Display apparatus

• US 9,057,807 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoo, Jun-mo, Jeon, Sang-hwi
• Primary Examiner(s): COUGHLIN, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/527,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

A display apparatus including: a cover; a display panel which is accommodated in the cover; a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in at least one edge of the cover from a rear surface of the display panel; a lens which extends in parallel with an arrangement direction of the light emitting elements and is arranged in a light emitting direction; a reflection sheet installed in a rear surface of the display panel; and a holder which includes a holder main body that extends along the at least one edge, a light emitting element accommodator formed in a surface of the holder main body to accommodate therein the light emitting elements and a lens supporter that is spaced from the light emitting element accommodator and is formed in the surface of the holder main body to couple and support the lens.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a cover;

a display panel which is accommodated in the cover;

a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in at least one edge of the cover at a side of a rear surface of the display panel;

a lens which extends in parallel with an arrangement direction of the light emitting elements and is arranged in a light emitting direction of the light emitting elements to receive light from the light emitting elements;

a reflection sheet which is installed at the rear surface of the display panel and reflects light from the lens to the display panel; and

a holder which comprises a holder main body that extends along the at least one edge, a light emitting element accommodator that is formed in a surface of the holder main body to accommodate therein the light emitting elements, and a lens supporter that is spaced from the light emitting element accommodator and protrudes from a surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction to couple and support the lens,

wherein the lens supporter comprises;

a first supporter configured to support one portion of the lens; and

a second supporter configured to support an other portion of the lens,

the first supporter comprises;

a first supporter main body extending, in a first direction that is the same as the light emitting direction, from the surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction, and

a first supporter hook protruding from the first supporter main body in a second direction that is different from the first direction,

the second supporter comprises;

a second supporter main body extending, in the first direction, from the surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction, and

a second supporter hook protruding from the second supporter main body in a third direction that is opposite to the second direction; and

each of the first supporter main body and the second supporter main body is configured to elastically move by a pressure of the lens due to an external force to mount the lens to the holder.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens comprises a lens main body, a first extension part which extends from the lens main body in the third direction, which faces the display panel, and a second extension part which extends in the second direction that is opposite to the third direction, wherein the first supporter supports the first extension part and the second supporter supports the second extension part.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second supporter main body elastically moves from the holder main body by a pressure of the second extension part due to an external force when the lens is mounted in the lens supporter in a fourth direction that is opposite to the first direction by the external force.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second supporter hook is rounded at a contact area contacting the second extension part when the lens is mounted.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first supporter main body elastically moves from the holder main body by pressure of the first extension part by an external force when the lens is mounted in the lens supporter in the fourth direction by the external force.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first supporter hook is rounded at a contact area contacting the first extension part when the lens is mounted.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first supporter main body elastically moves from the holder main body by pressure of the first extension part due to an external force when the lens is mounted in the lens supporter in a fourth direction that is opposite to the first direction by the external force.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first and second supporters form an accommodation space that extends to accommodate the first and second extension parts in a lengthwise direction of the holder main body and comprises an area that communicates with the outside through at least one of opposite end parts of the holder main body in the lengthwise direction, and the first and second extension parts slide along the lengthwise direction through the communication area and are mounted in the first and second supporters.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the lens comprises a lens that is formed by extrusion molding and a shape of a section of the lens that is vertical to a lengthwise direction is the same along the lengthwise direction.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board which is mounted to operate the plurality of light emitting elements, and

the printed circuit board coupled to the light emitting element accommodator by screw.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element accommodator has a circuit printed in a plate surface to operate the plurality of light emitting elements, and the plurality of light emitting elements is mounted in the plate surface of the light emitting element accommodator where the circuit is printed.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image receiver which receives an image signal, and an image processor which processes an image signal that is transmitted to the image receiver, to be displayed on the display panel as an image.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a front cover and a rear cover, and further comprising a panel supporting frame disposed inside the cover, so that the holder is accommodated between the rear cover and a rear surface of the panel supporting frame, and the display panel is interposed between the front cover and a front surface of the panel supporting frame.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first supporter hook is integrally formed with the first supporter main body, and the second supporter hook is integrally formed with the second supporter main body.

15. A backlight unit of a display apparatus comprising:

a lens which extends in parallel with an arrangement direction of a plurality of light emitting elements, in a light emitting direction of the light emitting elements so as to receive light from the light emitting elements, the lens including a first lens extension part and a second lens extension part; and

a holder for holding the lens and the light emitting elements, the holder extending in parallel with the light emitting elements and the lens, the holder comprising;

a holder main body,

a light emitting element accommodator that accommodates the light emitting elements therein,

a first lens supporter extending from a surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction, defining a first space between the holder main body and the first lens supporter, for receiving the first lens extension part, the first lens supporter comprising;

a first supporter main body extending, a first direction that is the same as the light emitting direction, from the surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction; and

a first supporter hook protruding from the first supporter main body in a second direction that is different from the first direction,

a second lens supporter extending from the surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction, defining a second space between the holder main body and the first lends supporter, for receiving the second lens extension part, the second lens supporter comprising;

a second supporter main body extending, in the first direction, from the surface of the holder main body that faces the light emitting direction, and

a second supporter hook protruding from the second supporter main body in a third direction that is opposite to the second direction;

wherein, when the first lens extension part is received in the first space, the first lens extension part is configured to serve as a point of rotation while the second lens extension part is snap fit into the second space,

wherein at least one of the first lens supporter and the second lens supporter is configured to elastically move by a pressure of the lens due to an external force so that the lens is mounted to the holder.

16. The backlight unit of the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second supporter hook is deformable and has a rounded edge for contacting the second lens extension part while the second lens extension part is being snap fit into the second space.

17. The backlight unit of the display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the lens comprises a lens main body, and the first lens extension part extends from the lens main body in the third direction, which faces the display panel, and the second lens extension part extends from the lens main body in the second direction that is opposite to the third direction, and

the second supporter main body elastically moves in the second direction by a pressure force of the second lens extension part being applied to the second supporter main body in the second direction that is opposite to the third direction, as the second lens extension part is snap fit into the second space.

18. The backlight unit of a display apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a cover formed by a front cover and a rear cover;

a panel supporting frame disposed inside the cover, so that the holder is accommodated between the rear cover and a rear surface of the panel supporting frame; and

a display interposed between the front cover and a front surface of the panel supporting frame.