Display device

What is this patent about?

’270 is related to the field of display device construction, specifically the mechanical assembly of backlight units in liquid crystal televisions. In high-performance displays, managing the heat generated by LED light sources while maintaining a slim profile is a significant engineering challenge. Traditional designs often rely on separate fasteners like nuts and bolts to secure heat sinks and light source substrates to the rear chassis, which increases both the bill of materials and the complexity of the manufacturing assembly line.

The underlying idea behind ’270 is to eliminate discrete fasteners by utilizing the structural material of the housing itself to secure the internal lighting components. By employing a cut-and-lift manufacturing process on the sheet metal rear frame, the invention creates integral mechanical features that serve dual purposes: precisely locating the light source units and providing a clamping force that resists thermal deformation. This approach treats the chassis not just as a protective shell, but as an active mechanical interface that manages the physical stability of the backlight assembly.

The claims of ’270 focus on a display architecture where a housing includes integral positioning portions that hold a light source unit—comprising a substrate, LED, and diffusing lens—relative to the inner surface. A key aspect of the independent claims is the specific arrangement of these positioning portions, which include contact components that interface directly with a heat dissipation member. The claims further define the spatial relationship of these features, noting they are strategically placed at the center and ends of the light source units to ensure uniform support across the longitudinal span of the housing.

In practice, the invention works by sliding or snapping the heat sink into a series of integrated hooks and warping suppressors. The warping suppressor is a critical refinement; it is a tab that sits on the front side of the heat sink to prevent the metal from bowing toward the display panel as it expands during operation. By placing these features near the center of gravity and the longitudinal ends of the light source strips, the design ensures that the optical alignment between the LEDs and the diffusing lenses remains constant, even under significant thermal load.

This approach differs from prior solutions by replacing multi-part fastening systems with integral geometry stamped directly into the rear frame. Unlike conventional designs that might use plastic clips or adhesive tapes—which can fail under heat—the ’270 patent utilizes the rigidity of the sheet metal housing to create a robust, self-securing assembly. This reduces the total part count and assembly steps while simultaneously improving the structural integrity of the backlight unit against heat-induced warping.