Self-Sterilizing Display with UV-Filtering Protective Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional UV light sterilization methods for display devices are ineffective in achieving rapid sterilization upon finger touch and can damage display components due to continuous UV light exposure, while also posing risks to human health from light leakage.
Innovation Solution
A self-sterilizing display device with a UV light source emitting towards a light-incident layer, combined with a transparent protective layer and light-absorbing particles, filters out UV light to prevent damage to internal components and ensures effective surface sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV light is continuously emitted for sterilization, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but display component damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UV light source is controlled to emit periodically rather than continuously. The control unit activates the UV light source only when sterilization is needed (e.g., when touch detection indicates contamination risk), thereby achieving effective sterilization while minimizing cumulative UV exposure to display components and reducing degradation over time.
Solution Approach 2:
A light guide layer is introduced as an intermediary between the UV light source and the display components. This light guide layer guides the UV light primarily toward the front surface for sterilization while preventing direct UV exposure to the display components behind it, thus protecting sensitive components from damage.
2Reliability
If UV light is emitted for sterilization, then surface sterilization is achieved, but human health safety deteriorates due to light leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide layer serves as a mediator that confines and directs UV light toward the front surface where it is needed for sterilization. The structure prevents UV light from leaking backward toward users, thus maintaining sterilization effectiveness while protecting human health from harmful UV exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV light distribution is made non-uniform through the light guide layer design, concentrating UV energy where it is needed (front surface for sterilization) while minimizing or eliminating UV presence in areas where it is harmful (backward direction toward users). This localized control of light quality resolves the contradiction between sterilization and safety.
3Reliability
If UV light is emitted for sterilization, then sterilization function is improved, but display service life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The UV light source operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when sterilization is required based on touch detection or scheduled intervals. This reduces the total cumulative UV exposure to display components, thereby extending their service life while maintaining effective sterilization functionality when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide layer acts as a protective intermediary that directs UV light primarily forward for sterilization while shielding display components from direct UV exposure. This mediation enables the sterilization function to operate effectively without causing accelerated degradation of display components, thus preserving service life.
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
The device achieves comprehensive and rapid surface sterilization without significantly reducing the display's service life, while minimizing UV exposure to the internal components and ensuring user safety.
Implementation Method 1
allows most of the UV light to undergo total internal reflection within the display device based on the principle of total internal reflection
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of light-absorbing particles which are configured to absorb the UV light are distributed inside the first adhesive layer
Data Source
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AI summary
A self-sterilizing display device (10) is applied to self- sterilizing with a UV light (Luv). The self-sterilizing display device (10) includes a display, a light-incident layer (120), a light source (130), and a transparent protective layer (180). The light-incident layer (120) is disposed above the display. The light source (130) is disposed at a periphery of the light-incident layer (120), and a light-emitting surface (130a) of the light source (130) faces to the light-incident layer (120). The transparent protective layer (180) is disposed between the light-incident layer (120) and the display. Herein, the light source (130) can emit the UV light (Luv) toward the light-incident layer (120) for sterilizing an outer surface (10a) of the self-sterilizing display (10) device by irradiation, and the transparent protective layer (180) can filter out the UV light (Luv). Therefore, the surface can be sterilized by UV light (Luv), and the UV light (Luv) can be prevented or reduced from being incident on the display (110) below and damaging the display.