Display having optical films with bent alignment structures

US11003208B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Keith J. Hendren · San Francisco, US
• Adam T. Garelli · معلمی نژاد, US
• Bryan W. Posner · La Selva Beach, US
• Dinesh C. Mathew · Fremont, US
• Mengyang Liang · San Mateo, US
• Eric L. Benson · Burlingame, US
• Victor H. Yin · Cupertino, US
• Jun Qi · Cupertino, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 14, 2019
• Grant date: May 11, 2021
• Expiry date: May 14, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2202/28
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electronic device such as a laptop computer or other device may have a housing. A display may be coupled to the housing. The display may have a pixel array configured to display an image. Backlight illumination for the pixel array may be provide by a backlight unit. The backlight unit may have a light guide layer. A light source may provide light to an edge of the light guide layer. The light guide layer may scatter the light outwardly to serve as the backlight illumination for the pixel array. The backlight unit may have optical films interposed between the light guide layer and the pixel array. The optical films may include flexible polymer layers such as diffuser layers and prism films. The optical films may each have a bent alignment portion that bends back on itself while wrapping around an edge of the light guide layer.