Electrooptical Display Foil Assembly for Vibration-Stable Centering

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electrooptical display devices, especially in automotive applications, the reduced space and vibration tests cause optical foils to shift, leading to black uniformity issues due to friction marks, which existing centering features fail to address effectively.

Innovation Solution

The foils are connected by linking measures, such as welding, to enhance their positioning and stability, with bulges acting as centering features that fit into recesses in the display device, ensuring secure placement even during vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the foils are connected by linking measures such as welding to enhance positioning and stability, then the reliability of foil positioning during vibrations is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional welding structures and processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoil positioning stabilityVSAvoidwelding structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple foils into a single integrated foil structure with welded connections. The welding merges adjacent foils together, creating a unified component that maintains relative positioning while reducing the number of separate parts. This merging approach improves reliability during vibrations by preventing foil displacement without requiring complex external centering mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The welding of foils is performed in advance during the manufacturing process, creating pre-assembled foil units with integrated centering features. This preliminary action ensures that the foils are already positioned and secured before installation in the display device, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustment mechanisms during assembly or operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Volume of moving object

If the thickness of the electrooptical display device is reduced to meet space constraints, then the compactness is improved, but the ability to provide effective centering features is worsened due to insufficient space for traditional centering mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay device thicknessVSAvoidfoil centering precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from using centering features that extend outward in the thickness direction to using planar centering features within the foil plane itself. The welding creates integrated centering structures that function within the limited thickness available, shifting the centering mechanism from a vertical dimension approach to a horizontal plane approach. This allows effective centering in thin display devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The welding structures and centering features are integrated within the foil structure itself, with centering elements nested within the welded foil assembly. This nesting approach allows multiple functions (structural support, centering, and positioning) to be combined within the limited space of the thin display device, eliminating the need for separate external centering components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Strength

If welding is used to connect the foils, then the strength of the connection is improved, but the manufacturing precision is worsened due to potential welding marks affecting the visible display area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoil connection strengthVSAvoidvisual quality of display area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The welding operations are extracted from the visible display area and performed only in non-critical regions where welding marks will not affect image quality. The patent strategically positions welding joints in areas that are either invisible or less noticeable, separating the structural connection function from the visual display function. This allows strong welding connections without compromising the visual quality of the display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the foil structure are treated with different qualities: areas requiring strong connections are welded, while areas requiring visual perfection are left unwelded or use alternative joining methods. The welding is applied locally only where structural strength is needed, while the visible display areas maintain their original unwelded state to preserve image quality and avoid welding marks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

This solution maintains the foils' precise positioning and prevents movement during vibrations, ensuring uniform brightness and viewing angle, while keeping welding structures outside the visible area to avoid image distortion.

Implementation Method 1

The foils are connected by linking measures, such as welding, to enhance their positioning and stability

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP4303057A1Electrooptical display device
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
  • EP4303057A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4303057A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4303057A1 patent drawing

AI summary

An Electrooptical display device(1) comprises an electrooptical display and a plurality of foils(100, 101, 102) which are arranged on one of another and the plurality of foils(100, 101, 102) is situated in front of the electrooptical display, so that the plurality of foils(100, 101, 102) is situated between the electrooptical display and a possible viewer or observer of the electrooptical display device(1). The foils(100, 101, 102) comprise centering features(120) for centering the foils(100, 101, 102) in a frame(200) of the electrooptical display device(1) and the foils(100, 101, 102) are connected by a linking