Reducing optical effects in a display

• US 9,885,809 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Cheng, Zhong, John Z., Chen, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Thomas K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Betancourt, Alberto
• Application Number:
  US13/584,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 359601, 359586-590, 349 1- 18, 349 56, 349 64, 349 65, 349125, 349127, 349135, 349155, 349156, 349157, 349162, 349166, 427162, 4271633, 427164, 427123, 427180, 427203, 427195, 427402, 250221, 25022714, 25022717, 25022718, 2502272, 25022722, 25022723, 25022724, 25022728, 25022731, 25022732, 250549
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/005 made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13392 spacers dispersed on the cell substrate, e.g. spherical particles, microfibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13396 Spacers having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

One embodiment may take the form of a system for reducing the appearance of optical effects in a display. The system may include an enclosure with a first surface and a second surface. Furthermore, the system may include spacers that may be deposited on the bottom face of the first surface and/or the top face of the second surface, where the first surface may be a touch panel and/or cover lens and the second surface may be a display module. The spacers may be deposited in one layer with an anti-reflection coating. The thickness of the coating may be less than the diameter of the spacers.

Claims

1. A method for creating a display for an electronic device comprising:

depositing a coating onto a base layer of a bottom layer;

depositing a plurality of spacers onto the coating;

depositing an antireflection layer onto the coating, wherein the antireflection layer comprises a plurality of beads that are separate from the spacers;

connecting a top layer to the bottom layer to define a gap between the top layer and the bottom layer, wherein in response to a force on the top layer, the gap reduces from a maximum height to a minimum height, and wherein the minimum height is defined by the plurality of spacers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spacers are mixed within the coating.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising mixing the spacers into a curable material to create the coating.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising curing the curable material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a thickness of the curable material is less than a diameter of the spacers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the spacers with the antireflection layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein depositing the plurality of spacers onto the coating comprises depositing the mixture of the spacers and the antireflection layer onto the coating.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating is a hard coating.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacers are hollow.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacers are translucent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the spacers is less than the maximum height.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the antireflection layer is interposed between the plurality of spacers and the coating.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the antireflection layer comprises the plurality of beads and the plurality of spacers such that the plurality of beads and the plurality of spacers are deposited in a single layer on the coating.

14. The method defined in claim 13, wherein a diameter of at least one of the plurality of spacers is greater than a diameter of at least one of the plurality of beads.