Peripheral Light Guide Assembly for Waterproof Edgeless LED Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Direct-view LED displays designed for outdoor or harsh environments face challenges in maintaining an 'edgeless' appearance due to the need for waterproof encapsulation, which increases the gap between the PCB and the frame, compromising the seamless edge effect.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a light guide assembly that redirects light emitted by rear-facing LEDs to the front, combined with forward-facing LEDs, to create a seamless edge effect by filling the gap between the PCB and the frame, utilizing reflective prisms and light guides to redirect light 180°, ensuring continuous illumination and maintaining the 'edgeless' appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the PCB and LEDs are encapsulated within a protective encapsulate for waterproofing, then the display's reliability in harsh environments is improved, but the gap between the outer edges of the PCB and the frame increases, worsening the edgeless appearance
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide assembly is introduced as an intermediary component between the PCB and the frame. This light guide redirects light from rear-facing LEDs through the gap area to the front of the display, serving dual purposes: it maintains the necessary waterproof gap while optically filling the space to preserve the edgeless appearance. The light guide acts as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of waterproof encapsulation and aesthetic continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The display employs different LED arrangements in different regions: front-facing LEDs are positioned at the edges of the PCB to provide primary illumination, while rear-facing LEDs are strategically placed to illuminate through the gap area. This local differentiation allows the gap region to be optically treated differently from the main display area, enabling the gap to be functionally necessary while aesthetically imperceptible.
2Length of stationary object
If smaller RGB LED clusters are used to minimize the space between outermost LEDs and PCB edges, then the edgeless appearance is improved, but the complexity of achieving waterproof encapsulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The LED display is segmented into two functional layers: front-facing LEDs that provide primary illumination and rear-facing LEDs that provide supplemental illumination through the gap area. This segmentation allows the waterproof encapsulation to be applied uniformly across the entire PCB assembly without concern for edge clearance, as the light guide assembly handles the optical compensation for the encapsulation gap.
3Reliability
If the gap between PCB and frame is increased to accommodate waterproof encapsulation, then the display's reliability in harsh environments is improved, but the non-illuminating gap portion increases, worsening the aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide assembly serves as an optical intermediary that transforms the non-illuminating gap into an illuminated region. By redirecting light from rear-facing LEDs through the gap area to the front, the light guide effectively eliminates the visual presence of the gap, allowing the waterproof encapsulation to maintain its necessary dimensions without compromising aesthetics.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof encapsulation, which creates the harmful gap effect, is converted into a benefit through the light guide assembly. The gap that was previously non-illuminating and aesthetically detrimental becomes an optical pathway that redirects light to enhance the edgeless appearance. The harmful gap is transformed into a functional optical channel that serves the dual purpose of maintaining waterproofing while providing illumination.
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 solution allows for an 'edgeless' direct-view LED display that can operate in harsh environments by providing continuous illumination, maintaining the aesthetic appeal while ensuring the display is waterproof and functional in outdoor conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The light guide assembly may include one or more reflective prisms. The one or more reflective prisms may include a first 45° reflective prism and a second 45° reflective prism opposing the first 45° reflective prism. The light guide redirects the at least a portion of the second light 180°.
Implementation Method 2
The light guide assembly is configured to redirect the second light emitted by the second LEDs from the second direction to the first direction.
Data Source
AI summary
An LED display system configured with peripheral light guides is disclosed. The system includes a PCB with a topside array of forward-facing LEDs emitting forward light, and a bottom side peripheral pattern of backward-facing LEDs emitting backward light. The backward light may be redirected to the forward direction around the perimeter of the LED display by a peripheral pattern of light guide elements. In this way, the light guide elements provide the outermost peripheral pixels of the LED display system.