Chassis for Display Backlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016131830-A1
Application number	US-201614996083-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display. Backlight structures may be used to provide backlight for the display. The backlight structures may include a light guide plate. A rectangular ring-shaped chassis may have a rectangular opening that receives the light guide plate. One or more edges of the chassis may be provided with an array of notches that receive light-emitting diodes or other light sources. The light sources may launch light into edge portions of the light guide plate. The chassis may include a first plastic structure such as a light reflecting structure formed from a material such as white plastic. The first plastic structure may surround two or more peripheral edges of the light guide plate. The chassis may also include a second plastic structure such as a light blocking structure formed from a material such as black plastic that helps prevent light leakage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a display; backlight structures that provide backlight for the display; sidewall surfaces within the electronic device that form a rectangular peripheral edge within the electronic device; and a plastic structure that is molded onto the sidewall surfaces, wherein the plastic structure at least partially surrounds the backlight structures.

2 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the backlight structures include a light guide plate, wherein the sidewall surfaces are peripheral edge surfaces of the light guide plate, and wherein the peripheral edge surfaces form a rectangular periphery of the light guide plate.

3 . The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein plastic structure is molded onto at least one of the peripheral edge surfaces of the light guide plate and at least partially surrounds the light guide plate.

4 . The electronic device defined in claim 3 , wherein the light guide plate is formed of plastic such that a plastic-to-plastic interface is formed between the at least one of the peripheral edge surfaces of the light guide plate and the plastic structure.

5 . The electronic device defined in claim 3 , wherein the plastic structure comprises light-reflecting plastic.

6 . The electronic device defined in claim 5 , further comprising:
an additional plastic structure comprising light-blocking plastic, wherein the additional plastic structure at least partially surrounds the light guide plate.

7 . The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the light-reflecting plastic is at least partially interposed between the light-blocking plastic and the at least one of the peripheral edge surfaces of the light guide plate.

8 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing in which the display, the backlight structures, and the plastic structure are mounted, wherein the sidewall surfaces comprise interior edge surfaces of the housing.

9 . The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the plastic structure is molded onto at least one of the interior edge surfaces of the housing.

10 . The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the plastic structure comprises light-blocking plastic.

11 . An electronic device, comprising:
a housing; a display in the housing; a light source that produces backlight for the display; a light guide plate having a peripheral edge surface; and an injection-molded plastic layer interposed between the housing and the light guide plate, wherein the injection-molded plastic layer is injection molded onto at least one of the housing and the light guide plate.

12 . The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the light guide plate is formed of plastic, and wherein the injection-molded plastic layer is injection molded onto the peripheral edge surface of the light guide plate such that there is a plastic-to-plastic interface between the light guide plate and the injection-molded plastic layer.

13 . The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the peripheral edge forms at least part of a rectangular periphery of the light guide plate, and wherein the injection-molded plastic layer comprises light-reflecting plastic that at least partially surrounds the rectangular periphery of the light guide plate.

14 . The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the injection-molded plastic layer comprises light-blocking plastic that is injection molded onto the housing.

15 . The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the peripheral edge forms at least part of a rectangular periphery of the light guide plate, and wherein the light-blocking plastic at least partially surrounds the rectangular periphery of the light guide plate.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing; a display mounted in the housing; a light guide plate that provides backlight to the display, wherein the light guide plate has sidewall surfaces that form a rectangular periphery of the light guide plate; and plastic material injection molded onto a surface within the electronic device, wherein the plastic material is interposed between the housing and at least one of the sidewall surfaces of the light guide plate such that the injection molded plastic material at least partially surrounds the rectangular periphery of the light guide plate.

17 . The electronic device defined in claim 16 , wherein the surface is at least one of the sidewall surfaces of the light guide plate, and wherein the plastic material comprises light-reflecting plastic.

18 . The electronic device defined in claim 17 , further comprising:
light-blocking plastic injection molded onto the light-reflecting plastic, wherein the light-reflecting plastic is interposed between the light-blocking plastic and the at least one of the sidewall surfaces of the light guide plate.

19 . The electronic device defined in claim 16 , wherein the surface is an interior surface of the housing, and wherein the plastic material comprises light-blocking plastic.

20 . The electronic device defined in claim 19 , further comprising:
light-reflecting plastic injection molded onto the light-blocking plastic, wherein the light-blocking plastic is interposed between the light-reflecting plastic and the interior surface of the housing.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gettemy Shawn R
• Wurzel Joshua G
• Doyle David A
• Schlaupitz Alexander D

Classifications

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G02B6/0065

  Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects · CPC title

• G02B6/0088 Primary

  of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package · CPC title

• G02F1/133314

  Back frames · CPC title

• G02F1/133317

  Intermediate frames, e.g. between backlight housing and front frame · CPC title