Flat panel display wtih external integral heater
AssigneeAmerican Panel Corporation
InventorWilliam R. Dunn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flat panel display has an optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer, especially an indium tin oxide layer, directly formed on an outer front surface of a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly having a front plate, a rear plate, and a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between said front and rear plates. The optically-transparent electrically-conductive layer is preferably uniform and functions as an integral heater when connected to a direct current power source.
Claims19
A flat panel display comprising:
- a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly comprising a front plate, rear plate, a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the front and rear plates, and a thin film transistor (TFT) array interposed between the front and rear plates;
- a rear polarizer placed below the rear plate of the LCD;
- and a
- a first layer of index-matching dielectric material formed on a face of the front plate opposite the liquid crystal material;
- an electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer formed directly atop the first layer of index-matching dielectric material;
- means for driving the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer as a heater, said means in electrical communication with the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer;
- and
- a second layer of index-matching dielectric material formed directly atop the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer and;
- a front polarizer place atop the second layer of index-matching dielectric material.
A flat panel display comprising:
- a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly comprising a front color plate, a rear plate, a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between the front color plate and rear plate, and a thin film transistor (TFT) array interposed between the front color plate and rear plate;
- a rear polarizer placed below the rear plate of the LCD;
- a first layer of index-matching dielectric material formed on a face of the front color plate opposite the liquid crystal material;
- an electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer formed directly atop the first layer of index-matching dielectric material;
- means for driving the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer as a heater, said means in electrical communication with the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer;
- a second layer of index-matching dielectric material formed directly atop the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer;
- and
- a front polarizer placed atop the second layer of index-matching dielectric material.
A device for heating a liquid crystal display (LCD) having a front plate, the heating device comprising:
- a first layer of index-matching dielectric material formed on a face of the front plate opposite the liquid crystal material;
- an electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer formed directly atop the first layer of index-matching dielectric material;
- and
- a second layer of index-matching dielectric material formed directly atop the electrically-conductive optically-transparent layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.