Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RESIZING ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional application from Canadian Patent Application
No. 2,548,932,
having an effective filing date of September 2, 2004, and claims priority from
therein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electronic displays, and more
particularly
to apparatus and methods for modifying electronic displays, e.g., to
customize, resize,
and/or mggedize an original display, and to displays manufactured using such
apparatus
and methods.
DEFINITIONS
In this application, COTS is an acronym for "Commercial Off-The-Shelf," FPD is
an acronym for "Flat-Panel Display," LCD is an acronym for "Liquid Crystal
Display,"
PDLC is an acronym for "Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal," AMLCD is an acronym
for
"Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display," TAB is an acronym for "Tape-Automated-
Bonding," COG is an acronym for "Chip-On-Glass," UV is an acronym for
"ultraviolet,"
VLSI is an acronym for "Very Large Scale Integration," and HDTV is an acronym
for
"High-Definition Television."
BACKGROUND
Electronic displays are commonly used to portray data, e.g., in the form of
visual
text and/or other images, so the data may be interpreted and/or acted upon.
Typically, the
operator of equipment associated with the display will control the equipment
based, at
least in part, on the interpretation of the data displayed. A simple example
is an airplane
pilot who views a control panel display representing surrounding air traffic,
and who then
controls the airplane to avoid the traffic.
Typically, the displays and their associated bezels (face plates) and frames
(interfacing and supporting hardware) are built to demanding specifications
for durability, =
reliability, and operating life, e.g., based upon industry requirements, and
the resulting
displays may have relatively complex electrical, chemical, optical, and/or
physical
characteristics. Each particular application, for example, may require
specific
performance characteristics from the display, such as the ability to
accommodate or
withstand varying Conditions of temperature, humidity, radiation, ambient
light, shock,
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vibration, impact, chemicals, salt spray, water and fluid condensation,
immersion, or other
environmental, electrical, physical, and/or other conditions. Due to the high
costs
associated with such varying and demanding specifications, for any particular
application,
it is thus economically desirable for manufacturers to produce a common design
in high
production volume, resulting in COTS displays all having substantially the
same
characteristics and a limited number of physical sizes. The sizes may vary,
but the shapes
are generally rectangular with an aspect ratio of approximately three to four.
For example,
common television and computer displays have an aspect ratio of approximately
three to
four, and HDTV displays have an aspect ratio of nine to sixteen.
For specialized applications where the market may not be large enough for COTS
manufacturers to enter, buyers of displays are required to have displays
custom-built to fit
their size and shape requirements, at a cost often more than ten times greater
than the cost
of a COTS display having nearly identical functionality. Alternatively, buyers
may
choose to incorporate a COTS display into an existing control panel or
dashboard opening,
e.g., by physically altering the size and/or shape of the control panel
opening to match the
size and/or shape of the COTS display. For most applications, however, such
modifications cannot be made without disturbing the surrounding instruments,
controls,
and displays already incorporated into the control panel. Such is the case,
for example, on
an airplane control panel or other vehicle control panel where large numbers
of
instruments and controls are tightly and efficiently packed into a relatively
small area.
Even if the appropriate modifications could be made, they are typically cost-
prohibitive.
A particular industry where high-cost custom-built displays are used is the
avionics
industry, which traditionally used square panel openings to house mechanical
display
devices. To retrofit airplane control panels with electronic displays, the
industry began
manufacturing custom displays at a relatively high cost and relatively low
volume
compared to COTS non-square displays that are commercially used in high volume
applications. In fact, the control panels in newly-built airplanes designed to
use electronic
displays are still often made with square panel openings, despite the COTS
displays being
non-square, in order to maintain the well-established and familiar control
panel
configurations.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for modifying
electronic displays, e.g., to customize, resize, and/or ruggedize an original
display, and to
displays manufactured using such apparatus and methods.
Typically, a COTS AMLCD or other electronic display includes two plates, front
and back, that include orthogonal row and column electric leads distributed
throughout an
image-generating medium contained between the plates. The display also
includes a
perimeter seal holding the plates together while isolating and protecting the
internal
image-generating medium from the outside environment. The plates are typically
glass or
plastic, and may have polarizers, filters, image enhancement films, and/or
viewing angle
enhancement films, e.g., attached to their outer surfaces.
The plates of the display may fold drive electronics on their edges and/or the
drivers may be integral in the display. The row and column electric leads
transcend the
seal to external leads to which the driver electronics are attached.
Typically, the electronic
drivers are VLSI circuits bonded to TAB substrates attached to the display, or
directly
attached to the display as COG. In some instances, the VLSI electronic drivers
are made
in-situ along the edges of the display.
The present invention involves systems and methods for modifying a COTS
display, e.g., by changing the physical size and/or shape of the COTS display
to meet the
requirements of a target application. This may be accomplished by cutting the
COTS
display to reduce its physical size and/or shape, and then resealing the
display to achieve
the desired performance. The basic functionality of the COTS display may
remain intact,
that is, the customized display may have a new size and/or shape, and may have
altered
electronic drivers, image-generating media, rearranged electronics, additional
seals,
additional films, etc. Optionally, the resized display may have enhanced
functionality.
However, the customized display should be able to operate in a target
application designed
to interface with a display of the same type (e.g., LCD) as the original
(e.g., COTS)
display.
When the plates are cut, internal electronics may also be cut, often requiring
reestablishment of electrical continuity. Similarly, the display electronics
may be
removed, reattached, and/or otherwise modified, and filters, polarizers,
and/or other films
associated with the display may be cut, e.g., to conform to the customized
display size
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and/or shape. Thus, the opportunity exists to add enhanced functionality to
the display.
Optionally, a custom bezel and/or frame may then be used to house the display,
e.g.,
allowing for additional ruggedization of the entire unit.
To reseal the display, an adhesive is applied along at least the cut edge or
edges,
e.g., between the plates of the display along the cut edge(s). Optionally, a
second seal may
be added to minimize penetration of humidity and other contaminants into the
display
medium (e.g., liquid crystal material) inside the display cell. A third seal,
e.g., serving as
a mask, may also be applied to prevent light, such as that used to back-light
LCDs, from
passing through the display's outer edges.
Electronic drivers, typically VLSI circuits (bonded to TAB substrates attached
to
the display, or attached directly to the display as COG) may be added,
repositioned and/or
reattached as needed, and the circuitry on the display plates may be altered
to make
electrical connection to the new VLSI circuits. Filters, films, polarizers,
etc. may then be
cut and/or installed as desired, and additional components such as heaters,
optical
elements, infrared filters, touch panels, transducers, etc., may be added to
alter and/or
enhance durability or functionality of the display.
Finally, the reshaped, resized, and/or otherwise modified display may be
placed in
- a custom bezel and frame with appropriate ruggedization characteristics.
The bezel and
frame may be designed to accommodate the newly sized and/or shaped display in
a
=
suitable manner, and/or to allow for proper mechanical and electrical
attachment to the
target location, such as an avionics box or display panel. The bezel and frame
may also be
configured for installation such that appropriate lighting, optical elements,
transducers,
heaters, infrared filters, touch panels, etc., associated with the target
application operate
properly. Thus, the frame may protect the display and interface the display
with the target
location, such as an avionics box or display panel. Suitable adhesives,
sealants, conformal
coatings, potting compounds, electrical and thermal conductors, screws,
clamps, rivets,
connectors, gaskets, etc., may be used as necessary or desired to further
ruggedize the unit
and install it into its target location. For example, ruggedization may be
required before
installing the customized unit into environments for vehicles, ships,
submersibles,
missiles, aircraft, spacecraft, portable equipment, etc., which tend to be
more restrictive
and severe than the environments for which COTS displays are designed.
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Thus, one aspect of the present invention may involve cutting an electronic
display
along desired dimensions, resulting in a target display portion and an excess
display
portion, and applying a first seal between the plates along an exposed edge of
the target
display portion, the first seal creating a barrier to prevent the image-
generating medium
from escaping out of the area between the plates. A second seal and/or a third
seal may be
added, e.g., for environmental protection and edge light control respectively.
The first seal
may also serve these purposes.
Another aspect of the invention involves resizing or otherwise modifying the
associated electronics of a display. For example, the electronic circuits
inside the display
and/or peripheral to the display may be resized to the same degree necessary
to achieve the
desired display size.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for
resizing, customizing, enhancing or otherwise modifying an electronic display
that
includes one or more of the followings steps in this or other orders or
sequences:
removing excess electronics from the display; cutting. one or more circuit
boards of the
display; removing at least a portion of polarizers and/or other films, as
necessary, from
one or both plates of the display, e.g., along the intended cut line(s);
cleaning'along the
intended cut line(s); scribing the plates along the desired line(s), e.g.,
with a glazer's
wheel, saw, laser, and the like; breaking the plates to separate a target
portion from an
excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge of the target portion;
stabilizing the
display, e.g., in a fixture to apply sufficient pressure to restore the
original distance
between the plates and/or prevent the plates from expanding; removing liquid
crystal (LC)
from between the plates along the exposed edge, e.g., by wicking, draining,
compressing
the plates together to eject LC material, and the like, to create a region for
adhesive
between the plates; clean the exposed edge; apply adhesive along the exposed
edge; degas
the adhesive; cause or allow adhesive to go between the plates, e.g., without
significantly
changing the distance between the plates, clean the adhesive, and cure
adhesive.
In yet another aspect of the invention, resized, customized, or otherwise
modified
electronic displays are provided that include cut or otherwise exposed edges
ancVor one or
more seals along and/or between the plates of the displays, e.g., made using
one or more
of the methods described herein.
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In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front
plate, a back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion extending from one side edge to an opposite side edge of the display
and
communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
stabilizing the target
portion after separation such that the front and back plates are separated by
a distance not
greater than the predetermined cell gap; applying adhesive along the exposed
edge; and
forcing the adhesive into the region between the plates along the exposed edge
by pressing
against the exposed edge after applying the adhesive.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion extending from one side edge to an opposite side edge of the display
and
communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
stabilizing the target
portion after separation such that the front and back plates are separated by
a distance not
greater than the predetermined cell gap; applying adhesive along the exposed
edge; and
forcing the adhesive into the region between the plates along the exposed
edge, wherein
forcing the adhesive into the region between the plates increases the distance
between the
plates.
In accordance with a yet further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front
plate, a back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
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contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
applying
adhesive along the exposed edge; and forcing the adhesive into the region
between the plates
along the exposed edge by pressing against the exposed edge with a tool.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided
a
method for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front
plate, a back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
stabilizing the
target portion after separation such that the front and back plates are
separated by a distance
not greater than the predetermined cell gap; applying adhesive along the
exposed edge; and
forcing the adhesive such that the adhesive penetrates into the region between
the plates along
the exposed edge by manually or mechanically pressing against the exposed edge
after
applying the adhesive.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
stabilizing the
target portion after separation such that the front and back plates are
separated by a distance
not greater than the predetermined cell gap; applying adhesive along the
exposed edge; and
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forcing the adhesive such that the adhesive penetrates into the region between
the plates along
the exposed edge, wherein the adhesive is forced into the region between the
plates with a
dispenser.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
applying
adhesive along the exposed edge; and forcing the adhesive into the region
between the plates
along the exposed edge, thereby displacing at least a portion of the image-
generating material
between the plates.
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In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: creating a scribe line along each of the front and back plates
extending from
one side edge to an opposite side edge of the display to identify a target
portion and an excess
portion of the display; breaking the display along the scribe lines to
separate the target and
excess portions of the display, thereby creating an exposed edge along the
target portion
extending from the one side edge to the opposite side edge and communicating
with the area
between the plates of the target portion; pressing the plates of the target
portion towards
one another; applying adhesive along the exposed edge; and returning the
plates of the target
portion to the predetermined cell gap, thereby drawing the adhesive between
the plates along
the exposed edge.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge along
the target
portion communicating with the area between the plates of the target portion;
stabilizing the
target portion after separation such that the front and back plates are
separated by a distance
not greater than the predetermined cell gap; and applying adhesive along the
exposed edge
such that the adhesive penetrates between the plates along the exposed edge,
wherein the
target portion of the display is separated from the excess portion by scribing
at least one scribe
line along each of the front and back plates, and breaking the front and back
plates along the
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at least one scribe line, and wherein the front and back plates are broken by
placing a strip of
material along the at least one scribe line, and directing material along the
at least one scribe
line to cause the front and back plates to break along the at least one scribe
line.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
for resizing an electronic display, the display comprising a front plate, a
back plate, a
perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating
medium
contained in an area between the front and back plates and within the borders
of the perimeter
seal, the front and back plates being spaced apart by a predetermined cell
gap, the method
comprising: identifying a target portion and an excess portion of the display;
separating the
target portion from the excess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge that
extends from
one side edge to an opposite side edge of the display along the target portion
communicating
with the area between the plates of the target portion; pressing the plates of
the target portion
towards one another; and at least partially releasing the plates of the target
portion to draw
adhesive between the plates along the exposed edge.
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Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from
the
detailed description which follows, when read in conjunction with the
associated
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. lA is a plan view of a typical COTS AMLCD.
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the COTS AMLCD of FIG. IA, taken along
line 1B-1B, with column TABs removed from the cross-section for purposes of
clarity.
FIG. 2A is a plan view of a customized display made from the COTS AMLCD
shown in FIG 1A, by cutting along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and then resealing a
retained portion
of the display.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the customized display of FIG. 2A, taken
along line 2B-2B, with the column TABs removed from the cross-section for
purposes of
clarity.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fixture including a pair of pressure
plates
holding an electronic display between the pressure plates.
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an apparatus for resizing an electronic
display,
including a pressure plate tool in its open position with a display in place
on a first
pressure plate of the tool.
FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 4A, with a second
pressure
plate of the pressure plate tool secured to the first pressure plate for
holding the display in
an orientation for adhesive application.
FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIGS. 4A and 4B, including a
cover disposed over the pressure plate tool for degassing the display.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are top and side views, respectively, of a first pressure
plate for
the pressure plate tool of FIGS. 4A-4C.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for resizing or customizing
an
electronic display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Turning to the drawings, FIGS. lA and 1B show a typical non-square COTS
AMLCD 10, e.g., before resizing and/or other modification as described herein,
but after
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disassembly from its original bezel, frame, and other associated hardware and
electronics.
For clarity, some of the external components associated with the display 10
(other than the
circuit boards 15) are not shown, e.g., that may be bonded or otherwise
attached to the
display plates 20f and 20b. Such external components may be removed before or
while
customizing the display 10, as described elsewhere herein.
The display 10 generally includes a front plate 20f and a back plate 20b,
e.g., made
of glass or plastic, such as borosilicate or other hard glass. The plates 20
are held together
by a perimeter seal 25, and may be further secured within a bezel (not shown),
which, in
turn, may be secured to a frame or other hardware (not shown), e.g., for
attachment to the
target location, e.g., in a cockpit panel of an aircraft. Polarizing films 30f
and 30b, filters
(not shown), image enhancement films (not shown), retardation films (not
shown),
viewing angle enhancement films (not shown), and/or other films may exist on
the front
and/or back outer surfaces of the plates 20. The original display image area
40 defined by
the manufacturer of the COTS display 10 is indicated by dashed perimeter line
45.
Dashed line 50 represents the desired right edge of the display image area 40
after
customization, as described below. A light-blocking mask (not shown), e.g., an
opaque
coating, may be provided on at least one of the inner surfaces of the plates
20, e.g.,
covering a perimeter area around the display image area 40, and extending
outwardly to a
sufficient distance to serve its purpose. Typically, the distance may be up to
the edge of
the bezel, or to the inner edge 55 of perimeter seal 25, as indicated by
arrows 60 in FIG.
1A. Without the mask, light escaping from the edge of the display image area
40 may
distract a person viewing the display 10 and/or otherwise impair viewing an
image on the
display 10.
Row and column electronic drivers 65r and 65c respectively are bonded to TAB
substrates 70r and 70c respectively, which in turn are bonded to the edges of
the plates 20,
e.g., using electrically-a.nisotropic adhesives 75 known in the art. In
avionics, bent TABs
(not shown) may be used to save panel area. In addition or alternatively, the
drivers 65
may be attached directly to the plates 20 as COGs. The TABs 70 may be bonded
or
soldered to circuit boards 15, and are electrically connected to external
sources via
connections 90 to circuit boards 15. COGs (not shown) may be electrically
connected to
the edges of the display plates 20, which may be electrically connected via
ribbon cables
to external sources (not shown). For simplicity, a few exemplary connections
90 are
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shown in FIG. 2A, although it will be understood that they may be provided as
desired or
needed.
The electronic drivers 65 may include VLSI circuits having corresponding
external
leads 80r and 80c that are electrically connected through perimeter seal 25 to
row and
column electric leads 85r and 85c, respectively (see FIG. 2A). Again for
simplicity, only a
few leads 80 from one row TAB 70r and two column TABs 70c are shown in FIG.
2A, but
it is understood that each row TAB 70r and each column TAB 70c may have dozens
or
even hundreds of individual leads 80. The row and column electric leads 85 may
be
distributed throughout an image-generating medium, such as liquid crystal
material
(normally transparent) contained between the plates 20, as seen in FIG. 2A.
In addition to holding the plates 20 together, the perimeter seal 25
substantially
isolates and protects the image-generating medium from the outside
environment. In
addition, precisely sized spacers (not shown) may be distributed throughout
the image-
generating medium. After conventional manufacturing, the region between the
plates 20
may be maintained at a partial vacuum to draw the plates 20 against the
spacers, e.g., to
ensure that the distance between the plates 20 is maintained at a
predetermined cell
spacing or "cell gap," e.g., between about five (5) and six (6) micrometers,
which is
appropriate for the display 10 to operate normally. Although a COTS AMLCD is
described, it will be appreciated that the tools and methods described herein
may be used
to customize or otherwise modify other electronic displays, such as passive
matrix LCDs,
plasma panels, organic LEDs, and the like.
With reference to FIGS. 1A-2B, an exemplary method will now be described for
customizing the COTS display 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B to create the customized
display
10' shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The COTS display 10 may be customized in varying
degrees, as necessary or desired, and the examples provided herein are not to
be viewed as
setting forth required techniques unless specifically so stated.
Initially, a cut line may be identified, such as cut-line 2-2 in FIG. 1A,
which may
separate a target portion 12 of the COTS display 10 (e.g., corresponding to
the portion to
be retained to create the customized display 10') from an excess portion 14
(e.g.,
corresponding to the portion that may be discarded or saved for other
purposes). In the
example shown, the target portion 12 is substantially square, e.g.,
corresponding to a
standard shape of a region of an airplane control panel (not shown).
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Once the cut-line 2-2 is identified, circuit boards 15 may be cut by known
techniques, such as sawing, e.g., along cut-line 2-2. Alternatively, the
circuit boards 15
may be removed entirely, e.g., if new circuits boards are to be attached to
the customized
display 10.' In addition or alternatively, TABs 70 may also be cut or removed,
e.g., using
similar procedures. If the cut-line 2-2 requires cutting through an electronic
driver 65, the
driver may need to be relocated and/or replaced.
Next, if one or both plates 20 include a polarizer 30 (and/or one or more
other
films), at least the portion(s) of the polarizer(s) 30 overlying the cut-line
2-2 may be
removed. For example, in one embodiment, the polarizer(s) 30 may be scored,
e.g., inside
the cut-line 2-2, to create a target pohnizer portion overlying the target
portion, which may
be retained during the customization process. The remainder or excess
polarizer portion
(e.g., overlying the cut-line 2-2 and the excess portion 14 of the COTS
display 10) may
then be removed and/or discarded. In another embodiment, the polarizer(s) 30
may be
scored along two lines on either side of the cut-line 2-2, and the resulting
strip may be
removed to provide access to the underlying plate(s) 20.
In still another embodiment, the portion of the polarizer(s) 30 immediately
overlying the cut-line 2-2 (or offset to either side of the cut-line 2-2, if
desired) may be
scored or otherwise removed in a single pass, e.g., by creating a narrow
channel or trench
through the polarizer(s) 30 to the surface of the plate(s) 20. For example, to
expose the
surface of each of the plates 20, a circular saw blade (not shown) of suitable
width,
powered by a motor, may be drawn precisely along the intended scribe line at a
depth
substantially equivalent to the thickness of the polarizer 30 (and/or other
films).
Any sawdust, remaining film adhesive, and/or other residue may be removed,
e.g.,
to clear the exposed surface of the plate 20. For example, a vacuum line, a
cleaning
wheel, a nozzle for a solvent or other liquid, and/or other tool may be
directed along the
cut-line 2-2 to remove any such residue. Such tools may follow the saw blade,
e.g., may
be coupled to an arm or other carrier controlling movement of the saw blade
along the
plate 20. In addition or alternatively, the resulting channel may be cleaned
or otherwise
prepared after creating the trench, which may facilitate accessing the surface
of the
plate(s) 20 during the subsequent cutting procedure.
=
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Thus, it may be desirable to allow the original polarizer(s) 30 (and/or other
films)
to remain intact over a target display image area 40' while still providing
unobstructed
access to the plates 20, e.g., for cutting or otherwise separating portions of
the plates 20
using the procedures described elsewhere herein. For example, in FIG. 1A, the
target
display image area 40' of the target portion 12 is defined by a square A-B-C-
D, and the
polarizer(s) 30 should remain intact at least over this area. The target score
line for the
polarizer(s) 30 may be the same as line 2-2. If so, the resulting trench
should be wide
enough to allow a scribe wheel or other glass-cutting tool (not shown) to
reach the surface
of the plate(s) 20 through the polarizer(s) 30. For example, the french may
have a width of
not more than about 0.050 inch (1.25 mm), and/or less than about 0.030 inch
(0.75 mm).
Alternatively, a COTS display 10 may be taken from its oriinP1 manufacturing
line before it is completed to simplify resizing. For example, the COTS
display 10 may be
intercepted before the polarizer(s) 30 (and/or other films) and/or electronics
are attached.
Such omitted items may be added to the customi7Pd display (appropriately
configured for
the customized display 10') after resizing.
Next, the plates 20 of the COTS LCD 10 may be cut, e.g., using a glass-
scribing-
and-brealdng technique, to separate the target and excess portions 12, 14 of
the COTS
display 10. First, the plates 20 are "scribed," i.e., a vent is formed along
the cut-line 2-2 in
each of the plates. For example, with a glazer's wheel (not shown), a vent may
be created
successively in each of the plates, e.g., aligned with cut-line 2-2 or offset
to one side of
and parallel to the cut-line 2-2. It is known that such vents may simply
appear as a scratch
on the glass surface, yet may penetrate partially into the plates 20. It will
be appreciated
that, after scribing the plates 20, the target and excess portions 12, 14 are
not separated
after the plates 20 are scribed, and, in fact, the interior region of the COTS
display 10 may
remain substantially sealed, e.g., at its original vacuum or other pressure,
until the target
and excess portions 12, 14 are actually separated from one another.
Alternatively, the
target and excess portions 12, 14 may separate spontaneously or naturally
after being
scribed.
The scribe line along each of the plates 20 may be performed in a single step
or in
multiple steps, e.g., using a glazer's wheel, or alternatively by laser
scribing, sawing,
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grinding, etc.. Any other procedure sufficient to ensure a substantially
smooth scribe line
in glass (or other materials of the plates 20) may be utilized. Some LCDs,
such as
AMLCDs, may include plates made from borosilicate hard glass. For such
materials,
approximately twenty (20) pounds of force has been shown to be sufficient for
scribing the
glass using a glass scribing wheel. The scribe wheel may be made of diamond or
may be a
hard carbide type wheel, e.g., having a diameter of about three to four
millimeters (3-4
mm), and including a sharp angle, e.g., approximately one hundred thirty five
degrees
(135 )).
To facilitate scribing the plates 20 the COTS display 10, the COTS display 10
may
be mounted in a vacuum chuck or other tool (not shown), e.g., to stabilize the
COTS
display 10. Exemplary tools that may be used to scribe the plates 20 may
include those
manufactured by Villa Precision International of Phoenix, Arizona. The tool
may include
a processor (also not shown) for precisely controlling components of the tool,
e.g., in
orthogonal x, y, and z directions. For example, the processor may direct the
glazer's
wheel along the surface of the plates 20 in a desired path while maintaining
the desired
degree of pressure/force against the plates 20. Optionally, the tool may
rotate the COTS
display 10 within the plane of the plates 20, e.g., if a curved scribe line is
desired. Thus,
the tool may control the saw, cleaning wheel, and/or scribe in a preprogrammed
sequence
while maintaining sufficient precision and pressures to remove the film, clean
the channel,
and scribe the glass along the desired cut-line 2-2, e.g. using a single or
multiple tool
heads.
Next, the plates 20 may be broken to separate the target portion 12 from the
excess
portion 14. It is not customary in the display industry to break the display
across an
internal seal line. However, the plates 20 may broken along one or more scribe
lines that
extend through one or more internal seal lines using methods similar to those
used to cut
glass plates without such seal lines. The internal seal line(s) may provide
some additional
resistance to separate the two portions 12, 14, and therefore may require
additional
displacement of the portions 12, 14 relative to one another.
Optionally, to finish cutting the COTS display 10, the COTS display 10 may be
transferred from the vacuum chuck or other scribing tool (if used to scribe
the plates 20 of
the COTS display 10) to a pressure plate tool 110. Alternatively, appropriate
tools may be
included on the scribing tool for accomplishing the cutting.
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=
For example, using the pressure plate tool 110 of FIGS. 3 and 4A-4c, the
plates 20
of the COTS display 10 may be broken along the scribed line(s) while
substantially
maintaining the spacing of the plates 20, e.g., of the target portion 12. In
addition, the
pressure plate tool 110 may be used to degas the COTS display 10 and/or reseal
any
exposed edges of the COTS display 10, e.g., of the target portion 12, as
described further
below. Generally, the pressure plate tool 110 includes a pair of pressure
plates 116, 118 or
other fixture (not shown) and a pressure chamber 114. The pair of pressure
plates may
include a first plate 116, which may be mounted to a base 120, and a second
plate 118,
which may be mounted to the first plate 116.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the first pressure plate 116 is
pivotally mounted to the base 120 such that the first plate 116 may be moved
between a
transverse, e.g., substantially horizontal, orientation (shown in FIG. 4A) and
an upright, or
substantially vertical, orientation (shown in FIG. 4B). Alternatively, the
first plate 116
may be removable from the base 120 or may be fixed, e.g., in the vertical
orientation.
With additional reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the first plate 116 may include
an
inner surface 116a including one or more apertures 122 therein communicating
with a port
124. The port 124 may be coupled to a first vacuum source (not shown), e.g.,
via one or
more sections of tubing 112 (shown in FIG. 4B, e.g., coupled to ports 121 in
the base 120).
After a display, e.g., the COTS display 10, is placed against the inner
surface 116a of the
first plate, the first vacuum source may be activated, and the resulting
vacuum may secure
the target portion 12 against the inner surface 116. The apertures 122 may be
provided in
a predetermined arrangement, e.g., a plurality of concentric channels 122a, as
shown in
FIG. 5A. It will be appreciated that other arrangements, similar to known
vacuum chucks
(not shown), may be provided. Optionally, the first pressure plate 116 may
also be used as
a vacuum chuck, e.g., in the transverse orientation, to stabilize the COTS
display 10 while
a scribing wheel is directed along the exposed plate 20, similar to the
procedures described
above.
Returning to FIGS. 3 and 4A-4C, the second pressure plate 118 may include an
inner surface 118a against which a bladder 126 is secured or otherwise
disposed. The
second pressure plate 118 may include one or more apertures 128 (one shown in
FIG. 3 for
illustration only) within the interior of the bladder 1226 that communicate
with a port 130.
The port 130 may communicate with a pump, a compressed gas container, or other
source
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of inflation media (not shown), e.g., via tubing 112 connected to ports 131 in
the base 120,
thereby allowing inflation media, e.g., air, gas, oil, water, and the like, to
be delivered into
an interior of the bladder 126 to expand the bladder 126. The bladder 126 may
be formed
from an elastic material or a substAntially inelastic material, e.g.,
transparent silicone
rubber, having a thickness of about 0.80 millimeter (1/32 inch). The bladder
126 may be
provided as a sheet whose edges are secured around the inner surface 118a of
the second
plate, e.g., using an adhesive, fasteners, and/or a tongue and groove or other
mechanical
interference fit (not shown). Alternatively, the bladder 126 may be a balloon
or other
enclosed member, e.g., with one or more ports, that may be bonded or otherwise
attached
to the inner surface 118a.
With reference to FIG. 4C, the tool 110 may also include a cover 132 that may
be
placed over the pressure plates 116, 118 to define the pressure chamber 114.
For example,
the cover 132 may contact the base 120 to substantially isolate the pressure
chamber 114
from the surrounding environment. One or both of the cover 132 and base 120
may
include one or more seals (not shown) for enhancing a seal between the base
120 and
cover 132 to substantially seal the pressure chamber 114. The base 120 may
include one
or more apertures 134 therein communicating with the pressure chamber 114 and
with a
port 136 in the base 120. The port 136 may be connected to a second vacuum
source (not
shown), e.g., via tubing (not shown), which may be the same or different
source than the
first vacuum source, for evacuating air from the pressure chamber 114, e.g.,
to expose the
target portion 12 of the COTS display 10 to a vacuum, as described further
below.
Optionally, one or more of the first and second vacuum sources and the source
of inhation
media may include a release valve 140 (two shown in FIG. 4B) for exposing the
respective
ports 121, 131 to ambient pressures.
Returning to FIGS. 3 and 4A-4C, the tool 110 may be used to facilitate
breaking
and/or resealing a display, e.g., the COTS display 10. Initially, as shown in
FIG. 4A, with
the first pressure plate 116 in the transverse orientation, the target portion
12 of the COTS
display 10 may be placed on the inner surface 116a of the first pressure plate
116. As
shown in FIGS. 4A, 5A, and 5B, the first pressure plate 116 may include one or
more
alignment pins 138 extending from the inner surface 116a for placing the
target portion 12
in a predetermined orientation on the inner surface 116a. The pins 138 may
ensure that
the COTS display 10 is secured with the excess portion 14 of the COTS display
10
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disposed above an upper edge 117 of the first pressure plate 116, preferably
with the
scribe line(s) aligned along the upper edge 117. Optionally, the alignment
pins 138 may
be movable between different pin holes in the inner surface 116a, e.g., that
correspond to
different predetermined sized displays. In addition or alternatively, one or
more of the
pins 138 may be received in corresponding pockets (not shown) in the second
pressure
plate 118, e.g., to facilitate aligning the first and second pressure plates
116, 118 when
they are assembled together.
Once the COTS display 10 is placed against the inner surface 116a, the vacuum
source may be activated to substantially secure the target portion 12 against
the first
pressure plate 116. With the first pressure plate 116 in its transverse
orientation, the
second pressure plate 118 may then be mounted to the first pressure plate 116,
e.g., using
one or more bolts or other fasteners 127. Thus, the COTS display 10 may be
stabilized or
otherwise maintained between the pressure plates 18. In one embodiment, the
fasteners or
alignment pins 138 may fix the second pressure plate 118 spaced apart from the
first plate
116 by a predetermined distance, e.g., about five millimeters (0.200 inch)
The bladder 126 may then be inflated using the source of inflation media to a
first
predetermined pressure, between about one and three pounds per square inch (1-
3 psi).
The first predetermined pressure may be sufficient to maintain the plates 20
of the COTS
display 10 at a predetermined spacing. For example, the first predetermined
pressure may
maintain the plates 20 of the COTS display 10 at the desired cell spacing for
the COTS
display 10 to operate normally, as described above. Stated differently, the
first
predetermined pressure may be sufficient to hold the plates 20 against the
internal spacers
(not shown) of the COTS display 10 without improperly compressing or otherwise
damaging the spacers. Thus, the first predetermined pressure may prevent the
plates 20
from moving away from one another, e.g., once the excess portion 14 is
separated from the
target portion 12, and the interior region of the target portion 12 is exposed
to ambient
pressure. If the plates have already been separated (as described below), the
pressure from
the bladder 126 may return the plates 20 to their original operational
spacing. The bladder
126 may distribute the pressure substantially uniformly over the surface of
the target
portion 12 of the COTS display 10, e.g., to ensure that the spacing between
the plates 20
remains substantially uniform over the area of the target portion 12.
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The excess portion 14 of the COTS display 10 may protrude above the upper
edges
117, 119 of the pressure plates 116, 118, e.g., to allow the excess portion 14
to be broken
off from the target portion 12. The excess portion 1-4 may be bent to cause
the plates 20 to
break along the scribe lines created along the cut-line 2-2, as is known in
the industry for
breaking glass. For example, a torque or other substantially uniform force may
be applied,
e.g., manually, to the excess portion 14 substantially perpendicular to the
plane of the
plates 20 to break the plates 20.
Optionally, one or both of the upper edges 117, 119 of the pressure plates
166, 118
may include a breaker bar (not shown) to clamp the COTS display 10 immediately
adjacent the scribe line(s). The breaker bar(s) may be used to clamp and hold
the COTS
display 10 below the scribe line(s), to provide a fulcrum for breaking off the
excess
portion 14 of the COTS display 10 and to maintain the cell spacing along the
exposed
edge of the target portion 12 after breaking the COTS display 10 into two
portions. The
breaker bars may be held in place with screws, bolts, and/or other fasteners
(not shown),
e.g., that may be adjustable in slots (also not shown) in the pressure plates
116, 118.
Optionally, any alignment and assembly, e.g., of the pressure plates 116, 118
and/or
breaker bars may be completed with the first pressure plate 116 in the
horizontal
orientation, shown in FIG. 4A. If the two portions 12, 14 have already been
separated, the
breaker bars may be unnecessary.
After assembly, pressurization, and/or and cleaning, the pressure plates 116,
118
may be moved to the vertical orientation, as shown in FIG. 5B, thereby
orienting the
excess portion 14 up, which may facilitate breaking and resealing, as
described below.
Thus, the excess portion 14 of the COTS display 10 may protrude from the
pressure plates
116, 118, with the scribe line(s) precisely aligned with the upper edges 117,
119 and/or
with the edge(s) of the breaker bar(s). For example, the scribe line(s) may be
set about
0.50-1.25 millimeters (0.020 to 0.050 inch) above the upper edges 117, 119 of
the pressure
plates 116, 118 and/or the breaker bars. The excess portion 14 may be torqued
a small
angle, causing each of the plates 20 of the COTS display 10 to fracture along
the scribe
line(s), e.g., simultaneously or sequentially, thereby breaking and separating
the excess
portion 14 from the target portion 12 that remains between the pressure plates
116, 118.
With the excess portion 14 separated, the interior region of the target
portion 12 is
exposed to atmospheric pressure, which may be substantially higher than the
original
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pressure within the interior region of the target portion 12. Because the
target portion 12
is stabilized between the pressure plates 116, 118, e.g., using the bladder
126, the plates 20
remain substantially at the predetermined cell spacing. Without the pressure
plates 116,
118, the tendency of the plates 20 would be to separate as air is drawn
therebetween,
which may impair or destroy the effectiveness of the target portion 12 to
display images.
Because of the pressure plates 116, 118, the plates 20 remain positioned
against the
spacers within the interior region to preserve the predetermined cell spacing.
With the excess portion 14 removed, the target portion 12 now has an exposed
edge 16. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, one or more seals may then be applied
along the
exposed edge 16 to substantially seal the interior region of the target
portion 12 and/or
ruggedize the target portion 12 to create the customized display 10.' For
example, a first
seal 26 may be applied along the exposed edge and preferably between the
plates 20.
In one embodiment, to apply the first seal 26 between the plates 20, the
bladder
126 may be expanded, e.g., by introducing additional inflation media therein,
to squeeze
the plates 20 towards one another. In an exemplary embodiment, the bladder 126
may be
expanded to a second predetermined pressure greater than the first
predetermined pressure,
e.g., by increasing the pressure between about one and two pounds per square
inch (1-2
psi). The second predetermined pressure may result in the spacers within the
interior
region being compressed slightly, but without causing any permanent
deformation or
damage.
In an alternative embodiment, it may be unnecessary to reduce the pressure to
eject
liquid crystal from between the plates 20. In this alternative, a low
viscosity adhesive may
sufficiently penetrate between the plates 20 given sufficient time, e.g., if
the plates 20 are
maintained in the vertical orientation shown in FIGS. 413 and 4C. Although
this may
increase the distance between the plates 20 (as the adhesive flows between the
plates 20),
the percentage of volume increase within the region between the plates 20 may
be
sufficiently low that the performance of the customized display may not be
substantially
. affected. Alternatively, the adhesive may displace at least a portion of
the LC material
and/or may sufficiently mix with the LC material along the exposed edge to
create a seal.
In addition or alternatively, adhesive may be forced into the region between
the plates 20,
e.g., by manually or mechanically pressing against the exposed edge 16 after
applying the
adhesive, e.g., with a tool, dispenser, or even a finger or thumb, to press
the adhesive in
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between the plates 20 (either with or without creating a space between the
plates 20 to
receive the adhesive).
As the plates 20 axe squeezed, the volume of the interior region is reduced,
thereby
causing at least some of the liquid-crystal material therein to be ejected
along the exposed
edge 16 from between the plates 20 (since the liquid-crystal material is
incompressible).
The excess liquid-crystal material that has escaped along the exposed edge 16
may then be
removed, e.g., by wiping, wicking, draining, and the like, e.g., with a cloth,
paper, cotton
swab, compressed air, and the like (not shown). If desired, the exposed edge
16 may also
be cleaned or otherwise prepared in addition to removing the excess liquid-
crystal
material.
An adhesive, e.g., a bead of flowable adhesive, may then be applied along the
exposed edge 16 to seal the target portion 12, e.g., while the target portion
12 is held in the
vertical position. The adhesive may have an appropriate viscosity, e.g., to
allow it to flow
inwardly between the plates 20, and/or to fill any empty space in the target
portion 12
between the plates 20 and the liquid crystal material remaining between the
plates 20, as
described further below. A wetting and/or thinning agent may be used, if it is
desirable to
reduce the viscosity of the adhesive. Commercially available UV curing
acrylics with
nominal viscosity have been found to be appropriate. Other adhesives, such as
epoxies
and urethanes, may also be suitable for use as the first seal.
The adhesive and/or target portion 12 may need to be outgassed, e.g., to
remove
any trapped gases and/or voids before the adhesive is cured. With reference to
FIG. 4C,
both the outgassing and the curing may be accomplished using the pressure
plate tool 110
or other tool.. As shown, the cover 132 may be placed over the base 120 to
substantially
isolate the pressure chamber 114, and consequently the target portion 12, from
the
surrounding environment. The second vacuum source may be reduced to a pressure
sufficient to remove trapped gases from the adhesive and/or the interior
region of the
target portion 12, e.g., below about one pound per square inch (1 psi)
absolute.. The gases
may be observed as bubbles at the top of the adhesive layer. When the bubbles
stop
accumulating on the surface of the adhesive, the degassing may be considered
substantially completed.
Once sufficient degassing has been completed, the pressure chamber 114 may be
brought back to atmospheric pressure, e.g., by deactivating the second vacuum
source
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and/or opening a release valve to expose the pressure chamber 114 to ambient
pressure.
Optionally, the cover 132 may be removed or may remain over the base 120.
Alternatively, the pressure chamber 114 may remain at the second predetermined
pressure
during the subsequent steps.
The pressure in the bladder 126 may then be reduced to a third predetermined
pressure to draw the adhesive into the exposed edge 16 between the plates 20.
As the
pressure in the bladder 126 is reduced, the plates 20 may separate, thereby
increasing the
volume of the interior region, and drawing at least some of the adhesive
between the plates
20 (to preserve the volume of material within the interior region). In an
exemplary
embodiment, the third predetermined pressure may be the same as the first
predetermined
pressure, such that the plates 20 are returned to the original predetermined
cell spacing.
Thus, the volume of adhesive drawn between the plates 20 may be substantially
the same
as the volume of liquid-crystal material that is ejected from between the
plates 20. In
addition or alternatively, the pressure within the chamber 114 may also be
increased
slightly, e.g., to force adhesive along the exposed edge 16 between the plates
20 or
otherwise enhance penetration of the adhesive, if desired.
After the adhesive has penetrated between the plates 20, the adhesive may be
cured
by appropriate methods to complete resizing the customized display 10.' For
example, for
a UV-curable adhesive, the target portion 12 may be exposed to ultraviolet
light for
sufficient time to substantially cure the adhesive between the plates, e.g.,
for at least about
thirty seconds to two minutes depending upon the intensity of the UV and the
sensitivity
of the adhesive. Optionally, a UV curing lamp(s) and/or heater(s) (not shown)
may be
mounted in the pressure chamber 114 of the pressure plate tool 110 to
facilitate curing.
Alternatively, other adhesives may be utilized that are cured using heat
and/or pressure.
Optionally, any excess adhesive disposed along the exposed edge 16 may be
removed, e.g., wiped away before the adhesive is cured, or cut, scraped away,
or otherwise
removed, e.g., using chemicals or mechanical devices, after the adhesive is
cured.
Alternatively, the excess adhesive may remain along the sealed exposed edge
16. For =
example, an excess amount of adhesive may be added to the display 10' to be
used during
subsequent assembly or other preparation of the final product. Such excess
adhesive
material may be contoured and shaped, e.g., by molding and the like, to
facilitate
interfacing with a bezel (not shown) and/or otherwise optimize the display
design.
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After curing, the customized display 10' is removed from the pressure plate
tool
110, and cleaned as necessary and/or tested. Optionally, one or more
additional seals may
be added to the customized display 10,' along the now-sealed exposed edge 16
and/or
along one or more of the additional edges. For example, a second seal 27 may
be added,
as desired, and then outgassed and/or cured as necessary. The second seal 27
may be a
silicone or other material, e.g., applied to minimize the penetration of
humidity and/or
other contaminants into the liquid crystal material inside the cell, e.g.,
when the display
10' subjected to its operating environment. Optionally, the second seal 27 may
have black
ink, dye, and/or other pigment added thereto to produce a substantially black
or other
opaque color, and may be applied up to the outer perimeter of the target
display image
area 40', to prevent back light from passing through the display 10' around
the outer edges
of the target display image area 40.'
In addition or alternatively, an optional mask or third seal 28 may be added
to the
newly-exposed plate edges, e.g., over the seal 27, and/or applied up to the
outer perimeter
of the target display image area 40.' The mask 28 is shown partially broken
away in FIG.
2A. It should be dark, e.g., black, and may be tape, ink, sealant, adhesive,
plastic, and/or
any other suitable material. At least one of the second seal 27, or the
optional mask 28
may be used to replace any of the original mask (not shown) removed during the
customization process. Additionally, the mask 28 may be placed around the
entire
perimeter of the cell, e.g., substantially overlying the original perimeter
seal 25 and
original mask. The third seal or mask may cover part of the active area of the
customized
display 10' that is not used or desired to be seen be the user in the final
implementation.
Methods for applying such second and/or third seals 27,28 are described in
U.S. Patent
No. 6,204,906, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein
by
reference.
Alternatively, the first seal 26 may serve the functions of the second and/or
third
seals just described. In addition or alternatively, one or more of the seals
may be loaded
with thermally conductive material, e.g., to aid in thermal conduction, and/or
electrically
conducting material, e.g., to aid in EMI shielding and/or grounding.
If any of the electronics, e.g., internal or external to the customized
display 10,' are
cut, damaged, and/or removed, electrical continuity may need to be
reestablished.
Optionally, new circuits may be needed to replace those cut, damaged, and/or
removed, or
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to enhance the functionality of the customized display 1 0 . '
Optionally, other cuts may be performed and/or sections of a
COTS display may be removed.
Turning to FIG. 6, an exemplary method is shown for resizing, customizing, or
otherwise modifying an electronic display, such as a COTS AMLCD and the like.
Although the steps are provided in a sequential order, it will be appreciated
that the order
in which the steps are performed may be varied. Further, one or more of the
steps may be
eliminated and/or may be substituted with one or more of the steps from. other
methods
described herein.
First, at step 210, the display may be removed from its frame assembly, e.g.,
if a
fully assembled display apparatus is being resiz,ed. This may include removing
any excess
electronics that may interfere with a portion of the resizing procedure,
and/or that may be
modified or replaced with other electronics.
= At step 212, one or more circuit boards of the display may be cut, e.g.,
using hand
or power tools, such as a hand shear. Optionally, any cut edges may trimmed or
otherwise
treated, e.g., using a mill, router, sandpaper, and the like.
At step 214, one or more polarizers and/or other films may be removed from at
least a portion of the display, e.g., on the exposed surfaces of one or both
plates of the
display. For example, any films along the line to be scribed may be cut or
otherwise
removed, e.g., using a small electric circular saw. The saw may be mounted to
a machine
tool assembly, e.g., along with a milling machine, grinding machine, and/or
other tools
used during the resizing procedure.
Optionally, the display may be mounted on a vacuum chuck located at the
machine
tool assembly, and/or on a movable bed of the machine tool assembly. The
machine tool
assembly may be used to hold the display precisely and/or move it under the
saw. Control
of the machine tool, e.g., along X, Y and Z axes, may be used to control the
motion of the
vacuum chuck holding the display under the saw blade and/or other tools,
similar to the
previous embodiments.
This step may include removing a swath of the polarizer and/or other films to
. create a trench having a width, e.g., about 1.25 millimeters (0.050 inch)
or less, centered
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over the intended cut line. Any sawdust or other residue from the films
created from the
sawing action may be removed using a vacuum cleaner, e.g., appropriately
positioned on
the saw and/or machine tool assembly. The film adhesive may be cleaned along
the
trench, e.g., using a cotton swab, fabric, sponge, and the like, alone or
along with a
solvent, such as 91% isopropyl alcohol solution. This procedure may be
repeated on both
sides of the display if polarizers or other films are provided on both sides.
Alternatively,
another procedure may be used for removing at least a portion (and optionally
all) of the
polarizer(s) on the plate(s) of the display. In yet another alternative, the
display may not
include any polarizers or films (e.g., as explained above), and this step may
be omitted.
At step 216, one or both plates of the display may be scribed along the
intended cut
line(s). In one embodiment, the plates may be scribed with a glazer's scribe
wheel along
the intended cut line. The parameters for scribing using a scribe wheel, i.e.,
scribing speed
and pressure, are similar to those used in the LCD industry for scribing glass
plates of
LCDs. The saw blade for cutting the polarizer(s) and the scribe wheel may be
mounted on
the same tool head, e.g., such that the cutting and scribing steps may be
completed
successively in one pass along each plate of the display. For example, the
scribe wheel
and/or saw may be lowered successively when used, e.g., using a pneumatic,
hydraulic,
mechanical, or other actuators that control the positions of the tools along
the Z axis.
At step 218, the display may be broken along the scribe line(s). For example,
the
display may be removed from the vacuum chuck or other tool, and placed on a
flat glass
plate. A strip of material, e.g., a 0.008 inch thick silicone or rubber strip,
may be placed
on the flat plate before the display such that the rubber strip is
substantially parallel to the
scribe line offset to one side, e.g., about fifty (50) millimeters (two (2)
inches) away from
the scribe line. The scribe line of the upper plate may then be stroked with a
cotton swab
or other tool at moderate pressure, e.g., to cause the lower plate of the
display to break
along the scribe line. The display may be turned over, placed upon the flat
plate over the
rubber stripe and aligned in a similar manner, and the other plate (now
exposed) may be
stroked in a similar manner, to break the (now) lower plate along the scribe
line. Thus, the
display may be separated into multiple pieces, e.g., into a target portion and
an excess
portion.
If the plates are not broken after a single pass, these steps may be repeated,
as
necessary, on one or both sides of the display, until the display is
separated. Generally,
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only one side of the display will break along the scribe line at a time (i.e.,
the lower plate
opposite the upper plate being stroked). However, during some procedures, both
sides
may break simultaneously along the scribe lines. In addition, one or both
plates may break
spontaneously during the scribing operation, thereby omitted one or both of
the stroking
steps. Alternatively, the rubber strip may be replaced with a continuous sheet
of flexible
material under the display, and the display may be broken, e.g., using a tool
that uniformly
strikes the display along the scribe line, such as the tools used by Villa
Precision for
breaking glass done in the glass cutting industry. In a further alternative,
the display may
be broken and/or separated in the pressure plate tool, similar to the other
embodiments
described herein.
When the display breaks into the target and excess portions, the plates of the
display may expand, e.g., along the exposed edges of the target and excess
portions. As
explained above, this may occur because the region between the plates of the
display may
be at a reduced pressure, e.g., substantially at a vacuum. When the display is
broken or
otherwise separated along the scribe line(s), atmospheric pressure may enter
the region
between the plates, thereby causing the plates to separate or otherwise expand
away from
one another a distance greater than the performance spacing. Alternatively,
the scribed
display may be broken along the scribe line(s) while maintaining the plates in
their
original perfonnance spacing, e.g., by mounting the display in a fixture or
using other
procedures similar to those described elsewhere herein.
At step 220, the target portion of the display (the portion to be used for the
resized
display) may be placed in a pressure plate tool, e.g., similar to that
described above. For
example, the pressure plate tool may include two substantially rigid, parallel
plates, at
least one of which is covered with a bladder, such as a flexible silicone
rubber and the like.
The bladder may be held in place on one of the pressure plates, e.g., using
bars on multiple
(e.g., three) sides of the pressure plate. The pressure plates and/or bars may
be formed
from aluminum or other substantially rigid material capable of handling the
pressures
involved. In addition, the bladder may include one or more ports, e.g., on a
top side of the
bladder for delivering inflation media into the bladder, similar to the
previous
embodiments.
The display may be placed between the pressure plates with the exposed or cut
edge of the target portion protruding slightly from one edge of the pressure
plate tool, e.g.,
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along top edges of the pressure plates. The pressure plates may be secured
together, e.g.,
using one or more bolts, clips, or other fasteners. The pressure within the
bladder may
increased, e.g., adjusted to approximately two pounds per square inch (2 psi)
gauge
pressure, e.g., to return the distance between the plates substantially to
their original gap
distance. As explained above, this may be facilitated because the display
includes internal
spacers between the plates of the display, and the pressure May force the
plates back
against the spacers.
At step 222, a small amount of liquid crystal material may be ejected or
otherwise
removed from between the plates of the display along the exposed edge, e.g.,
to create a
space between the plates for receiving an adhesive or other sealant. For
example, the
pressure in the bladder may be increased slightly, e.g., by about one to three
psi, to
compress the plates of the display slightly together from their intended
performance
spacing, thereby causing a small amount of LC material to be forced out along
the exposed =
edge. The exposed LC material may be removed, e.g., using a cotton swab,
fabric, or
other absorbent or nonabsorbent material. In addition, the exposed edge may be
cleaned
and/or otherwise treated. Alternatively, the LC material may be removed from
between
the plates, e.g., by wicking, draining, and the like, similar to the
embodiments described
above.
At step 224, adhesive or other sealant material may be applied along the
exposed
edge. Optionally, the pressure plate tool (along with the target portion of
the display) may
be set in a vertical position to accept the adhesive, similar to the previous
embodiments.
For example, a UV curing acrylic adhesive may be applied from a dispenser
substantially
uniformly along the exposed edge. Any excess adhesive may be removed, e.g.,
using a
cotton swab, fabric, and the like.
= At step 226, the pressure in the bladder may be reduced, e.g., to about one
pound
per square inch gauge pressure, allowing the adhesive to penetrate and enter
between the
plates along the exposed edge. For an adhesive such as Loctite 349, it may
require several
minutes for the adhesive to penetrate sufficiently between the plates. For
example, it may
take about four (4) minutes for the adhesive to penetrate a distance of at
least about 0.040
inch in between the plates. The penetration distance is generally proportional
to the time
allowed. The pressure may be reduced sufficiently to return the plates of the
display to
their original performance spacing, similar to the previous embodiments.
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At step 228, the adhesive may then be cured. For example, one or more
ultraviolet
fluorescent lamps, e.g., rich in energy at about three hundred fifty
nanometers (350 nm)
wavelength, may be activated for at least about one minute. In an exemplary
embodiment,
a set of five lamps, such as Model F8T5BL lamps by Ushio may be sufficient.
The
adhesive may be only partially cured such that the display may be removed, and
any .
excess adhesive may be cleaned or otherwise removed without permanent
attachment to
the pressure plate tool or display, e.g., in undesirable locations. The
display and/or
pressure plate tool may be cleaned, for example, with a solvent such as 91%
isopropyl
alcohol solution. Curing of the adhesive may then be completed by exposing the
display
to the UV lamps, e.g., for another ten (10) or more minutes.
Thereafter, the display may be cleaned as needed. Optionally, thereafter,
additional electronics may be attached to the display and/or the display may
be mounted
within a bezel, box, or other assembly, similar to original displays.
While certain embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and are described
herein, including preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that
the specific embodiments described herein may be modified without departing
from the
inventive concepts described.
For example, depending upon the specific requirements for a particular
application,
various combinations of the customizing techniques described herein may be
applied. The
seals 26, 27, and 28, may be applied in different combinations, different
amounts or ratios,
and varying sequences, depending on the application. Some of the seals may be
omitted
or used redundantly as the application may require. In addition or
alternatively, degassing
may not be necessary in some applications.
Additionally, though the examples used herein generally referred to COTS
AMLCDs
as used in avionics where square displays are used, the concepts are equally
applicable to
other types of LCDs or other display technologies, and for other industrial
applications
including those requiring other customized shapes. Furthermore, though the
examples
used show only one set of row TABs and two sets of column TABS, in practice
that may
be switched, or there may be two sets of each, and the quantity of each may
vary, all as is
desired or needed for a specific application.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications, and alternative
forms,
specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein
described in
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detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be
limited to the
particular embodiments or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the
invention is to cover
all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of
the appended
claims.
