Patent Application
20170215290
A typical display device includes an active display area operable to output visible imagery and a non-active display area in which display electronics are disposed. A structure such as a black mask may be positioned over the non-active display area to render the display electronics imperceptible.
Examples are disclosed herein that relate to display devices. One example provides a display device comprising a chassis including a ledge surrounding an aperture, a cover layer positioned in the aperture, and a display layer attached to the cover layer, the display layer having a perimeter portion extending beyond an outer edge of the cover layer and positioned below an underside of the ledge.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
As described above, a typical display device may include an active display area, in which pixels or other display elements operate to produce visible imagery, and a non-active display area in which display electronics that drive operation of the display elements are disposed. The non-active display area may occupy a perimeter portion of the display device—e.g., the perimeter portion may surround the active display area. Typically, a structure such as a black mask is used to conceal the non-active display area so that the display electronics disposed therein are imperceptible to users. The concealment of display electronics may increase the aesthetic quality of a display device, as their appearance may be considered undesirable and in visual contrast to the active display area, whose maximization may correlate to aesthetic quality as well.
While the use of a black mask may effectively render display electronics imperceptible, the increase in aesthetic quality due to its inclusion may be limited by the device chassis portion required to support the black mask. In a typical implementation, a recess is formed in a display device chassis in which an adhesive is disposed. A black mask is then positioned in the recess on top of the adhesive and is thus adhered to the chassis. Other components, such as a cover layer and a display layer, are suspended in the chassis and supported by the black mask through their direct or intermediate attachment to the black mask. As such, a minimum recess size is required to support the black mask and display components. This in turn imposes a minimum bezel width—e.g., the distance between an outer edge of the active display area to an outer edge of a device chassis—on a display device, which may limit the overall aesthetic quality of the display device by surrounding the active display area with a highly perceptible non-active display area.
To address the issues described above, implementations are described herein for providing a display device that reduces or eliminates the use of a black mask or other dedicated concealing structures.
Display device 100 includes an active display area 104 in which the display device is operable to output graphical content. A plurality of display elements such as pixels in active display area 104 may be driven by display electronics to produce graphical content. Conversely, the display electronics may be positioned outside of active display area 104 in a non-active display area, which is partially represented at locations 106 corresponding to the left and right sides of mobile computing device 102. Here, a chassis 108, which forms at least a portion of the housing of mobile computing device 102, is leveraged to conceal the display electronics to the left and right of active display area 104. As a result, a black mask or other structure that might otherwise be used to conceal underlying components at this location may be omitted. Further, some or all of the portion of chassis 108 used to conceal the display electronics may be a chassis portion formed even had a concealing structure been used. The omission of a concealing structure and use of an existing chassis portion to conceal display electronics may individually or cooperatively reduce a bezel width 110 of mobile computing device 102, which may increase the aesthetic quality of the mobile computing device and display device 100. As shown in
In some implementations, both a device chassis and a concealing structure may be used to conceal a non-active display area. As an example,
Display device 200 includes a chassis 202 that at least partially provides a housing for the display device and at least partially encloses the components therein. Chassis 202 may include and/or be formed from any suitable material(s) including but not limited to metals and plastics. At a top region of display device 200, chassis 202 includes a ledge 204 surrounding an aperture 206. Ledge 204 may be used to conceal underlying display electronics in a display layer 208 and to potentially support components in display device 200. Display layer 208 includes an active display area 210 operable to output visible imagery, and a non-active display area 212 comprising display electronics that drive the display elements in the active display area. As may be seen in
Display layer 208 may employ any suitable display technologies. For example, display layer 208 may be a liquid-crystal display (LCD). As another example, display layer 208 may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. In such implementations, the OLED display may be flexible, allowing the OLED display to be at least partially non-planar—e.g., the OLED display may be wrapped along a portion of side walls 220 of chassis 202, potentially along with other components such as a touch sensor. Further, use of an OLED display may facilitate a reduced gap between the display and chassis relative to display devices that incorporate other display types. To this end,
A variety of components may be positioned in and/or through aperture 206. For example,
Display layer 208 may be attached to cover layer 214 via direct or intermediate connection. As an example,
Components for providing functionality other than display output may be included in display device 200. As an example,
Display device 200 may include a ledge gap 228 interposed between cover layer 214 and ledge 204 of chassis 202. To prevent undesired entry of debris and other material into display device 200 through aperture 206, ledge gap 228 may be sealed via a suitable sealant deposited in the gap. In some implementations, ledge gap 228 may be sealed via an adhesive that provides support to components in display device. As an example,
Structures may be used to support components in display device 200 alternatively or in addition to the use of adhesive 230. As an example,
While
Method 400 may include, at 402, optionally depositing an adhesive on one of an underside of a ledge and at least a portion of a non-active display area of a display layer. In such an example, the display layer may be attached to the underside of the ledge by placing the non-active display layer in contact with the underside of the ledge through the adhesive.
Method 400 may include, at 404, positioning the display layer in an aperture of a chassis. Positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may include, at 406, inserting the display layer through the aperture at an oblique angle relative to a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the chassis, and then leveling the display layer. Leveling the display layer may include aligning the display layer with the horizontal axis, for example. Positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may include, at 408, inserting the display layer in a longitudinal direction through a cavity of the chassis. In such an example, the chassis may be formed in separate stages, where the chassis may be initially formed with a cavity through which the display layer, and potentially other components, may be inserted. With the desired components inserted through the cavity, the cavity may be sealed, for example. Positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may include, at 410, bending the chassis to increase a size of the aperture and inserting the display layer through the aperture.
Method 400 may include, at 412, positioning the non-active display area of the display layer under the ledge of the chassis. In this way, the non-active display area and the components therein may be concealed from visual perception.
Method 400 may include, at 414, positioning a cover layer within the aperture of the chassis. Positioning the cover layer within the aperture of the chassis may include, at 416, heating the chassis to a first temperature and cooling the cover layer to a second (e.g., lower) temperature, and, with the chassis at the first temperature and the cover layer at the second temperature, positioning the cover layer in the aperture. In such an approach, the material expansion and contraction of the chassis and cover layer may be leveraged to install the cover layer in the display device.
Method 400 may include, at 418, optionally coupling the ledge to the chassis, for example in implementations in which the ledge is formed separately from the chassis. In alternative implementations, the ledge may be formed integrally with the chassis.
Method 400 may include, at 420, aligning the cover layer with an active display area of the display layer. The cover layer may be aligned with the active display area so that the active display area is fully utilized—e.g., no display elements therein are occluded or otherwise obscured.
Method 400 may include, at 422, optionally sealing a gap between the cover layer and the ledge. A suitable sealant may be used in lieu of an adhesive, for example, if support otherwise afforded to the TDM by the adhesive is unnecessary.
Method 400 may include, at 424, optionally depositing an adhesive in the gap and on at least a portion of the non-active display area of the display layer through the gap to bond the portion of the non-active display area to the underside of the ledge. In this approach, the adhesive may be deposited following insertion of the TDM into the display device, for example as an alternative to earlier deposition of the adhesive at 402 prior to TDM insertion.
Another example provides a display device comprising a chassis including a ledge surrounding an aperture, a cover layer positioned in the aperture, and a display layer attached to the cover layer, the display layer having a perimeter portion extending beyond an outer edge of the cover layer and positioned below an underside of the ledge. In such an example, the perimeter portion may alternatively or additionally be a non-active display area of the display layer. In such an example, the display layer may alternatively or additionally be attached to the cover layer via an optically clear adhesive. In such an example, the display device may alternatively or additionally comprise at least one compliant support positioned between the display layer and a bottom inner surface of the chassis. In such an example, the ledge may alternatively or additionally be an upper ledge, and the display device may alternatively or additionally comprise a lower ledge. In such an example, the display layer may alternatively or additionally be positioned between the underside of the upper ledge and the lower ledge. In such an example, the display device may alternatively or additionally comprise a gap interposed between the cover layer and the ledge. In such an example, the gap may alternatively or additionally have an adhesive deposited therein. In such an example, the perimeter portion of the display layer may alternatively or additionally be bonded to the underside of the ledge via the adhesive. In such an example, the display device may alternatively or additionally comprise a gap interposed between the cover layer and the ledge. In such an example, the gap may alternatively or additionally be sealed via a sealant deposited in the gap. Any or all of the above-described examples may be combined in any suitable manner in various implementations.
Another example provides a method comprising positioning a display layer in an aperture of a chassis, positioning a non-active display area of the display layer under a ledge of the chassis, the ledge defining the aperture, positioning a cover layer within the aperture, and aligning the cover layer with the active display area of the display layer. In such an example, the ledge may alternatively or additionally be formed separately from the chassis and may alternatively or additionally be coupled to the chassis after positioning the display layer in the chassis and the cover layer in the aperture. In such an example, the ledge may alternatively or additionally be formed integrally with the chassis. In such an example, a gap may alternatively or additionally be interposed between the cover layer and the ledge, and the method may alternatively or additionally comprise sealing the gap with a sealant. In such an example, a gap may alternatively or additionally be interposed between the cover layer and the ledge, and the method may alternatively or additionally comprise depositing an adhesive in the gap and on at least a portion of the non-active display area of the display layer through the gap to bond the portion of the non-active display area to an underside of the ledge. In such an example, an adhesive may alternatively or additionally be disposed on one of an underside of the ledge and at least a portion of the non-active display area of the display layer prior to positioning of the display layer in the chassis. In such an example, positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may alternatively or additionally include inserting the display layer through the aperture at an oblique angle relative to a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the chassis and then leveling the display layer. In such an example, positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may alternatively or additionally include inserting the display layer in a longitudinal direction through a cavity of the chassis, the cavity defined by side walls and a bottom of the chassis. In such an example, positioning the display layer in the aperture of the chassis may alternatively or additionally include bending the chassis to increase a size of the aperture and inserting the display layer through the aperture. In such an example, positioning the cover layer in the aperture may alternatively or additionally include heating the chassis to a first temperature and cooling the cover layer to a second temperature, and, with the chassis at the first temperature and the cover layer at the second temperature, positioning the cover layer in the aperture. Any or all of the above-described examples may be combined in any suitable manner in various implementations.
Another example provides a display device comprising a chassis including a ledge surrounding an aperture, a cover layer positioned in the aperture, an optically clear layer positioned below the cover layer, and a display layer positioned below the optically clear layer, the display layer having a non-active display area extending beyond an outer edge of the cover layer and positioned below an underside of the ledge. In such an example, the display device may alternatively or additionally comprise one or more compliant supports positioned between the display layer and a bottom inner surface of the chassis. In such an example, the ledge may alternatively or additionally be an upper ledge, the chassis may alternatively or additionally include a lower ledge, and the display layer may alternatively or additionally be positioned between the underside of the upper ledge and the lower ledge. Any or all of the above-described examples may be combined in any suitable manner in various implementations.
It will be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts illustrated and/or described may be performed in the sequence illustrated and/or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Likewise, the order of the above-described processes may be changed.
The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.
