Patent Application
20070247045
These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
The PDP 10, which displays an image, includes a front panel 12 and a rear panel 11 facing each other. A plurality of electrodes, to which a voltage is applied, may be arranged on the front panel 12 and the rear panel 11. These electrodes may be covered with dielectric layers. Barrier ribs to define a plurality of cells where discharge occurs may be formed between the front panel 12 and the rear panel 11. Phosphor layers and discharge gas may exist within the cells. A chassis base 13 may be installed at the rear of the PDP 10.
The chassis base 13 supports the PDP 10 and is attached to the PDP 10 by an adhering unit such as a dual adhesive tape or other adhesive. The chassis base 13 receives and discharges heat generated in the PDP 10. To achieve this function, the chassis base 13 may be formed of a high thermal emissive material such as aluminum. The chassis base 13 may be manufactured by casting, press working, or other techniques. A thermal conductive medium (not shown) such as a heat conductive sheet may be interposed between the PDP 10 and the chassis base 13. Other aspects of the invention may use other techniques to dissipate excess heat.
A thermal conductive medium transmits heat generated in a PDP during operation of the plasma display device 100 to the chassis base 13 in order to easily discharge the heat outside. A reinforcement 14 may be installed on the rear surface of the chassis base 13. The reinforcement 14, which prevents bending and twisting of the chassis base 13, may be formed of material such as aluminum, though any material may be used.
A circuit unit 17 is installed at rear of the chassis base 13. The circuit unit 17 generates an electrical signal to operate the PDP 10 and transmits the electrical signal to the PDP 10. A signal transmission unit 15 is installed between the circuit unit 17 and the PDP 10 in order to connect the circuit unit 17 to the PDP 10.
The signal transmission unit 15, by which electrical signals are transmitted between the circuit unit 17 and the PDP 10, may be, for example, a tape carrier package or a flexible printed cable. Other devices capable of transmitting electric signals may be used as well. An electronic element 18m, such as an integrated circuit, to switch a signal transmission from the circuit unit 17 to the PDP 10 on or off, may be mounted on the signal transmission unit 15.
When the signal transmission unit 15 is installed between the circuit unit 17 and the PDP 10, the electronic elements 18 may be arranged on upper and lower surfaces of the chassis base 13. This arrangement reduces the thickness of the plasma display device by a thickness of the electronic elements 18. A cover plate 16 is installed at the rear of the chassis base 13 so as to surround the signal transmission unit 15 on which the electronic element 18 is mounted.
The cover plate 16 discharges heat generated by the electronic element 18 and the signal transmission unit 15 and resists external forces that could damage the signal transmission unit 15. The cover plate 16 is fixed to the rear surface of the chassis base 13 by screws or other fasteners. The screws (or other fasteners) are coupled to portions of the chassis base 13 other than the portions where the electronic elements 18 are installed.
In a conventional plasma display device, electronic elements on a signal transmission unit may be damaged when a chassis base or a reinforcement is bent. Also, during the manufacture of the plasma display device, workers hold the lower portion of the chassis base where the signal transmission unit 15 is located. Consequently, excessive force may be applied to the signal transmission unit 15, damaging the signal transmission unit 15.
To solve these problems, the cover plate 16 is embossed with protrusions 20 so as to space the cover plate 16 apart from the electronic elements 18 of the signal transmission unit 15. Due to the protrusions 20, even when force is applied to the cover plate 16, the cover plate 16 does not contact the electronic elements 18, preventing damage to the electronic elements 18.
As illustrated in
A plasma display device according to aspects of the present invention improves the shape of a cover plate that covers a signal transmission unit, thereby preventing the signal transmission unit from being damaged.
Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-36333 | Apr 2006 | KR | national |
