JP5190009B2 - Display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device provided with a display panel for displaying information such as images and characters, and in particular, has a structure in which display information on the display panel is not disturbed or the display panel is hardly damaged by external force. Related to the display device.

  In recent years, various flat panel display elements for displaying information such as images and characters include various types of liquid crystal panels, plasma display panels (PDP), organic or inorganic EL (Electro Luminescence) panels, FED (Field Emission Display) panels, etc. Display panels have been developed.

  These various display panels are normally handled as a panel module in which a display panel for displaying information and a drive circuit for driving the display panel are integrally configured, and a predetermined power source and drive signal are input to the panel module. Thus, predetermined information display can be performed. When the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, a backlight that emits irradiation light necessary to display information on the liquid crystal panel that does not emit light is incorporated in the panel module. A display device using a display panel is assembled so that a panel module is sandwiched between a front case located on the image display surface side of the display panel and a rear case located on the back side.

  Display devices using these display panels are used as stationary display devices such as computer displays and TV receivers, and take advantage of their thin and lightweight features, such as notebook computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), It is widely used as a display for portable devices such as portable DVD players, electronic dictionaries, game machines and mobile phones. In portable devices such as notebook computers, the display device is attached as a lid that can be opened and closed with respect to the portable device body by a hinge mechanism, etc., and when the user opens the lid when using the portable device, the keyboard A configuration is adopted in which the device main body portion on which the device is arranged and the image display surface of the display panel formed inside the lid portion appear simultaneously.

  Here, the display panel is generally made of glass, and when an external force is applied, the display panel may be bent and the display image may be disturbed, or when the external force is large, the display panel itself may be damaged.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, in a conventional liquid crystal display device 50 used as a lid portion of a notebook computer, a panel module 53 having a liquid crystal panel 51 and a backlight 52 is provided with a front casing 54. A rib 56 formed between the rear casing 55 and the front casing 54 prevents the liquid crystal panel 51 from being applied with force from the front casing 54 and the rear casing 55 in the absence of external force. Consideration is made (see Patent Document 1).

An annular buffer member 57 is disposed on the back surface in the vicinity of the side edge of the panel module 53. A non-display area around the display area 51a of the liquid crystal panel 51 is formed as a part of the front casing 54 with the width w1 in the main surface direction of the panel module 53 of the buffer member 57, that is, the horizontal direction in FIG. By forming the escutcheon frame 54a to be narrower than the width w2, the external force from the back housing 55 is applied to the display area 51a of the liquid crystal panel 51 in the state where no external force is applied to the front housing 54 and the back housing 55. In other words, the thickness of the liquid crystal panel 51 and the backlight 52 is changed, and the deterioration of the image quality such as white turbidity of the display image is prevented.
JP 2007-241512 A

  However, in the conventional liquid crystal display device 50, when an external force is applied in the direction of pushing the panel module 53 from the display surface side as indicated by the arrow P 'in FIG. There was a bug that would

  As indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 5, when the panel module 53 is bent toward the rear housing 55 by the external force P ′ from the display surface side, the width of the buffer member 57 of the conventional liquid crystal display device 50 is w1. This is because the deformation of the buffer module 57 alone cannot absorb the curved deformation of the panel module 53, and the end 57a of the buffer member 57 becomes a fulcrum, and local stress is easily applied to this portion. it is conceivable that.

  The present invention solves such problems of the prior art, and can maintain the quality of the display image when no external force is applied to the display panel, and at the same time, external force from the display surface side to the display panel. An object of the present invention is to obtain a display device capable of avoiding breakage of the display panel due to the bending of the panel module even when the is added.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a display device according to the present invention includes a front housing in which a panel module including a display panel and a drive circuit that drives the display panel is positioned on a display surface side of the display panel, and the display A display device sandwiched between a back casing located on the back side of the panel, wherein a buffer member is disposed on the back surface in the vicinity of the side edge of the panel module, and the buffer member is disposed on the center side of the display panel. An end portion is positioned further on the display panel center side than an end portion on the display panel center side of an escutcheon frame that covers the periphery of the display area of the display panel, and the display panel center side of the buffer member is A predetermined interval is formed between the panel module and the back surface.

  In the display device of the present invention, even when an external force is applied to the display panel itself or the rear casing that sandwiches the panel module including the display panel, the deformation of the rear casing is not easily transmitted to the panel module. A reduction in quality can be avoided. On the other hand, when an external force is applied so that the display surface of the display panel is pushed to the back side, the display panel can be effectively prevented from being damaged due to the curvature of the panel module.

  In the display device of the present invention, a panel module including a display panel and a drive circuit for driving the display panel is positioned on a front casing located on the display surface side of the display panel and on a rear side of the display panel. A display device sandwiched between a back housing and a buffer member disposed on a back surface in the vicinity of a side edge of the panel module, wherein the end of the buffer member on the display panel center side is the display panel The display panel center portion side of the escutcheon frame that covers the periphery of the display area is located further on the display panel center portion side, and the display panel center portion side of the buffer member is connected to the back surface of the panel module. A predetermined interval is formed between them.

  In this way, in the state where no external force is applied to the panel module, the external force applied to the rear housing of the display panel is not directly transmitted to the display area of the display panel, and the display panel is pressed and deformed to display images. Can be avoided. In addition, when the display panel is pressed from the display surface side, a wide part including the display area of the display panel is supported by the buffer member, so that the display panel is cracked and damaged due to the curvature of the panel module. Can be avoided.

  In the display device according to the present invention, it is preferable that a predetermined distance between the buffer member and the back surface of the panel module is continuously widened toward the center of the display panel. By doing in this way, the contact between the back surface of the curved panel module and the buffer member is performed in a wide area, and it is possible to effectively avoid breakage of the display panel due to the curvature of the panel module.

  In this case, in particular, a part of the concave curved surface in which the surface of the buffer member on the panel module side of the buffer member at the predetermined interval formed between the buffer member and the panel module back surface is recessed on the back housing side. It is preferable that By doing in this way, the back surface of the curved panel module and the buffer member are more gently in contact with each other, and the display panel can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, it is preferable that a predetermined interval formed between the buffer member and the back surface of the panel module starts from a concealing position of the display panel by the escutcheon frame. In this way, when no external force is applied to the panel module, the external force from the rear housing is not directly applied to the display area of the display panel, effectively preventing the display image from degrading. can do.

  Moreover, it is preferable to employ a form in which the escutcheon frame is formed as a part of the front casing.

  Furthermore, it is formed in the both ends of the apparatus main body part provided with the control part which controls the display of the said display panel, and the side edge part which opposes the said buffer member through the said panel module, with respect to the said apparatus main body part. It is preferable to further include a hinge mechanism that is rotatably attached. When the display device is rotated by the user, external force is likely to be applied to the display panel, but the display panel is effectively protected from the pressure applied to the panel module accompanying such use by the user. Can do.

  Further, the hinge mechanism is not formed on the end portion of the buffer member located on the display panel center portion side of the escutcheon frame further on the display panel center portion side than the end portion on the display panel center portion side. It is preferable to arrange in the vicinity of the side edge of the panel module. At the side edge portion of the panel module where the hinge mechanism is not formed, a situation in which the display panel is pressed by the user is likely to occur, and breakage of the display panel in this case can be effectively avoided.

  Preferably, the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, and the panel module further includes a backlight for displaying information on the liquid crystal panel.

  Hereinafter, as an embodiment of a display device according to the present invention, a case in which a transmissive liquid crystal panel is provided as a display panel and the display device is used as a lid portion of a notebook computer will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a notebook computer having a display device as a lid as an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the notebook computer 100 of the present embodiment is formed of a lid portion 1 that is a display device and a device main body portion 2. The lid 1 is one side edge of the built-in panel module, that is, in the case of FIG. 1, the side edge below the display area that is an area where display information such as an image is displayed on the display panel. The hinge mechanisms 3 provided at both ends of the unit can be opened and closed with respect to the device main body 2 as represented by an arrow A in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 1 is opened with respect to the device main body 2, and an opening is formed at the center of the front housing 10, and the display area of the liquid crystal panel 21 that is a display panel 21a can be seen. In the following description of the present specification, as shown in FIG.

  In the notebook personal computer 100 of this embodiment, a part of the front casing 10 of the lid 1 serving as a display device functions as an escutcheon frame 11 and covers a so-called non-display area around the display area 21 a of the liquid crystal panel 21. . For this reason, the front housing 10 has a substantially “B” shape when viewed from the display surface side. The configuration of the lid 1 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  On the surface of the apparatus main body 2, a keyboard, a touch pad, a lid of a disk drive device, and the like are provided as a normal configuration as a notebook computer. In addition, inside the device main body 2, a control unit that controls display of a display panel accommodated in the lid 1, a circuit configuration as a notebook computer such as a CPU or a memory, a rechargeable battery, various drive devices, etc. Is stored. Since the configuration of the device main unit 2 is not particularly different from the configuration of a conventionally known notebook personal computer, detailed description and illustration of each unit will be omitted.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating a main configuration of the display device that is the lid portion 1 of the notebook personal computer 100 according to the present embodiment, and the side of the lid portion 1 indicated by a ZZ ′ arrow line in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of a side part.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the lid portion 1 of this embodiment, a liquid crystal panel 21 that is a display panel and a backlight 22 form a panel module 20. The panel module 20 is sandwiched between a front case 10 on the display surface side of the liquid crystal panel 21 and a rear case 30 on the back side. The side surface portion 32 of the rear housing 30 is fitted so as to be in contact with the inner side of the outer peripheral wall portion 13 of the front housing 10, and the front end thereof is in contact with the bottom surface portion 12 of the front housing 10. A space for accommodating the panel module 20 is formed between the rear housing 30 and the rear housing 30.

  The position of the panel module 20 is defined by the bottom surface 12 of the front housing 10 and the ribs 14 extending from the bottom surface 12. Further, a buffer member 31 is disposed between the panel module 20 and the back casing 30 in the peripheral portion on the back side of the panel module 20, and the panel module 20 is disposed between the front casing 10 and the back casing 30. It can be held and fixed in space.

  The front housing 10 is made of, for example, polycarbonate ASA resin (PC + ASA) in which ASA resin is mixed in polycarbonate (PC). Further, glass fibers may be mixed for reinforcing the strength. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the front housing 10 has a substantially “B” shape in which an opening corresponding to the display area 21 a of the liquid crystal panel 21 is formed in the center portion on the display surface side.

  In the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment, a part of the front housing 10 also serves as an escutcheon frame 11 that covers the non-display area of the liquid crystal panel 21, but this is not an essential configuration. The escutcheon frame 11 may be composed of another material.

  An outer peripheral wall portion 13 constituting a side wall of the lid portion 1 of the notebook computer 100 extends from the peripheral portion of the bottom surface portion 12 of the front housing 10 to the back housing 30 side. Further, the fixing position of the panel module 20 having the liquid crystal panel 21 in the plane direction, that is, in the horizontal direction in FIG. An annular rib 14 is formed continuously or intermittently. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 2, in order to ensure the intensity | strength in the cyclic | annular rib 14, the uneven | corrugated | grooved part, a support | pillar, etc. are provided in the plane direction of the panel module 20 as needed. Further, in order to regulate the position of the panel module 20, openings, protrusions, and the like corresponding to the uneven portions formed in the panel module 20 are formed on the outer peripheral wall portion 13 and the annular rib 14 of the front housing 10. However, the illustration of the concavo-convex portion, the opening, the protrusion, and the like is also omitted.

  The panel module 20 includes a transmissive liquid crystal panel 21 that is a display panel and a backlight 22 that emits irradiation light for displaying information on the liquid crystal panel 21. It is configured to be housed in a modular module body. A circuit board (not shown) on which a drive circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel 21 is mounted is disposed on the back side of the backlight 22. This circuit board is connected to an electrode part formed at the panel end of the liquid crystal panel 21 by a flexible printed board or a connector cable (not shown).

  In the notebook personal computer 100 according to the present embodiment, since a conventionally known transmissive liquid crystal panel 21 can be used as a display panel, detailed description thereof is omitted. As the liquid crystal panel 21 which is a display panel of the display device of the present embodiment, as a configuration, a so-called active matrix method in which a switching element is formed in each display pixel and other driving methods such as a simple matrix method are adopted. can do. In addition, as a method for applying a voltage, either a vertical electric field method in which a predetermined potential is applied between two opposing panels or a horizontal electric field method in which a voltage is applied in the surface direction of the panel should be adopted. Can do. Furthermore, the arrangement of display pixels is not limited at all, and color display or single color display is possible. Needless to say, a pair of polarizing plates (not shown) are arranged on both outer surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 21.

  The backlight 22 employs a so-called edge light system (sometimes referred to as a side light system) that can be made thinner. This edge light type backlight 22 emits light from a cold cathode fluorescent tube (not shown) which is a light source from the side to a light guide plate (not shown) having a size and shape corresponding to the image display surface of the liquid crystal panel 21. Incident light is emitted so that uniform irradiation light is emitted from the image display area 21 a of the liquid crystal panel 21. The backlight 22 is not limited to the above-described edge light system, and a conventionally well-known configuration can be adopted, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition to the cold cathode fluorescent tube described above, various light sources such as a hot cathode fluorescent tube and a light emitting diode can be used as the light source of the backlight 22.

  A buffer member 31 is disposed on the back surface in the vicinity of the side edge of the panel module 20.

  The cushioning member 31 provided in the lid 1 of the present embodiment has a front casing that has an end 31a in the direction toward the center C of the display panel shown in FIG. 1 (in FIG. 2, this direction is indicated by arrow C). Similarly, the escutcheon frame 11 which is a part of the display panel 10 is located further on the display panel central part C side than the end part 11a on the display panel central part C side. That is, the width of the buffer member 31 in the surface direction of the liquid crystal panel 21 and the width in the horizontal direction in FIG. 2 are wider than the width of the escutcheon frame 11. In addition, the display panel central portion C side of the buffer member 31 has a predetermined interval 33 between the back surface of the panel module 20.

  The shape of the buffer member 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 which is a cross-sectional view in which the buffer member 31 is enlarged.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cushioning member 31 of the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment is in contact with the back housing 30 in the back direction, and is in the direction of the side edge of the panel module 20 on the side opposite to the display panel center C direction. (Left side in FIG. 3) is in contact with the rib 14 of the front housing 10. In addition, the buffer member 31 of the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment is fixed to one or both of the rear housing 30 and the rib 14 of the front housing 10 by an adhesive tape (not shown).

  The surface of the buffer member 31 that faces the panel module 20 is located at the intermediate portion of the width of the buffer member 31 in the surface direction of the display panel 21, and is in contact with the back surface of the panel module 20 up to the intermediate point 31b. The display panel central portion C side is formed to have a predetermined interval 33 between the surface 31 c of the buffer member 31 and the back surface of the panel module 20. In the present embodiment, the predetermined interval 33 is formed so as to increase toward the display panel central portion C side, and a surface 31c of the buffer member 31 that faces the panel module 20 is formed at a portion where the interval 33 is formed. It is a part of a concave curved surface that is recessed toward the rear housing 30 side.

  The buffer member 31 holds the panel module 20 in the space in the lid portion 1 formed by the front casing 10 and the rear casing 30, and the panel module 20 is moved by the force from the display surface side as will be described later. When it is pushed into the rear housing 30 side, it is elastic enough to buffer the impact applied to the panel module 20 and absorb the deformation to prevent the liquid crystal panel 21 from being damaged. Need flexibility. For this reason, as a specific material of the buffer member 31, for example, an internally plasticized polyester-based resin, a thermoplastic elastomer resin, a rubber material, a foamed plastic, or the like can be used.

  Further, the size of the buffer member 31 used in the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment is, for example, that the horizontal width a of the panel module is 4.5 mm, the thickness b is 2 mm, and from the rib 14 of the front housing 10. The distance c to the intermediate point 31b can be 1.5 mm, and the distance d from the intermediate point 31b to the end 31a on the display panel central portion C side can be 3 mm. In this case, for example, the maximum value h of the distance 33 between the back surface of the panel module 20 and the buffer member 31 can be set to 0.2 mm.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the rear housing 30 is a member that sandwiches the panel module 20 by fitting with the front housing 10. Further, in the notebook personal computer 100 according to the present embodiment, the rear housing 30 constitutes an outer member when the lid portion 1 is closed, and thus high strength is required. On the other hand, in consideration of the demand for weight reduction required for the notebook personal computer 100 which is a portable device, the back housing 30 of this embodiment is formed of a magnesium alloy molded body.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface of the back housing 30, that is, the back side of the lid portion 1, has a bonnet as a configuration that serves as a reinforcing member for improving strength and also has a design property. A shaped part is formed. Although not shown in FIG. 2, an uneven shape for reinforcement is appropriately formed on the inner surface of the rear housing 30.

  The side surface portion 32 of the rear housing 30 has a side wall structure that protrudes toward the front housing 10, and in the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment, the outer surface of the side surface portion 32 of the outer surface housing 30 is the front surface housing. 10 are fitted so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall 13. Further, the front end portion of the side surface portion 30 of the outer surface housing 30 is in contact with the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 12 of the front surface housing 10 so that the panel module 20 is sandwiched between the outer surface housing 30 and the front surface housing 10. A space is formed. Note that the materials and specific configurations of the front casing 10 and the rear casing 30 are merely examples, and the outer peripheral wall 13 of the front casing 10 and the rear casing 20 are arranged on the side surface of the display device. Any of the side surface portions 33 may be disposed on the outer side, and the outer peripheral wall portion 13 of the front housing 10 and the tip of the side surface portion 33 of the rear housing 30 may be attached to each other. The front casing 10 and the rear casing 30 are fixed by a known fixing method such as screwing in a state where the panel module 20 is sandwiched.

  Further, the back housing 30 of the present embodiment is formed with a cover portion for accommodating the hinge mechanism 3 shown in FIG.

  Next, the effect of the cover part 1 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG.

  When no external force is applied to the panel module 20, the panel module 20 is linear as shown by a dotted line in FIG. This state is the same as the state of FIG. At this time, since a predetermined interval 33 is formed between the back surface of the panel module 20 and the buffer member 31 in the display area 21a portion of the display panel 21, a portion that is not covered with the escutcheon frame 11, that is, Undesirable force is not applied to the display area 21a of the liquid crystal panel 21 from the back side. For this reason, when the panel module 20 is pressed from the back side and the panel interval of the liquid crystal panel 21 is partially narrowed, the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is disturbed, and the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer is changed. Can be prevented from being disturbed. Further, by applying a pressing force to the backlight 22, it is possible to avoid uneven brightness of the backlight light that is generated when an optical sheet (not shown) disposed between the light guide plate and the liquid crystal panel is crushed.

  On the other hand, when a force P that pushes the panel module 20 toward the rear housing 30 is applied, the panel module 20 constituted by the glass liquid crystal panel 21 and the backlight 22 having a resin light guide plate as main members is As shown by a solid line in FIG. At this time, in the lid portion 1 of the present embodiment, the distance 33 between the buffer member 31 and the back surface of the panel module 20 is formed so as to increase toward the display panel central portion C side. As shown, the panel module 20 follows the shape of the surface of the buffer member 31 on the side facing the panel module 20.

  Therefore, even when the panel module 20 is deformed, the corner portion of the buffer member 57 does not act as a fulcrum as in the conventional display device 50 shown in FIG. 5, and the liquid crystal panel 21 is deformed when the panel module 20 is deformed. It is possible to avoid such a situation that the crack 58 is generated.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the surface shape 31c of the space 33 between the intermediate point 31b of the buffer member 31 and the panel module 20 formed on the side of the display panel center C is curved. By doing so, the curved panel module 20 is more suitably brought into contact with the wide surface of the buffer member 31. However, the buffer member of the display device of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the surface shape 31c facing the back surface of the panel module 20 is a taper surface whose interval linearly increases as going to the center of the display panel. (Plane).

  In the present embodiment, the distance 33 between the buffer member 31 and the panel module 20 is gradually widened toward the display panel central portion C, but this is not essential in the present invention. A predetermined gap is formed between the buffer member 31 and the panel module 20 at a portion closer to the display panel central portion C than the intermediate point 31b of the buffer member 31 formed on the back side of the escutcheon frame 11. That is, as long as the panel module 20 is not in contact with the buffer member 31 in the state where no external force is applied to the panel module 20, it does not matter.

  Further, the size of the buffer member 31 located on the display panel central portion C side further than the end portion 11a of the display panel central portion C of the escutcheon frame 11 takes into consideration the strength of the panel module 20 and the ease of bending. In addition, it may be determined as appropriate from the viewpoint of increasing the weight of the entire display device due to the buffer member 31 becoming larger. The value of the distance h from the back surface of the panel module 20 at the end of the buffer member 31 on the display panel center side shown in FIG. 3 is appropriately selected, for example, with a width of 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm.

  Further, the position of the intermediate point 31b of the buffer member 31 is not necessarily provided at the position on the back side corresponding to the portion hidden by the escutcheon frame 11, that is, the portion where the display panel 21 is covered by the escutcheon frame 11. The center of the display panel C may be closer to the end of the escutcheon frame 11. However, if the midpoint 31b of the buffer member 31 is on the back side of the display area 21a portion of the display panel 21, the panel module 20 is held from the back housing 30 even if no external force is applied to the panel module 20. This is not desirable because the force of Therefore, it is preferable that the midpoint 31b, which is a boundary point between the portion of the buffer member 31 that does not contact the back surface of the panel module 20, and the portion that does not contact the back surface of the panel module 20 is located on the back surface of the portion corresponding to the non-display area of the display panel 21.

  In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which hinge mechanisms are provided at both ends of one side edge of the display device, and the display device serves as a lid portion of the main body portion. In this case, the cushioning member according to the present invention in which the end portion is located closer to the display panel center side than the end portion on the display panel center side of the escutcheon frame described as the present invention is provided with a hinge mechanism. It is not necessary to arrange at one side edge. In other words, at the side edge where the hinge mechanism is provided, the end of the cushion member on the center side of the panel may not be provided closer to the center of the panel than the end of the escutcheon frame.

  As described in the present embodiment, when one side edge portion of the display device is fixed and serves as a lid portion of the main body portion, the user is not provided with a hinge mechanism and the upper portion of the display device is provided. This is because the lid is opened and closed with the vicinity of the side edge, so that a pressing force that pushes into the panel module near the side edge provided with the hinge mechanism is hardly applied. Therefore, the buffer member described as the present invention is preferably applied to the other three side edges provided with no hinge mechanism, that is, the upper and left and right side edges in FIG.

  In addition, since the above is consideration about the structure which provided the hinge mechanism in the both ends of one side edge part of a display apparatus, only one hinge mechanism is provided in the center part of the side edge part which is a lower side of a display area. The buffer according to the present invention is preferable in the case where a tilt mechanism for rotating or tilting the entire display device is provided by providing a movable joint mechanism in the center of the back of the display device instead of the hinge mechanism. The arrangement of the members is not limited to the above. For example, the buffer member according to the present invention may be disposed on the back surface near the four side edges of the panel module, or the buffer member according to the present invention may be provided only on the back surface near the two or three side edges. . Further, even when the buffer member of the present invention is provided on the back surface in the vicinity of one side edge, instead of arranging one buffer member over the entire length of the side edge of the panel module, a short buffer member is used. It can also be arranged intermittently.

  In addition, the shape of the curved surface 31c of the surface of the buffer member 31 that faces the back surface of the panel module 20 described in FIG. It is considered preferable to follow the curved shape. When the external force P is applied to the peripheral portion of the display panel 20 in the left-right direction, the amount of the panel module 20 pushed into the back side at the side edge near the position where the external force is applied increases. The panel module 20 is pushed in without being curved and in a state parallel to a predetermined surface. On the other hand, at the side edge portion far from the position where the external force P is applied, the curvature value of the panel module 20 is reduced, and the end of the buffer member 31 serves as a fulcrum, and the display panel 20 can crack. The nature becomes low.

  Compared with this case, when an external force P is applied near the center of the display panel 20, only the left and right end portions are supported by the buffer members 31, so that the panel module 20 is most easily bent and has a large curvature. This is because the contact portion of the buffer member 31 on the back surface of the panel module 20 having the curved surface tends to be a fulcrum for the panel.

  As described above, as an embodiment of the display device according to the present invention, the case where it is used as a lid portion of a notebook computer provided with a transmissive liquid crystal panel as a display panel has been described. The target is not limited.

  The display panel used in the display device of the present invention is not limited to a transmissive liquid crystal panel, and various display panels such as a transflective liquid crystal panel, a reflective liquid crystal panel, a PDP panel, an EL panel, and an FED panel may be used. it can. Needless to say, when a reflective liquid crystal panel or other so-called self-luminous display panel is used, a backlight is not required as a panel module. As described above, when the backlight is not included in the panel module, the panel module mainly includes the display panel and the circuit board on which the drive circuit for driving the display panel is mounted. There may be no module structure. In such a case, the back surface of the panel module means the back surface of the display panel, and the buffer member is directly disposed on the back surface of the display panel.

  In addition, the use as a display device is not limited to the case where it is used as a display of a notebook personal computer, and it can be used as a display of various portable devices such as PDAs, portable DVD players, electronic dictionaries, game machines, and mobile phones. it can. In addition, even when used as a stationary display such as a computer display or a TV receiver, a tilt mechanism or a rotation mechanism that can tilt the display screen to a predetermined angle or change the orientation of the display screen, in particular. By applying the present invention centering on those provided with the above, it is possible to exert an effect that the display panel can be protected from an external force applied to the display device.

  Furthermore, as described in the present embodiment, even when the display device is used for a portable device, the device is not limited to the case where the display device is formed to be rotatable with respect to the device main body as a lid of the portable device. It can also be applied as a display device arranged as a display in a portion where the external shape of the screen does not change. In portable devices, it is difficult to adopt a strong structure as the structure of a display device in order to meet the demand for a compact and lightweight structure, and there are many opportunities for users to directly hold the outer surface It is. For this reason, it is considered to be extremely preferable that the display device of the present invention is applied as a display of a portable device to exhibit the effect that the damage of the display panel and the disturbance of display information can be reduced.

  The display device according to the present invention is useful for reducing breakage of the display panel and display disturbance.

1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a notebook computer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the cover part of the notebook computer concerning embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view explaining the shape of the buffer member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the effect of the buffer member concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the structure of the conventional display apparatus.

1 Lid (display device)
2 equipment body 3 hinge mechanism 10 front case 11 escutcheon frame 20 panel module 21 liquid crystal panel (display panel)
21a Display area 22 Backlight 30 Back housing 31 Buffer member 33 Spacing 100 Notebook PC C Display panel center

Claims (8)

A panel module having a display panel and a drive circuit for driving the display panel is sandwiched between a front case located on the display surface side of the display panel and a rear case located on the back side of the display panel. Display device,
A buffer member is disposed on the back surface near the side edge of the panel module,
An end of the cushioning member on the center side of the display panel is located on the display panel center side further than an end of the display panel center side of an escutcheon frame covering the periphery of the display area of the display panel,
The display device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined interval is formed between the buffer member and the center of the display panel between the back surface of the panel module.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined interval between the buffer member and the back surface of the panel module continuously extends toward the center of the display panel.   The surface on the panel module side of the buffer member at the predetermined interval formed between the buffer member and the back surface of the panel module is a part of a concave curved surface recessed on the back housing side. 2. The display device according to 2.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined interval formed between the buffer member and the back surface of the panel module starts from a concealing position of the display panel by the escutcheon frame. .   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the escutcheon frame is formed as a part of the front housing. An apparatus main body provided with a control unit for controlling the display of the display panel;
The hinge mechanism which is further formed in the both ends of the side edge part which opposes the said buffer member through the said panel module, and was attached rotatably with respect to the said apparatus main-body part. The display device according to any one of the above.   The panel module in which the hinge mechanism is not formed at the end on the display panel center side of the buffer member located further on the display panel center side than the end on the display panel center side of the escutcheon frame The display device according to claim 6, wherein the display device is disposed in the vicinity of a side edge of the display.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel, and the panel module further includes a backlight for displaying information on the liquid crystal panel.

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