Liquid Crystal Display Bezel Reduction via Segmented Common Voltage Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

As liquid crystal display panels increase in size, the width of the common voltage supply unit and sealing member must be increased to maintain reliability and load-bearing capacity, leading to a wider bezel area, which compromises image quality and bonding force.

Innovation Solution

A novel alignment structure for the sealing member and common voltage supply unit is implemented, reducing the line resistance of the common voltage supply unit and the width of the bezel area, while maintaining bonding force through a patterned common electrode structure and optimized aperture ratios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the width of the common voltage supply unit is increased to bear the load of large-size liquid crystal panels, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the width of the bezel area is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoidwidth of bezel area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The common voltage supply unit is divided into multiple segments arranged in parallel. Each segment carries a portion of the total load, allowing the overall load-bearing capacity to be increased without requiring a proportional increase in the width of a single supply line. This segmentation enables the bezel width to be reduced while maintaining sufficient current carrying capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing the width (one dimension) of the common voltage supply unit to handle larger loads, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by stacking multiple supply units in parallel. This dimensional transition allows load-bearing capacity to be scaled without proportionally increasing the horizontal bezel width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the width of the sealing member is increased to maintain bonding force for large-size panels, then the bonding reliability is improved, but the width of the bezel area is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding forceVSAvoidwidth of bezel area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing member is divided into multiple segments that are distributed across the panel perimeter. This segmentation allows the bonding function to be distributed across multiple locations rather than requiring a single wide sealing member, thereby maintaining total bonding force while reducing the width of individual sealing regions and the overall bezel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Length of stationary object

If the width of the common voltage supply unit is reduced to decrease the bezel area, then the width of the bezel area is reduced, but the line resistance is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewidth of bezel areaVSAvoidline resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple narrow common voltage supply units are arranged in parallel to replace a single wide supply unit. The parallel configuration reduces the width of each individual supply line (thereby reducing bezel width) while maintaining low total resistance through the parallel paths for current flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple parallel common voltage supply units are electrically combined to function as a unified low-resistance pathway. The combined parallel structure achieves the same current carrying capacity and resistance characteristics as a single wide supply unit would provide, but with reduced individual line widths that minimize bezel area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3125034B1Liquid crystal display apparatus
Publication Date: 2021.09.01 LG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3125034B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3125034B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3125034B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Provided is a liquid crystal display apparatus (100). The liquid crystal display apparatus (100) includes: a pixel area (AA) including a pixel array (210) disposed on a first substrate (124); a peripheral area (PA) including a gate driver (222) disposed outside the pixel array (210) and a common voltage supply unit (230) including openings (OP) disposed outside the gate driver (222); an overcoating layer (248) disposed on the pixel array (210) and the gate driver (222); a pixel electrode (234) disposed on the overcoating layer (248) and connected to the pixel array (210); a common electrode structure (232) disposed on the overcoating layer (248), overlapped with the pixel electrode (234), and electrically connected to the common voltage supply unit (230); and a sealing member (128) surrounding a liquid crystal layer (126) disposed between the first substrate (124) and a second substrate (134) facing the first substrate, supporting the first substrate and the second substrate (124), and overlapped with the openings (OP).