Heat Transfer Sheet for Mobile Display Driver Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile terminals experience performance deterioration and user discomfort due to local overheating in the display unit, particularly from the drive IC and backlight, which is not effectively managed by existing heat dispersion methods.

Innovation Solution

A mobile terminal design incorporating a heat transfer sheet with a heat absorbing portion on the drive IC and a heat radiating portion that extends to a metallic frame, along with a flexible printed circuit board configuration to efficiently disperse heat laterally and rearward, utilizing materials like copper or graphite for enhanced thermal conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a conventional heat management structure is used in the display unit, then the device structure remains simple, but local overheating occurs causing performance deterioration and user discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal heat temperatureVSAvoidheat transfer structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat transfer sheet is divided into distinct functional regions: a heat absorbing portion positioned at the drive IC, a heat transfer portion extending along the flexible printed circuit board, and a heat radiating portion that extends laterally and bends toward the rear surface. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific thermal function efficiently while maintaining an integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The heat radiating portion extends not only in the lateral direction along the flexible printed circuit board but also bends in the thickness direction toward the rear surface of the display unit. This three-dimensional configuration increases the heat dissipation surface area and creates additional heat transfer paths, effectively managing local heat without requiring a complex multi-component system.

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

2Reliability

If heat is concentrated in the drive IC and backlight unit, then the display unit structure remains compact, but component performance deteriorates due to overheating

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent performanceVSAvoiddrive IC temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The heat transfer sheet acts as an intermediary thermal management component between the heat-generating drive IC and the flexible printed circuit board. The heat absorbing portion contacts the drive IC to capture heat, the heat transfer portion conducts heat along the circuit board, and the heat radiating portion dissipates heat laterally and toward the rear surface, effectively mediating heat flow to protect component performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If heat is generated in the display unit, then the display functions are maintained, but user comfort is reduced due to thermal discomfort when holding the terminal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser comfortVSAvoiddisplay unit temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The heat transfer sheet is strategically positioned and configured to address local heat generation at the drive IC and backlight unit. The heat absorbing portion is placed directly over the heat-generating components, while the heat radiating portion extends toward the rear surface where it can dissipate heat away from the user's hand, providing localized thermal management that maintains user comfort without affecting display functionality.

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

Effectively reduces local overheating, improving component performance and user comfort by efficiently transferring and dissipating heat away from the display unit, thus mitigating performance degradation and thermal discomfort.

Implementation Method 1

heat transfer sheet with a heat absorbing portion on the drive IC and a heat radiating portion that extends to a metallic frame

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3112977B1Mobile terminal with means for dissipating heat from display driver
Publication Date: 2021.12.08 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3112977B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3112977B1 patent drawingFigure 1B~1C
  • EP3112977B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

There is disclosed a mobile terminal including a display unit comprising a drive IC provided in a predetermined portion, a frame provided in a rear surface of the display unit, a flexible printed circuit board having one portion connected to the drive IC of the display unit and the other portion bent toward the rear surface of the display unit, a main board coupled to the frame and configured to control the drive IC via the flexible printed circuit board, and a heat transfer sheet configured to cover a front surface of the display unit and a predetermined portion of the first surface of the flexible printed circuit board, wherein at least predetermined portion of the heat transfer sheet is in contact with the frame, so that the heat generated in the drive IC and the light source of the display unit may be transferred to the frame and that the performance deterioration of the mobile terminal caused by the local overheat may be reduced and the difficulty in the user's holding the mobile terminal may be also reduced.