JP2001004968A - Liquid crystal display device and its inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspection device of a liquid crystal display device whose manufacturing cost is inexpensive. SOLUTION: This liquid crystal display device has plural pieces of driving signal input terminals 11, 12 which are drawn out toward an outer direction from a lighting display part and are arranged parallel with each other and top end parts of the plural pieces of the terminals 11 to which signals of the same kind are to be inputted are formed so as to be protruded to an outer direction than top end parts of the terminals 12 to which signals of a kind different from that of the kind of these terminals 11 are to be inputted. Moreover, the device is provided with probes 4 which are arranged so as to orthogonally cross these terminals 11 of the device and are formed so as to be able to be simultaneously contact with the top end parts of these terminals 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device,
The present invention relates to an inspection device for bringing a probe into contact with a drive signal input terminal of a liquid crystal display device, inputting a signal to the liquid crystal display device via the probe, and performing a lighting inspection of the liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A liquid crystal display device is known as a display element utilizing the electro-optic effect of liquid crystal for television images. This liquid crystal display device includes a large number of picture element electrodes arranged in a matrix and a liquid crystal layer that modulates light according to a voltage applied thereto. In recent years, with the high quality of such a liquid crystal display device, a technique of adding a switching element to each picture element electrode and applying a video signal to the picture element electrode via the switching element has been used. I have.

[0003] However, the process of forming such a switching element is complicated, and disconnection or short-circuiting of the scanning line and the signal line, as well as the occurrence of a failure of the switching element and the like become problems. For this reason, in the step of inspecting a liquid crystal display device on which a driving circuit is not mounted, a lighting inspection for detecting a defective portion by inputting a signal to a drive signal input terminal of the liquid crystal display device is required.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a high-definition probe is brought into contact with a drive signal input terminal of a conventional liquid crystal display device. As shown in FIG.
3 is drawn outward from a lighting display unit (not shown) in which a liquid crystal layer is sealed, and is arranged in parallel with each other;
One probe 101 for each terminal 102, 103
, The lighting test of the liquid crystal display device and the short-circuit test between the terminals can be performed. However, such high-definition probes are very expensive because they require precise techniques to manufacture.

A probe 104 shown in FIG. 6 is orthogonal to a plurality of signal line terminals 102 to which signals of the same type are input, among drive signal input terminals of a liquid crystal display device.
They are formed so as to be able to come into contact with them at the same time, and although it is not possible to perform a short-circuit test between terminals, they can be manufactured at low cost. Such a probe 104 is shown in FIG.
This is effective when the liquid crystal display device is turned on after a short-circuit test between terminals is performed with a high-definition probe as shown in FIG.

[0006]

However, even if the probe is simultaneously in contact with a plurality of terminals as described above, as shown in FIG.
If there is a counter electrode terminal 103 having the same length as the signal line terminal 102 and a signal of a type different from that of the signal line terminal 102 being input, the probe 104 should not be in contact with the counter electrode terminal 103. Since the accuracy of the length of the probe 104 is required, there is a problem that the cost of the probe 104 increases.

The probe 104 is connected to the signal line terminal 102.
Since an alignment function is required for precise positioning with respect to the inspection apparatus, there is a problem that the cost of the inspection apparatus is increased.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of drive signal input terminals which are drawn outward from a lighting display unit and arranged in parallel with each other. A liquid crystal display device having a plurality of drive signal input terminals, wherein a plurality of terminals to which signals of the same type are input are connected to terminals to which signals of different types are input. Characterized in that it is formed so as to protrude outward from the front end portion.

Further, the inspection apparatus for a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is arranged so as to be orthogonal to a plurality of terminals of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention to which signals of the same type are inputted, and the tips of these terminals. A probe formed so as to be able to simultaneously contact the part.

According to such a configuration, the tips of the plurality of terminals that come into contact with the probe are formed so as to protrude outward from the tips of the terminals to which signals of different types are input. Therefore, even if the probe is displaced in the width direction of the terminal, the probe does not contact other terminals. Therefore, the probe does not need high accuracy,
Easy to manufacture. Further, since it is not necessary to position the probe with respect to the terminal with high accuracy, a high-precision alignment mechanism is not required. Therefore, the inspection device can be manufactured at low cost.

In the inspection apparatus of the present invention, since it is not necessary to position the probe with respect to the terminal with high precision, the positioning of the liquid crystal display device is performed by a positioning portion which comes into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the liquid crystal display device. You may.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an inspection device for a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the inspection device in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a liquid crystal display according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged plan view of a drive signal input terminal of the device, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between the drive signal input terminal and the probe of the liquid crystal display device of FIG.

The inspection apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a stage 2 on which a liquid crystal display device 1 is mounted, and is provided on the upper surface of the stage 2 and contacts the outer peripheral portion of the liquid crystal display device 1 so that the liquid crystal display device 1 is mounted. A plurality of positioning pins (positioning portions) 3 to be positioned are disposed above the stage 2 so as to face two mutually orthogonal side edges of the liquid crystal display device 1, respectively. A pair of frames 6 on which the probes 5 are mounted, an attachment base 7 to which these frames 6 are fixed, and which moves in the vertical direction;
Signal line terminal probe 4 and counter electrode terminal probe 5
And a drive signal generator 8 for applying a signal to the drive signal generator.
In addition, on the mounting base 7, a lighting display unit 10 (described later) of the liquid crystal display device 1 is visually recognized from above.
An opening 9 is formed.

The liquid crystal display device 1 has a lighting display unit 10 in which a liquid crystal layer is sealed, and is drawn outward from two mutually perpendicular side edges of the lighting display unit 10, and is parallel to each other at each side edge. Drive signal input terminals 1 arranged in
1 and 12 (see FIG. 3). Reference numeral 11 denotes signal line terminals which are equal in length to each other and are arranged adjacent to each other. Reference numeral 12 denotes a counter electrode terminal, and a signal line terminal 1
They are provided so as to face each other with 1 therebetween, and have the same length. The signal line terminal 11 is the counter electrode terminal 1
2, and the distal end of the signal line terminal 11 protrudes outward beyond the distal end of the counter electrode terminal 12.

Liquid crystal display 1 mounted on stage 2
Are positioned by the positioning pins 3 which abut on the outer periphery thereof, but the relative positions of the probes 4 and 5 and the terminals 11 and 12 are shifted due to variations in the outer dimensions of the liquid crystal display device 1. Assuming that the external dimension accuracy is ± 200μ
m, the pitch between terminals is 70 μm, and as shown in FIG. 5, in the case of a structure in which a specific probe 101 is in contact with each of the terminals 102 and 103, the liquid crystal display device is positioned with the positioning pins as described above. Then, since each terminal may not correctly contact the corresponding probe, a high-precision alignment mechanism is required.

Also, in the case of a structure in which a horizontally long probe 104 is simultaneously contacted with a plurality of signal line terminals 102 as shown in FIG. 6, a counter electrode terminal 103 of the same length is adjacent to the signal line terminal 102. The signal line terminal probe 104 due to variations in the external dimensional accuracy of the liquid crystal display device 1.
May come into contact with the counter electrode terminal 103,
The liquid crystal display device 1 will not be driven normally. Therefore, also in this case, an alignment mechanism is required.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since each signal line terminal 11 is formed longer than the counter electrode terminal 12, as shown in FIG. The probe 4 for the signal line terminal, which is arranged orthogonally and comes into contact with the tip of each signal line terminal 11 at the same time, is displaced in the width direction of the signal line terminal 11 due to the influence of the external dimension accuracy of the liquid crystal display device 1. Even in this case, the probe 4 does not contact the counter electrode terminal 12. Note that the counter electrode terminal 12 is formed shorter than the signal line terminal 11, but has a length that does not affect the mounting.

A signal is input to the counter electrode terminal 12 by the counter electrode terminal probe 5 via a counter electrode signal input terminal 13 provided in a region that does not interfere with the signal line terminal probe 4. You. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device 1 can be normally turned on without using a high-precision alignment mechanism. Further, the probe 4 for the signal line terminal is sufficiently moved in the lateral direction so that the probe 4 for the signal line terminal can come into contact with each signal line terminal 11 even if the position relative to the signal line terminal 11 is shifted due to the influence of the external dimension accuracy of the liquid crystal display device 1. As long as it is formed long, it does not require particularly high dimensional accuracy, so that it can be manufactured at low cost.

As described above, one probe is simultaneously brought into contact with a plurality of drive signal input terminals to which the same type of signal is inputted without individually contacting the probe with each drive signal input terminal, and a signal is inputted. The lighting method is effective when a short circuit inspection between terminals is not required. Specifically, before performing the short-circuit test between the terminals, it is desired to turn on the liquid crystal display device in a process of selecting a defect other than the short-circuit test between the terminals or in a process after the short-circuit test between the terminals is performed. Used in cases.

[0021]

As described above, according to the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a plurality of drive signal input terminals which are drawn outward from the lighting display unit and arranged in parallel with each other are connected to the same type. The signal of the same type is formed by forming the distal ends of the plurality of terminals to which the signals of the above types are input so as to protrude outward from the distal ends of the terminals to which different types of signals are input. This eliminates the need for a probe of an inspection device that simultaneously contacts a plurality of input terminals to have high dimensional accuracy and eliminates the need to position the probe with respect to the terminals with high accuracy.

In the inspection apparatus of the present invention, a probe formed so as to be able to simultaneously contact the tips of a plurality of terminals to which the same type of signal is input in the liquid crystal display device does not require high dimensional accuracy. Therefore, manufacturing is easy. Further, since it is not necessary to precisely position the probe and the terminal, a high-precision alignment mechanism is not required. Therefore, it can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an inspection device for a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the inspection apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view of a drive signal input terminal of the liquid crystal display device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a drive signal input terminal of a liquid crystal display device and a probe.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a drive signal input terminal of a conventional liquid crystal display device and a high-definition probe in contact therewith.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a drive signal input terminal of a conventional liquid crystal display device and a horizontally long probe that simultaneously contacts a plurality of these terminals.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid crystal display device 2 Stage 3 Positioning pin (positioning part) 4 Probe for signal line terminal 5 Probe for counter electrode terminal 6 Frame 7 Mounting base 8 Drive signal generator 9 Opening 10 Lighting display unit 11 Signal line terminal (Drive) Signal input terminal) 12 Counter electrode terminal (drive signal input terminal) 13 Counter electrode signal input terminal

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2G036 AA19 AA25 BA33 CA06 CA08 2H088 FA11 FA30 HA05 MA20 2H092 JB77 MA35 MA57 NA25 NA27 NA29 NA30

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A liquid crystal display device having a plurality of drive signal input terminals which are drawn outward from a lighting display unit and arranged in parallel with each other, wherein the plurality of drive signal input terminals are the same. A liquid crystal display characterized in that the tips of a plurality of terminals to which different types of signals are input project outwardly from the tips of terminals to which different types of signals are input. apparatus. 2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display device is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the plurality of terminals to which the same type of signal is input, and formed so as to be able to simultaneously contact the tips of these terminals. An inspection device for a liquid crystal display device, comprising: a probe that is provided. 3. The inspection device for a liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, further comprising a positioning portion that contacts the outer peripheral portion of the liquid crystal display device to position the liquid crystal display device.