Protective film patterning

• US 8,958,028 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wurzel, Joshua G., Martisauskas, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hahm, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US13/163,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/61
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0081 Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The patterning of objects (e.g., protective poly-films, heat-spreaders, and other components placed proximate to the backlight of an LCD) with multiple beads or raised protrusions is disclosed. The beads or protrusions can have a uniform or non-uniform size and can be arranged such that they have a uniform or non-uniform pattern density. The beads or protrusions can be patterned on a surface of the object to provide separation between a non-raised surface of the object and a surface of an adjacent item, such as a reflector film.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a backlight assembly;

a reflector positioned against the backlight assembly; and

a protective film covering at least a portion of a surface of the reflector opposite the backlight assembly, wherein the protective film comprises a plurality of raised protrusions formed on a surface of the protective film contacting the reflector, wherein the raised protrusions comprise the same material as the protective film, and wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are operable to separate the reflector from a non-raised portion of the surface of the protective film.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the reflector is coupled to the backlight assembly at one or more connection regions.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein a density of the plurality of raised protrusions is greater in a first region of the surface of the protective film than in a second region of the surface of the protective film, and wherein a distance between the one or more connection regions and the first region is greater than a distance between the one or more connection regions and the second region.

4. The display of claim 2, wherein a size of a first subset of the plurality of raised protrusions is larger than a size of a second subset of the plurality of raised protrusions, and wherein a distance between the one or more connection regions and the first subset of the plurality of raised protrusions is greater than a distance between the one or more connection regions and the second subset of the plurality of raised protrusions.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein a size of each raised protrusion in a first subset of the plurality of raised protrusions is larger than a size of each raised protrusion in a second subset of the plurality of raised protrusions.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein each raised protrusion in the plurality of raised protrusions has a height between 5-15 μ

m.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are uniformly distributed on the surface.

8. A display device, the device comprising:

a liquid crystal display comprising;

a backlight assembly, and

a reflector positioned against the backlight assembly; and

a panel positioned adjacent a surface of the reflector opposite the backlight assembly, wherein the panel comprises a plurality of raised protrusions formed on a surface of the panel adjacent the reflector, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are operable to separate the reflector from a non-raised portion of the surface of the panel, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are non-uniformly distributed on the surface of the panel, and wherein a top surface of at least one of the raised protrusions is in contact with the reflector.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the panel comprises a portion of at least one of a heat-spreader, support frame, battery, printed circuit board, or processor.

10. The display device of claim 8, wherein a size of each protrusion of a first subset of the plurality of protrusions is larger than a size of each protrusion of a second subset of the plurality of protrusions.

11. A method of manufacturing a panel of a display device, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of raised protrusions on a first surface of the panel, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are operable to separate a surface of an at least semi-rigid material in contact with the plurality of raised protrusions from a non-raised surface of the first surface and wherein forming the plurality of raised protrusions on the first surface of the panel comprises applying a patterned protective film to the first surface of the panel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the semi-rigid material comprises a reflector.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the panel comprises a portion of at least one of a heat-spreader, support frame, battery, printed circuit board, or processor.

14. A method of manufacturing a panel of a display device, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of raised protrusions on a first surface of the panel, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are operable to separate a surface of an at least semi-rigid material in contact with the plurality of raised protrusions from a non-raised surface of the first surface, wherein the panel comprises metal and wherein forming the plurality of raised protrusions on the first surface of the panel comprises stamping the metal to form the plurality of raised protrusions.

15. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a backlight assembly;

a reflector positioned against the backlight assembly; and

a protective film covering at least a portion of a surface of the reflector opposite the backlight assembly, wherein the protective film comprises a plurality of raised protrusions formed on a surface of the protective film contacting the reflector, wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are operable to separate the reflector from a non-raised portion of the surface of the protective film, and wherein the plurality of raised protrusions are non-uniformly distributed on the surface.