Seamless Tiled Displays Using Differential Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tiled displays face challenges with thermal and humidity expansion, leading to noticeable seams between tiles, especially in large, multi-row setups, and require complex assembly and handling to maintain image quality and prevent damage.
Innovation Solution
A tiled display system with substrates having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the attached layers, using bounded heat-activated adhesives and chamfered edges to minimize seams and reduce pressure during assembly, allowing for seamless tiling and reduced weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If projection screens are placed close together to minimize seams, then the display becomes more seamless, but thermal and humidity expansion causes misalignment and bowing of the screens
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is divided into independent modular units, each comprising a projection screen mounted on a separate panel. These modules can be assembled in various configurations while maintaining stability through individual mounting structures that accommodate thermal expansion independently.
Solution Approach 2:
A panel structure acts as an intermediary between the projection screen and the mounting system. This panel provides a stable base that compensates for thermal and humidity expansion, preventing direct transmission of expansion forces to the screen while maintaining precise positioning.
2Reliability
If a tensioning mechanism is used to maintain screen alignment, then screen stability improves, but the mechanism becomes visible to viewers in multi-row displays
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning function is extracted from the visible front of the display and relocated to the rear mounting structure. The panel-based mounting system provides alignment and tensioning forces from behind the screens, completely hiding the mechanical complexity from the viewer's perspective.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment and tensioning mechanisms are moved from the horizontal/vertical display plane to the depth dimension (rear mounting structure). This allows complex mechanical functions to be implemented in the third dimension without affecting the visual simplicity of the front display surface.
3Reliability
If screens are mounted with larger spacing to accommodate expansion, then thermal expansion reliability improves, but the seams between tiles become more noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the mounting system have different properties: the panel structure provides flexibility and expansion accommodation in non-critical areas, while the screen mounting points maintain high precision and rigidity where needed. This localized differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of expansion tolerance and seam minimization.
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 solution enables the assembly of large, seamless tiled displays with minimal seams, reduced weight, and lower installation effort, while maintaining image quality and durability under varying environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
using bounded heat-activated adhesives
Implementation Method 2
coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a
AI summary
A tile and a tiled display system is described comprising at least two adjacent tiles each having a display screen with display pixels which are picture elements, whereby for coloured displays each pixel is comprised of a plurality light emitting (e.g. LED) or light modulating (e.g. LCD),elements (e.g. RGB - see Fig. 1) each of the tiles having at least one first substrate of a first material and at least one first layer of a second material fixed to the first substrate characterized in that the thickness of the at least one first layer is less than the thickness of the first substrate; the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first substrate is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the at least one first layer and the distance between the at least two tiles is less than the size of a pixel on the display screen. The first substrates of adjacent tiles can be brought in mechanical contact with each other in order to reduce the seam between tiles to the minimum possible.