JP2005338179A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display apparatus in which a bend degree of a display panel is increased with simple constitution while preventing an increase in the number of parts and thickness of the whole apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The display apparatus is provided with; the display panel 10 which can deform into a bend state around a predetermined axis L or into a flat state; and a driver IC 30 mounted in the display panel 10, for driving the display panel 10. The driver IC 30 is formed in a bar like shape and arranged so that a length direction of the driver IC 30 may be parallel to the predetermined axis L. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device having a flexible display panel.

  Conventionally, a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel is known as a display device. As shown in FIG. 6 which is a plan view, a liquid crystal display panel generally includes a TFT substrate 101 provided with a plurality of thin film transistors (hereinafter referred to as TFTs) (not shown) and an opposing surface provided facing the TFT substrate 101. A substrate 102 and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) interposed between the TFT substrate 101 and the counter substrate 102 are provided.

  Although the detailed illustration of the TFT substrate 101 is omitted, for example, a rectangular glass substrate, a plurality of TFTs arranged in a matrix on the glass substrate, a plurality of gate wirings and source wirings connected to the TFTs, have. Each gate wiring extends in parallel with each other on the glass substrate, and each source wiring extends perpendicular to each gate wiring. That is, the gate wiring and the source wiring are patterned in a lattice pattern on the glass substrate. On the other hand, although the detailed illustration is omitted, the counter substrate 102 has, for example, a rectangular glass substrate and a color filter formed on the glass substrate.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the TFT substrate 101 is formed larger than the counter substrate 102. In the area where the TFT substrate 101 and the counter substrate 102 overlap with each other, a display area that contributes to display is provided, and on the outside of the display area, an extraction wiring is provided. A frame area is provided.

  A plurality of driver ICs are COG mounted (Chip On Glass bonding) in the frame region. The driver IC includes a gate driver 103 and a source driver 104, which are each formed in a rod shape (substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape). For example, one gate driver 103 is provided on one side of the short side of the counter substrate 102 in the frame region, and is arranged in parallel to the short side of the counter substrate 102. For example, four source drivers 104 are provided on one side of the long side of the counter substrate 102 in the frame region, and are arranged in parallel with the long side of the counter substrate 102. That is, the length direction of the gate driver 103 and the length direction of the source driver 104 are orthogonal to each other.

  The gate driver 103 is connected to the leading end of the lead wiring 105 drawn from the end of the gate wiring by face-down bonding. Thus, a gate voltage is applied to the TFT via the lead-out wiring 105 and the gate wiring. On the other hand, the source driver 104 is connected to the leading end of the lead wiring 106 drawn from the end of the source wiring by face-down bonding. Thus, a source voltage is applied to the TFT via the lead-out wiring 106 and the source wiring.

  Here, COG mounting will be described. The COG mounting is a mounting method in which a driver IC is directly mounted on a glass substrate, and an electrode of the driver IC and a wiring on the glass substrate are connected, and there are two methods of face-up bonding and face-down bonding. In face-up bonding, electrical connection is performed by wire bonding using a fine metal wire in a state in which the bump surface of the driver IC faces the upper side opposite to the circuit surface of the glass substrate. On the other hand, in face-down bonding, connection is performed with the bump surface of the driver IC facing the circuit surface side of the glass substrate. The connection surface of the driver IC is connected to the wiring on the glass substrate via an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film), for example.

  In COG mounting, there are few members and fine connection is required only in one step of connecting the driver IC to the glass substrate, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and since there is no TCP part, handling is easy. Has the advantage of In addition, the face-down bonding is superior to the face-up bonding in that the lead-out wiring can be wired to a position directly below the driver IC, so that the area required for mounting can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 7, it is also known to mount a driver IC on the side surface of a glass substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). That is, the gate driver 103 is provided on one side surface of the glass substrate 110 constituting the liquid crystal panel, and the source driver 104 is provided on the side surface adjacent to the side surface. The driver ICs 103 and 104 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the side surface. This makes it possible to reduce the frame area provided with the lead-out wiring.

  By the way, it is known that a flexible plastic substrate is applied instead of the glass substrate to the display device described above, and the entire display device is displayed in a largely bent state. Examples of such applications include wearable display devices such as electronic paper and wristwatches.

  For such a display device, it is known that a circuit board is provided separately from a flexible display panel, and a driver IC is mounted on the circuit board (see, for example, Patent Document 2). That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the display device includes a display panel 121 and a circuit board 122.

  The display panel 121 includes a pair of plastic substrates 124 and 125 and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) sandwiched therebetween. On the other hand, the circuit board 122 has a driver IC 127 mounted at the center. The circuit board 122 is provided with a sealing resin portion 128 that covers and seals the driver IC 127.

The display panel 121 is fixed to the circuit board 122 while being curved upward in FIG. The display panel 121 is connected and fixed to the circuit board 122 via connection electrodes 129. Then, display is performed by the display signal of the driver IC 127 being input to the display panel 121 via the connection electrode 129.
JP-A-9-297316 JP 2000-98349 A

  However, since the display device of Patent Document 2 requires a circuit board independently of a display panel formed of a plastic substrate, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of components and an increase in the thickness of the entire device. Absent. Moreover, the display apparatus of patent document 2 fixes the flexible display panel in the curved state, and does not consider changing the curvature degree of a display panel.

  That is, it is preferable to mount the driver IC on a plastic substrate in order to reduce the number of parts and make the device thinner.

  By the way, the display panel is deformed into a flat state or a curved state around a predetermined axis. On the other hand, if the driver IC is fixedly provided on the display panel so that the direction of the predetermined axis and the length direction of the driver IC intersect, the following problem occurs.

  First, the driver IC is generally formed in a rod shape having a predetermined length and has a very high rigidity compared to the plastic substrate. Therefore, even if the display panel is deformed and curved, it is deformed by the driver IC. Will be disturbed. As a result, the degree of curvature of the display panel is inevitably reduced by being limited by the driver IC.

  Furthermore, if an external force is applied to forcibly increase the degree of curvature of the display panel, the driver IC is peeled off from the display panel and the wiring of the display panel is also peeled off, resulting in display defects and the repair and reuse of the display device. But it becomes very difficult.

  On the other hand, it is conceivable to provide a driver IC on the side surface of the display panel as in Patent Document 1, but actually, the thickness of the plastic substrate applied to the flexible display panel is thinner than the glass substrate, It is extremely difficult to mount a driver IC on the side surface of such a display panel.

  The present invention has been made in view of such various points, and an object of the present invention is to increase the degree of curvature of the display panel with a simple configuration while preventing an increase in the number of parts and the thickness of the entire apparatus. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the driver IC is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC is parallel to the predetermined axis with respect to the display panel curved around the predetermined axis. I made it.

  Specifically, a display device according to the present invention includes a display panel that can be deformed into a curved state or a planar state around a predetermined axis, and a driver IC that is mounted on the display panel and drives the display panel. The driver IC is formed in a rod shape, and is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC is parallel to the predetermined axis.

  The driver IC is preferably mounted on the display panel by a face down bonding method.

  The display panel may include a pair of plastic substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the plastic substrates.

  The display panel includes a display area contributing to display and a frame area provided outside the display area and provided with a lead-out wiring, and the display area includes a plurality of gate wirings provided in parallel to each other. A plurality of source wirings extending orthogonally to the plurality of gate wirings, and a plurality of switching elements respectively disposed near intersections of the gate wirings and the source wirings. And a source driver connected to the source wiring, and the gate driver and the source driver are preferably arranged in a line in the frame region.

  The display panel includes a display area contributing to display and a frame area provided outside the display area and provided with a lead-out wiring, and the display area includes a plurality of gate wirings provided in parallel to each other. A plurality of source wirings extending orthogonally to the plurality of gate wirings, and a plurality of switching elements respectively disposed near intersections of the gate wirings and the source wirings. A gate driver connected to the source wiring, and a source driver connected to the source wiring. The gate driver is opposite to the frame region where the source driver is provided via the display region. It may be arranged in the frame area.

-Action-
Next, the operation of the present invention will be described.

  The display panel is deformed from a flat state to a curved state around a predetermined axis, and is deformed from the curved state to the flat state. At this time, assuming that the driver IC is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC intersects the predetermined axis, when the display panel is deformed from a flat state to a curved state, the display panel Will be hindered by the driver IC.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the driver IC is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC is parallel to the predetermined axis. Therefore, even if the driver IC has a relatively long shape, The bending deformation is not inhibited by the driver IC. As a result, the degree of curvature of the display panel increases with a simple configuration.

  Also, by adopting a face-down bonding method for mounting the driver IC, the driver IC can be made into a long and narrow bar-like shape compared to TAB mounting (Tape Automated Bonding). Manufacturing cost can be reduced only by this process. In addition, since the overlapping region between the driver IC and the display panel becomes a connection region, the area required for mounting the driver IC can be reduced as compared with the face-up bonding method.

  According to the present invention, the driver IC is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC is parallel to the predetermined axis with respect to the display panel that is curved around the predetermined axis. Even in a long shape, it is possible to prevent the curved deformation of the display panel from being hindered by a driver IC having high rigidity. As a result, the degree of curvature of the display panel can be increased with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide a circuit board for mounting the driver IC separately from the display panel, an increase in the number of components and the thickness of the entire apparatus can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
1 to 2 show a liquid crystal display device which is Embodiment 1 of the display device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 which is a perspective view, the liquid crystal display device includes a display panel 10 that can be deformed into a curved state or a flat state around a predetermined axis L. And the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment comprises the display part of a wristwatch, and is mounted | worn with respect to the user's arm extended to the said axis | shaft L, for example. Thus, the display surface can be deformed along the surface of the user's arm.

  As shown in FIG. 2 which is a plan view, the display panel 10 includes a TFT substrate 11 and a counter substrate 12, and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) provided between the TFT substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12. Has been. The liquid crystal layer is surrounded by a rectangular ring-shaped sealing member 13 and sealed between the TFT substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12.

  The TFT substrate 11 includes, for example, a rectangular plastic substrate 15, a plurality of switching elements (thin film transistors) arranged in a matrix on the plastic substrate 15, and a plurality of gate wirings (not shown) connected to the TFTs. ) And source wiring (not shown). Each gate wiring extends along the long side of the plastic substrate 15 in parallel with each other on the plastic substrate 15, and each source wiring extends orthogonally to each of the gate wirings. That is, the gate wiring and the source wiring are patterned in a lattice pattern on the plastic substrate 15. Each TFT is arranged in the vicinity of the intersection position of the gate wiring and the source wiring. On the other hand, the counter substrate 12 includes, for example, a rectangular plastic substrate 16 and a color filter (not shown) formed on the plastic substrate 16.

  In other words, the display panel 10 includes a pair of plastic substrates constituting the TFT substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the plastic substrates, and is configured to be flexible as a whole. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the TFT substrate 11 is formed larger than the counter substrate 12. In the area where the TFT substrate 11 and the counter substrate 12 overlap, for example, a rectangular display area 21 which is an area contributing to display is formed, while in the area outside the display area 21, a lead-out wiring is formed. A frame region 22 that is an area in which 25 and 26 are provided is configured.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the plastic substrate 15 has a length of 47 mm on the short side and a length of 56.5 mm on the long side. The display area 21 has a short side length of 35 mm and a long side length of 43.5 mm.

  A plurality of driver ICs 30 for driving the display panel 10 are mounted on the frame region 22 by COG. The driver IC 30 includes a gate driver 31 and a source driver 32, and each has a rod shape (typically a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape). Further, the rigidity of the driver IC 30 is very high as compared with the plastic substrates 15 and 16.

  As a feature of the present invention, the driver IC 30 is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC 30 is parallel to the predetermined axis L, as shown in FIG. That is, for example, the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 are arranged in a line along the axis L in the frame region 22 adjacent to the short side of the display region 21.

  The gate driver 31 is connected to the gate wiring via the lead wiring 25. On the other hand, the source driver 32 is connected to the source wiring via the lead wiring 26.

  The lead-out wiring 25 is led out from the end of the gate wiring extending in the long side direction of the display area 21 to the frame area 22 on the short side of the display area 21. On the other hand, the lead-out wiring 25 is led out from the end of the source wiring extending in the short side direction of the display region 21 to the frame region 22 on the short side via the frame region 22 on the long side of the display region 21. ing. That is, the leading ends of the respective lead wires 25 and 26 are drawn out to the frame region 22 on the same short side.

  The driver IC 30 is mounted on the display panel 10 by a face down bonding method. That is, the gate driver 31 is connected to the lead-out wiring 25 by face-down bonding via the ACF. Similarly, the source driver 32 is connected to the lead wiring 26 by face-down bonding via the ACF.

  Thus, the gate driver 31 applies a gate voltage to the TFT via the lead wiring 25 and the gate wiring, while the source driver 32 applies a source voltage via the lead wiring 26 and the source wiring. It is supposed to be. As a result, a desired image or the like is displayed.

  Since the display panel 10 is formed of a plastic substrate and is formed flexibly, the display panel 10 is deformed into a planar state shown in FIG. 2 or a state curved around the axis L shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the driver IC 30 is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC 30 is parallel to the axis L. Therefore, even if the driver IC 30 has a relatively long shape, the display panel 10 is curved. The deformation is not inhibited by the driver IC 30. As a result, the degree of curvature of the display panel 10 can be increased with a simple configuration. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a circuit board for COG mounting the driver IC 30 separately from the display panel 10, the number of components can be reduced to reduce the manufacturing cost, and the overall device can be made thinner. Can be planned.

  Further, since the driver IC 30 is directly mounted on the display panel 10, the reliability of connection between the driver IC 30 and the display panel 10 can be improved as compared with the case where a circuit board is provided. Further, it can be easily applied to various display modes.

(Modification)
3 and 4 each show a modification of the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the driver ICs 30 are arranged in a line along the short side direction of the display area 21, whereas in this modification, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 which are plan views, the display area 21 is arranged. Are arranged in a row along the long side direction. In addition, about the same part as FIG. 2, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 3, the dimensions of the plastic substrate 15 are, for example, that the length on the short side is 52 mm and the length on the long side is 78 mm. The display area 21 has a short side length of 40.5 mm and a long side length of 54 mm.

  On the other hand, in the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 4, the dimensions of the plastic substrate 15 are, for example, that the length on the short side is 56 mm and the length on the long side is 69 mm. The display area 21 has a short side length of 40.5 mm and a long side length of 54 mm.

  The liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 3 has four source drivers 32 and one gate driver 31. The liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 4 has two source drivers 32 and one gate driver 31.

  The gate driver 31 is connected to the gate wiring via the lead wiring 25. 3 is a right side region of the frame region 22 adjacent to the short side of the display region 21 and the frame region 22 adjacent to the long side of the display region 21 from the front end of the gate wiring. It is pulled out to a predetermined frame area 22 which is a lower area. Further, the lead-out wiring 25 shown in FIG. 4 is led out from the front end of the gate wiring to the frame region 22 on the long side through the frame region 22 adjacent to the short side of the display region 21.

  On the other hand, the source driver 32 is connected to the source wiring via the lead wiring 26. The lead-out wiring 26 is led out from the front end of the source wiring to the frame area 22 adjacent to the long side of the display area 21.

  In this modification, the axis L extends along the long side of the display area 21 as shown in FIGS. The display panel 10 is bent around the axis L and deformed.

  Therefore, the liquid crystal display device of this modification can also obtain the same effect as that of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the display area 21 of the display panel 10 can be configured to be long in the direction of the axis L.

<< Embodiment 2 of the Invention >>
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display device which is Embodiment 2 of the display device according to the present invention. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same part as FIGS. 1-4, and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 are arranged so as to be aligned in one row. In the second embodiment, the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 are arranged in separate columns. Is different.

  The dimension of the plastic substrate 15 is, for example, 78 mm in the left-right direction in FIG. 5 and 75 mm in the vertical direction in FIG. The dimension of the display region 21 is 40.5 mm on the short side in the left-right direction in FIG. 5 and 54 mm on the long side in the vertical direction in FIG. The axis L extends in the short side direction of the display area 21 (that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 5).

  In this embodiment, the display area 21 is surrounded by a frame area 22. In other words, the frame area 22 is provided on all sides of the display area 21. One gate driver 31 is provided in the upper frame region 22 in FIG. 5 and is arranged so that its length direction is parallel to the axis L. On the other hand, four source drivers 32 are provided in the lower frame region 22 in FIG. 5, the length direction of the source drivers 32 is parallel to the axis L, and the source drivers 32 are arranged in a row in the length direction of the source drivers 32. They are arranged side by side.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the gate driver 31 is arranged in the frame region 22 on the opposite side through the display region 21 with respect to the frame region 22 in which the source driver 32 is provided. In other words, the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 are provided on both the upper and lower sides in FIG. Further, the length direction of the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 is parallel to the axis L.

  The gate driver 31 is connected by a face-down bonding method to the lead-out wiring 25 that is led out from the front end of the gate wiring extending in the long side direction of the display area 21 to the frame area 22 on the short side of the display area 21. On the other hand, the source driver 32 is connected to the lead-out wiring 26 led out from the front end of the source wiring extending in the short side direction of the display area 21 to the frame area 22 on the long side of the display area 21 by the face-down bonding method. Yes.

  Thus, the display panel 10 is deformed into a flat state or a state curved around the axis L. At this time, since the length direction of the gate driver 31 and the source driver 32 is parallel to the axis L, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, according to the present embodiment, even if the source wiring and the gate wiring are densely patterned, the source wiring lead-out wiring 26 is drawn out from both the left and right sides. It becomes possible to prevent a short circuit.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the face-down bonding of the driver IC 30 to the display panel 10 is connected via the ACF. Alternatively, the driver IC 30 may be connected via the NCF, such as solder connection or gold-gold connection. May be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of source drivers 32 are arranged in one row. However, as long as the source drivers 32 are parallel to the axis L, they may be arranged in a plurality of rows.

  In the above embodiment, the liquid crystal display device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to other display devices such as an organic EL display device.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for a display device having a flexible display panel, and in particular, an increase in the degree of curvature of the display panel with a simple configuration while preventing an increase in the number of parts and the thickness of the entire device. Suitable when trying to

3 is a perspective view showing a display panel of the liquid crystal display device of Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the display panel of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a display panel that is a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a display panel that is a modification of the first embodiment. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a display panel of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a top view which shows the display panel comprised by the conventional glass substrate. It is a perspective view which shows the display panel in which the driver IC was provided in the side surface of the conventional glass substrate. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the liquid crystal display device comprised by the conventional display panel and the circuit board.

Explanation of symbols

L axis 10 Display panel 15, 16 Plastic substrate 30 Driver IC
31 Gate driver 32 Source driver

Claims (5)

A display panel that can be deformed into a curved state or a flat state around a predetermined axis;
A display device mounted on the display panel and provided with a driver IC for driving the display panel,
The driver IC is formed in a rod shape, and is arranged so that the length direction of the driver IC is parallel to the predetermined axis. In claim 1,
The display device, wherein the driver IC is mounted on the display panel by a face-down bonding method. In claim 1,
The display panel includes a pair of plastic substrates and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the plastic substrates. In claim 1,
The display panel includes a display area contributing to display, and a frame area provided outside the display area and provided with a lead-out wiring,
In the display area, a plurality of gate wirings provided in parallel to each other, a plurality of source wirings extending perpendicularly to the plurality of gate wirings, and a plurality of gate wirings disposed near the intersections of the gate wirings and the source wirings. Switching elements are provided,
The driver IC includes a gate driver connected to the gate wiring and a source driver connected to the source wiring.
The display device, wherein the gate driver and the source driver are arranged in a line in the frame region. In claim 1,
The display panel includes a display area contributing to display, and a frame area provided outside the display area and provided with a lead-out wiring,
In the display area, a plurality of gate wirings provided in parallel to each other, a plurality of source wirings extending perpendicularly to the plurality of gate wirings, and a plurality of gate wirings disposed near the intersections of the gate wirings and the source wirings. Switching elements are provided,
The driver IC includes a gate driver connected to the gate wiring and a source driver connected to the source wiring.
The display device according to claim 1, wherein the gate driver is disposed in the frame area on the opposite side of the frame area where the source driver is provided via the display area.

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