Integrated Light-Blocking Optical Sheet for LCD Backlight

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Solution Overview

Problem

Liquid crystal display devices face issues with light leakage due to the separation of light-blocking tapes from optical sheets at different thermal expansion rates, leading to contamination and reduced display quality.

Innovation Solution

The optical sheet is designed with a light-transmitting portion and an extending portion as a unitary single unit, incorporating a side light-blocking portion with a printed light-blocking layer containing black pigment, which covers the side surfaces and supports, ensuring stability and preventing light leakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a light-blocking tape is attached to the optical sheet to prevent light leakage, then light leakage is reduced, but the tape separates from the optical sheet due to different thermal expansion rates at high temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight leakageVSAvoidattachment stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the light-blocking function directly into the optical sheet by forming a light-blocking layer on the optical sheet itself, merging two separate components (optical sheet and light-blocking tape) into one unified structure. This eliminates the attachment interface that causes separation due to thermal expansion differences, while maintaining effective light leakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Length of moving object

If the optical sheet is made thin to reduce device thickness, then the device becomes more compact, but the surface area for attaching light-blocking tape is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptical sheet thicknessVSAvoidattachment surface area
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By forming the light-blocking layer directly on the optical sheet, the patent eliminates the need for a separate light-blocking tape component. This integration allows the optical sheet to maintain its thin profile while still providing adequate light-blocking functionality through the integrated layer, removing the trade-off between thickness and attachment surface area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a light-blocking tape is used to prevent light leakage, then display quality is improved, but impurities from the separated tape contaminate the liquid crystal display device

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight leakageVSAvoidcontamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the light-blocking function directly into the optical sheet structure, eliminating the separate light-blocking tape component that can detach and contaminate the display. This merger ensures that the light-blocking material remains permanently fixed to the optical sheet, preventing impurity generation while maintaining effective light leakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of manufacture

If separate components (optical sheet and light-blocking tape) are used, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but assembly complexity and potential for separation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent flexibilityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the light-blocking layer directly onto the optical sheet, reducing the component count from two separate parts (optical sheet and light-blocking tape) to a single integrated component. This simplification reduces assembly steps and eliminates the risk of attachment failure, while the light-blocking layer can still be applied using standard manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design effectively blocks light leakage, enhances display quality, and maintains stability against temperature variations, while also reducing the bezel size by securing the display panel with a cover sheet.

Implementation Method 1

the side light-blocking portion includes a printed light-blocking layer that contains a black pigment and is printed on at least a surface of the extending portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS9632350B2Liquid crystal display device
Publication Date: 2017.04.25 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • US9632350B2 patent drawing
  • US9632350B2 patent drawing
  • US9632350B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A liquid crystal display device includes a backlight assembly including a light source that generates a light and an optical sheet that transmits the light, and a display panel disposed on the backlight assembly. The optical sheet includes a light-transmitting portion and an extending portion that are formed as a unitary single unit, and further includes a side light-blocking portion that is combined with the extending portion. The light-transmitting portion extends in a first direction, and the extending portion extends continuously from an end of the light-transmitting portion in a second direction that is different from the first direction.