JP2007256586A - Display device and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device improved in display quality by preventing the lifting of a display panel caused by the bending stress of a flexible circuit board, and to provide an electronic apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The display device comprises: the display panel; the flexible circuit board electrically connected to the display panel; and a casing for holding the display panel, wherein the display panel is fixed to the casing through a double-sided tape. The flexible circuit board is bent and fixed on the rear side of the display panel, and is provided with a shape-holding member which is disposed facing the outer surface of the bent flexible circuit board in an area between an area derived from the position connected to the display panel and the bent area in the flexible circuit board, and which holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a display device and an electronic device, and more particularly, to a display device in which a flexible circuit board is bent and fixed to the back side of a display panel, and an electronic device including such a display device.

Conventionally, as one mode of a display device, a pair of electrodes is disposed for each pixel, and a voltage applied between the pair of electrodes is selectively turned on and off to pass through the liquid crystal material of each pixel. There is a liquid crystal device that modulates light and displays an image such as a picture or a character over the entire display area.
In such a liquid crystal device, a light emitting diode (LED) or the like is provided on a flexible flexible circuit board as an illumination device used for transmissive display for the purpose of reducing the thickness and size of the liquid crystal device. The light source is mounted at the end of the light guide plate on the back side of the liquid crystal panel, and the illumination device configured to guide light emitted from the light source to the liquid crystal panel through the light guide plate is used. It has been.

As a liquid crystal device provided with such an illuminating device, a display device is disclosed in which the optical axis of the LED can be aligned with the light incident surface of the light guide plate by simple means. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, a display panel P, a backlight BL having a light guide plate 420 and LEDs 421.
And a panel holder in which the display panel P and the backlight BL are accommodated, and the LED 42
1 is mounted on a flexible circuit board FP connected to the display panel P, and the LED 421 is arranged on the light incident surface side 420a of the light guide plate 420 as the flexible circuit board FP is bent and arranged on the back side of the apparatus. 3 includes a pressing plate 430 that is disposed on the back side of the apparatus and presses the flexible circuit board FP.
There is disclosed a display device provided with a protrusion 432 that contacts a part of P and aligns the optical axis of the light source 421 with the substantially central position of the light incident surface 420a (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-326454 (FIG. 3)

However, since the liquid crystal device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to place and fix the LED on the light incident surface of the light guide plate by folding the flexible circuit board connected to the liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal device is attached to the flexible circuit board. There was a risk that the liquid crystal panel would float due to the generated bending reaction force. The fact that the liquid crystal panel floats itself is a problem, but in particular, the influence of the floating of the liquid crystal panel extends to the flexible circuit board, and the position of the light source (LED) mounted on the flexible circuit board shifts, so that the light guide plate There is a problem that a spot phenomenon in which a light source is reflected on a display screen due to a deviation of the optical axis of the light source, or a decrease in luminance or luminance unevenness occurs due to light leakage.
In order to prevent the liquid crystal panel from floating, it is conceivable to fix the flexible circuit board and the light guide plate using an adhesive tape having a relatively strong adhesive force. However, the adhesive force cannot be maintained under a high temperature and high humidity environment due to long-term use, and the liquid crystal panel may be lifted by the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board. In addition, when such an adhesive tape having a strong adhesive force is used, there is a problem that it becomes an obstacle when repairing a product in the manufacturing stage.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention can solve such problems by intensively working and providing a shape holding member that holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board at a predetermined position of the flexible circuit board on which the light source is mounted. And the present invention has been completed.
That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device that can prevent a display panel from floating due to a bending reaction force of a flexible circuit board. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus provided with such a display device.

According to the present invention, there is provided a display device including a display panel, a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the display panel, and a housing that accommodates the display panel. The flexible circuit board is fixed on the back side of the display panel by being fixed to the housing via a tape, and between the bent area and the area derived from the connection position with the display panel in the flexible circuit board. In this area, a display device including a shape holding member that is disposed opposite to the outer surface of the flexible circuit board and that holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board is provided to solve the above-described problem. Can do.
That is, the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board can be regulated by pressing a predetermined portion of the bent flexible circuit board with the shape holding member. Therefore,
The bent shape of the flexible circuit board can be maintained and the display panel can be prevented from floating.

In configuring the display device of the present invention, the display device includes a light source and a light guide plate that is disposed on the back side of the display panel and guides light emitted from the light source to the display panel. The light source is flexible. It is preferable that the flexible substrate is bent and the light source is disposed opposite to the light guide plate while being mounted on the circuit board.
With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the light source from being reflected on the display screen due to the floating of the display panel, or a decrease in luminance or luminance unevenness.
Therefore, a display device with excellent display quality can be provided.

Further, in configuring the display device of the present invention, the double-sided tape is formed in an area outside the display area of the display panel, and has an opening through which light emitted from the light source and propagated through the light guide plate passes to the display panel side. Is preferred.
With this configuration, the display panel and the housing can be fixed using a double-sided tape without reducing the area of the display region.

In configuring the display device of the present invention, it is preferable that the shape holding member is formed of a part of the housing.
With this configuration, it is not necessary to increase the number of parts, and the shape holding member itself can be accurately positioned.

In configuring the display device of the present invention, it is preferable that the shape holding member is formed along the width direction of the flexible circuit board of the housing.
By comprising in this way, a flexible circuit board can be hold | suppressed with a comparatively large area, and the bending shape of a flexible circuit board can be hold | maintained more effectively.

In configuring the display device of the present invention, it is preferable that the shape holding member includes a release mechanism that opens around one end.
With this configuration, when assembling the display device, the display panel to which the flexible circuit board is connected can be easily incorporated into the housing, and the shape holding member can be easily attached to a predetermined portion of the flexible circuit board. Can be arranged.

In configuring the display device of the present invention, it is preferable to have a tapered portion on the surface of the shape holding member facing the flexible circuit board.
With this configuration, when assembling the display device, the display panel to which the flexible circuit board is connected can be easily arranged in the housing.

Further, when configuring the display device of the present invention, when the shape holding member is the first shape holding member, the flexible circuit board is provided between the bent region and the light source mounting region, and the flexible circuit. It is preferable to provide a second shape retaining member at a position facing the outer surface of the substrate bending.
By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the flexible circuit board on which the light source is mounted from floating from the light guide plate, causing a positional deviation of the light source, and causing a decrease in luminance or luminance unevenness.

Further, in configuring the display device of the present invention, it is preferable that the width of the bent region in the flexible circuit board is smaller than the width of the light source mounting region.
By comprising in this way, the bending reaction force of a flexible circuit board can be restrained small, and it can prevent more effectively that a display panel floats.

Another embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device including any one of the display devices described above.
In other words, since the display device is provided with a display panel that prevents the display panel from floating, an electronic device having excellent display quality can be provided by eliminating the reflection of a light source in the display screen and a decrease in luminance. Can do.

Embodiments relating to a display device and an electronic apparatus of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, this embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the present invention.
In addition, in each figure, what has attached | subjected the same code | symbol has shown the same member, and abbreviate | omits description suitably. Further, depending on the drawing, some members may be omitted as appropriate.

[First Embodiment]
1st Embodiment of this invention is a display apparatus provided with the display panel, the flexible circuit board electrically connected with respect to the said display panel, and the housing | casing which accommodates a display panel.
In the display device of the present embodiment, the display panel is fixed to the housing via a double-sided tape,
The flexible circuit board is bent and fixed to the back side of the display panel, and the flexible circuit board is bent in a region between the region derived from the connection position with the display panel and the bent region in the flexible circuit substrate. And a shape holding member for holding the bent shape of the flexible circuit board.

Hereinafter, an active matrix liquid crystal device including a TFT element (Thin Film Transistor) will be described as an example of the display device of the present embodiment. However, the present invention includes not only a liquid crystal device having a TFT element but also an active matrix liquid crystal device having a TFD element (Thin Film Diode) and a passive matrix liquid crystal device having no switching element. The present invention can be applied to various display devices.
In addition, a display panel is a concept including a liquid crystal panel, and in the following description, a liquid crystal panel is
A state in which a liquid crystal material is injected between a pair of substrates bonded with a sealant, and a state in which a flexible circuit board, an electronic component, a light source, and the like are attached to the liquid crystal panel is referred to as a liquid crystal device.

1. Liquid Crystal Device (1) Basic Configuration First, the basic configuration of the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the liquid crystal device 10 of the present embodiment, and FIG.
b) is a cross-sectional view of the XX cross section in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the liquid crystal device 10 of the present embodiment, the counter substrate 30 and the element substrate 60 are bonded together by a sealing material (not shown), and a liquid crystal material (not shown) is placed in the cell region. An encapsulated liquid crystal panel 20 is provided. The element substrate 60 in the liquid crystal panel 20 has a substrate overhanging portion 60T that protrudes outward from the outer shape of the counter substrate 30, and a surface of the substrate overhanging portion 60T that holds the liquid crystal material. The external connection terminal (not shown) is formed, and the semiconductor element 91 and the flexible circuit board 17 are connected to the external connection terminal.
A light source 13 is mounted on the flexible circuit board 17, and an illuminating device 11 including the light source 13 and a light guide plate 15 that guides light emitted from the light source 13 to the liquid crystal panel 20 is provided on the back side of the liquid crystal panel 20. Is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, both the liquid crystal panel 20 and the light guide plate 15 are accommodated in a frame-shaped casing 14, and the liquid crystal panel 20 is attached to a part of the casing 14 using the double-sided tape 6. It is fixed. The double-sided tape 6 shown in FIG. 2 has an opening 6a through which light emitted from a light source and propagated through a light guide plate passes to the display panel side. In an area outside the display area, a liquid crystal panel 20 and a housing 14 are provided. However, as long as the display area is arranged so as not to narrow the display area, the shape is not particularly limited. As such a double-sided tape 6, it is preferable to use a double-sided tape provided with a light shielding layer. This is because light leakage of light emitted from the light source can be reduced, and thus the amount of light incident on the liquid crystal panel can be increased to prevent a decrease in luminance and luminance unevenness.
Further, with respect to the light guide plate 15 constituting the illumination device 11, the convex portion 7 provided on the edge of the light guide plate 15 is locked and fixed to a concave portion (not shown) provided in the housing 14.

(2) Liquid Crystal Panel Next, a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal panel constituting the liquid crystal device of this embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the counter substrate 30 is formed of glass, plastic, or the like. On the counter substrate 30, color filters, that is, colored layers 37r, 37g, and 37b, and colored layers 37r, 37g, and 37b are formed. The counter electrode 33 formed on the counter electrode 33 and the alignment film 45 formed on the counter electrode 33 are provided. Further, the colored layers 37r and 37 in the reflection region R are provided.
An insulating layer 41 for optimizing retardation is provided between g and 37b and the counter electrode 33.
Here, the counter electrode 33 is a planar electrode formed over the entire surface of the counter substrate 30 with ITO (indium tin oxide) or the like. In addition, the colored layers 37r, 37g, and 37b are disposed at positions facing the pixel electrode 63 on the element substrate 60 side, such as R (red), G (green), B (blue), or C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y. A color filter element of any color such as (yellow) is provided. A black mask or black matrix, that is, a light shielding film 39 is provided next to the colored layers 37 r, 37 g, and 37 b and at a position that does not face the pixel electrode 63.

The element substrate 60 facing the counter substrate 30 is formed of glass, plastic, or the like. On the element substrate 60, a TFT element 69 as an active element functioning as a switching element and a transparent insulating film 81 are sandwiched. And the pixel electrode 63 formed in the upper layer of the TFT element 69.
Here, in the reflective region R, the pixel electrode 63 is a light reflecting film 79 (for reflecting display).
63a), and in the transmissive region T, the transparent electrode 63b is formed of ITO or the like. The light reflection film 79 as the pixel electrode 63a is made of, for example, Al.
(Aluminum), Ag (silver), etc. are formed of light reflective materials. An alignment film 85 made of a polyimide-based polymer resin is formed on the pixel electrode 63, and a rubbing process as an alignment process is performed on the alignment film 85.

Further, a phase difference plate 47 is formed on the outer surface (that is, the upper side in FIG. 3) of the counter substrate 30, and a polarizing plate 49 is further formed thereon. Similarly, a retardation film 87 is formed on the outer surface of the element substrate 60 (that is, the lower side in FIG. 3), and a polarizing plate 89 is further formed thereunder. Further, a backlight unit (not shown) is disposed below the element substrate 60.

The TFT element 69 includes a gate electrode 71 formed on the element substrate 60, a gate insulating film 72 formed on the entire area of the element substrate 60 on the gate electrode 71, and the gate insulating film 72 interposed therebetween. Semiconductor layer 70 formed above gate electrode 71, and semiconductor layer 70
A source electrode 73 formed on one side of the semiconductor layer 70 via a contact electrode 77, and a drain electrode 66 formed on the other side of the semiconductor layer 70 via a contact electrode 77.
The gate electrode 71 extends from a gate bus wiring (not shown), and the source electrode 73
Extends from a source bus wiring (not shown). Further, a plurality of gate bus lines extend in the horizontal direction of the element substrate 60 and are formed in parallel in the vertical direction at equal intervals, and the source bus lines cross the gate bus lines with the gate insulating film 72 interposed therebetween. A plurality of lines extending in the vertical direction are formed in parallel in the horizontal direction at equal intervals.
Such a gate bus wiring is connected to a liquid crystal driving IC (not shown) and functions as, for example, a scanning line, while a source bus wiring is connected to another driving IC (not shown), for example, a signal line. Acts as
The pixel electrode 63 is formed in a region excluding a portion corresponding to the TFT element 69 in a rectangular region defined by the gate bus wiring and the source bus wiring intersecting each other.

Here, the gate bus wiring and the gate electrode can be formed of chromium, tantalum, or the like, for example. The gate insulating film is formed of, for example, silicon nitride (SiN _x ), silicon oxide (SiO _x ), or the like. Further, the semiconductor layer can be formed of, for example, doped a-Si, polycrystalline silicon, CdSe, or the like. Furthermore, the contact electrode
For example, the source electrode can be formed of a-Si or the like, and the source bus wiring and the drain electrode integrated with the source electrode can be formed of titanium, molybdenum, aluminum, or the like.

The organic insulating film 81 is formed over the entire area of the element substrate 60 so as to cover the gate bus lines, the source bus lines, and the TFT elements. However, a contact hole 83 is formed in a portion corresponding to the drain electrode 66 of the organic insulating film 81, and the pixel electrode 63 and the drain electrode 66 of the TFT element 69 are electrically connected at the contact hole 83.
In addition, in the organic insulating film 81, a resin film having a concavo-convex pattern composed of a regular or irregular repetitive pattern of peaks and valleys is formed as a scattering shape in a region corresponding to the reflective region R. Has been. As a result, the light reflection film 79 (63 on the organic insulating film 81) is stacked.
Similarly, a) also has a light reflection pattern composed of an uneven pattern. However, this uneven pattern is not formed in the transmission region T.

In the liquid crystal device including the liquid crystal panel 20 having the above-described structure, in the reflective display, external light such as sunlight or indoor illumination light enters the liquid crystal panel 20 from the counter substrate 30 side and is colored. The light passes through the layers 37r, 37g, and 37b and the liquid crystal material 21 to reach the light reflecting film 79, is reflected there, and passes again through the liquid crystal material 21 and the colored layers 37r, 37g, and 37b, and the like. By exiting, reflection display is performed.
On the other hand, the illuminating device is turned on during transmissive display, and light emitted from the illuminating device enters the liquid crystal panel 20 and passes through the translucent transparent electrode 63b portion, so that the colored layer 37
By passing through r, 37g, 37b, the liquid crystal material 21 and the like and exiting the liquid crystal panel 20, transmissive display is performed.

(3) Lighting Device The lighting device provided in the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment includes a light source 13 mounted on a flexible circuit board 17 electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 20, as shown in FIG. A light guide plate 1 that is disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel 20 and guides the light emitted from the light source 13 to the liquid crystal panel 20.
And 5.
Here, the light source 13 used in the illumination device 11 is generally a light emitting diode (LED), but a fluorescent tube can also be used in addition thereto. The light guide plate 15 is a flat plate member made of translucent acrylic resin or the like, and includes a light reflection plate or a light reflection film (not shown) on the back side of the surface facing the liquid crystal panel. Yes. About these light sources 13 and the light-guide plate 15, a well-known thing can be used.

The flexible circuit board 17 on which the light source 13 is mounted is a circuit board based on a flexible substrate such as polyimide resin, and the light source 13 is mounted in the vicinity of one end and the other side. A panel connection terminal 16 is provided at the end of the light source 13, and the light source 13 and the terminal 16 are electrically connected via electric wiring. Further, although not shown, the surface of the flexible circuit board 17 is configured to be covered with an insulating film except for the mounting region of the light source 13 and the panel connection terminal portion.

The flexible circuit board 17 configured in this way is electrically connected at one end side to the liquid crystal panel 20 and bent toward the light guide plate 15 side on the back side of the liquid crystal panel 20,
The light source 13 is fixed so as to face the end of the light guide plate 15.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is below the light guide plate 15 (the side opposite to the liquid crystal panel 20 side).
When the flexible circuit board 17 is fixed to the flexible circuit board 17, the flexible circuit board 17 is bent,
The light source 13 can be fixed at a predetermined position by further pressing with a metal frame or the like while being positioned at a predetermined position using a positioning pin of the housing and a positioning hole (both not shown) of the flexible circuit board.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the flexible circuit board 17 is fixed above the light guide plate 15 (the liquid crystal panel 20 side), the flexible circuit board 17 is bent and positioned at a predetermined position, and the light guide plate The light source 13 can be fixed at a predetermined location by applying the double-sided tape 9 to 15 or a part of the housing 14. In this case, since a polarizing plate 89 (not shown in FIG. 1) is attached to the surface of the liquid crystal panel 20, there is no gap between the liquid crystal panel 20 and the light guide plate 15.

In addition, the flexible circuit board has a bent region 1 as shown in FIGS.
The width W1 of 7A is preferably smaller than the width W2 of the mounting region portion 17C of the light source 13.
This is because the mounting region portion 17C of the light source 13 can be positioned and fixed using the widest possible range, while the width W1 of the bent region 17A is small.
This is because the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board 17 can be kept small.
Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the liquid crystal panel from floating due to the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to arrange the light shielding member 22 on the back side of the mounting surface of the light source 13 in the flexible circuit board 17.
The reason for this is that light leakage from the back side of the light source mounting surface in the light source mounting area can be prevented, the light amount incident on the liquid crystal panel can be prevented from decreasing, and the brightness of the displayed image can be prevented from decreasing. It is.
As such a light shielding member, for example, a light reflecting light shielding member such as a metal plate such as aluminum or silver, or colored glass epoxy or acrylic resin can be used. With such a light shielding member, it is possible to efficiently reflect the light that has entered the back side of the light source and enter the light guide plate. However, it is preferable to use an electrically insulating material for the purpose of preventing a short circuit or the like.

(4) Shape holding member (first shape holding member)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment is arranged in a region between the region 17 </ b> B derived from the connection position with the liquid crystal panel 20 and the bent region 17 </ b> A in the flexible circuit board 17. A shape holding member (which may be referred to as a first shape holding member) 1 that holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board 17 facing the outer surface of the flexible circuit board 17 is provided. It is a feature. That is, the bending reaction force generated by bending the flexible circuit board 17 is regulated by the shape holding member 1 to prevent the liquid crystal panel 20 from floating. As a result, the optical axis of the light source 13 with respect to the light guide plate 15 shifts, and the light source 13 is reflected on the display screen, or light leaks between the liquid crystal panel 20 and the light guide plate 15 to reduce the luminance of the display screen. And uneven brightness can be prevented.

More specifically, even when the liquid crystal panel is fixed to the housing using a double-sided tape, the adhesive strength of the double-sided tape is weak, or the adhesive strength decreases due to high temperature and high humidity. In such a case, the liquid crystal panel may float due to the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the user looks into the display screen, the light source 213
Appears in the display area A, or light leaks from the area B where the liquid crystal panel 220 floats, and the luminance is higher than the area C where the liquid crystal panel 220 and the light guide plate 215 are close to each other. Decreases, and uneven brightness occurs in the display area A.
On the other hand, in the present invention, the shape of the flexible circuit board between the area derived from the connection position with the liquid crystal panel and the bent area is opposed to the outer surface of the flexible circuit board. By providing the holding member, as shown in FIG. 8, the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board 17 is regulated to prevent the liquid crystal panel 20 from being lifted, and the reflection of the light source 13 and the luminance unevenness as described above are prevented. Etc. are prevented.

Here, the shape holding member 1 in the liquid crystal device 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is configured using a part of the housing 14. In this way, if the shape holding member 1 is configured to be a part of the housing 14,
While the number of parts can be prevented from increasing as compared with the prior art, and the position of the shape holding member 1 is uniquely determined, the shape holding member 1 can be arranged with high accuracy.
More specifically, in the liquid crystal device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the flexible circuit board 17 is inserted into the opening 14 a provided in the housing 14, and the edge of the opening 14 a is configured as the shape holding member 1. Yes. The bending shape of the flexible circuit board 17 is held by restricting the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board 17 by the shape holding member 1 composed of the edge of the opening 14a. In the shape holding member 1 using the edge of the opening 14a, the flexible circuit board 17 is formed along the width direction of the flexible circuit board 17, and the flexible circuit board 17 can be pressed with a relatively large area using the entire width. it can. Therefore, the bent shape of the flexible circuit board 17 can be more effectively held.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, it can also be set as the shape holding member 2 provided with the taper part 2a in the surface facing the flexible circuit board 17. As shown in FIG. With the shape holding member 2 having such a tapered portion 2a, the flexible circuit board 17 can be smoothly assembled when the liquid crystal device is assembled, and the assembly efficiency can be improved.
Furthermore, as shown to Fig.10 (a)-(b), the shape holding member 1 can also be set as the structure which has the release mechanism 16 opened | released centering on one edge part. In the configuration provided with such a release mechanism 16, when assembling the liquid crystal device, it is moved so as not to interfere with the arrangement of the flexible circuit board 17, and is arranged at a predetermined position after the arrangement of the flexible circuit board. Thus, the bent shape of the flexible circuit board can be maintained.

In addition to these, a shape-retaining member can be configured as shown in FIGS. That is, FIG. 11A is an example in which a protrusion is provided on the frame portion of the housing 14 located at the width direction end of the flexible circuit board 17 to form the shape holding member 3, and FIG. In this example, the shape holding member 4 is formed by providing a protrusion on the frame portion of the casing 14 positioned in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the flexible circuit board 17.

Furthermore, in addition to configuring the shape holding member using a part of the housing, the shape holding member 5 can also be configured using another member as shown in FIGS. When the shape holding member is configured using another member, the flexible circuit board can be smoothly arranged and the degree of freedom of the position of the shape holding member can be increased when the liquid crystal device is assembled. .

In providing these shape holding members, it is preferable that the shape holding member is configured not to protrude from the upper surface of the liquid crystal panel accommodated in the housing.
This is because the liquid crystal panel can be prevented from being lifted, and the thickness of the liquid crystal device can be prevented from being increased by the shape holding member, so that the liquid crystal device can be thinned.

(5) Second shape holding member As shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, between the bent region 17A and the mounting region portion 17C of the light source 13 in the flexible circuit board 17, and It is preferable that the second shape holding member 18 is provided at a position facing the outer surface of the flexible circuit board 17 when bent.
This is because the light guide plate can be prevented from floating from the liquid crystal panel by restricting the bending reaction force of the flexible circuit board from the opposite side of the first shape holding member. Therefore, the optical axis of the light source 13 with respect to the light guide plate 15 is shifted, and the light source 13 is reflected in the display screen, or light leaks between the liquid crystal panel 20 and the light guide plate 15, resulting in a decrease in luminance or uneven luminance. Can be more effectively prevented.

As such a second shape holding member, for example, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13B, a part of the housing 14 is used as in the case of the first shape holding member described above, or another member is used. Can be used. In the case of using another member, as shown in FIG.
The second shape holding member 18 can also be configured by using a part of a metal frame that further holds the housing 14 in which the liquid crystal panel 20, the light guide plate 15 and the like are accommodated.
Further, like the first shape holding member, the second shape holding member can also be configured to include a release mechanism that opens around one end.

In the case of providing the second shape holding member, without using a mold or the like different from the housing,
It is preferable that the second shape holding member is configured not to protrude from the lower surface of the housing.
This is because the liquid crystal panel can be prevented from being lifted, and the thickness of the liquid crystal device can be prevented from being increased by the shape holding member, so that the liquid crystal device can be thinned.

2. Manufacturing Method Hereinafter, an example of a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device of the present embodiment will be described.
First, a liquid crystal panel including an element substrate and a color filter substrate as a counter substrate that are arranged to face each other is manufactured.
An element substrate constituting such a liquid crystal panel is obtained by laminating various members on a glass substrate or the like as a substrate of the element substrate, so that a TFT element, a predetermined pattern scanning line, a predetermined pattern data line, an external connection terminal, etc. Are formed as appropriate. Next, ITO by sputtering
After laminating a transparent conductive film or the like, pixel electrodes are formed in a matrix in the display region by photolithography and etching. Further, an alignment film made of polyimide is formed on the substrate surface on which the pixel electrode is formed. In this way, an element substrate on which various resin films and conductive films are formed is manufactured.

Next, by laminating various members on a glass substrate or the like as a base constituting a color filter substrate as a counter substrate, a colored layer or a light shielding film is appropriately formed. Next, after laminating a transparent conductive film such as ITO by sputtering or the like, a counter electrode over the entire display region is formed by photolithography and etching. Further, an alignment film made of polyimide is formed on the substrate surface on which the counter electrode is formed. In this way, a color filter substrate on which various resin films and conductive films are formed is manufactured.

Next, the color filter substrate and the element substrate are bonded to each other through a sealing material to form a cell structure, and a liquid crystal material (not shown) is disposed inside the cell structure, thereby forming the cell structure shown in FIG.
A liquid crystal cell 20 ′ as shown in FIG. As an arrangement method of the liquid crystal material, there are a vacuum injection method performed after the cell structure is formed, a method in which a liquid crystal material is dropped in advance, and a substrate is bonded.
Thereafter, a polarizing plate (not shown) or the like is attached to the outer surfaces of the color filter substrate 30 and the element substrate 60, or the flexible circuit board 17 on which the light source 13 is mounted is electrically connected. As shown in (b), the liquid crystal panel 20 can be manufactured.

Next, as shown in FIG. 14C, the liquid crystal panel 20 and the light guide plate 15 are both mounted on the housing 14.
In addition, the flexible circuit board 17 connected to the liquid crystal panel 20 is bent, and the flexible circuit board 17 is positioned so that the light source 13 mounted on the flexible circuit board 17 faces the end of the light guide plate 15. Fix it. As a result, the flexible circuit board 17 faces the outer surface of the flexible circuit board 17 in the area between the bent area and the area derived from the connection position with the liquid crystal panel 20 in the flexible circuit board 17. A shape holding member 1 that holds 17 bent shapes is arranged. In this way, the liquid crystal device 10 of the present embodiment can be manufactured.

[Second Embodiment]
2nd Embodiment of this invention is an electronic device provided with the liquid crystal device of 1st Embodiment.
FIG. 15 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the electronic apparatus of the present embodiment. The electronic apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel 20 provided in the liquid crystal device and a control unit 200 for controlling the liquid crystal panel 20. In FIG. 15, the liquid crystal panel 20 is conceptually divided into a panel structure 20 </ b> A and a drive circuit 20 </ b> B composed of a semiconductor element (IC) or the like. The control means 200 also includes a display information output source 201, a display processing circuit 202, a power supply circuit 203, and a timing generator 204.
The display information output source 201 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Acces).
s Memory), a storage unit composed of a magnetic recording disk, an optical recording disk, and the like, and a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal, based on various clock signals generated by the timing generator 204 The display information is supplied to the display processing circuit 202 in the form of a predetermined format image signal or the like.

The display processing circuit 202 includes various well-known circuits such as a serial-parallel conversion circuit, an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and a clamp circuit, and executes processing of input display information to display the image. Information is supplied together with the clock signal CLK to the drive circuit 20B. Furthermore, the drive circuit 20B can include a first electrode drive circuit, a second electrode drive circuit, and an inspection circuit. Further, the power supply circuit 203 has a function of supplying a predetermined voltage to each of the above-described components.
In the electronic device of this embodiment, since the shape holding member that holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board is provided, the liquid crystal panel is prevented from floating, and in particular, the light source is reflected in the display screen. It is possible to provide an electronic device that can prevent the occurrence of inconvenience, luminance reduction, and luminance unevenness.

According to the present invention, since the shape holding member that holds the bent shape of the flexible circuit board is provided, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal device that prevents the liquid crystal panel from floating and improves display quality. . Accordingly, liquid crystal devices and electronic devices having TFT elements and TFD elements, such as mobile phones and personal computers, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder type / direct monitor type video tape recorders, car navigation devices, pagers,
The present invention can be widely applied to electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, electronic devices equipped with touch panels, and the like.
The display device to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to a liquid crystal device, and any display device that is connected to a flexible circuit board and bent, such as an EL device or a plasma display device, can be preferably used. Can do.

It is the perspective view and sectional drawing which show the liquid crystal device of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the structure of the liquid crystal device of 1st Embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of a liquid crystal panel. It is sectional drawing which shows another structural example of a liquid crystal device. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the width | variety of a flexible circuit board. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the light shielding member with which the back surface of the light source mounting area was equipped. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the state which the liquid crystal panel floated from the light-guide plate. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the state which controls the bending stress of a flexible circuit board by a shape holding member. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the shape holding member which has a taper part. It is a figure which shows the shape holding member which can be rotationally moved by a releasing mechanism. It is a figure which shows the modification of the shape holding member with which the housing | casing was equipped. It is a figure which shows the example which comprised the shape maintenance member using the member different from a housing | casing. It is a figure which shows the example of the liquid crystal device provided with the 2nd shape holding member. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electronic device of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional liquid crystal device.

Explanation of symbols

1 ・ 2 ・ 3 ・ 4 ・ 5: Shape holding member, 6 ・ 9: Double-sided tape, 7: Convex, 8: Concave, 10:
Liquid crystal device, 11: lighting device, 13: light source, 14: housing, 14a: opening of housing, 15: light guide plate, 16: release mechanism, 17: flexible circuit board, 20: liquid crystal panel, 22: light shielding member , 30: counter substrate (color filter substrate), 49: polarizing plate, 60: element substrate, 60T:
Substrate overhang

Claims (10)

A display panel and a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the display panel;
In a display device comprising a housing for housing the display panel,
The display panel is fixed to the housing via a double-sided tape,
The flexible circuit board is bent and fixed to the back side of the display panel,
The flexible circuit board is disposed in an area between the bent area of the flexible circuit board and an area derived from a connection position with the display panel so as to face the outer surface of the flexible circuit board. A display device comprising a shape holding member for holding a bent shape of a substrate. The display device includes a light source, and a light guide plate that is disposed on the back side of the display panel and guides light emitted from the light source to the display panel,
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is mounted on the flexible circuit board, and the flexible substrate is bent so that the light source is disposed to face the light guide plate. 3. The double-sided tape is formed in an area outside a display area of the display panel, and has an opening that allows light emitted from the light source and propagated through the light guide plate to pass to the display panel side. The display device described in 1. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the shape holding member is a part of the housing. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the shape holding member is formed along a width direction of the flexible circuit board of the housing. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the shape holding member includes a release mechanism that opens around one end. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a taper portion is provided on a surface of the shape holding member facing the flexible circuit board. When the shape holding member is the first shape holding member, a surface of the flexible circuit board between the bent area and the light source mounting area and an outer surface of the flexible circuit board that is bent. The display device according to claim 2, further comprising a second shape holding member at an opposing position. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the bent region in the flexible circuit board is smaller than a width of a mounting region portion of the light source. The electronic device provided with the display apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-9.

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