Liquid crystal display

• US 7,061,465 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Electronics Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Seiichi, Yajima, Toshihiro, Takaku, Shigetake, Takeda, Yoshiharu, Noguchi, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/942,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87- 93, 345/102, 362 19- 31, 362/84, 315105-107, 315151-158
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0071 with elongated shape, e.g. tube
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133604 with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133605 including specially adapted reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133613 characterized by the sequence of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/046 the field being produced by using capacitive means around the vessel

Abstract

There is provided a liquid crystal display device having a longer useful life and in which its so-called picture frame area can be narrowed. The liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a display part in its central portion and a backlight disposed on a back side of the liquid crystal display panel. The backlight includes a discharge tube having electrodes at least at its opposite ends, and the electrodes are disposed at the exterior of the discharge tube. The opposite end portions of the discharge tube where the respective electrodes are disposed are positioned to be superposed on the periphery of the liquid crystal display panel and are bent with an angle with respect to the central axis of the discharge tube.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel having a display part in its central portion except its periphery; and

a backlight disposed on a back side of the liquid crystal display panel,

the backlight including a discharge tube having electrodes at least at its opposite ends, the electrodes being disposed at the exterior of the discharge tube, at least one of the opposite end portions of the discharge tube where the respective electrodes are disposed is constructed as a bent portion which is bent with an angle with respect to the central axis of the discharge tube, at least the portion of the bent portion where the electrode is formed being superposed in the area of the display part of the liquid crystal display panel.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the opposite end portions of the discharge tube where the respective electrodes are disposed is bent at greater than 90°

and not greater than 180°

with respect to the central axis of the discharge tube.

3. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the opposite end portions of the discharge tube where the respective electrodes are disposed is bent at 180°

with respect to the central axis of the discharge tube toward the opposite side to the liquid crystal display panel.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the area of the display part of the liquid crystal display panel in which at least a portion of the bent portion where the electrode is formed and is superposed is an effective emission area of the display part of the liquid crystal display panel.