A LIGHTING UNIT FOR A VEHICLE DISPLAY AND METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

A lighting unit for a display apparatus for use in a motor vehicle is disclosed herein. The lighting unit includes a light transmitting panel configured to transmit light rays through to a viewing side of a display apparatus; and at least one light source operable to emit light rays across a breadth of the light transmitting panel. the light transmitting panel further comprises a reflector foil sheet applied to at least two sides of the light transmitting panel with no air gaps therebetween. A vehicle display for mounting within an interior of a motor vehicle comprising such a lighting unit, and a method of optimizing light rays for illuminating a display apparatus for use in a motor vehicle is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A lighting unit for a display apparatus for use in a motor vehicle, the lighting unit comprising: a light transmitting panel configured to transmit light rays through to a viewing side of a display apparatus; and at least one light source operable to emit light rays across a breadth of the light transmitting panel, wherein the light transmitting panel further comprises a reflector foil sheet applied to at least two sides of the light transmitting panel with no air gaps therebetween.

2. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two sides of the light transmitting panel comprises a breadth of the light transmitting unit.

3. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the reflector foil sheet is further applied to a light directing side of the light transmitting panel.

4. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the reflector foil sheet applied to the at least two sides of the light transmitting panel and the directing side of the light transmitting panel is a single sheet.

5. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein at least one length of the light transmitting panel is partially applied with the reflector foil sheet.

6. The lighting unit of claim 5, wherein the at least one length of the light transmitting panel comprises a border portion defined by surface unapplied with the reflector foil sheet.

7. The lighting unit of claim 6, wherein the border portion defined is preferably 0.08 mm, more preferably 0.09 mm and even more preferably 0.1 mm.

8. The lighting unit of claim 7, wherein the at least one length of the light transmitting panel further comprises a buffer wall.

9. The lighting unit of claim 8, wherein the buffer wall is made of a non-light transmitting material.

10. The lighting unit of claim 9, wherein the non-light transmitting material is an elastic material.

11. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting panel is flat.

12. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting panel is curved.

13. A lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the lighting unit is mounted in a motor vehicle.

14. A lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the lighting unit is configured within a vehicle display apparatus.

15. A vehicle display for mounting within an interior of a motor vehicle, the vehicle display comprising: a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer; and a lighting unit comprising a light transmitting panel configured to transmit light rays through to a viewing side of a display apparatus, and at least one light source operable to emit light rays across a breadth of the light transmitting panel, wherein at least one length of the light transmitting panel is facing an interior surface of a rooftop of a motor vehicle.

16. The vehicle display of claim 15, wherein the LCD display layer is a thin-film transistor (TFT) display.

17. The vehicle display of claim 15, wherein the at least one length of the light transmitting panel further comprises a buffer wall.

18. A method of optimizing light rays for illuminating a display apparatus for use in a motor vehicle, the method comprising: transmitting light rays, by way of a light transmitting panel, through to a viewing side of a display apparatus; and emitting light rays, by way of at least one light source, across a breadth of the light transmitting panel, wherein reflecting the emitting light rays, by way of a reflector foil sheet applied to at least two sides of the light transmitting panel with no air gaps therebetween, such that the emitting light rays and reflected light rays transmit through the light transmitting panel to the viewing side of the display apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] Other objects and aspects of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a lighting unit in accordance with an embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of a lighting unit within a display system, in accordance with an embodiment;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a lighting unit in accordance with an embodiment;

[0045] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a lighting unit in accordance with an embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a lighting unit in accordance with an embodiment; and

[0047] FIG. 6 shows a vehicle display in accordance with an embodiment.

[0048] In various embodiments described by reference to the above figures, like reference signs refer to like components in several perspective views and/or configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure or the application and uses of the disclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the disclosure or the following detailed description. It is the intent of this disclosure to present a lighting unit for a display apparatus for use in a motor vehicle.

[0050] FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a top view of a lighting unit 100 in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting unit 100 includes a light transmitting panel 102 and at least one light source 104. In this embodiment, the at least one light source 104 is a lighting strip, for example a strip of light comprise multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) 104, 104. The lighting unit 100 further includes at least two reflective surfaces, for example the breadth of the light transmitting pane by adhering a reflective material indicated as 106, 106. The at least two edges of the light transmitting panel, i.e., 106, 106. In this embodiment, the at least two reflective edges are the breadth of the light transmitting panel. The light transmitting panel 102 includes a third reflective surface 108. In an embodiment, the reflective surfaces are adhered with a reflective material with no air gaps between surface of the light transmitting panel 102 and the reflective material 106, 106 and 108. In another embodiment, the reflective material is foil printed onto the light transmitting panel 102. In one embodiment, the reflective material is a reflective foil sheet. Advantageously, using a reflective foil sheet reduces the air gaps between to light transmitting panel 102 and the reflective foil sheet, and more in particular, using a single sheet of reflector foil sheet eliminates additional step of cutting the reflector foil sheet to adhere to edges of the light transmitting panel.

[0051] Referring now to FIG. 2 which shows a cross-section view of a lighting unit 200 within a display system in accordance with an embodiment, a display layer 202 is positioned forward of the light transmitting panel 102, with at least one light source 104 positioned adjacent to the light transmitting panel 102, for transmitting light rays to light transmitting panel 102. The at least one light source 104 transmit light rays to the light transmitting panel 102. The light transmitting panel 102 includes the reflector foil sheet 106 on an edge of the light transmitting panel 102 and a reflective foil 108 partially covering another edge of the light transmitting panel 102. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the reflective foil 108 partially covers a length of the light transmitting panel 102. Light rays transmit through the display layer 202 from the lighting unit 100, to display images to a viewing side of the display, such that images displayed on the display apparatus is viewable by a viewer's eye 204. For clarity and brevity, a light transmitting side of the lighting unit 100 will be the side that transmit light towards the display layer 202, towards the viewing side of the display apparatus, visible to viewer 204. Optionally, there may be additional layers of optical elements (not shown) such as optical foils or diffusor foils between the lighting unit 100 and the display layer 202, for directing light rays towards the display layer 202. Example of suitable display layers 202 may include liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED) display layer and thin film transistor (TFT) display layer.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a lighting unit 300 in accordance with an embodiment. In this embodiment, the light transmitting panel 102 is curved. It shall be understood by a skilled practitioner, the same principle of this disclosure applies to a flat transmitting panel 102. In this embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a single piece of reflector foil sheet 106 is applied to the light transmitting panel 102. At least two edges or the breadth of the light transmitting panel 102 is covered with the reflective foil sheet 106. This is achieved by folding the breath of the reflector foil sheet 106 to created edges 302, 302 and adhering the reflector foil sheet 106 to the light transmitting panel 106.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a lighting unit 400 in accordance with an embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 4 shows a zoom-in view of a part of a length of the lighting unit 100, of which at least one length of the light transmitting panel 102 is partially applied with the reflector foil sheet, thereby creating a reflective surface 108. The at least one length of the light transmitting panel 102 which is not covered by the reflective foil may be define a border portion 402. Preferably, the reflective surface 108 is applied to at least a length of the light transmitting panel 102 using printed foil technique, thus eliminating air gaps between the light transmitting panel 102 and the reflective foil sheet 106. Preferably, the border portion has a very small dimension, preferably 0.08 mm, more preferably 0.09 mm and even more preferably 0.1 mm. Advantageously, the border portion 402 provides a means to moderate expansion and contraction of the light transmitting panel 102 due to heat sink caused by the display apparatus and more in particular ambient or environmental temperature changes, e.g., sunlight or cold weather. Therefore, this embodiment is particularly advantageous to vehicle display applications.

[0054] Preferably, the at least a length of the light transmitting panel 102 with reflective surface 108 and a border portion 402 further comprises a buffer wall 502, as shown on FIG. 5, which illustrates shows an exploded view of a lighting unit 500 in accordance with an embodiment. The buffer wall 502 is ideally the same shape and size as a length of the light transmitting panel 102. The buffer wall 502 is made of non-light transmitting material. An advantage of the buffer wall 502 achieves the objective of conserving loss of light rays, which may transmit through the border portion 402. Further, the non- the non-light transmitting material is ideally an elastic material, to accommodate expansion and contraction caused by heat sink of the display apparatus and/or ambient or environmental temperature changes. An example of a suitable material may include rubber.

[0055] Turning now to FIG. 6 which shows a vehicle display 600 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle display 600 is mounted on a cockpit of a motor vehicle. The display layer 202 faces an interior of a motor vehicle, such that it may be viewed by a viewer or a vehicle occupant inside the interior of a motor vehicle, with the lighting unit 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 displaced backward of the display layer 202. In this embodiment, the reflective surface 108 which at least partially covers a length of the light transmitting panel 102 faces a rooftop of an interior of a motor vehicle. When light rays are transmitted through the lighting unit 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 through to the display layer 202, images 602, 602 may be viewed by the vehicle occupant.

[0056] Thus, a lighting unit which conserves loss of light rays has been provided. Since the conservation of light rays is achieved by applying a single sheet of reflective foil sheet to a light transmitting panel, there is no additional step of cutting the reflector foil sheet to fit the light transmitting panel. Therefore, this inventive concept may be applied to both flat and curve backlight units for displays. In addition, at least one edge of the light transmitting panel is not fully covered by the reflector foil, a buffer is created to lessen or moderate the impact of expansion and contraction of the light transmitting panel, which may affect the performance of the lighting unit. While embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the disclosure, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variation exist.

[0057] It should further be appreciated that the embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, operation or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an embodiment of the disclosure, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements and method of operation described in the embodiment without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.