Backlight unit and liquid crystal display device having the same

• US 7,513,661 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshihiro, Ishiwa, Masaru, Hamada, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/023,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 362600-634, 362/330, 362/580, 362/547, 362/126, 362/218, 362/264, 362/294, 362/345, 362/373, 362/800, 362/231
• US Class Current: 362/373
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133628 with cooling means

Abstract

A backlight unit has a light source, a reflection sheet, a light guide plate, an air space, and a diffuser, wherein the reflection sheet, the light guide plate, the air space, and the diffuser are overlaid in this order. The light source is configured to arrange individual light sources having different spectra or different light emission quantities near an incident plane of the light guide plate, and on a plane facing the reflection sheet of the light guide plate, scatter dots are disposed which take light propagating through the light guide plate out of the reflection sheet side. The backlight unit and a liquid crystal display device including the same have excellent display quality.

Claims

1. A backlight unit comprising:

a discrete light source section configured to have individual light sources having different spectra or different light emission quantities;

a light guide section configured to have one end surface which is provided with an incident plane which receives a light emitted from the discrete light source section, a light guiding area which guides the light having entered from the incident plane, and a light emission plane which emits the light guided in the light guiding area;

a heat conduction section configured to conduct heat generated in the discrete light source section; and

a heat dissipation section disposed on a back side of the light emission plane and configured to dissipate heat conducted through the heat conduction section;

wherein

the heat conduction section has a substantially L-shaped heat conduction member which is bent along the light guide section and is substantially L-shaped in cross section.

2. The backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat conduction section has a light source fixing member which is bent along the light guide section and has a substantially L-shaped configuration in cross section, and which fixes the discrete light source section.

3. The backlight unit according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the substantially L-shaped heat conduction member and the light source fixing member is thermally contacted with the heat dissipation section.

4. The backlight unit according to claim 2, further comprising a protecting section configured to protect the light guide section between the light guide section and the heat dissipation section, wherein the protecting section is thermally contacted with the heat conduction section.

5. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the protecting section is thermally contacted with at least one of the substantially L-shaped heat conduction member and the light source fixing member.

6. The backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein the discrete light source section has an LED.

7. The backlight unit according to claim 6, wherein the LED is a dual in-line package type.

8. The backlight unit according to claim 1, wherein the discrete light source section is covered with a heat conduction reflection member, wherein the heat conduction reflection member is made of a material having a high heat conductivity to conduct heat to the heat conduction section and reflect and guide emitted light to the light guide section in which an emission side of the light is opened.

9. The backlight unit according to claim 8, wherein the heat conduction reflection member has a light reflecting section on an inner wall surface covering the discrete light source section.

10. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a backlight unit provided with a discrete light source section configured to have individual light sources having different spectra or different light emission quantities, a light guide section configured to have one end surface provided with an incident plane which receives a light emitted from the discrete light source section, a light guiding area which guides the light having entered from the incident plane, and a light emission plane which emits the light guided in the light guiding area, a heat conduction section configured to conduct heat generated in the discrete light source section, and a heat dissipation section disposed on a back side of the light emission plane and configured to dissipate heat conducted through the heat conduction section;

a liquid crystal display panel disposed on a light emission plane side of the light guide plate; and

an accommodating section configured to accommodate the backlight unit and the liquid crystal display panel which is made of a high heat radiating material to thermally contact with the backlight unit to dissipate heat generated in the discrete light source section;

wherein

the heat conduction section has a substantially L-shaped heat conduction member which is bent along the light guide section and is substantially L-shaped in cross section.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10, wherein the accommodating section is thermally contacted with a protecting section configured to protect the light guide section, which is disposed between the light guide section and the heat dissipation section.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10, wherein the accommodating section is thermally contacted with the heat dissipation section.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the protecting section or the heat dissipation section is screwed and fixed to the accommodating section.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10, wherein the backlight unit has a diffusing section between the light guide section and the liquid crystal display panel, and an area of the light emission plane of the light guide section is smaller than an area of a display area of the liquid crystal display panel or an area of the diffusing section.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein a length of the incident plane of the light guide section and a plane facing the incident plane is shorter than a length of the display area of the liquid crystal display panel or a length of the diffusing section measured in a same direction.

16. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the backlight unit has a frame shaped member between the light guide section and the diffusing section, in which an opening area on the light guide section side is narrower than an opening area on the diffusing section side.

17. A backlight unit comprising:

a discrete light source section configured to have individual light sources having different spectra or different light emission quantities;

a light guide section configured to have one end surface provided with an incident plane which receives a light emitted from the discrete light source section, a light guiding area which guides the light having entered from the incident plane, and a light emission plane which emits the light guided in the light guiding area;

a heat conduction section configured to conduct heat generated in the discrete light source section; and

a heat insulating section configured to have a contact surface which covers and thermally contacts with a portion of an outer surface of the heat conduction section and to insulate heat as a temperature of the heat conduction section substantially uniformly.

18. The backlight unit according to claim 17, wherein the heat conduction section has a heat dissipation surface which dissipates heat.

19. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein a surface treatment is applied to the heat dissipation surface in order to increase infrared emissivity.

20. The backlight unit according to claim 19, wherein the surface treatment includes an anodized surface.

21. The backlight unit according to claim 19, wherein the surface treatment includes a coated surface.

22. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein a thermal resistance of the heat insulating section from the contact surface to the back side of the contact surface is higher than a thermal resistance of the heat conduction section from an inflow portion of the heat to the heat dissipation surface.

23. The backlight unit according to claim 22, wherein a thermal resistance of the heat insulating section is higher than a thermal resistance of the heat conduction section in a plane in parallel with the contact surface.

24. The backlight unit according to claim 17, wherein the heat insulating section is made of a plastic or resin.

25. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein the light guide section further has the incident plane on an opposing surface of the one end surface, and the discrete light source section is disposed on the one end surface side and on the opposing surface side.

26. The backlight unit according to claim 25, wherein a total electric power input to the discrete light source section disposed on the one end surface side is varied from a total electric power inputted to the discrete light source section disposed on the opposing surface side.

27. The backlight unit according to claim 25, wherein electric power supplied to each of the individual light sources having different spectra or different light emission quantities in the discrete light source section is varied between the discrete light source section disposed on the one end surface side and the discrete light source section disposed on the opposing surface side.

28. The backlight unit according to claim 25, further comprising a holding section disposed on the back side of the light emission plane and configured to hold the heat conduction section in a predetermined space.

29. The backlight unit according to claim 28, wherein the holding section is thermally contacted with the heat conduction section.

30. The backlight unit according to claim 28, wherein the holding section has the heat dissipation surface on the opposite side of a plane facing the back side of the light guide section.

31. The backlight unit according to claim 18, further comprising a heat dissipation section disposed on the back side of the light emission plane and configured to dissipate the heat conducted through the heat conduction section.

32. The backlight unit according to claim 25, further comprising a heat dissipation section disposed on the back side of the light emission plane and configured to dissipate the heat conducted through the heat conduction section, wherein the heat dissipation section extends to near the discrete light source sections disposed on the one end surface side and on the opposing surface side.

33. The backlight unit according to claim 31, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the heat dissipation section includes the heat dissipation surface.

34. The backlight unit according to claim 31, wherein the heat dissipation section includes a heatsink.

35. The backlight unit according to claim 34, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the heatsink includes the heat dissipation surface.

36. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein the heat conduction section has a substantially L-shaped heat conduction member which is formed in an L shape in planes substantially perpendicular to each of the light emission plane and the contact surface.

37. The backlight unit according to claim 36, wherein the substantially L-shaped heat conduction member includes the heat dissipation surface on the opposite side of a plane facing the back side of the light emission plane.

38. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein the heat conduction section has an inclusion type heat conduction member which sandwiches and includes the heat insulating section.

39. The backlight unit according to claim 38, wherein the inclusion type heat conduction member includes the heat dissipation surface in a plane substantially in parallel with the contact surface.

40. The backlight unit according to claim 25, wherein the heat conduction section has an integral, substantially U-shaped heat conduction member to conduct the heat generated on the discrete light source sections disposed on the one end surface side and on the opposing surface side and having a substantially U-shaped configuration in planes substantially perpendicular to each of the light emission plane and the contact surfaces.

41. The backlight unit according to claim 40, wherein the substantially U-shaped heat conduction member includes the heat dissipation surface on the opposite side of a plane facing the back side of the light emission plane.

42. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein the heat conduction section has a substantially L-shaped light source fixing member which has a substantially L-shaped configuration in planes substantially perpendicular to each of the light emission plane and the contact surface and fixes the discrete light source section.

43. The backlight unit according to claim 42, wherein the substantially L-shaped light source fixing member includes the heat dissipation surface on the opposite side of a plane facing the back side of the light emission plane.

44. The backlight unit according to claim 25, wherein the heat conduction section has a substantially U-shaped light source fixing member which has a substantially U-shaped configuration in planes substantially perpendicular to each of the light emission plane and the contact surfaces, wherein the substantially U-shaped light source fixing member fixes the discrete light source sections disposed on the one end surface side and on the opposing surface side.

45. The backlight unit according to claim 44, wherein the substantially U-shaped light source fixing member includes the heat dissipation surface on the opposite side of a plane facing the back side of the light emission plane.

46. The backlight unit according to claim 18, wherein the heat dissipation surface includes:

a circuit board fixing portion which thermally contacts and fixes a circuit board mounted to a predetermined electric circuit; and

a protection cover fixing portion which thermally contacts the heat conduction section at a position different from the circuit board fixing portion and fixes a protection cover of the circuit board.

47. The backlight unit according to claim 46, wherein at least a portion of front and back sides of the protection cover includes the heat dissipation surface.

48. The backlight unit according to claim 17, wherein the equation:

Lm/(t1+t2)≦

300

is maintained, and a thickness of the heat conduction section is t1, a thickness of the light source fixing member fixing the discrete light source section is t2, and a length of the light source fixing member in a direction of arranging the individual light sources is Lm (where t1, t2, and Lm are in the same units).

49. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel provided with a pair of substrates disposed facing each other, and liquid crystals sealed between the pair of the substrates; and

the backlight unit according to claim 17 disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel.