Fiber Optic Plate Single-Step Extrusion for Display Cover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices with display cover layers often result in larger inactive border regions and undesired image distortion due to the inclusion of the cover layer, which can compromise the display's effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A protective display cover layer featuring a fiber optic plate with high refractive-index core fibers surrounded by low refractive-index cladding, which expands image size without distorting the image, formed through a single-stage process using an extruder and block forming die to minimize wastage and contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protective display cover layer is included in the electronic device, then the display is protected from damage, but the device has larger inactive border regions and undesired image distortion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoidinactive border regions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The fiber optic plate utilizes changes in refractive index parameters between the core and cladding materials to guide and expand light. By carefully selecting and controlling the refractive index parameters of different layers, the system expands images to cover peripheral housing structures while minimizing inactive border regions, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and border size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a protective display cover layer is included in the electronic device, then the display is protected from damage, but undesired image distortion is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The display cover layer is segmented into multiple functional layers: a fiber optic plate with core-clad structure for light guidance, a binder layer for structural support, and optional additional protective layers. Each layer is optimized for its specific function, allowing the system to provide protection while maintaining image quality through controlled light transmission and expansion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The display cover layer employs composite material structures including fiber optic bundles with core-clad configurations, binder materials with specific refractive indices, and potentially multiple layered compositions. These composite materials are designed to collectively provide protection while controlling light behavior to minimize distortion and maintain manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If multiple processing steps are used to form the fiber optic plate, then the fiber optic plate can be formed, but production wastage and contamination risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiber optic plate formationVSAvoidproduction wastage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The extrusion and forming operations are merged into a single integrated process. The fiber optic plate is formed by directly extruding the fiber optic material and shaping it in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate extrusion, cutting, and assembly steps. This reduces production wastage and minimizes contamination risks while maintaining ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 effectively minimizes display borders and maintains image integrity by expanding the effective size of images, thereby covering peripheral housing structures without introducing distortion, while also reducing production wastage and contamination risks.

Implementation Method 1

The fiber optic plate may guide and expand image light from the display and thereby expand the effective size of images on the display

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Implementation Method 2

Each fiber may have a high refractive-index core that is surrounded by a low refractive-index cladding

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS11247421B1Single-step extrusion of fiber optic plates for electronic devices

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 APPLE INC

AI summary

An electronic device may have a housing with a display. A protective display cover layer for the display may have an image transport layer such as a fiber optic plate. The fiber optic plate may be formed from fibers. An extruder may form fiber bundles that each include a respective plurality of fibers distributed in binder material. The fiber bundles from the extruder may be fed directly to a block forming die. The block forming die may receive the fiber bundles from the extruder and output a unitary fiber block. The fiber bundles may remain heated in the block forming die such that the binder material of the fiber bundles seamlessly merges during formation of the unitary fiber block. A cutter can be used to cut off a layer of the unitary fiber block. This layer may be machined and polished to form the fiber optic plate.