Liquid crystal device and electronic device

• US 6,897,912 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Hisanori, Endo, Kogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qi, Mike
• Application Number:
  US09/863,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 349/61, 349/62, 349149-152, 345/80, 345/90, 362/31, 362/26
• US Class Current: 349/61
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1365 in which the switching element is a two-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid crystal 1 includes a pair of substrates 7a and 7b which hold a liquid crystal L therebetween, a light guide 4 provided opposite to one of the substrates, a FPC 3a connected to one of the substrates 7a and 7b, and a LED 21 provided opposite to a light receiving surface 4a of the light guide 4. The LED 21 is mounted on the FPC 3a and arranged opposite to the light receiving surface 4a of the light guide 4. The LED 21 is preferably positioned relative to the light guide 4 by engagement between the pines provided on the LED 21 and the recesses 31 provided on the light guide 4.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device comprising:

a pair of substrates holding a liquid crystal therebetween;

a light guide provided opposite to one of the substrates, the light guide having a light receiving surface including a recessed portion formed therein;

a flexible substrate connected to one of the substrates and having a bent shape with an inner surface on an inner side of the bent shape; and

a light emitting device mounted on the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate being bent around a light receiving surface of the light guide, the light emitting device disposed on the inner surface of the flexible substrate;

wherein a light emitting surface of the light emitting device includes a light emission point and a projection portion, the light emission point confronting the light receiving surface, the projection portion being disposed at a position other than where the light emission point confronts the light receiving surface of the light guide, and the bent shape of the flexible substrate locates the projection portion of the light emitting surface in the recessed portion of the light receiving surface for mounting the light emitting device to the light receiving surface of the light guide.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion comprises a cylindrical pin or a triangular prism projection.

3. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a terminal to be connected to one of the substrates, the light emitting device is provided on the same surface of the flexible substrate as the surface where the terminal is provided, and a wiring pattern is provided on the surface opposite to the surface where the light emitting device is provided, the wiring pattern being connected to the terminal through a through hole.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a terminal to be connected to the substrate, a wiring pattern is formed on the same surface as the surface on which the terminal is provided, and the light emitting device is provided on the same surface of the flexible substrate as the surface on which the wiring pattern is provided.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein the wiring pattern is provided on the flexible substrate so as to avoid the light emitting device.

6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface is at on the side of the mounted surface of the light emitting device to the flexible substrate, and the light emitting surface is mounted to the light receiving surface of the light guide.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is formed in a bent shape so that the light receiving surface thereof faces a direction opposite to the pair of substrates, and the light emitting surface of the light emitting device faces the light receiving surface and the pair of substrates.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate supplies a signal for driving the liquid crystal.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a liquid crystal device; and

a control circuit for controlling an operation of the liquid crystal device;

wherein the liquid crystal device is a liquid crystal device in accordance with claim 1, and the flexible substrate is connected to the control circuit so that the light emitting device is mounted to the light receiving surface of the light guide with the control circuit connected to the flexible substrate.

10. A liquid crystal device comprising:

a pair of substrates holding a liquid crystal therebetween;

a light guide provided opposite to one of the substrates, the light guide having a light receiving surface including a recess formed therein;

a flexible substrate connected to one of the substrates and having a bent shape with an inner surface on an inner side of the bent shape; and

a light emitting device mounted on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate being bent around the light receiving surface of the light guide, and the light emitting device being disposed on the inner surface of the flexible substrate;

wherein a light emission point and a projecting portion are formed on a light emitting surface of the light emitting device, the light emission point confronting the light receiving surface, and the projection portion being disposed at a position other than where the light emission point confronts the light receiving surface of the light guide; and

the bent shape of the flexible substrate locates the projecting portion towards the light receiving surface such that the projecting portion engages with the recessed portion.