Structural alignment features for light emitting diode arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10288797-B1
Application number	US-201615384001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for structural alignment features for light emitting diode arrays. In one embodiment, a device may include a light guide with a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The device may include a light emitting diode array with a first set of light emitting diodes arranged in a first row and a second set of light emitting diodes arranged in a second row. The first set of light emitting diodes may be optically and physically coupled to the first surface, and the second set of light emitting diodes may be optically coupled to the second surface.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A display stack comprising:
a display panel;
a light guide optically coupled to the display panel, the light guide comprising:
a top surface;
a bottom surface parallel to the top surface; and
an end surface perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface;
wherein the light guide comprises a material having a first refractive index value; and

a light emitting diode array optically coupled to the light guide, the light emitting diode array comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board;
a first row of light emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;
a second row of light emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board; and
a third row of light emitting diodes mounted on the flexible printed circuit board;

wherein the first row of the light emitting diode array is optically and physically coupled to the top surface, the second row of the light emitting diode array is optically and physically coupled to the end surface, and the third row of the light emitting diode array is optically and physically coupled to the bottom surface.

2. The display stack of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first score line on the flexible printed circuit board between the first row and the second row; and
a second score line on the flexible printed circuit board between the second row and the third row;
wherein a distance between the first score line and the second score line is equal to a thickness of the light guide.

3. The display stack of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first layer of an optically clear adhesive disposed between the first row and the top surface;
a second layer of the optically clear adhesive disposed between the second row and the end surface; and
a third layer of the optically clear adhesive disposed between the third row and the bottom surface;
wherein the optically clear adhesive has a second refractive index value equal to the first refractive index value.

4. The display stack of claim 1 , wherein the first row of light emitting diodes comprises a first color, the second row of light emitting diodes comprises a second color, and the third row of light emitting diodes comprises a third color; or
wherein the first row of light emitting diodes comprises a plurality of colors, and wherein the second row of light emitting diodes and the third row of light emitting diodes comprises the plurality of colors.

5. The display slack of claim 2 , wherein a first distance between a central axis of the second row and the first score line is equal to a second distance between the central axis and the second score line.

6. A device comprising:
a light guide with a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface; and
a light emitting diode array comprising a first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a first row and a second set of LEDs arranged in a second row on a flexible printed circuit board;
wherein the first set of LEDs is optically and physically coupled to the first surface and the second set of LEDs is optically and physically coupled to the second surface.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the light emitting diode array further comprises a third set of LEDs arranged in a third row between the first row and the second row, the third set of LEDs optically and physically coupled to the third surface.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the light guide comprises a material with a first refractive index value, the device further comprising:
a first layer of an optically clear adhesive between the first set of LEDs and the first surface;
a second layer of the optically clear adhesive between the second set of LEDs and the second surface;
wherein the optically clear adhesive has a second refractive index value substantially equal to the first refractive index value.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein the third surface (i) is a polished surface, or (ii) comprises an evaporated aluminum coating.

10. The device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first set of surface features formed on the first surface and positioned between the first surface and the first set of LEDs; and
a second set of surface features formed on the second surface and positioned between the second surface and the second set of LEDs.

11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first set of LEDs comprises LEDs of a plurality of colors; and
wherein the second set of LEDs comprises LEDs of the plurality of colors.

12. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first set of LEDs comprises LEDs of a first color; and
wherein the second set of LEDs comprises LEDs of a second color.

13. The device of claim 6 , wherein the light emitting diode array further comprises:
a flexible substrate, wherein the first set of LEDs and the second set of LEDs are mounted on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate comprising:
a first fold line between the first set of LEDs and the second set of LEDs; and
a second fold line between the first set of LEDs and the second set of LEDs;
wherein a distance between the first fold line and the second fold line is equal to a thickness of the light guide.

14. The device of claim 7 , wherein the light emitting diode array further comprises:
a flexible substrate, wherein the first set of LEDs, the second set of LEDs, and the third set of LEDs are mounted on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate comprising:
a first fold line between the first set of LEDs and the third set of LEDs; and
a second fold line between the third set of LEDs and the second set of LEDs.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein a first distance between the first fold line and the first set of LEDs is equal to a second distance between the second fold line and the second set of LEDs.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein a distance between the first fold line and the second fold line is equal to a thickness of the light guide.

17. A device comprising:
a flexible substrate with at least three sets of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on a surface of the flexible substrate, wherein each of the at least three sets comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in rows; and
a light guide comprising a first surface, a second surface that traverses the first surface, and a third surface that is substantially parallel to the first surface;
wherein a first set of LEDs of the at least three sets of LEDs is optically and physically coupled to the first surface, a second set of LEDs of the at least three sets of LEDs is optically and physically coupled to the second surface, and a third set of LEDs of the at least three sets of LEDs is optically and physically coupled to the third surface.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of fold lines, wherein one fold line of the plurality of fold lines is positioned between a pair of the at least three sets of LEDs.

19. The device of claim 17 , further comprising an optically clear adhesive between the at least three sets of LEDs and the light guide, the optically clear adhesive having a first refractive index value that is substantially equal to a second refractive index value of a material forming the light guide.

20. The device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a first set of surface features formed on the first surface and positioned between the first surface and the first set of LEDs; and
a second set of surface features formed on the second surface and positioned between the second surface and

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Sprague Robert Arthur
• Marason Eric Gifford
• Hou Weihsin
• Jalava Juho Ilkka

Classifications

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G02B6/0073

  Light emitting diode [LED] · CPC title

• G02B6/0021

  for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses · CPC title

• G02B6/0076

  Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area · CPC title

• G02B6/009

  of the light source in the package (G02B6/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title