Head-Mounted Display Heat Exchanger for Eye-Safe Panel Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Head mounted display devices (HMDs) face challenges in efficiently dissipating heat generated by their display panels, which are positioned close to the user's eyes, potentially leading to discomfort and damage.

Innovation Solution

The HMD incorporates a heat exchanger with a center portion and multiple wings, featuring a heat pipe and working fluid to efficiently transfer heat away from the display panel, utilizing a liquid and air layer within the heat pipe to facilitate heat dissipation through convection and radiation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a display panel is positioned close to the user's eyes in an HMD, then the display quality and immersion experience are improved, but heat generated by the display panel causes discomfort and potential damage to the user's eyes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay qualityVSAvoidheat exposure to eyes
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the display panel itself by attaching a separate heat exchanger to the back surface of the display panel. This heat exchanger includes a heat pipe and working fluid that actively remove heat from the display panel, separating the display function from the heat management function and allowing the display to be positioned close to the user's eyes without causing discomfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary component between the display panel and the user's eyes. It includes a heat pipe with working fluid that mediates the heat transfer process, absorbing heat from the display panel through thermal conduction and dissipating it through phase change and convection, thereby protecting the user's eyes from direct heat exposure while maintaining close proximity for optimal display quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If a heat exchanger is added to transfer heat away from the display panel, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but the device complexity and structural size increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation efficiencyVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is designed with a nested structure where the heat pipe is disposed within the internal space of the heat exchanger body. The working fluid is contained within the heat pipe, creating a compact nested arrangement that maximizes heat dissipation efficiency while minimizing the overall structural size and complexity of the HMD device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat exchanger utilizes phase transitions of the working fluid (liquid to vapor and back to liquid) within the heat pipe to achieve efficient heat transfer. This phase change mechanism provides high heat dissipation efficiency in a compact structure, as the latent heat of vaporization allows for significant heat transfer without requiring large physical dimensions or complex mechanical components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

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 releases heat generated by the display panel to the outside, ensuring user comfort and protecting the eyes from excessive heat.

Implementation Method 1

The heat pipe disposed in the internal space of the center portion and the three wings may be connected to each other to form a loop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

The working fluid may include a liquid and an air layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 3

utilizing a liquid and air layer within the heat pipe to facilitate heat dissipation through convection and radiation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP4667992A1Head mounted display device
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP4667992A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4667992A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4667992A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A head mounted display device is disclosed that includes a display panel, and a heat exchanger attached to a back surface of the display panel to transfer heat away from the display panel. The heat exchanger includes a center portion, and a plurality of wings bent from the center portion.