OLED Lighting Panel Modular Cover Design for Scalable Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current OLED lighting devices face limitations in size due to resistive losses and increased costs when scaling up, as larger panels require redesigning equipment and tooling for each size variation, and the use of buslines to mitigate potential drop increases costs without significant size gains.
Innovation Solution
A flexible OLED device design featuring a substrate with an OLED unit, anode, cathode, and organic light emitting layers, connected via a cover with accessible electrode contacts that allows for series or parallel connections of multiple OLED units without the need for redesigning equipment, enabling the production of OLEDs in various sizes without altering the fabrication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the OLED panel size is increased, then the lighting coverage area is improved, but the uniformity of the panel deteriorates due to resistive losses and potential drop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large OLED panel into multiple smaller OLED units that are connected in parallel. Each unit has its own electrode contacts connected to the cover, allowing current to be distributed through multiple paths rather than traveling long lateral distances through a single electrode. This segmentation maintains uniformity while achieving large overall panel area.
2Area of stationary object
If buslines are added to reduce potential drop, then the panel size can be increased, but the manufacturing cost significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding buslines within the plane of the OLED panel, the patent connects electrode contacts to the cover structure, utilizing the vertical dimension. The cover serves as a three-dimensional structure that provides electrical connections without requiring additional planar space or complex in-plane busline routing, thereby avoiding increased manufacturing costs.
3Area of stationary object
If the OLED panel size is increased, then the lighting coverage is improved, but the equipment and tooling must be redesigned for each size variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal cover structure that can accommodate multiple different OLED unit configurations. The same cover design with its electrode contact structure can be used for various panel sizes and arrangements of OLED units, eliminating the need to redesign equipment and tooling for each size variation. The modular approach allows the fabrication process to remain consistent while producing different sized panels.
4Manufacturing precision
If individual OLED panels are packaged separately, then each panel can be manufactured with controlled size, but the assembly process becomes time consuming and requires wide bezel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple OLED units into a single integrated panel structure before packaging. The OLED units are connected in parallel with shared electrode contacts on the cover, creating one unified device that can be packaged as a single unit. This eliminates the need for time-consuming post-packaging assembly and removes the requirement for wide bezels that would be needed to accommodate separate packaged panels.
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 the production of OLEDs of any size without changing the underlying design, reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating the need for individual packaging and reassembly, while maintaining uniformity and reducing resistive losses by minimizing dead space and enabling flexible and hermetically sealed pixel configurations.
Implementation Method 1
at least one organic light emitting layer between the anode and cathode
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are OLED lighting systems and devices, and methods related to fabricating such OLED lighting systems and devices. The methods can be used to produce OLED systems and devices of varying sizes without changing the underlying OLED unit design. In one embodiment, the OLED lighting system includes a cover that connects a plurality of OLED lighting units. The cover includes contacts that are accessible from outside the system, such that each OLED lighting unit connected to the cover can be controlled in series or in parallel.