Display apparatus

• US 8,657,480 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Hoon, Park, Se-Ki, Kwon, Jae-Joong, Kim, Seung-Mo, Noh, Cheol-Yong, Lee, Kang-Woo, Kang, Sung-Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, DANIELLE NICOLE
• Application Number:
  US12/430,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20100142220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 362 971- 974, 362600-634, 362/26, 362/29, 362/97.2, 362/223, 362/217.09, 362/297, 362/307, 349/62, 349/64, 349/65, 349/67
• US Class Current: 362/625
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display panel which displays images, a light source unit which generates and emits a light, a reflective sheet disposed below the display panel, and a plate disposed between the reflective sheet and the display panel. The reflective sheet includes a light diffusion pattern provided on an upper surface thereof facing the display panel, which diffusely reflects the light, to guide the light provided from the light source unit toward the display panel. The plate is spaced apart from the reflective sheet by a predetermined distance and includes a plurality of prisms provided on a lower surface thereof facing the reflective sheet to selectively reflect and transmit the light, which is provided from both the light source unit and the reflective sheet, according to an incident angle of the light.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel which displays images and includes a light incident surface;

a reflective sheet disposed overlapping the light incident surface of the display panel to reflect a light and including at least one light diffusion pattern disposed on an upper surface thereof facing the light incident surface of the display panel, wherein the light diffusion pattern diffusely reflects lateral light incident on the upper surface, to guide the lateral light toward the display panel;

a plate disposed between the reflective sheet and the display panel, and spaced apart from the reflective sheet by a predetermined distance, wherein the plate selectively reflects and transmits the light provided from the reflective sheet according to an incident angle of the light;

a light source unit disposed adjacent to at least one edge of the display panel in a plan view, wherein the light source unit generates the light and the light is emitted to a space between the plate and the reflective sheet; and

a supporter interposed between the reflective sheet and the plate to support the plate, wherein the supporter includes a hole passing through a body of the supporter substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the supporter,

wherein the plate comprises a plurality of prisms disposed on a lower surface thereof facing the reflective sheet.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source unit comprises:

a light source which generates the light of the light source unit; and

a collimator which refracts the light to control an exit angle of the light emitted from the light source.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the collimator is a convex lens and controls the exit angle of the light in a range of about 10°

to about 60°

.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light source unit further comprises a light source substrate, and the light source comprises a light emitting diode disposed on the light source substrate.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the light emitting diode and the collimator define a continuous and indivisible unit.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plate is spaced apart from the reflective sheet by the predetermined distance of about 4 millimeters or more.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the prisms of the plate are longitudinally extended arranged in parallel to a travelling direction of the light emitted from the light source unit.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plate further comprises a light transmission pattern disposed on an upper surface thereof facing the display panel, to improve a transmittance of the light.

9. The display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light transmission pattern comprises ink, which comprises one of polyvinyl chloride and acryl, and diffuser mixed with the ink.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bottom chassis which receives the light source unit, the reflective sheet, and the plate therein.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the reflective sheet further includes a protrusion which protrudes toward the plate.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reflective sheet includes a material to specularly reflect the light.

13. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel which displays images and includes a light incident surface;

a reflective sheet disposed overlapping the light incident surface of the display panel to reflect a light, and including at least one light diffusion pattern disposed on an upper surface thereof facing the light incident surface of the display panel, wherein the light diffusion pattern diffusely reflects lateral light incident on the upper surface toward the display panel;

a diffusion plate disposed between the reflective sheet and the display panel and spaced apart from the reflective sheet by a predetermined distance, wherein the diffusion plate selectively reflects and transmits the light provided from the reflective sheet according to an incident angle of the light;

a light source unit disposed adjacent to at least one edge of the display panel in a plan view, wherein the light source unit generates the light and the light is emitted to a space between the plate and the reflective sheet; and

a supporter interposed between the reflective sheet and the diffusion plate to support the plate, wherein the supporter includes a hole passing through a body of the supporter substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the supporter,

wherein the diffusion plate comprises a plurality of light reflection patterns disposed on a lower surface thereof facing the reflective sheet, to reflect the light.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the light source unit comprises:

a light source which generates the light of the light source unit; and

a collimator which refracts the light to control an exit angle of the light emitted from the light source.

15. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the light reflection patterns of the diffusion plate arranged in a light incident area adjacent to the light source unit have relatively large planar areas as compared with the light reflection patterns arranged in a center portion of the diffusion plate.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the light reflection patterns comprise one of metal and reflective ink.

17. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the light reflection patterns of the diffusion plate comprise one of a metal layer and a reflective ink layer disposed on substantially an entire of the lower surface of the diffusion plate, and comprise openings which allow the light to pass therethrough in a unit area.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17, wherein the openings of the light reflection patterns disposed in a center portion of the diffusion plate have relatively large planar areas as compared with the openings disposed in a light incident area adjacent to the light source unit.

19. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the reflective sheet includes a material to specularly reflect the light.