METHOD FOR MAKING BACKLIGHT MODULE FRAME

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for making a backlight module frame. The method is particularly useful in the production of backlight module for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

2. Description of the Related Art

A typical LCD device comprises an LCD panel, and a backlight module mounted under the LCD panel for supplying light thereto. The backlight module mainly comprises a light source, a light guide plate, and a frame. The light guide plate is made of a transparent acrylic plastic, and is used for guiding light received from the light source to uniformly illuminate the liquid crystal display panel. The frame is usually made of metal, and used for providing a high mechanical strength to protect the light guide plate and the light source. The frame also provides an electromagnetic shield capability.

A typical method of making a backlight module frame includes: providing a number of individual starting components that are cut to proper length; pressing the starting components to form a unit corresponding to the subsequent unit form of the frame; assembling the units to form a semi-manufactured frame corresponding to the subsequent form of the frame; and welding the semi-manufactured frame to manufacture a backlight module frame. Although, this method of making a backlight module frame may lower the cost of manufacture, positioning the starting components or welding the semi-manufactured frame are mainly manually performed. Therefore, the processes of making the backlight module frame consume relatively more time, which is problematic for mass-producing the backlight module frames.

What is needed, therefore, is a method for making backlight module frames that overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a method for making a backlight module frame. An exemplary embodiment of the method includes: providing a pair of spaced metallic strips, and a plurality of elongated metallic sheets; continuously welding the elongated metallic sheets to connect with the pair of the spaced metallic strips one by one to form a plurality of connected semi-manufactured frames corresponding to the subsequent backlight module frame; and pressing the connected semi-manufactured frames one by one to form the backlight module frames continuously.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the method for making a backlight module frame can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present method. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for making a backlight module frame according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, isometric view of a plurality of elongated metallic sheets welded to a pair of spaced metallic strips.

FIG. 3 is a schematic, isometric view of a plurality of connected semi-manufactured frames provided for being punched.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for making backlight module frames. Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 together, the method includes performing the following:

step 100: providing a pair of coiled metallic strips 20, 20′, and a plurality of elongated metallic sheets 30;

step 200: continuously welding the elongated metallic sheets 30 to connect with the pair of spaced coils of metallic strips 20, 20′ one by one to form a plurality of connected semi-manufactured frames 40 corresponding to the requirements of the subsequent backlight module frame; each longitudinal end of the metallic sheet is welded with one metallic strip;

step 300: pressing the connected semi-manufactured frames 40 one by one to form a plurality of backlight module frames continuously.

In the step 100, the widths of the plurality of elongated metallic sheets 30 are the same. The elongated metallic sheets 30 may be produced with single pieces punched from a metal sheet. In this embodiment, the width of each of the elongated metallic sheets 30 is configured to be twice as wide as that of the subsequent backlight module frame. The width of each of the pair of spaced coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ equals to that of the subsequent backlight module frame. Alternatively, the lengths of each semi-manufactured frame 40 and widths of the coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ can be configured to be slightly larger than those of the subsequent backlight module frame, because the subsequent pressing step may consume a little of the lengths and widths of the coiled metallic strips 20, 20′. Likewise, lengths and widths of the elongated metallic sheets 30 are configured to be slightly larger than twice of that of the subsequent backlight module frame.

In the step 200, the pair of coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ is spaced apart at a predetermined distance according to the length of the elongated metallic sheets 30. The pair of spaced coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ is fed to a welding apparatus (not shown) in an automatic feeding mechanism. Two ends of each of the elongated metallic sheets 30 are arranged to be in contact with the coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ respectively at welding portions 25, and are welded together by the welding apparatus. The elongated metallic sheets 30 are continuously welded with the pair of coiled metallic strips 20, 20′, thereby a ladder-shaped connected multiple semi-manufactured frames 40 are formed. Distances between the adjacent elongated metallic sheets 30 are constant. Alternatively, the distance between adjacent elongated metallic sheets 30 can be different for making different sizes of the backlight module frames.

The welding apparatus is selected from a group consisting of a CO₂ high performance laser and an Nd-YAG laser. The wielding apparatus may have a control interface that allows external programming and setting the laser power cycles, pulse programs, pulse frequency, and laser power. In an analog laser power control that is controlled directly by a computerized numerical control, one has the ability to control the laser power's path-dependency, rate-dependency, time-dependency or laser power levels. When utilizing the laser beam to weld the starting components together, the heat areas adjacent to the edges of the starting components are small, thus, resulting individual weld seams produced by the laser beam are significantly small. Furthermore, the size of the semi-manufactured frame may not be affected a lot due to the laser welding process. In addition, the semi-manufactured frame will have a smooth surface without any protruding weld seams produced thereon due to advantages utilizing the laser welding process.

The connected semi-manufactured frames has smooth surfaces and enough mechanical strength to bear with a subsequent pressing process. Before welding, the ends of the elongated metallic sheet 30 and the welding portions 25 of the metallic sheets 20, 20′ should be polished thoroughly. Polishing allows the elongated metallic sheet 30 and the coiled metallic strips 20, 20′ to connect tightly and increase the laser welding effectiveness.

After the step 200, referring to FIG. 3, the ladder-shaped semi-manufactured frames 40 can be coiled together, and provided for to the subsequent pressing process.

In step 300, the semi-manufactured frames 40 may be pressed by a pressing machine to form a plurality of backlight module frames according to a backlight frame design in an automatic feeding mechanism.

It should be pointed out that, the metallic strips 20, 20′ without being coiled can also be used in the present method.

In this method, the backlight module frames can be mass-produced, because each step of the method can be achieved in an automatic procedure respectively. This method of making backlight module frames may lower the cost of manufacture.

Finally, while the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.