Patent Application
20180275437
The present invention relates to a display panel and a method of producing a display panel.
A method of producing a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been known as an example of a method of producing a liquid crystal panel. According to the method of producing the liquid crystal panel disclosed in Patent Document 1, a recess is formed for an entire peripheral area of an alignment film forming area on a substrate. A first application liquid is applied on the recess to form a bank portion in a frame shape. A second application liquid is discharged to the alignment film forming area through an inkjet method to form an alignment film. A sealing member is disposed on one of the substrates including the substrate on which the alignment film is formed. The substrates are bonded together with the sealing member. A liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the substrates. An outer edge of the sealing member is located closer to an outer edge of the substrate relative to the bank portion.
Patent Document 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-174432
Patent Document 1 includes two problems described below. A first problem will be described. In Patent Document 1, bonding of boards is performed after a sealant that has not been cured is applied and then the sealant is cured. During the bonding of the boards, a liquid crystal material is pressed and spread between the boards. The sealant receives a force that is applied to the sealant by the liquid crystal material to push the sealant. If the frame size of the liquid crystal panel is further reduced and a width of the sealant is reduced, the sealant may not be able to withstand the force and the liquid crystal material may partially enter the sealant. Furthermore, if the frame size of the liquid crystal panel is further reduced and a width of a seal member is reduced, external moisture may passes through an uncured section of the sealant and tend to diffused in a liquid crystal layer.
Next, a second problem will bP described. In Patent Document 1, the sealant is disposed to overlap a peripheral light blocking portion. To cure and fix the sealant to a common board, ultraviolet rays are applied from the array board side to cure the sealant. In recent years, a number of traces are disposed in a frame area of the array board. The traces may overlap the sealant. In such a case, the ultraviolet rays are applied to the sealant through spaces between the traces. If the frame size of the liquid crystal panel is further reduced, an arrangement area of the traces is reduced. Therefore, arrangement density of the traces increases and the spaces between the traces decreases. During curing of the sealant, the ultraviolet rays may be blocked by the traces and thus curing of the sealant may become difficult or a longer period of time may be required for curing the sealant.
The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances. An object is to provide a liquid crystal panel and a method of producing the liquid crystal panel preferable for a reduction in frame size.
A method of producing a display panel according to the present invention includes a sealing member forming process of forming a sealing member, a board bonding process of bonding a second board to a first board with a medium layer between the first board and the second board, and a sealing member fixing process of fixing the sealing member to the second board. The sealing member forming process includes disposing a sealing material on the first board and curing the sealing material without any uncured section.
In the sealing member forming process, the sealing material is disposed on the first board and the sealing material is cured without any uncured section. Through the process, the sealing member is formed. In the board bonding process that is subsequently performed, the second board is bonded to the first board with the medium layer between the first board and the second board. In the sealing member fixing process that is subsequently performed, the sealing member is fixed to the second board. Through the process, the medium layer is sealed. In the board bonding process, the medium layer is pressed and spread between the boards in accordance with the bonding of the boards. The sealing member receives a force that may be applied by the medium layer to push the sealing member. If the frame size is further reduced and the width of the sealing member is reduced, the sealing member may not be able to withstand the force and the medium layer may partially enter into the sealing member. In the sealing member forming process that is preformed prior to the board bonding process, the sealing material is cured without any uncured section to form the sealing member. Therefore, even if the frame size is further reduced, the medium layer is less likely to partially enter into the sealing member. If the width of the sealing member is reduced in accordance with the further reduction in the frame size, external moisture may pass through the uncured section of the sealing member and diffuse in the medium layer. In the sealing member forming process that is preformed prior to the board bonding process, the sealing material is cured without any uncured section to form the sealing member. Therefore, even if the frame size is further reduced, the external moisture is less likely to pass through the sealing member and thus the moisture is less likely to diffuse in the medium layer. As described above, this method is preferable for reducing the frame size of the display panel.
Preferable embodiments of the method of producing the display panel according to the present invention may include the following features.
(1) The method may further include a first base board producing process, a second base board producing process, a base sealing material disposing process, and a base sealing material curing process. The first base board producing process includes producing a first base board including first boards within a plate surface of the first base board. The second base board producing process includes producing a second base board including second boards within a plate surface of the second base board. The base sealing material disposing process includes disposing a base sealing material on any one of the first base board and the second base board to surround either the first boards or the second boards and to include an uncured section. The base sealing material curing process includes curing the base sealing material without any uncured section to form a base sealing member. The base sealing material curing process is performed after at least the board bonding process. In the base sealing material disposing process, the base sealing material that includes the uncured section is disposed on any one of the first base board that is produced through the first base board producing process and the second base board that is produced through the second base board producing process to surround either the first board or the second boards. In the board bonding process that is subsequently performed, the boards are bonded together. The base sealing material that includes the uncured section closely contacts the other one of the first base board and the second base board. The boards are maintained under negative pressure. Therefore, the boards are less likely to be displaced or removed. In the base sealing material curing process that is subsequently performed, the base sealing material is cured without any uncured section. Through the process, the base sealing member is formed.
(2) The base sealing material disposing process may include disposing the base sealing material on the second base board. The base sealing material disposing process is performed to dispose the base sealing material on the second base board that is not the first base board on which the sealing member forming process is performed. Therefore, the sealing member forming process and the base sealing material disposing process can be performed in parallel. In comparison to the method in which the sealing member forming process and the base sealing material disposing process are performed on the first base board, time that is required for the production of the display panel can be reduced.
(3) The medium layer in the board bonding process may be a liquid crystal layer. The base sealing material disposing process may include disposing a thermosetting resin material as the base sealing material. The base sealing curing process may include heating processing that is performed until a temperature reaches at least a curing temperature of the thermosetting resin material. When the heating processing is performed until the temperature reaches at least the curing temperature of the thermosetting resin material in the base sealing material curing process, the thermosetting resin material is cured and the base sealing member is formed. Furthermore, reorientation of liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal layer that is the medium layer is accelerated. Therefore, the liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal layer are properly orientated.
(4) The sealing member forming process may include discharging the sealing material by a dispenser and disposing the sealing material along an area to form the sealing member. In comparison to a method in which the sealing material is layered in an entire area of the plate surface of the first board and the sealing material is selectively cured, an amount of the sealing material can be reduced. This method is preferable for reducing the production cost.
(5) The sealing member forming process may include a sealing material disposing process and a sealing material curing process. The sealing material disposing process may include disposing the sealing material that is in a powdered form on the first board. The sealing material curing process may include applying a laser beam to a section of the sealing material and selectively curing the section of the sealing material without any cured area. In the sealing material disposing process, the sealing material that is in the powder form is disposed on the first board. In the sealing material curing process that is subsequently performed, the laser beam is applied to the sealing material that is disposed on the first board and the section to which the laser beam is applied is selectively cured without any uncured area. Through the processes, the sealing member is formed.
(6) The sealing member forming process may include heating and fusing the sealing material that is the thermosetting resin material, applying the sealing material to the first board, and curing the sealing material without any uncured section. In the sealing member forming process, after the sealing material is heated and fused, the fused sealing material is applied to the first board. The sealing material that is applied to the first board is cured without any uncured section as the temperature decreases. Through the process, the sealing member is formed.
A display panel according to the present invention includes pixels, an array board, a common board, a medium layer, and a sealing member. The pixels are arranged in a matrix in a display area in which an image is displayed. The array board includes at least traces that are disposed in a non-display area outside the display area. The common board is disposed opposite the array board. The common board includes a light blocking portion. The light blocking portion includes sections that are disposed to separate at least the pixels from one another. The medium layer is sandwiched between the array board and the common board. The sealing member is disposed between the array board and the common board to overlap the traces in the non-display area to surround the medium layer. The sealing member is made of a material having a light blocking property and disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion.
Because the pixels that are arranged in the matrix in the display area are separated from one another by the light blocking portion, color mixture is less likely to occur. The medium layer that is sandwiched between the array board and the common board is sealed with the sealing member that is disposed between the array board and the common board in the non-display area to surround the medium layer.
The sealing member is disposed to overlap the traces that are included in the array board in the non-display area. To accelerate the fixation of the sealing member to the common board with light applied from the array board side, the light may be blocked by the traces. If the arrangement density of the traces is increased in accordance with the reduction in the frame size, the fixation of the sealing member to the common board may become insufficient or timer that is required for the fixation may become longer. The sealing member is disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion that is included in the common board. By applying the light to the sealing member from the common board side to fix the sealing member to the array board, the light is less likely to be blocked by the light blocking portion. Therefore, the fixation of the sealing member to the array board can be properly accelerated. Even if the arrangement density of the traces is increased in accordance with the reduction in the frame size, the fixation of the sealing member to the array board can be properly accelerated regardless of the arrangement density of the traces. Furthermore, the sealing member has the light blocking property. Although the sealing member is disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion, leakage of light is less likely to occur in the non-display area. This configuration is preferable for reducing the frame size.
Preferable embodiments of the display panel according to the present invention may include the following configurations.
(1) The common board may include a planarization layer that is layered on a medium layer side relative to the light blocking portion. The planarization layer may be disposed in an area not to overlap the sealing member. According to the configuration, the sealing member is fixed to the common board with direct contact. Because the planarization layer is not disposed between the sealing member and the common board, the sealing member is more strongly fixed to the common board. Furthermore, only an interface between the sealing member and the common board is exposed to the outside. In comparison to a configuration in which the planarization layer is disposed between the sealing member and the common board, an area of the interface exposed to the outside is reduced. Therefore, external moisture is less likely to pass through the interface and enter into the medium layer.
(2) The sealing member may include an outer surface on an opposite side from the medium layer side. The outer surface maybe flush with at least an end surface of the common board. In comparison to a configuration in which the outer surface of the sealing member is located inner than the end surface of the common board, the frame size can be further reduced.
(3) The sealing member may be made of synthetic resin material with a light blocking compound contained in the synthetic resin material. According to the configuration, the light blocking compounds can be easily disposed in the synthetic resin material when mixing the light blocking compounds into the synthetic resin material. Therefore, the sealing member that delivers even light blocking performance can be easily provided. In comparison to a configuration in which the sealing member is made of metal material, the sealing member can be fixed to the common board at a lower temperature.
(4) The display panel may include sealing member control portions that are disposed to sandwich the sealing member from the medium layer side and an opposite side from the medium layer side. According to the configuration, the width of the sealing member can be controlled during the formation of the sealing member. Therefore, the width of frame of the display panel can be set with high accuracy. This configuration is further preferable for reducing the frame size.
(5) The sealing member control portions may extend parallel to the sealing member and include holes in the middle. According to the configuration, a material in an uncured state can be released through the holes of the sealing member control portions during the formation of the sealing member. Therefore, the sealing member has a constant height.
(6) The sealing member may contain spacer particles. This configuration is preferable for maintain the height of the sealing member constant.
(7) The sealing member maybe disposed to separate the pixels from one another together with the light blocking portion. In comparison to a configuration, in which the light blocking portion has a frame section along the sealing member and the pixels are separated from one another only by the light blocking portion, this configuration is further preferable for reducing the frame size.
According to the present invention, the liquid crystal panel and the method of producing the liquid crystal panel preferable for reducing the frame size.
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The backlight unit 14 will be briefly described. As illustrated in
Next, the liquid crystal panel 11 will be described. As illustrated in
Next, the components connected to the liquid crystal panel 11 will be described. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The liquid crystal panel 11 will be described. As illustrated in
On an inner surface of the array board 11b (on a liquid crystal layer 11c side, an opposed surface that is opposed to the CF board 11a), as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Next, the configuration of the array board 11b in the non-display area NAA will be described in detail. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the liquid crystal panel 11 in this embodiment, the sealing member 11q is formed on a CF board 11a side by curing the material through application of laser beams and fixed to the array board 11b through application of the laser beams during bonding of the boards 11a and 11b in the production process of the liquid crystal panel 11. The sealing member 11q is made of the material having the light blocking property. As illustrated in
Specifically, a sealing material S of the sealing member 11q includes synthetic resin material (e.g., nylon powder made of nylon (polyamide)) and black light blocking compounds (e.g., carbon powder (carbon black)) dispersed in the synthetic resin material. The sealing member 11q is formed by sintering and curing the sealing material S with the laser beams. More specifically, to form the sealing member 11q, the sealing material S that is in the powdered form is disposed on the CF board 11a and the laser beams are applied to the sealing material S. A section of the sealing material S to which the laser beams are applied is selectively sintered and cured. Namely, by adjusting an area of the sealing material S to which the laser beams are applied, a forming area (e.g., a width) to form the sealing member can be set with high accuracy. The light blocking compounds are evenly disposed in the synthetic resin material of the sealing member 11q prepared by curing the sealing material S and fixed. According to the configuration, the sealing member 11q can deliver light blocking performance at the same level as the light blocking portion 11l and even light blocking performance. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The liquid crystal panel 11 in this embodiment has the configuration described above. Next, the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11 will be described. The method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11 in this embodiment includes a CF base board producing process (a first base board producing process), an array base board producing process (a second base board producing process), a sealing member forming process, a base sealing material disposing process, a board bonding process, a sealing member fixing process, a base sealing material curing process, and a cutting process. The CF base board producing process includes producing a CF base board 11aM (a first base board) which includes CF boards 11a within a plate surface thereof. The array base board producing process includes producing an array base board 11bM (a second base board) which includes array boards 11b within a plate surface thereof. The sealing member forming process includes forming the sealing member 11q by curing the sealing material S on the CF board 11a without any uncured sections. The base sealing material disposing process includes disposing a base sealing material MS that includes uncured sections on any one of the CF base board 11aM and the array base board 11bM to surround either the CF boards 11a or the array boards 11b. The board bonding process includes bonding the CF board 11a and the array board 11b with the liquid crystal layer 11c between the CF board 11a and the array board 11b. The sealing member fixing process includes fixing the sealing member 11q to the array board 11b. The base sealing material curing process includes curing the base sealing material MS without any uncured sections to form a base sealing member 21. The cutting process includes cutting the cutting the base boards 11aM and 11bM to obtain the liquid crystal panels 11. In the sealing member forming process, the expression “the sealing material S is cured without any uncured section” does not mean that the extent of curing is 100%. The extent of curing lower than 100% may be included.
As illustrated in
In the sealing member forming process, the sealing member 11q is formed on each CF board 11a of the CF base board 11aM using a sealing member forming device 30 that is a powder sintering type forming device described below. As illustrated in
The configuration of the head 32 will be described in detail. The dispenser 32a is configured to discharge the sealing material S in the powdered form to form the sealing member. The dispenser 32a is configured to discharge the sealing material S in the powdered form in line in an area of the CF base board 11aM with a width smaller than the width of the sealing member 11q. The amount of the sealing material S discharged by the dispenser 32a is controlled by the driver 32e. The nylon powder that is the synthetic resin material to form the sealing material S and discharged by the dispenser 32a has a mean particle diameter of about 50 μm. A mean particle diameter of the spacer particles that are contained in the sealing material S is about 3 to 4 μm. By adding the organic filler, auxiliary agent, and additive agent to the sealing material S, flowability of the sealing material S during the rolling and compressing them by the first roller 32b can be improved. The first roller 32b can be move down to be set closer to the CF baseboard 11aM and up to be set away from the CF base board 11aM by the driver 32e. Specifically, when the sealing material S is not discharged by the dispenser 32a, the first roller 32b is set at a position away from the CF base board 11aM. During the discharge of the sealing material S by the dispenser 32a, the first roller 32b is set at a position closer to the CF base board 11aM. The first roller 32b is configured to grind the nylon powder to form the sealing material S between the first roller 32b and the CF baes board 11aM to reduce the particle diameters about equal to the cell gap or less and to spread them in the width direction of the sealing member 11q.
The laser beam output port 32c is disposed on an opposite side from the dispenser 32a relative to the first roller 32b with a distance larger than a distance between the first roller 32b and the dispenser 32a. The laser beam output port 32c is configured to apply the laser beam that is supplied by the light source to the sealing material S on the CF base board 11aM. It is preferable that the carbon dioxide laser beam output from the laser beam output port 32c has a wavelength of about 9.2 to 10.8 μm and an intensity of about 25 kW. When the laser beam is applied to the sealing material S, the nylon powder that is a main component of the sealing material S is sintered. The second roller 32d is configured to move down to be set closer to the CF base board 11aM and up to be set away from the CF base board 11aM by the driver 32e. Specifically, when the laser beam is not output from the laser beam output port 32c, the second roller 32d is set at a position away from the CF base board 11aM. During the output of the laser beam from the laser beam output port 32c, the second roller 32d is set at a position closer to the CF base board 11aM. The second roller 32d may include a heater, which is not illustrated. The second roller 32d may be heated to about 160° C. According to the configuration, the sealing material S that is in a condition immediately after the laser beam is applied can be softened during the rolling and compressing of the sealing material S.
The sealing member forming process will be described in detail. The sealing member forming process includes the sealing material disposing process and the sealing material curing process. The sealing material disposing process includes disposing the sealing material S that is in the powdered form on the CF board 11a. The sealing material curing process includes applying the laser beam to the sealing material S and selectively curing the section of the sealing material S to which the laser beam is applied without any uncured areas. In the sealing member forming process, the CF base board 11aM is placed on the stage 31 of the sealing member forming device 30. In the sealing material disposing process that is included in the sealing member forming process, the stage 31 is moved in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the θ direction that are parallel to the plate surface of the CF base board 11aM relative to the head 32. During the movement, the sealing material S is discharged by the dispenser 32a. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the sealing member fixing process, the sealing member 11q is fixed to each array board 11b of the array base board 11bM of the bonded base boards 11aM and 11bM to seal the liquid crystal layer 11c. To fix the sealing member 11q to the array board 11b, as illustrated in
In the base sealing material curing process, the thermosetting resin material that is the base sealing material MS is heated to the curing temperature. Through the heating, the base sealing material MS is cured without any uncured sections (completely cured). As illustrated in
As described above, the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11 in this embodiment (the display panel) includes the sealing member forming process, the board bonding process, and the sealing member fixing process. The sealing member forming process includes forming the sealing member 11q by curing the sealing material S disposed on the CF board 11a (the first board) without any uncured section. The board bonding process includes bonding the array board 11b (the second board) to the CF board 11a with the liquid crystal layer 11c (the medium layer) therebetween. The sealing member fixing process includes fixing the sealing member 11q to the array board 11b.
In the sealing member forming process, the sealing material S is disposed on the CF board 11a and the sealing material S is cured without any uncured sections. Through the process, the sealing member 11q is formed. In the board bonding process that is subsequently performed, the array board 11b is bonded to the CF board 11a with the liquid crystal layer 11c therebetween. In the sealing member fixing process that is subsequently performed, the sealing member 11q is fixed to the array board 11b. Through the process, the liquid crystal layer 11c is sealed. In the board bonding process, the liquid crystal layer 11c is pressed and spread between the boards 11a and 11b in association with bonding of the boards 11a and 11b. The sealing member 11q may receive the force that is applied by the liquid crystal layer 11c to squeeze the sealing member 11q. If the frame size is further reduced and the width of the sealing member 11q is reduced, the sealing member 11q may withstand the force and thus the liquid crystal layer 11c may partially enter into the sealing member 11q. In the sealing member forming process that is performed prior to the board bonding process, the sealing material S is cured without any uncured sections and the sealing member 11q is formed. Even if the frame size is further reduced, the liquid crystal layer 11c is less likely to partially enter into the sealing member 11q. If the width of the sealing member 11q is reduced when the frame size is further reduced, external moisture may pass through the uncured section of the sealing member 11q and diffuse in the liquid crystal layer 11c. In the sealing member forming process that is performed prior to the board bonding process, the sealing material S is cured without any uncured sections and the sealing member 11q is formed. Even if the frame size is further reduced, the external moisture is less likely to pass the sealing member 11q and thus the moisture is less likely to diffuse in the liquid crystal layer 11c. This is preferable for reducing the frame size of the liquid crystal panel 11.
The method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11 includes the CF base board producing process (the first base board producing process), the array base board producing process (the second base board producing process), the base sealing material disposing process, and the base sealing material curing process. The CF base board producing process includes producing the CF base board 11aM (the first base board) which includes the CF boards 11a within the plate surface. The array base board producing process includes producing the array base board 11bM (the second base board) which includes the array boards 11b within the plate surface. The base sealing material disposing process includes disposing the base sealing material MS that includes the uncured section on any one of the CF base board 11aM and the array base board 11bM to surround either the CF boards 11a or the array boards 11b. The base sealing material curing process is performed at least after the board bonding process for curing the base sealing material MS without any uncured sections to form the base sealing member 11q. In the base sealing material disposing process, the base sealing material MS that includes the uncured section is disposed on either the CF base board 11aM that is produced through the CF base board producing process or the array base board 11bM that is produced through the array base board producing process to surround either the CF boards 11a or the array boards 11b. When the CF base board 11aM and the array base board 11bM are bonded together in the board bonding process that is subsequently performed, the base sealing material MS that includes the uncured section closely contact the other one of the CF base board 11aM and the array base board 11bM. The space between the base boards 11aM and 11bM is maintained under the negative pressure. Therefore, the base boards 11aM and 11bM are less likely to be displaced or removed. In the base sealing material curing process that is subsequently performed, the base sealing material MS is cured without any uncured sections and the base sealing member 11q is formed.
In the base sealing material disposing process of the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11, the base sealing material MS is disposed on the array base board 11bM. The base sealing material disposing process is performed to dispose the base sealing material MS on the array base board 11bM that is different from the CF base board 11aM on which the sealing material forming process is performed. According to the method, the sealing member forming process and the base sealing material disposing process can be performed in parallel. In comparison to a method in which the sealing member forming process and the base sealing material disposing process are performed on the CF base board 11aM, the time that is required for the production of the liquid crystal panel 11 can be reduced.
In the board bonding process of the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11, the medium layer is the liquid crystal layer 11c. In the base sealing material disposing process, the thermosetting resin material is disposed for the base sealing material MS. In the base sealing material curing process, the heating is performed until the temperature reaches at least the curing temperature of the thermosetting resin material. When the heating is performed until the temperature reaches at least the curing temperature of the thermosetting resin material of the base sealing material MS in the base sealing material curing process, the thermosetting resin material is cured and the base sealing member 11q is formed. The reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 11c that is the medium layer is accelerated. Therefore, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 11c are properly orientated.
In the sealing member forming process of the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11, the sealing material S is discharged by the dispenser 32a to dispose the sealing material S along the area to form the sealing member 11q. In comparison to a method in which the sealing material S is disposed over an entire are of the CF board 11a within the plate surface thereof and the sealing material S is selectively cured, the amount of the sealing material S to be used can be reduced. This method is preferable for reducing the production cost.
The sealing member forming process of the method of producing the liquid crystal panel 11 includes the sealing material disposing process and the sealing material curing process. The sealing material disposing process includes disposing the sealing material S that is in the powdered form on the CF board 11a. The sealing material curing process includes applying the laser beams to the sealing material S and selectively curing the sections to which the laser beams are applied without any uncured sections. In the sealing material disposing process, the sealing material S that is in the powdered form is disposed on the CF board 11a. In the sealing material curing process that is subsequently performed, the laser beams are applied to the sealing material S that is disposed on the CF board 11a and the sections to which the laser beams are applied are selectively cured without any uncured sections. Through the processes, the sealing member 11q is formed.
The liquid crystal panel 11 in this embodiment includes the array board 11b, the CF board 11a (the common board), the liquid crystal layer 11c, and the sealing member 11q. The array board 11b includes at least the pixels PX and the traces 20. The pixels PX are arranged in the matrix in the display area AA in which images are displayed. The traces 20 are disposed in the non-display area NAA outside the display area AA. The CF board 11a that includes the light blocking portion 11l is disposed opposite the array board 11b. The light blocking portion 11l include at least the sections that are disposed to separate the pixels PX from one another. The liquid crystal layer 11c is sandwiched between the array board 11b and the CF board 11a. The sealing member 11q is disposed between the array board 11b and the CF board 11a to surround the liquid crystal layer 11c and to overlap the traces 20 in the non-display area NAA. The sealing member 11q is made of the material that has the light blocking property and disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion 11l.
According to the configuration, the pixels PX that are arranged in the matrix in the display area AA are separated from one another by the light blocking portion 11l. Therefore, color mixture is less likely to occur. The liquid crystal layer 11c that is sandwiched between the array board 11b and the CF board 11a is surrounded and sealed by the sealing member 11q that is disposed in the non-display area and between the array board 11b and the CF board 11a.
The sealing member 11q is disposed in the non-display area to overlap the traces 20 that are included in the array board 11b. To accelerate the fixation of the sealing member 11q to the CF board 11a with light that is applied from the array board 11b side, the light may be blocked by the traces 20. If the arrangement density of the traces 20 is increased when the frame size is further reduced, the fixation of the sealing member 11q to the CF board 11a may become insufficient or takes a longer period of time. The sealing member 11q is disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion 11l that is includes in the CF board 11a. If light is applied to the sealing member 11q from the CF board 11a side to fix the sealing member 11q to the array board 11b, the light is less likely to be blocked by the light blocking portion 11l. Therefore, the fixation of the sealing member 11q can be properly accelerated. Even if the arrangement density of the traces 20 is increased when the frame size is further reduced, the fixation of the sealing member 11q to the array board 11b can be properly accelerated regardless of the arrangement density of the traces 20. Furthermore, the sealing member 11q has the light blocking property. Therefore, although the sealing member 11q is disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion 11l, light leakage is less likely to occur in the non-display area NAA. This configuration is preferable for reducing the frame size.
The CF board 11a of the liquid crystal panel 11 includes the planarization layer 11m that is disposed at least over the light blocking portion 11l on the liquid crystal layer 11c side. The planarization layer 11m is disposed in the area not to overlap the sealing member 11q. According to the configuration, the sealing member 11q is fixed to the CF board 11a with direct contact. Namely, because the planarization layer 11m is not disposed between the sealing member 11q and the CF board 11a, the sealing member 11q is more strongly fixed to the CF board 11a. Only the interface between the sealing member 11q and the CF board 11a is exposed to the outside. In comparison to a configuration in which the planarization layer 11m is disposed between the sealing member 11q and the CF board 11a, the area of the interface that is exposed to the outside can be reduced. Therefore, the external moisture is less likely to pass through the interface and enter into the liquid crystal layer 11c.
In the liquid crystal panel 11, the outer surface of the sealing member 11q on the opposite side from the liquid crystal layer 11c is flush with at least the end surface of the CF board 11a. In comparison to a configuration in which the outer surface of the sealing member 11q is located inner than the end surface of the CF board 11a, the frame size can be further reduced.
The sealing member 11q of the liquid crystal panel 11 is made of the synthetic resin material with the light blocking compounds mixed in the synthetic resin material. According to the configuration, the light blocking compounds can be easily dispersed in the synthetic resin material when mixing the light blocking compounds in the synthetic resin material. Therefore, the sealing member 11q that delivers even light blocking performance can be easily provided. In comparison to a configuration in which the sealing member 11q is made of metal, the sealing member 11q can be fixed to the CF board 11a with a lower temperature.
The sealing member 11q of the liquid crystal panel 11 contains the spacer particles. This configuration is preferable for maintaining the height of the sealing member 11q constant.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As described above, in the liquid crystal panel 111 in this embodiment, the sealing member 111q is disposed to separate the pixels PX from one another together with the light blocking portion. In comparison to a configuration in which the light blocking portion includes the frame section along the sealing member 111q and the pixels PX are separated from one another only by the light blocking portion, this configuration is more preferable for reducing the frame size.
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The head 42 of the sealing member forming device 40 includes at least a dispenser 42a, a roller 42b, and a driver 42c. The dispenser 42a is configured to fuse the thermosetting resin material of the sealing material S (thermal fusion) and to discharge the sealing material S onto the CF base board 211aM. The roller 42b is configured to roll and compress the sealing material that is discharged by the dispenser 42a. The driver 42c is configured to drive the dispenser 42a and the roller 42b. The dispenser 42a includes a syringe and a heater. The syringe is filled with the thermosetting resin material of the sealing material S such as an ABS resin material and a nylon resin material. The heater is configured to heat the syringe to fuse the thermosetting resin material. It is preferable to add one to some percent of silica beads that have particle diameters about equal to the cell gap to the thermosetting resin material as spacer particles. The amount of the sealing material S that is discharged by the dispenser 42a is controlled by the driver 42c.
The roller 42b can be move down to be closer to the CF base board 211aM and up to be away from the CF base board 211aM by the driver 42c. Specifically, the roller 42b is set at a position away from the CF base board 211aM when the sealing material S is not discharged by the dispenser 42a and at a position closer to the CF base board 211aM when the sealing material S is discharged by the dispenser 42a. The roller 42b is configured to press and spread the sealing material S that is fused on the CF base board 211aM until the thickness of the sealing material S becomes about equal to the cell gap. The sealing material S that is pressed and spread by the roller 42b is cured without any uncured sections (completely cured) as the temperature decreases (cool down) and the sealing member is formed. The sealing member that is formed as described above is fixed to an array base board, which is not illustrated, through pressing and heating of the base boards 211aM in a sealing material fixing process that is performed after a board bonding process. It is preferable that the roller 42b or the stage 41 includes a heater to maintain flowability of the sealing material S before the rolling and the compression of the sealing material S that is discharged onto the CF base board 211aM by the dispenser 42a by the roller 42b starts.
As described above, according to the method of producing the liquid crystal panel in this embodiment, the sealing material S that is the thermosetting resin material is heated and fused, applied to the CF base board 211aM (the CF board), and cured without any uncured sections in the sealing member forming process. In the sealing member forming process, after the sealing material S that is the thermosetting resin material is heated and fused, the fused sealing material S is applied to the CF base board 211aM. The sealing material S that is applied to the CF base board 211aM is cured without any uncured sections as the temperature decreases. Through the process, the sealing member is formed.
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The sealing member control portions 22 fulfills its function in the sealing member forming process that is performed after the CF base board producing process. In a sealing material disposing process that is included in the sealing member forming process, when the sealing material S is discharged onto the CF board 311a by the dispenser (see
As described above, the liquid crystal panel 311 in this embodiment includes the sealing member control portions 22 that are disposed to sandwich the sealing member 311q from the liquid crystal layer 311c side and from the opposite side from the liquid crystal layer 311c. With the sealing member control portions 22, the width of the sealing member 311q can be controlled during the formation of the sealing member 311q. Therefore, the frame width of the liquid crystal panel 311 can be set with high accuracy. This configuration is preferable for reducing the frame size.
The sealing member control portions 22 of the liquid crystal panel 311 extend parallel to the sealing member 311q and include the holes 22a in the middle. According to the configuration, an uncured material can be released through the holes 22a of the sealing member control portions 22 during the formation of the sealing member 311q. Therefore, the sealing member 311q has the constant height.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments described in the above sections and the drawings. For example, the following embodiments may be included in technical scopes of the present invention.
(1) In each of the above embodiment sections, the method of producing the liquid crystal panel that includes the sealing member that is disposed not to overlap the light blocking portion and has the light blocking property is described. According to the method, the board bonding process is performed after the sealing member forming process in which the sealing material is cured without any uncured sections to form the sealing member. Then, the sealing material fixing process is performed to fix the sealing member to the array board. However, the method of producing the liquid crystal panel may be modified. For example, the board bonding process may be performed after a sealing material temporarily curing process in which the sealing material is temporarily cured similar to the know method. Then, a sealing material permanently curing process may be performed to permanently cure the sealing material. Alternatively, the configuration of the liquid crystal panel may be modified. For example, the sealing member may not have the light blocking property similar to the known configuration and may be disposed to overlap the light blocking portion.
(2) in each of the above embodiments, the nylon powder that contains nylon (polyamide) is used for the main component of the sealing material. However, a material other than nylon may be used. Examples of the main component of the sealing material include a polyarnide resin hot-melt adhesive (an adhesive that contains a polyamide (nylon) resin as a main component), polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), and polycaprolactone.
(3) In each of the above embodiments, the sealing material is the synthetic resin material. However, the sealing material may be a metal material. The metal material may be titanium particles made of titanium.
(4) in the first embodiment, the carbon dioxide laser beams are used for curing the sealing material. However, gas laser beams other than the carbon dioxide laser beams may be used. Examples of the gas laser beams include excimer laser beams (ArF, KrF, XeCl, or XeF may be used as a medium), ion laser beams (argon ions, krypton ions, or mixture of those may be used as a medium), nitrogen laser beams that include nitrogen as a medium, mixed gas laser beams (mixed gas such as He—Ne and TEA-CO2 is used as a medium), metal vapor laser beams (Cu or He—Cd may be used as a medium), and chemical laser beams (HF may be used as a medium). For the excimer laser beams, if ArF is used as a medium, it is preferable to use excimer laser beams with a wavelength of 193 nm and a radiation intensity of 500 mJ. If KrF is used as a medium, it is preferable to use excimer laser beams with a wavelength of 248 nm and a radiation intensity of 1 J.
(5) Other than the gas laser beams described in the above (4), solid-state laser beams or liquid laser beams may be sued for curing the sealing material. Examples of the solid-state laser beams include YAG laser beams (Nd3+:Y3Al3O12 may be used as a medium), Q-switched YAG laser beams, ruby laser beams (Cr3+:Al2O3 may be used as a medium), glass laser beams, titanium sapphire laser beams (Ti4+:Al2O3 may be used as a medium), alexandrite laser beams (Cr3+:BeAl2O4 may be used as a medium), YLF laser beams (Er3+:YLi may be used as a medium), and semiconductor laser beams (GaAlAs or GaAlAs array may be used as a medium). For the semiconductor laser beams, if GaAlAs is used as a medium, it is preferable to use semiconductor beams with a wavelength of 750 to 905 nm and radiation intensity of 1 W.
(6) In each of the above embodiments, the sealing material is sintered and cured by the laser beams (powder sintering) or the thermosetting resin material used for the sealing material is cooled and cured after fusion through heating (thermal dissolution). However, an ultraviolet curable resin material may be used for the sealing material and cured with ultraviolet rays. In this case, the ultraviolet curable resin material may be applied to a target board with an ink-jet technology.
(7) Other than the above (6), powder adhesion may be used. Powder such as gypsum may be used for the sealing material. The powered may be disposed on a target board and a binder such as an adhesive may be sprayed to the powder to cure the powder.
(8) In each of the above embodiments, the sealing member is formed on the CF board (the CF base board) in the sealing member forming process, and the sealing member is fixed to the array board (the array base board) in the sealing member fixing process. However, the sealing member may be formed on the array board (the array base board) in the sealing member forming process and the sealing member may be fixed to the CF board (the CF base board) in the sealing member fixing process.
(9) In each of the above embodiments, the base sealing member is disposed in the array board (the array base board) in the base sealing material disposing process. However, the base sealing member may be disposed on the CF board (the CF base board) in the base sealing material disposing process.
(10) In each of the above embodiments, the base sealing member is formed. However, the base sealing member may be omitted if the base boards are fixed together with other methods. For example, ultraviolet curable resin materials may be disposed in the edge area of either one of the base boards in dots at intervals along the sealing member, the boards may be bonded together, and the ultraviolet resin materials in dots may be fixed through application of ultraviolet rays.
(11) In each of the above embodiments, the sealing member is disposed to overlap the row control circuit and the column control circuit for the entire areas. However, the sealing member may partially overlap the row control circuit and the column control circuit.
(12) In each of the above embodiments, the sealing member overlaps the row control circuit and the column control circuit. However, the sealing member may be disposed to overlap the traces other than the row control circuit and the column control circuit.
(13) In each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel that includes the row control circuit and the column control circuit (the monolithic circuits) and the method of producing the liquid crystal panel are described. However, the present invention can be applied to a liquid crystal panel that includes only one of the row control circuit and the column control circuit or do not include the row control circuit and the column control circuit and to a method of producing the liquid crystal panel.
(14) In each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel having the rectangular plan-view shape and the method of producing the liquid crystal panel are described. However, the present invention may be applied to liquid crystal panels having a square plan-view shape, a round plan-view shape, and an oval plan-view shape and methods of producing the liquid crystal panels.
(15) In each of the above embodiments, the driver is COG-mounted on the array board of the liquid crystal panel. However, the driver may be chip-on-film (COF) mounted on the liquid crystal panel flexible circuit board.
(16) In each of the above embodiments, the semiconductor film of the channels of the TFT is made of the oxide semiconductor material. Other than that, continuous grain (OG) silicon, which is one kind of polysilicon or amorphous silicon may be used as a material for the semiconductor film.
(17) in each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel that is configured to operate in FFS mode and the method of producing such a liquid crystal panel are described. However, the present invention may be applied to liquid crystal panels that are configured to operate in VA mode, IPS mode, and TN mode, respectively, and to methods of producing those liquid crystal panels.
(18) In each of the above embodiments, the color filters of the liquid crystal panel have the three-color configuration of red, green, and blue. However, the present invention may be applied to color filters have a four-color configuration including yellow color portions in addition to the red, the green, and the blue color portions.
(19) In each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel in the size that is classified into small size or small-to-medium size is described. However, the present invention may be applied to a liquid crystal panel in medium size or large size (or extra-large size) having a screen size of 20 to 100 inches. In such a case, the liquid crystal panel may be used for an electronic device such as a television device, an electronic signboard (a digital signage), and an electrical blackboard.
(20) In each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel that includes the liquid crystal layer that is sandwiched between the boards is described. However, the present invention may be applied to a display panel that includes functional organic molecules other than the liquid crystals sandwiched between the boards.
(21) In each of the above embodiment sections, the liquid crystal panel and the method of producing the liquid crystal panel are described. However, the present invention can be applied to an organic EL panel and a method of producing the organic EL panel. In the organic EL panel, a dehumidification member or air may be included as a medium layer inside a sealing member. When the dehumidification member or the air is pushed into the sealing member because of pressure that may be produced during bonding of the boards, the dehumidification member or the air may enter the sealing member. According to the present invention, such a problem, that is, the entrance of the dehumidification member or the air into the sealing member can be solved.
(22) In each of the above embodiments, the TFTs are used as the switching components of the liquid crystal panel. However, the present invention may be applied to a liquid crystal panel that includes switching components other than TFTs (e.g., thin film diodes (TFD)). The present invention may be applied to a liquid crystal panel that is configured to display black-and-white images other than the liquid crystal panel that is configured to display color images and a method of producing the liquid crystal panel.
11, 111, 311: Liquid crystal panel (Display panel)
11
a,
311
a: CF board (First board, Counter board)
11
aM, 211aM: CF base board (First base board)
11
b: Array board (Second board)
11
bM: Array base board (Second base board)
11
c,
311
c: Liquid crystal layer (Medium layer)
11
l,
311
l: Light blocking portion
11
m,
311
m: Planarization layer
11
q,
111
q,
311
q: Sealing member
20: Trace
21: Base sealing member
22: Sealing member control portion
22
a: Hole
32
a: Dispenser
42
a: Dispenser
AA: Display area
MS: Base sealing material
NAA: Non-display area
PX: Pixel
S: Sealing material
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-170391 | Aug 2015 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/074945 | 8/26/2016 | WO | 00 |
