Display device and method of assembling the display device

This application is a Continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/480,519 filed on Jul. 5, 2006. Priority is claimed based on U.S. application Ser. No. 11/480,519 filed on Jul. 5, 2006, which claims priority to Japanese application 2005-199860 filed on Jul. 8, 2005, all of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a display device and a method of assembling the display device, and more particularly to technology effectively applied to a display device which includes support members that are disposed standing on a reflection plate and support an optical member disposed above the reflection plate.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, among display devices, there is a display device where light sources (a backlight unit) are disposed under (behind) a display panel, such as in a liquid crystal display device, for example.

The backlight unit is one where, for example, light sources such as cold-cathode fluorescent tubes are disposed above (in front of) a reflection plate, and where an optical member such as a light diffusion plate or an optical sheet is disposed above the light sources. A display panel is disposed above (in front of) the optical member.

Further, at this time, support members that support the optical member are disposed standing on the bottom surface of the reflection plate (e.g., see JP-A-7-64084).

In the backlight (lighting device) disclosed in JP-A-7-64084, an auxiliary reflection portion that protrudes inward in a chevron-like shape is integrally coupled at a width-direction intermediate portion of the bottom surface of the reflection plate and between a pair of fluorescent lamps. Part of the auxiliary reflective portion is formed as a planar surface, and the support member is disposed standing on this planar surface.

However, when the chevron-shaped auxiliary reflection portion and the planar surface are disposed on the bottom surface of the reflection portion, as in the reflection portion of the backlight disclosed in JP-A-7-64084, it is conceivable for there to be the problem that it becomes easy for the reflection portion to twist and bend such that the uniformity ratio of reflection light drops.

Thus, in recent years, a method has been proposed where, as shown in FIG. 17 for example, the bottom surface of a reflection plate 202 is made planar, holes through which a leg portion 205b of a support member 205 passes are disposed in the reflection plate 202 and in a frame member 201, and a pawl 205f of the leg portion 205b of the support member 205 catches on the frame member 201.

However, in the case of the method shown in FIG. 17, there has been the problem that when the support member 205 is to be attached, it is difficult to align the hole in the reflection plate 202 and the leg portion 205b of the support member 205, and the workability has been poor.

Further, in the case of the method shown in FIG. 17, it is easy for the problem of the pawl 205f of the support member 205 breaking and becoming extraneous, or that the support member 205 cannot be fixed, to arise.

Further, in the case of the method shown in FIG. 17, a protruding height x2 of the leg portion 205b of the support member 205 becomes large. For this reason, there is the problem that the attachment height becomes high when a circuit board including a circuit such as a timing controller is attached in the region where the leg portion 205b of the support member 205 protrudes, for example.

It is an object of the present invention to provide technology capable of improving workability when support members are to be attached to a reflection plate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide technology capable of reducing damage to the support members when the support members are to be attached to the reflection plate.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide technology capable of reducing the protruding height of leg portions of the support members when the support members are to be attached to the reflection plate.

These and other objects and novel characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the attached drawings.

The invention disclosed in this application can be described as follows.