Backlight Unit Optical Path Control Patterns for Thin Display Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display devices with backlight units face challenges in reducing thickness while maintaining image quality and preventing damage to optical elements when driven with high currents, leading to potential degradation in image quality and luminance uniformity.
Innovation Solution
A backlight unit design featuring light sources on a printed circuit with a reflective plate, a light source protective element, and optical path control patterns on a base film, utilizing acrylic-based or polyester-based resins with inorganic particles to control light paths and enhance luminance uniformity without damaging optical elements, even under high driving currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the thickness of the backlight unit is reduced, then the thickness of the display device is reduced, but a sufficient optical gap between the light source and the display panel cannot be formed, leading to degraded image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical path control patterns that redirect light in different directions (dimensions) to compensate for the reduced optical gap thickness, allowing sufficient light interaction with the display panel despite the thinner overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The optical path control patterns are selectively positioned at specific locations where light redirection is needed, creating local optical adjustments rather than uniform changes throughout the entire backlight unit structure
2Illumination intensity
If the luminance of the display panel is improved by increasing the amount of light provided, then a high level of driving current is required, but the optical element can be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical path control patterns that change the directional parameters of light propagation, redirecting light paths to improve luminance distribution without requiring proportional increases in driving current that would generate damaging heat
Solution Approach 2:
The optical path control patterns act as intermediary elements between the light source and display panel, managing light distribution and reducing the need for high current that would otherwise be required to achieve sufficient luminance
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used in the optical path control patterns, then manufacturing is simpler, but the materials may yellow or degrade when driven with high level currents, deteriorating optical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials combining organic resins with inorganic particles, achieving both manufacturability through conventional processes and enhanced resistance to yellowing and degradation under high current conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The use of cured resin materials provides a cost-effective, maintenance-free solution that resists degradation over time, eliminating the need for replacement or adjustment during the product lifecycle
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a thinner backlight unit that maintains optical properties and improves image quality by adjusting light paths, reducing luminance differences and preventing optical element damage, thus ensuring consistent and high-quality display performance.
Implementation Method 1
optical path control patterns on at least one surface of the base film, each of the plurality of optical path control patterns overlapping a corresponding light source from the plurality of light sources and configured to control optical paths of light generated by the corresponding light source that is incident on the optical path control pattern
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of optical path control patterns comprise an acrylic-based resin or a polyester-based resin and at least one type of inorganic particles dispersed in the acrylic-based resin or the polyester-based resin
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight unit and a display device including the backlight unit is disclosed The backlight unit includes a light source protective element located on light sources, a base film located on the light source protective element, and a plurality of optical path control patterns, each of which is located to overlap a corresponding one of the light sources, that are disposed on at least one of both surfaces of the base film and configured to direct traveling paths of at least some of incident light rays, the optical path control patterns including an acrylic-based resin or a polyester-based resin and at least one type of inorganic particles dispersed in the resins, thereby enabling a thickness of the backlight unit to be reduced and image quality to improve.