Curved Reflective Middle Mold for Display Backlight Uniformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Display apparatuses with backlight units often experience dark areas around the edges due to non-uniform light reflection on the diffuser plate, affecting picture quality.

Innovation Solution

A display apparatus design featuring a middle mold with a curved reflective surface that is concave towards the diffuser plate, integrated with a reflector and diffuser plate supporter, ensures uniform light reflection from the light source to the diffuser plate, preventing dark areas and enhancing image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a planar reflector is used in the backlight unit, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but non-uniform light reflection occurs causing dark areas on the screen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereflector structure simplicityVSAvoidlight uniformity on diffuser plate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The reflector surface is designed with a specific curvature radius (R1) in the first direction and (R2) in the second direction, transforming the planar surface into a curved surface. This curvature enables uniform light reflection across the diffuser plate, preventing dark areas while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through injection molding processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate components are used for the middle mold, frame, and reflector, then each component can be optimized independently, but the assembly process becomes complex and component count increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent optimization flexibilityVSAvoidassembly process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The middle mold, frame, and reflector are integrated into a single unified component. This merger reduces the total component count, simplifies the assembly process, and eliminates the need for multiple separate optimizations while maintaining the functional advantages of each original component through careful design of the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Illumination intensity

If a curved reflective surface with specific radii is used, then uniform light reflection is achieved preventing dark areas, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight uniformity on diffuser plateVSAvoidcurved surface precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Specific parameter ranges are defined for the curvature radii (R1: 5-50mm, R2: 5-50mm) to optimize the balance between light uniformity and manufacturing precision. These parameter specifications enable manufacturers to achieve the desired optical performance within standard manufacturing tolerances, avoiding excessive precision requirements while ensuring effective dark area prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 design effectively prevents dark areas on the screen by uniformly reflecting light from the light source to the diffuser plate, thereby improving picture quality and simplifying assembly while reducing component count and costs.

Implementation Method 1

a middle mold provided with a curved reflective surface positioned at a lateral side of the light source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3677956B1Display apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3677956B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3677956B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3677956B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A display apparatus includes a rear chassis, a light source installed in the rear chassis to emit light, a diffuser plate that diffuses light emitted from the light source, a liquid crystal panel positioned in front of the diffuser plate to display an image, a front chassis that supports the liquid crystal panel, and a middle mold coupled between the front chassis and the rear chassis to support the diffuser plate, and is provided with a curved reflective surface formed in a curved shape to reflect the light, which is emitted from the light source module, to the diffuser plate.