JP2008026534A - Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electro-optical device and electronic apparatus that can be improved in insulating property and shock absorbing property. <P>SOLUTION: As a cover member 5 covering a liquid crystal panel contains rubber as a main component, the panel is prevented from receiving external electric influences. As the cover member 5 tightly covers the liquid crystal panel, it also functions as a cushion material and reliably reduces shock due to falling or the like even without providing another cushion material. Thereby, insulating property and shock absorbing property can be improved. As the rubber constituting the cover member 5 has insulating property, insulating property of the liquid crystal device can be further improved. As a reinforcing film 23 is formed on one surface of a flexible board 3 electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2, the flexible board 3 is reinforced by the reinforcing film 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus.

An electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device is mounted as a display unit of an electronic device such as a mobile phone. In general, a liquid crystal device is mainly composed of a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates. The liquid crystal panel is mounted on an electronic device in a state in which a side surface is covered with a metal frame and accommodated in a frame such as plastic (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-162923 A

  However, there is a possibility that the electro-optical panel is electrically influenced from the outside through the metal frame having conductivity. In addition, since the clearance in the metal frame is small, the electro-optical panel is directly subjected to an impact such as dropping, and the panel is easily damaged.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus that can improve insulation and shock absorption.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electro-optical device according to the present invention includes an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates, a display region on a surface for displaying an image, and a non-display region adjacent to the periphery of the display region. And a cover member having an opening corresponding to the display area of the electro-optical panel. The electro-optical panel includes an impact absorbing member and accommodates at least the electro-optical panel.

  According to the present invention, since the cover member that accommodates the electro-optical panel includes the shock absorbing member, the cover member also functions as a cushion material. For this reason, even if it does not provide a cushioning material etc. separately, the impact by fall etc. can be relieved reliably. In addition, since the electro-optical panel is accommodated so that the cover member has an opening corresponding to the display area of the electro-optical panel, it can be made less susceptible to external electrical influences. Thereby, insulation and shock absorption can be improved.

  Examples of the impact absorbing member include rubber. Generally, rubber is known to have higher insulation and higher elasticity than metal. When the cover member that covers the electro-optic panel is mainly composed of rubber, it can be made less susceptible to electrical influence from the outside, and the impact caused by dropping or the like can be more reliably mitigated.

  In the electro-optical device, it is preferable that the cover member is in contact with at least a side surface of the electro-optical panel and at least a part of the non-display area.

  According to the present invention, since the cover member is at least in contact with the side surface of the electro-optical panel and at least a part of the non-display area, the electrical influence on the side surface and display area of the electro-optical panel can be minimized. It becomes possible. In addition, the display surface of the electro-optical panel can be protected from impact.

  The electro-optical device preferably further includes a frame that accommodates the electro-optical panel and the cover member.

  According to the present invention, since the frame for housing the electro-optical panel and the cover member is further provided, the shock absorption can be further improved. In addition, in the present invention, the electro-optical panel is accommodated in the frame in a state of being covered by the cover member. Since the cover member is made of rubber, in the state of being accommodated in the frame, it is possible to perform minute positioning within the frame using the elasticity of the rubber.

  In the electro-optical device, it is preferable that the shock absorbing member constituting the cover member has an insulating property.

  According to the present invention, since the shock absorbing member constituting the cover member has an insulating property, the insulating property of the electro-optical device can be further improved.

  The electro-optical device further includes a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the electro-optical panel, and a metal film is provided on the flexible circuit board, and the electro-optical panel is interposed through the metal film. Is preferably grounded.

  According to the present invention, since the metal film is provided on the flexible circuit board electrically connected to the electro-optical panel, the flexible board is reinforced by the metal film. In addition, since the electro-optical panel is grounded via the metal film, the electro-optical panel can be electrically grounded by bringing the metal film into contact with an external grounding member, for example. As a result, the electro-optical panel is hardly affected by static electricity.

  In the electro-optical device, it is preferable that the shock absorbing member constituting the cover member has conductivity.

  According to the present invention, since the shock absorbing member constituting the cover member has conductivity, for example, the electro-optical panel can be electrically connected only by bringing the cover member into contact with an external grounding member without providing a separate wiring. Can be grounded. As a result, the electro-optical panel is hardly affected by static electricity.

  The electro-optical device further includes an illumination device that is provided facing the electro-optical panel and that irradiates the electro-optical panel with light, and the cover member integrally integrates the electro-optical panel and the illumination device. Is preferably accommodated.

  According to the present invention, it further includes an illumination device that is provided facing the electro-optical panel and irradiates light to the electro-optical panel, and the cover member integrally accommodates the electro-optical panel and the illumination device. Insulation and impact resistance can be improved not only in the electro-optical panel but also in the lighting device.

  In the electro-optical device, it is preferable that the cover member covers a surface of the illumination device that is opposite to the electro-optical panel.

  Since the cover member covers the surface on the opposite side of the illuminating device from the electro-optical panel, it is possible to improve the impact resistance with respect to the impact from the opposite surface.

  An electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described electro-optical device.

  According to the present invention, since an electro-optical device having high insulation and shock absorption is mounted, it is possible to obtain an electronic apparatus that does not malfunction and has high display reliability and shock resistance.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an active matrix type liquid crystal device provided with a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element will be described as an example.

(Configuration of liquid crystal device)
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are perspective views showing the configuration of the liquid crystal device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration along the section AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2, the liquid crystal device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel (electro-optical panel) 2, a flexible substrate (flexible circuit substrate) 3, and a light guide (illumination device). 4, a cover member 5, and a frame 6. As shown in FIG. 1A, the liquid crystal device 1 has a configuration in which a liquid crystal panel 2 and a light guide 4 on which a cover member 5 is mounted are accommodated in a frame 6. FIG. 1B shows a state in which the liquid crystal panel 2 is removed from the frame 6 and the cover member 5 is removed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, the liquid crystal panel 2 includes a TFT array substrate 7 and a counter substrate 8 bonded together with a sealing material 9 and a liquid crystal 10 enclosed in a gap between the substrates 7 and 8. It has been configured. The TFT array substrate 7 has a size larger than that of the counter substrate 8, and a part of the TFT array substrate 7 projects from the counter substrate 8. Hereinafter, this portion is referred to as an overhang portion 7a.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the surface of the liquid crystal panel 2 on the counter substrate 8 side is a display surface 8a for displaying images such as still images and moving images. The central portion of the display surface 8a is a display region 11 where an image is displayed, and the peripheral portion of the display surface 8a is a non-display region 12 where no image is displayed. In the display area 11, dot areas 13 for displaying red, green or blue light are arranged in a matrix.

  The TFT array substrate 7 is a rectangular substrate made of a material that can transmit light, such as glass or quartz. As shown in FIG. 2, a pixel electrode 14, a TFT 15, and an alignment film 16 are provided on the inner surface of the TFT array substrate 7 (the surface facing the counter substrate 8). An insulating layer, a light shielding member, and the like are provided.

  The pixel electrodes 14 are made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), for example, and are arranged in a matrix on the TFT array substrate 7 so as to overlap the dot regions 13 in plan view. The TFT 15 is provided for each pixel electrode 14 and is an element that switches an electric signal to the pixel electrode 14. The alignment film 16 is a film that regulates the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules constituting the liquid crystal 10, and is provided on the entire inner surface of the TFT array substrate 7 including the pixel electrode 14 and the TFT 15.

  Similar to the TFT array substrate 7, the counter substrate 8 is a rectangular substrate made of a material that can transmit light, such as glass or quartz. A light shielding layer 17, a color filter layer 18, a common electrode 19, and an alignment film 20 are provided on the inner surface of the counter substrate 8 (the surface facing the TFT array substrate 7).

  The light shielding layer 17 is provided in the entire inter-dot region so that light does not pass through the region between the dot regions 13 (inter-dot region). The color filter layer 18 is provided in the dot region 13 so as to overlap the pixel electrode 14 provided on the TFT array substrate 7 in plan view. The color filter layer 18 is provided in a region surrounded by the light shielding layer 17. For example, a red color filter 18R that transmits red light, a green color filter 18G that transmits green light, and a blue color filter 18B that transmits blue light are sequentially arranged. The common electrode 19 is provided so as to cover the light shielding layer 17 and the color filter layer 18. The alignment film 20 is provided on the entire surface of the counter substrate 8 including the common electrode 19, and is a film that regulates the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules that constitute the liquid crystal 10 in the same manner as the alignment film 16.

  The flexible substrate 3 is a flexible substrate made of a resin such as polyimide, for example, and the connection portion 3 a is attached to the protruding portion 7 a of the TFT array substrate 7. A driving driver 21 for driving the liquid crystal panel 2 is provided on one surface 3 b of the flexible substrate 3. The drive driver 21 is electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 via the wiring 22 provided on the surface 3 b of the flexible substrate 3. The wiring 22 is connected to a connection electrode (not shown) provided in the connection portion 3a of the flexible substrate 3, and is electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 through the connection electrode.

  A reinforcing film 23 made of a metal material is provided on a surface 3c on the back side of the surface 3b on which the drive driver 21 is provided in the flexible substrate 3. The reinforcing film 23 is electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 via the wiring 24. Similar to the wiring 22, the wiring 24 is connected to a connection electrode 25 provided in the connection portion 3 a, and one end is electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 via the connection electrode 25. The wiring 24 connected to the connection electrode 25 extends on the surface 3 b of the flexible substrate 3 and is provided up to the back surface 3 c through a through hole 26 penetrating the flexible substrate 3. The other end of the wiring 24 provided on the surface 3 b is connected to the reinforcing film 23. The reinforcing film 23 is electrically grounded by coming into contact with an external grounding member, for example.

  The light guide 4 is provided so as to face the TFT array substrate 7 of the liquid crystal panel 2, and a facing surface 4 a facing the TFT array substrate 7 is a light emitting surface. The size of the light guide 4 in plan view is substantially the same as that of the TFT array substrate 7 of the liquid crystal panel 2. The light guide 4 is mainly composed of a backlight including a light source and a light guide plate. As the light source, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is used. The light guide plate is a member that guides light from the light source to the entire backlight and emits it to the liquid crystal panel 2 side.

  The cover member 5 is made of a highly insulating rubber, for example, and is configured in a bag shape having an opening 5a and an opening 5b. The liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are integrally covered so that the portions other than the opening 5a and the opening 5b are in close contact with the liquid crystal panel 2 or the light guide 4.

  The opening 5 a is provided so as to expose the display area 11 of the display surface 8 a of the liquid crystal panel 2. The opening 5b is provided so as to expose a portion where the flexible substrate 3 is attached in the protruding portion 7a of the liquid crystal panel 2. Therefore, the cover member 5 covers the non-display area 12 of the display surface 8 a of the liquid crystal panel 2, the peripheral edge portion of the protruding portion 7 a, the lower surface 4 b of the light guide 4, and the side surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4. Will be.

  The frame 6 is an outer frame that is made of a material such as plastic and accommodates the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 that are covered with the cover member 5. Since the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are covered with the cover member 5 as described above, the frame 6 and the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are not in direct contact with each other.

  The frame 6 includes a wall portion 6 a that holds the side surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4, and a bottom portion 6 b that holds the bottom surface side of the light guide 4. The wall 6a is provided on a rectangle in plan view. The bottom 6b is provided at four corners of the frame 6 in a plan view, and a through hole 6c that penetrates the bottom 6b is provided. A pin 6d for fixing the liquid crystal panel 2 covered by the cover member 5 and the light guide 4 to the bottom 6b is inserted into the through hole 6c. The pin 6 d is provided so as to penetrate the through hole 6 c and the cover member 5 so as to bite into a part of the light guide 4.

(Manufacturing method of liquid crystal device)
Next, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are manufactured and prepared by a well-known method.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, an external force is applied to the cover member 5 to expand the opening 5 a and the inside of the cover member 5. With the opening 5a and the inside of the cover member 5 expanded, the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are inserted into the cover member 5 through the opening 5a as shown in FIG.

  When the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are completely inserted into the cover member 5 (FIG. 5), the flexible substrate 3 is pulled out of the cover member 5 from the opening 5b (FIG. 6). When the flexible substrate 3 is pulled out, the external force applied to the cover member 5 is weakened, and the inside of the opening 5a, the opening 5b, and the cover member 5 is gradually reduced. When the inside of the opening 5a, the opening 5b, and the cover member 5 is reduced, the opening 5b is flexible so that the opening 5a does not cover the display area 11 of the display surface 8a of the liquid crystal panel 2. In order not to cover the connection portion 3a of the substrate 3, the size is reduced while appropriately aligning. Further, air is prevented from remaining between the cover member 5 and the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4. When the insides of the opening 5a, the opening 5b, and the cover member 5 are reduced, the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are covered with the cover member 5 without a gap as shown in FIG.

  When the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are covered with the cover member 5, the liquid crystal panel 2, the light guide 4 and the cover member 5 are aligned again. When this alignment is completed, the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are accommodated in the frame 6 in a state of being covered with the cover member 5 as shown in FIG.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 may be aligned while being accommodated in the frame 6. Since the cover member 5 has elasticity, when the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4 are shifted, a part of the cover member 5 is pressed by the frame 6 and is crushed, and the position is maintained in this state. Will be.

  Next, a pin 6 d is inserted into a through hole 6 c provided in the bottom portion 6 b of the frame 6, and the frame 6 and the light guide 4 are fixed.

  In this way, the liquid crystal device 1 is manufactured.

  Generally, rubber is known to have higher insulation and higher elasticity than metal. According to the present embodiment, since the cover member 5 that covers the liquid crystal panel 2 is mainly composed of rubber, it can be made less susceptible to electrical influence from the outside. In addition, since the cover member 5 covers the liquid crystal panel 2 so as to be in close contact with the liquid crystal panel 2, the cover member 5 also functions as a cushioning material, so that the impact due to dropping or the like can be reliably mitigated without providing a separate cushioning material or the like. Can do. Thereby, insulation and shock absorption can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the reinforcing film 23 is provided on one surface of the flexible substrate 3 electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2, the flexible substrate 3 is reinforced by the reinforcing film 23. become. Moreover, since the reinforcing film 23 is made of metal and is electrically connected to the liquid crystal panel 2, the liquid crystal panel can be electrically grounded by bringing the reinforcing film 23 into contact with an external grounding member, for example. .

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the light guide 4 provided to face the liquid crystal panel 2 is further provided, and the cover member 5 integrally covers the liquid crystal panel 2 and the light guide 4. Not only the panel 2 but also the light guide 4 can be improved in insulation and impact resistance.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the cover member 5 covers the entire surface 4b of the light guide 4 opposite to the liquid crystal panel 2, the impact resistance from the surface 4b side is also improved. be able to.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, a mobile phone including the liquid crystal device 1 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the mobile phone 300.

  The cellular phone 300 is mainly composed of a housing 301, an operation unit 302 provided with a plurality of operation buttons, and a display unit 303 that displays images, moving images, characters, and the like. The liquid crystal device 1 according to the present invention is mounted on the display unit 303.

  In this case, the reinforcing film 23 can be grounded by bringing the reinforcing film 23 into contact with the inside of the housing 301 of the mobile phone 300.

  As described above, since the liquid crystal device 1 capable of improving the insulation and shock absorption is mounted, it is possible to obtain an electronic device having no malfunction and having high display reliability and shock resistance.

  Note that the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is not limited to the above mobile phone, but includes, for example, electronic books, personal computers, digital still cameras, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder type or monitor direct view type video tape recorders, car navigation devices, pagers. , Electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, touch panels and other electronic devices may be used as display units.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the insulating rubber is used as the material of the cover member 5 (impact absorbing member). However, for example, the material of the cover member 5 is made of conductive rubber (conductive rubber). It does not matter. By using conductive rubber as the material of the cover member 5, for example, the liquid crystal panel 2 can be electrically grounded without providing a separate metal film or wiring by simply bringing the cover member 5 into contact with an external grounding member. Is possible. Moreover, since the conductive rubber has lower conductivity than the metal, even if it is used as the cover member 5, the electrical influence from the outside can be sufficiently suppressed. The impact absorbing member is not limited to the above-described insulating rubber and conductive rubber, and any other member that absorbs impact can be suitably used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the cover member 5 was the structure which covers the whole lower surface 4b of the light guide 4, it is not restricted to this. For example, the cover member 5 may be configured to cover only the peripheral portion without covering the central portion of the lower surface 4b of the light guide 4, or may be configured to cover only the planar viewing angle portion of the lower surface 4b. . In the above embodiment, the lower surface 4b is not held entirely by the frame 6, but is held by the frame 6 (bottom portion 6b) only at the planar viewing angle portion of the lower surface 4b. Even if only the portion held by the frame 6 is covered, it is possible to obtain the effect of improving the impact resistance, and there is an advantage that the material cost of the cover member 5 can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the entire cover member 5 is described as being made of an impact absorbing member (insulating rubber). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only a part of the cover member 5 is made of an impact absorbing member. Of course, it doesn't matter. For example, only the corner portion of the cover member 5 where the impact is likely to be applied can be configured by the impact absorbing member.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a liquid crystal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a process chart showing a manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device according to the embodiment. The process drawing. The process drawing. The process drawing. The process drawing. The process drawing. The perspective view which shows the structure of the mobile telephone which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid crystal device 2 ... Liquid crystal panel 3 ... Flexible board 4 ... Light guide 5 ... Cover member 6 ... Frame 23 ... Reinforcement film | membrane 25 ... Connection electrode 26 ... Through-hole 300 ... Cell-phone 301 ... Case

Claims (9)

An electro-optical panel having an electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates and having a display area on a surface for displaying an image and a non-display area adjacent to the periphery of the display area;
An electro-optical device comprising: a cover member that includes an impact absorbing member, accommodates at least the electro-optical panel, and has an opening corresponding to the display region of the electro-optical panel. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is in contact with at least a side surface of the electro-optical panel and at least a part of the non-display area.   The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a frame that accommodates the electro-optical panel and the cover member. The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an impact absorbing member constituting the cover member has an insulating property. A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the electro-optical panel;
A metal film is provided on the flexible circuit board,
The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electro-optical panel is grounded via the metal film. The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the impact absorbing member constituting the cover member has conductivity. An illumination device that is provided opposite to the electro-optical panel and irradiates the electro-optical panel with light;
The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cover member integrally accommodates the electro-optical panel and the illumination device. The electro-optical device according to claim 7, wherein the cover member covers a surface of the illumination device opposite to the electro-optical panel. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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