Display device

Abstract

To provide a display device capable of increasing the coupling strength of a weld part while making the weld part hard to be visually recognized.SOLUTION: A display device 100 comprises: a display panel 1 having a translucent area 1b and a light blocking area 1c; a display 2 disposed on a back face side of the display panel 1; and a case member 4 supporting a back face part 1d on an outer peripheral side of the display panel 1. The display device is formed such that the display panel 1 and the case member 4 are joined with laser welding. The light blocking area 1c is formed by a lightproof print layer 1e which is applied to the back face part 1d on the outer peripheral side of the display panel 1. A color of the print layer 1e is the same color as or a similar color to a color of the case member 4. The back face part 1d on the outer peripheral side of the display panel 1 has a non-printing range 1f on which the print layer 1e is not formed at a position corresponding to a junction area S by the laser welding. The non-printing range 1f has a band shape of a predetermined width W held between the print layer portions 1e, and the predetermined width W is set to be narrower than a laser irradiation diameter R of the laser welding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known display devices in which a light-transmitting display panel and a case member are joined by laser welding. For example, the display device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a light-shielding layer and a semi-transmitting layer printed on the back surface of the display panel, and the display panel and the case member are welded together by laser light that passes through the semi-transmitting layer, making the welded portion difficult to see. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-67696 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the display device of Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the semi-transparent layer may hinder the fusion bonding of the display panel and the case member during laser welding, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a display device that can increase the bonding strength of the welded portions while making the welded portions less visible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, the following solution is provided. a protective panel member made of a light-transmitting plate member and having a light-transmitting region and a light-blocking region; a display disposed on the rear side of the protection panel member and displaying information through the light-transmitting area; a case member that is disposed on the rear side of the protective panel member so as to surround the display and that supports the rear portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, A display device in which a rear portion on an outer periphery of the protection panel member and the case member are joined by laser welding, the light-shielding region is formed by a light-shielding printed layer applied to a rear surface portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, the color of the printing layer is the same as or similar to the color of the case member; the rear surface portion on the outer periphery of the protective panel member has a non-printed area in which the printed layer is not formed, at a position corresponding to the joining area by the laser welding, The non-printed area has a band shape of a predetermined width sandwiched between the printed layers, and the predetermined width is set to be narrower than the laser irradiation diameter for the laser welding. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the bonding strength of the welded portion while making the welded portion less visible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the BB in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a display device according to a first modified example of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a display device according to a second modification of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of a display device according to a third modified example of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of CC in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Display device configuration) A display device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The display device 100 is mounted on a vehicle (such as an automobile, motorcycle, agricultural machinery, or construction machinery) and configured as an instrument device that displays information such as vehicle speed.

[0011] In the following, to make it easier to understand the configuration of the display device 100, the direction in which the user seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle is viewed from the display device 100 will be referred to as the "front" and the opposite side as the "rear" for each component.

[0012] The display device 100 comprises a display panel 1 as a protective panel member, a display device 2 arranged on the rear side of the display panel 1, a circuit board 3 supporting the display panel 1, and a case member 4 supporting the display panel 1 so as to surround the display device 2 on the rear side of the display panel 1 and housing the display device 2 and the circuit board 3.

[0013] The display panel 1 has a translucent (including transparent and translucent) plate member 1a as its base material, and has a translucent region 1b and a light-shielding region 1c. The plate member 1a as its base material is made of a resin such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin. The display panel 1 is disposed in front of the display device 2 so as to cover (protect) the display device 2.

[0014] The light-shielding area 1c is formed by a light-shielding printed layer 1e applied to the rear surface portion 1d on the outer periphery of the display panel 1. The color of the printed layer 1e is the same as or similar to the color of the case member 4. For example, if the color of the case member 4 is black, the printed layer 1e is formed using black ink.

[0015] The light-transmitting region 1b is formed inside the light-shielding region 1c. The light-transmitting region 1b is a region where the printed layer 1e is not formed and where the light-transmitting property of the plate member 1a is maintained, and has, for example, a horizontally elongated rectangle.

[0016] The rear surface portion 1d on the outer periphery of the display panel 1 is joined to the case member 4 by laser welding. Laser welding will be described later.

[0017] The display 2 is a display such as a liquid crystal panel that displays various types of vehicle information. The display state (display content) of the display 2 is controlled by a control unit (such as a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) not shown. The various types of vehicle information displayed by the display 2 include, for example, vehicle speed, engine RPM, cumulative mileage, remaining cruising distance, average fuel economy, and the status of other surrounding vehicles.

[0018] The display device 2 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape as seen from the user (front) and is the same size as the light-transmitting area 1b, and is disposed on the rear side of the display panel 1 so as to face the light-transmitting area 1b. This allows the display device 2 to be viewed by the driver through the light-transmitting area 1b of the display panel 1.

[0019] The display device 2 is provided with a backlight (not shown) that transmits light from the rear side. The backlight has light emitters such as light-emitting diodes, optical sheets such as a diffusion plate or a prism sheet, and a transparent resin light guide, and illuminates the display device 2 evenly from the rear side.

[0020] The circuit board 3 is made of, for example, a rigid wiring board with a wiring pattern (not shown) applied to a flat glass epoxy base material, and supports the display 2. Various circuit components (not shown) are mounted on the circuit board 3, and the drive circuit for the display 2 is configured by these circuit components and the wiring pattern.

[0021] The case member 4 is made of a synthetic resin (e.g., ABS resin) that is light-absorbing and thermoplastic. The color of the case member 4 is the same as or similar to the color of the printed layer 1e. In this embodiment, the case member 4 and the printed layer 1e are black.

[0022] The case member 4 has a box shape consisting of a bottom surface 4a and sidewalls 4b, and has an opening 4c formed on the front side. The display panel 1 is joined to the front side of the case member 4 so as to close the opening 4c.

[0023] The bottom surface 4a is located on the rear side of the circuit board 3. The side wall 4b rises from the outer periphery of the bottom surface 4a and is formed so as to surround the display 2 on the rear side of the display panel 1. The front end of the side wall 4b has a joining surface 4d that is joined to the outer periphery of the rear surface 1d of the display panel 1 by laser welding.

[0024] (laser welding) Next, the above-mentioned laser welding will be described with reference to FIG.

[0025] The outer peripheral back surface 1d of the display panel 1 and the joint surface 4d of the case member 4 are joined by laser welding. Laser light is irradiated from the front side of the display panel 1 toward the joint surface 4d of the case member 4. The joint surface 4d of the case member 4 absorbs the laser light and generates heat, which melts and bonds the joint area S of the case member 4 and the display panel 1, and when solidified, a welded portion Y is formed. As a result, the outer peripheral back surface 1d of the display panel 1 and the joint surface 4d of the case member 4 are joined via the welded portion Y.

[0026] The laser beam used for laser welding may be a YAG laser, a diode laser, a fiber laser, an infrared laser, etc. The laser beam is irradiated onto the joining area S with a predetermined laser irradiation diameter R while moving along the longitudinal direction of the joining area S (toward the outer periphery of the display panel 1).

[0027] The rear surface portion 1d on the outer periphery of the display panel 1 has an unprinted area 1f where no printed layer 1e is formed, in a position corresponding to the laser welding joint area S. In the unprinted area 1f, not only the light-blocking printed layer 1e but also a transparent or semi-transparent printed layer is not formed.

[0028] The non-printed area 1f has a band shape with a predetermined width W sandwiched between the printed layers 1e. The predetermined width W is set narrower than the laser irradiation diameter R for laser welding. With this configuration, when laser light is irradiated from the front side to the back side of the display panel 1 during the laser welding described above, the laser light that passes through the non-printed area 1f is irradiated onto the joining surface 4d of the case member 4. The joining surface 4d of the case member 4 absorbs the laser light and generates heat, which melts and bonds the joining region S of the case member 4 and the display panel 1. At this time, because the printed layer 1e is not interposed between the case member 4 and the display panel 1 in the joining region S, the melting and bonding between the case member 4 and the display panel 1 is not hindered by the printed layer 1e, and the bond strength of the welded portion Y can be increased.

[0029] Furthermore, because the width W of the non-printing area 1f is set narrower than the laser irradiation diameter R, the entire non-printing area 1f of the display panel 1 is fused and bonded to the case member 4 during laser welding, forming a band-shaped welded portion Y that is substantially uniformly black. Furthermore, because the welded portion Y is formed without any gaps between the black printed layers 1e adjacent to it on both sides, the welded portion Y and the printed layers 1e appear to blend together, making the welded portion Y difficult to see.

[0030] Furthermore, a step portion 4f is formed at the front end of the side wall portion 4b of the case member 4 so that a joining surface 4d, which is to be joined to the display panel 1 by laser welding, is one step higher than the adjacent surface 4e. In this way, during laser welding, the joining surface 4d of the case member 4 can be melted entirely, and compressed and tightly attached to the display panel 1. In other words, this prevents the adjacent unmelted portions from interfering with the compressive tightness between the display panel 1 and the case member 4, and further increases the bonding strength between the display panel 1 and the case member 4.

[0031] Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface (front surface) 1g of the display panel 1 has a tapered surface 1h inclined so as to recede outward relative to the surface 1g of the light-transmitting region 1b in an area facing the welded portion Y. In this way, the tapered surface 1h promotes reflection of external light from the perspective of a user viewing the display device 100 (display 2), making it even more difficult to visually recognize the state of the welded portion Y.

[0032] (Variation) Next, modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. However, for configurations common to the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the above-described embodiment will be used, and the description of the above-described embodiment may be used.

[0033] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a display device 100 according to a first modification of the present disclosure. 4, the display panel 1 of the display device 100 according to the first modification is different from the above-described embodiment in that the display panel 1 has a curved surface 1i instead of the tapered surface 1h in the region where the tapered surface 1h of the above-described embodiment is formed. Even in this first modification, it is possible to make the state of the welded portion Y difficult to visually recognize based on an optical effect substantially equivalent to that of the above-described embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a display device 100 according to a second modification of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the display panel 1 of the display device 100 according to the second modification differs from the above-described embodiment in that it has a textured pattern 1k extending from the area where the tapered surface 1h of the above-described embodiment is formed to the outer peripheral side surface 1j. The textured pattern 1k may be, for example, a matte, carbon-like, metallic, or leather-like texture. According to this second modification, the textured pattern 1k causes diffused reflection of light, making it even more difficult to visually recognize the state of the welded portion Y. The textured pattern 1k may be formed only on the tapered surface 1h or only on the side surface 1j. The textured pattern 1k may also be formed in the area of ​​the curved surface 1i of the first modification or on the outer peripheral side surface 1j.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a display device 100 according to a third modification of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6 and 7, the display panel 1 of the display device 100 according to the third modification does not have tapered surfaces 1h or curved surfaces 1i, the entire surface is flat, and the uneven pattern 1k is formed on the entire surface portion 1g except for the light-transmitting region 1b. According to this third modification, even without forming the tapered surfaces 1h or curved surfaces 1i, it is possible to make the state of the welded portion Y difficult to see due to the diffuse reflection of light caused by the uneven pattern 1k.

[0036] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to a specific embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiments. For example, the base material of the display panel may be a translucent smoke material, making it difficult to see the state of the welded portion.

[0037] The present invention includes the following embodiments. [1] A protective panel member made of a translucent plate member and having a translucent region and a light-shielding region; a display disposed on the rear side of the protection panel member and displaying information through the light-transmitting area; a case member disposed on the rear side of the protective panel member so as to surround the display and support a rear portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, A display device in which a rear portion on an outer periphery of the protective panel member and the case member are joined by laser welding, the light-shielding region is formed by a light-shielding printed layer applied to a rear surface portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, the color of the printing layer is the same as or similar to the color of the case member; the rear surface portion on the outer periphery of the protective panel member has a non-printed area where the printed layer is not formed, at a position corresponding to the joining area by the laser welding, The non-printed area has a band shape of a predetermined width sandwiched between the printed layers, and the predetermined width is set to be narrower than the laser irradiation diameter of the laser welding. [2] The display device according to [1], wherein the outer peripheral surface of the protection panel member has a tapered or curved surface in the area facing the welded portion formed by the laser welding. [3] The display device according to [1] or [2], wherein the outer peripheral surface of the protection panel member has an uneven pattern in an area facing the welded portion formed by the laser welding. [4] The display device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the side surface on the outer periphery of the protection panel member has an uneven pattern. [5] The display device described in any one of [1] to [4], wherein a step portion is formed in the case member so that the surface that is joined to the protection panel member by the laser welding is one step higher than the adjacent surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 100 display device 1 Display panel (protective panel material) 1a Plate member 1b Translucent area 1c Shading area 1d Back part 1e printing layer 1f No printing area 1g surface area 1h Tapered surface 1i curved surface 1j side 1k uneven pattern 2 Display 3 Circuit Board 4 Case parts 4a Bottom part 4b Side wall part 4c opening 4d joint surface 4e Adjacent surface 4th floor step Y welded part S junction area R Laser irradiation diameter W Width of non-printing area (predetermined width)

Claims

1. a protective panel member made of a light-transmitting plate member and having a light-transmitting region and a light-blocking region; a display disposed on the rear side of the protection panel member and displaying information through the light-transmitting area; a case member that is disposed on the rear side of the protective panel member so as to surround the display and that supports the rear portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, A display device in which a rear portion on an outer periphery of the protection panel member and the case member are joined by laser welding, the light-shielding region is formed by a light-shielding printed layer applied to a rear surface portion of the outer periphery of the protective panel member, the color of the printing layer is the same as or similar to the color of the case member; the rear surface portion on the outer periphery of the protective panel member has a non-printed area in which the printed layer is not formed, at a position corresponding to the joining area by the laser welding, The non-printed area has a band shape of a predetermined width sandwiched between the printed layers, and the predetermined width is set to be narrower than the laser irradiation diameter of the laser welding.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the outer peripheral surface of the protection panel member has a tapered surface or a curved surface in a region facing the welded portion formed by the laser welding.

3. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the protection panel member has an uneven pattern in an area facing the welded portion formed by the laser welding.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein a side surface portion on an outer periphery of the protection panel member has an uneven pattern.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the case member has a step portion formed such that a surface joined to the protection panel member by the laser welding is one step higher than an adjacent surface.

Images