JP2000019510A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely position respective parts and above all, a backlight unit, with the angle parts of an armor case as references while assuring the clearance-components of expansion relieving. SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display device constituted by housing a liquid crystal display panel and the backlight unit 30 into the metallic armor case 10 of a square box type having a display window 11 on one surface and an aperture on the other surface is formed with bendable detaining pawls 15 on the one side 12 of the lateral side forming the aperture of the metallic armor case 10 along the base surface of the backlight unit 30 toward one angle part C1 on the lateral side 13 side facing the one side 12. The backlight unit 30 side is provided with projections 311 which may be pressed to these detaining pawls 15. As a result, the backlight unit 30 is positioned with the one angle part C1 in the metallic armor case 10 as a reference by the operation of merely bending the detaining pawls 15 so as to press the pawls to the projections 311.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a backlight unit.
The present invention relates to a technique for positioning a backlight unit in a metal outer case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A backlight unit is disposed on the rear side of a transmissive or transflective liquid crystal display panel. In an actual product form, its outline is illustrated in an exploded perspective view of FIG. As described above, the liquid crystal display panel 20 and the backlight unit 30 are assembled in the outer case 10.

In this example, an exterior case 10 has a display window 11 on one surface, and is made of a metal such as a decorative iron plate of a rectangular box shape with a shallow bottom and an opening on the other surface. A liquid crystal display panel 20 is arranged along the display window 11. Then, the backlight unit 30 is housed in the opening of the outer case 10 so as to be located on the rear side (the upper side in FIG. 5) of the liquid crystal display panel 20.

[0004] Although not shown, an appropriate spacer is interposed between the liquid crystal display panel 20 and the backlight unit 30. Also, the backlight unit 30
Is fixed by, for example, a locking claw (not shown) formed on the periphery of the opening of the outer case 10.

[0005]

The exterior case 10 is made of metal such as a decorative iron plate, whereas the unit case of the backlight unit 30 is made of a synthetic resin material such as polycarbonate. The coefficients of linear expansion differ greatly.

Incidentally, the linear expansion coefficient of iron is 1.12 × 1
Whereas 0 ^-5, linear expansion coefficient of the polycarbonate has a 6.60 × ^{10 -5.}

Therefore, in order to prevent the outer case 10 from being deformed due to the thermal expansion of the backlight unit 30, conventionally, the outer case 10 is required to include parts tolerances.
A space for expansion and escape is provided between the backlight unit 30 and the backlight unit 30.

However, in this case, the accuracy of the combination of the components may vary depending on the space for the expansion escape, which may cause a shift or inclination of the display area position of the liquid crystal display panel 20 with respect to the display window 11 of the outer case 10. Undesirable situations such as may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to make each part, particularly a backlight unit, with reference to a corner of an outer case while securing a space for expansion escape. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device which can be reliably positioned.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a square box-shaped metal outer case having a display window on one surface and an opening on the other surface, A liquid crystal display panel arranged in the metal outer case facing the window; and a backlight unit housed in the opening of the metal outer case so as to be located on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel. In the liquid crystal display device, one side of the side of the metal exterior case forming the opening is bent toward one corner of the side opposite to the side along the bottom surface of the backlight unit. A possible locking claw is formed, and a projection that can abut the locking claw is provided on the backlight unit side, and the locking claw is bent so as to abut the projection. ,Up The backlight unit is characterized in that it is positioned with reference to said one corner in the metal outer case.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to position the backlight unit with reference to a predetermined corner in the metal outer case simply by bending the locking claw.

The designed clearance (expansion clearance) for allowing the thermal expansion of the backlight unit may be provided on the side of the corner opposite to the one corner. The deformation of the outer case due to the thermal expansion of the backlight unit is prevented.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. 1 is a plan view of the liquid crystal display device according to this embodiment as viewed from the back side (backlight unit side), FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II, and FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the backlight unit positioning means.

In this embodiment, the outer case 10 is shown as a form applied to an actual product. However, as in the conventional example described above, for example, a rectangular box-shaped metal with a shallow bottom made of a decorative iron plate is used. A display window 11 is formed on one surface of the case, and the other surface is an opening (back side opening).

In the exterior case 10, a liquid crystal display panel 20 is arranged along the display window 11. The liquid crystal display panel 20 is a transmissive or semi-transmissive panel in which a pair of transparent electrode substrates 21 and 22 are bonded via a peripheral sealing material (not shown) and a predetermined liquid crystal substance is sealed in the cell. Polarizing films 23 are adhered to the surfaces of the transparent electrode substrates 21 and 22, respectively.

A backlight unit 30 is accommodated in the rear opening of the outer case 10 so as to face the rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel 20 via a spacer (not shown). The backlight unit 30 is a unit case 3 made of a synthetic resin (for example, a polycarbonate resin).
1 is provided.

In this case, the unit case 31 is of a sidelight type, has a light irradiation window on a surface facing the liquid crystal display panel 20, and a light guide 32 is provided therein. A light source accommodating portion 33 is continuously provided on a side of the unit case 31, and a cold cathode tube (CFL) 331 as a light source is accommodated in the light source accommodating portion 33.

In this embodiment, the outer case 10 is made up of a pair of long sides 12 and 13 which are parallel to each other along the length direction of the case and are opposed to each other with an interval in the width direction of the case. A short side 14 is provided at one end of the long sides 12 and 13 along the width direction of the case, and a back side opening is formed by each of the sides 12, 13 and 14. I have.

Each of the long sides 12 and 13 is provided with a plurality of locking claws 15 which are bent along the bottom surface of the unit case 31 and thereby fix the backlight unit 30 in the outer case 10. . Each long side 12,1
3 has the same configuration except that the arrangement is symmetrical, so one side (the left side in FIG. 1) long side 12 will be described with reference to the side view of FIG.

According to this, the long side 12 has both ends 2
Locking claws 15 are provided at equal intervals at two locations, that is, at two locations, and two locations at the center between the locations. In this case, the locking claws 151 and 152 at two places on both ends can be bent with respect to the long side 12 by the lateral groove 16 cut into each end thereof.

The locking claws 15 located at two places in the center portion
3, 154, the long side is formed by a vertical groove 17 cut to a predetermined depth from the upper side of the long side 12 and a horizontal groove 171 corresponding to the horizontal groove 16 provided at one end of the groove bottom. 12 can be bent. Actually, the vertical groove 17 with the horizontal groove 171 is punched at a time by a press.

In this embodiment, the locking claws 15 at both ends are used.
1, 152 and the locking claws 153, 154 at the center are bent in opposite directions. That is,
Assuming that one corner of the long side 13 opposite to the long side 12 (the corner with the short side 14) is C1, and the other corner is C2, the locking claws 151 and 153 are formed at one corner. Is bent toward the portion C1.
4 is bent toward the other corner C2.

In the present invention, such a locking claw 15
The backlight unit 30 using the outer case 10
Position with respect to In this embodiment, the long side 1 is bent in the direction of one corner C1 on the long side 13 side.
The locking claws 153 of the two locking claws 151 and 153 are used for positioning.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a columnar boss 311 which can abut on the locking claw 153 is provided on the bottom surface of the unit case 31 at a position corresponding to the locking claw 153. Is erected.

Therefore, by bending the locking claw 153 to make contact with the boss 311 and further bending the locking claw 153, the unit case 31 is moved through the boss 311 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. It is brought closer to one corner C1 side of the side 13 side.

Thus, the backlight unit 3
0 is positioned with respect to the outer case 10 based on the corner C1. In addition, a designed clearance (expansion clearance) that allows thermal expansion of the backlight unit 30.
Is provided on the long side 12 side.

In the above embodiment, a boss 311 is additionally provided upright at a position corresponding to the locking claw 151 bent in the same direction as the locking claw 153, so that the two locking claws 153,
At 151, the backlight unit 30 may be positioned.

Further, a boss 311 is additionally provided not only on the long side 12 but also on at least one of the locking claws 151 and 153 on the long side 13 so that the boss 311 is held. The locking claw may be swaged.

Although the liquid crystal display device of the above embodiment is shown as a relatively flat liquid crystal module, the present invention can naturally be applied to a liquid crystal module having a so-called square box with a deep bottom. . In the above embodiment, the projection on the other side of the locking claw 15 is the columnar boss 311, but the shape of the projection is not limited to this.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit in a rectangular box-shaped metal outer case having a display window on one side and an opening on the other side, wherein a metal outer case is provided. A locking claw that can be bent along one side of the backlight unit along one side of the side forming the opening along the bottom surface of the backlight unit toward one corner of the side opposite to the side, and the backlight is formed. By providing a projection on the unit side that can contact the locking claw, the backlight unit can be referenced to one corner in the metal exterior case by simply bending the locking claw to contact the projection. Can be positioned as

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention as viewed from the back side thereof.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a positioning means in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view illustrating a basic configuration of a liquid crystal display device having a backlight unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 outer case 11 display window 12, 13 long side 14 short side 15 (151 to 154) locking claw 16, 171 horizontal groove 17 vertical groove 20 liquid crystal display panel 21, 22 transparent electrode substrate 30 backlight unit 31 unit case 311 Projection (boss) 32 Light guide plate 33 Light source storage section 331 Cold cathode tube

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A square box-shaped metal outer case having a display window on one surface and an opening on the other surface, and a liquid crystal disposed in the metal outer case facing the display window. A liquid crystal display device comprising: a display panel; and a backlight unit housed in an opening of the metal outer case so as to be located on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel. A locking claw that can be bent along one side of the backlight unit along the bottom surface of the backlight unit is formed on one side of the side that faces the backlight unit. The unit is provided with a projection that can abut the locking claw, and the locking claw is bent so as to abut the projection, so that the backlight unit is positioned above the metal exterior case. That it is positioned one corner as the reference liquid crystal display device according to claim. 2. A design clearance for allowing thermal expansion of the backlight unit is provided on a side of the corner opposite to the one corner. Liquid crystal display device.