Electronic device display with a backlight

• US 10,386,572 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wan, Ka Kuen, Lee, Agnes, Schlaupitz, Alex D., Hum, David S., Xu, Ming, Hurley, Shawn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Application Number:
  US16/110,893
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10522 Adjacent components

Abstract

A backlight unit may be used to produce backlight illumination for a display. The backlight unit may have a row of light-emitting diodes that are mounted on a flexible printed circuit and that emit light into a light guide layer. The backlight unit may include a chassis that extends around the periphery of the light guide layer. The chassis may have a first portion that is mounted on the flexible printed circuit adjacent to the light-emitting diodes and a second portion that extends over the light-emitting diodes. A heat spreading layer may be attached to a reflector layer and the flexible printed circuit. The heat spreading layer may have a width that is less than the width of the reflector layer. Adhesive patches may attach the light guide layer to the flexible printed circuit. A patterned adhesive layer may be formed over the light-emitting diodes and the light guide layer.

Claims

1. A display backlight comprising:

a flexible printed circuit board;

a row of light-emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;

a light guide layer having first and second opposing surfaces connected by an edge, wherein the edge receives light from the row of light-emitting diodes; and

a chassis that extends around a periphery of the light guide layer, wherein the chassis has a first portion that is adjacent to the row of light-emitting diodes and that is attached to the flexible printed circuit board and wherein the chassis has a second portion that extends over the row of light-emitting diodes.

2. The display backlight defined in claim 1, wherein each light-emitting diode of the row of light-emitting diodes is soldered to the flexible printed circuit board.

3. The display backlight defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of adhesive patches that attach the first surface of the light guide layer to the flexible printed circuit board; and

a patterned layer of adhesive that is formed over the row of light-emitting diodes and the second surface of the light guide layer.

4. The display backlight defined in claim 3, wherein the patterned layer of adhesive has a plurality of protruding portions and wherein each protruding portion of the plurality of protruding portions overlaps a respective adhesive patch of the plurality of adhesive patches.

5. The display backlight defined in claim 3, further comprising:

a first optical film formed over the light guide layer, wherein a portion of the first optical film overlaps the patterned layer of adhesive; and

a second optical film formed over the first optical film.

6. The display backlight defined in claim 5, wherein the first optical film is a diffuser layer and the second optical film is a brightness enhancement film.

7. The display backlight defined in claim 5, further comprising:

an additional adhesive layer that is attached to an upper surface of the second optical film and an upper surface of the chassis.

8. The display backlight defined in claim 7, wherein the additional adhesive layer comprises a polymer film interposed between first and second pressure sensitive adhesive layers and a cut-out in the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

9. The display backlight defined in claim 8, wherein the first pressure sensitive layer is attached to the upper surface of the second optical film and the upper surface of the chassis.

10. The display backlight defined in claim 8, wherein the second pressure sensitive layer is attached to the upper surface of the second optical film and the upper surface of the chassis.

11. The display backlight defined in claim 8, further comprising:

an additional polymer film formed within the cut-out in the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

12. The display backlight defined in claim 11, wherein the cut-out in the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer extends only partially through the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer and wherein the additional polymer film is attached directly to the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer in the cut-out.

13. The display backlight defined in claim 7, wherein the additional adhesive layer comprises a first piece of tape and a second piece of tape, wherein the first piece of tape comprises a polymer film interposed between first and second pressure sensitive adhesive layers, wherein the first piece of tape comprises a cut-out through the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer, the polymer film, and the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer, and wherein the second piece of tape fills the cut-out in the first piece of tape.

14. The display backlight defined in claim 7, wherein the additional adhesive layer comprises a first piece of tape and a second piece of tape, wherein the first piece of tape comprises a polymer film interposed between first and second pressure sensitive adhesive layers, wherein the first piece of tape comprises a cut-out through the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer, the polymer film, and the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer, and wherein the second piece of tape is formed over the cut-out and attached to the first piece of tape on opposing sides of the cut-out.

15. The display backlight defined in claim 7, further comprising:

a spacer interposed between the portion of the first optical film that overlaps the patterned layer of adhesive and the additional adhesive layer.

16. The display backlight defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector layer positioned below the first surface of the light guide layer; and

a heat spreading layer attached to the flexible printed circuit board and the reflector layer.

17. The display backlight defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a strip of adhesive that attaches the heat spreading layer to the flexible printed circuit board; and

first and second patches of adhesive that attach the heat spreading layer to the reflector layer.

18. The display backlight defined in claim 16, further comprising:

an opaque adhesive layer that is attached to a lower surface of the heat spreading layer and a side surface of the chassis.

19. The display backlight defined in claim 1, wherein each light-emitting diode has two light-emitting areas.

20. The display backlight defined in claim 1, further comprising:

first, second, and third solder pads on the flexible printed circuit board, wherein a first light-emitting diode of the row of light-emitting diodes overlaps the first, second, and third solder pads; and

a first adhesive patch that is interposed between the first and second solder pads and that attaches the first light-emitting diode to the flexible printed circuit board; and

a second adhesive patch that is interposed between the second and third solder pads and that attaches the first light-emitting diode to the flexible printed circuit board.

21. A display backlight comprising:

a flexible printed circuit board;

a row of light-emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;

at least first and second solder pads on the flexible printed circuit board, wherein a first light-emitting diode of the row of light-emitting diodes overlaps the first and second solder pads;

a first adhesive patch that attaches the first light-emitting diode to the flexible printed circuit board; and

a light guide layer having first and second opposing surfaces connected by an edge, wherein the edge receives light from the row of light-emitting diodes.

22. The display backlight defined in claim 21, wherein the first adhesive patch is interposed between the first and second solder pads on the flexible printed circuit board.

23. A display backlight comprising:

a flexible printed circuit board;

a row of light-emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;

a light guide layer having first and second opposing surfaces connected by an edge, wherein the edge receives light from the row of light-emitting diodes;

a reflector layer that is positioned below the first surface of the light guide layer and that has a first width;

a heat spreading layer that is attached to the reflector layer and the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the heat spreading layer has a second width that is less than the first width;

a strip of adhesive that attaches the heat spreading layer to the flexible printed circuit board; and

first and second patches of adhesive that attach the heat spreading layer to the reflector layer.

24. The display backlight defined in claim 23, wherein the heat spreading layer comprises a layer of graphite interposed between first and second polymer films.

25. The display backlight defined in claim 23, wherein the heat spreading layer comprises first and second opposing edges connected by third and fourth opposing edges, wherein the strip of adhesive is formed along the first edge of the heat spreading layer, wherein the first patch of adhesive is formed in a first corner of the heat spreading layer where the second edge meets the third edge, and wherein the second patch of adhesive is formed in a second corner of the heat spreading layer where the second edge meets the fourth edge.

26. A display backlight comprising:

a flexible printed circuit board;

a row of light-emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;

a light guide layer having first and second opposing surfaces connected by an edge, wherein the edge receives light from the row of light-emitting diodes;

a plurality of adhesive patches that attach the first surface of the light guide layer to the flexible printed circuit board; and

a patterned layer of adhesive that is formed over the row of light-emitting diodes and the second surface of the light guide layer, wherein the patterned layer of adhesive has a plurality of protruding portions and wherein each protruding portion of the plurality of protruding portions overlaps a respective adhesive patch of the plurality of adhesive patches.

27. The display backlight defined in claim 26, wherein the plurality of protruding portions include a first set of protruding portions that are interposed between adjacent light-emitting diodes in the row of light-emitting diodes and a second set of protruding portions that each extend from the middle of a respective light-emitting diode of the row of light-emitting diodes.