# US 10,485,127 B1 · Water tight electronic device display

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- Number: US 10,485,127 B1
- Document ID: US10485127B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/116,788
- Filed: 2018-08-29
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-10
- Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Firmansyah Sulem; Robert L. D. Zenner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10485127B1

## CPC

- G02F 1/133308: {Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels}
- G02B 6/0083: {Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like}
- G02B 6/0088: {of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package}
- H05K 5/0034: {having an overmolded housing covering the PCB}
- H05K 5/065: {sealed by encapsulation, e.g. waterproof resin forming an integral casing, injection moulding}
- G02B 6/0093: {Means for protecting the light guide}
- G02F 1/133311: {Environmental protection, e.g. against dust or humidity}
- G02F 1/133615: {Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side}
- G02F 2202/28: Adhesive materials or arrangements
- H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits
- H05K 2201/10106: Light emitting diode [LED]
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing and a water tight display disposed within the housing. The display may include a light guide and a gasket coupled to at least a portion of the light guide. A cavity may be interposed between the gasket and the light guide. A flexible printed circuit assembly (FPCA) may couple to the light guide and the gasket to seal an opening of the cavity. Light sources may be connected to the flexible printed circuit assembly and disposed within the cavity. Adhesive tape may couple to the light guide and the gasket on a side opposite the FPCA to seal an opening of the cavity. Collectively, the light guide, the gasket, the flexible printed circuit assembly, and the adhesive tape may prevent water from reaching the cavity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a display;
a light guide coupled to the display, the light guide including:
a top surface;
a bottom surface; and
one or more channels disposed interior to a perimeter of the light guide;
a flexible printed circuit assembly coupled to the bottom surface of the light guide, the flexible printed circuit assembly sealing a bottom of the one or more channels;
a plurality of light sources connected to the flexible printed circuit assembly, the plurality of light sources being disposed within the one or more channels; and
adhesive tape coupled to the top surface of the light guide, the adhesive tape sealing a top of the one or more channels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the light guide bounds a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side of the one or more channels;
the flexible printed circuit assembly bounds a fifth side of the one or more channels;
the adhesive tape bounds a sixth side of the one or more channels; and
collectively the light guide, the flexible printed circuit assembly, and the adhesive tape seal the one or more channels from water.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of:
the flexible printed circuit assembly couples to the light guide via optically clear adhesive; or
the adhesive tape couples to the light guide via optically clear adhesive.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the one or more channels include multiple separate channels separated by a portion of the light guide; and
one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources are disposed within individual channels of the multiple separate channels.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the light guide includes an interior edge and an exterior edge, the interior edge being coupled to the display; and
a centerline of the one or more channels is spaced closer to the exterior edge than the interior edge.

### Claim 6

A display stack, comprising:
a first layer including a flexible printed circuit assembly;
a second layer positioned adjacent the first layer, the second layer including:
a light guide having a channel is disposed interior to a perimeter of the light guide; and
a plurality of light sources coupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly, wherein at least one light source of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the channel; and
a third layer positioned adjacent the second layer, the third layer including adhesive tape coupled to the light guide to enclose the channel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein the first layer and the third layer are sealed to the second layer to prevent water from reaching the plurality of light sources disposed within the channel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein:
the channel is a first channel;
the second layer of the display stack further includes a second channel;
a first portion of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the first channel; and
a second portion of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the second channel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The display stack of claim 8, wherein the first channel and the second channel are parallel to an exterior edge of the light guide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein the light guide comprises a single piece of material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein at least one of:
the flexible printed circuit assembly couples to the light guide via optically clear adhesive; or
the adhesive tape couples to the light guide via optically clear adhesive.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein the adhesive tape is optically clear.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein individual light sources of the plurality of light sources are spaced substantially equidistantly along a length of the light guide.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The display stack of claim 6, wherein individual light sources of the plurality of light sources are coupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly in a line that is substantially parallel to an exterior edge of the light guide.

### Claim 15

A device comprising:
a housing; and
a display disposed within the housing, the display including:
a light guide;
a channel disposed in the light guide;
a circuit board coupled to at least a portion of the light guide, the circuit board inhibiting liquid from reaching the channel;
a plurality of light sources connected to the circuit board, wherein at least one light source of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the channel; and
adhesive tape coupled to at least a portion of the light guide, the adhesive tape inhibiting liquid from reaching the channel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the circuit board is coupled to the light guide using an optically clear adhesive.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein:
the light guide includes:
an interior surface; and
an exterior surface, the channel being interposed between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and
the light guide bounds a first side of the channel, a second side of the channel, a third side of the channel, and a fourth side of the channel, the circuit board bounds a fifth side of the channel, and the adhesive tape bounds a sixth side of the channel, such that collectively the light guide, the circuit board, and the adhesive tape seal the channel from water.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the channel is a first channel, the display further includes a second channel spaced apart from the first channel, and wherein:
a portion of the light guide is interposed between the first channel and the second channel;
a first portion of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the first channel; and
a second portion of the plurality of light sources is disposed within the second channel.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein a centerline of the first channel and a centerline of the second channel are substantially parallel with an exterior edge of the light guide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein:
the channel includes an interior surface; and
a gap is interposed between the interior surface of the channel and an exterior surface of individual light sources of the plurality of light sources.