System and method for maintaining a consistent temperature gradient across an electronic display

A combined conductive and convective method of cooling an electronic display assembly, the electronic display assembly including a housing having a front side, a rear side, a top and a bottom, and an electronic display located within the housing so as to be viewable along the front side thereof, the cooling method comprising:

• locating a thermally conductive plate behind the electronic display and in thermal communication therewith, such that a gap exists between the plate and the rear side of the housing;
• providing an external air inlet opening that is located near the top of the housing and is in flow communication with the gap;
• providing an external air exhaust opening that is located near the bottom of the housing and is in flow communication with the gap, the external air exhaust opening located at a lower elevation than the external air inlet opening;
• and
• placing at least one fan in flow communication with the gap, operation of the at least one fan causing external air to flow into the external air inlet opening, through the gap, and out of the air exhaust opening, thereby removing heat from the electronic display that has been conductively transferred into the gap through the thermally conductive plate.