KR20110130177A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A liquid crystal display device is provided to improve the reliability of a product by minimizing the failure due to a step area. CONSTITUTION: A liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal display panel(210) which is divided into a display area and a non-display area, a gate driving unit which drives a plurality of gate lines, and a data driving unit which drives a plurality of data lines. The edge area of the display area is made of a round shape structure according to a round shape liquid crystal display panel.

Description

[0001] LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device which can improve product reliability by minimizing step defects occurring at an edge of a display area in a non-square type liquid crystal display device.

Display devices used in computers, monitors, and TVs include organic light emitting displays (OLEDs), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), and electroluminescent devices (FEDs) that emit light by themselves. Field Emission Display (PDP), Plasma Display Display Panel (PDP), and the like, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) which does not emit light by itself and requires a light source.

In general, a liquid crystal display includes two substrates having a field generating electrode and a liquid crystal layer having a dielectric anisotropy formed therebetween. A voltage is applied to the field generating electrode to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer, and the voltage is changed to adjust the intensity of the electric field to adjust the transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer to display a desired image.

The liquid crystal display includes a data driver which receives image data from an external source and generates and supplies a data signal of a corresponding pixel to a data line of the liquid crystal display panel, and generates a gate signal to drive pixels of the liquid crystal display panel by one line. And a gate driver for supplying light and a backlight unit disposed on a rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel to provide light.

Recently, light emitting diodes having advantages such as light efficiency, thinning, and low power consumption have been widely used as a light source of a backlight unit. In general, small liquid crystal displays have a rectangular display screen. Therefore, the shape of the liquid crystal display panel is also rectangular.

Recently, a liquid crystal display device has been used as a display device in various fields such as a watch or an instrument panel of a vehicle, and a circular display screen is required. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display panel has a circular structure.

In the liquid crystal display device having such a circular structure, a display area for displaying a screen and a non-display area for not displaying the screen are also formed in a circular shape. In this case, pixels of the same size having a rectangular shape are arranged in a matrix to form a circular structure in the display area.

In the circular LCD, since the number of pixels of the same size arranged in a matrix form per line does not change linearly from line to line, the pixel arrangement is arranged in a step shape irregularly and the boundary between the display area and the non-display area In the case of a stepped defect occurs.

Such a stepped defect occurs more in a portion having a lower curvature, ie, a portion perpendicular to the horizontal direction, than a portion having a large curvature in a circular LCD. The step shape defects can be sufficiently visually checked by the user, thereby lowering the reliability of the product.

According to the present invention, pixels having different sizes according to curvature are disposed at the boundary between the display area and the non-display area of the circular liquid crystal display device, thereby reducing the step area that is differently generated in the large curvature and the small curvature. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device which can improve reliability of a product by minimizing defects caused by the step area.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a circular structure and divided into a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area for not displaying an image, a gate driver for driving the plurality of gate lines, and And a data driver for driving a plurality of data lines, wherein the edge of the display area is formed of curved surfaces having different curvatures by the circular liquid crystal display panel, and pixels having different sizes are arranged according to the curvatures.

The liquid crystal display according to the present invention arranges pixels having different sizes according to the curvature at the edges of the display area, thereby reducing the step area that is differently generated in the large curvature and the small curvature. The reliability of the product can be improved by minimizing defects.

1 is a view showing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating the liquid crystal display panel of FIG. 1.
3A is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is disposed on the liquid crystal display panel 210 on which an image is displayed and on the rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel 210. And a backlight unit 220 for providing light.

Upper and lower polarizing plates 101 and lower polarizing plates 102 may be attached to upper and lower surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel 210 so that optical axes are perpendicular to each other.

The liquid crystal display panel 210 includes a thin film transistor array substrate, a color filter substrate attached to face the thin film transistor array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the two substrates.

The thin film transistor array substrate includes a plurality of pixels in a matrix form, and each of the plurality of pixels extends in a first direction and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to insulate the gate line. And an intersecting data line and a pixel electrode. In addition, a thin film transistor (TFT) is formed in each pixel and is connected to the gate line, the data line, and the pixel electrode.

An RGB pixel as a color filter is formed on the color filter substrate by a thin film process, and a common electrode facing the pixel electrode is formed. Therefore, the liquid crystal layer is arranged by voltages applied to the pixel electrode and the common electrode, thereby adjusting the transmittance of light provided from the backlight unit 220.

The liquid crystal display panel 210 has a circular shape with respect to the display surface and includes a rectangular structure protruding on one side.

The backlight unit 220 positioned below the liquid crystal display panel 210 may include a support main 280 made of a mold having an upper surface, a light source unit 250 disposed on one side of the support main 280, and And a light guide plate 260 disposed in parallel with the light source unit 250, and optical sheets 230 disposed on the light guide plate 260.

The optical sheets 230 diffuse and condense the light incident from the light guide plate 260 and emit the light toward the liquid crystal display panel 210. The optical sheets 230 are formed in a round shape.

The light guide plate 260 converts point light into surface light, and converts point light incident from the light source unit 250 disposed on one side of the support main 280 into surface light to the liquid crystal display panel 210. Guide. In this case, the light guide plate 260 is formed in a circular shape.

The light source unit 250 includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 253 and a plurality of light emitting diodes 251 mounted on a lower surface of the flexible circuit board 253. The flexible circuit board 253 is a circuit board on which a complicated circuit is formed on a flexible insulating film, and is a substrate using a heat resistant plastic film such as PET (polyester) or PI (polyimide).

The support main 280 is formed of a mold having an upper surface opened, and all regions except the region corresponding to the light source unit 250 have a circular shape.

The support main 280 has the light guide plate 260, the optical sheets 230, and the light source 250 housed therein, and a plurality of support mains 280 corresponding to the light source unit 250. A plurality of receiving grooves 251a in which the light emitting diodes 251 are accommodated are formed.

The light blocking tape 200 is provided on the backlight unit 220 having such a structure.

The light blocking tape 200 corresponds to an area corresponding to the light source unit 250 of the backlight unit 220 and an edge of the support main 280, and the optical sheets 230 and the light source unit 250. It serves to fix to the support main (280).

In addition, the light blocking tape 200 serves to fix the backlight unit 220 and the liquid crystal display panel 210 by applying an adhesive to both surfaces thereof, and the light emitted from the backlight unit 220 is entirely made of black. To prevent leakage.

A lower polarizing plate 102 for transmitting only specific light among light incident from the backlight unit 220 is attached to a lower surface of the liquid crystal display panel 210. In addition, an upper polarizer 101 is attached to an upper surface of the liquid crystal display panel 210 to transmit only a specific light of light traveling in an upper direction of the liquid crystal display panel 210.

The liquid crystal display panel 210 is divided into a display area displaying an image and a non-display area positioned at an edge of the display area and not displaying an image. A gate driver for providing a scan signal to the gate line of the liquid crystal display panel 210 may be located in the non-display area.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating the liquid crystal display panel of FIG. 1.

1 and 2, the liquid crystal display panel 210 includes a display area 201 in which an image is displayed and a non-display area 203 located at an edge of the display area 201 and in which no image is displayed. ).

Since the liquid crystal display panel 210 has a circular structure, the liquid crystal display panel 210 includes curved surfaces having different curvatures. The display area 201 and the non-display area 203 each have curved surfaces having different curvatures, and the curved surface has, for example, a first region A having curved surfaces inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction. ) And a second region B including a curved surface perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

The curved surface of the second region B is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal direction and has a smaller curvature than the first region A. FIG. A plurality of pixels are disposed in the first and second regions A and B along the edge portion of the display area 201, respectively.

In the case of the first region A having a large curvature, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a plurality of pixels 216 are disposed along an edge portion of the display area 201. Each of the plurality of pixels 216 is configured to include first to third sub pixels 216a, 216b, and 216c. The plurality of pixels 216 disposed in the first area A may have a rectangular shape of the same size.

For example, each of the plurality of pixels 216 disposed in the first area A has a size of 45.5 μm * 136.5 μm. In this case, 45.5 μm means the horizontal length of the pixel 216, and 136.5 μm means the vertical length of the pixel 216.

As described above, since the first region A has a curvature of a certain degree, even if a plurality of pixels 216 having the same size are arranged in a matrix, their spacing is constant, and thus the step shape of the black matrix 215 is formed. The area becomes constant.

In the case of the second region B that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal direction and has almost no curvature, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the first to fourth pixels having different sizes along the edge portion of the display region 201 are shown. 216-516 are arranged. Each of the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 includes first to third subpixels.

In this case, the first pixel 216 is the same as the pixel 216 disposed in the first region A having a large curvature. The remaining pixels 316 to 516 except for the first pixel 216 have different sizes from those of the first pixel 216.

As described above, the first pixel 216 has a size of 45.5 μm * 136.5 μm and is disposed on all of the first to ninth horizontal lines ① to ⑨. The second pixel 316 has a smaller horizontal length than the first pixel 216, has a size of 40.5 μm * 136.5 μm, and is disposed at edges of the third and seventh horizontal lines ③ and ⑦. .

The third pixel 416 has a smaller horizontal length than the second pixel 316, has a size of 35.5 μm * 136.5 μm, and is disposed at edges of the fourth and eighth horizontal lines ④ and ⑧. The fourth pixel 516 has a smaller horizontal length than the third pixel 416, has a size of 30.5 μm * 136.5 μm, and is disposed at an edge of the fifth horizontal line ⑤.

The vertical lengths of the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 are all fixed at 136.5 μm, and only the horizontal lengths are different from each other.

The remaining pixels 316 to 516 except for the first pixel 216 disposed in the first area A are disposed at the outermost part along an edge of the display area 201.

The first pixel 216 is disposed in both the display area 201 and the non-display area 203, and the second to fourth pixels 316 to 516 have an edge of the display area 201 according to a curvature. Is disposed appropriately along the part. For this reason, even if the number of pixels arranged per horizontal line becomes irregular in the second region B having a small curvature, the step shape can be minimized by appropriately arranging a plurality of pixels having different sizes.

Although the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 are differently disposed in the second region B as an example, the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 may be differently disposed along the edge portion of the display area 201. The degree of disposing the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 of different sizes may vary depending on the curvature. In addition, the size of the first to fourth pixels 216 to 516 is not limited to the above numerical values, but may be modified as much as possible.

The curvature is reduced to a pixel having a width corresponding to half of the width of the first pixel 216 based on the first pixel 216 disposed in both the display area 201 and the non-display area 203. It can be placed in a small area.

In the liquid crystal display device having a circular structure, the number of pixels arranged per horizontal line is irregular, so that the portion covered by the black matrix is shown as a staircase according to the curvature, resulting in poor image quality and deteriorating reliability of the product.

Accordingly, the liquid crystal display according to the present invention may arrange pixels having different sizes according to the curvature along the edge of the display area 201 to minimize the shape of the stairs, thereby preventing image quality defects and improving product reliability. .

101: upper polarizer 102: lower polarizer
200: shading tape 201: display area
203: non-display area 210: liquid crystal display panel
215: Black matrix 216: pixels, the first pixel
216a to 216c: first to third subpixels 220: backlight unit
230: optical sheet 250: light source unit
251: light emitting diode 251a: receiving groove
253: flexible circuit board 260: light guide plate
280: support main 316: second pixel
416: Third pixel 516: Fourth pixel

Claims (8)

A liquid crystal display panel having a circular structure and divided into a display area for displaying an image and a non-display area for not displaying an image;
A gate driver for driving the plurality of gate lines; And
And a data driver for driving the plurality of data lines.
The edge of the display area is formed of curved surfaces having different curvatures by the circular liquid crystal display panel, and the pixels having different sizes are arranged according to the curvature. The method according to claim 1,
And a pixel having the same size on the curved surface having a curvature inclined at an angle with respect to a horizontal line among the curved surfaces. The method of claim 2,
And the pixel has a width of 45.5 μm and a length of 136.5 μm. The method of claim 2,
And the pixel includes first to third sub pixels. The method according to claim 1,
And a plurality of pixels having different sizes from each other on a curved surface having a curvature substantially perpendicular to a horizontal line among the curved surfaces. The method of claim 5,
And the plurality of pixels include first to fourth pixels. The method of claim 6,
And the first to fourth pixels have the same vertical length. The method of claim 6,
The first pixel has a length of 45.5 μm and a length of 136.5 μm, the second pixel has a length of 40.5 μm and a length of 136.5 μm, and the third pixel has a length of 35.5 μm. And a length of 136.5 μm, and the fourth pixel has a length of 30.5 μm and a length of 136.6 μm.

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