Expandable light guide for backlight

1. A backlight assembly comprising:

a light guide plate having a pair of opposing edges;

a light guide spacer located rearward of the light guide plate and coupled to the light guide plate so as to be movable therewith;

a back pan located rearward of the light guide spacer; and

a sliding LED subassembly, the sliding LED subassembly comprising a connecting assembly, and a plurality of LEDs that are separated from the edge of the light guide by a gap of some distance, a portion of the connecting assembly of the LED subassembly located rearward of the back pan and coupled to the light guide spacer by an element that passes through a slot in the back pan such that the LED subassembly is movable with the light guide spacer and the distance between the LEDs and the edge of the light guide plate will remain the same during movement of the light guide plate.

2. The backlight assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of LEDs positioned adjacent to the edge of the light guide plate opposite the sliding LED subassembly.

3. The backlight assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a slot in the light guide plate; and

a post extending from the back pan and aligned within the slot in the light guide plate.

4. The backlight assembly of claim 3 wherein:

the slot is oriented substantially parallel to the opposing edges of the light guide plate.

5. The backlight assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the slot in the back pan permits the sliding LED subassembly and the light guide spacer to move relative to the back pan.

6. The backlight assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a slot placed in the light guide plate; and

a post extending from the connecting assembly of the sliding LED assembly, the post passing through light guide spacer and aligned within the slot in the light guide plate.

7. The backlight assembly of claim 6 wherein:

the post couples the sliding LED assembly to the light guide plate.

8. A backlight assembly comprising:

a light guide having a first pair of opposing edges and a second pair of opposing edges;

a first slot in the light guide located near and oriented substantially parallel to a first one of the first pair of opposing edges;

a second slot in the light guide located near and oriented substantially parallel to a second one of the first pair of opposing edges;

a third slot in the light guide located along and oriented substantially perpendicular to at least the first one of the first pair of opposing edges;

a back pan located rearward of the light guide and having a slot that is oriented substantially parallel to the third slot in the light guide;

a sliding LED subassembly extending along at least the first one of the first pair of opposing edges of the light guide, the LED subassembly having a coupling element that extends through the slot in the back pan and into the third slot in the light guide, and is slidable within said slots.

9. The backlight assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the sliding LED subassembly comprises a plurality of LEDs that are located at a distance (D) from at least one of the first pair of opposing edges of the light guide; and

the sliding LED subassembly is movable with the light guide such that the distance (D) will remain substantially unchanged during expansion or contraction of the light guide.

10. The backlight assembly of claim 8 wherein:

a post extends forward from the back pan and into the first slot in the light guide, thereby slidably coupling the light guide to the back pan.

11. The backlight assembly of claim 8 wherein:

a multitude of said third slots reside in the light guide along the first one of the first pair of opposing edges;

a multitude of said back pan slots reside in the back pan, the back pan slots aligned with the third slots in the light guide; and

the LED subassembly includes a multitude of coupling elements that extend through the slots in the back pan and into the third slots in the light guide.

12. The backlight assembly of claim 8 wherein:

a multitude of said third slots reside in the light guide along both the first one and second one of the first pair of opposing edges;

a multitude of said back pan slots reside in the back pan, the back pan slots aligned with the third slots located along both the first one and second one of the first pair of opposing edges of the light guide; and

an LED subassembly is located along both the first one and second one of the first pair of opposing edges of the light guide, the LED subassemblies each including a multitude of coupling elements that extend through the slots in the back pan and into the third slots in the light guide.

13. The backlight assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the sliding LED subassembly comprises a light guide spacer positioned between the light guide and the back pan; and

a post extends forward from the light guide spacer and into the second slot in the light guide, such that movement of the light guide in a direction parallel to the second slot will have substantially no effect on the light guide spacer, while movement of the light guide in a direction perpendicular to the second slot will result in like movement of the light guide spacer.

14. The backlight assembly of claim 13 wherein:

the sliding LED subassembly further comprises a connecting element that is attached to the light guide spacer as well as to a mounting substrate having a plurality of LEDs affixed thereto;

whereby movement of the light guide spacer will result in like movement of the LED subassembly, thereby maintaining the position of the LEDs relative to the at least first one of the first pair of opposing edges of the light guide.

15. A backlight assembly comprising:

a back pan having first and second opposing edges;

a light guide located forward of the back pan, the light guide having first and second opposing edges that are substantially parallel to the first and second opposing edges of the back pan;

a light guide spacer interposed between the back pan and the light guide;

a sliding LED subassembly located along each of the opposing edges of the light guide, the LED subassembly including a connecting member that resides rearward of the back pan;

a plurality of LEDs affixed to each of the LED subassemblies such that the LEDs are respectively positioned along each of the opposing edges of the light guide at a set distance therefrom;

a plurality of back pan coupling slots located near the first edge of the light guide and oriented substantially parallel thereto;

a plurality of back pan coupling posts extending forward from the back pan and aligned within corresponding back pan coupling slots in the light guide;

a plurality of light guide spacer coupling slots located near the second edge of the light guide and oriented substantially parallel thereto;

a plurality of light guide spacer coupling posts extending forward from the light guide spacer and aligned within corresponding light guide spacer coupling slots in the light guide;

a plurality of clearance slots located near each of the first edge and the second edge of the back pan and oriented substantially perpendicular to the first and second opposing edges thereof;

a plurality of clearance slots located near each of the first edge and the second edge of the light guide and oriented substantially perpendicular to the first and second opposing edges thereof, the clearance slots in the light guide aligned with the clearance slots in the back pan; and

a plurality of light guide spacer coupling elements extending forward from the connecting member of the LED subassembly, the light guide spacer coupling posts passing through corresponding clearance slots in the back pan, through the light guide spacer, and aligned within corresponding clearance slots in the light guide, the light guide spacer coupling elements coupling the LED subassembly to the light guide spacer;

wherein expansion or contraction of the light guide in a direction substantially parallel to the first and second opposing edges thereof will not substantially effect the position of the light guide spacer, while expansion or contraction of the light guide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second opposing edges thereof will result in a like movement of the light guide spacer and the LED subassembly coupled thereto, thereby maintaining the set distance of the LEDs from the first and second opposing edges of the light guide.

16. The backlight assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the light guide spacer coupling elements are selected from the group consisting of posts, threaded fasteners, and rivets.

17. The backlight assembly of claim 15 wherein:

wherein some expansion or contraction of the light guide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second opposing edges thereof is possible before resulting in like movement of the light guide spacer.

18. The backlight assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the sliding LED subassembly comprises a plate-like connecting member that abuts a rear surface of the back pan, and a forward extending side wall that is configured to receive and retain the LEDs.

19. The backlight assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the LEDs reside on a substrate that is affixed to the respective LED subassembly side walls.