Integrated Glass Substrate Light Guide for Slimmer LCD Backlight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid crystal display devices face challenges in making the backlight unit and display panel slim due to complex structures and inherent thicknesses of components, limiting design freedom and mold mating performance.
Innovation Solution
A display device is designed with a glass substrate having a light source and low-refractive index resin layers, where the substrate serves as both a light guide plate and a substrate, eliminating the need for separate light guide plates and optical sheets, and simplifying the structure by positioning the light source adjacent to the substrate's surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional backlight unit with multiple components (cover bottom, reflection layer, light source assembly, light guide plate, optical sheets, guide panel, support main) is used, then light can be emitted onto the liquid crystal panel, but the device complexity increases and the backlight unit cannot be made slim
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light guide plate and the lower substrate into a single integrated substrate. The substrate simultaneously serves as the structural base and the light guide component, eliminating the need for separate light guide plates and reducing the total number of components in the backlight unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as the structural support base, the light guide plate for directing light from LEDs, and the mounting surface for liquid crystal layers and polarizing layers. This multi-functionality reduces component count and simplifies the overall structure.
2Strength
If each component of the backlight unit has inherent thickness, then the components can be manufactured with structural integrity, but the overall backlight unit thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the lower substrate and light guide plate into one integrated substrate, the patent eliminates the cumulative thickness of two separate components while maintaining the structural integrity and light guiding functionality through a unified design.
3Ease of operation
If light is supplied to the liquid crystal display panel via a side surface of the light guide plate, then the light source can be positioned externally, but optical loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the light source externally and guiding light through the side surface of a separate light guide plate, the patent inverts the approach by integrating the light source directly onto the substrate surface. This allows light to be introduced more efficiently into the substrate, reducing optical loss while maintaining external light source positioning benefits.
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
This configuration allows for a thinner display device with improved light distribution and reduced optical loss, enhancing the product's slimness and manufacturing ease while maintaining effective light transmission.
Implementation Method 1
A first resin layer having an index of refraction less than an index of refraction of the first substrate is disposed on the first substrate... Each of the first and the second resin layers has an index of refraction that is less than an index of refraction of the first substrate
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides display devices and methods of manufacturing display devices that can be slimmer than typical display devices. In one embodiment, such a display device includes a first substrate formed of glass, a light source disposed at a position that corresponds to at least one surface of the first substrate, a first resin layer on the first substrate, a first polarizing layer on the first resin layer, a liquid crystal layer on the first polarizing layer, a second substrate on the liquid crystal layer, the second substrate including a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines, and a second polarizing layer on the second substrate.