Flat-Panel Display Thermal Mitigation via Light Source Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flat-panel displays in portable electronic devices experience temperature changes and gradients due to heat generated by light sources and electronics, leading to image quality degradation from color changes and visual artifacts.
Innovation Solution
A display design with a light-source holder having holes for increased thermal resistance between the light source and substrate, using materials with higher thermal conductivity than stainless steel, and incorporating thermal coupling elements like thermal tape and a light pipe with enhanced thermal conductivity along its symmetry axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the light source is thermally coupled directly to the substrate, then the light source can be effectively mounted and positioned, but the substrate experiences excessive heating and temperature gradients that degrade image quality
Solution Approach 1:
A light-source holder is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the substrate. The holder has an inner surface that holds the light source and an outer surface thermally coupled to the substrate, with holes defined by edges between these surfaces to increase thermal resistance while maintaining mechanical coupling stability
Solution Approach 2:
The light-source holder incorporates a porous or hollow structure with holes defined by edges between the inner and outer surfaces. This porous configuration increases thermal resistance to reduce heat transfer to the substrate while maintaining structural integrity for reliable light source mounting
2Temperature
If materials with high thermal conductivity are used in the light-source holder, then heat can be dissipated away from the light source, but the thermal resistance between the light source and substrate may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The light-source holder uses materials with different thermal conductivity characteristics in different regions. The holder may include materials with thermal conductivity greater than stainless steel in specific areas to enhance heat dissipation while maintaining adequate thermal resistance at critical interfaces through the porous structure
Solution Approach 2:
The light-source holder may be constructed from composite materials that combine different thermal conductivity properties. This allows optimization of heat dissipation in certain regions while maintaining thermal resistance at the substrate interface through the integrated porous structure
3Length of moving object
If the light-source holder is made thin to reduce display thickness, then the display becomes thinner, but the thermal management capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light-source holder uses a porous structure with holes defined by edges between the inner and outer surfaces. This three-dimensional porous configuration provides effective thermal resistance in a thin profile, allowing adequate thermal management without increasing display thickness significantly
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
Effectively reduces substrate heating and temperature gradients, minimizing image quality degradation by efficiently dissipating heat away from the light valves, thereby maintaining image clarity.
Implementation Method 1
the outer surface is thermally coupled to the back surface of the substrate... the light-source holder includes holes defined by edges between the outer surface and the inner surface... to increase the thermal resistance between the light source and the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the light-source holder includes holes defined by edges between the outer surface and the inner surface. In order to increase the thermal resistance between the light source and the substrate... to control heating of the substrate by the light source
Implementation Method 3
the light pipe has a higher thermal conductivity along a symmetry axis of the light pipe than perpendicular to the symmetry axis
Data Source
AI summary
A flat-panel display (such as a liquid crystal display) includes one or more features that reduce temperature changes in an array of light valves disposed on a substrate. In particular, heat generated in a light source and/or electronics is conducted away from the light values. For example, a light-source holder, which contains the light source, may include holes that increase the thermal resistance between the light source and the substrate. Alternatively, the light-source holder may include a material having a thermal conductivity that is higher than that of stainless steel. In addition, the flat-panel display may include materials and/or a geometry that increases the thermal resistance along a direction in a plane of the substrate. By reducing temperature changes in the flat-panel display, these features can reduce or eliminate color changes and other visual artifacts that can degrade the quality of displayed images.