ELECTRONIC DISPLAY ASSEMBLY WITH CONDUCTIVE COOLING AND OPTIONAL COOLING AIR CIRCULATION LOOP

• US 20190037738A1
• Filed: 09/17/2018
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, William, Le, Don, Bedell, Ware
• Granted Patent: US 10,736,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/00 Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements specially adapted for movement F28F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133342 for double-sided displays
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133385 with cooling means, e.g. fans
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/36 Airflow channels, e.g. constructional arrangements facilitating the flow of air
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20972 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic display assembly having a thermally conductive housing and an image assembly. The image assembly is positioned within the thermally conductive housing and behind a transparent plate assembly. An inlet opening and outlet opening are formed by gaps located between opposing edges of the image assembly and the housing. A space between the image assembly and the plate assembly forms a channel. Thermally conductive plates extend from near the image assembly within each of the inlet opening and outlet opening to contact the housing. Heat from the image assembly is conductively transferred to the housing by the thermally conductive plates. A fan may be positioned to circulate cooling air through the channel via the inlet and outlet openings and apertures in the thermally conductive plates.

Claims

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a transparent plate assembly located along a front of the thermally conductive housing;

an image assembly located within the thermally conductive housing and behind the transparent plate assembly;

a gap between the image assembly and the transparent plate assembly forming a channel;

a space between each of a first edge and an opposed second edge of the image assembly and corresponding inner wall surfaces of the thermally conductive housing respectively forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening;

a first thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the first thermally conductive plate being in contact with the thermally conductive housing and a rearward portion of the first thermally conductive plate extending into the inlet opening to be in thermal communication with the first edge of the image assembly; and

a second thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the second thermally conductive plate being in contact with the thermally conductive housing and a rearward portion of the second thermally conductive plate extending into the outlet opening to be in thermal communication with the second edge of the image assembly.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a transparent plate assembly frame securing the transparent plate assembly to the thermally conductive housing.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 2, wherein the transparent plate assembly frame is a door frame that retains the transparent plate assembly.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive housing includes an inwardly extending protrusion that is aligned with the image assembly and serves as a boundary for each of the inlet opening and outlet opening.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive plates are further placed in thermal communication with the edges of the image assembly by heat sinks that reside therebetween.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein:

each thermally conductive plate is “

L”

-shaped;

the forward portion of each thermally conductive plate is substantially vertically oriented and in contact with a substantially vertically oriented section of the thermally conductive housing; and

the rearward portion of each thermally conductive plate is substantially horizontally oriented and adjacent to a respective edge of the image assembly.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of apertures passing through the rearward portion of each thermally conductive plate, the apertures providing a pathway between the inlet and outlet openings and the channel.

8. The electronic display assembly of claim 7, further comprising a fan located within the housing, the fan configured and positioned to produce a circulating flow of cooling air through the channel via the inlet opening and the outlet opening.

9. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a gasket between the transparent plate assembly and the thermally conductive housing.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive plates extend along substantially the entire length of the respective first and second edges of the image assembly.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the image assembly is an edge lit LCD.

12. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the image assembly is a LCD having a backlight; and

the first and second thermally conductive plates are in thermal communication with opposing edges of the backlight.

13. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a transparent plate assembly located along a front of the thermally conductive housing;

an image assembly located within the thermally conductive housing and behind the transparent plate assembly, the image assembly including a plurality of LEDs located along at least first and second opposing edges thereof;

a gap between the image assembly and the transparent plate assembly forming a channel;

a space between each of the first edge and the second edge of the image assembly and corresponding inner wall surfaces of the thermally conductive housing respectively forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening;

a “

L”

-shaped first thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the first thermally conductive plate being substantially vertically oriented and in contact with a substantially vertically oriented section of the thermally conductive housing, a rearward portion of the first thermally conductive plate extending into the inlet opening to be in thermal communication with the LEDs disposed along the first edge of the image assembly; and

a “

L”

-shaped second thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the second thermally conductive plate being substantially vertically oriented and in contact with a substantially vertically oriented section of the thermally conductive housing, a rearward portion of the second thermally conductive plate extending into the outlet opening to be in thermal communication with the LEDs disposed along the second edge of the image assembly;

wherein heat generated by the LEDs is transferred to the atmosphere through a pathway comprising the thermally conductive plates and the thermally conductive housing.

14. The electronic display assembly of claim 13, wherein the thermally conductive housing includes an inwardly extending protrusion that is aligned with the image assembly and serves as a boundary for each of the inlet opening and outlet opening.

15. The electronic display assembly of claim 13, wherein the thermally conductive plates are further placed in thermal communication with the LEDs of the image assembly by heat sinks that reside therebetween.

16. The electronic display assembly of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of apertures passing through the rearward portion of each thermally conductive plate, the apertures providing a pathway between the inlet and outlet openings and the channel.

17. The electronic display assembly of claim 16, further comprising a fan located within the housing, the fan configured and positioned to produce a circulating flow of cooling air through the channel via the inlet opening and the outlet opening.

18. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a thermally conductive housing;

a transparent plate assembly located along a front of the thermally conductive housing;

an image assembly located within the thermally conductive housing and behind the transparent plate assembly;

a gap between the image assembly and the transparent plate assembly forming a channel;

a space between each of a first edge and second edge of the image assembly and corresponding inner wall surfaces of the thermally conductive housing respectively forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening;

a “

L”

-shaped first thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the first thermally conductive plate being in contact with the thermally conductive housing, a rearward portion of the first thermally conductive plate extending into the inlet opening to be in thermal communication with the first edge of the image assembly;

a plurality of apertures passing through the rearward portion of the first thermally conductive plate, the apertures providing a pathway between the inlet opening and the channel;

a “

L”

-shaped second thermally conductive plate, a forward portion of the second thermally conductive plate being in contact with the thermally conductive housing, a rearward portion of the second thermally conductive plate extending into the outlet opening to be in thermal communication with the second edge of the image assembly;

a plurality of apertures passing through the rearward portion of the second thermally conductive plate, the apertures providing a pathway between the outlet opening and the channel; and

a fan located within the housing, the fan configured and positioned to produce a circulating flow of cooling air through the channel via the inlet opening and the outlet opening;

wherein heat generated by the LEDs is transferred to the atmosphere through a pathway comprising the thermally conductive plates and the thermally conductive housing.

19. The electronic display assembly of claim 18, wherein:

the forward portion of each thermally conductive plate is substantially vertically oriented and in contact with a substantially vertically oriented section of the thermally conductive housing; and

the rearward portion of each thermally conductive plate is substantially horizontally oriented and adjacent to a respective edge of the image assembly.

20. The electronic display assembly of claim 18, wherein;

the image assembly is selected from the group consisting of an edge lit LCD and a LCD having a backlight; and

when the image assembly is a LCD having a backlight, the first and second thermally conductive plates are in thermal communication with opposing edges of the backlight.