Light guide plate with blunt edges

• US 9,239,422 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhu, Xinyu, Chiu, Po-Wen, Qi, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH NHAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/049,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 349/65, 362/615
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0093 Means for protecting the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

Electronic devices may include displays. A display may include display layers having an array of display pixels and a backlight unit that provides backlight illumination to the display pixels. The backlight unit may include a light guide plate that distributes light across the display layers and a stack of optical films that may be used to enhance backlight performance. The optical films may be interposed between the light guide plate and the display layers. The light guide plate may be provided with one or more rounded edges formed from curved surfaces and/or one or more beveled edges formed from chamfered surfaces. Providing the light guide plate with rounded or beveled edges may minimize abrasive contact between the light guide plate and the adjacent optical films. An injection molding tool may be used to mold a light guide plate with rounded or beveled edges.

Claims

1. A backlight assembly configured to provide backlight illumination to display layers in a display, comprising:

a light guide plate having a surface from which the backlight illumination is provided to the display layers, wherein the surface has a planar portion and a curved portion and wherein the curved portion forms a rounded edge, wherein the light guide plate has a straight edge on an opposing side of the light guide plate from the rounded edge, and wherein the light guide plate has a vertical sidewall that forms the straight edge;

at least one optical film adjacent to the surface of the light guide plate; and

a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on a substrate, wherein the light-emitting diodes are configured to emit light into the straight edge and wherein the light guide plate is attached to the substrate.

2. The backlight assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the curved portion of the surface has a radius of curvature of greater than 50 microns.

3. The backlight assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the light guide plate comprises alignment structures and wherein the alignment structures have rounded edges.

4. The backlight assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the light guide plate comprises an injection molded light guide plate.

5. The backlight assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical film comprises a diffuser layer.

6. The backlight assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the light guide plate comprises polymethyl methacrylate.

7. A method, comprising:

with an injection molding tool, molding a rectangular light guide plate with four peripheral edges including first and second opposing edges, wherein the first edge is a rounded edge formed by a curved surface that runs along the rounded edge and wherein the second edge forms a vertical sidewall; and

attaching the light guide plate to a light-emitting diode substrate at the vertical sidewall such that light-emitting diodes on the light-emitting diode substrate emit light into the vertical sidewall opposite the rounded edge.

8. The method defined in claim 7 further comprising:

with a polishing tool, polishing the rounded edge of the light guide plate.

9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein the polishing tool comprises a diamond edge polishing machine.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing;

display layers mounted in the electronic device housing; and

a light guide plate having opposing upper and lower surfaces and having four edges, wherein backlight illumination is provided to the display layers from the upper surface, wherein the upper surface comprises a curved surface that runs along at least one of the four edges, wherein the light guide plate comprises a plurality of alignment structures, and wherein the curved surface forms at least part of the alignment structures.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the curved surface has a radius of curvature of greater than 50 microns.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of optical films interposed between the display layers and the light guide plate.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the plurality of optical films comprises a diffuser layer adjacent to the upper surface of the light guide plate, wherein the curved surface curves away from the diffuser layer.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the curved surface of the light guide plate forms at least one rounded edge that extends from a first corner of the light guide plate to a second corner of the light guide plate.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the display layers comprise:

a color filter layer;

a thin-film transistor layer; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the lower surface of the light guide plate comprises light-scattering structures.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the plurality of alignment structures comprises at least first and second protrusions that protrude from one of the four edges of the light guide plate.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the first and second protrusions each comprise an opening.