Planar light source unit and liquid crystal display device using the unit

• US 7,576,811 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Central Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kazushige, Ida
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH NHAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/730,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 349/58, 349 61- 71, 362/611
• US Class Current: 349/65
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package

Abstract

A planar light source unit includes a metal frame retaining a light source panel provided with an light guide for inducing emission of light from a light source and a plastic frame that supports at least part of a peripheral edge of the light guide. The outer peripheral surface of the plastic frame with a fitting structure between the metal frame and the plastic frame and an outer frame portion contiguous to the support plate portion and sandwiched between the fixing means and the outer frame portion of the metal frame. A liquid crystal display panel is provided with a display region in which plural display pixels are arrayed and the planar light source unit.

Claims

1. A planar light source unit comprising:

a metal frame that has a bottom plate portion retaining a light source panel provided with a light guide for inducing emission of light from a light source, an outer frame portion contiguous to the bottom plate portion and fixing means formed on the bottom plate portion and disposed abeam of or toward the outer frame portion; and

a plastic frame that has a support plate portion for supporting at least part of a peripheral edge of the light guide with a fitting structure between the metal frame and the plastic frame and an outer frame portion contiguous to the support plate portion,

wherein the fixing means is formed as uprising a distance inward from the outer frame portion of the metal frame, and one side of an outer frame portion of the plastic frame is sandwiched between the fixing means and the outer frame portion of the metal frame.

2. A planar light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means comprises folded pieces formed on the bottom plate portion of the metal frame for supporting an inner peripheral surface of the outer frame portion of the plastic frame.

3. A planar light source unit according to claim 2, wherein the fitting holes are notches formed in the metal frame to form notched pieces that constitute the folded pieces.

4. A planar light source unit according to claim 1, further comprising fitting holes formed in the metal frame and engaging pawls formed on an outer peripheral surface of the plastic frame and fitted in the fitting holes to form a fitting structure of the metal frame and the plastic frame.

5. A planar light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means comprises fixing portions formed by means of drawing on the bottom plate portion of the metal frame for supporting an inner peripheral surface of the outer frame portion of the plastic frame.

6. A planar light source unit according to claim 4 or claim 3, wherein the fixing means are formed at positions 15 mm or more distant from corners of the metal frame.

7. A planar light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the metal frame has a thickness of 0.3 mm or less.

8. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel provided with a display region in which plural display pixels are arrayed; and

a planar light source unit for irradiating the display region of the liquid crystal display panel with light;

wherein the planar light source unit comprises a metal frame that has a bottom plate portion retaining a light source panel provided with a light guide for inducing emission of light from a light source, an outer frame portion contiguous to the bottom plate portion and fixing means formed on the bottom plate portion and disposed abeam of or toward the outer frame portion; and

a plastic frame that has a support plate portion for supporting at least part of a peripheral edge of the light guide with a fitting structure between the metal frame and the plastic frame and an outer frame portion contiguous to the support plate portion, wherein the fixing means is formed as uprising a distance inward from the outer frame portion of the metal frame, and one side of an outer frame portion of the plastic frame is sandwiched between the fixing means and the outer frame portion of the metal frame.