Electro-optical flat-design display device, in particular LCD area

• US 5,044,734 A
• Filed: 12/07/1989
• Issued: 09/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: Sperl, Herbert, Mossner, Frank, Siefker, Hartmuth
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Stanley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US07/447,550
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 350/338, 350/345, 350/339 D, 350/334, 362/26, 362/31, 362/32, 362/362
• US Class Current: 349/67
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/05 indicating exit way or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/302 characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13

Abstract

The invention relates to an electro-optical flat-design display device, in particular to an LCD area, comprising a flat-design housing 1 having at least one line of display elements 10 forming the front 8 of the housing 1, and comprising a backlighting device disposed inside the housing 1 and assigned to the line of display elements 10. For reducing the heat load of the LCD display elements 10 and for simplifying the construction of the housing 1, it is provided, according to the invention, that the backlighting device includes a light-guide tube 12, 17 disposed inside the housing 1 and a light source 18 disposed at a light entrance opening of the light-guide tube 12, 17, that the light-guide tube 12 is made from transparent material and surrounded by a reflector material 14, and that the reflector material 14 comprises cutouts 15 assigned to the individual display elements 10 and serving as light-exit openings FIG. 2.

Claims

1. An electro-optical flat-design display device, particularly with an LCD display area, comprising:

a substantially flat housing having a plurality of rows of display elements forming the front of the housing;

a back-lighting device disposed inside said housing and assigned to the rows of display elements, the backlighting device including a light-guide tube for each of said rows of display elements, each said light guide tube being disposed inside the housing, each said light-guide tube being connected to a light-guide transmission tube including a light entrance opening, each said light-guide tube being formed of transparent material and being surrounded by a reflective material, said reflective material including cutouts defining a light exit opening, each cutout substantially coinciding with individual display elements and a light source positioned adjacent said light entrance opening.

2. An electro-optical flat-design display device according to claim 1, wherein said light source is disposed at an end of the light-guide tube, said end of the light-guide tube being disposed outside of said housing.

3. An electro-optical flat-design display device according to claim 1, wherein a heat filter and a color filter are associated with the light source, positioned between the light source and the cutouts.

4. An electro-optical flat-design display device according to claim 3, wherein said heat filter is formed of a glass disk.

5. An electro-optical flat-design display device according to claim 3, wherein said color filter is composed of an electrically controllable, double refracting color filter employing liquid crystal technology (ECB-LC filter).

6. An electro-optical flat-design display device according to claim 1, wherein each row of said plurality of rows is assigned a light-guide tube disposed inside said housing, electrical components associated with said LDC display elements being disposed between the light-guide tubes.

7. An electro-optical display device, comprising:

a housing supporting plural rows of LCD display elements;

a light-guide tube formed of transparent material, said light-guide tube being surrounded by reflective material and having an end defining a light entrance opening, said light-guide tube including light-guide tube branches extending into said housing, each light guide tube branch of said light-guide tube branches being positioned adjacent a corresponding row of said plural rows of LCD display elements, said reflective material having cutoffs positioned adjacent said display elements to form light exit openings backlighting said display elements; and

a light source positioned adjacent said light entrance.

8. An electro-optical display device according to claim 7, wherein said light-guide tube includes a light transmission tube positioned between said light entrance opening and each branch of said light-guide tube branches, said transmission tube including openings connecting said transmission tube to each of said branches at locations along said transmission tube, each of said locations including a deflector mirror positioned to deflect at least a part of radiation into a corresponding branch of said light-guide tube.

9. An electro-optical display device according to claim 8, wherein said transmission tube includes a heat filter and a color filter to condition radiation from said light source.

10. An electro-optical display device according to claim 8, wherein said housing is formed as a substantially flat structure having a depth which is much smaller than its width and height, each of said light-guide tube branches include a substantially u-shaped element with a strip-type wall positioned between said u-shaped element and a corresponding row of said plural rows of LCD display elements, said cut-outs being formed in said strip-type wall.

11. An electro-optical display device, comprising:

a housing including a rear housing wall, a top horizontal wall and a bottom horizontal wall, a horizontal intermediate wall dividing said housing into a first display area and a second display area;

a row of liquid crystal display elements, each element being spaced along the length of said housing;

another row of liquid crystal display elements, each display element being spaced along the width of said housing, said first row of liquid crystal display elements being positioned in front of said first display area and said second row of liquid crystal display elements being positioned in front of said second display area;

u-shaped elements positioned in each of said display area, each of said u-shaped elements having an open end facing one of said rows of liquid crystal display elements, each of said u-shaped elements having a reflective surface directed inwardly;

a strip wall member positioned in front each of said u-shaped elements, said strip wall member including cut-outs aligned with each display element of said row of liquid crystal display elements;

a light-guide transmission tube including light-guide branches connected to each of said u-shaped members, said light-guide transmission tube being formed of transparent material and being surrounded by reflective material and having an end defining a light entrance opening;

deflector mirrors positioned adjacent each of said light-guide branch tubes for deflecting a portion of radiation into a corresponding light-guide tube branch; and

a light source position adjacent said light entrance.

12. An electro-optical display device according to claim 11 further comprising a heat filter and a color filter positioned between said light source and said cut-outs.