Curved Rigid Display Forming via Optical Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively form curved, rigid display articles that can maintain optical clarity and structural integrity while being flexible enough to be bendable at room temperature, suitable for applications like automotive and aerospace where curved supports are required.
Innovation Solution
A method involving optically bonding flexible substrates with a suitable adhesive to form an initial workpiece, which is then shaped and structurally bonded to a curved frame using a combination of adhesives with varying hardness and cure times, allowing for a final radius of curvature between 0.1 mm to 300 mm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible substrates are bonded and shaped to form a curved display article, then the display article can be bent to match curved supports, but the structural integrity and rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The display article is divided into multiple separate layers (first substrate, second substrate, optical bonding material, structural adhesive, curved frame) that can be individually processed and then assembled. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute specific properties: flexibility from the substrates and adhesive, structural strength from the frame, and optical clarity from the bonding material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by bonding together materials with different properties: flexible substrates (glass or polymer), optically clear bonding material, structural adhesive, and rigid curved frame. This composite approach combines the flexibility needed for curving with the structural integrity required for strength, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and strength.
2Strength
If multiple layers are bonded together to form the display article, then structural integrity is improved, but optical clarity may deteriorate due to interface reflections and imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
An optically clear bonding material is introduced as an intermediary layer between the first and second substrates. This intermediary material has optical properties matched to the adjacent substrates, minimizing reflections and refractions at the interfaces. It serves as a optical mediator that maintains clarity while enabling the structural bonding of multiple layers.
3Strength
If the substrates are made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but the ability to bend to curved shapes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The substrates are shaped and bonded together while in a flexible state at room temperature before final assembly. The flexible substrates are bent to the desired curved geometry and bonded in this pre-shaped state. This preliminary shaping action allows the final product to achieve both the desired curved shape and structural integrity, as the substrates are formed while flexible but maintain their shape once bonded and assembled with the rigid frame.
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 method produces a curved, rigid display article that is optically clear, structurally robust, and flexible, minimizing stress and maintaining excellent display performance, suitable for various applications requiring curved shapes.
Implementation Method 1
optically bonding the first substrate and second substrate together with an optical bonding material
Implementation Method 2
structurally bonding together the shaped workpiece and a curved frame that is not flexible and has a final radius of curvature of from 0.1 mm to 300 mm with a structural adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a curved, rigid display article includes providing a first substrate having a first initial geometry and a second substrate having a second initial geometry, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bendable at room temperature. The method includes optically bonding the first substrate and the second substrate together with a layer of optical bonding material to form an initial workpiece having a geometry that matches one of the first initial geometry and the second initial geometry. The method also includes shaping the initial workpiece to form a shaped workpiece having a radius of curvature of at least 0.1 mm. The method also includes structurally bonding together the shaped workpiece and a curved frame that is not flexible and has a final radius of curvature of from 0.1 mm to 300 mm with an adhesive to thereby form the curved, rigid display article.