Glass Light Guide Plate for LCD Backlight Dimming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight units (BLUs) face challenges with plastic light guide plates, such as thermal degradation, high moisture absorption, and mechanical instability, which hinder effective local dimming and image quality, particularly in large-sized displays.
Innovation Solution
The use of glass light guide plates with structured surfaces, featuring channels and peaks, to enhance one-dimensional local dimming by confining light within specific zones, thereby improving contrast and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic light guide plates are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to thermal degradation, moisture absorption, and mechanical instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses glass as a light guide plate material instead of conventional plastic. Glass provides superior mechanical stability, thermal resistance, and moisture resistance while maintaining optical transparency. The glass light guide plate is structured with channels and peaks to enable light confinement and local dimming functionality, combining the reliability of glass with the functional requirements of LCD backlight units.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic light guide plates are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but mechanical stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes glass for plastic in the light guide plate construction. Glass inherently possesses higher mechanical stability, dimensional stability, and resistance to deformation under thermal and moisture conditions. The glass light guide plate maintains its structural integrity and optical properties, providing stable performance in large-sized LCD displays.
3Loss of energy
If glass light guide plates with structured surfaces are used, then optical attenuation is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The glass light guide plate is structured with channels and peaks that segment the light propagation paths. These channels confine light to specific zones, enabling one-dimensional local dimming and reducing optical attenuation. The segmentation of the glass surface into functional regions (channels for light confinement, peaks for light extraction) achieves low optical attenuation while maintaining manufacturability through established glass processing techniques.
4Reliability
If glass light guide plates are used, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs glass as the light guide plate material, leveraging its inherent reliability advantages including thermal stability, moisture resistance, and mechanical strength. While glass processing requires specialized equipment compared to plastic molding, the structured glass light guide plate can be manufactured using established techniques such as glass molding, precision machining, or etching, balancing manufacturing complexity with superior product reliability.
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 glass light guide plates provide superior mechanical stability, reduced optical attenuation, and improved reliability, enabling high dynamic range and energy savings while maintaining image quality, especially in large-sized displays.
Implementation Method 1
light guide plates comprising glass sheets with at least one structured glass surface... configured for one dimensional dimming... confining the light to a particular zone
Implementation Method 2
guided within the LGP, and then directed outward, for example by scattering, toward the LCD panel
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight unit suitable for use as an illuminator for liquid crystal display devices. The backlight unit comprises a glass light guide plate with a glass sheet including a first glass surface comprising a plurality of channels separated by peaks and arranged periodically therein, and a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in an array along at least one edge surface of the glass sheet.