Granted Patent B1

US 12,207,453 · App. 18/811,475 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventor: William Dunn (Alpharetta, GA)

Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.

H05K7/20972G02F1/13306G02F1/133308G02F1/133385G02F1/133314

Abstract

Claims (71)

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a housing having an intake and an exhaust;

a liquid crystal display interior to the housing;

a backlight interior to the housing and rearward of the liquid crystal display, said backlight comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes;

a cover forward of a viewing surface of the liquid crystal display such that said cover forms a forward portion of said housing;

a panel interior to said housing, at least a portion of which is rearward of, and spaced apart from, a rear surface of the backlight;

an airflow pathway extending, at least in part, from said intake, rearward of the rear surface of the backlight and forward of a forward surface of the panel, and to said exhaust;

a second airflow pathway, separated from the airflow pathway, and forming a closed, continuous airflow pathway extending, at least in part, rearward of the rear surface of the backlight and a rear surface of the panel; and

at least one electronic component for operating the electronic display assembly located at the rear surface of the panel and within the second airflow pathway.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a set of one or more fans located at the airflow pathway.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 2 further comprising:

an additional set of one or more fans located at the second airflow pathway.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 3 further comprising:

one or more surface features extending from the forward surface of the panel into the airflow pathway.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 4 further comprising:

one or more additional surface features extending from the rear surface of the panel into the second airflow pathway.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 5 wherein:

the one or more surface features comprises a plurality of fins; and

the one or more additional surface features comprises a second plurality of fins.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 3 wherein:

said at least one electronic component is directly connected to the rear surface of the panel by an adhesive.

8. The electronic display assembly of claim 3 wherein:

said at least one electronic component is spaced apart from, and connected to, the rear surface of the panel by one or more rods or posts.

9. The electronic display assembly of claim 3 further comprising:

a polarizer located at an interior surface of the cover.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the cover is spaced apart from the viewing surface of the liquid crystal display; and

the second airflow pathway includes a portion extending between an interior surface of the cover and the viewing surface of the liquid crystal display such that the second airflow pathway forms a circuit about an electronic display subassembly comprising the liquid crystal display and the backlight.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 10 wherein:

the cover comprises multiple plates.

12. The electronic display assembly of claim 11 further comprising:

a second polarizer located between the plates of the cover.

13. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said at least one electronic component comprises a transformer, a circuit board, a resistor, and a capacitor; and

each of said at least one electronic component is located within said second airflow pathway.

14. The electronic display assembly of claim 13 wherein:

at least some of the at least one electronic component are electrically connected by wiring to one or more of: the backlight and the liquid crystal display.

15. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the second airflow pathway is fluidly separated from the airflow pathway in a manner sufficient to prevent particulate above a certain size in ambient air within the airflow pathway from entering the second airflow pathway and is less well sealed than a hermetic seal.

16. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the backlight comprises a backlight panel, where the plurality of light emitting didoes are mounted to the backlight panel;

the airflow pathway comprises multiple, distinct sub-pathways within the housing; and

at least one of said distinct sub-pathways extends along the rear surface of the backlight panel.

17. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a housing having an intake and an exhaust;

a liquid crystal display;

a backlight comprising a backlight panel and a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged at said backlight panel to illuminate the liquid crystal display when activated;

a panel positioned interior to said housing and rearward of the backlight, where at least a portion of the panel is spaced apart from a rear surface of the backlight;

an airflow pathway extending from the intake, along at least part of the rear surface of the backlight panel and along at least part of a forward surface of the panel, and to the exhaust;

a second airflow pathway, fluidly separated from the airflow pathway in a manner sufficient to prevent particulate above a certain size in ambient air within the airflow pathway from entering the second airflow pathway and is less well sealed than a hermetic seal, and forming a closed, continuous airflow pathway extending, in part, rearward of the backlight and along at least part of a rear surface of the panel;

electronic components for operating the electronic display assembly located at the rear surface of the panel and within the second airflow pathway;

a cover provided forward of a viewing surface of the liquid crystal display, said cover and said housing, collectively, forming an enclosure for at least the liquid crystal display, the backlight, the panel, the electronic components, and the second airflow pathway;

at least one fan located at the airflow pathway; and

at least one additional fan located at the second airflow pathway.

18. The electronic display assembly of claim 17 further comprising:

surface features, at least one of which extends from the forward surface of the panel into the airflow pathway.

19. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a housing having an intake and an exhaust;

a liquid crystal display having a viewing surface;

a backlight for illuminating the liquid crystal display;

a cover positioned forward of the viewing surface of the liquid crystal display;

a panel positioned behind of the backlight such that the panel is, at least in part, spaced apart from a rear surface of the backlight;

an airflow pathway extending between the intake and the exhaust, including a portion which extends along the rear surface of the backlight and a forward surface of the panel;

a second airflow pathway, fluidly separated from the airflow pathway in a manner sufficient to prevent particulate above a certain size in ambient air within the airflow pathway from entering the second airflow pathway and is less well sealed than a hermetic seal, and forming a closed, continuous airflow pathway extending, at least in part, along a rear surface of the panel;

electronic components for operating the electronic display assembly provided at the rear surface of the panel and within the second airflow pathway; and

at least one surface feature provided at the forward surface of the panel and extending into the airflow pathway to facilitate heat transfer from circulating air within the second airflow pathway to the ambient air within the airflow pathway, wherein the cover and the housing, collectively, form an enclosure for at least the panel, the backlight, the liquid crystal display, the second airflow pathway, the electronic components, and the at least one surface feature;

at least one fan located at the airflow pathway for moving the ambient air through the airflow pathway, when activated; and

at least one additional fan located at the second airflow pathway for moving the circulating air through the second airflow pathway, when activated.

20. The electronic display assembly of claim 19 further comprising:

at least one polarizer provided forward of the viewing surface and within the enclosure.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (12)

References Cited (400)