BACKLIGHT MODULE
A reflective back cover made of plastic material having micro cellular structures is processed by compression molding and cutting so as to have a monolithical structure. The white material of the reflective back cover reflects lights such that the back cover can be an integral component featuring multiple functions of various components. With the thickness control of the reflective back cover, a concave can be formed at the side of the back cover where a light source is contained and the concave further retains the light source and its flexible printed circuit board. With the incorporation of the reflective back cover, the thickness of the backlight module can be reduced and a reliable and repetitive manufacturing of the backlight module can be introduced.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a backlight module, and more particularly, to a backlight module with an integral reflective back cover incorporating a reflector, a back cover, and a plastic frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Notebooks or netbooks have developed to be miniaturized as a fashion. To effectively reduce the thickness of these laptop computers, displays of the computers are further discussed also as a subject to reduce the thickness in addition to existing adaption of smaller components in the base of the laptop computers.
Generally, an LCD display, applied to laptop computers, for desktop computers, or home TV, includes at least a backlight module and a panel module. One type of the backlight modules, the laterally illuminated backlight module includes an light component, a light guide plate, a reflector, optical films, and a flexible printed circuit or circuit board that connects to the light component. A metal back cover and a plastic frame are further used to assemble all the components to form the backlight module. Another metal frame and the panel module are assembled further for completion of an LCD display. A common light component of a laterally illuminated backlight module includes a housing and a light emitting diode chip. The light component and its connected flexible printed circuit board are configured at a side of the metal back cover, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is configured between the light component and the metal back cover. The light guide plate of the backlight module sticks close to a side of the chip of the light component. The reflector is configured between the light guide plate and the metal back cover for reflecting the lights scattered by the light guide plate. From the discussion about the backlight module above, too many assembling frames substantially may limit the possibility of further reducing the thickness of the backlight module. Secondly, although the scattered lights may be reflected by the reflector, the backlight performance at the peripheral of the backlight module is always affected by the size of the reflector. Additionally, the plastic frame necessary for assembling and positioning the optical films and the panel module contributes to the number of components used in the LCD display, the complexity of assembling and overall thickness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides a backlight module. The backlight module includes a light component, a light guide plate, and a reflective back cover. The light component is utilized for generating a light source. The light component is connected to a first circuit board and includes a light emitting surface. The light guide plate includes an incident surface for abutting against the light emitting surface of the light component along a first direction to receive the light source. The reflective back cover is utilized for reflecting the light source emitted from the light component and the light guide plate and includes a concave disposed on an assembling surface where the light component and the light guide plate are assembled. The first circuit board and the light component are configured at the concave along a second direction. The concave positions and retains the light component along the first direction.
The invention also provides a reflective back cover of a backlight module. The reflective back cover allows a light component and a light guide plate of the backlight module to assemble thereunto. The light guide plate abuts against the light component along a first direction for receiving a light source of the light component. The reflective back cover includes a concave disposed on an assembling surface where the light component and the light guide plate are assembled. The light component and a circuit board, which is connected to the light component, are configured at the concave along a second direction. The concave positions and retains the light component along the first direction.
The invention also provides a display device. The display device includes a backlight module, an optical film, a frame, and a panel module. The backlight module includes a light component, a light guide plate, and a reflective back cover. The light component generates a light source and is connected to a first circuit board and includes a light emitting surface. The light guide plate includes an incident surface for abutting against the light emitting surface of the light component along a first direction to receive the light source. The reflective back cover reflects the light source emitted from the light component and the light guide plate and includes a concave disposed on an assembling surface where the light component and the light guide plate are assembled. The first circuit board and the light component are configured at the concave along a second direction. The concave positions and retains the light component along the first direction. The optical film is assembled along the second direction to the light guide plate. The frame is configured at a side of the reflective back cover where the light component is assembled. The frame covers around the light component. The panel module is assembled on the reflective back cover.
The reflective back cover of the invention integrates a reflector, a plastic frame, and a metal cover as an integral component, reducing the number of component in the backlight module, cost of manufacture, and increasing the efficiency of assembling. A reliable and repetitive manufacturing of the backlight module can be introduced.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
An improved integral component that incorporates a white reflector, a back metal cover, and a plastic frame to form a reflective back cover is designed into a backlight module of the invention. A concave for containing the light component is further implemented therein by processing with the thickness of a certain region of the reflective back cover.
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The invention provides a backlight module using the reflective back cover. The reflective back cover is made of polyethylene Terephthalate having micro cellular structures and is processed by compression molding and cutting so as to have a monolithical structure with various thicknesses in different regions. The white material of the reflective back cover reflects lights such that the back cover can be an integral component featuring multiple functions of various components. With the thickness control of the reflective back cover, the concave can be formed at the side of the back cover where the light component is contained and the concave further retains the light component and its flexible printed circuit board. With the incorporation of the reflective back cover, the thickness of the backlight module can be reduced and a reliable and repetitive manufacturing of the backlight module can be introduced.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
Claims
1. A backlight module, comprising:
- a light component for generating a light source, the light component connected to a first circuit board and comprising a light emitting surface;
- a light guide plate comprising an incident surface for abutting against the light emitting surface of the light component along a first direction to receive the light source; and
- a reflective back cover, for reflecting the light source emitted from the light component and the light guide plate and comprising a concave disposed on an assembling surface where the light component and the light guide plate are assembled, the first circuit board and the light component configured at the concave along a second direction, the concave positioning and retaining the light component along the first direction.
2. The backlight module of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured at a side of the reflective back cover where the light component is assembled, the frame covering around the light component.
3. The backlight module of claim 2, wherein the frame further comprises an extended fastening part for fastening a second circuit board of the light component.
4. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the reflective back cover comprises a cap structure at a side near the concave, the cap structure covering along the surfaces of the light component except for the light emitting surface.
5. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the reflective back cover is monolithically made of plastic material having micro cellular structures.
6. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the depth of the concave along the second direction is not smaller than the thickness of the first circuit board.
7. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
8. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the light component is light emitting diode.
9. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the reflective back cover comprises a side plate configured near a side of the concave opposite to the light guide plate, the side plate extending along the second direction and being adjacent to the light component when the light component is configured at the concave along the second direction.
10. The backlight module of claim 1, wherein the first circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board or printed circuit board (PCB).
11. A reflective back cover of a backlight module, for allowing a light component and a light guide plate of the backlight module to assemble thereunto, the light guide plate abutting against the light component along a first direction for receiving a light source of the light component, the reflective back cover comprising a concave disposed on an assembling surface where the light component and the light guide plate are assembled, the light component and a circuit board connected to the light component configured at the concave along a second direction, the concave positioning and retaining the light component along the first direction.
12. The reflective back cover of claim 11, wherein the reflective back cover is monolithically made of plastic material having micro cellular structures.
13. The reflective back cover of claim 11, wherein the reflective back cover comprises a cap structure at a side near the concave, the cap structure covering along the surfaces of the light component except for the light emitting surface.
14. A display device, comprising:
- a backlight module as claimed in claim 1;
- an optical film assembled along the second direction to the light guide plate;
- a frame configured at a side of the reflective back cover where the light component is assembled, the frame covering around the light component; and
- a panel module assembled on the reflective back cover.
15. The display device of claim 14, wherein the frame further comprises an extended fastening part for fastening a second circuit board of the light component.
16. The display device of claim 14, wherein the reflective back cover comprises a cap structure at a side near the concave, the cap structure covering along the surfaces of the light component except for the light emitting surface.
17. The display device of claim 14, wherein the reflective back cover is monolithically made of plastic material having micro cellular structures.
18. The display device of claim 14, wherein the depth of the concave along the second direction is not smaller than the thickness of the first circuit board.
19. The display device of claim 14, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
20. The display device of claim 14, wherein the reflective back cover comprises a side plate configured near a side of the concave opposite to the light guide plate, the side plate extending along the second direction and being adjacent to the light component when the light component is configured at the concave along the second direction.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 6, 2011
Publication Date: Jun 21, 2012
Inventors: Yu-Yu Chen (Hsin-Chu), Chih-Liang Pan (Hsin-Chu), Yeh-Po Yeh (Hsin-Chu)
Application Number: 13/226,453
International Classification: F21V 7/04 (20060101);