Electronic Device Display Structures

• US 20130329460A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mathew, Dinesh C., Posner, Bryan W., Hendren, Keith J., Garelli, Adam T., Giddings, Joss Nathan, Wilson, Thomas W., Yin, Victor H., Qi, Jun, Jiao, Meizi, Wang, Paul Xiaopeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/612
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details

Abstract

An electronic device may have a housing in which a display is mounted. A gasket may be mounted in a groove between the display and housing. The gasket may contain an embedded stiffener. Corner brackets may be installed in the corners of the housing. The housing may have inner and outer concentric ribs. Recesses in the housing may be configured to receive the corner brackets. The recesses may be formed between the inner and outer concentric ribs. Gap filling structures such as a foam layer may be interposed between a rear housing wall and a display backlight unit. Display color variations may be corrected by using a backlight unit having an array of light-emitting diodes of different colors. An electrostatic discharge protection layer may be grounded to a housing using conductive tape. Black edge coatings and adhesive-based structures may block stray light. Camera window regions may be supported using adhesive.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display having opposing inner and outer surfaces surrounded by a peripheral edge, wherein the display is mounted in the housing so that a groove is formed between the peripheral edge and the housing; and

a gasket mounted in the groove, wherein the gasket has a protruding portion that covers at least part of the outer surface of the display.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the gasket comprises an elastomeric polymer.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the gasket has a C-shaped cross section.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a stiffener that stiffens at least part of the gasket.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the gasket comprises an elastomeric polymer and wherein the stiffener comprises a stiffening member that is embedded within the elastomeric polymer.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the stiffening member comprises a layer of stainless steel.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the gasket has a recess that is configured to receive the peripheral edge of the display.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display includes a color filter layer and a polarizer layer on the color filter layer, wherein the polarizer layer is recessed relative to the color filter layer so that an exposed strip of the color filter layer runs along the peripheral edge of the display, and wherein the protruding portion of the gasket is configured to cover the exposed strip of the color filter layer.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the gasket comprises an elastomeric member having a rectangular ring shape with notches.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a layer of adhesive that is interposed between the gasket and the housing and that is configured to hold the gasket in the groove.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising tape that attaches at least some of the gasket to the housing.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the gasket comprises a molded elastomeric polymer that is molded over the peripheral edge.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a sheet metal corner bracket having opposing upper and lower surfaces surrounded by a peripheral edge; and

a housing having a corner with a recess that is configured to receive the sheet metal corner bracket and that is configured to surround the peripheral edge.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising a display mounted in the housing.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the housing has inner and outer ribs and wherein the recess is formed between at least part of the inner and outer ribs.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising adhesive that is interposed between the display and the inner rib to attach the display to the housing.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the outer rib is free of adhesive and wherein the adhesive comprises part of an adhesive-based attachment structure that includes an upper adhesive layer, a lower adhesive layer, and a layer of foam interposed between the upper and lower adhesive layers.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the housing has a planar wall structure, the electronic device further comprising:

a display mounted in the housing;

a backlight unit mounted between the housing and the display, wherein the backlight unit is separated from the planar wall structure by a gap; and

a gap filling structure interposed between the planar wall structure and the backlight unit.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the gap filling structure comprises a plastic structure.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the gap filling structure comprises a layer of foam.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the housing is formed from metal that is weaker than the sheet metal corner bracket.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the housing has a lid portion in which a planar wall structure is formed and has a base portion and wherein the lid portion is attached to the base potion so that the lid portion rotates relative to the base portion.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having at least one surface;

a display mounted in the housing;

backlight structures in the housing that are configured to provide light for the display; and

an adhesive-based structure configured to attach the display to the surface, wherein the adhesive-based structure is configured to prevent leakage of the light.

24. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the adhesive-based structure comprises black adhesive.

25. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the adhesive-based structure comprises a first layer of adhesive attached to the display, a second layer of adhesive attached to the surface, and a layer of foam interposed between the first and second layers of adhesive.

26. The electronic device defined in claim 25 wherein the first and second layers of adhesive comprise black adhesive and wherein the layer of foam comprises black foam, wherein the display has a rectangular periphery, and wherein the adhesive-based structure runs along the rectangular periphery.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the display has at least one display layer with an edge and wherein the electronic device further comprises an opaque coating on the edge.

28. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the housing has at least one rectangular rib and wherein the surface comprises a surface on the rectangular rib.

29. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display has opposing outer and inner surfaces surrounded by a peripheral edge;

a backlight unit configured to emit light; and

an opaque coating on the peripheral edge of the display that is configured to block some of the light to reduce light leakage from the display.

30. The electronic device defined in claim 29 wherein the display includes a color filter layer with a peripheral edge, wherein the display includes a thin-film transistor layer with a peripheral edge, and wherein the peripheral edges of the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer are covered by the opaque coating.

31. The electronic device defined in claim 30 wherein the display further comprises an opaque masking layer interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer in an inactive region of the display, wherein the opaque masking layer has a peripheral edge that is aligned with the peripheral edge of the color filter layer and the peripheral edge of the thin-film transistor layer, and wherein the opaque coating covers the edge of the opaque masking layer.

32. The electronic device defined in claim 29 further comprising:

an adhesive-based structure configured to block some of the light to reduce light leakage from the display, wherein the adhesive-based structure includes a layer of foam interposed between first and second layers of adhesive and wherein the adhesive-based structure is configured to attach the display to the housing.

33. The electronic device defined in claim 32 wherein the adhesive-based structure runs along at least one edge of the display.

34. An electronic device, comprising:

a display configured to operate with first regions at a first temperature and second regions at a second temperature that is elevated with respect to the first temperature; and

a backlight unit for the display that is configured to produce light that backlights the display, wherein the backlight unit includes a light source that produces the light and a light guide plate having an edge that receives the light from the light source, wherein the light source comprises an array of light-emitting diodes running along an edge of the light guide plate, and wherein the light-emitting diodes are configured to emit the light with a pattern of colors configured to compensate for display color variations between the first and second regions.

35. The electronic device defined in claim 34 wherein the backlight unit comprises first light-emitting diodes that are configured to emit the light into the light guide plate along the first regions and second light-emitting diodes that are configured to emit the light into the light guide plate along the second regions and wherein the second light-emitting diodes are configured to emit light that has a different color cast than the first light-emitting diodes.

36. The electronic device defined in claim 34 wherein the second regions contain display pixels with a bluish color cast relative to display pixels in the first regions and wherein the second light-emitting diodes are configured to emit light that is yellower than the first light-emitting diodes.

37. The electronic device defined in claim 34 wherein the light-emitting diodes include two groups of light-emitting diodes that are aligned with at least two portions of the second regions and includes a plurality of adjacent light-emitting diodes along the edge and wherein the two groups of light-emitting diodes emit light that is yellower than the adjacent light-emitting diodes.

38. The electronic device defined in claim 34 wherein the light guide plate includes light-scattering structures that are configured to scatter the light from the light guide plate, wherein the first and second regions include the light-scattering structures, and wherein at a given distance from the edge, the second regions contain light-scattering structures that exhibit a larger light scattering efficiency than the light-scattering structures in the first regions.

39. The electronic device defined in claim 34 further comprising fan structures that are configured to blow hotter air onto the display in the second regions than the first regions.

40. The electronic device defined in claim 39 wherein the fan structures are mounted in a base housing and wherein the display is mounted in a lid housing that is configured to rotate relative to the base housing.

41. An electronic device, comprising:

a metal housing;

a display mounted in the metal housing, wherein the display includes a transparent conductive electrostatic discharge protection layer and a polarizer layer that partly covers the transparent conductive electrostatic discharge protection layer, wherein the polarizer is recessed relative to the transparent conductive electrostatic discharge protection layer to create an uncovered strip of the transparent conductive electrostatic discharge protection layer; and

a conductive tape structure that electrically connects the uncovered strip of the transparent conductive electrostatic discharge protection layer to the metal housing.

42. The electronic device defined in claim 41 wherein the housing comprises oxidized aluminum and wherein the housing comprises a region in which oxide has been removed to allow the conductive tape structure to form an electrical contact with the metal housing.

43. The electronic device defined in claim 41 wherein the electronic device further comprises:

an electromagnetic shielding can; and

a layer of conductive foam interposed between the electromagnetic shielding can and the conductive tape structure.

44. The electronic device defined in claim 43 further comprising a layer of conductive adhesive with which the conductive tape structure is connected to the metal housing.

45. The electronic device defined in claim 44 further comprising:

a printed circuit substrate; and

an electrical component mounted to the printed circuit, wherein the shielding can shields the electrical component.

46. A display, comprising:

a color filter layer;

a thin-film transistor layer;

a layer of liquid crystal material between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer;

an inner sealant ring that encloses at least some of the liquid crystal material;

an outer sealant ring that surrounds the inner sealant ring; and

a support structure that is located between the inner and outer sealant rings and that extends between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer.

47. The display defined in claim 46 wherein the support structure comprises adhesive.

48. The display defined in claim 47 wherein the adhesive comprises clear adhesive.

49. The display defined in claim 48 further comprising an opaque masking layer between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer.

50. The display defined in claim 49 wherein the opaque masking layer comprises a camera window opening.

51. The display defined in claim 50 wherein the clear adhesive overlaps the camera window opening.

52. The display defined in claim 46 wherein the color filter layer has an edge that is recessed with respect to an edge of the thin-film transistor layer to create a thin-film transistor ledge, the display further comprising:

a printed circuit structure having a rigid printed circuit board substrate with a protruding flexible printed circuit tail; and

circuitry mounted on the rigid printed circuit board substrate and the thin-film transistor ledge, wherein the protruding flexible printed circuit tail is coupled to the thin-film transistor ledge.