1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device for a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module for a portable terminal having an improved assembly structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different kinds of electronic communication equipment now include display devices using LCD modules. As a display device, the LCD module informs a user of the various manipulation states of the equipment, such as receipt of an incoming message, etc. Use of an LCD module as a display device provides several advantages based on its smaller size. Portable terminals, for example, are increasingly being fabricated with LCD modules and are thus being made lighter and thinner and are generally being miniaturized while being diversified in function. Also, to meet a diversity of user's desires, portable terminals having various constructions are now being put on the market.
Many of the diverse functions now provided for a portable terminal are based on the use of the LCD module. For example, portable terminals are being made slimmer for ease of portability and to address weight considerations, while also getting wider for the sake of improving visibility of the LCD module. To achieve both a slimmer portable terminal and a wider viewing screen, terminal manufacturers have put much effort into improving the assembly of respective constituent elements of the LCD module.
A recent trend for producing LCD modules is the use of high-pixel-resolution Thin Film Transistors (TFTs). An LCD module using a high-pixel-resolution TFT is better able to meet a consumer's desire for a high definition display device. However, because the TFT LCD module is relatively thin, the TFT LCD module includes a reinforcement plate made of Stainless Steel (STS) material. Typically, the reinforcement plate is applied to the back side of the TFT LCD module to prevent damage.
In more detail, the LCD module includes a metal plate, a backlight unit laminated on an upper part of the metal plate, and an LCD panel attached to an upper part of the backlight unit. Typically, the backlight unit has a frame made of synthetic resin material at its edge, and is fixed by way of a process of insert molding the frame to the reinforcement plate.
The reinforcement plate has a bottom surface and a side surface bent to have three or more edges. The backlight unit is fixed to the reinforcement plate by insert molding the frame of the backlight unit to the side surface of the reinforcement plate. A plurality of molding holes are provided in the bottom surface of the reinforcement plate such that part of the frame of the backlight unit is introduced into the molding holes and performs a close fixing action.
Using the above described construction, the conventional LCD module includes a side wall of the frame between a side surface of the LCD panel and a side surface of the reinforcement plate. As a result, the conventional LCD module has a thickness that includes the side surface of the frame and the side surface of the reinforcement plate. Because of this configuration, the conventional LCD module provides a limited benefit in reducing the overall size of the equipment due to its own assembly structure.