Flat panel display wtih external integral heater

• US 20080291386A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Panel Corporation (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dunn, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/161
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133382 Heating or cooling of liquid crystal cells other than for activation, e.g. circuits or arrangements for temperature control, stabilisation or uniform distribution over the cell

Abstract

A flat panel display has an optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer, especially an indium tin oxide layer, directly formed on an outer front surface of a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly having a front plate, a rear plate, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between said front and rear plates. The optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is preferably uniform and functions as an integral heater when connected to a direct current power source.

Claims

1. A flat panel display, comprising in this order:

a front polarizer;

an optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer;

an index matching dielectric layer;

a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly further comprising a front plate, a rear plate, a layer of liquid crystal material and a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer interposed between said front and rear plates;

wherein the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is formed directly atop the dielectric layer that is formed directly on an exposed surface of the front plate, the dielectric layer serving an index matching function between the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer and the front plate; and

a rear polarizer.

4. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein:

the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

7. The flat panel display of claim 1, further comprising:

a dielectric layer interposed between the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer and the front polarizer to serve an index matching function.

8. The flat panel display of claim 4, further comprising:

a dielectric layer interposed between the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer and the front polarizer to serve an index matching function.

10. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein:

the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is adapted to serve as a heater for the liquid crystal material.

12. The flat panel display of claim 4, wherein:

the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is adapted to serve as a heater for the liquid crystal material.

14. The flat panel display of claim 12, wherein the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is adapted to further serve as an EMI shield for the LCD assembly.

16. The flat panel display of claim 12, wherein the optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is adapted to further serve as an electrostatic charge draining or dissipating layer for the LCD.

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17. (canceled)

18. A flat panel display, comprising in this order:

a front polarizer;

a layer of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) for attachment of the polarizer;

an integral heater layer comprising;

a first index matching dielectric layer serving an index matching function;

an optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer;

a second index matching dielectric layer serving an index matching function;

a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly further comprising a front plate, a rear plate, a layer of liquid crystal material and a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer interposed between said front and rear plates;

wherein the integral heater layer is coated directly on an exposed surface of the front plate; and

a rear polarizer.