Display module

A display module for use as a front dashboard, a center console, a passenger entertainment display, or an instrument panel is described. The display module includes a display assembly that is joined to a cover lens via an optically clear adhesive layer. The display assembly is arranged as a flat planar device, and the cover lens is arranged as a curved planar surface that includes an inner laminate sheet that is joined to an outer laminate sheet via a second adhesive layer.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to on-vehicle display modules, and methods for forming display modules.

BACKGROUND

Display modules are used to present images and video to one or a plurality of viewers. Display modules can include a display panel and may also include a lens extending parallel to the display panel. Specific applications of display assemblies may include instrument clusters or infotainment systems in vehicles, for example. Such display assemblies can provide the driver and/or passengers of a vehicle with useful information for operating the vehicle and/or for entertainment.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are disclosed herein that are related to a display module for use in-vehicle, such as in a front dashboard, a center console, a passenger entertainment display, or an instrument panel. The display module includes a display assembly that is joined to a cover lens via an optically clear adhesive layer. The display assembly is arranged as a flat planar device, and the cover lens is arranged as a curved planar device that includes an inner laminate sheet that is joined to an outer laminate sheet via a second adhesive layer.

An aspect of the disclosure includes the inner laminate sheet of the cover lens being arranged as a curved planar element, wherein the outer laminate sheet is fabricated to have a curvature that conforms to the curved planar element of the inner laminate sheet.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes a touch-sensitive element being interposed between the inner laminate sheet of the cover lens and the outer laminate sheet of the cover lens.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the touch-sensitive element being a capacitive touch sensor.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the touch-sensitive element being a resistive touch sensor.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes an anti-reflection (AR) film being disposed on an outer surface of the outer laminate sheet.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes an anti-glare (AG) film being disposed on an outer surface of the outer laminate sheet.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes an anti-fingerprint (AFP) film being disposed on an outer surface of the outer laminate sheet.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes an anti-smudge (AS) film being disposed on an outer surface of the outer laminate sheet.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the outer laminate sheet of the cover lens being composed as an ultra-thin material having a thickness between 0.01 μm and 0.7 mm.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the outer film being a thin-film liquid coating that is applied by spraying, sputtering, etc.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the optically clear adhesive layer being a liquid optically clear adhesive layer.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the display module being disposed as a front instrument panel in an interior portion of a vehicle.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the second adhesive layer of the cover lens being configured as an optically-clear layer having shatter-resistant properties.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the second adhesive layer of the cover lens being polyvinyl butyral.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes the display assembly being an electronic display unit that is incorporated into one of an instrument cluster, a center console display, and a passenger entertainment display.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes a process for fabricating a display assembly, including forming, via injection molding, an inner laminate sheet of a cover lens, cold-forming an outer laminate sheet for the cover lens, wherein the outer laminate sheet conforms to the inner laminate sheet of the cover lens. The outer laminate sheet is joined to the inner laminate sheet via a second adhesive layer. The inner laminate sheet of the cover lens is joined, via an optically clear adhesive layer, to a display assembly, wherein the display assembly is arranged as a flat planar device.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes joining, via the optically clear adhesive layer, the inner laminate sheet of the cover lens and the display assembly by applying the optically clear adhesive layer between the inner laminate sheet of the cover lens and the display assembly, and curing the optically clear adhesive layer.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes curing the optically clear adhesive layer by exposing the optically clear adhesive layer to ultraviolet light for a prescribed time period.

Another aspect of the disclosure includes curing the optically clear adhesive layer by exposing the optically clear adhesive layer to one of an elevated temperature environment, an elevated moisture environment, etc., for a prescribed time period.

The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description for carrying out the teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, and may present a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features of the present disclosure as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes. Details associated with such features will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the particular forms illustrated in the above-enumerated drawings. Rather, the disclosure includes modifications, equivalents, and combinations falling within the scope of the disclosure as encompassed by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The components of the disclosed embodiments, as described and illustrated herein, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, as claimed, but is merely representative of possible embodiments thereof. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, some embodiments can be practiced without some of these details. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, certain technical material that is understood in the related art has not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Furthermore, the drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as inner, outer, top, bottom, left, right, up, over, above, below, beneath, rear, and front, may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms are not to be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, the disclosure, as illustrated and described herein, may be practiced in the absence of an element that is not specifically disclosed herein.

Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,FIG. 1schematically shows an end view of a display module10, which may be disposed in a vehicle interior as a front dashboard, an instrument cluster, a center console display, a passenger entertainment display, an instrument panel, etc. The display module10includes a display assembly12that is joined to a cover lens20via an optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer14. The display assembly12is arranged as a flat planar device, and the cover lens20is arranged as a curved planar device that is composed as a multi-layer laminate sheet. In one embodiment, a touch-sensitive element30is disposed thereon. The display module10described herein that includes a curved outer surface fabricated from materials having a capability of impact-absorption.

The display assembly12may be arranged as flat planar device employing a liquid-crystal display (LCD) that employs thin-film transistor technology in one embodiment. Alternatively, the display assembly12may employ an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or another device.

The cover lens20is arranged as a curved planar device that is a multi-layer laminate sheet that includes an inner laminate sheet22that is fused or joined to an outer laminate sheet24via a second adhesive layer28. The term “inner” as used herein indicates that the associated inner laminate sheet22is disposed towards the display module10, and the term “outer” as used herein indicates that the outer laminate sheet24is disposed away from the display module10. In one embodiment, the touch-sensitive element30is disposed between the inner laminate sheet22and the outer laminate sheet24.

The inner laminate sheet22of the cover lens20is arranged as a curved planar element having a first curved planar surface23. The inner laminate sheet22is fabricated from glass, plastic, or another moldable transparent material, and may be formed via an injection molding process or another molding process.

The outer laminate sheet24is an ultra-thin material that is fabricated to have a second curved planar surface25that conforms to the first curved planar surface23of the inner laminate sheet22. The outer laminate sheet24may be fabricated to conform to the first curved planar surface23of the inner laminate sheet22employing a cold-forming process, wherein the second adhesive layer28is interposed to join the outer laminate sheet24to the inner laminate sheet22during the cold-forming process. The second adhesive layer28is an optically-transparent adhesive material having high elongation properties, high tensile strength, high tear resistance, and other properties related to shatter resistance. In one embodiment, the second adhesive layer28is polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which is a resinous material that provides strong binding, optical clarity, surface adhesion, toughness and flexibility. The outer laminate sheet24is composed as an ultra-thin material having a thickness between 0.01 μm and 0.7 mm in one embodiment.

The outer laminate sheet24includes an outer surface26that is exposed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The outer surface26may include one or more films27disposed thereon to enhance clarity and readability of the underlying display assembly12. The films27disposed on the outer surface26may include an anti-reflection (AR) film, an anti-glare (AG) film, an anti-smudge (AS) film, and/or an anti-fingerprint (AFP) film. The aforementioned films27may be applied as laminate sheets, or, alternatively, as thin-film liquid coatings that may be applied by spraying, sputtering, etc. The outer surface26of the outer laminate sheet24, including any of the films27, provide a glass-like feeling when touched. Furthermore, the AG functionality may be achieved by etching on either or both the outer surface26and the second curved planar surface25of the outer laminate sheet24.

The touch-sensitive element30is interposed between the inner laminate sheet22of the cover lens20and the outer laminate sheet24of the cover lens20. In one embodiment, the touch-sensitive element30is a capacitive touch sensor. In one embodiment, the touch-sensitive element30is a resistive touch sensor.

The OCA layer14may be fabricated from an optically clear adhesive material, a liquid optically clear adhesive material, or another material.

The process of fabricating the display module10includes forming, via injection molding, the inner laminate sheet22of the cover lens20, and cold-forming the outer laminate sheet24for the cover lens20by conforming the outer laminate sheet24to the inner laminate sheet22at a temperature less than 100° C. The use of ultra-thin material to form the outer laminate sheet24facilitates employment of cold-forming processes. One benefit of cold-forming the outer laminate sheet24is to reduce manufacturing cycle times, as compared to other forming processes. The outer laminate sheet24is joined to the inner laminate sheet22employing the second adhesive layer28. The cover lens20is joined to the display assembly12by applying the OCA layer14to the inner laminate sheet22and assembling the inner laminate sheet22to the display assembly12and curing the optically clear adhesive layer14. In one embodiment, curing the optically clear adhesive layer14includes exposing the optically clear adhesive layer14to ultraviolet light for a prescribed time period. Alternatively, or in addition, the optically clear adhesive layer14may be cured employing thermal-based curing, moisture-based curing, or another curing method. Curing the optically clear adhesive layer14may include, by way of non-limiting example, exposing the optically clear adhesive layer14to one or more of of an ultraviolet light, an elevated temperature environment, and/or an elevated moisture environment for a prescribed time period.

FIG. 2provides a top view of another embodiment of the display module210. This embodiment includes first and second display assemblies212,213, respectively, and a cover lens220. The first and second display assemblies212,213are arranged as flat planar devices, are arranged in parallel, and arranged offset in both a lateral direction (horizontal as shown) and a longitudinal direction (vertical as shown). The cover lens220is analogous to the cover lens20that is described with reference toFIG. 1, and is arranged as a curved planar device, wherein the curved planar shape is a complex planar shape having a first, convex portion221and a second, concave portion222that are joined at an inflection point223. An OCA layer214is interposed between and joins the first and second display assemblies212,213to the cover lens220. The inner laminate sheet224may be fabricated from glass, plastic, or another moldable transparent material, and may be formed via an injection molding process or another molding process, and defines the complex planar shape including the first, convex portion221and the second, concave portion222. The outer laminate sheet225is an ultra-thin material that conforms to the complex planar shape of the inner laminate sheet224. First and second touch-sensitive elements230,231may be disposed on respective first and second display assemblies212,213.

FIG. 3is an exploded isometric view of another embodiment of the display module310, and includes first and second display assemblies312,313, respectively, mounted on a frame311, and a cover lens320. The first and second display assemblies312,313are arranged as flat planar devices, are arranged in parallel, and arranged offset in both a lateral direction (horizontal as shown) and a longitudinal direction (vertical as shown). The cover lens320is analogous to the cover lens20that is described with reference toFIG. 1, and is arranged as a curved planar device, wherein the curved planar shape is a complex planar shape having a first portion321and a second portion322that are joined at an inflection point323. The cover lens320is arranged as a multi-layer laminate sheet that includes an inner laminate sheet324that is fused or joined to an outer laminate sheet325.

The display assemblies312,313are joined to the cover lens320via an OCA layer314. Mechanical stiffness of the cover lens320is provided by the complex planar shape and by an external frame portion328that is disposed on the outer periphery of the cover lens320. The inner laminate sheet324may be fabricated from glass, plastic, or another moldable transparent material, and may be formed via an injection molding molding process or another molding process, and defines the complex planar shape including the first, convex portion321and the second, concave portion322. The outer laminate sheet325is an ultra-thin material that conforms to the complex planar shape of the inner laminate sheet324. A first touch-sensitive element330may be disposed on the first display assembly312. In one embodiment, the first touch-sensitive element330includes cluster-touch capability. The second display assembly313does not have a touch capability in one embodiment. Alternatively, the second display assembly313includes touch capability.

The foregoing detailed description and the drawings are supportive and descriptive of the disclosure, but the scope of the disclosure is defined solely by the claims. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, various alternative designs and embodiments may exist for practicing the disclosure defined in the appended claims.