Display Panel And Manufacturing A Translucent Carrier Element Of The Display Panel

• US 20110247158A1
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Stegmann, Wolfgang, Jungnickel, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 9,865,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/167.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0481 Signs, boards or panels having a curved shape
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/08 using both translucent and non-translucent layers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/14 Arrangements of reflectors therein
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/0082 on tooth brushes

Abstract

A display panel including a translucent carrier element that has an inner side, an outer side, and a display area is provided. At least one display element is arranged within the display area, the display element being formed by geometric structures realized as protrusions and/or depressions on both of the inner side and the outer side of the translucent carrier element. The display panel can be used in an information display that in particular comprises at least a light emitting element for backlighting the display element. The information display can be used in an appliance such as an electric toothbrush, wherein the protrusions and/or depressions integrally formed with the translucent carrier element.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a. a translucent carrier element that has an inner side, an outer side and a display area; and

b. at least one display element being arranged within the display area, the display element being formed by geometric structures realized as protrusions and/or depressions on both of the inner side and the outer side of the translucent carrier element, wherein the protrusions and/or depressions are integrally formed with the translucent carrier element.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the geometric structures on both the inner side and the outer side of the carrier element have essentially identical contours.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein the positions of the geometric structures coincide on the inner side and the outer side in particular with a maximum spatial deviation of about 10 μ

m, so that the geometrical structures are symmetrically formed on both sides as protrusions and/or depressions.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the geometric structures that are arranged on the inner side and the outer side are all realized as depressions.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the depressions on the inner side of the translucent carrier element are provided with a plane having the same area as the whole display element of the outer side of the translucent carrier element.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the geometric structure arranged on the inner side is realized as a depression and the geometric structure arranged on the outer side is realized as a protrusion that in particular has a smaller spatial extension than the depression.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the translucent carrier element is at least partially covered with an essentially transparent layer on the outer side.

8. The display panel according to claim 7, wherein the outer side of the covered transparent layer is flat.

9. The display panel according to claim 7, wherein the outer side of the covered transparent layer is curved.

10. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the translucent carrier element has a curved shape at least in the display area.

11. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the translucent carrier element has a thickness in the range from about 0.5 mm to about 3.5 mm at least in the display area, and the geometric structures have an extension in the thickness direction that lies in the range of from about 10% to about 50% of the thickness of the translucent carrier element.

12. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein an essentially light-opaque masking layer is arranged on the inner side of the translucent carrier element.

13. An information display that comprises a display panel according to claim 1, wherein the information display includes at least one light emitting element arranged for illumination of the display element from the inner side of the translucent carrier element.

14. The information display according to claim 13, wherein the display panel comprises several display elements and several light emissions elements that are arranged such that each of the light emitting elements is assigned to only one of the display elements.

15. A toothbrush comprising an information display according to claim 13.

16. A method of manufacturing a translucent carrier element of a display panel that has an inner side, an outer side, and a display area and at least one display element being arranged within the display area, the display element being formed by geometric structures, comprising the step of injection a translucent material into a mold, the mold providing a negative image of the geometric structures, wherein the geometric structures are integrally formed as protrusions and/or depressions with the translucent carrier element.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein an essentially transparent layer is injection molded as a further injection step onto the at least a part of the outer side of the translucent carrier element.

18. The method according to claim, wherein an essentially light-opaque masking layer is applied onto the inner side of the translucent carrier element but not onto the geometric structures as e.g. depressions arranged on the inner side.