LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

• US 20140104538A1
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jae Hyun, An, Jun Seok, Kwon, Yong Hun, Jang, Nae Won
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133608 including particular frames or supporting means

Abstract

A LED module includes a printed circuit board, LEDs which are vertically mounted on the printed circuit board and which emit light onto a side surface, and a contact member which is provided to come into contact with a light guide plate. The printed circuit board may be movably coupled to a bottom chassis. When the light guide plate undergoes thermal expansion, the LED module may move by pressing of the light guide plate acting on the contact member. Accordingly, a gap between the light guide plate and the LEDs may be uniformly maintained even when the light guide plate undergoes thermal expansion or is returned to an original state.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a chassis assembly;

a liquid crystal panel to display an image;

a light guide plate to guide light to the liquid crystal panel;

a LED (light emitting diode) module which is movable relative to the chassis assembly, the LED module comprising a printed circuit board disposed below the light guide plate, a plurality of LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board, and a contact member provided in the printed circuit board to contact a side surface of the light guide plate; and

an elastic member to elastically support the LED module.

2. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein:

the LED module is adapted to move in a first direction by pressing of the light guide plate against the contact member, when the light guide plate undergoes thermal expansion, and

the LED module is adapted to move in an opposite direction of the first direction, by an elastic force of the elastic member, when the light guide plate is returned to an original state.

3. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display is adapted to maintain a uniform gap between the light guide plate and the plural LEDs due to thermal expansion of the light guide plate.

4. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is provided separately from and coupled to the printed circuit board.

5. The liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein the printed circuit board is formed with a fixing groove and the contact member is fitted into the fixing groove.

6. The liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein the contact member comprises a contact portion to contact with the light guide plate, an insertion portion inserted into the fixing groove, and a support portion supported by a back surface of the printed circuit board.

7. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the contact member and the printed circuit board are integrally formed.

8. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein:

the chassis assembly comprises a top chassis having an opening to expose the liquid crystal panel, a middle mold to support the liquid crystal panel, and a bottom chassis to support the printed circuit board; and

the printed circuit board is movably coupled to the bottom chassis.

9. The liquid crystal display according to claim 8, further comprising:

a coupling member to couple the printed circuit board to the bottom chassis,

wherein the printed circuit board is formed with a coupling hole which is lengthily provided in a moving direction of the printed circuit board so that the coupling member is fastened into the coupling hole.

10. The liquid crystal display according to claim 8, wherein:

the bottom chassis comprises a bottom portion and a side wall portion; and

the elastic member is coupled to the side wall portion.

11. The liquid crystal display according to claim 10, wherein:

the elastic member comprises a fixing portion having a coupling groove into which the side wall portion is fitted, and a variable portion which extends obliquely from the fixing portion to come into contact with the LED module; and

the elastic member is elastically deformed so that an angle between the fixing portion and the variable portion is varied.

12. The liquid crystal display according to claim 11, wherein:

the side wall portion comprises a locking hole; and

the elastic member comprises a locking protrusion which extends obliquely from the fixing portion and is inserted into the locking hole to prevent the elastic member from being separated from the side wall portion.

13. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs are vertically mounted on the printed circuit board and are adapted to emit light toward the side surface of the light guide plate.

14. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a bottom chassis;

a printed circuit board movably coupled to an edge portion of the bottom chassis;

a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) mounted on the printed circuit board in a longitudinal direction;

a pair of contact members provided at opposite ends of the printed circuit board;

a light guide plate disposed above the printed circuit board to contact the pair of contact members; and

an elastic member coupled to the bottom chassis to elastically support the printed circuit board.

15. The liquid crystal display according to claim 14, wherein:

the printed circuit board and the plural LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board are adapted to move in a first direction by pressing of the light guide plate against the pair of contact members, when the light guide plate undergoes thermal expansion, and the printed circuit board and the plural LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board are adapted to move in an opposite direction of the first direction by an elastic force of the elastic member, when the light guide plate is returned to an original state.

16. The liquid crystal display according to claim 14, wherein:

each of the contact members comprises a contact portion to contact the light guide plate, an insertion portion inserted into a fixing groove, and a support portion supported by a back surface of the printed circuit board; and

the bottom chassis comprises a receiving groove to receive the support portion.

17. The liquid crystal display according to claim 14, wherein:

the bottom chassis comprises a bottom portion and a side wall portion; and

the elastic member comprises a fixing portion having a coupling groove into which the side wall portion is fitted, and a variable portion which extends obliquely from the fixing portion to come into contact with the printed circuit board.

18. The liquid crystal display according to claim 14, further comprising a top chassis having an opening to expose a liquid crystal panel, and a middle mold to support the liquid crystal panel.

19. A display device comprising:

a liquid crystal panel to display an image;

a light guide plate to guide light to the liquid crystal panel;

a bottom chassis;

a LED (light emitting diode) module comprising a printed circuit board disposed below the light guide plate and movably coupled to the bottom chassis, a plurality of LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board, and a contact member provided in the printed circuit board to contact a side surface of the light guide plate;

a coupling member to couple the printed circuit board to the bottom chassis; and

an elastic member to elastically support the LED module.

20. The display device according to claim 19, wherein the coupling member is a screw.

21. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal panel to display an image;

a light guide plate to guide light to the liquid crystal panel;

a bottom chassis;

a light source module comprising a printed circuit board disposed below the light guide plate and movably coupled to the bottom chassis, a plurality of light sources mounted on the printed circuit board a predetermined distance from the light guide plate, and a contact member disposed on the printed circuit board adjacent to the light guide plate; and

a coupling member to couple the printed circuit board to the bottom chassis.

22. The liquid crystal display according to claim 21, the printed circuit board is adapted to move in proportion to an expansion of the light guide plate while maintaining the predetermined distance between the light sources and light guide plate.

23. The liquid crystal display according to claim 21, further comprising an elastic member to elastically support the light source module.

24. The liquid crystal display according to claim 23, wherein the elastic member comprises a plate spring.

25. The liquid crystal display according to claim 23, wherein the elastic member contacts the printed circuit board and the contact member, and is deformable according to an expansion of the light guide plate.

26. The liquid crystal display according to claim 25, wherein a distance between the light source module and a side wall of the bottom chassis decreases or increases according to the expansion of the light guide plate and the deformation of the elastic member.