Display system with distributed LED backlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10288937-B2
Application number	US-201615130763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2007
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A display system with a distributed LED backlight includes: providing a plurality of tile LED light sources, each tile LED light source having a tile and a plurality of similar LED light sources on each tile connected for emitting light therefrom; orienting the plurality of tile LED light sources for illuminating a display from the back of the display; and integrating the plurality of tile LED light sources into a thermally and mechanically structurally integrated distributed LED tile matrix backlight light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A backlight unit comprising:
a plurality of tiles, wherein each of the plurality of tiles has a planar portion on which a plurality of light-emitting diodes is mounted and a side portion that is bent away from the planar portion, wherein a first side portion of a first tile in the plurality of tiles overlaps and is connected to a second side portion of a second tile in the plurality of tiles; and
an array tray that supports the plurality of tiles, wherein the array tray has alternating ridges and grooves, and wherein the side portions are received in the grooves.

2. The backlight unit defined in claim 1 , wherein the overlapping first and second side portions comprise aligned holes and wherein the backlight unit further comprises:
a fastener that extends through the aligned holes to connect the first tile to the second tile.

3. The backlight unit defined in claim 2 , wherein the fastener is a screw.

4. The backlight unit defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tiles has an additional side portion opposite the side portion, and wherein the additional side portion is bent away from the planar portion.

5. The backlight unit defined in claim 4 , wherein the side portion and the additional side portion each include an opening.

6. The backlight unit defined in claim 4 , wherein the side portion and the additional side portion extend downwardly from the planar portion.

7. The backlight unit defined in claim 1 , wherein the planar portions overlap the ridges.

8. The backlight unit defined in claim 1 , wherein the planar portion of each tile overlaps a ridge of the array tray.

9. The backlight unit defined in claim 8 , wherein the planar portion of each tile has an upper surface on which the plurality of light-emitting diodes is mounted and wherein the side portion of each tile is bent away from the upper surface into one of the grooves.

10. A display comprising:
a backlight assembly comprising:
a rail having first and second opposing surfaces;
a plurality of tiles mounted to the rail, wherein each of the plurality of tiles comprises a planar portion that overlaps the first surface of the rail and a tile arm that extends from an edge of the planar portion and wraps around an edge of the rail from the first surface to the second surface; and

a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on the planar portion of each of the tiles.

11. The display defined in claim 10 , wherein the tile arms attach the plurality of tiles to the rail.

12. The display defined in claim 10 , wherein the rail comprises a protrusion that extends from the second surface.

13. The display defined in claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of tiles comprises an additional tile arm that extends from an opposing edge of the planar portion and wraps around an opposing edge of the rail from the first surface to the second surface.

14. The display defined in claim 13 , wherein the protrusion extends between the tile arm and the additional tile arm.

15. The display defined in claim 10 , wherein the tile arm comprises a spring finger that extends under the second surface of the rail.

16. The display defined in claim 15 , wherein the second surface of the rail comprises a pocket in which the spring finger is received to secure each of the plurality of tiles to the rail.

17. A backlight assembly comprising:
a plurality of tiles;
a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted to each of the plurality of tiles;
a rail having a planar portion on which each of the plurality of tiles rests and a protrusion that extends from the planar portion to form a retaining channel, wherein a first edge of each of the plurality of tiles is received in the retaining channel; and
a retainer spring that is attached to the rail and that presses an opposing second edge of each of the plurality of tiles against the rail.

18. The backlight assembly defined in claim 17 , wherein the protrusion overlaps the first edge of each of the plurality of tiles that is received in the retaining channel.

19. The backlight assembly defined in claim 17 further comprising a fastener that extends into the rail to attach the retainer spring to the rail.

20. The backlight assembly defined in claim 17 further comprising an array tray, wherein the rail is one of a plurality of rails that are attached to the array tray.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hillman Michael D
• Tice Gregory L
• Law William Sauway
• Bailey Sean
• Torres Ann
• Alcorta Efrain
• Anderson Perry

Classifications

• G02F1/133608

  including particular frames or supporting means · CPC title

• G02F1/133603 Primary

  with LEDs · CPC title

• G02F2001/133612

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F2001/133628

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F1/133628

  with cooling means · CPC title