JP2004149191A - Container for storing light guiding board and method for storing light guiding board - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container for storing a light guiding board which can prevent the surface of the light guiding board from being blemished during storing and transferring the light guiding board after molding, and a method for storing the light guiding board using this container for storing. <P>SOLUTION: This container for storing the light guiding board is composed of a box-like container having a bottom part, at least a pair of facing side walls, and a lid. In this container, channels are provided on inner face sides of at least a pair of the facing side walls, and these channels are extended in the height direction of the side walls. These light guiding boards are stored in such a way that a space is ensured between the light guiding boards, and the light guiding boards are held so as to bring the channels into contact with both end parts of the light guiding boards. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container for storing a light guide plate used for various display devices such as a liquid crystal display device, and a storage method for the light guide plate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Light guide plates are used in home appliances such as computers, word processors, and televisions, and in display devices such as illuminated signs, light tables, and viewers.
BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a light guide plate is manufactured by molding a resin having excellent moldability, optical characteristics, and mechanical strength, such as a norbornene-based polymer resin, by an injection molding method. When used in a liquid crystal display device or the like, the formed light guide plate is transported to an assembly site, where it is assembled into a case together with a lamp, a reflector, a diffuser, and the like.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when the light guide plate is scratched or a foreign substance adheres, a white spot phenomenon occurs in which the display locally looks white in the liquid crystal display device. Therefore, at the time of manufacturing the light guide plate, a method of performing injection molding in an environment in which dust and the like are extremely small, for example, in a clean room, is adopted in order to prevent foreign substances from being mixed.
However, only injection molding in a clean room cannot completely prevent entry of scratches or foreign matter.
[0004]
In addition, when the injection-molded light guide plate is stored and transported, measures such as packaging with a soft sheet are taken so that the surface of the light guide plate is not scratched or foreign matter is attached. However, after the light guide plate is formed, the foreign matter may adhere to the surface before being packaged with the sheet, and the light guide plate may be wrapped with the sheet with the foreign matter attached. In such a case, since the light guide plates are in contact with each other across the sheet between the light guide plate and the sheet during transfer, the surface of the light guide plate is often scratched by the movement of the foreign matter. Become. Furthermore, when creating a liquid crystal display device, if a diffusion sheet and a prism sheet are stacked with foreign matter on the surface of the light guide plate, the foreign matter sandwiched between these sheets will roll and be damaged, and the size of this flaw will increase. As a result, the white spot phenomenon of the liquid crystal display device increases.
[0005]
Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a method for storing a light guide plate that can completely prevent scratches on the surface of the light guide plate before the light guide plate is manufactured by injection molding, stored and transported, and incorporated into an optical device or the like. It had been.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a storage container for a light guide plate capable of preventing the surface of the light guide plate from being damaged while storing and transferring the formed light guide plate, and the storage container An object of the present invention is to provide a method for storing a light guide plate using the same.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to solve the above problems, and as a result, it is possible to achieve the above objects by storing the light guide plate in a container having a specific structure and reducing the contact area between the light guide plates. They have found that they can do this, and further studied based on this finding, and have completed the present invention.
Thus, according to the present invention,
(1) A box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the at least one pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side, and the groove is formed by the groove. A light guide plate storage container extending in the height direction of the side wall,
(2) A box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the at least one pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side, and the groove has the groove. In the light guide plate storage container extending in the height direction of the side wall, so as to secure a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate, and so that the groove and the both ends of the light guide plate abut. A method for storing a light guide plate, comprising holding a light guide plate,
(3) The method for storing a light guide plate according to (2), wherein the groove is held in contact with only longitudinal edges of both ends of the light guide plate.
Is provided.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The light guide plate storage container of the present invention is a box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein a groove is formed on an inner surface side of the at least one pair of opposed side walls. And the groove extends in the height direction of the side wall.
[0009]
The light guide plate that can be accommodated in the storage container of the present invention is a member used inside a backlight unit (illumination device) that guides light to liquid crystal in a liquid crystal display device. The use of the light guide plate is not particularly limited. For example, personal computers such as laptops, notebooks, books, and palmtops, OA equipment such as word processors; home appliances such as liquid crystal televisions; Other display devices; used in a planar light source device used as a backlight.
[0010]
The light guide plate can be obtained by molding a molding material by an injection molding method. As a molding material to be used, a thermoplastic resin having high transparency is preferable, and examples thereof include an alicyclic structure-containing polymer resin, a styrene-based polymer, a polycarbonate, and a methacrylic resin. Above all, an alicyclic structure-containing polymer resin is preferable from the viewpoints of excellent transparency and light resistance, further stabilizing the appearance stability of the light guide plate, and improving occurrence of luminance unevenness.
[0011]
The alicyclic structure-containing polymer resin has an alicyclic structure in a main chain and / or a side chain, and has an alicyclic structure in a main chain from the viewpoint of mechanical strength, heat resistance, and the like. Is preferred. Examples of the alicyclic structure of the polymer include a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon (cycloalkane) structure and an unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon (cycloalkene) structure. From the viewpoint of mechanical strength and heat resistance, the cycloalkane structure is preferred. And cycloalkene structures are preferred, and among them, those having a cycloalkane structure are most preferred.
The number of carbon atoms constituting the alicyclic structure is not particularly limited, but is usually 4 to 30, preferably 5 to 20, more preferably 5 to 15, when the mechanical strength, The properties of heat resistance and moldability are highly balanced and suitable.
[0012]
The proportion of the repeating unit having an alicyclic structure in the alicyclic structure-containing polymer resin to be used may be appropriately selected according to the purpose of use, but is usually 30% by weight or more, preferably 50% by weight or more. , More preferably 70% by weight or more. If the proportion of the repeating unit having an alicyclic structure in the alicyclic structure-containing polymer resin is too small, the heat resistance is poor, which is not preferable.
[0013]
Specific examples of the polymer resin having such an alicyclic structure include (1) a norbornene-based polymer, (2) a monocyclic cycloolefin-based polymer, (3) a cyclic conjugated diene-based polymer, and (4) ) Vinyl alicyclic hydrocarbon polymers and hydrogenated products thereof. Among these, a norbornene-based polymer and its hydrogenated product, a cyclic conjugated diene-based polymer and its hydrogenated product, and the like are preferable, and a norbornene-based polymer and its hydrogenated product are more preferable.
[0014]
There is no particular limitation on the norbornene-based polymer. For example, a polymer obtained by polymerizing a norbornene-based monomer by a method disclosed in JP-A-3-14882 or JP-A-3-122137 is used. Specific examples of the norbornene-based polymer include a ring-opened polymer of a norbornene-based monomer and a hydrogenated product thereof, an addition polymer of a norbornene-based monomer, and an addition-type polymer of a norbornene-based monomer and a vinyl compound. Among these, hydrogenated ring-opening polymer of norbornene-based monomer, addition polymer of norbornene-based monomer, and vinyl compound that can be copolymerized with norbornene-based monomer are used to achieve a high balance of heat resistance and dielectric properties. Polymers and the like are preferred, and hydrogenated ring-opening polymers of norbornene monomers are particularly preferred.
[0015]
The shape of the light guide plate that can be stored in the storage container of the present invention is not particularly limited, but generally the thickness is increased in a flat shape or in a direction away from one end to the other end (substantially perpendicular to the axis of the linear light source). Having a wedge-shaped shape such that the thickness becomes gradually thinner. In addition, the size of the light guide plate is not particularly limited, but usually, if it is a flat plate, the thickness is 0.5 to 10 mm, the length from one end to the other end is about 100 to 300 mm, and has a wedge-shaped shape. In this case, the thickness at one end is about 0.5 to 5 mm, the thickness at the other end is about 1 to 10 mm, and the length from one end to the other end is about 100 to 300 mm.
[0016]
In order to mold the light guide plate, an injection molding machine is usually used. The injection molding machine is not particularly limited, and a known molding machine such as a screw injection molding machine can be used (see JP-A-11-171640). For example, a molding material in a molten state is filled (injected) into a plate-shaped mold of an injection molding machine, the molding material is held in the mold for a certain period of time, cooled and solidified, and then the mold is opened. One that takes out the formed light guide plate is exemplified.
[0017]
The operation of molding the light guide plate by the injection molding method and the operation of storing the formed light guide plate in the tray main body and keeping foreign matter such as dust and dust on the surface of the light guide plate are minimized. For this reason, it is preferable to carry out in a clean room.
[0018]
Also, in general, a light guide plate is molded by an injection molding method, a negative pressure is generated when the light guide plate is taken out by opening the mold, and dust and dirt are sucked around the opened mold. It is preferable to leave the light guide plate in a mold for a period of time (30 seconds or longer) and then take it out after cooling. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent foreign matter from adhering to the light guide plate, and furthermore, it becomes difficult to damage the light guide plate surface.
[0019]
In the light guide plate storage container of the present invention, the shape of the box may be a rectangular parallelepiped, a cube, or the like, but is not particularly limited as long as at least one pair of side walls face each other. Further, the surface shape of the box is not particularly limited. The size of the box is not particularly limited as long as it can completely accommodate the light guide plate, and can be appropriately determined according to the size of the light guide plate to be accommodated. Also, the height of the side wall of the box can be appropriately determined according to the size of the light guide plate.
[0020]
In the light guide plate storage container of the present invention, the shape of the lid is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the upper opening of the box.
[0021]
In the light guide plate storage container of the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the groove provided on the inner surface side of the at least one pair of side walls facing each other may be any shape as long as this can be brought into contact with the end of the light guide plate. There is no particular limitation. For example, a rectangular shape such as a triangle and a quadrangle, a perfect circle shape, an oval shape, and the like can be given. The width and depth of the groove may be appropriately determined so that the ends, preferably both ends, of the light guide plate to be accommodated are brought into contact with the groove. The number of grooves may be determined according to the width of the box and the size and thickness of the light guide plate to be accommodated. When having a plurality of grooves, the grooves are preferably formed in parallel. When there are a plurality of grooves, the distance between the grooves is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to form the grooves so that the light guide plate interval is 1 to 20 mm in consideration of transportation efficiency and the like. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the light guide plates from contacting each other due to vibration during transportation, thereby preventing the light guide plates from being damaged.
[0022]
Although the light guide plate storage container of the present invention has a groove on the inner surface side of at least one pair of opposed side walls, it may have a groove on the inner surface side of another pair of side walls. By providing a groove also on the inner surface side of the other pair of side walls, for example, if a container having a different vertical and horizontal length (for example, a box is a rectangular parallelepiped) is used, two different lengths may be used. Various types of light guide plates can be stored, and a light guide plate can be stored according to the length of the light guide plate by placing a partition plate or the like in a box. When a partition plate is provided, it is preferable that the partition plate also has a groove as in the side wall. At this time, the length of the partition plate is determined according to the length of the box, and the cross-sectional shape, width and depth of the groove formed in the partition plate are determined so as to match the groove of the box.
[0023]
The material constituting the light guide plate storage container of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include synthetic resins, metals, and wood materials. Among them, it is preferable to use synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate from the viewpoints of moldability, transportability, and production cost. Further, when a synthetic resin is used as a material constituting the storage tray of the present invention, a material harder than a molding material constituting the light guide plate to be stored, for example, if the molding material is a synthetic resin, constitute a light guide plate. It is preferable to use a material having a lower melt flow rate than the molding material to be used.
[0024]
The method for molding the light guide plate storage container of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, when a synthetic resin is used as a material, a known molding method such as injection molding, blow molding, vacuum molding, or reaction injection molding may be used. No. As for the box part, the whole box (including the groove) may be integrally formed, or each part (side wall, bottom plate, partition plate used as necessary) may be separately formed and assembled.
[0025]
The method for storing a light guide plate of the present invention is a box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein a groove is formed on an inner surface side of the at least one pair of opposed side walls. A light guide plate storage container having the groove extending in the height direction of the side wall, so that a space is provided between the light guide plate and the light guide plate, and both ends of the groove and the light guide plate And the light guide plate is held so as to make contact with the light guide plate.
[0026]
In the storage method of the present invention, it is preferable that the groove and the light guide plate are held such that only the longitudinal edges of both ends of the light guide plate are in contact with each other. Further, from the viewpoint of transport efficiency and preventing contact due to vibration during transport, it is preferable that the distance between the light guide plates is 1 to 20 mm. The cross-sectional shape, depth, interval, and the like of the groove are appropriately determined in consideration of the length and thickness of the light guide plate.
[0027]
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a light guide plate storage container according to the present invention and a specific example in which the light guide plate is stored. However, the form of the light guide plate storage container of the present invention is not limited to those shown in FIGS.
FIG. 1A is a box-shaped container having a bottom, at least a pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side. FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a light guide plate storage container in which a groove extends in the height direction of the side wall, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a main part of a contact portion of the light guide plate 1 used.
[0028]
The light guide plate storage container 10 shown in FIG. 1 is made of synthetic resin by vacuum molding, and includes a box 11 and a lid 12 for closing the upper surface of the box, and a pair of side walls 11A to 11B of the box. On the inner surface side, there are a plurality of grooves 13A to 13B each having a trapezoidal side wall cross section corresponding to 11A to 11B, and these grooves 13A to 13B extend in the height direction of the side walls. The grooves 13A to 13B on the inner surface side of the side wall of the box 11 make contact with only the longitudinal ridges at both ends of the light guide plate so as to secure a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate. And the light guide plate is held in parallel.
The lid 12 has the same shape as the box 11, and also has grooves 14A to 14B having the same shape as the box 11 on the inner surfaces of a pair of side walls 12A to 12B of the lid.
The depth and the interval of the grooves 13A to 13B and 14A to 14B are formed so that the interval between the light guide plates to be stored is 1 to 20 mm according to the size (thickness and length of side) of the light guide plate to be stored. I have.
In this light guide plate storage container 10, as shown in FIG. 1B, the light guide plate 1 is provided with the inclined portions 13a to 13d of the grooves and the light guide plate 1 to secure a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate. So that they are in contact with only the longitudinal edges 1a to 1d at both ends of the light guide plate.
[0029]
FIG. 2A is a box-shaped container having a bottom portion, at least a pair of side walls facing each other, and a lid, wherein a groove is formed on an inner surface side of the pair of side walls facing each other. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a light guide plate storage container in which a groove extends in the height direction of the side wall, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a main part of a contact portion of the light guide plate 1 used.
The light-guiding plate storage container 20 shown in FIG. 2 is formed by injection-molding a synthetic resin, and includes a box 21 and a lid 22 for closing the upper surface of the box. 21D have a plurality of trapezoidal grooves 23A to 23D having trapezoidal cross sections corresponding to the side walls 21A to 21D, respectively, and these grooves extend in the height direction of the side walls. The grooves 23A to 23D on the inner surface sides of the side walls 21A to 21D of the box 21 are provided so as to secure a space between the light guide plate and the longitudinal edges of the groove and both ends of the light guide plate. And the light guide plate is held in parallel.
The depth and the interval of the grooves 23A to 23D are formed such that the interval between the light guide plates to be stored is 1 to 20 mm according to the size (thickness and side length) of the light guide plate to be stored.
Further, in the light guide plate storage container 20, a partition plate 25 is further provided detachably in the groove (23A to 23B or 23C to 23D), and a groove 26 is also formed in the partition plate 25. . The length of the partition plate 25 is determined according to the length of the box 21. The cross-sectional shape, depth and number of the grooves 26 formed in the partition plate 25 are determined so as to fit into the grooves (23A to 23B or 23C to 23D) of the box 21.
In this light guide plate storage container 20, as shown in FIG. 2B, the light guide plate 1 is provided with the inclined portions 23a to 23d of the grooves and the light guide plate 1 to secure a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate. So that they are in contact with only the longitudinal edges 1a to 1d at both ends of the light guide plate. When the partition plate 25 is inserted into the box 21, the partition plate 25 is held so that both ends of the partition plate 25 come into contact with the inclined portions of the grooves (23A to 23B or 23C to 23D).
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, there is provided a box-shaped container having a bottom portion, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the at least one pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side. The groove is extended in the height direction of the side wall, and the light guide plate storage container is provided with a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate, and the groove and both ends of the light guide plate are brought into contact with each other. Since the light guide plate is held so that the light guide plate is kept in contact with the light guide plate, the contact area of the light guide plate can be reduced. Occurrence can be prevented. Further, since the light guide plate can be stored in the height direction, it is possible to prevent the light guide plate from warping during storage.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of storing a light guide plate in a light guide plate storage container according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 1 (b) is abutting of the light guide plate. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of a part.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show an embodiment of storing a light guide plate in a light guide plate storage tray according to the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of a contact part.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Light guide plates 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D: Side walls 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d: Edge 10, 20: Storage container 11, 21 for light guide plate, 21: Box 12, 22: Lid 25 : Partition plates 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B, 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 26: Grooves 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d: Slope portion

Claims (3)

A box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the at least one pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side, and the groove has a height of the side wall. A light guide plate storage container extending in the vertical direction. A box-shaped container having a bottom, at least one pair of opposed side walls, and a lid, wherein the at least one pair of opposed side walls has a groove on an inner surface side, and the groove has a height of the side wall. The light guide plate storage container extending in the vertical direction, the light guide plate so as to ensure a space between the light guide plate and the light guide plate, and so as to abut the groove and both ends of the light guide plate. A method for storing a light guide plate, comprising: holding the light guide plate. 3. The method for storing a light guide plate according to claim 2, wherein the groove is held in contact with only longitudinal edges of both ends of the light guide plate.

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