KR20170067580A - Case for display panel and display device comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a case for a display panel and a display device including the same.
The display panel case according to the present invention includes a case member having an insertion groove for insertion of a display panel, and the display panel can be slidably inserted into the insertion groove.
As described above, the display device to which the case for a display panel according to the present invention is applied has a structure in which the case only covers the rim of the display panel, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and parts of the display device, and being lightweight.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a case for a display panel,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display panel case and a display device including the display panel case, and more particularly, to a display panel case having an insertion groove for sliding insertion of the display panel and a display device to which the case is applied.

As the information society has developed, demands for display devices have increased in various forms. In response to this demand, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a plasma display panel (Plasma Display Panel), an organic light emitting diode display ) Panels are being researched and commercialized.

In the case of the organic light emitting diode display panel among the various display panels described above, the light emitting device is advantageous in that it can be made lighter and thinner than a liquid crystal display panel requiring a backlight unit using a non-light emitting device.

In recent years, the display panel and a display device including the display panel have been actively made thin and lightweight by increasing the manufacturing process of the display panel. In addition, a display device such as a flexible display or a curved display, The design aspect is emphasized as well as the technical aspect.

The configuration and role of the case, which is provided to wrap the display panel in accordance with the flow, is also changed.

The display panel, particularly the case for the organic light emitting diode display panel, has a structure in which the upper portion of the display panel 2 including the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 is supported as shown in Figs. 1A and 1B A lower cover 3 for supporting the lower portion of the display panel 2 and a middle cabinet 4 for supporting the lower and side surfaces of the display panel 2 together with the lower cover 3, It has a general structure. The upper cover 1 may be disposed along the rim of the side surface and the upper surface of the display panel 2, and may be omitted as necessary.

The first substrate 21 serves as an encapsulation. The second substrate 22 has a gate line and a data line crossing each other to define pixels, and a thin film transistor (TFT) 30 electrically connected to the gate line and the data line. . A light emitting layer for emitting light to the outside is electrically connected to the thin film transistor on the top of the thin film transistor.

The middle cabinet 4 is coupled to the lower cover 3 to support the lower portion of the display panel 2 and to protect the side surface thereof. In general, the adhesive layer 6 is provided on the surface on which the display panel 2 is mounted So that the display panel 2 and the middle cabinet 4 can be stably fixed.

The lower cover 3 and the middle cabinet 4 can be fastened through a fastening method such as an adhesive or a screw and a pad layer 5 is provided in a gap existing between the display panel 2 and the lower cover 3 .

Particularly, among the components constituting the above-described display panel case, the lower cover 3 and the middle cabinet 4 are components for maintaining the shape (flat plate or curved shape) of the display device, It can be said that it is one of the parts having high importance as a part for preventing.

However, as the size of the display panel is increased, the lower cover 3 and the middle cabinet 4 for supporting the larger size of the display panel also have to be enlarged. This increases the size of the case supporting the display panel, .

In particular, the organic light emitting diode display panel is advantageous in that it is lighter and thinner than a liquid crystal display panel, and has a better viewing angle and contrast ratio. However, the OLED display panel has a problem of insufficient rigidity. A case for a display panel is required to compensate for the insufficient rigidity of the display panel because an external case is often not used in addition to the case for supporting the display panel.

Therefore, it is required to develop a display panel case that can be used as an external appearance of a display device without providing a separate external case, while at the same time providing sufficient rigidity to a display panel gradually becoming larger, lighter, and thinner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a display panel case and a display device to which the case is applied by providing rigidity to the display panel so that the display panel can be directly used as an external appearance of the display device without a separate external case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a display panel case having a structure capable of stably supporting a display panel while simplifying parts supporting the display panel and a display device to which the case is applied.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a middle cabinet for supporting a side surface and a lower surface of a display panel is deformed into a case member for covering the edges of the side panels of the display panel, It is possible to provide a display device in which a case for a display panel which is light in weight and a case member in which a display panel is inserted are used as a direct appearance by omitting a lower cover for supporting a lower portion of the panel.

In addition, in the case of the display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a display panel is slidably inserted into a case member to improve assembling property and reworkability, or a case member is separately assembled .

In addition, the case member may have a step or protrusion on the inner surface to stably support the inserted display panel.

The case for a display panel according to the present invention can be easily applied to a display panel having various sizes by framing a middle cabinet which is a part applied to support the side and bottom of the display panel in a general display panel case.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an advantage that the display panel case can be made lighter and thinner by omitting the lower cover, which is a component applied to support the lower part of the display panel.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the display panel is assembled into the case for the display panel, the display panel can be easily detached from the display panel case and the reworkability There is an advantage of being excellent.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a case for a display panel to which a case member for covering only the edges of each side of a display panel is applied, Not only can it be easily applied, but also the case member itself can be directly used as an external case of the display device, so that various designs can be easily combined with the case of the display device.

FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a conventional display device, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line AA 'in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along line BB 'of FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC 'of FIG. 3A.
4A to 4C show basic unit parts of a case for a display panel according to various embodiments of the present invention.
5A to 5E are enlarged views of a portion of a display panel case according to an embodiment of the present invention in which a display panel is inserted.
6 is a schematic view illustrating a modularization process of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along line BB 'of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C 'in FIG. 3A.

As a display panel applicable to the display device shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, a variety of display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, and an organic light emitting diode display panel There is a display panel.

Here, the case for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to surround edges of the respective side regions of the display panel. Therefore, it is preferable that the case of the OLED display panel Lt; / RTI >

The organic light emitting diode display panel includes a first substrate 210 and a second substrate 220. The first substrate 210 serves as an encapsulation and the second substrate 220 is formed with an intersection A gate line and a data line defining a pixel, and a switching and driving thin film transistor electrically connected to the gate line and the data line.

A light emitting layer for emitting light to the outside is disposed on the switching and driving thin film transistor, and the light emitting layer is electrically connected to the drain electrode of the driving thin film transistor.

Further, the gate line is connected to the gate electrode of the switching thin film transistor, and the data line is connected to the source electrode of the switching thin film transistor. A drain electrode of the switching thin film transistor is connected to a gate electrode of the driving thin film transistor, and a power supply line is connected to a source electrode of the driving thin film transistor.

In addition, the case for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the application to the flat panel display panel shown in FIG. 2A, but may include a curved display panel, It is also possible to apply the invention to a curved display panel.

In addition, when the second case member 112 is made of a flexible material, it is also possible to apply it to a flexible display panel.

2A and 3A, the case members 100 are provided so as to surround the edges of the respective side regions of the display panel 200. As shown in FIG.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the case members 100 surround the edges of the respective side regions of the display panel 200, a separate upper cover for protecting a part of the front surface of the display panel 200 is required I never do that.

Specifically, the display panel case includes a first case member 111 that surrounds the edge of the first side area of the display panel 200, a second case member 112 that surrounds the edge of the second side area of the display panel 200, ).

Here, when the user looks at the display panel 200 in the finished product state (display device), the first side area may be vertical, the second side area may be horizontal, and vice versa.

In addition, although the display panel 200 having the first side and the second side are substantially the same length and the display panel case provided to surround the display panel 200, the case for the display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the first variation It can be applied to a wide type display panel which is shorter than or opposite to the two sides.

The first case member 111 and the second case member 112 can be made of a metal (for example, aluminum) or a plastic material which can be lightened and stiffened.

In addition, the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 are made of different materials, so that it is possible to realize a display panel case having a more various and beautiful design.

In addition, for a curved display panel or a case for a flexible display panel, any one of the case members can be manufactured to have curvature or to have a curvature.

The first case member 111 and the second case member 112 may be connected to each other through the connecting member 113 in the corner area of the display panel 200. [

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, the display panel 200 is slid into a case for a display panel in which the display panel 200 is partially assembled, according to an embodiment of the present invention, It can be a method of being inserted.

That is, the case for the display panel includes two first case members 111 facing each other and a second case member 112 connected to both first case members 111 by a connecting member 113 at one end thereof The display panel 200 may be partially assembled and the second side of the exposed display panel 200 may be surrounded by the second case member 112 after the display panel 200 is slidably inserted.

The first case member 111, the second case member 112 and the connecting member 113 are respectively provided with insertion grooves (not shown) on one side of the display panel 200 in order to be inserted into the case member 100 constituting the display panel case 111a, 112a, and 113a.

One side of the first case member 111, the second case member 112 and the connecting member 113 refers to one side of the first case member 111 and the other side of the display case 200, 112 and the surface of the connecting member 113, respectively.

The insertion groove is preferably formed to a depth sufficient to cover the edge of the display panel 200.

That is, when the display panel 200 is inserted into the insertion groove of the first case member 111, the display panel 200 is formed to have a depth sufficient to prevent the display panel 200 from being detached from the insertion groove due to an external shock desirable.

2B and 3B, when the display panel 200 is inserted, in order to prevent the surface of the display panel 200 from being damaged by friction with the inner surface of the insertion groove, A predetermined gap may exist between the inner surface of the insertion groove and the upper surface and the lower surface of the display panel 200.

According to one embodiment, since the display panel is simply slidably inserted into the case for the display panel, the case for the display panel and the display panel can be completed, and a separate bonding step is not necessary. And the assembly process of the case and the display panel can be simplified.

According to another modification, the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 are fitted to the respective side regions of the prepared display panel 200, and then the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 are fitted to the corner portions of the display panel 200, The assembly process of the display panel case and the display panel can be completed by connecting the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 through the connecting member 113. [

4A to 4C show basic unit parts of a case for a display panel according to various embodiments of the present invention.

4A, a case for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first case member 111, a second case member 112, and a connecting member 113, which may correspond to separate basic unit parts have.

In this case, the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 are fitted to the respective side regions of the prepared display panel 200, and then the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 are mounted in the corner area of the display panel 200, And the second case member 112 are connected to each other through the connecting member 113, the assembly process of the display panel case and the display panel can be completed.

Here, the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 can be firmly fixed to each other through the screw (s) or the inner welding with the connecting member 113 interposed therebetween.

4B, one of the first case member 111 and the second case member 112 is connected by the connecting member 113, and the exposed portion of the second case member 112 A basic unit part in the form of an integrated or connected unit to which the connecting member 113 is connected may be provided at the end.

In this case, a basic unit part in which the connecting member 113 is connected to or integrated with one end of the exposed first case member 111 instead of the second case member 112 may be possible.

In the case of the basic unit parts shown in FIG. 4B, the two basic unit parts can constitute one display panel case.

Referring to the example shown in FIG. 4C, the first case member 111 and the second case member 111, which are connected to each other by two connecting members 113 at one end of the first case member 111, A basic unit component of the type including the case member 112 may be provided.

In this case, the connecting member 113 connected to both ends of the second case member 112 may be integrally provided with the second case member 112. In this case, And also the assemblability can be improved.

In this case, after the display panel 200 is slidably inserted into the basic unit component, the second side of the exposed display panel 200 may be assembled to cover the other one of the second case members 112.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the display panel case may be provided as various types of basic unit parts as necessary, and the basic unit parts may be appropriately selected according to the form, .

The connecting member 113 may be integrally formed at one end of the first case member 111 or the second case member 112 or may be integrally formed at both ends of the first case member 111 or the second case member 112 to simplify the components, The connection of the first case member 111 or the second case member 112 can be made more rigid.

5A to 5E are enlarged views of a portion of the display panel case according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention in which the display panel 200 is inserted.

5A, when the display panel 200 is inserted into the insertion groove 111a of the first case member 111, friction between the surface of the display panel 200 and the inner surface of the insertion groove 111a The insertion groove 111a may be formed to have a width larger than the thickness of the display panel 200 in order to prevent the surface of the display panel 200 from being damaged.

Accordingly, when the display panel 200 is inserted, a predetermined gap G may exist between the inner surface of the insertion groove and the upper surface and the lower surface of the display panel 200.

Here, the predetermined gap G does not mean an interval in which the display panel 200 can be largely moved in the insertion groove 111a. The predetermined gap G does not mean an interval between the inner surface of the insertion groove 111a and the inner surface of the display panel 200 It should be understood that it means an interval enough to reduce the friction between the surfaces.

If necessary, in order to improve the fixing force between the first case member 111 and the display panel 200 in a state in which the gap G exists between the inner surface of the insertion groove 111a and the display panel 200, A fastening means (e.g., a screw) may also be used.

According to another modification shown in Fig. 5B, a buffer member 300 for filling the gap G between the insertion groove 111a and the display panel 200 inserted into the insertion groove 111a may be introduced.

The buffer member 300 functions to fix the display panel 200 inserted into the insertion groove 111a so that the display panel 200 does not flow due to an external impact or the like. When the display panel 200 is inserted into the insertion groove 111a or the display panel 200 is inserted into the insertion groove 111a, the buffer member 300 may be inserted into the insertion groove 111a So that the surface of the display panel 200 is not damaged.

The buffer member 300 may be provided to cover the upper surface, the side surface, and the lower surface of the display panel 200, as shown in FIG. 5B.

The cushioning member 300 may be provided to cover only the top and bottom surfaces of the display panel 200, which is a surface that mainly causes friction with the inner surface of the insertion groove 111.

The buffer member 300 may be provided to cover all the edges of the display panel 200. However, when the display panel 200 is slidably inserted, only the side parallel to the sliding direction (for example, the first side) .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, the buffer member 300 may be provided to protrude slightly out of the insertion groove 111a, or may be provided only in the region of the insertion groove 111a.

The buffer member 300 may be made of a material such as silicone, urethane rubber or urethane foam. The surface of the buffer member 300 in contact with the insertion groove 111a and the surface of the buffer member 300 in contact with the display panel 200 may have insertion grooves 111a and a display panel 200 may be provided with a separate layer for reducing the frictional force.

According to another modification shown in Fig. 5C, in order to compensate for the lack of rigidity of the large-sized, light-weight and thinned display panel, the display panel 200 and the display panel 200 The reinforcing plate 400 can be inserted together into the insertion groove 111a.

At this time, the display panel 200 and the reinforcing plate 400 are inserted into the insertion groove 111a while being fixed to each other, or the display panel 200 or the reinforcing plate 400 is inserted first into the insertion groove 111a And the remaining one can be inserted.

The reinforcing plate 400 may be made of a metal (for example, aluminum) or a plastic material capable of being lightened and stiffened, and a variety of designs can be applied by attaching a film having various designs to the back surface thereof.

5D and 5E, the direction and posture of the display panel 200 to be inserted into the insertion groove 111a are guided and at the same time, the insertion of the display panel 200 into the insertion groove 111a is prevented Embodiments for doing so are shown.

5D, the inner surface of the insertion groove 111a may be provided with a stepped portion 111b for guiding the display panel 200. As shown in FIG.

Since the stepped portion 111b provided in the insertion groove 111a is provided at a height substantially equal to the thickness of the display panel 200, not only the sliding insertion direction of the display panel 200 can be correctly guided but also the stepped portion 111b So that the end of the display panel 200 can be firmly fixed to the first case member 111.

Referring to FIG. 5E, the insertion groove 111a may further include at least one protrusion 111c for supporting the top and bottom surfaces of the display panel 200 inserted into the insertion groove 111a.

That is, the display panel 200 can be guided in the insertion direction as it is slidably inserted through the space between the protrusions 111c provided in the insertion groove 111a.

In addition, in a state where the display panel 200 is inserted into the insertion groove 111a, the possibility of flowing due to an external impact or the like can be reduced by the projection 111c supporting the upper and lower surfaces of the display panel 200, respectively.

6 schematically shows a modularization process of a display device (display panel not shown) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to the structure of the case for a display panel in which the assembly is completed, a back surface fixing member 114 connecting the back surfaces of the two first case members 111 facing each other may be further provided.

Here, the back surface fixing member 114 may be provided in plural, and may be provided to connect the back surfaces of the two second case members 112 facing each other.

In the example shown in Fig. 6, the rear fixing member 114 connects the two first case members 111 opposed to each other, so that even when the large display panel 200 is inserted, It is possible to provide rigidity that can be fixed.

The rear surface fixing member 114 may be used to partition the area where the circuit unit 115 and the driving unit 116 are modularized on the rear surface of the display panel 200. [

In addition, the display device completed in a usable state after the display panel is inserted into the display panel case can be used by standing a stand (or pedestal) in the second side area.

At this time, since the circuit portion 115 and the driving portion 116 are mounted on the stand (or the pedestal) portion, the overall thickness of the display device can be further reduced.

As described above, in the case of the display panel according to the present invention, the middle cabinet, which is a component applied to support the side and the bottom of the display panel in a general display panel case, is framed as a case member that surrounds the edge of the display panel The overall thickness of the display device can be reduced.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an advantage that the display device can be light-weighted by omitting the lower cover, which is a component applied to support the lower part of the display panel.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the framed middle cabinet itself is directly used as an outer appearance of the display device, it is possible to realize a display device of various designs.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. It is therefore to be understood that such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention unless they depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (13)

A first case member surrounding an edge of the first side area of the display panel;
A second case member surrounding an edge of the second side area of the display panel; And
A connecting member for connecting the first case member and the second case member in a corner area of the display panel;
/ RTI >
Case for display panel.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an insertion groove for inserting the edges of the first side and the second side of the display panel is provided on one side of the first case member and the second case member,
Case for display panel.
3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a step for guiding the display panel inserted into the insertion groove,
Case for display panel.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the insertion groove further comprises at least one protrusion for supporting a top surface and a bottom surface of the display panel inserted into the insertion groove,
Case for display panel.
3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a buffer member for filling a gap between the insertion groove and the display panel inserted into the insertion groove,
Case for display panel.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connecting member is integrally provided at one end of the first case member or the second case member,
Case for display panel.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connecting member is integrally provided at both ends of the first case member or the second case member,
Case for display panel.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first case member or the second case member has a predetermined curvature,
Case for display panel.
A display panel;
A first case member surrounding an edge of the first side area of the display panel;
A second case member surrounding an edge of the second side area of the display panel; And
A connecting member for connecting the first case member and the second case member in a corner area of the display panel;
/ RTI >
Display device.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein an insertion groove for inserting the edges of the first side and the second side of the display panel is provided on one side of the first case member and the second case member,
Display device.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the display panel is inserted into the insertion groove together with a reinforcing plate disposed on a back surface of the display panel,
Display device.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the first case member or the second case member has a predetermined curvature,
Display device.
10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a back surface fixing member for connecting the back surface of two first case members facing each other in a direction parallel to the second case member,
Display device.

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