US 6,639,643 B2 · Method of constructing and sealing tiled, flat-panel displays

Abstract

The present invention features methods and apparatuses for sealing tiled, flat-panel displays (FPDs). Tile edges corresponding with the display's perimeter edges are designed with a wide seal. Interior edges, however, have narrow seals in order to maintain the desired, constant, pixel pitch across tile boundaries. In some cases, this invention applies specifically to arrays of tiles 2×2 or less, and, in other cases, to N×M arrays, where N and M are any integer numbers. The tiles are enclosed with top and bottom glass plates, which are sealed with an adhesive bond to the tiles on the outside perimeter of the tiled display. Vertical seams (where tiles meet at the perimeter of the FPD) are sealed with a small amount of polymer. The seal may be constructed between a cover plate and a back plate, sandwiching the tiles. The AMLCD edges may be coated with either a non-permeable material or a polymer having an extremely low permeability (for example, Parylene™). Alternatively, the edge sealing of individual tiles can be achieved by using a metallized film adhesive that is bonded to the tile edges. A low-temperature, sintered Solgel can be used to achieve extremely narrow, yet mechanically strong, seals for individual tiles. Still another enhancement employs a metallurgical seal outside a narrow, polymer seal.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A method for assembling a substantially flat, panel display (FPD) comprising a mosaic of individual tiles disposed adjacent one another and having visually imperceptible seams therebetween, the steps comprising:

a) providing a plurality of individual, functional, sealed LCD tiles, each having a perimeter seal, a front face, a rear face and a thickness;
b) laterally arranging said plurality of individual tiles in a predetermined pattern, said individual tiles being separated by a predetermined distance to form a tile array having a perimeter;
c) compressing at least one compliant spacer to vertically orient said tile array with respect to a cover plate, said cover plate comprising a mask, said at least one compliant spacer compensating for any differences in said thicknesses of said plurality of individual tiles whereby said front faces of said plurality of tiles are made substantially coplanar;
d) after performing said laterally arranging step (b) and said compressing step (c), affixing said tile array to at least one of said cover plate and a back plate, thereby forming a full-face, substantially hermetic seal between said tile array and at least one of said cover plate and said back plate, whereby said tile array is held in registration with at least one of said cover plate and said back plate;
and
e)forming electrical drive tab connections on only one exterior edge of at least one of said individual tiles.

3 more elements

a) providing a plurality of individual, functional, sealed LCD tiles each having a perimeter seal, a front face and a rear face and comprising a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels comprising at least three sub-pixels arranged in a predetermined pattern, each of said sub-pixels being connected to at least one row drive line and at least one column drive line, each of said row and said column drive lines being disposed substantially parallel to one another in routing channels, said routing channels connecting each of said pixels to driver interconnection means disposed at an edge of said individual tiles;
b) laterally arranging said plurality of individual tiles in a predetermined pattern, said individual tiles being separated by a predetermined distance to form a tile array having a perimeter;
c) compressing at least one compliant spacer to vertically orient said tile array with respect to a cover plate, said cover plate comprising a mask, said at least one compliant spacer compensating for any differences in said thicknesses of said plurality of individual tiles;
and
d) after performing said laterally arranging step (b) and said compressing step (c), affixing said tile array to at least one of said cover plate and said back plate, thereby forming a full-face, substantially hermetic seal between said tile array and said at least one of said cover plate and said back plate, whereby said tile array is held in registration with said at least one of said cover plate and said back plate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of constructing and sealing tiled, flat-panel displays

Life of this patent

Method of constructing and sealing tiled, flat-panel displays

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41