resins.

17. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, wherein said temperature detector means comprises a thermistor connected in series with said discharge tube.

18. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, including a base plate and wherein said light source means comprises a cold-cathode discharge tube mounted to a first side of the base plate facing said light passage member, and further comprising discharge stabilizing resistor means mounted on the opposed side of said base plate.

19. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel;

light source means for illuminating said liquid crystal display panel;

a light passage member disposed between said liquid crystal display panel and said light source means;

wherein said light source means includes a cold-cathode discharge tube and further includes a wavelength selection filter disposed between said liquid crystal display panel and said light source means.

20. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, wherein said filter comprises a sharp-cut filter for blocking ultraviolet rays.

21. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, including a base plate, said cold-cathode discharge tube mounted to a first side of the base plate facing said light passage member, and further comprising discharge stabilizing resistor means mounted on the opposed side of said base plate.

22. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, wherein said liquid crystal display panel includes at least one colored transparent plate.

23. The liquid crystal display device of claim 22, wherein said colored plate comprises a dichromatic filter.

24. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, wherein said device further includes temperature detector means disposed near a wall of said tube and voltage control circuit means, said tmeperature detector being coupled to said voltage control circuit means for controlling the discharge voltage control circuit means for controlling the discharge voltage of said tube in response to change in ambient temperature.

25. The liquid crystal display device of claim 24, wherein said light passage member is of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins and polycarbonate resins.

26. The liquid crystal display device of claim 24, wherein said temperature detector means comprises a thermistor connected in series with said discharge tube.

27. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, wherein said light source means further includes resistor means for stabilizing the discharge operation of said cold-cathode discharge tube.

28. The liquid crystal display device of claim 19, wherein said light source means further includes temperature compensation means for stabilizing the discharge operation of the cold-cathode discharge tube.