Expandable light guide for backlight
View Patent ↗Described herein are exemplary embodiments of a light guide assembly for a backlight and backlight assemblies using such light guide assemblies. An exemplary backlight assembly may have a light guide with a pair of opposing edges and a sliding LED subassembly placed along an edge of the light guide and attached to the light guide so that movement of the light guide causes movement of the sliding LED subassembly. In some embodiments, a first slot may be positioned within the light guide where a post extends from the sliding LED subassembly to engage with the first slot in the light guide. In some embodiments, a back pan may be positioned behind the light guide where a post can extend from the back pan to engage with a second slot in the light guide.
1. A light guide assembly for a backlight, comprising:
a planar light guide having first and second opposing edges to be illuminated;
a plurality of slots in the light guide, each slot having a length that extends parallel to the first and second opposing edges of the light guide;
a planar light guide spacer residing rearward of the light guide and associated with the first and second opposing edges of the light guide;
a back pan residing rearward of the light guide spacer;
first and second L-shaped LED connecting assemblies, each LED connecting assembly having a connecting portion that resides rearward of the light guide and is coupled to the light guide spacer, and a LED mounting portion that extends transversely from the light guide connecting portion to reside adjacent to and parallel with a respective one of the opposing edges of the light guide when the LED connecting assemblies are coupled thereto; and
a plurality of slots through the back pan, the slots having a length that extends perpendicular to the slots in the light guide and arranged to receive a portion of posts that couple the light guide spacer to the connecting portions of the LED connecting assemblies;
whereby the light guide spacer and the LED connecting assemblies are constrained to move in kind with the light guide during thermal expansion or contraction of the light guide in a direction perpendicular to the length of the slots in the light guide.
2. The light guide assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light guide is freely movable relative to the light guide spacer and the LED connecting assemblies in a direction parallel to the length of the slots in the light guide.
3. The light guide assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light guide spacer further includes a plurality of coupling elements that extend therefrom into corresponding ones of the slots in the light guide.
4. The light guide assembly of claim 1 , wherein the LED mounting portions of the first and second LED connecting assemblies reside at a predetermined, fixed distance from the respective first and second opposing edges edge of the light guide.
5. The light guide assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a set of LEDs affixed to the LED mounting portion of each of the LED connecting assemblies.
6. The light guide assembly of claim 5 , wherein each set of LEDs is mounted to the LED mounting portion of its respective LED connecting assembly with a substrate therebetween.
7. A light guide assembly for a backlight, comprising:
a planar light guide having first and second opposing edges to be illuminated;
a plurality of slots in the light guide, each slot having a length that extends parallel to the first and second opposing edges of the light guide;
first and second planar light guide spacers residing rearward of the light guide and respectively associated with the first and second opposing edges of the light guide;
a back pan residing rearward of the light guide spacers;
first and second L-shaped LED connecting assemblies, each LED connecting assembly having a connecting portion that resides rearward of the light guide and is coupled to a respective one of the light guide spacers, and a LED mounting portion that extends transversely from the light guide connecting portion to reside adjacent to and parallel with a respective one of the opposing edges of the light guide when the LED connecting assemblies are coupled thereto; and
a plurality of slots through the back pan, the slots having a length that extends perpendicular to the slots in the light guide and arranged to receive a portion of posts that couple each light guide spacer to the connecting portion of a respective one of the LED connecting assemblies;
whereby the light guide spacers and the LED connecting assemblies are constrained to move in kind with the light guide during thermal expansion or contraction of the light guide in a direction perpendicular to the length of the slots in the light guide.
8. The light guide assembly of claim 7 , wherein the light guide is freely movable relative to the light guide spacers and the LED connecting assemblies in a direction parallel to the length of the slots in the light guide.
9. The light guide assembly of claim 7 , wherein each light guide spacer further includes a plurality of coupling elements that extend therefrom into corresponding ones of the slots in the light guide.
10. The light guide assembly of claim 7 , wherein the LED mounting portions of the first and second LED connecting assemblies reside at a predetermined, fixed distance from the respective first and second opposing edges edge of the light guide.
11. The light guide assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a set of LEDs affixed to the LED mounting portion of each of the LED connecting assemblies.
12. The light guide assembly of claim 11 , wherein each set of LEDs is mounted to the LED mounting portion of its respective LED connecting assembly with a substrate therebetween.