OLED Internal Contact Areas for Universal Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) face challenges in efficient mounting and electrical contacting, particularly when they have non-standard or curved external shapes, as external electrical contact areas complicate mechanical support and require complex handling, limiting their versatility and ease of replacement.
Innovation Solution
The OLED design features internal electrical contact areas accessible through an opening in the cover sheet, allowing for efficient mechanical and electrical support via a holding device that can be easily attached without external wires, enabling simple replacement and mounting regardless of the diode's shape, using a fastening unit like screws or connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If external electrical contact areas are used on conventional OLEDs, then electrical contact is achieved, but mechanical support becomes complex and handling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by placing electrical contact areas inside the OLED module rather than on the external surface. The internal contact areas are accessible through an opening in the cover sheet, allowing the holding device to engage from the inside. This inversion simplifies mechanical support while maintaining electrical contact functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding device is designed to engage through the opening in the cover sheet and make contact with the internal electrical contact areas. The holding device nests within the space created by the opening, integrating mechanical support and electrical contact in a compact configuration that simplifies overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If non-standard or curved external shapes are used, then design versatility is improved, but standardization of mounting bases becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal mounting solution where a single standardized holding device can accommodate OLEDs of various sizes and shapes. The holding device engages through the opening in the cover sheet and contacts the internal electrical contact areas, providing a consistent interface regardless of the OLED's external form factor. This enables one base to serve multiple OLED configurations.
3Ease of manufacture
If external electrical contact areas are used, then electrical contact is achieved, but the number of components and handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical contact areas with the internal structure of the OLED module, eliminating the need for separate external contact components. The internal contact areas are integrated into the module assembly and accessible through the opening, reducing the total component count while maintaining electrical functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrical contact areas from the external surface and relocates them to the internal structure of the module. This extraction simplifies the external geometry and reduces handling complexity while maintaining electrical contact capability through the opening in the cover sheet.
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light-emitting diode includes a substrate with a top; an organic layer on the top that generates radiation; first and second electrical contact area at or on the top that electrically contacts the diode; a holding device by which the diode is mechanically supported and electrically contacted; and a cover sheet on a side of the organic layer remote from the substrate that protects the organic layer, wherein at least one opening is in the cover sheet and the opening, in plan view, is surrounded by the cover sheet and the organic layer; the areas are located at an edge of the opening and freely accessible; the device engages through the opening; the first area has a different average distance from the opening than the second area; and the electrical areas are each arranged concentrically around the opening and partially or completely surround the opening in plan view.