Backlighted liquid crystal display

• US 4,659,183 A
• Filed: 12/10/1984
• Issued: 04/21/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Suzawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gallivan, Richard F.
• Application Number:
  US06/680,410
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 350/339 D, 350/345
• US Class Current: 349/67
• 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;

an elongated light source means having a direction of principal elongation for illuminating said liquid crystal display panel;

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

a light reflecting member substantially surrounding said light source means and said light scattering 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 elongated light source means being disposed in a lower central portion of said display device with the display panel overlapping said light source means in plan view;

wherein the thickness of said light scattering member is gradually reduced towards end portions thereof in the direction of principal elongation of said elongated light source means and the thickness of said light scattering member is gradually reduced towards end portions thereof in a direction orthogonal to said direction of principal elongation of said light source means.

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

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein said reflecting member comprises one of a metal plate, a metal film and a laminated sheet of aluminum, disposed on the surface portions of said light passage member other than said opening.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, wherein said filter comprises a sharp-cut filter for blocking ultraviolet rays.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein said liquid crystal display panel includes at least one colored transparent plate.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein said colored plate comprises a dichromatic filter.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, 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 opposite side of said base plate.

12. 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 response to change in ambient temperature.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein said light passage member is of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins and polycarbonate resins.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein said temperature detector means comprises a thermistor connected in series with said discharge tube.

15. 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 opposite side of said base plate.